Show cover for Magnum P.I.

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!

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. Calvin and Rick Wright, and former MI:6 agent, Juliet Higgins.

Genres:Action & AdventureDramaCrime
Networks:NBCCBS

Season 1 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Magnum P.I." season 1 is "I Saw the Sun Rise", rated 6.6/10 from 1120 user votes. It was directed by Justin Lin and written by Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim. "I Saw the Sun Rise" aired on 9/24/2018 and is rated 0.4 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "From the Head Down".

  • I Saw the Sun Rise
    6.6/10 1,120 votes

    #1 - I Saw the Sun Rise

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/2018

    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

    Writer: Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim

  • From the Head Down
    7.0/10 859 votes

    #2 - From the Head Down

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/2018

    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

    Writer: Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim

  • The Woman Who Never Died
    7.4/10 779 votes

    #3 - The Woman Who Never Died

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2018

    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

  • Six Paintings, One Frame
    7.4/10 730 votes

    #4 - Six Paintings, One Frame

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/2018

    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

  • Sudden Death
    7.1/10 716 votes

    #5 - Sudden Death

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2018

    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

  • Death is Only Temporary
    7.5/10 687 votes

    #6 - Death is Only Temporary

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/2018

    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

    Writer: Gene Hong, Scarlett Lacey

  • The Cat Who Cried Wolf
    7.7/10 672 votes

    #7 - The Cat Who Cried Wolf

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/2018

    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

  • Die He Said
    7.4/10 640 votes

    #8 - Die He Said

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/2018

    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

  • The Ties That Bind
    7.8/10 651 votes

    #9 - The Ties That Bind

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/2018

    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

  • Bad Day to be a Hero
    7.6/10 613 votes

    #10 - Bad Day to be a Hero

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/10/2018

    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

  • Nowhere to Hide
    7.5/10 590 votes

    #11 - Nowhere to Hide

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/14/2019

    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: N/A

  • Winner Takes All
    7.7/10 583 votes

    #12 - Winner Takes All

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/20/2019

    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

  • Day of the Viper
    7.8/10 582 votes

    #13 - Day of the Viper

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/21/2019

    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: N/A

  • I, The Deceased
    7.7/10 557 votes

    #14 - I, The Deceased

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/28/2019

    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

  • Day the Past Came Back
    8.1/10 571 votes

    #15 - Day the Past Came Back

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/18/2019

    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

    Writer: Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim

  • Murder is Never Quiet
    8.0/10 562 votes

    #16 - Murder is Never Quiet

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/25/2019

    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

  • Black is the Widow
    7.9/10 557 votes

    #17 - Black is the Widow

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/4/2019

    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

  • A Kiss Before Dying
    8.0/10 566 votes

    #18 - A Kiss Before Dying

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 3/11/2019

    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

    Writer: Ashley Charbonnet, Barbie Kligman

  • Blood in the Water
    7.9/10 568 votes

    #19 - Blood in the Water

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 3/25/2019

    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

  • The Day It All Came Together
    7.8/10 559 votes

    #20 - The Day It All Came Together

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/1/2019

    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

    Writer: Peter M. Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim