#H50 Review – 7.19 Puka ‘ana (Exodus)

Courtesy of @SurfBelle2

On Wednesday, March 8th, the world celebrated International Women’s Day 2017.  A “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women”.  Just two days later, H50 took it one step further, showcasing the intelligence, compassion, strength (both physical and emotional) and the utter resilience of the women portrayed in this episode by bringing awareness to the national issue of Sex Trafficking.

At a time where I can barely watch the evening news without being outraged by something going on in Washington and the rest of the country, I look to my entertainment shows to take me away to a happier place.  This episode did not do that.  But while it didn’t take me to a happy place, it did take me on a powerful, important journey.

I always find it fascinating when a show like this can tackle an important issue and do it extremely well while still managing to stay within the police procedural format.  I love how they’re able to provide an excellent emotional story and still give us the action we love.  The writing and acting in this episode was superb from the first moment.

As always, I’m not going to do a scene by scene, play by play.  Just my random thoughts on what we saw this week.

Ho‘ola Na Pua:  Before we get into the specifics of the episode, let’s pause to thank the wonderful people of this incredible organization.  Their mission, as stated on their website is:

“…..the renewal of trafficked girls through health, education, advocacy, and reintegration.  We are committed to meeting the unique needs of underage female sex trafficked victims through the utilization of individualized, comprehensive, and restorative therapies. These therapeutic interventions will be provided through Ho‘ōla Nā Pua’s outpatient mentorship program called Starfish and planned residential treatment program at Pearl Haven.”

The mere fact that an organization like this even needs to exist is appalling.  I commend the powers that be at H50 for shining a light on this horrendous problem and on the wonderful organization who work so long and hard to give these girls back a life which was so cruelly taken from them.

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It was a wonderful touch to have the stars of the show, Grace Park, Alex OʻLoughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Chi McBride in a Public Service Announcement right after the episode to help shed even more light on this very troubling issue.  Please take the time to check out the Ho‘ola Na Pua website at http://hoolanapua.org to learn more about all the wonderful work they do to help these traumatized young girls.

Grace Park:  Without a doubt this was one of the most powerful performances we’ve seen from Grace.  She infused Kono with every emotion across the spectrum.  Horror, disgust, anger, fury, empathy, compassion.  She was simply amazing throughout the entire episode.  There wasn’t one scene where she wasn’t riveting.

Clinging to the obviously traumatized Kelsey then coaxing her, with gentle professionalism, to reveal what happened to her.  Tracking down the high school swimming coach who’d been one of Kelsey’s johns and seeing his happy family, enraged Kono in a way I don’t think we’ve ever seen before.  She reduced the man down to a simpering mess.  When she stepped out of her car to confront the jerk in the car behind her, I thought the guy would be a fool and come out of his car to challenge her face to face.  I never expected her fury to boil over to such an extent that she’d literally put her fist through the guy’s car window.

But the final take down of Emilio was the pièce de résistance.  This predator responsible for the plight of the girls, this vermin of society, who had the unmitigated balls to actually tattoo an elaborately crowned “E” on his victims, as if they were the property of he, the King….no one was asking for the beat down of all beat downs like this creep.

I loved how Kono told Emilio to pick up his knife, while she simultaneously unarmed herself, so she could take him on hand to hand.  What followed was the beat down to end all beat downs with a painfully, superbly placed kick to the balls he more than had coming.  It was exquisite.

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All the women:  Of course, this episode was a showcase for Kono and Grace Park but I have to give kudos to all the actresses in this episode.  Madalyn Horcher, who played Kelsey and MacKenzie Aladjem, who played Moani were fantastic as the scared and brutalized young girls.  I could feel their pain right through my screen.  And, even though her part was very small, I loved the use of Kimee Balmilero’s Neolani as an old friend of the nurse, Anna (played by Betsy Beutler) who immediately recognized the injuries and frightened demeanor of Moani in the ER.  Every one of the ladies in this episode were wonderful from start to finish.

