Courtesy of Belle Anderson @SurfBelle2
Hi everyone! Wow…what a weekend I had. This past weekend was Beatlefest weekend. The one weekend a year where I get to go and hang out with friends I don’t get to see the rest of the year and celebrate the greatest band there ever was. Think of it as a non-stop 3-day Sunset on the Beach except that we don’t actually get to meet the Beatles, of course.
Thanks to the way Easter and Passover fall on the calendar this year, Beatlefest was held in April. It’s pretty much always in March which I have loved for the last 5 years because that meant it fell right in the middle of March Madness and, of course, that meant I didn’t ever have to miss Five-0. Unfortunately, this year, for the first time ever, I missed a first run episode of the show. And, of course, it means my review is late…. again. But at least, this week, I didn’t lay in bed late at night and read all the other blogs like I did last week. This weekend when I collapsed in bed, I actually slept!
But, never fear, the moment I got home and unpacked my bags, I settled on my nice comfy sofa and watched what turned out to be a really silly yet very enjoyable episode. Yeah, there were moments where even I was shaking my head but overall it was a nice episode to come home to, one that entertained without overtaxing my barely detoxified brain. Yeah, we tend to drink a bit at ‘Fest…. what can I say? LOL So please forgive me if this review isn’t up to par with previous reviews 😉
Once again, one of my least favorite things about Five-0, an episode with two entirely different stories going on simultaneously. But at least this time the entire Varsity squad worked one story while the Junior Varsity worked the other. If we absolutely must have two stories I can live with this. Of course, my sincere hope for Season 7 is we find a way to have good, well written, engaging stories, that are strong enough to engage the entire team, and a couple of the JV, and can fill an entire episode without the need to pad out the episode with a sub-storyline.
I did enjoy this episode. Even if it won’t go down as a favorite, for a filler episode that I know is just a bridge to move us further toward the season finale, it was a lot of silly fun.
Let’s start off with Iron Man. I’m sure there are those who will complain that Five-0 is supposed to be a police procedural and not a sci-fi adventure but I didn’t see this plot line that way. As a matter of fact, in my mind, this is the type of crime Five-0 should be handling. I mean, after six years, now going on seven, it has to be getting harder and harder to find totally new and innovative crimes for our task force to solve each week. I mean, it’s a small island. Homicide, drug runners, human trafficking, smuggling, etc. They’ve done it all, repeatedly, and I have loved every minute of it.
But, I have to admit, there are times when I thought the crimes of the week could have very easily been handled by HPD, that the skills of an “elite” task force really weren’t needed. Of course, if HPD handled everything we wouldn’t have a show, would we? LOL The theft of a top secret, high value prototype for a military weapon is precisely what Five-0 should investigate. I loved this idea… a lot!
I was a bit disappointed that the thief was just the disgruntled ex-employee and that he only wanted the suit so he could take a gun used in a high profile murder from the HPD evidence locker. I mean, you could do anything with a suit like that, perpetuate all kinds of dastardly deeds not to mention make yourself a fortune selling the thing to any number of foreign enemies of the state. And you use it to steal a gun from HPD? Wouldn’t it have just been easier to find a dirty cop to bribe?
It’s also a bit hard to believe that a suit designed to be completely unstoppable and indestructible could be taken down just by T-boning it with an SUV. Seriously, you spend 80 million dollars developing a state of the art suit of armor and you don’t take into consideration that the enemy might ram it with a Humvee or something?
But even with these shortcomings, I enjoyed this part of the episode as a bit of escapist fun, not to be taken too seriously. In that regard, it worked just fine for me. And I just adored seeing the team hiding out in all that tall grass. I can’t help but wonder if the cast had as much fun and was laughing as much filming this scene as I was watching it! LOL
I have to say I think I enjoyed the JV story of Maisie the Elephant even more than the Iron Man stuff. I had never heard the story of Tyke the elephant until Peter Lenkov mentioned it back on Twitter/IG when they were working on this episode. I looked it up at that time and my heart just broke for that poor creature, frightened out of his mind. I was horrified by what HPD had to do to stop him. I liked how the writers used that story to fuel this one.
