One hundred and seventy-five. What a milestone. So many TV shows, shows which have been beloved for decades, never make it to 175. Those that do and those that go on even farther, go down in TV history as icons, get shown in syndication for decades and draw in new fans year after year after year.
To say I am more than trilled to see my favorite show enter that realm is an understatement. To say I loved the 175th offering of this wonderful show is an even bigger understatement. Was it a perfect episode? Nah! It wasn’t the perfection of #100 and, even though there were major things I didn’t like about #150, that one was pretty good too.
Yet, this #175 had pretty much everything I need to make an episode exciting, heartfelt and a hell of a lot of fun. It was a worthy choice to be shown at last weeks Sunset on the Beach. The only things that were missing were Danny and Eddie. I was glad Eddie got a wonderful heartfelt and enthusiastic mention from Steve and Danny was also included with several mentions as well. I especially loved when Steve said to Adam “You think I need more time in a moving vehicle with Detective Danny Williams” when Adam suggested a food truck over a brick and mortar restaurant. It still would have been greater if Danny was actually there but I’ll take what I can get.
The thing I liked the best about this episode was not only an exciting crime of the week, but that it centered around our three newest regular characters. Junior, Tani and Adam. Of course, Adam isn’t a new character. We’ve come to know him very well over the years and he is already Ohana.
I’m a bit torn over the story of Kono off on the mainland hunting down the sex trafficking ring. This is one of the stories where a lot of leeway needs to be given because, it really doesn’t make a lot of sense. Kono and Adam have been through hell and back to be together. I don’t need to go into a list here of all the things they’ve been through. Finally, they have what they always wanted, are just about to start a family of their own together when Kono takes off on her “legacy”?
I do give Kono a ton of credit for wanting to do this, for wanting to try to put an end to the horrendous exploitation of young girls. I also give her credit for keeping everyone in the loop. We’ve heard Steve mention several times that he’s spoken to her on the phone. They all know where she is and what she’s doing, and it’s given Adam the opportunity to join her. She didn’t just take off with some ridiculous fabrication of where she was going.
What doesn’t make sense is that Kono would be ok with Adam returning to Hawaii without her; in his decision to “try to have some semblance of a life” without her. This is not consistent with how we’ve come to know them as a couple. A couple who were so completely inseparable it took a prison sentence to keep them apart.
Of course, if Grace Park had re-signed her contract, it’s obvious this story line would not exist. I have no clue what their story line would have been if Grace had stayed. Maybe Kono would have found out she was pregnant, and we would have had a season of her trying to deal with her job and a pregnancy. Sorry, but that sounds like a silly soap opera and boring as hell. This story was born out of the necessity to find not only a reasonable explanation for Kono’s departure but a heroic one as well, so it wouldn’t paint her in a bad light.
It’s hard not to feel bad for Adam. He’s obviously hurting. The woman he loves has a new passion and he’s not part of it. She was all ready to return home with him, had the airline ticket and everything, but decided at the last minute her “legacy” was more important. Again, I give her credit for wanting to do such important work, but I can understand Adam’s reluctance to simply follow her from place to place on a mission that may never end.
You see… this is where I’m torn. Kono left her home and her Ohana to be with Adam as he fled across the world to escape the Yakuza. She waited 18 months for Adam to be released from prison so they could start their life. Shouldn’t Adam be willing to do the same for her now? I guess, in his own way, he is. He’s just going to do it in Hawaii instead of in a never-ending parade of crappy motel rooms. But are crappy motel rooms equivalent to mud and huts in the middle of Asia and being hunted down on the verge of being murdered at any moment?
But, again, this is story born out of the necessity of having one half of a couple re-sign their contract while the other half did not. All the writers are trying to do the best they can to craft a decent story out that uncomfortable eventuality.
I also found it a bit heartbreaking listening to Steve try to comfort Adam with the promise that it won’t go on forever and Kono will come home and they can start that family they wanted. Steve, of all people, knows what it feels like to wait for someone you love to come home to you. To dream about a life built together. Hopefully someday Kono will come back, even if only for an episode or two, so she and Adam can tie up this loose end. Hopefully it won’t be for Adam like it was for Steve. Hopefully if Kono comes back they will be together for good, whether in Hawaii or elsewhere and her return won’t just be a pit stop on her way to something else she finds more important.
I was also really happy to see this episode finally start us on our journey to learn more about Tani and Junior. We already met Tani’s brother Koa and we already know this kid (is he a kid? I wonder how old he’s supposed to be?) is an ongoing thorn in Tani’s side. It’s obvious he’s living without a rudder. He has no direction in his life and is following a road that will lead to no good. Tani wants to protect him, promised their father on his deathbed she would look out for him. But some people just don’t want to be helped and it looks like Koa may be one of them.
