The Case of Higgins Being Robin Masters

[SignGuyHPW]

I know there's been many threads about this subplot from the later years of the series. It's a subplot that has always bothered me and has been debated about on here for years. I think there needs to be a case about this. Granted, we'll never know for sure what they may have eventually done to resolve this storyline had the series continued, but we can make educated guesses. Here's my case:

In "Paper War" Magnum comes up with the theory that Jonathon Quayle Higgins is actually Robin Masters. His theory is based around his guess that Higgins wrote the novels credited to Robin Masters, but was embarassed by their content. His theory suggests that the man they knew as Robin Masters was a man paid by Higgins to go around the world and live a lavish lifestyle to keep anyone from knowing Higgins writes those sort of stories.

Here is why I think this story does not ring true: The premice of the entire show was that Magnum lived on the estate of a famous novelist as a security expert in exchange for the free room and board as well as use of a vehicle which allowed him to work on the side as a private investigator. While never sufficiantly explained during cannon, it was alluded to Magnum having known Robin Masters prior to moving onto the estate and having some type of relationship with him. Living on the estate was a mayordomo named Higgins whom was against the idea of Magnum living on the estate and did not approve of the arrangement. If Higgins was really Robin Masters then how could an employee of his dictate to him that he had to have a perfect stranger live for an undetermined amount of time in his guest house and have use of his very exspensive Ferrari while the actual Robin Masters was forced to drive an Audi? Higgins, if the actual owner, could've easily made "Robin" call Magnum and say that he decided things weren't working out and ask him to leave the property. The first few seasons had Higgins and Magnum constantly negotiating for whatever privlages Magnum was allowed on the estate (wine cellar, tennis court, etc) and Magnum trying to sneak use without Higgins' knowledge. If Higgins was Robin then he'd likely not care if his security expert was playing tennis or using the hot tub or whatever else he had on the estate.

In multiple episodes it was proven that Higgins was merely an employee of Robin Masters. Higgins dictated his letter of resignation in private. Why would he resign and leave his own estate? Higgins also would reference things to which he disagreed with Mr. Masters yet had to abide by his wishes. If he was truly Robin then he could've made those wishes how he wanted them.

In a few episodes Robin Masters and Higgins are seen together. Until Orsen Wells passed away they would occassionaly bring Robin to Hawaii for an episode. In one episode it was revealed that Robin had threats against his life and had Magnum sneak him onto the estate with the knowledge of Higgins. It was very clear that Higgins was not in on this plan and was rather insulted that he was not in the loop. The person that was trying to kill Robin had a relationship that preceded the fame of Robin Masters and had continued for some years which would've allowed her the knowledge that he wasn't whom he claimed.

They made it clear in a few episodes that Higgins first came to Robin's Nest in the mid 70s as a replacement for another majordomo. Robin's work first broke big in the mid 60s or so which makes no sense as to why Higgins would've bought or had this huge estate in Hawaii for so long without having been there before. Also, in some of Higgins' stories it made it seem as if he was still in the military until the later 60s or early 70s. This would've ruled out being able to write these novels in such proliferation. Writing a book is a lengthy process and if Higgins was still active military and being sent to various places around the world then he'd not have the time to go through those processes. It'd also limit his availability for consulting with the actor if he did hire someone to act as his agent. You'd think with as much as was made off of those books that he'd have either resigned from the military or waited until he had a permanent post so it'd be easier to meet with editors, publishers, agents, etc so that he could be directly involved in this. It's not the same as having someone take a pie you baked and entering it in the county fair and seeing how it placed.

Higgins' writing style didn't seem to mesh with a Robin Masters writing style. Magnum sent Higgins' book to a publisher without his knowledge. The letter that came back indicated that Higgins need a lot of work done before they could publish it. If Higgins was really an accomplished writer then he'd have known more about what they could market/sell and been much closer to what they'd accept. Plus there is nothing about Higgins' character or storytelling to suggest that he'd have written these types of books. It seems totally out of his character to be able to do this. Plus, in one episode Magnum and Carol are caught reading a draft of the latest Robin Masters novel which is taken away by Higgins. Higgins then can't resist reading a chapter to see how it is. If he wrote the book he'd not have to sneak a look in private to see what was written.

