A Kiss Before Dying is the eighteenth episode of the first season in the 2018 remake of Magnum P.I. which was aired on March 11, 2019.
Plot[]
When the Dobermans dig up what appears to be a human bone, Magnum and Higgins help Katsumoto investigate the murder of his former mentor.
Summary[]
When the Dobermans dig up what appears to be a human bone, Magnum and Higgins help Katsumoto investigate the murder of his former mentor.
Katsumoto is the real thing. Katsumoto teamed up with Magnum for the first time to deliver one of the best and emotional episodes of the season so far.
Not only did we get to see a vulnerable Katsumoto open up to Magnum, but we also got a treat when the OG T.C., Roger E. Mosley, made an appearance as Booky The Barber!
It's understandable that Kelsey was angry with her mom for leaving her so long ago, but Kelsey had no idea about the circumstances that led to her mom's leaving. T.C. was able to connect with Kelsey and things turned around for the mother and daughter.
But it was still emotionally draining mostly because it brought up some painful memories for T.C. regarding his own mother, but Booky fixed all that. He was right when he put on some funk music and started dancing in the shop.
There is no better way of getting yourself out of a funk than playing some music: funk, punk, or whatever your heart desires and dancing like a mad person! It's just too bad that Katsumoto wasn't there breaking out his own moves, but he was busy doing something even better.
It was ironic that Zeus and Apollo were the ones who opened up the door for Katsumoto and Magnum to work together when the dogs found a human bone and dropped it at Magnum and Higgins' feet. In a way, the very dogs that hate Magnum with a passion gave Magnum a way to make a deep connection with a human who we thought might have hated Magnum as much as they do. It's funny how things work sometimes. After Magnum found the complete skeleton, he wasn't about to let the case go.
It wouldn't have mattered whose bones they were, but the fact that they belonged to Katsumoto's former partner made the case even more compelling for Magnum. Magnum was surprised to see how outwardly emotional Katsumoto got after figuring out the bones were Stanley's.
Heck, I was surprised he got so emotional right at the scene in front of everyone.
But this case was personal for Katsumoto and while he tried to play the rule-following cop after he got pulled from the case, he wasn't about to step away. He wanted to bring justice to his partner, and he wanted to be the one to do it.
He didn't need a push from Magnum, and that was the best part. If Katsumoto would have had to rely on Magnum convincing him to investigate on the sly, it would have diminished Katsumoto's character and the whole ending of the hour.
Katsumoto has shown in the past that he doesn't always follow the rules considering he more often than not looks the other way when Magnum gets involved in HDPD cases.
We now know why. Magnum reminded him of Stanley who was also a maverick and had a tendency to not follow the rules. It took a lot for Katsumoto to admit that and it was annoying that Magnum made the connection between him and Stanley.
What was even more moving was Katsumoto giving Magnum Stanley's badges as a thank you for helping him solve the murder. It wouldn't have happened without Magnum's help, but giving him the badges was a gesture that went beyond this particular case.
It was meant to show Magnum how much he appreciated him and his help on every level and maybe even for keeping Stanley's memory alive in his mind even if Magnum had no idea Stanley even existed before then.
Katsumoto and Magnum now have an unbreakable bond. The unfortunate thing is that Magnum knows this and is going to exploit it every chance he gets because that's the way Magnum operates. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.
Besides the emotional ending, one of the best parts of the hour was Katsumoto asking Magnum to put the Ferrari to the test when they went after the kid.
Notes[]
- Higgins is calling for Apollo and Zeus, then it was recently found a bone.
- TC went to barbershop and to meet with John Booky.
- Magnum and Higgins found a canine skull and the human bones.
- Kelsey has been reunite with her mom (Gina).
Deaths
- Stanley Tak (human)
- Ralph (dog)
- Vanessa (human)
Trivia[]
- Despite being credited, Amy Hill do not appeared in this episode.
- Roger E. Mosley, who played TC in the original show, makes a guest appearance as John Booky.
- Taiana Tully made first appearance in this episode, but she will later appear in two episodes.
Quotes[]
- John Booky: My, you guys are in a bad funk. You know what you need to get rid of bad funk? Some good funk!
Cast[]
Main[]
- Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum
- Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins
- Zachary Knighton as Orville "Rick" Wright
- Stephen Hill as Theodore "T.C." Calvin
- Tim Kang as Detective Gordon Katsumoto
- Amy Hill as Teuila Tuileta (credit only)
Recurring[]
- Kimee Balmilero as Dr. Noelani Cunha
Guest[]
- Roger E. Mosley as John Booky
- Heather Mazur as Gina Pryor
- Fatema Merchant, MD as Dr. A. Lee
- Susan Park as Henny Tak
- Patrick Gallagher as Lieutenant Roger Akan
- Taiana Tully as Detective Laura Palea
- Cindy Ramirez as Julia Kemp
- Adrienne Wilson as Kelsey
- Jacob I. Titus as Justin "J.T." Kalua
- Deniz Akdeniz as Mike Trevino Jr.
- Michael Rose as Mike Trevino Sr.
- Garret T. Sato as Eddie Harada
- Nick La'a as Katsumoto's Son