Hi everyone. You’d think after being in self-impose exile for the last two weeks I’d have all the time in the world to get this review done on time. I’d like to say it’s still so late because I was swamped with meaningful activities like mega-spring house cleaning, outside gardening or awe-inspiring craft projects that monopolized all my time.
I’d like to say that. But, truth be told, I just couldn’t seem to get myself to write. With what’s going on in the world right now, all the fear and the uncertainty, my head has been all over the place. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s downright terrified about what’s going on and all the implications of it. Sleeping has become a precious commodity; one I’m not enjoying a lot of these days.
In times of stress, I cling to the things that give me pleasure. That take my mind off troubling thoughts and offer relief and escape to more pleasant and happy ones. For the last ten years, one of those things has been Hawaii Five-0. So, it’s been incredibly hard, especially now when we need it the most, to come to grips with the fact that after this episode there is only one episode left. My eyes fill with tears just typing those words. Only one episode left! Hold me….. 😭😭
Lincoln Cole – how I would have liked to know you better: Even though I really like actor Lance Gross, I was very ready to not like Lincoln Cole. Knowing this character was probably destined to be part of Five-0 in Season 11 and possibly a replacement for Steve as team leader, made it very easy to go into this episode ready to find everything wrong with him that I could.
But, I honestly couldn’t find one thing wrong with this character. Not in the way Lance played him, which was awesome from start to finish, nor in the way the character was written. Naturally, there’s no way he’d have ever been a legitimate replacement for Steve McGarrett, but as a character in his own right, he would have been a great addition to the team if we’d gotten another season.
There are a lot of similarities between Steve and Cole. They have both faced very personal losses on the battlefield. The last, most traumatic of those causing them both to choose to come to Hawaii. For Steve it was Freddie’s death followed by, within days, his father’s murder, the latter of which, brought him home. For Cole, the deaths of members of his team which he feels responsible for. Steve lived with the guilt of leaving Freddie behind for years. The guilt Cole is feeling is something very similar.
Steve may not have run away like Cole did but, as we’re finally seeing now, he really hasn’t dealt with his many personal losses in a constructive way. He’s thrown himself into his work, into the life and the Ohana he’s built around himself, compartmentalized and soldiered on. But he’s never really taken the time to ever fully deal with it all. Other than the weekend he and Danny had on Maui for “couples therapy”, have we ever seen him take any time away to decompress in the least?
The closest we ever came to seeing Steve deal with the traumas was one scene where he attended a PTSD group therapy session where he spoke about Freddie and how that loss affected him. There have been many more losses and, obviously, majorly significant ones, in his life since then. Even though I’m someone who never felt that a full-blown PTSD storyline was feasible for the show, it is unfortunate that scene ended up on the cutting room floor all those years ago.
The scene between Steve and Cole in rendition was incredible. To extremely strong actors giving good material their all was incredible to watch. The heart-to-heart really went a long way in not only understanding Cole but also showed how these two really could have been kindred spirits. When Steve said that Cole “didn’t mind” being in the dark hole of rendition because after Kirkuk “you put yourself there”, Cole’s response of “you know, something tells me I could say damn near the same thing about you” showed that, even on extremely short acquaintance, these two totally got each other.
It’s really a damn shame we couldn’t have met Cole sooner and been introduced to him under different circumstances, without the whole “maybe he’s going to be the new team leader” thing hanging over his head. He’s strong, committed, well trained, loyal and very brave. Danny was 100% right. Going alone to surrender himself to save the woman and her son is exactly something Steve would do.
I don’t know what made TPTB decide to end the series now and, of course, I’m heartbroken that’s the decision they reached. But I honestly think they could have gone on another season with Lincoln Cole. A reboot of the reboot, so to speak. Would it have lasted? I don’t know. I do know there are a lot of people who would have given up on the show if there was no Alex/Steve and/or no Scott/Danny.
I wouldn’t have given up. I would’ve been there because of my love for all the characters on this show, for the joy of seeing Hawaii on my screen every week, and my curiosity at how this character would have worked. Would it have been “must-see TV” for me, like it is now? Of course, there’s no way of knowing that, but I doubt it. But I still would have watched. It really is a shame we won’t get that chance.
Oh Steve: I know there’s been a ton of discussions on Twitter since the episode aired about what’s going on with Steve and I really hope some of those discussions will migrate here because I’d love to hear everyone’s viewpoint on it. I know a lot of folks are not at all happy with the direction his story seems to be going. I’m really trying to do what I always do, even though I know it annoys the hell out of some people and try to take a more positive approach. The only thing that truly bothered me a lot, was Tani’s remark.
The idea that Steve wouldn’t have the backs of his team is simply ludicrous. I don’t know who was responsible for penning that line of dialog but no matter who it was, they need to be horsewhipped. I understand the need to quick track this mood of Steve’s and the team beginning to notice a change in him but to question his ability to back up his team is just dead wrong.
I would have been totally fine with Tani, Junior and, of course, Danny noticing a change in Steve. Danny has already mentioned it to him. How he’s noticed he’s not sleeping and Steve’s admission that he’s had a lot on his mind.
Hell, if we go back and re-watch the episodes since Doris died, we can see the subtle changes as well. The fight with Cole isn’t the first fight we’ve seen lately where Steve didn’t have the upper hand.
Again, going back and re-watching the episodes, Alex’s acting has been superb. He’s been playing Steve as moving toward burn-out so artfully it was extremely easy to overlook even if it was just the way Steve’s been looking more and more tired since Doris died. I honestly don’t think it was anything actually written into the scripts either. If (and of course we don’t know for sure) Alex made his decision that this was his last season a long time ago, he himself was bringing this “feeling” to his performance, adding this layer of depth to bring us to this final arc.
When Danny admitted that after doing the job for ten years, a cop can get burned out and “lose reaction time”, Tani should have expressed her concern. But her concern should have been solely for Steve, not for his capacity to protect his team. She’s been there long enough to know, even with his dying breath, Steve would do everything in his power to protect his team. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we eventually hear Steve say something to that effect. “I need to straighten out my head, Danny, so I can be there for my team and Hawaii”, or something like that.
For me, being the McDanno lover that I am, I’m totally thrilled it’s Danny Steve’s opening up to. Who else could it be, honestly? It’s always been Danny who’s been there for Steve through every trauma he’s endured and vice versa. It’s Danny who’s been there from the very first day Steve arrived back in Hawaii. These two share a bond that can not be broken no matter what should happen in the finale next week.
I refuse to believe even distance could break the bond between them. Even if Steve does leave the island to try to regain some of the balance he feels he’s lost, in my heart I know he’ll go back. We, unfortunately, won’t be there to see it (unless the gods smile down on us and give us a movie someday) but in my heart, they will grow old together, drinking Longboards, on the beach.
I can see why some people feel this “burn out” arc for Steve is out of the blue, but I keep reminding myself that, originally, these last two episodes were supposed to be the “season” finale, not the “series” finale. I saw someone say (sorry, I can’t remember who it was) that if the show had been renewed, the season might have ended the way Season 7 did. When we saw Kono leaving to go to the mainland. We could have seen Steve leaving and, like with Kono, not found out he wasn’t coming back until the beginning of the new season. But a door could have still remained open. With Alex living on Oahu, it’s possible Steve could have come back, even if it was only for the real series finale, whenever that would have been.
But for now, they needed to find a way for Steve to leave (if in fact that’s what happens next week) without animosity or, God forbid, death so that possible return could happen someday. This “burn out” arc seems like a decent way to do it because it means it’s by Steve’s own decision, not something he’s being forced into. Again, if that’s what happens next week.
It also seems to mirror Alex as well. I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt that many of the words coming out of Steve’s mouth could very well be mirroring what Alex himself could have been feeling. He too hit the ground running ten years ago as Steve McGarrett, and he too has devoted his life, heart, soul and body to this job for those ten years. He’s always said he’s felt a huge responsibility to the show, the cast, the crew and all the livelihoods dependent on it. Steve’s words about protecting everyone except for himself could very well be exactly Alex’s feelings as well. Not a regret for the time spent, just time to think about what he wants to do from now on.
