Photo Credit: CBS
Happy H50 weekend! I’m not exactly sure how to approach this week’s episode. There were parts I absolutely loved, parts I didn’t like and parts that were just plain confusing. I guess the best thing to do, is to take it one by one. Let’s start with……
Parts I didn’t like: Well, this isn’t too hard. First, it was a multi-story episode and you all know I really don’t like these, especially when the stories are all cut off from each other. Here we had Steve, Danny and Lou working on the “mystery writer” murders, Tani and Junior helping out Harry Langford and Adam off doing whatever it is Adam is doing. Oh… and Quinn was where? Not only was it a multi-story episode, it jumped around a lot. Usually, I don’t find it particularly hard to follow from story to story (even though I don’t like it) but for some reason, the jumps seemed more jarring than usual in this one.
The other thing I didn’t like, and again this isn’t too hard…… Adam! I’m getting tired of saying how much I don’t like this story, as much as I love what Ian is doing with it. The only saving grace, by the looks of that last scene, is that this could possibly be coming to an end soon. Finally!
Watching the scene between Steve and Adam was downright painful. Steve knows something is going on. It’s plainly obvious. He’s playing this game, watching Adam uncomfortably straddling both sides of the fence, even expertly slathering on a nice layer of guilt…. “I know that you did what you did for good reasons”…. “I trust you, ok”…… all the while giving him a ton of rope to see how long it’s going to take before he hangs himself.
The look on his face as their discussion ended showed just how much he hates every bit of this, and his actions are literally begging Adam to come clean.
I’ve been saying all along that I believe this is a long con and the more I see the more I believe it.
Watching Kenji murdering Endo and Haru and Adam’s “Gotcha!” as he watched on the hidden camera he placed in the jungle, proves he’s working to bring Kenji down. Naturally, I’m concerned by those ninjas heading into Adam’s condo. That can’t be good. I wonder if Haru was forced to give Adam up before Kenji killed him. However, it happened, it looks pretty obvious that Adam’s cover’s been blown.
I’m thrilled that it looks like this story is coming to an end. I just hope the writers come up with a pretty damn good reason for why we were subjected to it all this time. I need to hear exactly what whoever is behind this held over Adam’s head for him to continue to keep Steve in the dark for so long. It not only needs to satisfy us, but it must satisfy Steve. I know Steve trusts Adam to do the right thing in the end but there still needs to be a major discussion about all this and not just Steve giving the standard “I know you did what you had to do” and everything is back to normal. I fear that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Unless the writers pull a fast one and we find out that Steve’s known about this all along and he’s been playing a different game than we’ve been thinking. That would be a pretty awesome twist.
Parts that were confusing: Well, maybe confusing is the wrong word. The story didn’t really confuse me, it just made me wonder why it even existed. Look, I adore Harry Langford and I adore every single time he’s part of the show but what was the purpose of this story? It was cute, that’s for sure. It gave us Harry as his always suave, debonair self, which is always fun. His interactions with Steve and Danny, especially are always something special. Honestly, I’d watch the three of them bounce off each other for hours. Yeah, this story was fun.
Photo Credits: CBS
Watching Danny’s reaction as Harry told he and Steve about writing a book in two weeks and suddenly finding himself with a big fat book deal and a bestseller worth millions was hilarious.
His “Cyrano de Bergerac” routine with Gabe, as he impersonated Harry’s pseudonym “Michael Blanton” was equally funny especially when Steve and Danny had no idea why he suddenly went blank and unresponsive to them. “I think you broke him.”…. “I didn’t do anything. What’d I do?” 🤣🤣 Naturally, when bad stuff inevitably happened, it was poor Gabe who was targeted instead of Harry.
But, my original question still stands. What was the purpose of this story, other than for a bit of fun and the opportunity to see an old friend again?
The only purpose I can see is to establish that there’s “space on this task force”. Space that may or may not be filled by the new character (played by Lance Gross) set to appear in the last two episodes of the season? And if so, what space? Quinn showed up just as Jerry left so we’re still at our season starting complement of seven team members. I suppose, if he wants to, Steve could create as much space on his task force as he wants.
Other than the fact that I adore Harry, the next best part of this story for me was Jack Cutmore-Scott, who played Gabe. Not only was he really awesome in the part (that was one hell of an impressive James Bond impersonation) but he’s also the real-life fiancé of Meaghan Rath. The little back and forth between them in Harry’s hotel room was adorable.
