Magnum P.I. Showrunner Discusses the Series Finale and What Would Have Happened in Season 6

[Warning: This story contains spoilers for the Magnum P.I. series finale — Season 5, Episode 19, "Ashes to Ashes," and Season 5, Episode 20, "The Big Squeeze." Read at your own risk!]

After five seasons and 96 episodes, private investigators Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks) have cracked their last case on Magnum P.I. The procedural drama, which debuted on CBS and earned a brief reprieve on NBC, wrapped up its run with a two-hour finale that left each of the main characters in a good place while teasing what would have been explored in a hypothetical sixth season.

"Our number one priority was giving our characters some closure. That was more important than tying up every loose end," showrunner Eric Guggenheim told TV Guide. "They had all suffered so much. It was like tragedy porn. They were all broken to some degree when we first met them. At the end of the day, it's an optimistic, blue-sky show, and we wanted to go out on a hopeful note."

In the first hour, Magnum and Higgins reexamine a fatal arson investigation at the request of T.C. (Stephen Hill) and Mahina (Emily Alabi) and discover that a man believed to have died in that fire was actually kidnapped to help a man break his son out of jail. However, Magnum and Higgins' decision to withhold information of a potential prison break from the authorities comes back to haunt them in the actual series finale. Sam Bedrosian (Better Call Saul's Patrick Fabian), a suspect from a previous case, obtains a recording of Magnum and Higgins conspiring to temporarily hide the truth from the police and blackmails them into investigating a murder for him.

But the finale also finds the characters taking a step forward in their personal lives: Magnum and Higgins seem to be on the same page about getting married one day, even if they don't seem to be quite ready yet; Rick (Zachary Knighton) proposes to Suzy (Betsy Phillips); and T.C. decides to scale up his helicopter business and gets bought out of La Mariana by Kumu (Amy Hill), who becomes Rick's new business partner.

Below, Guggenheim — who was one of the developers of the modern-day reboot of Magnum and oversaw the production of all five seasons — breaks down the key moments from the final two episodes and offers an honest assessment of the show's chances of being revived on another network or streaming service.

Higgins finds a ring in Magnum's dresser and briefly freaks out about the idea of marriage, only for Magnum to reveal that he was just holding on to the ring for Rick. Since they've already discussed potentially having children when Higgins thought she may be pregnant, what did you want to accomplish with this next step in their relationship? Do you think Magnum is more ready to get married?

Eric Guggenheim: I think he's open to the idea but sees no point in rushing it. Things have progressed rather quickly, but I don't think they're ready to be married just yet. In the timeline of the show, they actually haven't been a couple for very long. They only said "I love you" 10 episodes ago. But if this was to be the last season, then we did want a happy ending — one that felt unexpected but also true to who these characters are.

At first, it was actually going to be Magnum who puts the idea of marriage out there. He was going to say to Higgins that at some point in the future he would be asking her to marry him. But then I realized it would be more moving and arguably more romantic if it was Higgins putting it out there. Magnum said "I love you" first. He's always been the one taking the lead and pushing them forward. It's a nice reversal that Higgins does it this time and it felt earned. It's her being vulnerable in a way we haven't seen yet. And I don't think she could have gotten there if she wasn't so in love with Magnum and felt safe in that relationship.

Now that we can discuss the entire season, what new layers of Magnum and Higgins' relationship were you most excited to explore this season? Did you find any part of their romance unexpectedly fun to write or watch?

Guggenheim: Most definitely. The romantic stuff — or what we in the room jokingly referred to as "Miggins sexy time" — was a lot of fun, especially when they were sneaking around earlier in the season. The two of them just being a couple and going through the kinds of things couples go through — wondering if they spend too much time together, for instance — all of that day-to-day stuff was fun to explore. We were constantly mining stuff from our own lives on this show. Whether it was being in a relationship, being a parent, a child, a sibling, a friend, we would often pull from real life. It was also fun to have them together and yet still find ways to have them bicker. As far as new layers, their friendship has always been moving to watch. It's been emotional and touching, but I thought we got to some deeper places and saw a more vulnerable Higgins this season. And I think we saw a more vulnerable Magnum too. He's had relationships on the show before, but those seemed fleeting. He cared for those women but kept them at arm's length for his own protection. But he opened up his heart for Higgins.

Zach Knighton told me that it felt like art was imitating life a little bit, in the sense that he and his real-life wife Betsy were having children when Rick and Suzy were navigating early parenthood. Why was now the right time for Rick and Suzy to not only get together but also get engaged?

Guggenheim: I think the fact that they already had a child made their quickie engagement more acceptable and believable. Also, the original series ended with Rick getting married, and we thought it was a nice tip of the hat to the original show. At one point, we did discuss ending with a Rick-Suzy wedding, but it felt like we didn't have enough runway for that. That would have felt rushed. More importantly, it would have overshadowed Magnum and Higgins.

The penultimate episode finds Kumu volunteering at a veterans' crisis call center and taking a call from a veteran who has effectively lost the will to live. It's a really emotional storyline that allows us to delve deeper into Kumu's relationship with her own late father and the grief she has experienced in her own life. Why was it important for you to have some sense of closure for Kumu, and what kinds of conversations did you have with Amy, if any, about that part of Kumu's backstory?

