In a quick nod to the original series, Magnum (Jay Hernandez) is watching Stalag 17, one of the original Magnum’s (Tom Selleck) favorite movies. The homages to the original continue throughout the series, but the episode quickly takes a serious turn for Higgins (Perdita Weeks).

Day of the Viper was written by Gene Hong and Eric Guggenheim from a story by David Fury. It first aired on 21 January, 2019.

Magnum races to the estate after losing contact to find Higgins and Kumu (Amy Hill) looking after an injured MI6 agent, Ian Pryce (Nigel Lindsay) on an unsanctioned mission, to track down an assassin known as Viper. We learn that Viper killed Richard, the man Higgins loved while she was still MI6.

While Rick (Zachary Kingston) poses as Thomas to take care of a case for him, Magnum helps Higgins on her personal mission. He also tends to be a little surprised at how invested, and ruthless she can be in her pursuit of the information. As the pair follows leads, Rick and T.C. (Stephen Hill) work Magnum’s case, with some nice riffs on Magnum’s style of investigation, while also helping Higgins and Magnum with their chase.

Things get very dangerous when Magnum and Higgins infiltrate an embassy party and things go sideways, and even Katsumoto (Tim Kang) may not be able to help them. And when Ian goes missing from the estate to infiltrate the embassy on his own, everyone realizes there may be more going on here than previously revealed. He’s Viper and he was using Higgins’ emotional attachment to David to get access to the embassy.

When Thomas and Higgins chase Ian down, will she kill him?

The episode pays off on lots of little pieces of character continuity the series has built for itself to date.

I, the Deceased was written by Scarlett Lacey and first debuted on 28 January, 2019.

Magnum is hired by posthumous video to investigate a client’s murder. Larry Hayes (Elijah Solis) pleads with Magnum to solve his murder because someone has been watching and following him. With a healthy payday in his pocket, though Higgins reminds him about debts he owes, especially for the Ferrari, Magnum digs in.

As Magnum investigates he learns that Larry was medicated, being schizophrenic, so was what he was seeing real, or imagined? His car accident could have been just that an accident. But what if it was murder?

Meanwhile, on the estate, the guesthouse (Thomas’ residence) is being fumigated, and Kumu is making sure everything is done by the book, but she’s delighted when an old high school crush, Dennis (Alex Morris) is running the job. I love how it helps fill out her character, we learn some nice things about her, and the world continues to expand as Shammy (Christopher Thornton) makes an appearance in this episode and Kamekona (Taylor Wily) was in the last one, he’s also a recurring character on the reimagined Hawaii Five-0 as is Dr. Cunha (Kimee Balmilero), reminding us that the two worlds are connected.

There’s more sun and adventure next week as I dig into more of Magnum P.I. – The Complete Series on DVD available now from Paramount Canada! Aloha.