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The Best Episodes of Magnum P.I. Season 1

Every episode of Magnum P.I. Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Magnum P.I. Season 1!

Binge this in 14h 20m•Peaking at 8.1/10

Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL, returns home from Afghanistan and applies his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii taking jobs no one else will—with the help of fellow vets T.C.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 15 - Day the Past Came Back
    8.1/10(607 votes)

    S1:E15

    Magnum discovers that his ex, who landed him and his friends in a POW camp, is on the island and planing to steal a fortune in gold.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writers:Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov

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  2. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 16 - Murder is Never Quiet
    8.0/10(597 votes)

    S1:E16

    Magnum is hired by a woman to prove that her son didn't kill his girlfriend and has only 24 hours to do so before the accused accepts a plea deal. Also, Rick and TC try to recover stolen appliances that were donated to a wounded veteran.

    Director:David Straiton
    Writer:Barbie Kligman

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  3. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 17 - Black is the Widow
    8.0/10(591 votes)

    S1:E17

    After a man is murdered, Magnum poses as a doctor on the same dating app the victim was using in order to find the killer who may be praying on wealthy men.

    Director:Kristin Windell
    Writer:Neil Tolkin

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  4. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 18 - A Kiss Before Dying
    8.0/10(603 votes)

    S1:E18

    When the Dobermans dig up what appears to be a human bone, Magnum and Higgins help Katsumoto investigate the murder of his former mentor.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writers:Ashley Charbonnet, Barbie Kligman

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  5. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 9 - The Ties That Bind
    7.9/10(689 votes)

    S1:E9

    After a 16-year-old kidnap victim, Amanda, escapes her captors, her parents hire Magnum, who experienced similar trauma as a POW, to find who took her.

    Director:Ron Underwood
    Writer:Ashley Gable

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  6. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 19 - Blood in the Water
    7.9/10(605 votes)

    S1:E19

    When Magnum and Higgins get “yacht-jacked,” Higgins is shot and she and Magnum are stranded at sea, struggling to reach land before she bleeds out and the culprits return to finish them off.

    Director:Karen Gaviola
    Writer:Gene Hong

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  7. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 13 - Day of the Viper
    7.8/10(613 votes)

    S1:E13

    Magnum and Higgins are shocked when one of her former MI6 teammates shows up with a fresh gunshot wound and news that "the Viper," the assassin who killed Higgins' true love, has surfaced on Oahu. Also, while Magnum's busy helping Higgins track down the Viper, he asks Rick to take over a case, a task that Rick relishes until it goes sideways.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 20 - The Day It All Came Together
    7.8/10(596 votes)

    S1:E20

    Hannah, Magnum's ex and the fugitive responsible for him and his SEAL team brothers being POWs for years, shows up at his home with a gunshot wound, and wanting his help to find her missing CIA father whose life is in danger. Also, Magnum makes an earnest proposition to Higgins for her to become his private investigations partner.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writers:Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov

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  9. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 7 - The Cat Who Cried Wolf
    7.7/10(708 votes)

    S1:E7

    Magnum takes the case of a little girl’s missing cat and, in the process, stumbles upon another cat’s murdered owner who happens to be an FBI agent.

    Director:Eagle Egilsson
    Writer:Neil Tolkin

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  10. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 12 - Winner Takes All
    7.7/10(620 votes)

    S1:E12

    Magnum has an emotional connection to a case when he and every other private investigator and bounty hunter on Oahu are tasked to track down a man accused of murder.

    Director:Amanda Marsalis
    Writer:Gene Hong

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  11. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 14 - I, The Deceased
    7.7/10(587 votes)

    S1:E14

    A man hires Magnum to investigate his own murder before he is killed. Kumu reconnects with an old friend.

    Director:Krishna Rao
    Writer:Scarlett Lacey

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  12. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 10 - Bad Day to be a Hero
    7.6/10(649 votes)

    S1:E10

    Magnum must help Rick’s crush, Toni, after her illegal poker game, organized to pay back a mob debt, is robbed by masked gunmen.

    Director:Lin Oeding
    Writer:Ashley Charbonnet

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  13. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 6 - Death is Only Temporary
    7.5/10(721 votes)

    S1:E6

    An aging tycoon asks Magnum to find his lost love who he says just recently contacted him; the only problem is she died 30 years ago. Also, Rick and TC meet a fellow vet who is having a hard time adjusting to civilian life.

    Director:Duane Clark
    Writers:Gene Hong, Scarlett Lacey

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  14. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 11 - Nowhere to Hide
    7.5/10(622 votes)

    S1:E11

    As Magnum helps a woman find her missing cousin, Sergei, a Russian fugitive, Higgins' and Kumu's lives are put in danger when they get too close to the case.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 3 - The Woman Who Never Died
    7.4/10(817 votes)

    S1:E3

    Magnum takes a case from fellow private investigator Luther Gillis to find the true identity of a man’s comatose fiancée when he learns that she’s had extensive facial surgery.

    Director:Sylvain White
    Writer:Joe Gazzam

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  16. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 4 - Six Paintings, One Frame
    7.4/10(768 votes)

    S1:E4

    A close friend of Higgins, an art connoisseur who recently hired Magnum to test his security, is murdered, and Thomas is arrested as the main suspect.

    Director:Antonio Negret
    Writer:Ashley Gable

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  17. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 8 - Die He Said
    7.4/10(672 votes)

    S1:E8

    A man dying of lymphoma hires Magnum to find his estranged, bone-marrow-compatible brother who turns out to need Magnum’s help as well. Also, Magnum’s case brings back haunted memories for the guys of a past SEAL team mission that went sideways.

    Director:Peter Weller
    Writer:Joe Gazzam

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  18. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 5 - Sudden Death
    7.2/10(753 votes)

    S1:E5

    TC asks Magnum to take on a case to help acquit the father of one of his young football players, who is accused of murder.

    Director:David Grossman
    Writer:David Fury

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  19. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 2 - From the Head Down
    7.0/10(905 votes)

    S1:E2

    Magnum helps Dan, a struggling fisherman and fellow veteran, when his 300-pound tuna worth $350,000 is stolen, and he discovers that the thief needs Magnum's help as well.

    Director:Karen Gaviola
    Writers:Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov

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  20. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 1 - I Saw the Sun Rise
    6.7/10(1192 votes)

    S1:E1

    A decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii.

    Director:Justin Lin
    Writers:Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Day the Past Came Back" is the best rated episode of "Magnum P.I." season 1. It scored 8.1/10 based on 607 votes. Directed by Bryan Spicer and written by Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov, it aired on 2/18/2019. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Murder is Never Quiet".