I liked the tie in of Isabel and Jerry, as children, having tickets to the circus for the night Tyke escaped and how the story of what happened to him affected Isabel so much she decided, as an adult, to fight for the rights of animals. Anyone who dedicates their life to the safety and welfare of defenseless animals will always have a large warm spot in my heart.
I enjoyed the way Isabel was introduced, meeting Eric in the elevator. Poor Eric. No matter how hard he tries he just can’t seem to shake the Jersey boy attitude, especially when a beautiful girl is too close to him. LOL I know I’m in the minority but I really love Eric. Just like his Uncle Danny, he has his rough edges but he is outstanding at his job, he’s a good and loyal friend and he has a heart of gold.
I know there are those out there who like to tag Eric with the “misogynistic” label but honestly, I don’t understand that. I looked it up.
mi·sog·y·ny (məˈsäjənē/) – noun: misogyny. Dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
Considering that Eric not only loves women, he practically oozes adoration for them……
Like I said above, this storyline was perfect for me because, again, if we must have a second story, it’s nice that no one from our main team needed to be pulled away for it. Eric, Max and Kamekona all agreed to help their friend Jerry and were all won over by Maisie herself. I adored the happy, satisfied looks on all their faces when they were successful in getting Maisie on that freighter to Thailand.
I do wonder though, just how did Isabel get Maisie into the jungle? She didn’t have the original truck she was going to use and she didn’t have Kame’s truck yet. What did she do? Lure Maisie with peanuts to get her to follow her into the jungle?
The CGI used for Maisie was pretty obvious and I know there had to be a better way to do it so it looked more natural but I can overlook it. Yeah, it could have been better but it’s not like they could have used a real elephant and the CGI didn’t take away the warm-hearted feeling of the story one bit. Actually, I thought Maisie was really cute!
I’m a little concerned about that container they put Maisie into for her trip to Thailand though. I mean that’s a long damn journey. It would be pretty dumb to rescue her from a horrible situation only to lock her in a dark box for God knows how long it takes to get where she’s going. But I’m just going to go with the assumption that, although we didn’t see it, they knew exactly what they were doing and Maisie would be well taken care of for her trip.
Lastly, the part of this filler episode which was obviously the bridge to future episodes, specifically to the next episode. Kono finds out that, three months ago, Gabriel paid Adam a visit in Halawa. Kono questions Adam about it and he tells her that Gabriel offered him a job and he told Gabriel to, basically, take a hike. He didn’t tell her about it because he didn’t want her to worry about him, didn’t want her constantly afraid that Gabriel would have him killed because he turned him down.
Kono tells Chin she believes Adam yet she tracks down the prison guard who was on duty the night Gabriel visited Adam and tries to grill him on what Adam actually said to Gabriel. I have to tell you; this development bothers me. Why is Kono having trust issues with Adam? Just because he didn’t tell her immediately that Gabriel was there? These two worship the ground they each walk on. What is Kono thinking? That Adam took Gabriel up on his offer and is lying to her? I guess we’ll find out soon enough but for now, I don’t care for this development.
The two scenes between Steve and Danny were also very telling. The cargument over Steve’s non-plan to bring down Iron Man “with a couple of pistols and our righteous disposition” was classic Danny and Steve had no problem with it, as usual. But the last scene, with the Iron Man suit spread over Danny’s desk, was a different story. While Steve had no problem with Danny’s ranting in the car, having Danny say he wanted to keep the suit because it would keep him safe from Steve and his antics, really got under Steve’s skin. I have to agree with Steve here. I adore Danny but his constant complaints that being around Steve is hazardous to his health is getting pretty old.
Refresh my memory. Other than in the pilot, when has Danny been injured because of Steve? It could be my brain is still off line from this weekend, but of all the times Danny’s been injured, has any of it been a direct result of anything Steve has done? Help me here guys.