Parts I loved: I really liked the “murder mystery” murders. A story with twists and red herrings, it was a perfect H50 story. Ok, let’s all admit we pegged Suzanne Ridge’s assistant Kevin as the killer from the beginning but that didn’t make this story any less fun.
I got a kick out of listening to Suzanne explain Maureen Townsend’s fictional crime writer “Deirdre Naismith” to Steve and Danny. “A crime writer who always got invited into the most coveted dinner parties and events, where inevitably a murder would take place and she would help solve it.” What a perfect description of “Jessica Fletcher”!! 🤣🤣 (Dating myself here, I know!)
I have to admit, although I suspected Kevin from the beginning, it didn’t occur to me that Suzanne was part of the scheme until she was found in that tub with the ceiling tile left ajar above her. My first thought was that the opening looked way too small for anyone to be able to get out of. I was wrong about that but, like Suzanne and Kevin, I never considered that the vent could be completely blocked. That was a brilliant twist.
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Watching Suzanne and Kevin squirm while Steve, Danny and Lou spelled out how their homicidal PR stunt had failed was positively delicious. I saw my friend Belle say on Twitter Friday night; “Honestly, I love the BAMF action, but I also enjoy episodes where everything is wrapped up with solid detective work.” I could not agree more!
The next thing I really loved about this episode is that it marked the…. count ‘em…. fifth straight episode in which Danny has appeared and appeared to a significant extent. And he’s slated to be in 10.18 as well. I don’t know yet about the last four (OMG, there’s only five episodes left! *sob*) episodes but these six episodes in a row have so far been absolutely fantastic. You guys know me. The more Danny there is in any episode the more I like it. The more Steve and Danny time, whether it be personal time or working partner time, the more I love it. These consecutive episodes are wonderful.
Now let’s talk about the smallest part of this episode but, by far, the best moments of them all. The reunion of Tani and Junior was absolutely beautiful. Finally! At last! About time!
Tani looked adorable standing there with a huge grin and a “Reigns” sign in her hands as she waited for Junior to come across the tarmac. That hug looked like they were never going to let go.
But that was only the beginning. At first, Junior’s face in the car looked as if he were remembering some dark moment on the battlefield but what he was really doing was putting on his determined face to do what he’d been planning to do from the moment he was deployed.
I’m sure he expected Tani to be open to that kiss, but I think she may have taken him by surprise with her enthusiastic response. A very… very pleasant surprise for sure. The post-coital bliss coming from them was palpable.
These two have had a great connection from the moment they first met over two and a half years ago. That slow dance at Tani’s friend’s wedding last year was a huge push in the right direction. I’m so happy they’ve finally taken this huge step to solidify their relationship. I’m curious now to see how they go about their lives from this point. I don’t believe they’re going to have any difficulty working together day to day but I’m curious to see what happens when one of them is in real danger. We’ve already seen Tani lose it when Junior was taken in the Magnum crossover.
I’m also looking forward to when they finally fill in the team about their new status. Or will the team figure it out on their own? Or will Junior move in with Tani and Steve will find out when Junior informs him he’s moving out of Casa McG? This is going to be a lot of fun.
Of course, as much as I love the Casa McG fraternity of Steve, Danny, Junior and Eddie, it’s always been inevitable that situation can’t last forever. I’m rooting for Junior moving into Tani’s house so Danny can keep living at Steve’s! 🤣 🤣 I just hope that it doesn’t end up with Steve and Eddie alone in the house again. My heart would break to see Steve be so alone again.
Well, that’s it for this week. This episode had a lot of moving parts and I really liked most of them for the most part. Most of the episode was just pure fun and that easily outweighs the parts that I don’t prefer. Happily, those parts were small compared to the rest. As always, I loved the episode as a whole.
Until next week my friends. Aloha. Malama Pono.
All screencaps are mine unless otherwise noted!
Hawaii Five-0 Kool-Aid 
I’m in about the same place as you are, Linda. This episode was a mixed bag for me. I’m really weary of the “Adam” story line — I guess it all goes back to my original take that he should be no more than a “friend & consultant” to 5-0. We gotta get closure on this and move on. I’d much rather be following the development of an emerging threat by Lady Wo Fat ! They gave us a tease weeks ago, but nothing since.
