Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 13 Spoilers: Katsumoto Serves Up Tasty Undercover Role

Let’s hope that Magnum and Higgins keep away from marine life in this episode (and in the future).

After all, repossessing that stingray on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 12 must have cost them money (not that that’s something new).

The stingray ate all of the tropical fish in the La Mariana aquarium, which had to be expensive to replace. And how oblivious would Rick be not to notice the different fish?

Of course, Rick was so distracted over his possible date (or non-date, as the case ended up being) with Piper that maybe any lack of observation wouldn’t be inexplicable.

The last episode’s case scaled up quickly as Thomas and Juliet searched for the scammer who had ripped off Kumu’s friend Ying, which grew into a matter of human trafficking.

The case on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 13 promises to be less significant as the P.I.s are hired to find a missing high-end chef. (Let’s hope it’s a paying gig this time.)

The best part about the case is that they convince Katsumoto to go undercover at the chef’s restaurant to discover what can be learned from the employees.

It appears Gordo will be playing a dishwasher, which makes sense. That way, he doesn’t have to exhibit any fundamental cooking skills.

Also, the dishwasher must be in a high-turnover position, and no one else will likely pay much attention to him. So, eavesdropping would be simpler for him.

It’s encouraging to see Katsumoto coming to the forefront after a couple of episodes providing support for Magnum and Higgins. Granted, he ended up with some high-profile arrests out of it.

Watching Gordo evolve over the series’ five seasons has been enjoyable. At first, he didn’t have much faith in Thomas and Juliet.

But after all the times they have bailed out him and HPD, he’s become a faithful ally to the pair.

It will be intriguing to watch to see how believable Katsumoto is in an undercover role. It’s likely been a while for him.

Tim Kang is great in this role, playing a similar deadpan Asian Jack Webb character as he did on The Mentalist.

Kumu will be in the spotlight for the second consecutive episode after helping her friend Ying recover her life savings lost to a scammer.

Kumu, the cultural curator of Robin’s Nest, has been watching out for Cade since T.C. was shot and paralyzed on Magnum P.I. Season 5 Episode 10.

Now, she and Cade will work together at the cultural center, confronting America’s dark chapter of the internment of Japanese Americans in the wake of Pearl Harbor. About 14 percent of Hawaiian residents have Japanese ancestry.

While this will distract Cade, it also educates viewers about another example of Americans ostracizing a race of people out of fear and ignorance.

Those who doubt that such a thing could still happen need only look back a few years to the attacks on Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kumu, whose name means “teacher,” has a vast knowledge of Oahu and provided information about Hawaii in several past cases. She’s a perfect choice to be involved with such a project.

Both Peter Lenkov’s reboots, Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0, have done an admirable job of weaving Hawaiian history into their narratives. Why not use that as part of the backdrop, along with the breathtaking scenery?

Here’s hoping T.C. makes better progress in rehab at the V.A. hospital this episode.

Even though he is not recovering as quickly as he would like, T.C. made a breakthrough in “Three Bridges” when his mother Verna arrived and made him seriously think about why he’s been avoiding his friends.

She got him to understand it’s no sin to ask for help, as others have always done to him. So, he was able to pick up the phone and invite Thomas to drop by to visit him.

A big question remains: How long will it take T.C. to get out of his wheelchair? After all, having his Island Hopper chopper available would undoubtedly be helpful for Thomas and Juliet.

T.C. appears less somber in the NBC episodic promotional photos. So maybe he’s making more headway this week? Here’s hoping.

After sorting out his Suzy-versus-Piper dilemma in the last episode, will Rick be more content in this episode? Knowing Rick, that’s not too likely.

Piper was an intriguing possibility, one that Rick never took seriously enough.

He genuinely seemed intimidated by her proactive approach to relationships. It could have been exhilarating for RIck but probably short-lived.

What does that look like now that Suzy has agreed to a romantic relationship with Rick instead of simply co-parenting Joy? 

Will it continue to move at a glacial pace? Or will their relationship accelerate, becoming something more formal? Rick would likely prefer the latter, but what’s Suzy’s choice?

Will Suzy be returning to the family business, La Mariana? Most importantly, is Rick going to get off the houseboat anytime soon?

There are still a lot of questions to be answered in the next seven episodes. Is there any chance for a wedding on the series finale? Time will tell.

Check out the preview of Wednesday’s episode above, then come back for a review on Wednesday.

Are you looking forward to Katsumoto’s undercover assignment?

How about Cade and Kumu working on the historical project?

Do you expect T.C. to start making more progress?

Comment below.

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Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.