Steve’s feeling that he needs to get away for a bit actually doesn’t seem completely out of character to me. After all, he’s gone off on his own without Danny or the team before. To find WoFat, to bring back Freddie’s body (Catherine was Navy then, not on the team), when Joe took him to find Doris, to Montana, to Mexico. It’s not out of character for Steve to go off on his own for missions he feels only he can do alone without the team. So for him to feel he needs to go off alone to clear his head doesn’t seem that far-fetched to me.
That this was meant as a season finale which, again, could have left a door open, makes it feel, to me, that this isn’t Steve turning his back on Danny or the team. It’s not Steve leaving Danny behind, forgetting all they’ve shared or abandoning his desire that they be together always. It’s just him needing a bit of time away to work things out. If this really were the season finale, I don’t think people would be so upset. Of course, I could be wrong about that.
But, we haven’t seen the end yet. We won’t know how it’s all going to end until next week. Who knows? Maybe Danny’s brush with death will change Steve’s mind to a certain extent. My mind keeps going to their discussion on the beach. It seems funny to me that Peter and David would have written the whole “go to Jersey” thing. Of course, it could just be a throw back to a cargument they had ten years ago about vacationing in Jersey (when Steve said people in Jersey came to Hawaii for vacation but it didn’t happen the other way around and Danny got “all Jersey up in this piece” and started rattling off great Jersey singers) or could it be something else?
Danny has been back to Jersey dozens of times over the years. He went back after Matt died. When his father had surgery. After his ordeal in Cambodia. After he almost died being shot in isolation. Even more times just because Scott had the week off. 😉 From what we’ve seen of the finale, he’s going to have yet another brush with death. Doesn’t it seem logical that he’d head back to Jersey for a bit again? Is it so hard to believe that maybe… just maybe… they’d go there together?
Ok…ok… I’m grasping at straws here, but we have no idea what’s going to happen in the finale other than we know Steve is leaving. We don’t know how it will be done. As always, it’s a wait and see proposition. I really can’t be angry about an ending I haven’t seen yet.
So, I’m going to keep an open mind and see where this final journey leads me. For the most part, in these long ten years, there have been significantly less things that I’ve disliked than things I’ve loved. I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that there are probably going to be some things (or at least one thing) I know I’m not going to like in this finale but I also know that this show has given me more pleasure and more fun than any show I can remember in my life.
Am I going to like the finale? Probably not. Not because of the story. Not because of any actor. Not because of how a story is written or some dialog I may not like. I’m not going to like the finale because it’s the finale. A finale I’m still not prepared to see nor one I thought I’d have to see for a long time. I have no doubt it will be well written. I have no doubt it will be expertly acted. I have no doubt it will be a fitting end to a wonderful series, no matter the differing opinions it’s sure to cause. I’m not going to like that I have to say goodbye, no matter how good it is. That’s just a fact.
One more week. Like always, we’ll get through it together. Aloha. Malama Pono
Hawaii Five-0 Kool-Aid 
Ditto. I also noticed that Danny isn’t as “buttoned up” as he usually is. Maybe he is feeling the burnt out, too.
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It wouldn’t be surprising if he was, Robin. For all the trauma Steve’s been through in his life, so has Danny, going all the way back to his childhood when his best friend Billy Selway died trying to save Danny’s life. He helplessly watched as his partner Grace was murdered right in front of him. Grace was kidnapped, 3 years of his son’s life were stolen from him and once he found out about him, he had to donate his bone marrow to save his life. He lost Matt, he’s almost lost Steve numerous times, going so far as to donate a piece of of himself yet again, to save him. He’s been poisoned, shot numerous times, and was left to die a vicious death in a Colombian prison. I could go on and on.
H50 has always been Steve’s story but we can’t forget that Danny has been through the wringer more than once during the last 10 years as well.
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Maybe Lincoln & Steve both have “survivor’s guilt”. I think that the show if/when it had to end should go out on a high note, which it is. I hope maybe Lincoln Cole will maybe go on Magnum P.I & maybe Quinn will too. I wonder if Alex has a new love-writing/directing? I will be sad to see H50 end, but I guess it had to end some day.
I live in upstate NY & the beauty of Hawaii always provided me a warm climate to watch during the winter. Now with virus fears, NY State is kind of a pariah as we have more cases because of the huge population in NYC. Stay safe out there & God Bless all my fellow bloggers.
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We’ll for sure be seeing H50 characters on Magnum but I tend to think it will be the ones we’ve already seen. Noelani, Kame, and Duke for sure. Maybe Flippa. All those actors live there so being on Magnum would be easy. I’m not sure about anyone else.
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I am keeping an open mind as well. But I do not understand why she has to come back. From what we know it is one scene for what purpose exactly? I feel Steve running off with Doris 2.0 will ruin everything. If not for that one scene I would be fine with how it ends because I know Steve would return in a few months. As for Tani she is getting on my last nerves. After all Steve has done for her to talk behind his back and gossip about him. I don’t know and then yelling at Junior about breakfast she is not my favorite at the moment. She really needs to apologize to Steve of course still waiting on the apology for hiding Adam’s gun from him but I digress
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I reconciled myself to the fact that she’d be back in the series finale a long time ago. Of course, I assumed that would be a long time from now, but I fully expected she’d be there at the end. I really don’t want her there either, of course. I’d be perfectly happy if she’d fall off the face of the earth for good but if she must be force fed to us, yet again, I’m hoping they stick to them as being friends. If she’s there to help Steve solve a last mystery I’m ok with that. I also find it hard to believe that in the middle of everything that looks to be happening in one 42 minute episode, with Danny being taken and seriously injured, to Steve’s emotional goodbyes to his Ohana and Eddie, he’s going to have romance on his mind. At least I hope he doesn’t.
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Great review as usual! You nailed the similarities between Steve & Lincoln perfectly! Have to say that I didn’t like Tani’s remark very much-she should know that Steve would be there for them, no matter what! My question has more to do with the cipher Doris sent Steve-does it have anything to do with the case Steve’s father left unsolved? We will find out for sure in the series finale-still have a hard time believing that!
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I think that cipher will be a means to an end with regard to Steve’s dad. Peter DID say we’d learn all the secrets of the Champ box in the finale. That makes it sound like the cipher helps solve the mystery not become a mystery of it’s own.
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Hi Linda,
I don’t think I could have watched the show go on without Alex and Scott. I have nothing against Lincoln Cole and think he would make a great addition to the team, but replace Steve, no not for me. I was able to let Kono and Chin go and still watch the show as I always did, even though I loved both of them as well. But, Steve or Danny gone, just would not be the same. From the very first scenes of them together this has been their show and the success of it. I am grateful for the 10 years. I understand wanting to do something different, just because it may be an actor does not mean that it can’t happen to them. I respect their decisions for themselves and their families. As I said before I’m sure there was more than one reason the show is ending and we won’t know why. This was an escape and with everything that is going on this probably hurts even more, but we will survive.
I always thought that Steve should be showing some sort of PTSD, with all that he has been through, and why they did not show something sooner always puzzled me.
I hate that it comes at the ending of the show, but that is what is happening. I certainly hope we do get a movie, to close things out further and that the actors would be willing to do that. I guess I will just put it on my wish list. I read that Peter Lenkov said to someone on twitter that the ending would make us cry. No matter how it ends I will cry because its the end, but I too, hope its not by death.
Please everyone stay healthy and listen to the health experts.
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Ahh Lincoln we barely knew ya.
I was ready and willing to watch this episode and hate Lincoln. Like you, I couldn’t. Did they write him as a McGarrett clone? Yes. Did they make his former commander (Chuck Norris) a Marine version of Joe White? Yes. But Lincoln proved himself to be a worthy clone and isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Yes. And who better to model themselves after than Lt.Cdr. Steven J. McGarrett. No one that I can think of. He would have been a nice fit for the team.
My anger/frustration at this episode came from Tani. After 3 years you’d think she would know Steve better than to even question whether or not he’d not have someone he love’s back? After what he did for her? I guess the writers were grasping at straws when they wrote it. Just a very strange turn of events and enough said.