Tani’s heart is in the right place but her judgement is off kilter. She’s already been thrown out of the police academy. She’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime to overcome that by being chosen for Five-0. To risk that to protect her brother is a foolish, if understandable, action on her part. Sometimes people do stupid things for family. The same way, a long time ago, Chin took the blame for the stolen asset forfeiture money to protect his uncle.
I really loved how Lou understood this. Lou is such a wonderful character and as played by Chi McBride a jewel in this cast. Chi is able to take Lou from disappointed yet understanding father-figure, to ferocious interrogator, to protective teddy bear with incredible ease.
The only thing I loved more than Lou protecting their new rookie was the fact that Tani decided she didn’t want to be protected. The same way she lived with consequences of her actions at the police academy, she is going to live with the consequences of this too. I don’t need to see the conversation between Tani and Steve to know how it played out.
Then there is Junior. We still don’t know much about his reasons for leaving the Navy so young. We still don’t know why he came home and found himself living in a shelter instead of with family (does he have family?) or taking advantage of the resources available to him with the Navy. But we did get a glimpse of what he lost when he left Hawaii for the Navy.
I must admit almost getting hit by a car, looking up and finding your first love behind the wheel is a bit too coincidental but the scene of Kayla literally running into Junior was still very touching. It was a wonderful illustration of what is left behind when people choose to serve their country.
Kayla moved on with her life, is pregnant and happy. It’s painfully obvious that Junior has never forgotten her or what could have been between them. The fact that he has not only saved the video from their prom on his computer but that it has a prominent icon permanently on his desktop speaks volumes.
Kayla did say something interesting. She said she wanted to catch up and hear “all about Iraq. People say you’re a hero”. Junior’s answer “yeah, I don’t know about that” only confirms there is still so much we need to learn about Junior.
Junior’s early morning run and almost crash with Kayla leads us into our crime of the week. Junior notices a bunch of guys with large empty duffle bags getting out of an old beat up car with no license plate (should I love the fact that it’s an old Mercury Grand Marquis LOL) and heading into the bank. It was nice to see he didn’t go all McGarrett and immediately head over there but used his head and called Steve instead. Steve, still in the car with Adam, heads right over.
I’m not going to go into a scene by scene description of the COTW here. I’m just going to say there was a ton to love in it this week. Let’s start with Steve and his “back-ups”.
It was a blast watching Steve being the reasonable one. Steve is basically on his own with two civilians here, no matter that Junior is a SEAL. He tells them both, in no uncertain terms to stay with the truck and “wait for back-up”. I think other than “Book ‘em Danno” this might be the most famous phrase to come out of Season 1 of this show!
But, of course, Junior, who seems to be cut from the same cloth as Steve with regard to “not liking to wait” not only doesn’t wait, he picks the lock on Steve’s gun safe to get a gun. Steve McGarrett… meet Steve McGarrett! The only thing that would have been better is if Steve had said “I told you to wait for back-up” and Junior would have replied “I am the backup”.
There were two really fantastic stunts in this show and the first happens when Steve, Junior and Adam, who followed Junior after Steve, advance on the safe where they believe the thieves are hold up. That explosion was incredible. It totally knocks all three of them on their asses and out cold. I literally jumped out of my skin.
Earlier I said this was not a perfect episode (even though I couldn’t care less about that) and here is the first thing that had me scratching my head. The tunnel out of the vault was huge! And it looked to go through solid rock. Were we supposed to believe the thieves made that tunnel in the time between when Junior first saw them going into the back and when the three of them woke up from the explosion? Or are we supposed to believe the bank teller/inside man, Bobby Akamu, dug the tunnel earlier? So, no one in the bank went into the safe for however long that took? But, like I said, I really don’t care. It’s one of those things I just accept as part of fiction.
We often talk about the ability Alex has of delivering pages and pages of dialog with only his facial expressions. That was highlighted to perfection in this episode. Steve, having followed the thieves into the tunnels is fired upon by one of the thieves he is chasing. As they always do, Steve fires back. Only this time, Steve “didn’t have a visual” and finds that the person he shot is a cop.
The subsequent car (we can’t call it a chase) race to get the fallen officer to the hospital was awesome. Even before that, it was fun to watch Adam driving Steve’s truck all over the place trying to follow Steve’s signal down in the tunnels. Once they needed to really haul ass to get the cop to the hospital Adam was in full on McGarrett driving mode. I couldn’t help but wish Danny was in the passenger seat to give Adam the full McGarrett experience of driving like a lunatic even when it is warranted.
