Magnum Reloaded: A look back to where ‘Magnum P.I.’ left off, just in time for its return April 10
As the world continues to find new ways to connect and entertain ourselves while in self-quarantine, many fans were thrilled to hear that “Magnum P.I.” will return to CBS on April 10. The latest Peter M. Lenkov-led reboot will take over the 8 p.m. spot on Friday nights, just a week after “Hawaii Five-0” ends their 10th and final season. “Magnum P.I.” fans are hoping their favorite show will soon get the green light to return for a third season and continue to fill the gap left by “Hawaii Five-0.”
The last time we had a chance to see our “Magnum P.I.” favorites, was in the Jan. 31 episode, “A Game of Cat and Mouse,” when Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Higgins (Perdita Weeks) helped their friend Jin (Bobby Lee) save the life of a woman who was the target of a hit man. The episode was one that showed Magnum and his friends trying to do something good for a stranger, which is a big theme for the action drama. It’s one of the many reasons why viewers have continued to watch the show since its debut in 2018.
WHERE WE LEFT OFF
The last episode was a good one. It ended on an upbeat note, with a big group sing-along during karaoke night at Rick’s (Zachary Knighton) bar, La Mariana. TC (Stephen Hill) started singing the song, “I Will Survive,” and Magnum, Higgins, Rick, Kumu (Amy Hill), Shammy (Christopher Thornton), Jin and Chef Roy Yamaguchi all joined in just before the conclusion of the episode. Perhaps the thought was that if “Magnum P.I.” did not return, it was a strong way to go out.
So on Friday, when CBS announced the return of “Magnum P.I.” and released promotional information about the new episode, “Say Hello to Your Past,” fans breathed a sigh of relief. There had been rumors that the show would return on April 10, but nothing was confirmed until this week. After eight weeks without even a “Magnum P.I.” repeat, and then the unexpected news that fellow Hawaii-based series “Hawaii Five-0” was coming to an end, fans were nervous their show would not return to CBS. Thankfully, it looks like “Magnum P.I.” will have a chance to finish their second season.
In January, when the show last aired, we were left with a few open plotlines. Magnum’s and Higgins’ partnership seems to be running fairly smoothly, while Rick is feeling the pinch of running a bar, and TC has found some major competition from fellow helicopter owner, Kamekona (Taylor Wily). Katsumoto (Tim Kang) is “on notice” with HPD for breaking too many rules while helping Magnum with his cases. Kumu seems to have moved into helping Magnum and Higgins investigate their cases, and Shammy has become an important part of the Magnum ohana, after helping save Magnum when he was sent on a fake mission to South America.
HOPES FOR SEASON TWO
There’s one big plotline that needs to be resolved, and that is the question of Ivan (Peter Facinelli) — who he is and what he wants from Magnum. We only know Ivan is the mystery man who hired the mercenaries to torture Higgins and Kumu in the episode “Knight Lasts Forever” and he was the mastermind behind the false mission Magnum was sent on in the episode “Day I Met the Devil.” It will make for an interesting storyline finding out why he seems to want to terrorize Magnum and his friends.
We also wonder what will become of Rick’s father-figure, Icepick (Corbin Bernsen), who was released from prison because he has stage 4 cancer. Now that Icepick is out of prison, he wants to make the most of his time left with his surrogate son. After giving Rick the news in “The Man in the Secret Room”, Icepick has not returned to La Mariana, so it would be nice to see him again or have him help Rick make more of La Mariana.
A LITTLE MORE ROMANCE
One thing that seems to be lacking in “Magnum P.I.” is romance. The series is based on romance, intrigue and mystery. So it would be great to see Magnum or one of his friends find a bit of romance. And if Magnum and Higgins are just going to stay friends, then it would be nice to see Rick and TC find some love.
Rick really liked Quinn Liu (Katrina Law), an officer in the Five-0 task force, and they shared a great connection and dart game at the end of the “Hawaii Five-0”/“Magnum P.I.” crossover, “Desperate Measures.” As “Hawaii Five-0” comes to an end next week, it would be great to see Law’s character crossover into “Magnum P.I.”
And while TC hasn’t had any connections yet, it’s time that Theodore Calvin finds himself a lady. It would make for a great addition to the overall storyline. As for Magnum, after Hannah’s betrayal and Abby’s desertion, we all would like him to find a lady — even if she is already standing in front of him.
If nothing else, our hope for the rest of the second season is for a little more romance, and of course, for news that there will be a third season. If that happens in the next few weeks, it would be a nice treat for the fandom and it may help ease some anxiety in a time of great unknowns.
Wendie Burbridge has written the “Magnum Reloaded” blog for staradvertiser.com since 2018. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.