"Magnum P.I." Pilot Review (Comic Con 2018)

Following the successful "Hawaii Five-0" reboot series, CBS has commissioned the same team to work on another beloved crime procedural, "Magnum P.I." This time Jay Hernandez will be tackling the titular role. Hernandez has worked steadily in Hollywood for roughly twenty years, with his most popular appearances being in films such as "Suicide Squad," the "Hostel" series, and "Bad Moms".

CBS sent "Magnum P.I." to Comic Con to promote ahead of its September 24 premiere. With a tight schedule of other media appearances, the cast and crew took time to attend a panel at which the pilot episode was screened in full. With noted 'Fast & Furious' franchise director Justin Lin directing the pilot it's no surprise that they managed to put together some terrifically exciting action sequences, including one that sees Hernandez jump out of a moving car, run up the top of a truck, and grab hold of the bottom of a helicopter before the other vehicles crash off the side of a cliff. It's the type of stunt one would expect more so from a major film than a weekly television procedural.

Get a first glimpse at "Magnum P.I." here:

As Hernandez's past work shows, most popularly in "Suicide Squad," he is more than capable of handling intensely dramatic and heavyweight content. It's too early to tell what direction or tone the writers will indulge in as the series progresses, but they would be wise to utilise an actor of Hernandez's calibre so as to strengthen the impact of "Magnum P.I." among the massive selection of ongoing procedural series on American network television. At this stage, it's too early to tell how much "Magnum P.I." will offer a series. Based on the pilot alone, it ticks all of the boxes one would hope for in a procedural, including a likable batch of characters with engaging chemistry, showcasing the methodology and world of how the weekly cases will be tackled, and glimpses of character and plot points that will be explored in further depth.

Watch the full Magnum P.I. Comic Con panel here: