Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 12 of Magnum P.I. Season 5, called “Three Bridges.”
Magnum P.I. got off to a relatively lighthearted start in “Three Bridges” thanks to Magnum and Higgins attempting to repo a stingray – as in, the fish and not the car! The episode became a lot more serious when they ended up on the case of a friend of Kumu‘s who’d had her life savings stolen as part of a trafficking operation, while T.C. struggled with his recovery. “Three Bridges” did make the time to give Rick a development that has been a long time coming: romantic payoff with Suzy!
Whether or not Rick would get a happy ending with Suzy was one the questions that I really wanted answered in the final ten episodes of Season 5, and Magnum P.I. didn’t make me wait for too long. While actors Zachary Knighton and Betsy Phillips are married in real life, Suzy has avoided a romantic relationship with Rick even after conceiving and giving birth to their daughter, Joy. Rick decided to delete the video with his love confession in the spring finale, and the introduction of Piper in the fall premiere seemed to be setting up a new love interest for him.
And all of Rick’s friends were on board with him moving on from Suzy and going on a date with Piper, since it seemed that there was no hope of a romantic future with the mother of his child. It was clear where Rick’s heart truly lay, though. This time, he didn’t just decide to hide his feelings from Suzy, but decided to shoot his shot in one last grand gesture. Instead of arriving at Piper’s place, he dropped by Suzy’s to give her this speech:
I’m here to talk to you. See, I was on my way to go on a date tonight. She’s funny, she’s nice, she’s smart, she’s pretty. The thing is, she’s not you. When you said before you don’t want to keep seeing me, I totally heard you. And I respected that, I still do. But even thinking about going on a date with somebody else, it just doesn’t feel right. So I’m just going to bring it up one last time, and if you still feel the same way, I promise I will never mention it again. So should I go out on this date tonight?
Suzy of course said that he shouldn’t go on the date, because how could she not after that speech?! “She’s not you” is almost verbatim to a line that Indiana Jones said to Marion in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was one of the better moments in that bizarre movie.
Plus, I’ve read (and watched) Pride and Prejudice enough times that “If you still feel the same way, I promise I will never mention it again” had me thinking back to Mr. Darcy‘s iconic second proposal that included “One word from you will silence me on this subject forever.” I was already rooting for Rick and Suzy get get together, but I was 100% sold once Rick had me flashing back to Indiana Jones and Jane Austen.
Do I also hope that Rick gave Piper a call or a text so that he didn’t just stand her up? Sure, but I’m mostly just hoping that Magnum P.I. keeps Rick and Suzy going strong for the next eight episodes. The show was cancelled over the summer, meaning that the second half of Season 5 is the end unless Magnum and Co. are rescued from cancellation for the second time. My fingers are crossed that the “will-they-won’t-they” story between these two is over, and any romantic plots for them in the rest of Season 5B will concern a happy ending.
I’m optimistic about that at this point, not least because the main romance of the series is between Magnum and Higgins, and I don’t expect their love story to fade into the background just because she isn’t actually pregnant. They did say “I love you” to each other, after all! Plus, Magnum P.I. has never been a show about romance, so I’m feeling pretty good about Rick and Suzy going strong in the background. Showrunner Eric Guggenheim dropped some promising comments about the series finale later this year.
For now, keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET for the remaining episodes of Magnum P.I. in the 2023 TV schedule. You can revisit earlier episodes of the fifth season streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription, and the first four seasons streaming with Freevee.