Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 12 Review: Three Bridges

When will criminals learn to avoid victims connected to Magnum’s inner circle?

This time out, Kumu’s friend Ying had been scammed by a man who then disappeared on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 12.

Kumu knows people, so this crime against her mah jongg buddy wouldn’t stand.

Let’s face it. Kumu doesn’t get enough screen time for someone in the opening credits.

She’s been a rock when it comes to Robin’s Nest and La Mariana. She was there for support when T.C. moved into rehab on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 11.

So when Kumu asked for help fo ripped-off single mother Ying, Magnum and Higgins dropped everything. That’s only right after all that Kumu has done for those around her.

Tracking down scammers in China appeared daunting, as did combing through all the WhatsApp correspondence between Ying and Han.

Watching Kumu skewer Thomas for his lack of technological prowess was hilarious. He was accurate when he said that’s what he has Juliet for.

Yeah, Magnum doesn’t chase down leads online. He runs them down in a fancy sports car.

Kumu discovered the breakthrough clue when she spotted a native bird in a photo of Han. That proved he had recently been in Hawaii, not China.

Higgins picked up the hunt from there, identifying the artwork behind Han to determine at which hotel he had been staying.

When the two P.I.s arrived at the hotel, it seemed to be a dead end as it had been closed since COVID hit three years ago.

But they quickly found out that being closed is not the same thing as being unoccupied as they were taken captive by two armed Chinese thugs.

And wasn’t having Juliet being able to speak Mandarin sure handy in this case? As was Thomas’s history of being tortured while wisecracking.

And it never gets old watching bad guys underestimate the short, perky Brit before she kicks their ass and then uses their phone to call the cavalry.

The enjoyable twist was how the scammers at that call center were victims of human trafficking, including Han and Higgins’ new ally Tang.

In the end, Katsumoto didn’t even mind being kept out of the loop until the very end since HPD was able to bust two human trafficking rings.

Also, not only did it appear that Ying would get her money back, but Han actually wanted to be her friend but got caught up in a dangerous situation. It even seemed like their relationship would continue.

T.C.’s recovery has turned from feel-good to realistic, which is how it should be. 

When his toe twitched in the last episode, shortly after he moved into the V.A. hospital for rehab, it looked like T.C. was fast on his way to getting out of that wheelchair.

But that’s only how it happens on TV shows and movies. (Yes, Magnum P.I. is a TV show. But the series is somewhat set in the real world. Somewhat.)

But two weeks later, T.C. had learned recovery is hard work, just as Shammy had told him to expect.

This lack of progress caused T.C. to pull inside his shell, refusing to allow all the people who love him to visit. 

Then he got a surprise visitor he couldn’t stop, his runaway mother Verna introduced on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 7. Verna had flown 16 hours from North Carolina to be with her baby boy, and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

She waited him out through his tantrum, and then she told him the hard truths that he needed to hear: that he would need those friends he was attempting to keep at arm’s length.

It may have taken her 30 years, but Verna was finally being the mother that T.C. had needed for much of his life. She got him to reach out to Thomas and invite him to visit.

So the big question is how long will T.C.’s recovery take? Only eight episodes are remaining, barring a miracle.

Rick found himself in an unexpected romantic dilemma. There were suddenly two females in his life (three, counting baby Joy), and he wasn’t accustomed to having options.

Initially, Rick was making his choice by refusing to decide, ducking Piper as much as he could and stammering when she did come into La Mariana.

Kumu and Juliet urged Rick to open his eyes and recognize his opportunity with Piper, pointing to Suzy’s stated preference to be co-parents only.

After suffering through Rick’s hemming and hawing, Piper was right to withdraw her offer and make him ask her out on a date. She deserved to receive some actual interest from him after all that indecision.

And yet, like Rick’s actions, this Piper storyline was all a big tease, not the start of something new in Magnum’s final season.

Rick couldn’t take that step. He had to give Suzy one more chance to enter into a romance with him. The fact that he would ask for her blessings before going out with Piper was the event that flipped the switch in their rollercoaster relationship.

To revisit Rick and Suzy’s relationship, watch Magnum P.I. online.

Did you like Kumu taking point on an episode?

How did you feel about T.C.’s recovery slowing?

Were you surprised that Rick blew off Piper for Suzy?

Comment below.

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Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.