Magnum P.I. has had a wild ride on the small screen since its premiere back in 2018, and not even because it's a reboot of the Tom Selleck original. Originally airing on CBS, the Jay Hernandez-led drama was cancelled after four seasons before being rescued by NBC for a fifth. Season 5 has been available streaming for viewers with a Peacock Premium subscription since the episodes began airing on NBC, but Seasons 1 - 4 haven't been available as part of any streaming plan lately. Now, that's finally about to change, and I've already picked the early episode I'm streaming first.
How To Stream Magnum P.I.
The first four seasons of Magnum P.I. will be available streaming on on Amazon's Freevee starting on Friday, September 1, according to TVLine. While Freevee isn't a streamer of a similar size to Netflix, Hulu, or Prime Video, the Amazon service is free and offers some of the best free movies online and TV shows online, including originals like Jury Duty.
So, even though fans won't be able to watch every episode of Magnum P.I. (which totals almost 100) on the same streamer, every season will soon be available between Freevee and Peacock. The remaining episodes of Season 5 will go to Peacock when the show returns in the 2023 TV schedule, and those will sadly be the last of the series, short of a second rescue. NBC cancelled Magnum P.I. back in June.
We can always hope that the first four seasons arriving on Freevee could be a sign that the cost-free Amazon streaming service could save Magnum for a second time, but that's only speculation at this point. What I do know for sure is which episode I'm going to revisit first once Seasons 1 - 4 arrive on September 1.
The First Episode To Rewatch
There are plenty of great episodes in the first four seasons of Magnum P.I., including some standouts that led to Magnum and Higgins getting together at the very end of Season 4. Of course, the most logical way to revisit the series might be by starting at the beginning all over again. That said, I'm 100% going to skip ahead to what might be my favorite episode of the series: Episode 19 of Season 1, called "Blood in the Water."
I won't spoil every detail of the episode here in case anybody wants to watch it for the first time or rewatch after forgetting some of the particulars since it aired in 2019, but it involves Magnum and Higgins being "yacht-jacked" out at sea after she's shot in the arm. The pair – who aren't even officially partners at this point – have to figure out how to survive both being stranded in the ocean with Higgins bleeding profusely and the threat of the yacht-jackers returning. Take a look at the promo:
Not only does this episode have a great plot, but I see it as the first instance of Magnum and Higgins truly bonding beyond banter and setting up their future official partnership. Plus, it's just visually impressive to see Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks turning in performances while neck-deep in water. While I'm not sure what camera tricks were used to make it look like they were truly alone out in the middle of the ocean, they certainly worked on me!
You can check out "Blood in the Water" (or any other episode from the first four seasons) on Freevee starting on September 1, or revisit any Season 5 episode up to the spring finale with some of what Jay Hernandez described as Magnum's "hard to swallow" actions with Peacock. With the second half of Season 5 premiering on NBC on October 4, now is a great time for some blasts to the past!
