#ethan shah

[justaholesir]

JAY ALI as Dr. Ethan Shah Magnum P.I. (2018) Season 3 Episode 10: "The Long Way Home"

[claudia-kishi]

Unfortunately, I can’t just pick up and leave. I have responsibilities here.

[travialpursuit]

Magnum PI S04E06 “Devil on the Doorstep” (*Spoilers included)

Does somebody need to check on the writers of Magnum, PI and make sure everyone’s okay?  I mean, the first few minutes of this episode is just showing trust issues with everyone in the crew...Magnum, Higgy, T.C., Rick, Shammy, Robbie...everyone!

At least on the apartment-hunting car ride T.C. and Rick talk things out, but we still have a bunch of people with big secrets.

I started pointing out in Season 3 that Magnum was doing a good job not asking for as many favors from his friends as usual.  Well, apparently that’s being made up for because he’s asking everyone for favors.  This episode he asks Shammy to follow somebody who’s tailing him.  STOP ASKING FOR FAVORS.  PLEASE. 

The case for Magnum and Higgins went for some really deep emotions on this one.  Mothers getting their newborns taken through a fake adoption agency, and Magnum definitely got a little angry.  The fight with Stollard showed that Magnum really does maintain some good hand-to-hand fighting skills, even if Stollard really wasn’t much of a fight.  I like that Magnum made short work of him, though, because US Navy SEALs are thoroughly trained in things like hand-to-hand combat, disarming threats, etc., so I kind of expect some close-in skills.  The reporter (Mr. Liotta?) was good, and I like that Robin is referenced, even just in passing that Robin and Liotta know each other and that’s how he came to Juliet and Thomas.  I’m happy that even though he initially hired them to make sure his source was all right, he wanted to keep going with where the case led and see it through to a conclusion. 

We don’t have any mention of Lia or Ethan, and I really wouldn’t normally mind that, except for the way Episode 5 ended.  We have no idea what happened on the phone call between Ethan and Juliet at the end of the episode, and we get nothing further this episode.  Yes, we’re probably supposed to assume that she broke up with him, but if that was it, I really don’t like it.   @sherlolly-siya made some great points after Episode 5, and I completely agree with the preference of an onscreen break-up, and that Miggy needs to happen on it’s own, not with other people picking up vibes or speculating or guessing.  ON IT’S OWN.  Not seeing Lia is interesting because we only got a couple of mentions of her in the last episode, with no screen time and again, no screen time this episode and I don’t remember her even being mentioned.  So I guess we’re just treading water on that. 

We do have Higgins’ MI-6 troubles escalating.  As soon as we learned Eve was present on Oahu, we knew it was going to be really important.   I like Higgy’s American accent when dealing with Barlow and the fight scene was quick and dirty.  On a side note, I’m not sure where Barlow would have gotten a pistol, but Hawaii has some really tight gun laws, so just him having a loaded pistol is a felony...just saying.  Higgy and Magnum are licensed private investigators, so they must have special permissions to carry, but still. 

Anyway, Higgy’s American accent was quite enjoyable, but I’m curious Barlow getting a call in the middle of his meeting with ‘Grimshaw’.  First, why then?  Higgy tranquilized Grimshaw three weeks ago (per Eve), so what changed in the few minutes before Higgy meets Barlow that he gets a call that Grimshaw has been compromised (especially since he’s in MI-6 custody apparently).  So either the ex-MI-6 group has someone currently in MI-6 that’s feeding them intel, or the timing was just for drama.  Another option is someone knew Grimshaw was compromised, and let the meeting with Barlow happen to see who would show.  In which case, Higgy’s exposed.  Although, Barlow could have been told.  As former SAS (British Special Forces), it’s not like he couldn’t have handled the op still.  Then again, he’s now dead because of the law of gross tonnage (person v garbage truck isn’t really going to be close). 

Higgy’s morgue raid was nice.  And she spots the SAS tattoo.  Which allows her to confront Eve, and Eve now gives her the bad news that the MI-6 merc group has her file amongst others.  So that realigns the incentive for Higgy’s cooperation with MI-6 now that Ethan might? be out of the picture: it’s now about protecting herself from exposure. 

Side plots: Robbie-Rick-T.C. conflict is interesting but for me, unnecessary.  And Rick being the odd man out at La Mariana not knowing Cade is staying at Island Hoppers, I’m not sure why T.C. wouldn’t just tell Rick that Cade’s there until he can get on his feet.  It might not be the best solution, but it’s a band-aid and Rick would back his friend’s play if asked.  But the same goes for Robbie’s appearance and not-asking-for-money-but-definitely-needing-money from Rick.  I like T.C.’s talk with Rick, then Robbie, but Rick is his friend, so he’s with him.  And then we get the FBI agent introducing himself to Rick...

And since we’re not done lying to our friends in this episode, we have Thomas and Juliet at the end.  Thomas has closed the case without her (she says in Episode 1 he is a very good detective), and when he asks if everything’s okay, she straight up lies.  And yes, I know her handler instructed her not to tell Magnum, but he’s going to find out.  He already knows she’s tapped MI-6 for intel at least once since being back from Africa, so he might start to suspect that.  Right now, based on her behavior the last few weeks, he’s concerned.  At the end of the episode, though, he knows she’s lying about the Immigration office.  You can hear it when he says ‘Goodnight’ that there’s now some suspicion.  Not that she can’t handle whatever it might be, but the idea that she won’t tell him what’s going on. 

I’m curious when Higgins is going to get called by Eve for a time-sensitive op that interferes with an investigation somehow and what’s going to happen if Magnum ends up getting shot or otherwise injured as a result.       

[loveamongstars]

It was never about not accepting Higgins’s past/who she is

This is a little analysis and opinion about what happened in 3x15 between Juliet and Ethan.

You have to look at the episode in its entirety, pay attention to the dialogue, the implications of it, the meaning and the consequences. You have to shift perspectives as well.

Let’s begin with the chess scene. This is the dialogue:

“You know it’s okay to say his name! And talk about him. I menu he was a big part of your life”

“There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you. I’ve just been waiting for the right moment. Richard didn’t die in an accident. Before I was a majordomo or Private Investigator, I had another profession.”

After that we face to black.

Ethan was clearly accepting of her past here, of the past she opened up to him so far. The interesting part lies in “Richard didn’t die in an accident”. This implies that she had told Ethan that. As we know Richard died in the hunt of the Viper by the hands of the Viper, but for some reason Juliet either let Ethan believe this was how Richard died, or she plain told him that. Both options imply an active lie. She had the choice to tell him “I am not ready to talk about how Richard died, I need time”, but she did not. She either full on lied, or she let him believe that falsity, instead of telling him that this was not the case and asking him for patience.

Patience in this is of the essence. The reveal of her past, including how Richard died, happened off screen, but it is safe to assume she told him everything. Cue to Ethan not responding to her messages and her continuing to message and call apparently.

Have you ever needed space from someone? How do you feel or how would you feel if they continued to shooting you messages and calls? Not too well. You don’t have room to process as you wanted to. I am not saying it was fully graceful on Ethan’s part. He probably should have said something to Juliet along the lines of “Please give me space until I am ready to talk”, but at the same time I understand the need of space. I need that too. I do tell people that I need that and get back to them when I am ready. I will very specifically draw the line in the sand, my boundary there. He did not specifically draw it, but he drew it.

“You’ve been ignoring my calls and text all day.”

“I’ve needed time to think.”

And Juliet stepped over it, because she was nervous, she was insecure and yes, she didn’t have all the information. And yet she could have and should have given the situation a little more time before cornering him. Because what happens when you corner a wounded animal? And Ethan was wounded, something like that leaves a little bit of an emotional wound. She lied to him or let him believe in a lie, he second guesses – rightfully so – if she lied in other departments. The animal either retreats further or fights back.

“Looks, I wish that my story was different.”

“It’s not about your past. I just can’t help but wonder if there’s anything else you’re not telling me.”

“I’ve been truthful about everything that matters most.”

Ethan does both. He fights back with his stance alone and with his retreat, literally to Kenya. It is the wound, the emotional turmoil talking. This is why when someone asks you for time you should give it to them. It takes time to be rational again and think things to, every person is different in the amount of time they need, every situation is different. By stepping over that not-communicated boundary Juliet stepped into a situation where emotions were still high on his part, he had not worked through it and we saw the result:

“I love you, Ethan.”

“I love you, too. But right now, when I look at you, it’s not the same. I don’t know if I can trust you. And I’m gonna have to figure that out. I might be going out of the country for a while. Doctors without borders want me in the field again. They need surgeons in Kenya. I’ll be gone at least six months. Maybe we could use some time apart.”

“It’s not what I want. But, I understand if that’s what you need.”

“It’s what I need.”

Part of the result is also what happened the next day: Namely him having overcome the emotional turmoil, him taking a step in her direction “I was stupid, I was impulsive, I was wrong” I sign the stupid and impulsive with my whole heart there, the wrongness is a direct result of being stupid, impulsive and put into a corner, by Juliet’s own insecurities. And he asks, hopeful, if she gives him another chance – granted he never gets to finish that question, but he does not take it for granted that she will forgive his reaction.