I’m numb thinking about next week. After hearing Steve’s comments about not being sure about growing old and watching sunsets with Danny just gave me such an empty feeling. I’ve been hearing about a certain appearance by someone and how the EP is saying that he’s hoping everyone will have something to be happy about with the ending just sort of cements my dread. Endgame and all that. But …
Steve needs to finally go and take care of himself, with Danny by his side (and I’m a McDannoer but in a “Grumpy Old Men” scenario and nothing more). Like Steve said he doesn’t need another mystery to solve. So my wish is that with the Champ box mystery solved, Mrs. Wo Fat dead, the cypher transcribed and Danny needing some serious downtime himself, the show will end on the high note and with the ending that this hero and the actors so well deserve.
I’m going to miss the show, miss the beautiful location, miss the fun.
Stay safe everyone, be careful.
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I’ve heard those same things and my evil mind keeps hoping the episode runs too long and they’re forced to cut off the last scene for time. The episode would then end with that hug between Steve and Danny on the beach and that character and her scene could be relegated to the cutting room floor where she belongs.
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I love that thinking!
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It seems that Steve is indeed going through some things right now. I guess it has been building for awhile. I’m glad that Danny is there for him. It would be great if he and Danny went off to Jersey together. Mom Williams could make him some of her famous lasagne and nurse him back to health. Steve, of course, will always have his teammates backs. There is no doubt of that. I loved seeing Chuck Norris in his part. And Lincoln Cole was s great character too. He and Steve really did understand each other. Alex is a great actor. Yesterday I saw a repeat of the Criminal Minds episode that Alex was in. Only Alex could make you love a serial killer. His interactions with that little boy were heartwarming. I love Danny but the show could not go on without Alex. He is the leader and no one could take his place. Scott could do it for a while but with the understanding that Alex would be back. Alex and Scott make this show. Their interactions are the glue that holds it together. No matter how it ends, I will always believe that it will be Mcdanno forever.
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I had never heard of Alex before the pilot of H50. But in the week after the pilot aired, I spent hours scouring the internet for everything Alex had done up to that point. The first thing I found were episodes of Moonlight on YouTube. I watched about 2 episodes before I ran over to Amazon to order the DVD. The next thing I found was his Criminal Minds episode. You’re right. I was absolutely amazed at the way he made me empathize with a serial killer. He is a truly amazing actor.
I also agree that Lincoln could never replace Steve. I think I did say that above. But to be clear, I think the show could have been renewed with Cole as the new leader of Five-0, a role he would have to carve out and make his own. For both Cole and Lance. Not as a replacement but as a new character with the responsibility to try to make it his own. I think he could have made a go of it. I have no idea if it would have succeeded.
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I hope Danny doesn’t die and Steve leaves to take him back to Jersey to his final resting place. 😰
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I love that way of tinking!
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Great review, Linda!
I’m not ready for the last episode but I guess I could never be. I will miss the show a lot. But I have a theory or probably it’s more wishful thinking for the last scenes:
Steve is ready to leave Hawaii. He says goodbye to everyone and heads to the airport. After boarding the plane he sees Catherine who is coincidentally on the same flight. He talks to her, tells her what happened and because of that he realizes that he actually can’t leave the island without Danny. He exits the plane to head back to his house where Danny is sitting on the beach exactly where Steve left him a few hours ago. Then there is this cute hug and that’s it.
Probably it won’t happen but I still hope that the McDanno hug is the last scene..
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I’m for any scenario which ends with Steve and Danny together in that hug on the beach and Catherine heading off to God knows where alone. That would totally work for me. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s going to happen either.
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Hello Linda 🙂 Before I start, please, excuse any mistakes as this is not my first language. And please accept my apologies because once I start to write, I tend to write a lot (probably too much). So I´m sorry that you all will probably have to scroll down a lot 🙂
First, for a long time I was kind of a silent reader and observer on almost every social media, so I never commented on anything (but of course I had to read all the comments :-)). This blog was no exception till today. Now I feel that it is the right time to post my own comment here, because with all that stuff that is going on around us and worldwide right now I think it is more important than ever to say out loud things like “thank you” etc. And honestly I am also not sure if I will be able to do so after the finale airs (depends on the content of that last episode). So, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for every single one review of H50 that you have written and I had the pleasure to read. I really, really appreciate them so much.
To be honest, my typical week usually had these three light points. First, new episode of Supernatural (when it aired on Thursdays), then the new episode of H50 on Fridays resp. on Saturdays´mornings in my country, and then your brand new review whenever you had time to post it. I often even stopped working (if I could at the moment), when I found out that you have posted new review. I just had to read it immediately. I don´t know but you seem to be one kind, lovely, positive-minded person and it has always been a pleasure to read your thoughts. It has always been like a balm to my fan´s heart, nowadays even more than ever. So once again, big thank you for everything!
And to the episode resp. Steve´s storyline. From my own experience I understand the feeling that sometimes it seems that the only solution is to leave. But I also know that it is nothing but running and hiding, let´s say “fear in disguise”. Of course, not every time, but most of the time – it is actually not solving anything. And if so, then only temporarily, but not at all in a long-term way.
No matter how much we try, everywhere we go, we bring our problems, our demons and painful memories with us, because like it or not it is what formed us, it is a part of us. And after all, these issues will finally find us and haunt us for so long until we are somehow ready and decide to face them. At least that´s the way I see it. And as Steve said by himself, the restaurant, the dates – it was only distraction that did not help him at all.
So – changing location (and hand in hand with that also comes changing people) is what, not just another distraction? Then why does he expect that it is going to be different and it will help him this time? Maybe it could help get him some perspective – and that´s all. The leaving for good is not a solution in this particular case. He will need to face everything someday anyway. I understand that they needed a way to end Steve´s storyline but this doesn´t seem right at the moment. PTSD, okay, logical, take some time off, understandable. But this just sounded like leaving the island forever and the way they delivered it does not work for me.
When Danny asked if Steve´s done with the job and everything and Steve responded “I don´t know… Maybe.” – it was so obvious from his body language and facial expression (plus he was not able to look Danny in the eye at all while saying that) that Steve KNOWS very well. Or in better words, he already knew some time ago that he is done, but he was and right now still is only afraid to admit it and to say it out loud. Here I´m not sure if he is afraid to admit it to himself or to Danny or probably both. And another Danny´s question “When?” with Steve´s answer “Soon.” God, if my (probably) closest person did not bother to share his intentions with me even when I say that I´m here for him anytime and try to discuss his issues and then just suddenly one day he is going to say he decided to leave soon, I would probably be very heartbroken and kind of disappointed by our friendship.
If I remember, Steve himself was mad not with Danny´s plan to retire and start a restaurant itself like with the fact that Danny did not share his intentions with him and he only found out about his plan to retire in the future by accident. So for me it´s hard to believe that Steve is doing the exact same thing right now to his partner. That´s why I´m curious if it will affect somehow Danny´s attitude to Steve or not in the beginning of the next episode. And not to criticise everything I have to say at least thanks to that scene we got another perfect acting (if that was even acting…) and beautiful McDanno moment with this unforgettable “You´re my Danno” line.
What also surprised me was the part of the fandom stating that they have seen this coming since the beginning of S10. Danny did notice only weeks ago that something has changed with Steve, Steve himself admitted that it is kind of recent issue, but some people knew since the first ep of this season. Wow. Yes, Steve/Alex looks tired, no doubt. But this? Not so sure. In my opinion there were these hints that it was Danny who was not himself at all since this season´s first episode. Sure, Steve has been through some horrible things, both of them were, but still, it was Danny who showed signs of personal issues that he is trying to hide and refusing to discuss long-term (which is so not okay considering his sharing personality) and that´s what should escalate into something like that.
At least it would be more logical to me. But instead it´s suddenly Steve. Okay, if they had to go this way with his character, then I can´t help myslef, this whole “Steve´s burned-out and done with this job” idea should have been built up differently, not in the last three episodes ever. But obviously this is a point of view, maybe I´m not so sensitive as I thought.
The only hope I have right now is that the fear of losing Danny for good is going to change his mind and he won´t leave. Not that I believe it, but I would be so relieved if that happened. Well, thank god for imagination and fanfiction.
I rather stop writing because I could go on and on and this post is going to be longer than your whole review, soon 🙂 If you managed to read it to the end I really appreciate that. And if possible, have a nice day and take care of yourself!
