I Watch TV: Magnum PI
It seems I didn’t write up the first season of the rebooted series, which is probably for the best as I really didn’t have a lot to say. At the end of the first season Magnum proposed going into partnership with Higgins; towards the end of the second her visa problems prompted him to propose marriage to get her a green card, so that’s a nice bit of symmetry.
In common with the original Magnum P.I. the show is interested in the struggles of veterans coming back from a war; once Vietnam, now mostly Afghanistan (though a number of illegal excursions into North Korea are also part of the backstory). It’s not quite willing to commit to this as a major theme – there’s too much shooting, chasing, driving, fistfighting and hacking in beautiful Hawaii to get through – but it also won’t drop it.
Talking of shooting, fighting etc. there was a crossover with Hawaii Five-O, a show I stopped watching after three or so seasons, the third or fourth time they broke into jail to get someone out. When you introduce the Governor’s own para-military death squad led by a former Navy SEAL to the Magnum world it becomes clear that one in three episodes Magnum and his mates are a heavily armed mercenary group operating all over Hawaii and the surrounding waters, led by a former Navy SEAL. On the other hand, what the comparison between the shows brought up is how likable and charming the cast of Magnum is and how even when things get gritty they maintain an optimism.
At the end of the crossover Magnum thinks he’s not seen the last of 5-0. I checked, the show's now over after ten seasons.
Watch This: Magnum punches, wisecracks, drives, banters, parkours and fistfights his way through some cases of variable interest
Don’t Watch This: Heavily armed mercenaries shouldn’t be the heroes
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