Ok, so it took all of 30 seconds for us watching the episode to predict the cop wasn’t really a cop, right? But that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t fascinating to watch Steve panic just a little when he realized what he thought he’d done and then frantically try to save the man’s life. When the doctor in the ER pronounced him dead, the floor literally fell out from under Steve’s feet. The look on his face, as he sat alone outside the hospital was heart wrenching. There go those pages of dialog again. “What have I done?”… “I didn’t have a visual”… “I messed up”… “I didn’t have a visual”… “This is not what’s supposed to happen”… “I didn’t have a visual”.
Ok… here’s another moment that could have been better. So, a fallen officer is wheeled into the ER. He codes as they wheel him in and with the smallest amount of effort to revive him, he’s pronounced dead. You know damn well there is no way they wouldn’t have tried for probably going on an hour to get that guy back, especially because they believed he was an officer shot in the line of duty. What was that? 30 seconds? I understand the necessity of expediency when you only have 42 minutes to tell a story but perhaps a few more minutes, at least get him into a treatment room or something, could have been worked in.
I couldn’t help but wish it was Danny who was there to comfort Steve. While I completely understand the reality of episodes without Danny in them, it’s always a kick in the pants when it happens in episodes where Steve really needs him. But, as usual, when Danny is away, it falls to Lou to be the voice of reason for Steve, even thought Steve was in no condition to really listen to him. “I didn’t have a visual”.
The relief on his face when Junior and Adam saw the “cop” on the surveillance video was palpable. He sees the evidence that he clearly did not kill a cop, turns away from the screen, closes his eyes and lets the relief wash over him. The “oh thank God” written all over his face. Again, no need for dialog in the hands of Alex. It almost makes me wish the guy really had been a cop and we could have seen Alex act out the ramifications of how that would affect Steve, possibly into the next episode or so.
As far as the bank robbery is concerned, the 10 million that was stolen was all deposited, in cash, the day before the break in. Adam points out that only organized crime would probably do such a thing. Lou correctly states that if organized crime is involved, this was bigger than just a bank robbery. The dialog was written to specifically call attention, by way of filling in Junior and Tani, to Adam’s history. It looks like this could possibly be the story arc that gives Adam his story for the season.
I really got a kick out of seeing familiar faces in episodes. I love it when old perps show up in new crimes. This is the third time we’ve seen Dave Lockhart. We first saw him in S2E6 “Ka Hakaka Maika’I” where pretty much all Danny and Chin could get out of him in interrogation was “lawyer”. It turned out he wasn’t who Five-0 was after in that episode but he obviously didn’t stay out of trouble. The next time we see him, in S3E13 “Olelo Ho’Opa’I Make” he’s an Halawa inmate when Chin was dumped in the prison by Delano.
I don’t have any problem believing that Lockhart in full on official HPD uniform wouldn’t have any problem causally walking past security in HQ. I’m even willing to accept, by virtue of being held there himself in the past, him knowing exactly where the interrogation room is and how to get there. But isn’t that room locked? How the hell did he get in there to shoot Akamu?
I’m also curious to see if he shows up yet again. All that money has now taken up residence in the evidence locker at HPD thanks to the second and even more spectacular stunt of the episode. I’m not sure what was more remarkable. The intensity and intricacy of the crash or the fact it was all set up and accomplished right outside the Aliʻiōlani Hale. The trunk just popping open and the money all falling out was a very light-hearted moment after such an intense stunt.
So, does Dave Lockhart show up again? Just who’s involved in the organized crime element the money originally belonged to? You know they are going to want their money back. I’m thinking this could be the start of a nice story arc for us all to enjoy.
Well, that’s it, my friends. I know there is plenty more I didn’t touch on here so feel free to bring it all up in the comments, so we can dissect some more. It’s always such fun to get everyone’s take from every angle. No new episode next week since it’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, filled with too much food, too much drink, too much laughter and all the family, friends and love there is.
Aloha. Malama Pono
All screen caps are mine.
Hawaii Five-0 Kool-Aid 
I enjoyed this one, too. Another shining episode for Alex. He rocked it.
Junior was adorable during the scene where we learn he picked Steve’s lock box. I’m wondering if we’ll learn what nationality he’s supposed to be. No one on the show has ever said he’s Hawaiian, and in many scenes you can hear his native New Zealand accent, especially in the prom video.
Like you, I was wishing for Danny to help Steve through an awful event, even though it was short-lived. I wish the team had been more responsive to Steve when the truth came out. You don’t just instantly recover from an emotional blast like that. He needed buddy time.
Speaking of buddy time, when Steve told Adam to call if he needed to hang out, did anyone else recall Steve and Chin in the coffee shop after Malia died? Steve has a heart of gold. It’s no wonder we all love him!
I’m loving Tani, but I’m hoping they don’t turn her into a sad-sack like they did with Kono. I hope they allow her tough-girl sarcasm to shine through in a fun way.
Favorite Grover line: “Someone’s gonna Jack Ruby that ass.” He kills me! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Beulah Koale from New Zealand, yes. He is of Samoan descent. I’m going to assume Junior is also Samoan.
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OMG, Linda you rocked this review. Spot on with every point. I totally agree on all of them. Just like Alex nailing down pat the scene when the cop died. ( or so he thought was a cop) just like the show, was awsome, so was this review !
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Thanks babe! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! ♥
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#175……did you ever think you’d still be writing these Linda? There were times when i was really worred ……NOW I’m.thrilled to bits they made another milestone and they seem to be on a roll, they’re fast becoming the strongest show on Friday night Woohoo!
The stunts were very impressive. I can’t believe they wretched that car right outside of HQ……..there’s not a whole lot of room to work with there. Also I had to laugh at how McG-like Adam was driving and yes I had Danny ranting in my head…….I always seem to have Danny lines in my head when he should be there and there were times in this one when I really wanted Steve to reach out to him.
That said everyone else stepped up and we learned a bit more about the newbies. I love how their enthusiasm is bringing out the playfulness in the rest of the cast.
With Adam back I am eager to see how often we get updates on Kono. I hope we will see her again. They are certainly keeping the door open.
Another break next week, so Happy turkey day!
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That stunt was totally awesome. I remember seeing BTS videos from people who were on scene when the filmed it. I remember thinking “are they nuts.. that street is soooooo narrow”. I’m actually surprised the city gave them permission to stage such a stunt so close to the Hale. Just goes to show the confidence the authorities have in the ability of this fantastic crew to safely pull it off.
It looked incredible as it happened and even more spectacular once edited for the show. They never cease to stun me with the movie quality of their stunts!
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Love how Peter was agreeing with us about Alex, I knew he respected him but it was really nice to have him say it. I personally love the new Ohana, learning about each other and learning that a person is only human and will makes mistakes. Love Tani, Love Junior an so happy to have Adam back. Episode 175 was all I hoped it would be and then some.
Hopefully Danny aka Scott will be in the 200th episode.
I wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, have so many things to be thankful for and one of those is all the wonderful friends I have met through #H50,
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That was a fun little convo we were having with Peter Friday night, wasn’t it? I agree it was nice to see him actually say how much he respects Alex, but like you, it wasn’t something I ever doubted. Peter is not a stupid man by any means. He knows better than anyone what Alex brings to this show. Just because he doesn’t gush after every episode doesn’t mean he is unappreciative of the work Alex does. Certain people just love to diss on Peter for every breath he takes. Like the hatred of Scott, it’s gotten extremely tiresome.
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Great review! It was great to see Adam again, but he sure seemed sad without Kono-I do like that they keep referencing her from time to time,keeping her in the show,even though she is not there physically. Loved seeing Steve comfort Adam-he knows,in a way, how Adam feels,since he experienced being alone after Catherine left. Junior did the right thing calling Steve about the bank robbery,but he does need to learn to follow orders,as does Adam. There were times I wished Danny had been there,especially after Steve shot that”cop”-like you said, Steve needed his buddy time,but Lou filled the bill just fine here and he was great with Tani-but I’m glad Tani decided to tell Steve about her brother and the vice bust. Like you, I didn’t need to see it to know how it played out. One thing that was missing,though, was the animated scene-I thought it was supposed to be in this episode,but it didn’t happen-why? Wonder if Junior will confide in Steve about his lost love-it was obvious that Junior still cared about Kayla from the way he embraced her and I know that he is glad that she is happy with her life now,especially with a baby on the way! Since there is no new episode next week, I wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, Linda!
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I don’t know what happened with the animated scene Rhonda. Dennis Chun posted on Facebook that it was going to be included in this episode but, of course, it wasn’t. I thought from the beginning that it was filmed to be shown at the beginning of the premiere. That made sense since the end of the animation has the boys driving up to the front of the Hilton and in the premiere the first scene is them at the Hilton meeting Tani.
Who knows? They do only have 42 minutes to tell their stories and maybe once then sit down and edit an episode there just aren’t those extra minutes to spare for the animation. I think it’s safe to say we’ll get it as a DVD extra at the end of the season even if we never do see it in an actual episode.
