Television Reviews

Magnum P.I. – From the Head Down

  • Title: Magnum P.I. (2018) – I Saw the Sun Rise
  • wiki: link

Magnum P.I. - From the Head Down television review

Magnum‘s Jay Hernandez latest case involving recovering a stolen giant tuna from a local fisherman (Carl Weathers) becomes more complicated when the thief’s family is kidnapped and held for ransom. Despite the value of the catch, the secondary thieves actually want something inside the fish which was used to smuggle classified intelligence onto the island. Two episodes in we can start to see themes appearing in the Magnum reboot. First, it looks like Higgins (Perdita Weeks) will be drawn into an active role quite frequently. Second, as with the original, Magnum will take hard luck cases and lean on his friends and contacts to help get the job done. The episode also continues to incorporate supporting characters from Hawaii Five-0 into the show with the appearance of a rotund entrepreneur who helps Magnum out by providing information. Despite it being little more than a big fish tale, the show’s second episode is an improvement of the show’s Pilot, but it still has quite a way to go.

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Matt Houston – Who Would Kill Ramona?

  • Title: Matt Houston – Who Would Kill Ramona?
  • IMDb: link

Matt Houston - Who Would Kill Ramona? television review

Our Throwback Tuesday post takes to Los Angeles where a Texas oilman would spend his abundant free time solving crimes. “Who Would Kill Ramona?” casts Janet Leigh as an aging actress set to make a comeback after more than a decade out of the spotlight. When a cast member is poisoned by a drink meant for Ramona, the actress’ daughter (Jill Whelan) enlists the help of family friend Matt Houston (Lee Horsley) because she believes her overbearing stepfather (William Smith) is responsible. While the man rubs Houston the wrong way, and the detective discovers some discrepancies in his friend’s finances, he turns out not be the killer Houston is looking for.

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Hawaii Five-0 – Ka owili oka’i

  • Title: Hawaii Five-0 â€“ Ka owili oka’i
  • wiki: link

Hawaii Five-0 - Ka owili oka'i television review

In a nod to the original Hawaii Five-0, the show’s season premiere involves McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) being tortured in a deprivation tank. Director Bryan Spicer obviously loves the scene, and the odd design of the suit McGarrett is wearing, because he repeats various parts of it at least three times during the episode. The crime that eventually leads us there involves a dead agent of the CIA found washed up on the beach. Because the man was an old friend, and he’s one of several agents to die suspiciously over the past few months, McGarret and Five-0 begin an investigation (without sharing details to the CIA) which will eventually lead to Steve purposely getting himself captured in order to offer disinformation during the same torture process that killed his friend. As plans go, it turns out to be the usual mix of McGarrett bravery and stupidity.

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Murphy Brown – Fake News

  • Title: Murphy Brown – Fake News
  • IMDb: link

Murphy Brown - Fake News television review

Given the political divide and a growing trend in television to reboot every series possible, it makes sense that CBS would look to bring back Murphy Brown. Rather than a reboot, CBS decided to bring back the entire cast of the original show (with the exception of Charles Kimbrough who doesn’t appear in this episode but will make appearances this season). After years of being off the air Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) returns to a cable network with her pals Frank (Joe Regalbuto), Corky (Faith Ford), and Miles (Grant Shaud). New faces include Murphy’s son (Jake McDorman) hosting a competing show during the same timeslot and Tyne Daly stepping in for the departed Pat Corley to run Phil’s.

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New Amsterdam – Pilot

  • Title: New Amsterdam – Pilot
  • IMDb: link

New Amsterdam - Pilot television review

New Amsterdam offers a pretty straightforward premise. With the arrival of a new medical director of the United States’ oldest public hospital things begin to change. Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) shows up with a vision to scale back the medical bureaucracy and focus on simply helping patients. A novel approach in the current climate. Goodwin’s outlook is colored by a mix of a midlife crisis, impending fatherhood, and a recent cancer diagnosis. Given the chance at his dream job, basically he’s got nothing to lose except further alienating the mother of his child to be and driving the doctors at the hospital crazy.

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