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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 1 - I Saw the Sun Rise
    6.7/10(1153 votes)

    #1 - I Saw the Sun Rise

    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:Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov

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  2. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 2 - From the Head Down
    7.0/10(879 votes)

    #2 - From the Head Down

    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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  3. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 3 - The Woman Who Never Died
    7.4/10(800 votes)

    #3 - The Woman Who Never Died

    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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  4. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 4 - Six Paintings, One Frame
    7.4/10(751 votes)

    #4 - Six Paintings, One Frame

    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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  5. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 5 - Sudden Death
    7.2/10(735 votes)

    #5 - Sudden Death

    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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  6. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 6 - Death is Only Temporary
    7.5/10(707 votes)

    #6 - Death is Only Temporary

    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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  7. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 7 - The Cat Who Cried Wolf
    7.7/10(693 votes)

    #7 - The Cat Who Cried Wolf

    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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  8. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 8 - Die He Said
    7.4/10(657 votes)

    #8 - Die He Said

    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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  9. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 9 - The Ties That Bind
    7.9/10(673 votes)

    #9 - The Ties That Bind

    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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  10. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 10 - Bad Day to be a Hero
    7.6/10(634 votes)

    #10 - Bad Day to be a Hero

    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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  11. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 11 - Nowhere to Hide
    7.5/10(607 votes)

    #11 - Nowhere to Hide

    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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  12. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 12 - Winner Takes All
    7.7/10(606 votes)

    #12 - Winner Takes All

    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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  13. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 13 - Day of the Viper
    7.8/10(599 votes)

    #13 - Day of the Viper

    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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  14. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 14 - I, The Deceased
    7.7/10(575 votes)

    #14 - I, The Deceased

    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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  15. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 15 - Day the Past Came Back
    8.1/10(593 votes)

    #15 - Day the Past Came Back

    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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  16. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 16 - Murder is Never Quiet
    8.0/10(583 votes)

    #16 - Murder is Never Quiet

    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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  17. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 17 - Black is the Widow
    8.0/10(577 votes)

    #17 - Black is the Widow

    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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  18. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 18 - A Kiss Before Dying
    8.0/10(589 votes)

    #18 - A Kiss Before Dying

    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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  19. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 19 - Blood in the Water
    7.9/10(590 votes)

    #19 - Blood in the Water

    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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  20. Magnum P.I. Season 1 Episode 20 - The Day It All Came Together
    7.8/10(582 votes)

    #20 - The Day It All Came Together

    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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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"I Saw the Sun Rise" is the best rated episode of "Magnum P.I." season 1. It scored 6.7/10 based on 1153 votes. Directed by Justin Lin and written by Eric Guggenheim, Peter M. Lenkov, it aired on 9/24/2018. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "From the Head Down".