Guggenheim: We had unearthed some of Kumu's past in Seasons 2 and 3 and we got bits and pieces in 4 and 5, but there was still more of her story to tell. These characters are all linked together by personal trauma and over the years we've unpacked everyone's except Kumu's. If this was to be the last season, it was important to tell the rest of her story. I did give Amy a heads-up that we were breaking a big emotional episode for Kumu that would reveal more of her backstory, but I didn't give specifics. I preferred that she just read the script cold. She did and thought the story was really powerful. She suggested making it clear in the episode that Kumu is part-Samoan, which was a good note.

All of the characters underwent some pretty important life changes this season. What can you share about T.C. and Katsumoto's (Tim Kang) arcs in the second half of this season?

Guggenheim: T.C. goes through a lot early on in the second half so we wanted to balance that out with a few wins: first with his mom, then regaining the ability to walk, and then getting back with Mahina. But he couldn't keep racking up wins, so we threw him a little curveball with Cade's big announcement about becoming a Marine. He's certainly proud of Cade (Martin Martinez), but at the same time, having Cade risking his life is not going to be easy for T.C. He's going to worry the whole time. And had there been a Season 6, we would've explored what military families go through on a daily basis.

As for Katsumoto, we liked the notion that there would still be fallout even after he got reinstated. That was something we talked about before we even started writing the season. We knew Katsumoto would eventually get his badge back, but I liked that what he did would not be forgotten and ultimately come back to bite him. He may have his badge, but his reputation took a hit and that's going to make his job harder.

Even though you left all of the main characters in a relatively good place, there are still a few loose threads. Magnum and Higgins are still weighing whether to use the thumb drive that Katsumoto gave them to stop Bedrosian from blackmailing them. The resignation of the governor effectively eliminates one of Bedrosian's power players in Hawaii. Do you have any insight that you'd be willing to share about where the next season of Magnum would have picked up with those storylines?

Guggenheim: One idea I had was that Bedrosian would run for governor in a special election and win. So essentially, Magnum and Higgins' decision to turn over the thumb drive [to the police], which triggered the governor's resignation and deprived Bedrosian of all that blackmail material, would actually open up a path for him to become even more powerful than he was before. And on top of that, he'd still have leverage on Magnum and Higgins, but that's a card he would hold onto and play at a later time.

The first four seasons of Magnum became available on Amazon Freevee in September, and there is still a significant interest in the series on streaming platforms. Have there been any discussions about moving this show to another network or streamer, or has that been difficult to achieve in light of the belt tightening after the dual strikes in Hollywood?

Guggenheim: There haven't been any discussions, but I don't think that's because of any belt-tightening. Our budget this season was by far the lowest it's ever been. I just think it's difficult because Magnum's situation is unique. For one thing, the vast majority of the show's past episodes haven't been available on a subscription-based streamer that could step up and take over the show. Magnum isn't like, for example, Manifest or Designated Survivor, both of which had already been airing past episodes on Netflix when they each got saved by that platform. It's not like SEAL Team or Evil, which were already airing episodes on Paramount+ when they were saved. Magnum is also a co-production with split rights, which makes things more complicated. It's not like Lucifer, which was fully owned by [Warner Bros.], which could then license the show to Netflix after its cancellation by Fox.

As much as we may marvel at the fan campaigns to save the show and discuss dream scenarios to continue the story, I also want to be realistic: Should fans hold out hope for a revival in the near future, or do you think it is time to close this chapter?

Guggenheim: I think if there's a really strong demand for it, if the cast is available and willing, if both studios are on board and if the numbers work for both, then sure, I could see there being a revival. Those are some big "ifs," of course. But if you look around, there have been a ton of revivals in recent years, and that trend doesn't appear to be dying out. But I think first, the library, all 96 episodes, would have to get licensed to a subscriber-based streamer or an off-net deal would have to be made. Ideally, both would happen. Freevee is great, but almost every broadcast drama is also available on a subscriber-driven platform. Magnum is one of the very rare exceptions. It was on Paramount+ for the first four seasons but was taken off after the first cancellation and has yet to find its way onto another service. I think that would have to change. And then, of course, it would have to perform well, and demand for a revival would have to follow. So a number of things would need to happen, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility.

Between Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., you've spent the better part of the last decade living and working in Hawaii. What are some of your personal and professional takeaways from the time you were able to spend there? What will you miss most about working with this cast and crew?

Guggenheim: It's such a privilege to work on something that shoots in Hawaii, and I was fortunate enough to work on two series. It really is a special place full of kind and generous people. The work was hard. It was intense, especially this last season, but everyone was so welcoming and supportive all of the time. That aloha spirit is everywhere, and it helps get you through the tough days. The cast and crew never felt like co-workers; it always felt like you were making something with friends and family.

Do you have a final parting message for fans of the show?

Guggenheim: I just want to say thank you. Thank you for going on this journey with us. Thank you for engaging with us online and in person if you were in Hawaii. Thank you for talking to your friends and family about it and getting them to watch. Thank you for fighting for this show and for getting us that fifth season. All of us who worked on the show would constantly talk about how passionate the fans were. The show faced so many challenges and obstacles, so many setbacks, and yet we still felt incredibly fortunate and blessed because not all shows have a following like this one. It's rare and it's special, and we all recognized that and appreciated it more than you can imagine.