‘Magnum P.I.’: How Will Magnum React When Cupid Strikes Higgins?

Trouble in paradise? Private investigator Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) got a surprising new boss — partner in crime-fighting Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks) — when the Magnum P.I. reboot ended Season 2. (Novelist Robin Masters gave the British majordomo his Hawaiian estate, which satisfied her immigration issues via property ownership and made her security head Magnum’s supervisor.)

Three months have passed, and Higgins is “bleeding red ink,” says exec producer Eric Guggenheim. So for the PI biz, “she wants to focus on higher-paying cases and land bigger fish, which leads to conflict.” In Episode 2, they take on a repo job that is high-reward but also high-risk.

You’ll see the pair’s simmering sexual tension hasn’t abated, but Cupid strikes in the premiere when Higgins meets a trauma surgeon. “This is a big step for her — she hasn’t had a serious relationship since her fiancé died,” Guggenheim says. Magnum’s reaction? “He’s not used to having to share her. There’s a bit of jealousy there.”

Still, the green-eyed monster is nothing compared to the shadowy figure following Magnum over multiple episodes. “We don’t know what their agenda is,” Guggenheim says. Uh-oh. —Jim Halterman

(Karen Neal/CBS)

Why It’s Worth Another Look

Turns out this reboot never needed Tom Selleck’s mustache! It works by adding a new angle — the Hawaiian heat between charismatic Magnum and cool Higgins — to the comedy and the audacious stunts purists loved. A perfect escape! —Damian Holbrook

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Magnum P.I., Season 3 Premiere, Fall, CBS