Steve and Kono:  I am the first to admit that I really hate it when Danny is not in an episode, even if I fully understand the reasons why.  I think Danny would have been a great addition to this episode.  As the father of a daughter not much younger than the girls being traumatized, it would have added another personal element to the storyline and I think Scotty would have rocked the material.  But having said that, not having Danny in this one bothered me a lot less than I thought it would.  Not because I didn’t miss him, because I did.  But because I adore it when the writers team up Steve and Kono.  I loved it in Season 1 when the tough Navy SEAL took the rookie under his wing and I love it now that Kono is more than totally capable of standing on her own two feet in any situation.

I loved the conversation between them in the car.  Steve more than appalled to find these horrendous things are happening on his island and not a little confused as to how a young girl, coming from a good family, who looks to have it all, could get swept up in it.  For those of us who can remember what fifteen felt like, hearing Kono explain to Steve the feelings of inadequacy and loneliness and the longing to fit in and be accepted was heartbreaking.

I also really loved how Steve let Kono take point on this one.  When he asked her if she felt she wanted to sit this one out and she said, “no”, he was more than proud.  He let her take the lead, didn’t stand in her way as she physically beat down the swim coach and verbally manipulated Emilio’s accomplice, Tori.  And the look on his face, when he came upon Kono and the unconscious Emilio was 100% pride mixed with a good dose of “glad we’re on the same side”.  He didn’t ask her what happened, didn’t need to, but her response of “he had a knife” was simply priceless.

Kono and Adam:  I was very interested in the talk Steve and Kono had at Casa McG before they got the case.  It’s sad to see Kono worried about Adam and the fact he’s having a hard time finding a job since he got out of prison.  I guess being an ex-felon and the son of a notorious Yakuza boss is something that kinda stands out on a resume.  I also thought it was interesting that once again, Kono brought up the idea of she and Adam starting a family.  It’s obviously something they have been contemplating but Adam’s troubles with employment are throwing a monkey wrench into those plans for now.  This scene, thrown in kind of randomly, really served no purpose other than to introduce the possibility of an upcoming story.  Whether it’s about Adam or about Kono and a possible pregnancy, only time will tell.  I was very touched by Steve telling Kono if she and Adam need anything, all they need do is ask.  Steve, once again, there for his broken toys.

Chin and Lou and the secondary COTW:  Meanwhile, a murder in a sober living house kept Chin and Lou busy.  Honestly, I don’t really have a lot to say on this because I was so wrapped up in the sex trafficking story this one didn’t really grab me.  I did enjoy the way Lou figured out the sober house was, in reality, a stash house.  I thought that was a nifty little bit of deduction.  But the drug dealer, Makoa, did nothing for me and Lou and Jerry attempt to explain the “cone of silence” seemed out of place, stuck as it was, right in the middle of such a serious episode.  It would have been nice if they could have just included Chin, Lou and Jerry into the sex trafficking story and not split them off into this unnecessary secondary story.  At least, they were able to wrap up the killer quickly enough so they were able to join Steve and Kono for the big finale of the primary story.

Uncle Steve and the Aloha Girls cookie sale:  While the “cone of silence” levity seemed out of place right in the middle of the story, this scene, at the very beginning of the episode was simply perfect.  Because, at this point, nothing horrific had happened yet, it was a great light hearted way to start.  I know there are some who consider little Sara as the “cousin Oliver” of Five-0 but I simply adore this kid.  (For those who are not of a particular generation… cousin Oliver was a character from the old sitcom The Brady Bunch.  The precocious child was introduced in the last season of the show because the youngest of the Brady kids weren’t cute and cuddly anymore.)

Sara is absolutely adorable and is visibly thriving in her new permanent home with Chin.  She must also be one hell of an Aloha Girl considering the number of badges she’s already earned on her uniform.  Looks inevitable that she’ll be earning a “Salesmanship” badge pretty soon for selling massive amounts of cookies, with the help of Kamekona.  Watching her sweet talk and pouty lip her way into Steve’s wallet was hysterical.  Of course, Steve can’t possible allow Danny to win the “I bought more boxes of cookies than you” war and Sara makes out like a bandit.  I loved the running gag throughout the episode of Steve over indulging on the sweet treats along with the number of boxes Sara has managed to get everyone to buy.  It was a nice light respite amid all the deep drama of the episode because it wasn’t ever overdone.

