Created by Peter M. Lenkov (MacGyver, R.I.P.D) and Eric Guggenheim (Hawaii Five-0, Miracle), the reboot of Magnum P.I. debuted its first four seasons on CBS until NBC picked it up in 2022 for a fifth season. In June of this year, NBC decided to cancel the series after the fifth season, which has been split into two parts. The first ten episodes of the series premiered beginning in February, and the second half of the series began premiering on October 4th on NBC where a new episode will air each Wednesday. Upon news of the cancellation, the last episode of the fifth season will also serve as the series finale.
According to TVLine, creator and showrunner Guggenheim spoke about the cancellation and the unexpected end of Magnum P.I. In relation to the last episode now becoming the series finale, he stated, “I actually think it’s quite satisfying. I’m really proud of the finale.”
He continued, “There are a couple of threads left dangling that would have been picked up in a Season 6, but I didn’t want to end on a cliffhanger. If I’m being honest, I guess I wanted to play it safe. Too many shows have gotten burned with cliffhangers.”
He then clarified, “Is it how I would choose to end the show? No. But if it has to be the last episode, I think it absolutely works as a [series] finale. So no, there’s no reason to go back and recut or reshoot.”
NBC’s Magnum P.I. is a reboot of the eight-season series of the same name, which premiered from 1980 to 1988. The series focuses on Thomas Magnum, played by Jay Hernandez (Hostel, Suicide Squad), and his work solving crimes in Hawaii. Currently working as a private investigator, Magnum’s former experience as a U.S. Navy SEAL proves to be helpful.
The series also stars Perdita Weeks (The Invisible Woman, Prowl) as Juliet Higgins, Stephen Hill (Maniac, Dead Man Down) as Theodore Calvin, Zachary Knighton (The Hitcher, Happy Endings) as Rick Wright, and more.
Magnum P.I.‘s cancellation may come as a disappointment for fans of the reboot and the original 1980s series. However, with Guggenheim’s words in mind, fans can continue to tune into the second half of the fifth season and decide for themselves if the last episode is satisfactory.