Well, here we are, another week and this review is super late. This is getting to be a really annoying habit but at least this week the reasons good ones.  Spent most of Saturday with family and woke up on Sunday to the most beautiful January day.  Sunny and 70 degrees.  Unheard of around here in January.  So, I spent a majority of my day outside enjoying the sun on my deck.  But.. duty calls so here is it…. better late than never, right?  😉

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Please Lord give me strength…. That was my prayer going into this episode when the synopsis and the sneak peeks made it more than obvious we were going to be handed my least favorite type of episode.  Not a one, not a two but a three story entry where everyone is separate and not one story relates to another.  Auuugghhh… yes, give me strength.

But, you know what?  This one wasn’t so bad.  I’m sure there will be some who will say it was boring because there wasn’t any gun battle, no car chases, no explosions and no intense SEAL level hand-to-hand combat.  All that is 100% true, except for the boring part.  Well, for me anyway.  I actually really enjoyed sitting back and watching this one.  It was sort of calm and relaxing.  Like, every once in a while, switching Sirius from hard rock to smooth jazz.  A nice little breather.

The three stories in this one consisted of 1) Steve and Danny dealing with school bullying 2) Grover and a golf club murder and 3) the ongoing annoyance which is Adam.

Let’s start off with Adam and get it over with.  For the love of God, please someone tell me there is more to this story then we’re being shown at the moment because every new scene annoys me more than the last.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love what Ian Anthony Dale is doing with the material.  He’s a wonderful actor and it’s nice to see him being given something to really sink his teeth into other than just being Kono’s husband, jilted husband or number 6 (or 7) around the magic table.

But I just don’t get the reasoning behind what’s going on with Adam.  There was no buildup to it other than when Masuda told him to stop fighting his heritage.  From the moment Adam met Kono, over nine years ago, he never questioned his decision to stay away from a Yakuza life.  Even in his most desperate moments, when he was imprisoned, when he was unemployable, when Kono left him, he never wavered in his resolve that he was moving in the right direction away from the life he was born to. Now, all of a sudden, he’s diligently working to “reclaim” his birthright as its leader?  Why? Because he loves Tamiko? She hates that life.  Because Kenji killed Masuda? Reprehensible, for sure, but why would Adam throw his entire life away for a man he, really, barely knows?

And now, he’s supposed to head back to Hawaii, somehow re-ingratiate himself with Steve and the rest of the team, so he can spy on them? These people who have been there for him for years.  The people who gave him a family when he was lost and alone with nowhere to go?   The man who, basically gave him his life, that he was affectionately throwing footballs to just a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving?  Nope… makes absolutely no sense.

I have no idea where this is going and, I know it’s cliché and I know it’s been done before, but I really hope this is all a long con and even if Steve doesn’t know about it yet that he will very shortly and they’ll begin to work together toward whatever the final objective is.  There are things we’ve seen that have been presented one way which could be seen entirely differently.

For instance, Tamiko. She has said, over and over again, how much she detested her father’s “business” and how much she didn’t want any part of it.  Even her father was willing to allow her to marry an FBI agent and let them disappear with a big financial settlement, to get her away from that life.  She’s repeated it several times that she had no issue with her father, that it was his “business” and the life she was forced to live because of it that she detested.  Now, she seems content with Adam heading straight toward a life she herself wanted nothing to do with?

There was that scene a couple of episodes back when Adam was going into a high-level meeting where she asked him “are you sure you want to do this?”  This is one of those scenes which can be interpreted different ways.  As presented, it seemed as if Tamiko was asking Adam if he was sure he wanted to go through with trying to unseat Kenji and take over the Yakuza. But it could be seen a different way.  As her asking him if he was sure he wanted to go through with a plan, hatched by we don’t know who yet, to make it look like he’s turned his back on a respectable life and Five-0 in an attempt to bring the Yakuza down from the inside.

I’ve always really liked Adam, from the first time we met him, and I’ve always felt that he totally sucked as a bad guy, worse when he attempted to take over after Hiro died.  I love him as part of Five-0 and the Ohana.  And as much as I love watching Ian really act out this story, I really hope this isn’t a true path to the dark side for him.  I’d miss him as part of the Ohana.

The second story of the episode was Lou and Tani working a murder case at an upscale gold club.  I really enjoyed this story.  If it’s one thing Lou loves, it’s his golf.  We’ve seen him taking Steve out on the links, we’ve seen him get in hot water with Renee because he went golfing and forgot it was Valentine’s day, we’ve seen him drag a poor caddy around the course in 100 degree heat because it took him months to get a tee time on a favored course.  Hell, his missing golf clubs even made it into Steve’s muddled and drugged mind in the 100th episode five years ago.  This time, it was thanks to Renee winning some contest, that Lou gets to tee off at this hoity-toity golf club.

I really enjoyed Lou and Zev working this case.  I was sure we were going to get a classic H50 red herring and it would turn out Zev was the killer but, thankfully, I was wrong.  I did find Zev rather over-qualified to be the head of security at a gold club though. I mean, forensic accounting?  And he took down the bad guy like an old pro.  I get the feeling Zev led an entirely different life before he came to Hawaii and settled into a cushy job at a golf club!

But I really liked the way Lou and Zev worked together and how they coordinated with Tani at HQ and Duke at HPD to track down who the murderer was.

And wasn’t it really cool to see Paul Lacovara play the killer?  Paul is, of course, the H50 stunt coordinator and stunt double for Alex.  We’ve seen him on our screens a zillion times, so it was cool that he finally got to have some actual lines! And that golf cart/foot chase had to be one of the funniest ever.  Right up there with Steve and Danny in the little red tourist scooter thingy a few years ago.  It may not be a standard Five-0 vehicle, but Lou’s driving skills were on point.

I also got a kick out of Tani walking into HQ and finding the place totally deserted.  It made me laugh at first because it reminded me of a few times when we’ve had episodes where everyone seemed to be somewhere else and we’d find ourselves asking “wasn’t there anyone at work that day?” 🤣

Of course, Adam is in Japan and Junior is… well, we don’t know where Junior is.  That phone message he left for Tani tore my heart out.  I’m not part of a military family so I won’t even attempt to try to understand what it must feel like to hear a message like that, or as Steve pointed out, to have to leave a message like that.  Of course, Junior will be fine, and he’ll be back before we know it but still.  The worry written all over Tani’s face was heartbreaking.  Like Junior, I’m looking forward to him getting home and for the two of them to pick up where they personally left off.

And then there is Steve and Danny.  It goes without saying, this was my favorite part of this episode.  There wasn’t much of it, but what there was, was perfection.  I’ve said this before, but this season has been, in my opinion, one of the best McDanno seasons we’ve had in years.  We might not get the quantity of Steve and Danny time that we used to get in the early years, but this season the limited quantity has been bolstered by the great quality of their time together.

This is no exception.  I really enjoyed the little talk they had in the principal’s office about excessive worry causing wrinkles and asking about “Mrs. WoFat” and Adam.  Even if he’s not there 100% if the time, Danny is still fully engaged in what’s going on.  He, along with Steve, have been trying to reach Adam and Steve is 100% right.  Adam sure as hell has a lot of explaining to do.  It’s funny though, isn’t it, that he’s dodging Steve and Danny’s calls, but he readily answered the phone when Tani called him last week?

With Rachel not around, as usual… of course, it’s Steve who accompanies Danny to the principal’s office to discuss the bullying problem Charlie is having at school.  Steve is absolutely family, Charlie’s uncle and Danny’s “emotional support” friend.  (Do you need special paperwork to bring this type of “emotional support animal” on a plane, I wonder? 🤣). The way the principle simply accepts this explanation was hysterical.

