The return of Magnum P.I. is quickly approaching, and the teases of what’s on the way have promised some big developments for Magnum and Higgins in particular, including an “I love you” that’s been a long time coming. The second half of Season 5 will also bring back something that hasn’t been featured since the show moved from CBS to NBC: Jay Hernandez playing Magnum playing the White Knight in a reenactment of a Robin Masters story. Before the Season 5 fall premiere will air with the returns of the White Knight and T.R. Belle, let’s look back at what Hernandez told CinemaBlend about filming those “so ridiculous” reenactments.
I spoke with the star of Magnum P.I. earlier this year for the spring finale that was quite eventful (to say the least), prior to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. While he was weighing in about the show possibly hitting the 100-episode milestone with a Season 6, I asked for his thoughts on playing the White Knight for the over-the-top and always funny reenactments of Robin Masters’ books. Hernandez laughed and responded:
They’re so ridiculous! When I get the script, it’s like, ‘Are we really doing this? Okay!’ [laughs] As long as we all commit, I’m down. They’re fun. They’re funny. I think it’s a way to sort of be playful… You shoot almost a hundred episodes, you got to find new ways to bring some fresh kind of story and have fun with the audience because you never want the show or the characters or storylines to get stale.
It’s safe to say that the reenactments do not get stale, because the normal rules of Magnum P.I. – or, for instance, the rules of gravity and physics – just don’t apply when it comes to the adventures of the White Knight and T.R. Belle, the latter of whom is Robin Masters’ character based on Higgins. That’s more true than ever in the scene that will open the second half of Season 5, according to the fun sneak peek on TVLine, although this one is technically Jin putting his own spin on the characters.
Interestingly, the clip also mentions T.C.’s friends paying him visits, which suggests that not a whole lot of time has passed since the spring finale left him injured to the point of potentially never walking again. Whether he’ll recover beyond the initial prognosis by his doctor remains to be seen, and is just one of several questions to consider in the upcoming ten episodes.
And sadly, those upcoming ten episodes will be the last of Magnum P.I., unless NBC reverses its decision to cancel or the show is rescued for the second time by another outlet. The first four seasons are available streaming on Freevee now, so perhaps fans can hope for a future there, if anywhere other than its current Season 5 network. Personally, I’m hoping that any platform brings it back for at least a shortened sixth season, since ending with Season 5 puts it just two episodes shy of hitting 100 episodes. The fifth season so far is streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
For now, though, fans can look forward to what’s ahead with the second half of Season 5 on NBC, which will include at least a pregnancy scare for Higgins and Magnum. Magnum P.I. is also one of few returning scripted dramas that will be able to air new episodes this fall, as production on most other returning scripted shows was unable to start due to the strikes. The Jay Hernandez show had already finished filming Season 5 before the shutdowns began. Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, October 4 at 9 p.m. ET in the 2023 TV schedule for the fall premiere of Magnum P.I. Season 5!