Juliets side in all of it is just equally understandable: She is insecure when it comes to emotions and vulnerability. He neither exploited that, nor active went in to harm it. And she did not intentionally put him in a corner and on the defense. Her reaction was a result of her insecurities. His reaction a result of his emotional wound.

This entire fight was not about him not accepting her past or who she is. He literally even says so. This entire fight was about her having kept something from him, her lying to him or letting him believe in one – for months may I add – and her through her insecurities stepping over a boundary and cornering him to talk before he is ready. And clearly both could have been better at communicating.

[ohmyolicity]

'Just as Magnum starts to open up to other possibilities'

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Whaaaat does that mean ????

[yixiaosuige]

MAGNUM P.I. season 3 || Juliet & Ethan

[missmybabyx]

Ethan, I don’t like how this is making Higgins feel, BUT stay your ass in Kenya LMAO

[i-hate-everything-except-fandoms]

Okay, so that was actually... nowhere near as bad as I expected.

To get the whole poker thing out the way first, as much as I think we can all agree that level of PDA in front of the Ohana is... not ideal, she had been drinking, and, after having not been with someone in so long, Juliet is probably pretty touch starved too, so it does make sense for her to be excited and way more touchy around Ethan than we had expected.

And hey, Higgy's happy, so I can't really complain. But I must agree with the rest of them and recommend they get a room when they have moments like that.

Juliet in Thomas' room is an interesting first. Back in season one, we had her send Kumu to go and fetch one of his shirts - she didn't go herself - so it's nice to see that she's more comfortable with entering his space, albeit to pour a glass of water over his head. Also, you know I have to point it out, but she definitely checked him out whilst he was still asleep. 😏

Another thing in this episode I enjoyed was Magnum impressing Higgy and Ethan with his medical knowledge. It makes sense for him to have known what Ethan was talking about - afterall, he once went undercover as a vascular surgeon - and their expressions in response were priceless. Thomas Magnum 1-0 Ethan and Juliet. 😂

There's another thing I would mention now, as it links to what I'm about to say, but I'm going to leave that to the end, because it was an overarching feature in this episode. Higgy mentioning Abby and asking how much she knew about her was a surprise, but I actually really appreciate the fact that there has been another reference to her, because I literally don't think she's been mentioned since 2x07 (the episode after they broke up). It's also interesting that Magnum denied having told Abby much about Higgy, considering the fact that she clearly knew that Juliet knew him better than she ever would - which is pretty much the entire reason they broke up.

I'd still like for Thomas to mention at some point that Abby had said that he'd find someone who knew him better than anyone else, because I think Juliet would quickly remember what she'd said in the van, and realise that Abby had been talking about her - I think it'd be interesting to see how she'd react to that. But I digress.

The case felt a little more like old times this episode, seeing as so far, in almost every episode our dynamic duo has either been in serious peril, or they've got into trouble without even being on a case, which can get kind of monotonous. I don't mind that it was Ethan who came to them with a case because it's actually quite a nice parallel to 2x06 when Abby enlisted their help, albeit slightly unwillingly after the case was handed off to them. So overall, I enjoyed the plot of the case.

Rick and TC's storylines this episode felt pretty minimal, but it's nice to have something more about the military incorporated into the show, especially because I feel like a lot of people who sign up do so because their family have been involved in the military, and I like that they pointed out that wasn't necessarily a good enough reason. However, in the end we didn't get a good resolution to that, so it feels a bit unresolved.

In terms of Rick's storyline, it's nice to have a minor character in one episode come back to have a bigger role, and it would also be nice for Rick to have a love interest, because there isn't enough love going around for the boys right now. So I'm excited to see where that goes, and whether Rick will disregard the rule of, "don't date someone who works for/with you."

Last, but most certainly not least, we're going back to Thomas' insomnia. As soon as Ethan mentioned giving him a prescription for it, I cringed, because I knew he was going to be upset that Higgy had shared that with him. But, the more I thought about it as they went through the episode, I realised that Juliet did it for the right reasons, and that it was coming from a place of concern, and honestly, it was really sweet of her to try and help.

I was waiting for that final scene because I knew they were finally going to talk about it, and I love that Higgy referenced their conversation in 2x08 where he told her, "If you're not honest with me about how you feel, it's not fair to me. Not if this is going to work." Because she's right - it does go both ways.

So Thomas explaining that he doesn't want to hide things from her just because he's afraid she'll share it with Ethan is a really vulnerable but beautiful moment. Juliet's apology is beautiful too, as is her promise that she won't share anything private, but does tell him that he will inevitably come up in conversation because he's an important part of her life - I love that. And I love even more that Thomas said the same in return, even if not in as many words.

Plus, them sat there drinking beer in front of the sunset? It's so beautiful?? I love it! I love them! And I surprisingly enjoyed this episode a lot!