Yahoo News Magnum P.I. 's Jay Hernandez Says 'We Don't Know' If Higgins and Magnum Are Endgame but 'It's Pretty Exciting'
Zach Dougan/CBS/Universal Television
Jay Hernandez is rooting for Magnum and Higgins.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at Magnum P.I.'s recent Taste of Paradise event at NYC's Broken Shaker, the actor opened up about whether he believes his character, Thomas Magnum, and Juliet Higgins (played by Perdita Weeks) are end game.
"I've talked to the showrunner about this and potentially what it's going to be at the end of the season, because you never know with these shows, right?" Hernandez, 45, said. "So, you never know. After [the] first, second, third, fourth, fifth season, you never know if it's going to come back. So, we have to kind of craft it in a way that it's satisfying were it to be the end, but also leave something that can jump off in a potential season six."
The Bad Moms actor said there's "a lot of room" for the series to explore the brewing romance between the two investigators.
"There's a lot of space for finding what that is, and I don't even know what it is, to be honest," he admitted. "But the interesting part is that playing these characters, it's an evolution, right? So, we started season one, and we progressed and we became partners, and then we became interested in each other. Kind of try to fight it and then ultimately, we let each other in and engage in this relationship. And then, from here on out, we don't know where it's going to go. So, it's pretty exciting."
Zack Dougan/NBC
Magnum P.I., a reboot of the 1980s series starring Tom Selleck that recently moved from CBS to NBC for its fifth season, has long teased fans with the possibility of a Magnum and Higgins coupling.
Heading into its latest season, a clip showed the duo sharing a passionate kiss in a steamy shower scene.
"It's a culmination of their relationship," Hernandez said of the heat rising between the two characters. "We've been teasing it for years now, and we finally allow them to embrace their relationship and their love for each other. So, it's pretty cool. It's a new dynamic for this season, and I think the fans we're kind of owed that."
RELATED: Jay Hernandez's Mom Loves to Watch Him 'Be Magnum', But Really Wants to Meet Tom Selleck
Getting Magnum and Higgins together will also shift the pair's working dynamic, according to Hernandez.
"So, I'll get a script. I'll get a scene, and there's a bunch of people. There's guys with guns chasing us, trying to kill us, which is every day, everyday normal occurrence. But when you're in a relationship, the last thing Magnum would want is for him to put Higgins into a situation where she can get hurt," the actor said. "So, I do think about that."
Zack Dougan/NBC
Hernandez added, "But I think there have been moments where it seems like the writers forgot we're in a relationship because I wouldn't let her do some of these things that she's doing. Not that she can't take care of herself, but he's a chivalrous guy."
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Magnum P.I. airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
