This midseason finale was disappointing because it was a missed opportunity.
The hit squad stalking Magnum, T.C., and Rick all season continued their long-awaited attack on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 10.
Now, a midseason finale is a perfect time for a cliffhanger.
Instead, Magnum gave viewers a sudden conclusion to this storyline, with only one of the former three teammates remaining in jeopardy.
It felt like an insufficient payoff for committing half of the season to the show's one central storyline.
Sure, there was no miraculous save of Childs, who was killed in that explosion on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 9, just when he was starting to be likable.
But, harsh as it sounds, Childs was the spare HPD detective. Now that Katsumoto has been reinstated to the force, Childs is expendable within the Magnum narrative. Thomas and Juliet once again have their secure inside access to intel.
It was a shame that Magnum blamed himself for Childs' death because it was in no way his fault.
As Gordie pointed out, there was no stopping the detective from investigating whatever he wanted to. Also, there was no effective way for him to say, "You'd be out of your league," even if that were true.
Besides, it gave the police extra motivation to become involved to seek justice for one of their own, even if most of them hadn't even gotten to know Childs.
Sadly, it was T.C. who ended up taking the hit, both in the last and this episode.
In this show, T.C. is the adult, regularly figuratively bailing out his former teammates Thomas and Rick, not to mention being there for Shammy, Cade, and Jin.
Rick and Magnum are becoming more responsible, with Rick learning to become a family man and Thomas settling into a committed relationship with Juliet.
So, if someone has to be gravely injured in this storyline, T.C. was the natural candidate, like it or not.
As badly as things have turned out for T.C., they could have been worse if Shammy hadn't shown up with that shotgun when he did. His quick-thinking first aid probably improved T.C.'s chances as well.
Then Shammy manned the hospital waiting room, supplying information to anyone who called for updates.
He even took to the air, using the chopper to hunt for the vehicle in which Rick was abducted, locating it just before his helicopter ran out of gas.
T.C. is too much of a fighter to let being shot in the chest and undergoing nine hours of surgery keep him down for long.
It will be intriguing to see if the paralysis goes away as the swelling recedes or if Shammy will be helping T.C. adjust to life in a chair, regardless of how long that lasts.
As always, Kumu was there providing moral support, attempting to keep Cade's spirits up as he worried that another adult would disappear from his life.
Of course, Kumu agreed to take in Cade until T.C. literally gets back on his feet.
While T.C. had Shammy backing him up, Magnum was lucky that Higgins was there for him.
Juliet was still recovering from her near-death experience at the psychiatric hospital. But there was no rest for the weary.
Right after Rick called about T.C. being shot, the lights went out at Robin's Nest. Higgins quickly spotted the half-dozen mercs trying to sneak up on them.
In a short time, she and Thomas took out the bulk of this force, including its leader, and decided to check in on T.C. like nothing had just happened.
Then, after they determined that Rick had been taken, they figured out that Amherst wasn't dead and that the assassinated terrorist was the father of her son, who had recently died. That explained a lot in short order.
Let's talk about the "quality" of Amherst's mercenaries.
Shammy rolled up on T.C.'s would-be killer. Magnum and Higgins took out a good chunk of her army with a corkscrew, their fighting skills, and the mercs' weapons. Rick escaped from another pair employing an emergency flare.
Then their leader, Swayzak, bought the fake rescue, leading HPD back to Amherst's hideout.
Without any such backup, Rick did remarkably well for himself, escaping and then drawing on long-ago wilderness-survival skills to keep ahead, for a time, of two pursuers on ATVs and two dogs.
His goodbye message to Suzy and Joy, as viewed by Magnum, was heartbreaking.
Rick was unrepentant, even after being recaptured and brought to Amherst, fearlessly recalling the night he killed Hadid.
Still, it was good that his rescuers arrived when they did, as Amherst appeared to be looking forward to torturing him.
As Juliet pointed out, Thomas was wrong to blame himself for not taking the threat of the hit squad more seriously.
Both T.C. and Rick had added more security, and, in the end, it didn't supply them with sufficient warning.
And, as Higgins explained to Cade, Rick, and Magnum will help T.C. pull through the hard times ahead.
Having more lingering suspense in this midseason finale would have been better. Still, it will be interesting to see what that trio must deal with in the season's second half.
To revisit the development of the hit squad storyline, watch Magnum P.I. online.
Were you satisfied with this midseason finale?
Did you enjoy the Amherst twist?
How long will it take for T.C. to overcome his injuries?
Comment below.