Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 2 Review: From the Head Down
Lisa Babick
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Magnum and Higgins are a dream team!
Higgins strutted her stuff in more ways than one on Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 2 when Magnum helped out an old friend of Nuzzo's who needed help when his big catch got stolen.
The whole premise of team Magnum trying to solve the case of a missing giant tuna seemed a bit silly, but it turned out to be a bigger deal than any of them expected.
Higgins is quickly becoming the star of the Magnum P.I., and I'm already thinking how great it would be to have a spinoff series focusing on Robin Masters' majordomo.
What's great about this reboot, is how Higgins has become an integral part of the team. Magnum relies on her expertise, and she loves helping out even if she does it begrudgingly -- or acts like she is.
There's no way the former spy can resist being part of the action. Her life had to be full of dangerous adventures and watching over a massive estate, and two dogs can't be giving her the thrill she desires.
Magnum's cases, no matter how silly they may seem, give her an opportunity to get back in the game without having to get back in the game.
As she gets to know Magnum on a more personal level, she's starting to discover there's a genuineness about him that both impresses and intrigues her.
Magnum isn't in it for the money (though it's a nice side benefit); he's in it because he wants to help people which he proved when he took on Sawyer's case.
It was an odd request to find a stolen tuna, but the fish was worth a lot of money, and the fact that Sawyer was Nuzzo's friend was what sealed the deal for Magnum.
It didn't take Magnum long to find the guy who stole the tuna, but the case wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Do I look like a genie, Magnum, at your disposal every time you fancy a wish?
Higgins
As it turned out, there was a flash drive hidden in the fish linked to a terrorist who was planning on bombing something in Oahu, but thanks to the quick action of Magnum and team, they solved the case and saved Oahu from enduring a devastating event.
While the case itself was a bit hokey, and involving a terrorist was pushing it beyond disbelief, how the team worked together to solve it carried the hour.
Magnum's meeting with Sawyer and his memories of Nuzzo provided an opportunity for him to recall how he and the team ended up in Hawaii.
After everything they had been through as POWs, they had no interest in going back to their old lives. They were a team, and a team they would remain -- only in a super cool place with excellent weather.
Related: Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 1 Review: I Saw the Sun Rise
One of the best parts of the flashback was when Magnum was shaving and briefly considered whether or not he should don a Tom Selleck mustache.
It was a nice nod to the original Magnum, but it was a better choice when he decided that the mustache didn't fit him.
TC and Rick got some decent screen time, but Rick is a lot more fun that TC right now. His flirtations with Higgins were hilarious, especially when he referenced her former spy life and asked her if she had someone making spy gadgets for her in the basement.
Rick: You know, now that the whole Higgins is a spy thing is out of the bag, I've been dying to ask one question. Is there some nerdy guy in a basement lab somewhere making you gadgets like is that necklace really a spy camera?
Higgins: Touch it, and I'll break your fingers.
What was better was that Higgins was coy about it leaving Rick to wonder if maybe it might be true after all.
Anyone who doesn't believe that we are being set up for a Higgins/Magnum romance is delusional. When Magnum asked Higgins to dinner, there was plenty of playful tension between them.
It got more intense when they were at dinner and their conversation turned to a more personal nature.
It still seems that Higgins is more attuned to a possible romance with Magnum than he is with her, but it may be that her interest in him is still purely platonic.
Magnum may be playing it cool at this point. He also might be intimidated by Higgins because he witnessed firsthand what a badass she is and discovered she has some awesome untold talents -- like speaking Arabic.
For all of you worried about a Higgins/Magnum romance ruining the show, I would imagine that if it did happen, it wouldn't happen for quite some time.
Related: Magnum P.I.: What's New, What's Not, and Why You Should Be Watching
I agree that jumping into a romance too soon wouldn't be good because it's the tease and tension between them that makes it delicious.
You may shoot me, but I'm going to keep coming until you give me that gun. Then, I'm going to get angry.
TC
Maybe it will never happen. Maybe they'll end up being the best crime-solving partners in Hawaii because as it is, they work exceptionally well together, and I love every minute they share on screen.
Magnum P.I. continues to be fun, escapist television, and I intend on keeping my Monday night dates with Magnum, Higgins, TC, and Rick -- especially Higgins!
Over to you!
What did you think of "From the Head Down"? Did you like the terrorist tie-in?
Did you appreciate the nod to OG Magnum? Are you enjoying the new Higgins?
What does the show do well? What does it need to improve?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts!
If you need to catch up, you can watch Magnum P.I. online right here via TV Fanatic!