I don’t mean to be “sour grapes” — despite all the above, I was still into the entire 60 minutes. Our show is special, and I cannot wait for Friday nites !
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I agree Dan. I really thought, when we met Mrs. Fat, that she’d be an ongoing nemesis throughout the season. As you say, we were introduced to her rather dramatically then… nothing. Peter Lenkov said we’re going to be visiting the mysteries of the Champ Box as the season closes. Since WoFat was a big part of the original McGarrett mythology, it would be logical that Mrs. Fat will be seen again. I’m looking forward to that.
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I liked it and didn’t like. You know the scene in which Jr and Tani came in and Danny said “I’ve been sleeping in your bed!”, I think Danny’s part was film separate from the scene and sliced in. In that one scene Adam almost looked like a little boy facing dad or principal. I am also liked that the scene in car didn’t go on for a long time. I really don’t “seeing” people roll around in bed, it just throws the stories off. In the next one Danny was saying squirrels and of course Hawaii don’t have squirrels, but the Big Island have something that looks like a weasel, but that isn’t what they are, they low to grown and live under house and in the woods. Normally they are brown, but the one behind the library is or was white, four legs and long tails and are low to ground. It is 8.00 am here on the Big Island with a hint of chill in the air. Aloha.
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I enjoyed the episode!
I particularly loved all the McDanno time in this one…and seeing Danny in the past 5 episodes as well! I like the thought that most of Scott’s off time this season was in the first half, and we are getting quite a run of episodes with a ton of McDanno all in a row now. There will probably be at least one more Danny-less ep to get through, but I’m hoping he’ll be in both 21 and 22 to finish the season out strong.
Always enjoy Harry! He’s so charming and always brings some fun with him! I don’t think he ended up having as much fun as usual (he seemed a little nonplussed over losing his $10,000,000 nest egg! Can’t say I blame him!)
The COTW was fun. Yes, it was a tad predictable, but still enjoyable to watch Steve, Danny and Lou “detecting” (hey, they never even shot a bullet this week!). And yes, I did think of Jessica Fletcher, too!
Of course, like everyone else, I adored the reunion of ReiRey! It was perfect! Sweet, and loving. I really hope this romance gets to make it to the finish line!
Oh, Adam. If you have been running this op by yourself, you really have a lot to learn about trust and teamwork. How can you not know that your Ohana would have your back through this whole apparent operation to wipe out Kenji and his crew! What is the Yakuza holding over Adam’s head? Is he trying to protect the whole H50 team? Is he still protecting Yamiko (who we haven’t seen or heard about since her father was killed)? Or is it perhaps…Kono…that Adam is protecting? Wouldn’t that be a twist? Perhaps she’s been kidnapped while on the Mainland doing her thing, and Adam is being blackmailed with her life? Well, you never know. With this show, anything is possible, right? LOL!
We’re getting near the end of the season (I just can’t believe it!) and soon we need to wind up for the finale! Peter has been dropping hints right and left – we know we’ll be returning to the Champ box and re-examining WoFat and Mrs. WoFat. Gotta admit, I’m really ready to dive back into the McGarrett family saga (now that Doris the Influencer is gone)!
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That’s the thing about this Adam story that has bugged me from the beginning. How many time have we heard bad guys over the last decade say some variation of “no cops or she dies”? And how many times has that threat ever worked? Adam should know his Ohana would have his back 110%. He’s close with Danny. Steve’s had his back numerous times over the years. He’s in Tani’s debt for saving Koa. They would all knock themselves out to be there for him. This has never made any sense.
And, as I was discussing on Twitter on Friday night, it doesn’t make sense dramatically either. Think how much more drama there would be if the team knew what was going on, but couldn’t reach out and help him without the risk of blowing his cover. The angst of them watching him in possible danger and not being able to help would have really ratcheted up the tension and drama. Alas… missed opportunities.
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I have to say I liked the episode a lot. My favorite was the murder mystery. I suspected Suzanne right from the start but I didn’t know her assistant was in on it. But I guess he would have to be as he gave her an alibi. And I am so thrilled that Danny has been in the last few episodes. And again next week. I am in complete heaven. Can it get any better than that! And, of course, I always like to see Harry. But, I agree, it did not seem like the story was needed. At least Junior and Tani got a chance to work together. I liked that part of it. Those two are always a treat. I am so sick of Adam’s storyline. And what happened to his girlfriend. We haven’t seen her lately. I would like it to end. I also don’t think Adam should be on the task force. He’s okay as a consultant but nothing more. Well, hopefully it will end soon. I am anxiously waiting until next week. Thank you for the review.