The main points that Magnum made whenever he'd try to point out Higgins were Robin are easily defeated. Higgins would sometimes say "my kitchen" or "my study" which Magnum took to mean as in literal ownership. Higgins could, easily, have meant it as in the terms that he used those rooms. Like a Chef saying "my kitchen" because he's in charge of running it and not necessarily because he owns it, Higgins was in charge of running the estate so it was "his" in that sense. Magnum saw Higgins attempting to write his memoiurs as proof that he had to be the writer Robin Masters. While Robin may have been an inspiration for him to try writing and would've given him contacts on how to go about being published, it doesn't equate to Higgins having to be Robin Masters. Magnum theorised that Higgins would be too embarassed by the content of the novels and link it to his father's sordid past so he couldn't let himself be seen as the writer. Nobody would've known about the father's sordid past if he never mentioned it so that wasn't an issue. Especially in that time frame, Higgins could've written the books and never publicly talked about his family life.

I think that Magnum invented the whole theory just to annoy Higgins. He knew it was perposterous, but would bring it up and have his friends bring it up to get a reaction out of Higgins. It makes sense in Resolutions that he was completely shocked to hear Higgins admit that he was Robin and want an explanation as to why he did it. Plus, Magnum was too smart to not know whom exactly was employing him and whose home and car he was using. He'd have figured it out easily being a private investigator.

That's my case for believing that Jonathon Quayle Higgins was, in fact, not Robin Masters.

[Pahonu]

They made it clear in a few episodes that Higgins first came to Robin's Nest in the mid 70s as a replacement for another majordomo. Robin's work first broke big in the mid 60s or so which makes no sense as to why Higgins would've bought or had this huge estate in Hawaii for so long without having been there before.

This is the first time I've heard this argument. Very good!

[Steve]

Theory works for me but you do know there are no real world rules in television, especially since Dallas pulled the entire Bobby in the shower scene discounting an entire season (which took place on the first Dallas episode of 1986, same year that Paper War was written and aired)............
deus ex machina

[eltonsean]

well said, SignGuyHPW.

I think the writers (or possibly Tom Selleck) came up with this crazy idea to help breath new life and boost the ratings of the show. Seeing as they no longer had the option of using Orson Wells to be revealed as Robin because Wells had died, this questionable idea seems to have been born.

The way I work it out in my head is this: Higgins' and Robin's writing style were as different as night and day. Magnum was simply wrong and should have known better. Higgins went along with the ridiculous idea because it was amusing. But that's it.

Because of this I find that I don't enjoy the episodes at all that feature the idea of Higgins being Robin. It just seems silly and an insult to true Magnum fans who know the show's history and have been watching it since the beginning. That's why I tend to stick with watching the first 4 seasons. after that, the episodes get weaker, they introduce "Fake" Mac, they use "the lads" less, Magnum starts to act more "mature" and this crazy Higgins/Robin thing happens. Blah.

But it's still my favourite show of all time.

[MACV-SOG]

I realize this is a very old post, but I want to point out an interesting inconsistency that I discovered today. Higgins tells Blanche Raferty, Luther Gillis’ secretary, that “While the Higgins lineage is decidedly distinguished, it is not of the Realm.” This happens as they are tied up near the end of the episode. Yet in another episode, we are clearly told that his official title is Lord Jonathan Higgins.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I realize this is a very old post, but I want to point out an interesting inconsistency that I discovered today. Higgins tells Blanche Raferty, Luther Gillis’ secretary, that “While the Higgins lineage is decidedly distinguished, it is not of the Realm.” This happens as they are tied up near the end of the episode. Yet in another episode, we are clearly told that his official title is Lord Jonathan Higgins.

I believe - correct me if I am wrong - that when one says a title is of the Realm, it's referring to the ruling dynasty(the Windsors) as opposed to all the other titled nobles who are Lords
and what nots.
While his father lives Higgins doesn't have the title and estates, they are only his, as the oldest male heir, after his father dies.
So if an episode claimed he was a Lord, it was an error on the writer's part, though this peerage/royal stuff can get pretty convoluted, and for me it doesn't take long for me to start
rolling my eyes at the silliness of it.
By the way, King Chuck is buddies with comic legend Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean, Black Adder fame, so I imagine he is much different at home than he is at his day job.