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MacGyver crossover:  There were several references in this episode to the MacGyver crossover which aired immediately preceding it.  Although it was only Chin and Kono (along with Kamekona) who were part of the crossover, it would have been stupid if it hadn’t been mentioned at all.  After all, an over 7.0 earthquake on a neighboring island is hardly something they wouldn’t mention especially when two of their own were in the middle of it.  The conversations between Steve and Kono and Chin and Chi were a very nicely done bridge between both episodes.

I really enjoyed the MacGyver episode and thought the chemistry between the Mac and Jack and Chin and Kono was delightful.  It was fun watching Jack trying to explain Mac and his “talents” to Chin and Kono.  Kono’s facial expressions were priceless each time Mac started on one of his “improvisations”.  I was especially pleased that Chin and Kono weren’t just used sparingly (the way Chin and Danny were in the second half of the NCIS:LA crossover back in Season 2) but were a major part of the story.

I must admit, when MacGyver first began I wasn’t too sure I was going to like it.  Unlike the original Five-O, which was not a favorite of mine, the original MacGyver occupies a very fond place in my heart.  I wasn’t sure I was going to like the new Five-0 because I didn’t care for the original.  I wasn’t sure I was going to like the new MacGyver because I loved the original.  But I gave them both a fair shot and went in without preconceived notions and chose to judge them on their own merits.

Well, of course, I fell in love with Five-0 after about the first five minutes of the Pilot.  It took a bit longer with MacGyver.  While I won’t say I hold it as close to my heart as I do Five-0, it has greatly grown on me.  I’ve come to really enjoy the stories and the comradery between the cast.  It’s become a favorite and a more than enjoyable way to spend the hour before my favorite show comes on each Friday.  I’m very happy for Peter Lenkov and the cast of MacGyver for the success they’ve had in their freshman season and I look forward to seeing what Season 2 will bring.

As to this crossover, well to me it really wasn’t a true crossover.  To me, that means one story that overlaps into two episodes, one for each show, with characters from each show “crossing over” to the other show.  This simply felt like Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Taylor Wiley guest starring on a MacGyver episode rather than it being a full crossover event.

I was very happy to read in interviews released on Friday that Peter is planning another, more expanded crossover for next season.  I know there are those who don’t care for these types of things.  To each his own.  I think they are a load of fun and I would love to see Bozer in the lab with Eric.  Riley matching skills and dancing fingers on the smart table with Chin and Jerry.  Danny and Jack trying like hell to tame the two “science guys” Steve and Mac.  And of course, Jack and Steve rekindling their Delta Force vs SEAL rivalry and friendship.  I’m not quite sure what Kono and Lou would do…possibly just sit back and enjoy the fun like I know I would.  I hope Peter is able to fulfil his hope and make it happen next season.

Well, that’s it for this week.  This will be the last new H50 until Friday, March 31st.  College Basketball and March Madness is upon us.  For those of you who have a rooting interest in a particular school, I hope your dreams come true.  For the rest of us who have no interest in March Madness it’s going to be a long three weeks.

Take care my friends.  See you then!  Aloha.  Malama Pono

All screencaps are mine unless otherwise noted.

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46 thoughts on “#H50 Review – 7.19 Puka ‘ana (Exodus)”

  1. Thank you a wonderful review, as usual. Yes, this was Grace’s eppy, and she was magnificent! I loved how the writers gave McG the insight into Kono’s very emotional response to this abhorrent situation, but I really loved how Alex portrayed every scene with such understanding and compassion. Beautifully written and perfectly performed. Bravo everyone!

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  2. Loved your write up on this episode Linda. I laughed so hard at the take down and Kono saying he had a knife. Steve and Kono together was a nice change. She showed strength and he stood by watching her go after the bad guys, kind of like a proud dad. The cookie part, yup of course he couldn’t let Danny win. Kam’s comment about the rivalry with Danny was priceless. I truly loved this one and even recorded it to rewatch. True sex trafficking is everywhere. We here have many 15, 16 yr olds go missing, and after this episode it makes you wonder if they too are in the sex trade.

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  3. rhondagemini says:

    Great review! You nailed it on all counts! H50 dealt with the subject of human trafficking very well and didn’t sugar coat it-they showed all the raw emotion and pain victims go through. I agree that there should never be a need for a place to help these girls,but Ho”ola Na Pua is a great place for them to go and heal and get their lives back together. Grace’s performance in this episode was awesome-I couldn’t help but think that her reactions were because she had dealt with a similar situation before,but perhaps she was reacting out of frustration that this kind of thing is allowed to go on.Loved the way Steve let her lead and stayed out of her way. She could have “sat this one out”as Steve has asked if she wanted to,but she had already bonded with the first victim they rescued and could not let her down. Have to admit, I didn’t pay much attention to the secondary COTW because of what was going on with the primary case, but good deduction work on Lou’s part to figure out that the house was a stash house. Loved the crossover on Macgyver-can’t say I was surprised that Jack showed interest in Kono,I mean,many men have already. She & Chin sure were intrigued by Mac’s resourcefulness,though. Very glad there was a mention of it on H50-great way to bridge the two shows. Like you, I look forward to seeing what Peter plans for next season’s crossover and I would love to see both teams join forces on one big crime! Looking forward to the next new episode, although that will be three weeks away!

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    • Thanks Rhonda! You’re right, it did seem like Kono’s reaction was a very personal one, considering the depth of the emotions she displayed. But, I honestly think it was simply, as you say, the frustration and anger of the fact that this type of thing exists at all and the fact that she is a woman of great compassion.

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  4. Brooklyngirl says:

    Hands down this was by far the best episode of the 7 seasons. Given decent scripts to sink their teeth into, Grace and Alex were phenomenal and shone brightly – you could feel Kono’s passion and anger and Steve gave her the space she needed to handle the situation in her own way. Makes me wonder if Kono might have had a brush with a similar scenario as a young teen since she her emotions were so raw and intense. Alex and Grace work extremely well together. The young actresses were fantastic as the victims, and so was nurse Anna. It was a powerful and emotional hour, I cried. A lot. I feel like I live in a bubble, I never realized how close to home this epidemic is.

    The lighthearted moment of Sara selling the cookies and Steve eating them was perfect. The competition is real! LOL! The COTW was easily forgotten but it was a needed diversion from the intensity of the sex trafficking.

    The MacGyver episode was cute and each team has a new appreciation of the other. It was good seeing the crossover and hopefully, the next time Steve will be able to team up with Jack. Delta Force vs. SEAL – my money is on the SEAL! I wasn’t an original MacGyver fan, but the few episodes of the new one I’ve seen are pretty cool. My heart broke a little for Mac and his dislike of his birthday, I’m glad Kono was able to convince him to celebrate.

    It was 2 hours well spent! March 31st is the next new episode, wow I can feel the withdrawal starting already!

    Great recap Linda – thanks for your hard work.

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    • Grace doesn’t get a ton of episodes in which Kono is the central character but every single time she does, she totally knocks it out of the park. She really is a fantastic actress.

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  6. Well as everyone knows who knows me from H50 Ohana, and my wife to a point of aggravation sometimes (lol) I am a hopeless Grace Park fan, ever since I realized that the hottest female in the fantastic BSG on SY FY (have every single episode) was in a flight suit and was called Boomer. It made no difference that she was also a lot of other versions of herself, I was a total fan after seeing her in that show in every single version. She has not disappointed me in H50, only to the point I wish she could be in more scenes where she is “point” but I realize the show has given her a lot of work, and a great back story, and the biggest thing about Friday for me, was, beside the subject, which is so important, she had a chance to show off her acting chops in a role where she was on camera more than anyone else. That being said, I loved the women in the story, and the story of course, It is extremely important to keep that subject in the forefront because it can and does affect so many young women all over the world, no matter the class, race, social position. I must admit though I like the kick-ass part the most, and loved the scene where she said, “you like to beat up on girls, I’m a girl”, then after beating tar out of the bad guy (who was a good slug) saying, “he had a knife.” Great!!! Thanks Wendie and our H50 adminstrator Linda for doing both such a great professional and fan summary of our favorite police procedural. Of course Hawaii itself is always a great co-star. We don’t say that enough. Oh and for personal reasons, I liked the secondary story too, It fit fine, and the idea of using a sober house for a drug storehouse is one I am familiar with and that is an important subject too. The “nice” girl being the real baddie is classic H50, and if Kono had not been busy in the other case I am sure she would have a really good line about this poor excuse for human caretaker character.

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    • Yes, my friend, I am well aware of your love of Grace Park! LOL Not that I blame you one iota…she IS awesome in more ways than just her incredible beauty.

      I never watched BSG and didn’t know who Grace was until she premiered in H50. One of these days, because of enthusiasm of you and other great friends in the the fandom who love BSG, I’m going to have to sit down with my Netflix and watch it too. I’m sure I’ll love it (yet another TV show from my teens re-booted to great success LOL)

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  7. Linda
    I was totally blown away by this episode but other than to say that Grace deserves an Emmy Nom for her performance I will not comment as you did it so well and so beautifully, Far better than I could
    . Many many thanks and kudos.

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    • Unfortunately, our show has never been considered Emmy material so the odds of a nom for Grace or anyone else is pretty much less than zero. If they Emmy committee had any eyes at all, Alex would have been nominated several times by now!

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  8. What can I say about this episode that hasn’t been said? As a fan of Grace’s since Season 1, I loved every minute of both episodes. Grace did a great job as did all of the actresses and actors in the show.
    On a side note about the MacGyver episode: I enjoyed the performance of the little dog. Human actors can understand what a director is trying to do, but to get a dog to give a great performance like this must take a lot of patience on the part of his trainer.

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    • The difference in tone between the two episodes and the way Grace played both to perfection is what struck me Ed. So comfortable with the light hearted, the physical and the emotional. She really is awesome.

      And I totally agree about that little pup. He was adorable. I’m really sad Bozer wasn’t able to take him home so we could see more of him on MacGyver. It would have been fun little throwback to the H50 episode going forward on that show.

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  9. Wendy says:

    Great review as always Linda. I hated the subject matter of this episode, but it was handled so well that I did enjoy watching. Grace did an excellent job, I simply love that her character is portrayed as being so strong, but can still be affected by the fate of those girls. That line, “I’m a girl.” was just priceless.

    I had the secondary case figured out right away, and was a little bored with it, but it did provide relief from the seriousness of the main case.

    Glad they told us where Danny was, they seem to be getting better at that now. The cookie thread that ran through the show was lovely.

    As for MacGyver, I did watch this episode because Chin and Kono were in it, but I still can’t get into the show. If they do a crossover next season, as suggested, that will be the next time I watch.

    Three weeks is going to be a really long time to wait for a new episode.

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    • Not every show is for everyone, that’s for sure. Like I said, I wasn’t sure if MacGyver was going to be something I’d like but it has grown on me. I simply take it for what it is. It’s a hell of a lot better than Amazing Race and/or Undercover Boss as a lead in for H50, numbers wise, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean it’s everyone’s cup of tea.

      One thing I really appreciated about the main story (and my friend Wendie Burbridge spoke to this in her fantastic Five0Redux on this episode http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/03/11/features/five-0-redux/parting-the-seas/ )
      was that writer Eric Guggenheim didn’t find it necessary to give us graphic scenes to demonstrate what the girls had been subjected to. He was able through his words, and the extraordinary talents of his actors and director to convey the horror of what they had endured without the need for us to actually see it.

      Considering the subject matter and the age of the girls, this was a fantastic decision on his part. Not seeing it actually made it more horrifying because it allows everyone’s individual imaginations to supply the mental pictures.

      Yes… in all areas…. this episodes was extremely well done.

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  10. KC15 says:

    Great review of a fantastic episode! It was wonderful to see what Grace can do when given this kind of storyline, her depth of emotion was truly amazing. And Alex..I hope that man never stops acting because he is just so talented. He made you feel Steve’s confliction between his normal instinct of taking point & his knowledge that he needs to be in a more supportive role in this case. The way he acts with his face & eyes is such a gift. I thought the guest actors were some of the best of the series, their emotional scenes seemed so real & unforced. All of the pieces came together beautifully to form a very moving and important episode.