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Great review! Absolutely loved Tani & Junior’s reunion-seeing them make out in the back of the car was just great,although a bit unexpected! It will be interesting to see how the rest of the team reacts to the status of their relationship. It was fun to see Harry again, but I didn’t really understand why he was there-I actually thought he would be working with Steve & Danny on the book murder mystery. Speaking of that, I had a feeling that Suzanne was in on the crime, but I didn’t connect Kevin to it until Steve found Suzanne in the tub and I saw the open spot in the tiles above her. I loved seeing Steve, Danny & Lou break it all down in front of her & Kevin-the look on their faces was as good as a confession. Now on to Adam-that scene with Steve left me somewhat confused and I certainly hope that next week is the final chapter in this story,which has gone on much too long for my liking. Could it be possible that Steve knew about the whole thing all along? If so, he & Adam both have some explaining to do to the team. To me, it would have made much more sense to have the team know what was going on,but be unable to help for fear of blowing Adam’s cover. I definitely didn’t like seeing those ninjas heading to Adam’s apartment-looks like he could be a sitting duck!
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It was a cute episode, a complete filler. Makes me wonder about the intensity of the upcoming last few episodes. I still can’t believe we’ll only have 22 of them.
I love Harry and what he brings to the show and to the team. Other than being his usual, handsome, debonair, adorable self, and telling Steve he wasn’t interested in joining the team, I really can’t figure why he was there. JLopie thought he was nonplussed about losing $10 million but I thought otherwise. I think he took it rather well. Regardless, it’s always a welcomed treat to have Chris share the screen with the team. Oh, Meghan’s fiance is adorable!
The cotw was ok, again, cute, a filler, easy to figure, nothing spectacular.
Can’t add anything regarding Adam except to echo everyone’s sentiments of can’t wait for it be over. But I do want to know how the set didn’t spontaneously combust with all hotness of Steve/Adam and their intense looks!
Love Rei/Rey and glad they “connected” but don’t want to see Rei leaving Steve’s nest just yet.
Thanks for another great review! Have a great week all!
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Hello!
Thank you for capping Gabe. Wasn’t Jack a delight? I don’t watch H50 but I wanted to see him. Gabe was a fun mix of every character Jack has played and is really known for: Cameron (Deception), Cooper Barrett (Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life), and Rufus (Kingsman: The Secret Service).
May I post your caps of Jack and one of Meaghan Rath on tumblr with credit to your blog? Nobody is posting anything of Jack from the ep.
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Hello and welcome to the blog. I’m glad you enjoyed the episode and hopefully, you liked it enough to give the rest of the series a try. I’m obviously bias, but I think you’d enjoy the whole lot if you gave it a try. Feel free to go back and read the blog from the beginning (if you have a LOT of time on your hands, that is! LOL). I didn’t start with season one but I’ve reviewed every episode since the Season 5 premiere.
Of course you can post pictures of Jack (or any other pictures you may like) from here to your tumbler page. I’d appreciate a plug for the blog. All these positive comments are wonderful to see. Thanks again and welcome!
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Dear Linda,
thank you so much for your great reviews. Germany is far behind as we are just at the beginning of season 10. I alway enjoy your poit of view of the stories. Pleas, please keep up your great work. Mahalo. Greetings from Germany
Bernadette
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Welcome! I still find it fascinating that people from countries where the episodes haven’t aired yet read this blog before they get to see the episodes. Blows my mind and can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. ♥♥♥
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Thank you so much for your great reviews. I enjoy them very much especially because we are at the begin of season 10 and I won’t be able to watch the later episodes for a long time. Mahalo for the opportunity to learn how the storylines continue. Have a great week and take care.
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Sorry, for the “double” post … worldpress didn’t cooperate at some point *lol*. I never know when I will get the opportunity to watch the English version. Aftr reading your reviews I know the storylines and can spot where and when the German dubbing is that bad that it distorts the stories. Aloha!
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Harry I like but really they did not give him nothing to do. Tani and Junior really do your business not in the car but your place either of you.
Less Steve and Danny. Miss that. McDanno makes the show IMHO.
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