CBS’s Magnum P.I. reboot teased viewers in Friday night’s episode, “The Long Way Home,” by making it seem like they might follow in the footsteps of their fellow cop drama Blue Bloods and depict the unfair treatment police and their loved ones are facing in today’s anti-cop culture. But sadly, they not only dropped the ball, they kicked it out of the park by instead stating, “the system is broken,” and defending BLM activism, which has led to violence and riots, as “a form of patriotism.”
Detective Gordon Katsumoto (Tim Kang) has played the anti-hero to private eye Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) in a playful way since the show’s inception, as Katsumoto is constantly peeved at Magnum for interfering in his police work and investigations. The show has given Katsumoto more of a role this season, however, and has depicted him in a more friendly light, even to the point of becoming a friend and ally of Magnum’s.
But, if viewers had hoped that this was a sign that the show wanted to defend police officers, Friday’s episode sadly dashed those hopes. The scenes in question involve Katsumoto and his teenage son, Dennis (Lance Lim), as Dennis lies to his father and heads to a party he’s not supposed to be at. Katsumoto shows up at the party, and that’s when we get a first glimpse of anti-cop language:
Girl: Oh, Mr. Katsumoto, hi.
Boy: Oh, man, he’s a cop.
Dennis: Dad, what are you doing here?
Det. Katsumoto: You have 30 seconds to get your ass in the car.
Dennis: So you’re stalking me now?
Det. K: Didn’t have to, genius. You got a surveillance device in your pocket.
Dennis: Well, I didn’t realize I was living in a police state.
Det. K: Excuse me?
Dennis: You violated my privacy!
Det. K: Hey, after you lied to my face, which pretty much throws any right to privacy out the window.
Dennis: Unbelievable! Do you have any idea the hell I’m gonna get for this at school?
Det. K: Spare me.
Dennis: Right. I’ve been taking crap for you all year. Why care now?
Det. K: What the hell’s that supposed to mean?
Dennis: You’re a cop, Dad. Do you have any idea what that’s like for me? Me and my friends– we’re not kids anymore. We watch the news, we see the videos. Some days, it’s all anyone ever talks about. And as far as everybody else is concerned, you’re one of them. The bad guys. And you just proved them right. Just go. I’ll get home on my own.
There was still hope for redemption, however, as the show could have taken the opportunity to feature a heart-to-heart talk between father and son that gives police officers the respect they deserve for putting their lives on the line while they and their family face unfair discrimination in this current anti-cop climate.
Instead, they very much did the opposite, making Katsumoto look like the only good officer within a “broken system” while praising “activism” which, if he means Black Lives Matter, has led to billions of dollars’ worth of damages and dozens of deaths from rioting.
Det. K: Can we talk for a minute? Guess I’ll start. I’m not going to apologize for being angry that you lied to me. But I have had a chance to think about what you said.
Dennis: Look, Dad, I shouldn’t have said…
Det. K: It’s okay. This is something we ought to be able to talk about. And I’m sorry it’s taken me this long. You know… …When your kid is little, you get to be the hero. It’s the best feeling in the world. And, of course, you know someday that’ll change. I mean, kids grow up, learn to think for themselves, see you as you are. You expect it. But what I didn’t expect was to become the bad guy because of what I do.
Dennis: I didn’t mean that. I know you’re not a bad person, Dad. It’s just… It’s hard to feel caught in the middle, you know? It’s like, guilty by association.
Det. K: It’s a lot to ask of a kid.
Dennis: And honestly? I get why people are mad. The system is broken. Even I can see that.
Det. K: Yeah. It’s failed a lot of people, and they have every right to be angry. We need to do better. Period. Look, I believe activism is a form of patriotism. But I think change, real change, needs to come from the inside. So, I’m still proud to be a cop. And I will continue to show up every day and do my part to be better at my job by being a better man.
Dennis: But why do you want to? I mean, you don’t care what people think?
Det. K: Just you.
I guess it was too much to hope for there to be more than one show in Hollywood willing to defend the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of the majority of good police officers.
Conservatives Fight Back! This episode of Magnum P.I. was sponsored by Maybelline and Claritin-D. Click each advertiser for their contact information so that you can let them know how you feel about this episode!