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Do we know if it was shown at SOTB? Has anyone asked Peter?…… cartoons take a long time to make- hard to believe they’d just do it for the DVD.
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I asked one of my friends who lives on Oahu and was at SOTB and he told me that, yes, it was shown before the episode on the beach. I don’t know why we haven’t seen it on TV yet but all I can think of is they’re finding it hard to find the extra minutes in a episode to use it.
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Really love Junior. He is growing on me. And really love his development over on it
Tani and Grover were like father and daughter in the moment. She still loves her brother though he is wayward.
But that over on the way of in the destroying evidence would had meant out of the job for Grover. And he would never do that to Steve as he left it up to her.
Adam despite his criminal record, will probably have some kind of role with the team. And yes in the immunity and means.
No Eddie or Danny give it 7/10.
But really Steve at times I have given a hard time as have love-hate relationship with him. But he really is going back to the Steve I first love. Caring, selfless, and understanding. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Great review as always, Linda. I thought this episode was really good, not the greatest, but good. The COTW was excellent, and of course, everyone knew the guy wasn’t a cop, except poor Steve that is.
I loved the airport scene, Steve was so excited at the thought of seeing Kono. They are really keeping the Kono storyline open so that if Grace does decide to come back for an episode, or two, they can fit her right back in. I’d love to see that happen, we can dream, right? I was glad they finally dealt with the pregnancy test from last season, though we knew Kono wouldn’t be pregnant or she wouldn’t have gone off chasing sex traffickers.
There was a lot of talk about Danny so I didn’t miss him quite as much as I’d expected. It would have been great to have him there though, Steve really needed him at the hospital.
I thought Lou’s comment to Junior, “You can start a fan club later.” was perfect, and so Lou.
Like you, I didn’t need to hear the Tani/Steve conversation, I just know how it would go. Maybe Steve can help Koa, he likes to fix broken things, right? Anyway, I’m glad that Tani decided to come clean with Steve, it was the right thing to do.
I agree, Junion saying “I’m the back-up,” would have been perfect.
I believe they said that the tunnel had been dug prior to the robbery. The blast was to open up that end of the tunnel so they could escape. At least I think that’s what they said when the team was around the smart table.
Have a great Thanksgiving down there in the US, we’ve already had ours up here in the snowy north.
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I loved the airport scene too. Steve was so excited that Kono was coming home and I felt bad for him, and of course for Adam, when she didn’t come. Like you, I’m glad they’ll be able to keep Kono’s presence in the show even if she’s not there through Adam and I hope they can work out something with Grace so Kono can come back. I just hope it’s not heartache for Adam when she does.
I mean, think about it. Ian is now full time cast. Unless his contract is only for one year (and it could very well be… we have no way of knowing that) he’s not going anywhere. Grace does not want to be on the show full time. So what would that mean for them?
Kono comes back and stays? How, if Grace doesn’t want to stay?
Kono comes back, they reunite and leave Hawaii together? ONLY if Ian’s contract is for one year only.
Kono comes back only to leave again after a couple of weeks because she’s decided life with Adam isn’t enough for her and she needs to continue her work because that’s more important to her. Well, we’ve already seen that once and, quite frankly, not only can’t I see Kono doing that, I don’t think TPTB really want to do that to someone else. It was bad enough when it happened to Steve.
But there is a difference. Kono and Adam are married. They have made a commitment to each other. They have been through hell together. I really don’t like this story line of them being apart but, like I said above, this is a story born of real life necessity and not a story the writers would have undertaken if Grace had stayed.
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I liked Steve’s version best. Kono returns and retires having completed her legacy case. I know she’s young to retire, but they could start a family and we see Kono only for a few episodes per season but keep Adam as a regular character.
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I like the sound of that…. a lot….
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Great review Linda! I really enjoyed this episode. Welcome home Adam, happy to see you again!!
There’s nothing more to be said about Alex. His face, his actions, just say it all. My heart broke and jumped for joy for him and I wanted to hug him so bad!
Gurandamnteed that Lou is the best addition to this show! He’s the king of one-liners – “You can start a fan club later, can we focus now”. I enjoy his relationship with Steve and the rest!
I’m guessing that Koa is younger than Tani since she promised dying dad she’d look after him, that usually falls to the oldest. He’s going to make her life, as well as 5-0’s, interesting for sure. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to come clean with Steve regardless of the consequences. I wonder what caused Kayla to leave Junior? Looking forward to finding out more about both our newbies!!
Did they push the envelope with this, Junior and Adam as a backup, a tunnel no on heard dug, and how Lockhart got into a secured, passcoded room, sure they did. But it’s tv and entertainment at its best and it worked! I’m looking forward to 175 more episodes!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and see you in 2 weeks!!
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I was thinking about Kayla and Junior and I’m going to hazard a guess that nothing traumatic happened to cause a break up. They were in love, but they were in high school. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t people who started their long and happy relationships as high school sweethearts, but for the most part, that doesn’t happen very often.
Since that was the Senior prom, they were probably what? 17 years old. That was probably almost 10 years ago. More than likely Junior told her not to wait for him since he was being deployed and didn’t know when he’d be home.
It’s obvious there were no hard feelings from the break up. She was thrilled to see him. It was more sadness on his part, remembering how they were and recognizing the sacrifice he made for both his country and his girl. He sacrificed his happiness to make sure she had a happy life. And it worked. She’s glowing with happiness and her impending motherhood, even if he’s still hurting all these years later.
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Once again great review Linda.
Alex just rocked this episode. He does not have to speak his facial expressions can convey what words cannot. There is something special about him and glad PL knew it when he 1st saw Alex. My favourite episode besides ep 2 when Eddie was introduced. Actually I missed Eddie in this episode.
Solid performances backing up Steve from Adam and Junior. Wondering where Adam learnt to drive like Steve. Looking forward to Junior’s back story and why he left the navy.
Loved Lou being the father figure with Tani and telling Steve it was not his fault shooting the ‘cop’ dead.
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175 is an incredible number for a show, and I hope this figure will not stop increasing
the episode was satisfactory (but I do not consider it a milestone)
Tani, junior, Lou were perfect … I like them a lot
My disappointment is the storyline with Adam’s return … I’m really happy to see him again, I loved to see him interact with Junior …. a great friendship is born?
But at the same time extremely disappointed to see how the storyline with Kono is written. (my only disappointment … and the absence of Danny of course 😉 )
For me heroes are also people like Danny and Lou who every day risk their lives to protect the population and at night come home with their family … When I see all that Danny did to be close to his family , while continuing to do his job, for me he’s really a superhero.
I can understand Kono’s willingness to continue a job that she started … but after all the sacrifices that Kono and Adam have made to be together, I have a little trouble accepting that Kono chooses to give up everything (even momentarily ) …
So my question is… leave as a heroine must necessarily involve to pursue something that forces you to abandon everything and “break” the heart of the person you love?
the story could have been different, especially knowing that Grace Park will probably never be back.
The character of Kono deserves better… the storyline with Kono and Adam deserves better
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I’m not 100% thrilled with the Kono story line either and, like I said, I’m positive this is NOT the story that would have even been considered had Grace re-signed her contract. I think the writers came up with what they thought was the best way to explain Kono’s departure and continued absence, not make it look like she simply abandoned her husband and home but left to do something heroic AND leave the door open for a possible return. Given what they had to work with and the time in which to pull it together, I guess this is what they felt was best. I’m not thrilled with it but I take what I can get and make lemonade or in my case, KoolAid LOL
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Great review for a truly satisfying 175th episode, Linda! I really enjoyed this one! Hey, being a Danny girl, I always struggle when he’s not in an episode, even when I have plenty of fore-warning. There certainly were times when I mentally inserted him into scenes – in the basement when Steve tells Jr and Adam to wait for backup (can’t you just imagine his smirk and giggle?); at the hospital when Steve learns the man he shot died (Danny would have been a little more insistent that Steve wasn’t at fault, even though Steve would have brushed him off just as he did Lou). I would also have liked Danny to have been the one mentoring Tani through her issues with Koa.
But when Scott is not in an episode, what would normally be Danny’s place in the story needs to be filled by others, and this week, it was well-done by Chi.
This episode was a great newbie showcase! Okay, Adam’s not a newbie, but he did return to the island as Adam, not as Kono’s husband. I have to take a little issue with your take on the Adam/Kono storyline, Linda. I don’t have the same problem with it that you do. I think Adam’s return to the island showed Adam’s desire to return to a normal life, to start to remake something of himself. He’s never really gotten that chance since he got out of prison, and running around all over the mainland following his wife, living in motel rooms, wondering if she’ll come home that night, would take a toll on any man who’s half as honorable as Adam. Sure, he’s going to miss her terribly, and it might not work out, after all, but Adam has to start rebuilding a life that was torn to shreds way back when he killed his brother. Perhaps he wants to be in a situation where he will be able to support his wife again, and maybe then he’ll be able to convince Kono, when she’s done chasing sex traffickers, to come home. Honestly, Kono will never catch each and every bad guy in America whose doing this. It’s one of those organized crimes that just keeps on giving to the underworld, so eventually, Kono is going to have to pass the torch to others. Hopefully then, she’ll come home to her Ohana.