[NotthatRick]

Very well thought out post.

[MACV-SOG]

As far as the Magnum PI world usage of the word “Realm,” please take a look at “ Letter to a Dutchess,” the season four episode when Vivian Brock Jones, Lady Wilkerson, the Duchess of Whitt, reappears in Higgins’ life. Around 30 minutes into the show, as Higgins sits, sipping brandy being terribly British, he says to Magnum, “No, there’s something else you don’t know. Vivian is not as she appears… Magnum, she is of the Realm…“

Magnum’s response, “Royalty?”

In a later season 4 episode, “The Return of Luther Gillis,” approximately 26 minutes before the episode concludes, Higgins states, “Although the Higgins lineage is undoubtedly distinguished, it is not of the Realm.” He is not referring to himself alone; he is speaking on behalf of the entire Higgins lineage.

Later, in season five’s first two episodes, “Echoes of the Mind”, the periage and the title of Lord of Perth are first mentioned.

Lady Ashley has brought her solicitor, the British version of an attorney. She wishes Higgins to drop his title and allow her to keep hers and remarks, “You’re only a Lord. Winnie was a Duke.”

Later, while speaking with Magnum Higgins, he explained that he is a Lord, the second son of the Duke of Perth. (This creates another minor inconsistency in the same episode. When later Lady Ashley mentions his brothers and their children.) The entire conversation unfolds as Lady Ashley, her solicitor/attorney, and Higgins are seated around an outside table. Lady Ashley is still trying to get Higgins to drop his title and keep hers. She asks, “Given your brothers and their children, it’s hardly likely you’ll ever become Duke, is it?” Higgins responds, “My family has been in the parish for nearly 800 years.” With that statement, it’s very apparent that Higgins was either lying to Blanche or the writers, producers, etc., just hadn’t thought that far ahead. It’s also evident that minor deviations from timelines and birthright would be tolerated by the show’s producers. After all, Higgins just told us that he was the second son. Then in the same episode, Lady Ashley implies that there is more than one brother with children between Higgins and the inheritance of the title Duke.

When we first watched the show, no one noticed these things. Generally speaking, we all had one shot at seeing the show when it first aired. Then later, we might see reruns or, if we were really lucky, someone had taped the show.

It wasn’t until many years later when my wife bought me the gift of the box set that I got the luxury of watching the episodes over and over.

A psychological expert once told me that when we enjoy something like this, it’s not just the thing itself that we are enjoying, but the memory of when we first saw it, and I tend to agree.

I suppose a moderator could look at this post and ask, why are you posting this here where the beginning of the post is about whether or not Higgins was actually Robin Masters?

Somewhere in my mind, there is a connection.

By the way, thank you to the writer for the original post. It is an interesting set of thoughts about Magnum creating this idea to torment Higgins and reminds me that we also see Higgins tormenting Magnum at the very end when he says that he lied.

I think the connection that I’m trying to make is that the show is filled with inconsistencies, little ones and big ones, because it’s so perfectly imperfect. It’s a show that exists on one plane as a set of words that were written in scripts and delivered by performers. But the show is also something that exists in each of the fans’ minds and has its own version for each particular person.

To me, I can explain away every inconsistency that would make someone believe Higgins is not Robin Masters. I can believe that Higgins is Robin Masters. I can believe that Higgins’ interactions with Magnum were always through a third party and that Higgins is so wise as to create a barrier between himself and the wealth, that he has a mask to protect his real face from the world.

For me, I hate the show and I love the show. I hate it because there’s not more of it. I love it because it is a part of my childhood and a show that can’t be remade today.

I am very sorry that the owners of the show did not go the route of having Lily Catherine be the main character in the reboot along with her girlfriend versions of Rick, TC, and others. I would have loved to see the occasional appearance of Tom Selleck in a sweater, sitting behind the typewriter at Higgins’ desk with a picture of John Hillerman, on the wall of the study next to the queen’s. I would have loved seeing Tom explain that our beloved Higgins was actually Robin Masters while typing the Magnum memoirs.

Done well, I think they could have used footage from the original show for some flashbacks interspersed amongst the modernized version of the show, but I guess they didn’t think that would work.

