Magnum P.I. left viewers on a doozy of a cliffhanger with the explosive episode that leads into the Season 5 spring finale on April 23. With T.C. being shot, Det. Childs possibly being blown up, and Magnum unaware that the mercenaries identified him and his friends, there are some big questions in need of answers. Fortunately, star Jay Hernandez spoke with CinemaBlend to preview the upcoming finale, and fans should apparently be nervous about what’s on the way.
The spring finale is called “Charlie Foxtrot,” and comes on the heels of an episode that also put Higgins through the hallucinatory wringer on top of what happened to T.C. and Childs, with Jay Hernandez sharing his thoughts on what Magnum would have made of what she saw when overloaded with drugs. Although the star of course wasn’t going to drop huge spoilers about what’s going to go down, Hernandez previewed an action-packed episode on April 23… and some complications, saying:
There's a lot of action, obviously. [That] kind of goes without saying. We'll see the resolutions [and] find out what happens to T.C.. They like to go big on these finales, and this is a midseason finale, which is a little different. [laughs] I don't want to spoil it, but Detective Childs is in a complicated situation. There's a lot of action. It's a lot of fun. 509, the prior episode, is a bit dark, so in classic sort of Magnum P.I. fashion, it's going to end on a lighter note, which is good. People don't have to get too worried that the tone of the show is going to shift drastically.
If the first five seasons of Magnum P.I. so far have shown anything, it’s that this is a show (no matter whether formerly on CBS or currently on NBC) that knows how to deliver cinematic action on the small screen. While that’s not to say that all the action will work in the favor of the heroes, Jay Hernandez’s tease of ending on “a lighter note” is promising. Whether or not there’s an aftermath to “Charlie Foxtrot” beyond the midseason finale remains to be seen, but the tone isn’t going to completely change.
With the lives of more than one character in jeopardy before the spring finale even begins, however, a lot is unknown. When asked how nervous he thinks fans should be about what happens next after Episode 9 (which he also directed), Jay Hernandez shared:
I think one of the things that's really great about the episode is it should make people nervous. Not knowing what's gonna happen with Childs and T.C., and Rick and Magnum and Higgins. Not knowing that hopefully will make people tune in for the midseason finale.
It seems safe to say that anybody who caught the penultimate episode when it aired on NBC or streamed it with a Peacock Premium subscription will want to know what happens next, with T.C. seemingly grievously injured at the end and Childs’ fate unconfirmed. When I noted to the star that no other character has their name in the title of the show for some security, he responded: “Right, exactly!” So, fans may indeed want to be a bit nervous!
As the director of the last episode of Season 5 before the midseason finale, Jay Hernandez helmed some of the biggest moments of the show since its move to NBC after intense fan support. He addressed what it was like for him to handle those moments as a director as well as actor, saying:
I just wanted more of them. If it was up to me, I would have shot the next episode, the midseason finale. [laughs] I would have kept shooting. It's funny, because I'm in every scene pretty much, and directing requires an insane amount of time. All day, there's prep, there's post, there's the day-to-day on-set stuff, and I still welcome it.
Magnum P.I. is clearly a lot of work for Jay Hernandez even when he’s not stepping behind the camera to direct while also starring. The actor went on to share that he’s definitely interested in doing it again, and his love for directing makes it worth all the extra work. Hernandez continued:
It's just something I really, really, really love doing, and I can't wait to get a chance to do it next season also. Also to direct outside of the show. I've been wanting to do it for a long time, and Magnum has given me the opportunity and I've shot almost a hundred episodes of television. So I feel like I'm pretty well-prepared. But yeah, I think this midseason finale is going to be exciting. It got the fans active on social media last week, so I think they're definitely gonna stay tuned.
It’s not clear at this point what the future holds for Magnum P.I. beyond the current fifth season, but fans still have a whole half left to go after the midseason finale… with whatever has or hasn’t changed after the events of the episode. Fortunately, the wait for “Charlie Foxtrot” is nearly over, and the promo teases some of the action that Hernandez hyped:
The spring finale of Magnum P.I. airs on Sunday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Check back with CinemaBlend after the episode for more insight from Jay Hernandez! NBC has not yet announced when Season 5 will return after the midseason ender, so be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule for some viewing options in May and beyond.