There you have it. A silly, nonsensical, totally enjoyable, fun little episode. Perfect for a relaxing evening in front of the TV. From the looks of next week’s preview and spoilers for last three episodes of the season, I’m thinking this may be the last relaxing Friday night of the season. Can’t wait to see what’s coming. Now off to read everyone else’s review!
Aloha my friends. Malama Pono
All screen caps are mine except where noted. Some are courtesy of CBS.
Hawaii Five-0 Kool-Aid 
Nice…agreed! And I tweeted the Danno/McDanger moments I remembered. Glad they put that remark in the show…it is time to retire that one. 🙂
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Despite all you have been dealing with,you did a good job with this review! I agree with you about Kono-I don’t understand her trust issues. it’s like Chin said”If you believe him,why are we here?” Hopefully,we will get some answers on Friday. The elephant story was cute and I thought it was very well done. The Iron Man suit story was sort of weird to me. I mean,the suit was supposed to be indestructible and yet,it was smashed by an SUV! Somebody didn’t do their homework here! Anyway,loved your review!
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Thanks babe! Yeah, this one will not go down as a favorite of mine. I enjoyed it as a lot of silly fun but there was just too much that didn’t add up or make a lot of sense for me to ever call it a favorite. But it’s Five-0 so you KNOW I’m going to always like whatever they give me!
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I don’t know if they pinpointed the exact incident Season 1, but Danny had to hobble around with a cane for several episodes after he became Steve’s partner.
And this is the Five-0 Universe where distances are shorter than in the real world. Steve and Danny got to Cambodia and back awfully fast when they dug up Wo Fat’s mother’s grave. Thailand is right next door. And Japan and Colombia don’t seem that far away either. (Oh and don’t forget that Catherine’s ship made it back to Pearl Harbor from the Red Sea in a mere week.) Maisie will be just fine.
I complained long and loud about the flying claw that saved Wo Fat, but this episode didn’t bother me. I thought it was clever to pin Iron Man in the vehicle so he couldn’t release himself.
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Hmmmmm that IS another way to look at it Ed. That Steve’s T-boning the car did NOT destroy the suit, it destroyed the car in which the suit was then trapped. Good theory! There is always more than one way to see things. Thanks! ♥
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Yes, the same here. It wasn’t one of my favorites but it had its moments. I love Eric too, and I had a feeling by the end of the episode Jerry’s sister saw him in a different light. I’d even say she was making eyes at him. I thought the last scene with Steve and Danny was kind of cute. I think of it as being a running joke between those two. They each know the other has their back but Danny likes to bug Steve about it. I don’t think he is talking just about getting shot. He’s probably referring to some of Steve’s car chases as well. I kind of have a thing like that at work with one of my co-workers. We have some running jokes that have gone on and on over the years. If it was getting to Steve it was maybe because he was having a bad day as boss. He had one employee steal an elephant and then Danno hanging on to an 80 million dollar suit probably didn’t help his mood. Lol But I didn’t mind the Iron man thing. I never watch TV for reality. Although, who knows what kind of thing our military is experimenting with? It may not be all that far fetched.
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I don’t know if it was just me but for a brief moment there, as Steve was saying how he has always had Danny’s back, where Danny looked a little… I don’t know…. sheepish maybe? Almost like…. he was joking around but was truly surprised and a bit worried that it seemed to upset Steve. There was a peculiar face that made me think Danny was upset that he’d hurt Steve’s feelings. But then Danny, being Danny, he just HAD to toss out that “it’s indestructible, you idiot” because that’s just how he is. Hiding behind jokes to cover how he really feels. Or…maybe it was just me! LOL
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I enjoyed the episode and like you, I liked the second story involving the little Five 0 or JV group and then Steve letting Jerry know he knew what went on. It was sad about the real elephant. Here in Florida, there a woman killed by a tiger, while she doing something in its sleeping area. The woman had a nickname of “Tiger Whisper” and she leaving the zoo to go to work some where else. I too, wondered who was going to take care of the elephant, while on the ship. I’m wonder why oversea instead to TN, where I think, there is elephant rescue is at. But over all it was a really good episode.