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    • I agree about Alex…naturally LOL We’ve been saying it for years…the man and deliver pages of dialog with just a look. He is truly amazing.

      I also agree with you with regards to Steve. A good leader isn’t just someone who always knows what to do, always takes charge and always leads. A good leader also knows the strengths of his team, what they are capable of and what their emotional states are and knows when to step back and let them take point. It’s what makes Steve such a natural leader.

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  11. jlopie1 says:

    WOW! What a powerful, woman-centric episode! Grace Park was out-of-this-world fantastic, but the cast of supporting actresses, namely the women/girls playing Nurse Anna, Moani, Kelsey, Noelani, and even Tori, were wonderfully committed to the subject matter and so intense in their portrayals of their respective characters. They truly brought this horrible story of sex trafficking of young girls to life. Giving credit where it’s due, the actor playing the “John” did a superb job portraying a gutless, sleezy, creepy jerk! Alex…well, Alex is just so good with whatever you give him to do, but I really appreciated Steve’s tenderness for Kono and Adam’s struggles, little Sarah’s Aloha Cookie sales (I mean, the pout was so precious and the gifs already out there are adorable!) and of course, his confusion and heartfelt sadness concerning how young girls from seemingly wonderful families can get caught up in sex trafficking.

    The whole episode was just perfect, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Sure, you know I miss Danny, but by not having Danny or Grover in this storyline, it takes away the father of teenage girls aspect and let’s the strength of the story sit squarely on the apt shoulders of our beloved woman ninja, Kono. Grace rose to the occasion, and it is by far her very best episode of the series!

    The crossover was a totally different vibe, but completely enjoyable. I do like watching MacGyver before H50, it’s an excellent lead in. The characters are finding a place in my heart, although I admit they will never, ever get all the way into my soul as our H50 actors have. I also find it hard to compare the timber of the stories. MacGyver just seems to be more light-hearted, even though the team is constantly battling global domination! Their stories do not have the depth that most of the H50 stories (with some exceptions, of course) exhibit. Murdoc, MacGyver’s nemesis, has yet to send any chills down my spine the way WoFat did the very first time he was introduced in S1 playing golf with Hiro Noshimuri!

    People say H50 is a light-weight procedural. I disagree – nothing light-weight about this week’s story, and many other episodes we’ve been blessed with. Maybe it’s because the character of Hawaii is so bright, beautiful and breezy, it’s hard to accept anything dark taking place there. But Pearl Harbor happened. Leper isolationism happened. The loss of Hawaiian sovereignty happened. Sex trafficking of children and crazy serial killers also can happen on paradise! In my mind, at least, H50, being willing to delve into episodes of Hawaii’s past and present with compassion and honesty, makes it more realistic than other, darker, more oppressive, procedurals. And like you said, Linda, this particular story did not need graphic violence onscreen to hit the viewers in the gut with it’s reality.

    There! That’s my little rambling lecture for today!

    Thanks for giving me my soapbox again, Linda! Keep up the fantastic work with this blog!

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    • ” but by not having Danny or Grover in this storyline, it takes away the father of teenage girls aspect and let’s the strength of the story sit squarely on the apt shoulders of our beloved woman ninja, Kono.”

      I love this line….because it is so true. I would have liked the “daddy aspect” from our resident dads of teenage girls but there is no way it could have been as powerful as what we got from Grace/Kono. Seeing how this would affect the fathers isn’t that compelling, really. OF COURSE, they would be horrified and angry and immediately identify with the girls, etc. But having it be Kono, was so much more powerful. I can’t imagine this episode being any better with the dads. As a matter of fact, I think it would have taken away from the story.

      I agree about MacGyver. I see it more in the nature of Scorpion. Even though they are dealing with dangerous and life-threatening situations, the solutions are always so much more “out there” and, light-hearted. I love both shows but, as you say, they will never touch my heart and soul like our beloved Five-0.