I think Higgins is Robin Masters.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

As far as the Magnum PI world usage of the word “Realm,” please take a look at “ Letter to a Dutchess,” the season four episode when Vivian Brock Jones, Lady Wilkerson, the Duchess of Whitt, reappears in Higgins’ life. Around 30 minutes into the show, as Higgins sits, sipping brandy being terribly British, he says to Magnum, “No, there’s something else you don’t know. Vivian is not as she appears… Magnum, she is of the Realm…“

Magnum’s response, “Royalty?”

In a later season 4 episode, “The Return of Luther Gillis,” approximately 26 minutes before the episode concludes, Higgins states, “Although the Higgins lineage is undoubtedly distinguished, it is not of the Realm.” He is not referring to himself alone; he is speaking on behalf of the entire Higgins lineage.

Later, in season five’s first two episodes, “Echoes of the Mind”, the periage and the title of Lord of Perth are first mentioned.

Lady Ashley has brought her solicitor, the British version of an attorney. She wishes Higgins to drop his title and allow her to keep hers and remarks, “You’re only a Lord. Winnie was a Duke.”

Later, while speaking with Magnum Higgins, he explained that he is a Lord, the second son of the Duke of Perth. (This creates another minor inconsistency in the same episode. When later Lady Ashley mentions his brothers and their children.) The entire conversation unfolds as Lady Ashley, her solicitor/attorney, and Higgins are seated around an outside table. Lady Ashley is still trying to get Higgins to drop his title and keep hers. She asks, “Given your brothers and their children, it’s hardly likely you’ll ever become Duke, is it?” Higgins responds, “My family has been in the parish for nearly 800 years.” With that statement, it’s very apparent that Higgins was either lying to Blanche or the writers, producers, etc., just hadn’t thought that far ahead. It’s also evident that minor deviations from timelines and birthright would be tolerated by the show’s producers. After all, Higgins just told us that he was the second son. Then in the same episode, Lady Ashley implies that there is more than one brother with children between Higgins and the inheritance of the title Duke.

When we first watched the show, no one noticed these things. Generally speaking, we all had one shot at seeing the show when it first aired. Then later, we might see reruns or, if we were really lucky, someone had taped the show.

It wasn’t until many years later when my wife bought me the gift of the box set that I got the luxury of watching the episodes over and over.

A psychological expert once told me that when we enjoy something like this, it’s not just the thing itself that we are enjoying, but the memory of when we first saw it, and I tend to agree.

I suppose a moderator could look at this post and ask, why are you posting this here where the beginning of the post is about whether or not Higgins was actually Robin Masters?

Somewhere in my mind, there is a connection.

By the way, thank you to the writer for the original post. It is an interesting set of thoughts about Magnum creating this idea to torment Higgins and reminds me that we also see Higgins tormenting Magnum at the very end when he says that he lied.

I think the connection that I’m trying to make is that the show is filled with inconsistencies, little ones and big ones, because it’s so perfectly imperfect. It’s a show that exists on one plane as a set of words that were written in scripts and delivered by performers. But the show is also something that exists in each of the fans’ minds and has its own version for each particular person.

To me, I can explain away every inconsistency that would make someone believe Higgins is not Robin Masters. I can believe that Higgins is Robin Masters. I can believe that Higgins’ interactions with Magnum were always through a third party and that Higgins is so wise as to create a barrier between himself and the wealth, that he has a mask to protect his real face from the world.

For me, I hate the show and I love the show. I hate it because there’s not more of it. I love it because it is a part of my childhood and a show that can’t be remade today.

I am very sorry that the owners of the show did not go the route of having Lily Catherine be the main character in the reboot along with her girlfriend versions of Rick, TC, and others. I would have loved to see the occasional appearance of Tom Selleck in a sweater, sitting behind the typewriter at Higgins’ desk with a picture of John Hillerman, on the wall of the study next to the queen’s. I would have loved seeing Tom explain that our beloved Higgins was actually Robin Masters while typing the Magnum memoirs.

Done well, I think they could have used footage from the original show for some flashbacks interspersed amongst the modernized version of the show, but I guess they didn’t think that would work.
I think Higgins is Robin Masters.

Excellent, well thought out post. I quite liked your scenario for a sequel with Lily Catherine and her own crew of distaff TC's and Rick's.
Throw in a female Luther Gillis and it works for me, bob's your uncle.