‘Magnum P.I.’ Recap: ‘Birthright’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

MAGNUM P.I. -- "Birthright" Episode 507 -- Pictured in this screengrab: Stephen Hill as Theodore "TC" Calvin -- (Photo by: NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 507 of ‘Magnum P.I.’ To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we are young, we firmly believe that life with our family is going to be a sunny, and bright, and supremely fulfilling experience, every day for the rest of our lives. Simply because there comes a point where we realize, subconsciously or consciously… that family is something special and that we belong to something special and cherishing what we have and being there for our family as they are there for us… will provide us with so much. But alas, as the years roll along, we come to realize that such a worldview regarding family is damn near impossible. Largely because… family is complex, and filled to the brim with people that harbor unique personalities and sometimes want different things out of life as they grow. Which leads to tough times with family, the kind that take our family experience down a strange path. One that can be painful, or stressful and one that we deeply ponder upon regarding its impact upon us.
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If anything, that particular truth about family is top of mind today, simply because… it was explored in stunning detail in the next episode of Magnum P.I. on NBC. A feat that ‘Birthright’ accomplished by having T.C. and Juliet go on some very unique journeys regarding family. T.C. for instance… was faced with the difficult reality that someone from his past had arrived on the island, someone he wasn’t sure he wanted to speak with… his mother. For she struggled with her mental illness when he was a boy and decided to leave her family behind rather than let them deal with the fallout of the bad days. But now she wanted to reconcile and that was a difficult prospect for T.C. since he spent so many years working to remove her from his memories to find balance and peace. But of course… T.C. is a good man and reconciled and well, this whole journey was a powerful reminder… that family life doesn’t always go as planned. For sometimes members in our family spin off and for painful paths that hurt us and well… we have to figure out a way forward and understand that, regardless of the pain it inflicts. As to whether or not we reconcile a la T.C., well that too is dealer’s choice, but it was powerful to see this presented in such a raw manner.

As for Juliet, well a messy case involving family, that she and Thomas took part in, offered up some different lessons regarding family. A feat this plot thread accomplished by way of the ugly case in question. For a robbery involving a humble and ailing older gentlemen revealed chaos involving his family. Which was inadvertently generated by his lonesome daughter, who dedicated her days to caring for her sick father, But she accidentally set heartache in motion via her brief romantic contact with an ex-felon, which introduced that felon to her greedy brother. Who was in dire financial straits and influenced that felon to steal a family heirloom. Which he could hock and make a grand payday off of, while the insurance company took care of the family and brother's cash concerns. But alas, the heirloom was a fake, because that very daughter sold it to help her father pay for his growing medical bills and kept a fake around to keep dad happy. Which brought forth an expectation for compensation, and raw vengeance from that felon. One that burned deep since dear old dad dropped the felon’s partner when the crime went down.

But thanks to Magnum and Higgins’ quick thinking he went down for his crimes and left Juliet in quite the heartbroken place. Since she revealed that she felt a soft spot for this case, mainly because the daughter made some incredible sacrifices for her family. The kind that genuinely allowed for healing to take place and for unity to grow, and she felt she was missing that in her memories. Since when she was presented with the chance to do something similar when her mother was ill, she chose to put her mother into assisted care and well… that left her wondering what could have been if she had been like the family she and Thomas helped. Which in turn dug deep into how… there are choices that family members have to make, that will have a profound and lasting impact upon all members involved and they will be tough choices indeed. The kind that will hurt someone and require sacrifice and we will never know if they are right. For life is messy and life is chaos and all we can do is make the hard call and hope for the best. 

All of which made, for a powerful episode. One that truly let Stephen Hill (T.C.) and Perdita Weeks (Higgins) shine as actors. Since they leaned into the personal side of things in an earnest and powerful manner. But what truly made this episode so incredible, was that it presented all of this stuff, in the raw. Without commentary nor were there any solutions or advice. It was just a slice of life, the painful parts no less, and that made for some incredible storytelling and some fine observations about the journey we travel and the choices we make, and this episode deserves a hard round of applause for going that route and for not offering a single solution or answer as to how we handle our family woes and the ups and downs that family brings. Because that’s just rare to see in television, much less in a private investigator series that is flat-out, set-in paradise, and now that T.C. and Higgins have endured a moment of reflection regarding their families… it is onto the next case and whatever fascinating observations this series will have up its sleeve. Until next time.

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