      Many people made up their mind about Five-0 early on and have never adjusted that opinion over the years. I know for a fact there are those out there (two members of my own family, original series lovers) who stick to their dislike even though they have never actually watched the show after their original assessment back in Season 1. To each his own….their loss.

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      • jlopie1 says:

        I still see comments from viewers (I guess they watch the show) bemoaning it’s hideousness! Bring back Jack Lord, they say! Watch the Original to see what a true, edgy police procedural should be, they shout! Hey, I watched the original, and though it might have been good for the 70’s, it’s not my cup of tea today! Some viewers have just never gotten it, Their loss!

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  12. Wow, this really hit home for me. As a abuse survivor, this needs to be talked about. I wasn’t sex trafficked, but this will hopefully raise awareness.Grace Park (Kono) was amazing. I’ve loved her from day one. I could tell this was her ep. I feel like I might get shot for saying this, but having Danny there, might have made it worse since Steve, Chan and him are men. The girls were most comfortable with Kono. I know I was when I was abused. It wasn’t so hard to talk about what happened to me with a female medical provider.

    Just my thoughts. Loved, loved this episode. MacGyver is awesome, I watched the every week,

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    • Welcome to the blog Katie and thank you for your wonderful comment. I am so sorry to hear you had to endure such a horrible experience and I commend you for being able to watch any show with this type of storyline. It must be a very difficult thing for you to do. I hope you’re well now and have been able to put what happened behind you, if that’s even possible.

      Of course, there is no way for me to know personally, but it does make sense that it would be easier for the girls to open up to a woman. Even here, Nurse Anna recommended it be Kono alone and Steve should wait outside. All the writing in this episode made sense to me.

      I’m very happy you found us and felt comfortable enough to comment. I hope we hear from you even more! 🙂

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      • Thank you. I was abused by hospital stuff. It was two and a half years ago. I got help. It took a lot to find a hospital with medical stuff who believed me. But we did it. Counselling has helped to me see it wasn’t my fault. For the first time, last year, was when I really had closer. It is possible to put it behind me, but it takes time. With the right help, it’s possible. Kudos to the Five-0 team for doing such a hard topic, and I love the scene at the end. Is that centre real?

        I loved how it was written. I like this Hawai’i Five 0 much better than the old one. I’m twenty-eight. Don’t remember the original one at all. Same with MacGyver. I’ve just followed your blog too.:-)

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  13. I can’t really add anything that has not already been said. But I just have to add that I have liked MacGyver too. I never watched the original so I did not come into it with any expectations. That’s probably because I was too busy to watch much
    TV that year because my son was pretty young. He was about a year or two old. But I do love this MacGyver. Of course, it will never compare to H50 but it is a close second. I did miss Danny but if Danny has to be gone, this was a good team to have together. Steve and Kono rocked. March is going to be a long month.

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    • MacGyver was a big show during my teenage years and I watched it every week. I loved it so I figured this new MacG wouldn’t live up to the original. I wasn’t too impressed with the first couple of episodes but each one after that has gotten better and I really like the comradery between the characters. Yes… it has really grown on me.

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  14. Carole says:

    New people are finding the blog – that’s great! Not much new to say that hasn’t already been said. Once again the show brought attention to an important subject. Grace was outstanding and Alex bless his heart allowed her to take point and shine. I agree – it would have been a whole different take if Danny & Lou had been involved – having Kono front and center was inspired. Loved Steve chomping on Aloha girl’s cookies- it’s that time of year. I can see Alex buying from every little smiling face………!!! Hard to think about so few episodes left, but I think this was the last one sans Scott. ……like you I always miss him. Really hoping to hear about renewal soon.

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    • Yes, it’s wonderful that new people are finding us. The more the merrier! 🙂

      Unfortunately, there is one more episode that Scott will miss. I’m pretty sure he won’t be in the penultimate (2nd to last) episode.

      According to Peter, they are filming the finale as production #7.24, meaning it will be filmed the week after 7.23 but be shown as the finale (7.25). I’m pretty sure it’s because Scott can’t be in Hawaii when the finale was due to be filmed (the last episode in the filming schedule) and since it’s an impossibility for H50 to have a finale without Danny, they changed the filming schedule to accommodate his absence.