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Well, hello there! I’m so glad you decided to post a comment for the first time and please don’t apologize for the length. Since you say you’ve been reading these reviews all along (God bless you for that) you know that brevity is not my strong suit either! I’m so happy to hear I play a small part in making your weekends pleasant. I really appreciate you coming and reading every week.
I think there have been hints all season about the change in Steve’s demeanor. Going back and rewatching the episodes I did notice some very subtle changes in the way Alex played the part. As I said above, I don’t believe it was anything that written in actual scripts, but something Alex was doing himself to possible slowly bring Steve to this point. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 so perhaps I’m only seeing it now because of where the story is right now.
I agree with you and a person can’t run away from their problems because no matter where you go those problems will still be part of you. But I don’t think it’s a “problem” that Steve is running from. Actually, I don’t believe it really is even “running”. I just think he’s exhausted. Yeah, it’s been a very hard year but it’s been a very hard life all along leading up to the year.
I think he just wants to go clear his head, work through all the losses and recharge his batteries at bit. In my heart’s imagination, once he feels better, once he comes to terms with everything that’s happened in his life, he’ll go home. He might never be ready to go back to Five-0, but I feel he will go home. Like you said, that’s what we have fan fiction for.
Thank you again for the great comment. It means a lot to me that you’ve been such a fan of the blog for so long, Take care and be safe.
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Got home a bit earlier than expected so I got to see this one (and binge the ones I’ve missed) still a bit jet lagged – Seatac very quiet, more traffic than I expected, but now hunkered down and staying busy in the garden. Still trying to get my head around it all. Cole was pretty awesome- he would have made a good addition. I’ve seen a lot of comments saying he should have been brought in earlier and I agree. Not really liking the drift of Steve’s mood. How they’ll fit everything in next week in just 42 minutes I don’t know. No way it won’t seem rushed……..kinda dreading it. The comment from Iveta was very nice. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who read but never comment. Stay safe……hugs and thank yous
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I am so grateful for everyone who reads this blog, even if they don’t care to comment. Not everyone likes to put their thoughts and words out there. It’s just not everyone’s thing. Just the fact they read it at all has blown my mind all these years. I get all kinds of “good job” tweets on Twitter and kudos and comments on the H50hana Facebook from people who don’t comment here. I humbly appreciate it all.
As for fitting everything in the last 42 minutes, yeah, that’s going to be hard. But, there won’t be a separate crime of the week, for sure. It will be all hands on deck, including Lincoln, for the one story of the episode, which will be Danny being taken and everyone’s fight to get him back. I’m actually looking forward to that part of the episode, as I would if this were a normal season finale. It looks to be so intense, full of action and angst and excitement and, of course, the entire Ohana working together. Just what we love H50 for. It’s the last minutes of the episode I am dreading.
I know every single actor (including, of course, Eddie) are going to be bringing their A+ game to those last scenes….scenes where Steve is bidding farewell to his beloved Ohana, especially whatever is going to be said between him and Danny. I’m pretty sure those last scenes are going to totally destroy me.
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I’m sorry for the length of this post. It’s like I’m trying to make up for the times I didn’t post, but this might be my last one so I guess I need to say some of this. I think we’re drawn to blogs and sites that we share similar views with, and I have enjoyed this site. After being on several sites over the past few years this was the most positive site. I could tell you had fun on your trips to Hawaii and meeting other fans. I’ve also read some of your reviews and posts from previous season episodes and they seem to mirror some of the thoughts I had about the show. I usually just read and occasionally post, but I don’t usually have to because I tend to agree with everyone on here. Thank you, Linda, for giving me this fun site. Unless we’re argumentative people we usually choose to be on sites that share our views. Since I share most of the same views most of the posters write about, I’ve decided that to enjoy the show and however it might end I have to put things into perspective. I know I want the show to end with McDanno banter.