I think we hear more about her because there is a chance we will see her again someday, even if just to wrap up her and Adam’s story. Notice, since the pilot, we haven’t heard a word about Chin. I think that’s telling us we won’t be seeing him again!
I am loving Junior! He was fun to watch this week, and we got to know more about him. OMG he looked like a baby in that prom video! So adorable! I felt sad for him, as well, but he’s young, he’ll find the right girl eventually! Loved his SEAL booyah attitude in the bank! It looked like he was so excited to be on a “mission” again! Can’t wait to find out what heroic deed he did in Iraq!
Ah, Tani! Your brother has no idea how lucky he is, for sure! My fear, here, is that Koa might end up going down the path Gabriel did…killing a cop, getting off with “help,” only to end up hurtling down the drug route and ruining his life. I don’t want that to happen to Tani, because we had a brooding Chin for a long time. I want a happy Tani! Hopefully the storyline won’t repeat itself.
Alex was near perfection in this episode! You are so right – throw out those pages of dialog and just let him emote with his facial expressions!
Stunts? OMG, that vault explosion! I think I felt the room shake through my TV set! (Wendy’s right – they did say the tunnel had been excavated ahead of time, probably after hours, and that they had to have had inside help. The explosion that floored our heroes was the final cut between the back of the vault and the tunnel.) The show did this once before, in the episode with the autistic man and his friend who let the bank robbers into the parking garage adjacent to the bank every night to work on their tunnel.
Yeah, the car flip in front of the Hale – spectacular, but the best for me was the car’s trunk plunking open and $10,000,000.00 cascading onto the street in front of the team. A little humor in an intense episode!
Having been a fan of this show from day one, I have suspended belief a long time ago. Nothing bothers me where others might see egregious flaws. I know I’m not watching Blue Bloods or Code Black, so I don’t worry if there’s not 50 cops milling around in the waiting room for a wounded fellow officer. I don’t mind that the staff didn’t even get him into an emergency room or that they called the time after only 30 seconds. Rendition room door left open? I don’t care. I am watching this show because I love the characters. How many times have we all said this?
Two weeks off! Ugh…
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
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I agree with you on what you say about Adam. That’s why I’m torn. Everything you said makes a hell of a lot of sense. Then I remember everything Kono did to be with Adam and all the months she waited for him while he was in Halawa and I think, why can’t he do the same for her? It’s a see-saw in my head because I can see both sides and since I like them both so much, can’t really find fault with either of them. Does that make even a little bit of sense? I just wish this type of story hadn’t been necessary but it is so I’ll just go with the flow. I also agree we’re hearing a lot about her because there is a chance she might return for an episode or so. Personally, I could care less if Chin is ever mentioned again.
I went back and re-watched the episode and you and Wendy are right about the pre-drilled tunnel and the fact that it was done once before in a previous episode. It’s still something I’ll scratch my head over though because either way, drilling that hole would have made a hell of a lot of noise. No one ever heard them… OR the guys in that previous episode either??
But you’re right. As Alex jokingly stated on the SOTB red carpet, this is a procedural, it’s not “high art”. Egregious flaws be damned. I’ve been saying for 7+ years… you want perfection go watch a documentary. Like you, I want to sit down on a Friday night, after a long hard week and lose myself in some pure, unadulterated make-believe. I might point out things I think could be better but I honestly don’t give a rat’s ass if it’s 100% accurate. I just want to have fun.
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But there’s a BIG difference between the circumstances of Adam being in Halawa for 18 months and Kono pursuing leads on the mainland. I concede that she did follow after him when he fled Yakuza reprisals for killing his brother – which was a very good thing for Adam because she kept him alive and then, with the help of her team, got him “forgiven.” She was pretty young and in love at the time, too!
But when she was waiting for Adam while he did his time, she got to stay at home and do something meaningful with her life. Adam, on the other hand, has just been hanging out in motel rooms for a couple months with nothing to personally show for it. That is the big difference, and why I can understand his wanting to come home and start doing something for himself. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t still love Kono, and it really doesn’t paint Kono in a bad light, either! It”s certainly not what we want to see, but given the circumstances, I think it’s the best we can expect until (if) Kono ever comes back to Oahu.
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You make a very valid point. It’s not like Adam could go out and find a job wherever they landed when he doesn’t know how long they’re going to be in one place before another lead sends them somewhere else.
