Plotholes are blessings

I've referenced Magnum in an elevator recently, so I'd like to go back to it to prove a point about plot. In the second-to-last season, Magnum and Higgins were stuck in an elevator after an extended period of petty brawling, when Magnum accused Higgins of being Robin Masters.

The accusation was a late-in-the-game invention by the show's creators without much basis in earlier character development. The show had already indicated very clearly that Archer Hayes held Higgins' position before Higgins did and regularly communicated with Robin Masters. Also, Higgins was fired--at least in theory--to be part of an intelligence operation that had him leading a band of extremists.

It was clear that Higgins couldn't actually be Robin Masters. The plot holes were just too large. Of course, if those plot holes could be filled believably, then what started as a contrived plot point because a well-conceived twist.

Let's say for a second that Higgins isn't really Robin Masters after all. Let's say Robin Masters doesn't exist, at least as a person. But to have a boozy, incredibly wealthy playboy who jets around the world and is considered a flaky philantropist, a rich clown with a big heart--that might be worthwhile to the British government.

So maybe Higgins isn't Robin Masters, but maybe he's running the operation for the Brits. And because Thomas Magnum, an intelligence officer with a few screws potentially loose from being a POW and watching his wife theoretically get killed, could use someone to keep an eye on him, why not enlist him ass part of this operation without really letting him know?

This approach doesn't handle all the plot issues, but it addresses a lot of them, and even makes for future character development. If Magnum were used in a British government operation without his knowledge--by a man who claims to be his friend--he's probably going to feel betrayed by Higgins, a father figure, and by his country.

Now the plot hole isn't just eliminated, but the new information takes the characters in new and interesting direction.