I’m curious to find out if the ending of this show will follow the original plans and would love to pick PL’s brain when this show ends. In the past 10 years characters have come and gone. The way they have been written has altered some of our views about the characters. One last episode revealing them in a positive light is not likely to change our views. A more positive explanatory story written in the past few years could have easily changed that. I wonder if PL expected this show to possibly end 3 to 5 years ago, which might have changed how he wanted to write this show or it’s ending. Then again, he might want to stay the course for the original storyline plans. Was there more than one plan? Has the plan changed over the past few years since the original core 4 cast members has changed? I must keep in mind that even in this day and age with the internet and various streaming sites we are able to legitimately see the first run episodes before most in other countries. I’m sure that the ending for the show something that PL feels will appeal globally to many people so that it can continue to be profitable long term. This might mean giving us an ending that most of the people on this blog would be disappointed with. I can honestly say I’m very good at forgetting something that I find unappealing and rewriting and ending in my head so I can accept that especially now with everything that is going on.
I know this post is all over the place, but I’ll finally get to Steve and Lincoln Cole. I love Cole and wish he would have been brought on earlier in the season or like they brought in Chris Vance’s Harry. He and Alex did a fine job acting with each other. He would have been a great asset and team member.
I enjoyed Danny finally saying the one thing that those closest to him should say and should have said years ago. Stop deflecting! This is a lot of Steve’s problem and the reason for his burnout. Steve is also his parents’ child so I would expect this to happen to him eventually. He didn’t hit the ground running when he got to Hawaii. Steve has been pressing on and moving forward with a purpose since John shipped him off to military school. John compartmentalized and didn’t express emotion (except for the secret time Mary saw him crying after Doris died). Doris just runs from her problems until she can no longer run and burns out. Steve is doing both. He doesn’t want to deal with his emotions, so he compartmentalizes and keeps pushing himself through his work instead of taken time off for himself as everyone keeps encouraging him to do. He loves taking care of everyone else so that he doesn’t have to face his own problems. Now it’s finally to a point that he can’t escape from them anymore.
Finally, I remember 10 years ago when my sister tried to get me to watch some of Alex’s other work and I wasn’t interested. I told her that as a kid I watched reruns of the original H50 and that I would give it a try. I knew I was in when I saw Scott Caan. I was a fan from the first time I saw him acting with Jake Busey in Enemy of the State. I loved their banter because it reminded me of the Lethal Weapon, Miami Vice, Starsky and Hutch, and Simon and Simon vibes I watched growing up. It still does. I wanted to thank you for having one of the few sites that appreciates Scott Caan and Danny.
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Thank you so much for your comment. I have to agree with you in your comparison between Steve, John and Doris and how Steve hit the ground running the day his father shipped him off to military school.
Steve has been compartmentalizing and deflecting forever. He learned it at John’s elbow even before he was sent away. He admitted as much to Danny way back in Agnes’s apartment. “The McGarrett men are different”. They don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves, they don’t show emotion. Military school, Annapolis, BUDs, SEALs… cemented it all in place. “The only way out is through”.
As for Doris… as you say… she’s been running for decades. She also admitted it to Steve years ago. She ran because she couldn’t face him with the truth. A truth we’ve never learned, but probably will next week.
Alex himself telegraphed Steve’s possible season ending arc in the episode he wrote this year. Doris finally got to the point in her life where she’d had enough. She wanted out. “I have to get out of this life, Steve!” Naturally, she chose the worst possible way to do it, but then, Doris has never made good decisions.
Steve is at crossroads now himself. Now I’m not comparing Steve’s life in Hawaii and with Five-0 to Doris’s CIA life. I’m only saying they are similar in the fact that both have reached a point in their lives where they feel they need to step away. Doris, naturally, chose the worst possible way to try to do it. Steve simply needs some space to get his head together. Time to work things out and get his bearings back.
“This might mean giving us an ending that most of the people on this blog would be disappointed with.” That may very well be but there really isn’t anything we can do about that. The episode is written, filmed and done. It will be what it will be. I’m hoping it’s not but if it is, I’m also hoping it’s the last minute of the episode so when I go back in the future to re-watch, I’ll know exactly where to cut the play back off so I don’t have to see her face or her smirk or hear her annoying voice. I had it with that character years ago and if I’d had my way, she’d have vanished into the dusty mountains of Afghanistan 6 years ago never to be heard from again!
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