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I know about the elephant reserve in Tennessee. Our African elephants in the Philadelphia Zoo were relocated to TN a couple of years ago. The elephant enclosure here at our Zoo, which was considered top of the line in the days before people really understood what animals in captivity really need, was deemed to be inadequate by modern standards.
Instead of trying to modernize and enlarge it (our Zoo is IN the city, surrounded by neighborhood streets so it’s very difficult to enlarge any one enclosure without taking space from another) it was decided that the best thing for the long term health and care of the elephants, TN was a better option for them. I miss seeing them every time I go to the Zoo but the relocation really was the best thing for their well being.
Maybe they wanted to send Maisie to Thailand because if it was found out where she was, it would be much harder to return her to the circus from Thailand than from TN. But I really don’t know that.
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Yep – definitely a filler episode, I’m not much for the computor generated stuff though I know they use it quite often. The iron man made sense – a real elephant in the forest would have been nice. I too wonder where they’re going with Kono & Adam…..breaking out of jail??? Wasn’t he just going to do his time so they could move on…………? Like you I’m not liking this.
There were some cute parts, but for me the best were the Steve & Danny moments. I think a rule for season 7 should be at least a little McDanno ever episode – even if it’s just a wrap up back at the office or beer on the beach (ages since they’ve used those chairs) the rest of the season looks great – thanks again for taking time from your busy life to bring us a review. Always look forward to reading your thoughts.
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OMG I totally agree with you. I really miss those McDanno moments. We never had a ton of them but now we don’t seem to have any. I’m hoping that whatever happens in 6.25, with Danny saving Steve in that plane, it brings them closer again. Peter said “What happens between McGarrett and Danny is going to have ripple effects into next season.” I hope that means a lot more Steve and Danny time and a return to banter instead of bicker!
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Great review for an okay episode. I enjoyed the elephant story but didn’t feel it was necessary. The suit thing was a bit far fetched, though it made a good story, but the takedown was anticlimactic. Loved seeing Steve and Danny back together, especially the cargument. Lou calling Steve partner I did not like, but it seemed like he just stuck it in there. Looking forward to the last few episodes.
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After I wrote this review I went online and read other reviews and stuff on Twitter and FB and I noticed several people mention Lou calling Steve “partner”. I heard him say it but it actually didn’t bother me. Yes, I agree with everyone that Steve’s partner is Danny… period. But I don’t think Lou meant anything by it. I think he just unconsciously threw it out there without giving any thought to the meaning.
When I call a H50 friend “sistah” or say something like “brother…you got that right”, does that mean I consider myself an actual sibling? Nah….I think Lou threw “partner” out there the same way Chin throws “brah” around.
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I doubt Dumbo/Robocop will end up on anyone’s best episode list but hey 🍷🍿pass the wine and popcorn, it’s Friday.
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Hi Linda, and everyone. I should have left my response last week for a much better and dramatically competent episode, but I got sidetracked. Not with the kind of issues you have been dealing with Linda, but suffice to say, as I did in our blog, that yes I loved that episode. Being a loyal H50 fan I loved this episode too, but sort of like the child you have to love. “Gotta love me.” I mean the elephant storyline touched my heart, and I suddenly remembered in a sliver of my declining memory a pre-internet story about a runaway elephant in Honolulu. I surmise that this poor animal escaped from the port area around Pearl City, and made its way southeast through parts of Honolulu before HPD shot it. Very sad. So there is a factual backdrop for that happening. I loved the young woman who played Jerry’s sister. She was such a charmer, and batting those innocent dark brown eyes at one, would get this one to probably go along with her crazy scheme. I am like Ed Linda, I am also not a misogynist, I love women, as I think I have made clear. I am crazy about GP as Kono–,more on her in a minute–but poor Ed cannot quite get the smart-aleck Jersey boy out of him. He is all thumbs, hormones, and respect, yes respect around women, especially beautiful ones who light up the room when they happen saunter in. He is a straight-up guy too, and to me that is most important. plus he loves respects his mom or is it Danny’s mom? That tells me a lot about Jersey, urban boy.
