Magnum PI episode 12 preview: The AFC Championship Special

The first thing that you need to know about Magnum PI episode 12 is rather simple: It’s not airing at its typical time. The show is going to be airing a new installment on Sunday night directly after the AFC Championship Game — obviously, that means that the start time is going to vary.

So what’s actually happening in said episode? We think the Magnum PI episode 12 synopsis that CarterMatt has for you below does a good job of explaining that:

“Winner Takes All” – Magnum has an emotional connection to a case when he and every other private investigator and bounty hunter on Oahu are tasked to track down a man (Jake Matthews) accused of murder, on MAGNUM P.I., Sunday, Jan. 20 (directly after the AFC Championship Game) on the CBS Television Network. Ken Jeong returns as private investigator Luther Gillis. Former professional football player Eddie George guest stars as the man informing the bounty hunters and private eyes to the skip on the run. NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney guest stars as a bounty hunter eager to find the skip.

The idea behind this episode is clearly to appeal to as many viewers as possible, and there are a lot of smart ideas wedged in here. For starters, you’re bringing back Jeong for a prominent guest spot. Magnum PI and CBS obviously didn’t know at the time of this episode being filmed that The Masked Singer would be such a hit, but it certainly does help them. Also, bringing on board Eddie George gets you another reason for NFL fans to keep watching. It’s almost a shame for them that the Tennessee Titans didn’t make the playoffs and advance this far just for that alone.

Here’s to hoping that this is a great episode, especially since it’s likely going to be the most-watched one of the entire season. There’s not a huge history these days of shows gaining a ton of viewers from a big football lead-in and then keeping them from subsequent episodes, but we do still think that there’s an opportunity here. If nothing else, maybe this convinces some more people to set their DVR for some other episodes in the future. It could also make us more optimistic in the show’s season 2 future. Let’s also remind you of this — if CBS wanted to cancel this show, obviously they never would’ve given it this timeslot in the first place.

What do you want to see on Magnum PI episode 12, and do you think the football lead-in will be a nice asset for the show’s future? Share some of your thoughts and hopes for the series now in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)