It wasn’t Juliet’s finest moment on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 14.
For the better part of five seasons, Higgins has been dishing out that condescension for which the British are renowned.
But for part of one day, the shoe was on the other foot after she flunked her private investigator license renewal test, which Thomas somehow passed.
Now that Juliet has become his partner in all ways, Magnum knew enough to keep his gloating to a minimum. He knew it was an “even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while” situation.
Higgins kept calm and carried on, pitching in unofficially however she could while Thomas and Rick raced to clear one of Rick’s regulars who had been charged with murder.
It was enjoyable to see Rick coming to the fore from his usual behind-the-scenes fixer role, although it too often felt like Magnum taking part in a “Bring a Buddy to Work Day.”
But, after a modest bribe to the examiner, Juliet got another chance to pass the test, and all was back to normal.
Juliet returns to the field
The logline from NBC for Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 15 reads: “Magnum and Higgins are hired to find a missing gamer whose online friends believe he might be in trouble.”
This should be a challenging case for Juliet’s return to the field. After all, the couple come from different ends of the techno-savvy scale, with Thomas techno-tolerant at best. She has always provided the computer skills in their relationship.
Neither one of them fits the gamer profile. But maybe somebody in their orbit is?
What promises to make this case more difficult is the anonymity of online gaming. Who are their clients, who is this missing gamer, and how do they know he or she is missing?
That’s not nearly as straightforward as their average case, although Higgins likely will quickly convert online identities to real names and addresses. That’s what she does.
The vague nature of the internet should make for this becoming an intriguing case for Thomas and Juliet.
Katsumoto’s involvement
Promotional photos supplied by NBC suggest that Katsumoto is somehow involved in this investigation, but whether that’s during or after isn’t at all clear.
Those photos also show them crossing paths with Jin, but whether that’s for this case or for Jin’s project, who knows?
After spotlights for the regular cast since Magnum’s return on Magnum Season 5 Episode 11, it’s time for the recurring characters to step up. This episode, that means Jin, unfortunately.
I would prefer a Hawaii Five-O crossover character, such as Kamekona or Noelani, to resurface, but that’s probably too much to hope for this long after that series’ departure.
Jin needs TC’s help
The logline reads: “Jin Jeong enlists the help of T.C. in a treasure hunt after his ex-partner gets out of prison.”
The parts of that logline that sound like trouble are “Jin,” “treasure hunt,” and “his ex-partner gets out of prison.” Nothing there suggests any borderline legal activity.
Let’s assume Magnum and Higgins crossed paths with Jin when he attempted to recruit them into his latest hair-brained scheme, and they blew him off. That sounds about right.
Jin is an example of what used to be called a rascal or a scamp. Today, he’d have to be dubbed a conman who is lucky not to be in prison himself.
For some reason, T.C. has always been there for Jin. He’s a soft touch, willing to help people, however questionable their motivations might be.
Which brings us back to Jin. This “treasure” has to be loot, either from a crime or a scam. In other words, it is something that an upstanding citizen and businessman such as T.C. should be nowhere near.
Throw in Jin’s recently released partner, Bo, and you can sense that danger isn’t far behind this trio. Not knowing where the “treasure” came from, it’s impossible to judge who else might be after it.
What isn’t apparent is how long after T.C.’s release from the V.A. hospital in the last episode, this action takes place.
Is TC OK to return to work?
It isn’t easy to understand how T.C.’s doctor would sign off on him traipsing through and digging holes in the jungle already.
It wasn’t that long ago that T.C. was paralyzed, and he was walking with the aid of a crutch in the last episode.
It’s little wonder Rick looks askance at T.C. in one of the photos. He also thinks this outing is a bad idea.
Still, T.C. needs a distraction after his breakup with Mahina. Setting his rehab back weeks would undoubtedly qualify as a distraction. Here’s hoping Jin’s escapade is a step forward, not a step back, for T.C.
And how close is T.C. to getting back into the air in his Island Hoppers chopper? It’s a good thing Shammy took care of business in T.C.’s absence.
Are T.C. and Mahina, who is set to appear in three future episodes, done?
And how are Rick and Suzy doing? They appeared together at T.C.’s party in the last episode, but little was said about their relationship.
Check out a preview of Wednesday’s episode below, and then come back for a review on Wednesday.
Are you looking forward to Thomas and Juliet teaming up again after a brief hiatus?
What’s Jin up to now?
Are you glad to see T.C. back in the field?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.