On the Iron suit, I agree with all you say including the nebbish who was the criminal behind things, man a real H50 villain would have been much more interesting, nebbishes should be a secondary, hapless villain like those unfortunate husbands in that episode a few weeks back. That one dude crawling the vines in back of the house while Steve and Danny are at the front door talking to the wife (who turned out to be a really devious villain) was priceless. I also did not mind the use of out-of-the box technology as a story device. Heck we have had killer drones, remote controlled full-size planes landing on a major Honolulu street, and the use of technology, including the computer table is a touchstone in H50. But come on, you mean you disable it by whamming a Chevy SUV into a Ford Suv, or the other way around? Like you said I would hate to see what happens if a full-size Hummer ran into it. How about being bumped by a 60 ton M1 tank (which by the way would be a great plot device).
Finally on Kono. I differ with the general belief that she has trust issues. She does not have trust issues, she has trying to figure out WTF issues (pardon my french). The character is not dumb, and she is a serious cop, who in spite of being drop dead surfer girl gorgeous has a second voice in her just like some grizzled old cop on the beat. Or some hard-ass detective, or tactical or narc. Her second voice is clanging no matter how much she loves Adam. Plus there is the issue of Gabriel to consider, If it comes down to it, she will kill Gabriel and rip his heart out of his chest if he really harms or kills Adam. No question about that. But she is trying to figure out what is going on before she takes her next steps. Plus there may be more to the story here than we have been revealed. So trust and verify. Adam is in a desperate situation, and she will always be on his side. So I think its more than trust issues. There I go defending my fave character like Lynn would defend Danny (lol).
As far as I am concerned all these characters are outstanding, and would take a bullet or bullets for each other. And even more in her case for Adam if it comes to that, and dear Lord I hope it does not come to that.
It’s a transitional episode and I have a feeling since they have known they were getting renewed we will have another Summer cliff-hanger. ARRRGGGHHH.
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I understand what you’re saying but Kono has been down this road before. Remember when she cloned Adam’s phone? She doubted him then and found out she was wrong. I’m just hoping it turns out the same this time. I fear for Adam.
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Thanks Linda,
I didn’t mind the bit where Danny was teasing Steve again. It felt a bit like a reminder, possibly for people who don’t watch it as closely as we do! As if it might foreshadow something happening to Danny, possibly in the finale. Hope so!
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Unless there is something we don’t know (which is absolutely possible) it’s Steve who gets hurt in the finale and Danny who saves him.
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I judge the greatness of the episodes by how many times I will re-watch them. Unfortunately this one doesn’t rank a re-watch. It was quirky and disjointed. I agree with you that this is the sort of crime an elite task force should handle. If more attention was paid to the Robocop on steroids it could have been very good. My money was on Steve all along – he knew the suit was indestructible but not the man wearing it.
The rampaging elephant story involving Jerry’s sister was as ridiculous as having the 2 football players in it. The 50 Misfits (you called them the JV), who are usually good for some lighthearted moments, were as pathetic as the CGI elephant.
It did have a few cute moments and a good one-liner or 2, but certainly not enough to carry even a “filler” episode. Sometimes tptb try to hard – they think they’re creating an epic Hollywood production with a cast of thousands when all most fans want is a well-written, well-acted procedural with their favorite crime solvers!
Till the next time! Thanks for taking the time to review it.
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Like I said, I actually enjoyed the elephant story more but I agree with you. If they had jettisoned the elephant and really fleshed out the Iron Man suit, came up with a more dastardly villain and a more compelling reason to steal the suit, maybe something threatening national security or something, that story could have been truly awesome.
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