There’s also the idea that maybe he’s thinking, “if I just keep following after her, there isn’t any reason for her to pass the torch to anyone else any time soon. But if I go back to Hawaii, maybe she’ll realize she can’t stop this all on her own, pass that torch and come home”.
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That theory makes a lot of sense, too!
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Well, of course, as always, I really missed Danny in this episode. But, like you, I’m happy that he was mentioned. It wasn’t my favorite episode, but it wasn’t bad either. I am really glad that guy wasn’t really a cop. Steve would have had a really hard time living with that. I wondered too, how did that guy get into the rendition room. I’ll have to admit, I loved all the twists and turns this story took. From the cop not really being a cop, to the execution in the rendition room, there was a lot to love in this episode. The only thing missing was Danny. But it’s okay as long as he keeps coming back. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for these reviews each week. See you in a couple weeks.
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Hi Mary! I agree with you 100%. I don’t like it when Danny’s not there but I love it when he returns. I’m thrilled that CBS was cool with this arrangement and they were able to work out a contract for a few less episodes for Scott. I hate it when Danny’s not there but I’d rather have 5 less episodes of Danny then no Danny at all.
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As always, I missed Danny during this episode. It wasn’t one of my favorite episodes, but it wasn’t bad either. I’m glad that guy wasn’t a real cop. Steve would have had a hard time dealing with that. I also wondered how that villian got in the rendition room. But I have to admit, I loved all the twists and turns this episode took. From the cop not really being a cop to the execution in the rendition room, there was a lot to love about this episode. The only thing missing was Danny. But I’m glad that he was mentioned. And as long as he comes back it’s okay. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for this review after every episode. See you in a few weeks.
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I agree with all your comments, Linda. Having Danny in 5 less episodes is better than no Danny at all. I’m sorry about my comments posting twice. I got a new computer and I had a rough time posting. I still don’t know how it got posted twice.
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LOL No worries babe! Have fun learning your new computer! ♥
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New to this site but loving the reviews and all the comments. I too love the Steve/Danny interactions but was so happy to see Adam jumping in to help. For me it’s easier to accept him since he has been around and is already ‘ohana. I’m liking Tani but there is something about Junior I’m just not trusting for some reason but that’s the fun of watching this all unfold. For me this show would be perfect if once or twice a season we could get a “book em Danno. Just because of the interaction it brings!!!!
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Welcome Melinda! I’m so happy you found us and chose to read and leave a comment! Yeah…. it’s been a while since we’ve had a “book’em Danno”. I understand it’s not something they want to do in every episode, it would get kind of silly if they did. I can remember as a little kid when my parents watched the original series, everyone would say it out load along with the TV in every episode because it was such a given. But it would be nice to hear it every so often anyway.
There is no question there’s something going on with Junior he doesn’t feel free to discuss as of yet. If anyone can coax it out of him eventually, it will be Steve. We pretty much know Tani’s issues, it’s a matter of seeing how she deals with them. Junior is still an unknown and it’s going to fun to watch as his history unfolds.
Again…. welcome!
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This is first time for something like this for me so apologies if its not right. I stumbled onto your site when I started asking questions about certain things about Hawaii Five O episodes and the characters. The season 8 episode 7 I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your post Linda was really great to see the series and its characters from your view, I agree and or can kind of understand most of your views. However as you mentioned some things Adam said that didn’t explain or go along with how I saw his actions in other episodes and especially this one. For example approximately: Adam says staying in a hotel room eating out of a vending machine waiting for Kono isn’t much of a life. Adam has been shown as having quite a skill set of kicking butt, why hadn’t he been helping Kono in rescuing? Perhaps was it because the writers wanted Adam back in Hawaii for…? He certainly was fully involved with the action in episode 8. Or could it be his past really won’t let him be active accept maybe writer leeway in Hawaii? Well this is late for me and rather than perhaps become too muddled I’ll leave that for now. I just watched episode 8 and am hoping there will be a more details of why Tani was okay with Koa stealing the rudder and I wonder if Steve knows or.. I was blessed to obtain my private pilots license and grew up with a father who was taught by an army flying club and while living near Burbank, CA the movie stunt barn stormers of the old films. Steve’s expressions brought back the memories of my own and my fathers concentration and joy that being one with the sky can never be said in words. My budget no longer allows that touch the face of God flying experience anymore. I will never forget flying with my Father and my hours of solo flight where I too touched the face of God. This expression is a bit of what I remember from something I was told is called the pilots prayer. Well back on subject: These writers really like to hang us by our thumbs while we wait for their next views of the lives of our fictional family. Super Ohana and or joy for the USA the next 32 days and prayers that the comfort and joy or understanding we find during this time of year lasts and lasts. Elaine
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