Naturally, Steve has Danny’s back when they go out and try to find Blake’s dad, Luke, when he doesn’t show up for the meeting at the school.  After last week’s crossover, it was fantastic to get back to a true McDanno cargument again!  I mean, seriously guys?  They hacked Luke’s cell phone to GPS track him down?? 🤣 🤣 Noooo that’s not excessive at all, Danno! 🤣 🤣

I loved the way Scott played these scenes.  The way he dialed back Danny’s annoyed anger at Luke the moment he heard that the guy was going through a divorce and that was causing Blake to act out, was perfect.

I saw someone mention on Twitter Friday night (and I’m sorry I can’t remember who it was so if it was you… let me know) how cool it is that ten years in we’re still learning new things about our Ohana.  This episode gave us a couple of new morsels we never had before. Steve being bullied as a kid when he went to military school was one more to add to a long list of tidbits we’ve learned about him over the years.

As someone who was very much the picked-on kid at that age, I can attest that, while a horrible thing to live through, it can sometimes make a person mentally stronger.  I’m not taking anything way from anyone who’s been subjected to such abuse who did not come through it stronger.  I can only speak for myself but what it did for me was make me more attuned to bullies and to go out of my way to never do anything even remotely similar to anyone.  And as a parent, I was always one of the first to step in whenever I saw it happening in my daughter’s school.  I cannot abide a bully.

We also got a glimpse into what it’s like to be in the military, especially as a SEAL, when there is a call up and they’re forced to simply leave home, without notice.  At least Junior was able to leave Tani a message.  I’ve heard that sometimes they are simply ordered to report and not tell anyone where they are.  A loved one just comes home one day, and they’re gone.  Hearing Steve tell Tani that as hard as it is to get that call, it’s just as hard to have to make it, gave us some insight into something he probably had to do and watched others do many times throughout his military career.

Lastly, not since Season 1 when Danny told Steve how Matt was there for him in the weeks following the breakup of his marriage, have we heard Danny open up about his divorce as he did in this episode and how it affected Grace.  His understanding about what Luke is going through, as well as how it’s affecting Blake was awesome.  He really opened up to Luke, about the trauma everyone in the family feels and how it will probably get worse before it gets better.  A brutal assessment but very honest.  But the thing I loved the best was his advise to “never… ever… disrespect your ex in front of your kids.”  It’s something, after everything that’s gone down between Danny and Rachel, no matter all the terrible things she’s done to him, he’s never done.  We’ve never once heard Danny say a bad word about Rachel to his kids.

I absolutely loved the look on Steve’s face as he listened to Danny talk to Luke.  And when Danny told him to be sure to call him and Steve if he ever needed someone to talk to about it all, the look on his face was pure pride and affection.  Danny is the best dad in the world and volunteering to be there for another dad going through the same trauma Danny knows so well was one of the best things I’ve ever seen him do.  Charlie and Eddie have a new friend in Blake and, it looks like Steve and Danny have a new friend too.  It’s too bad we’ll probably never see him again.

Like I said before, McDanno time might be more limited than it was in the early years, but it’s been really pretty great this season. Of course, I’d love to see more of them together.  Everyone who loves McDanno wishes that.  But the times they are together this season have really been pretty great.

If we can’t have quantity, I’m happy with having this great quality.  Scott is obviously in fewer episodes this season and Alex has cut back too.  This episode was very Steve (and Danny) light but was still a McDanno joy.  All I can say is, if Alex is going to get a Steve light episode, I’m loving that all his time in the episode is spent with Danny, whether they’re working a case or in personal time.  McDanno always rules!!

 Well, that’s it for this week.  Sorry for being so late again.  This is the last new episode for a couple of weeks.  H50 returns with a new, Danny centric episode on January 31^st.  The episode also focuses on a backstory for Eddie and his time spent in Afghanistan.  It should be a fun and intense episode.  I’m really looking forward to it.

Until then….. Aloha.  Malama Pono

None of the above screen caps are mine. A majority of them are courtesy of CBS and the always wonderful @alohaspaceman on Twitter and Instagram.  I’ve kept watermarks on any and all pictures as applicable.