Easy Money is the 2nd episode of the third season for the 2018 remake of Magnum P.I., and the forty-second episode overall, which was aired on December 11, 2020.
Summary[]
Higgins job to repo a plane goes south when she and Magnum discover that it was being used by a drug cartel who opens fire at the plane, forcing them to crash land in the jungle, where they find a stowaway on board with a target on his back. Also, Higgins has her first date with Dr. Ethan Shah.
Recap[]
Higgins has her date with Dr. Ethan Shah, she explains jokingly that she preferred not to go to a fine dining restaurant on a first date, this is more casual and that way if they are bored with each other, they can end it quickly. Meanwhile, Magnum is trying to sell a signed collector card, he is told that it is only worth four dollars. The shop owner says he will go up to twenty dollars because it is signed.
Another man comes from around the counter, tells Magnum that a worker accidentally sold his watch that he had pawned. The watch was the only part of his dad that he still had and it made him feel like he was with him. He gets a call from Gordie, he got a lead on the white SUV that was following Magnum, the name came up on as an alias. Gordie asks him to leave with him, he will get more info.
Magnum stops by Higgins house, he picks up flowers from the gate that were left for her from Ethan. Higgins is playing an advanced flight stimulator game, she says she is practicing her flying skills. She crashes and she tells him it is his fault for distracting her.
A client calls Higgins, she tells them that they have ample experience, they are going to return their plane safely and quickly. It seems that someone had rented the plane with false information and now they have taken off with the plane. She tells Magnum this is easy, they go from point a to point b. He tells her about the pawn shop screwing up and his losing his father’s watch. When they get paid form this job, he is going to buy it back for more money. Kumu walks in, Higgins asks her to do a background check on her date, he was just too perfect. Higgins tells Kumu to keep it discreet. Higgins tracks down where she thinks the plane may be, the two leave to check it out.
Rick tells TC he wants to have a Jello wrestling match to bring in business, TC is against it. Magnum calls Rick, he tells him about the case, they are on the way to the airstrip and want him to pick up the Range Rover. Rick doesn’t want to so Magnum promises to pay his bar tab in full by closing; Rick and TC both agree to do it. Higgins and Magnum arrive at the airstrip, they find the plane and strap themselves in.
Higgins gets the plane started, then sees a black SUV coming towards them, two men come out with face coverings and machine guns. They get away, but the machine guns did some damage. Higgins tells Magnum to buckle up, the plane is going down. They land in the jungle, but both are alive. Higgins is bleeding, she was hit by one of the guns. There is no service on their cell phones, they are in the middle of the jungle. Magnum says he thinks there are drugs on the plane, because they wanted it very badly.
Magnum goes to look for a first aid kit, Higgins follows him. He finds some antibiotics and tells her to take them. Higgins finds a door, there is a man inside there, he is unconscious and he is probably the reason the two men didn’t want them to take off.
Rick and TC show up at the air strip, Gordon is there and they all look at the security footage together, see the men shoot at the plane. Meanwhile, Magnum and Higgins are on foot, and the men who want that plane are as well and after them. Magnum got service on his phone and wants to call the police, their stowaway wakes up and tells them, the men that after them all, they have someone in the police department, so he doesn’t want to do that. They hear a helicopter above them, but it moves on. The stowaway says his name is Rinaldo, his boss. Moreno, thought he was skimming money, and he actually was. The plan was for him to hide on the plane, agent Dorian was going to save him. He says the only person that he knew he was on the plane was his girlfriend. Magnum calls Gordon, tells him everything, Gordon tells him to sit tight, help is on the way.
Rick gets suited up, Gordon has him going out to find Higgins and Magnum. Magnum is trying to clean the wound on Higgins’ stomach when Rinaldo tells them they have company. Magnum shoots the guy with a flare, then Higgins shots him. Another guy is on them, and he has a machine gun; but they are ok.
Gordon goes to agent Dorian’s place, where he was staying and finds it ransacked. Moreno’s guys must have gotten to him, there is blood on the floor. Gordon thinks he has to be badly injured because he hasn’t contacted DEA.
TC and Rick are in a helicopter looking for Magnum and Higgins who are still on the run. Higgins and Magnum find a shelter, and there is canibas growing all round it. They go inside, it is empty, probably abandoned. They look around, Higgins finds a radio transmitter, but it Is dead. Meanwhile, Gordon decides to follow a route that agent Dorian would have taken to go to the nearest hospital, on the way, he finds him in a car, he has a pulse.
Higgins makes a home-made battery, it works, they radio TC and Rick and give them their coordinates. All of a sudden, men are outside the shelter, and a lot of them. They pour gasoline on the house and set it on fire with the three inside. Rick and Theo show up, they get out of the house and back to safety.
Higgins gets her report on the doctor, but decides that she doesn’t want it after all. If there is something she needs to know, she will find out in due time.
Magnum is having a beer, Higgins surprises him with his father’s watch. Magnum is thrilled. Gordon calls Magnum, agent Dorian is out of surgery, he is going to be ok. They also found the mole. And, he has more info on the white SUV, according to the paperwork, the renter put down Thomas Magnum. Whoever is following him is not the run of the mill stalker.
Notes[]
- The blood stain on Juliet's shirt doesn't align with the site of her previous bullet wound.
- As Higgins and Magnum enter the plane and go to the cockpit, the door is still open and no one has closed it which is required as they are manual doors on a Gulfstream G150. Yet as they take off, the door is closed.
- TC talking to Magnum on the radio ends by saying "over and out." TC (as well as Magnum and Rick) being in the military would never say that. "Over" means the speaker has finished and is awaiting a response. "Out" means the communication is finished.
- Higgins found a new watch for Magnum.
Deaths
- 2 (killed by Higgins)
- 2 (killed by Magnum)
- 3 (killed by Rick)
Trivia[]
- It was originally titled as Where's Jin.
- The Simulator used in this episode is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MS2020)
Quotes[]
- [Phone Ringing]
- Thomas Magnum: Hey, Gordy, what's up?
- Gordon Katsumoto: Got news on the white SUV that was tailing you. The name on the rental application came back as an alias.
- Thomas Magnum: I guess they covered their tracks.
- Gordon Katsumoto: Yeah. look, I'm sure your next move is to steal the security footage from the rental lot, but let us handle this, okay? I'll get officers to pull a video, and with any luck, we'll get an I.D.
- Thomas Magnum: All right. Appreciate it, Gordy.
- Gordon Katsumoto: No problem. I'll call you when I know more.
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
Recurring[]
- Jay Ali as Dr. Ethan Shah
Guest[]
- Hayden Szeto as Det. Pono Palima
- Alex Monti Fox as Appraiser
- Richard I. Levine as Owner
- David Fumero as Dante
- Niko Guardado as Renaldo Cassione
- Thomas H. Chang as HPD Uni
- Jason Patterson as Gunman #5