Isn’t the saying, “Beggars can’t be choosers?”
And yet Magnum and Higgins still debated whether to take a case on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 6.
That was undoubtedly understandable because this wasn’t any old case.
An anonymous client sent a bundle of money and a request for Thomas and Juliet to investigate a man as a potential murderer.
Magnum liked having that money in hand, but Higgins was more reserved. Who can blame her? Just sending a pile of cash and an assignment seemed like something a criminal would do.
So naturally, since it was their day off anyway, they did the smart thing, checking out the man, Jack Hill. When Juliet determined he was an ex-cop, that was almost the end of the case.
But curiosity got the better of them. They split up the tasks, with Higgins using the envelope to track the potential client and Magnum, of course, breaking into Hill’s home. Although he got lucky this time, will he ever learn?
It turned out they were both right to follow the paths they did. Juliet discovered that the DNA on the label belonged to a redheaded, blue-eyed woman, and it was mailed from the same hospital where Hill recently had surgery. That can’t be a coincidence, could it?
Instead of some shady type trying to recruit the P.I.s, it was a good-hearted doctor who didn’t want to lose her job. But she wanted to know why her patient was mumbling under anesthesia about burying a woman’s body. That seemed reasonable enough.
The couple then concluded that since the client had proven to be an upstanding citizen, maybe the ex-cop wasn’t.
And who better to go to for HPD gossip than Katsumoto, on the day of his reinstatement hearing, no less? Timing has never been their strong suit when hitting on Gordie for a favor. But he doesn’t even flinch anymore.
Katsumoto told them the pretty woman in the photos Thomas found was Hill’s wife, who died suddenly. Hill deteriorated rapidly at work after that, being dismissed after an escort filed a complaint.
It was clear that Hill was grieving, which was why he was using an escort with similar looks to recreate experiences he shared with his wife. Whatever helps him to get through those long nights.
But flaring up at Amber, the escort after she changed her appearance wasn’t OK, which prompted her complaint. Higgins wisely concluded that Hill may have continued his pattern of behavior with another woman.
Looking through missing women from that time frame helped them to locate Jenny Davis. It was heartbreaking to see how her father blamed himself for going home sick on the day that she disappeared.
Thomas and Juliet knew they had reached the end of the line with what they could accomplish working outside the law. Since Gordie was still suspended then, they had no choice but to take it to Childs.
As Katsumoto had learned, Childs was beginning to understand. When Magnum and Higgins brought him a case, it was likely to be solid.
Childs did an admirable job interrogating Hill. And while Thomas suspected something was amiss when Hill caved so quickly, no one could have foreseen his suicide by peanut.
But Magnum did glom onto the fact that a man with a severe peanut allergy shouldn’t have a cupboard filled with peanut butter. That led to discovering the hidden room, Jenny’s rescue after five years, and the heartwarming reunion with her parents.
Gordie also had a good day, eventually, as the reinstatement hearing that he had been dreading finally arrived.
Even though Katsumoto attempted to put Dennis’s mind at ease, his son was too bright for that. He knew that Gordie was worried about what their future held.
That was why Dennis blew off trigonometry (as if he needed an excuse): to be there for his father at this critical juncture in his life.
And when the time came, Gordie did exactly what he had to do. He opened his heart and told the review panel exactly why he did what he did. And obviously, they related to what he was saying as he got reinstated.
How will Katsumoto’s relationship with Thomas and Juliet evolve now that he’s back with HPD? He’ll need to be more careful for appearance’s sake, but he’s likely to appreciate what they do more now that he’s seen it from the outside.
Finally, the secret is out.
Higgins called it when she suggested that Rick living in the guest house would be problematic back on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 2.
It’s simple enough to understand: If Rick hadn’t been there, Roberto II wouldn’t have gotten loose, and T.C. wouldn’t have found Juliet’s necklace under Thomas’s bed during the search.
T.C. and especially Kumu were less invested in Rick’s theory about the business partners becoming, well, romantic partners. T.C. was correct that Rick had to determine why this was such a big deal to him.
When questioned by his brothers, Thomas couldn’t hold out any longer. And it was time for this secret relationship to end. That storyline had run its course.
To see Magnum and Higgins’s relationship deepen, watch Magnum P.I. online.
Were you ready for their secret relationship to be over?
How did you like the case of the week?
Should Katsumoto have been reinstated?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.