      They began filming 7.23 at the end of last week and it will probably go all the way through next week. So, any BTS photos we’re lucky enough to get starting around March 20th or so, will be the finale. The filming that will take place after that will be for the penultimate (2nd to last) episode.

      Did that make any sense at all??

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    • I know he’s teaching a master acting class in LA. Has been since the start of the year. I’m guessing maybe the last week of H50 filming clashes with something to do with that. Maybe the students put on a grand stage show or something and he needs to be there for it. I don’t know, of course, pure guessing on my part.

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        • Well.. there you go. I’m estimating that filming for Five-0 will be done by March 31st or within a few days of that. If the performances for Scott’s master class are in April I’m sure he needs to be there the last week of March to prepare. So since we can’t possibly have a H50 finale without Danny and Scott can’t be there to film the finale if it’s filmed last, it makes sense they flipped the filming weeks of 7.24 and 7.25.

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  16. I’m sorry for not commenting directly below the relevant thread above, but it was becoming hard to read. Pearl Haven Center which was shown a the end of the episode is not open presently. They need donations to make that happen. Hoo’la Na Pua is the name of the group responding to sex trafficking in Hawaii and they have a branch in Washington State or Oregon (hard to tell from the map they have at http://hoolanapua.org/location/). Info about Pearl Haven and the Five-0 episode is at http://hoolanapua.org/hawaiifive0/

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  17. NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that the scene of Kono taking Moani to Pearl Haven was NOT the real Pearl Haven. That’s a ranch on Oahu. They hope that it will have a similar feel and the plan is to have it open in 2018.

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  18. Wow, such a great review..as always! And so many insightful comments from everyone, too! So what to add? Probably not too much but I’ll try. Linda, like you, I really hate when Scott’s not in an ep. I know it’s unavoidable but sure miss him when he’s not on set (or Danny’s in Jersey, lol). Hope his master class students appreciate our sacrifice. *sigh I thought the story-line itself was handled with sensitivity yet they didn’t shy away from the harsh realities. Sex trafficking is such an atrocity and it’s heart-breaking to think it’s happening all around us. And I’ve seen shows try to tackle heavy social issues in order to be relevant and grab ratings and then fail with trite stories and shallow performances. But this was not the case with our show. I loved how Grace took Kono to a whole new level. She was amazing to watch and I felt like she was standing up and fighting back for all women. I also appreciated the other female actors in this episode as there seemed to be an emotional thread connecting all of them, making their characters even more genuine and heartfelt. I’m not a huge fan of the secondary story-lines. Some work better than others but it’s usually when they’re on equal footing or even have a tenuous link. When one story is more powerful than the other (like this one), then it’s a little harder to split your attention evenly. I totally agree about the “cone of silence” bit. It threw me as well b/c of the odd placement and would’ve worked better within a different, less serious situation. And, of course, Alex…is Alex. What more can I say? 🙂

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    • I’m torn when it comes to the secondary stories. I understand that it’s hard to find something meaningful for five team members to do on every single case. In the beginning when it was just the original four, many times one (usually Kono or Chin) would be stuck back at the Smart Table. But now there are five of them, six if you include Jerry. Secondary stories are used to give everyone something to do. That’s where I’m torn. Is it better to have a secondary story and have everyone in the episode contribute or have them just standing around the Smart Table in the main story?

      I agree with you that it’s so much better when the secondary story is somehow connected to the main story, even tenuously. It makes for a more cohesive episode. Of course, the best thing is when the main story is powerful enough to include everyone on the team in the one story. I believe this sex trafficking story could have used all hands on deck and we could have easily lost the secondary story in this episode. Or saved it, expanded it and used it as a main story on future episode.

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  19. kacey says:

    Thank you for your wonderful exposition fo this episode. What a better way to celebrate International Womens Day than seeing that cocky chauvenistic bully Emilio got beat down by a woman. Your freeze frame of Grace’s foot hurtling towards his balls as the shocked bully bends over, buckle kneed nursing a busted nose, should be a poster in every womens shelter or Womens studies Department in the country. As an image of female empower it cannot be better!

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