Photo Credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

“We don’t get life on our terms Danny. It’s life on life’s terms or not at all.” – Steve McGarrett

I suppose we could say the same thing about pretty much everything in life, including something as trivial and inconsequential as a TV show.  We don’t get it on our terms.  We get it on the terms of the powers that be, their story, their vision, their road on which we all travel as we enjoy what they offer us.

There are times when their terms are not to our liking.  Something we love, we don’t get enough of, to our satisfaction.  Things we would rather not see are thrust upon us to endure until they pass.  But there are times when all the stars align, and we’re given an episode which somehow manages to outshine even our most imaginative anticipation.  This is such an episode.

Photo Credit:  CBS

Written by Alex O’Loughlin…… Directed by Alex O’Loughlin…. Produced by Alex O’Loughlin…. Staring Alex O’Loughlin… this episode is a masterpiece.

I could literally stop right there.  I was saying to friends on Twitter Friday night, those who were looking forward to my take on the episode, that there was no way in hell I could ever do it justice.  Could I just write “incredible” a million times and stop?  Because that’s exactly what it was.  Absolutely incredible.

How do you highlight something that’s already glowing brightly?  I can’t say anything about Alex the Producer since I know precious little about what being a producer really entails.  But we can talk about the things that were abundantly clear.

Alex the Writer:  From the first moment we heard about this episode, way back in the early summer, pretty much everyone was beside themselves with excitement and anticipation.  Those who have followed Alex’s career for many years know that he’s dipped his toe into writing in the far past, but he’s never attempted an H50 episode before.  What story would he choose to tell?  Would it be something brand new or would he decide to delve into H50 canon?

Photo Credit:  Christine Lahti (@officialchristinelahti) on IG

Then word came that Christine Lahti would be returning as Doris and it became clear that canon it would be.  The more we heard about the episode, information from Peter Lenkov and interviews with Alex himself, the more the anticipation grew.  The man did not disappoint.

Of course, this wasn’t an original plot idea.  I remember years ago, in a creative writing class I took in college, the professor citing some (long ago forgotten by me) academic who believed there are only seven basic plots in literature and all stories are based on those plots.  I had a similar discussion on this blog a while back and went searching for who that academic might have been.  I saved the article I found at that time.

https://www.autocrit.com/blog/7-stories-world/

It’s not the originality of the plot that’s important.  It’s the way a writer weaves the story.  His personal vision of how he wants to tell his story.  And, Alex’s story was masterful.

I have been wracking my brain trying to find the best way to describe just how wonderful this story is and found myself, as I suspected I would, lacking.  Every time I started to write something I just couldn’t find the appropriate words to do it justice.  Then, while taking a break and just browsing Twitter I came across the following thread written by my friend @surfbelle2.  She managed to say exactly what I wanted to say, in a way I know I could never improve on.  So, I’m going to do something I very rarely do.  I’m printing her words here because they are absolutely perfect.  Please direct all well-deserved praise to her:

“Ultimately, I think only Alex could have written this episode and done it justice.  Not because anyone else would have lacked the skill but it’s clear, through Steve, he’s lived this relationship with Doris.  The pain of mourning her “death” then dealing with her resurrection.  Only to be abandoned and cast aside again and again while constantly hoping there was some reason, or justification, for her actions.  Trying to defend her to others or to save her from the consequences of what she had done.  I think for any other writer, especially one with understanding and affection for Steve’s character, it would have been hard to resist the urge to “fix” her for Steve.  To let her go out in a blaze of heroic glory sacrificing herself for him.

Instead, we’re treated to Alex’s truth. There could be nothing clean about her end because her life had been gritty and dirty.  She never saw what she did as harmful, even as she left a trail of pain and death in her wake, no matter if her victims were enemies or her own family.  She insinuated herself into WoFat’s family, then into John McGarrett’s life and finally into Carmen Lucia’s world.  She’s left each place a smoldering ruin.  There is no redemption for someone so oblivious to the suffering she’s caused, who thinks her “missions” justify anything.  Instead Alex gave us a just ending for her.  He left intact her professional reputation because her work had always been her driving force.  But he also showed that Steve recognized that while it was clear she wanted to love and, to the extent she was capable she did, that she was also one broken toy he could not fix.”

Thank you Belle! There is no way in hell I could have ever said that any better!

Alex the Director:  Over the years we’ve been treated to the talents of many, many fine directors.  We all have our favorites and it’s very easy to add Alex to the list.  This wasn’t his first stint in the director’s chair, but it’s the best yet.  If there was any doubt that Alex’s future, if he chooses to leave acting behind, will easily transition into directing, there shouldn’t be any doubt now.

Photo Credit:  CBS

Alex’s direction is full of originality, creativity and energy.  I loved how the story jumped from Mexico, eight weeks earlier in Oahu, then back again.  I loved the use of different color tones in the filming.  Oahu seemed even more colorful and crisp when compared to the muted, sepia inspired tones used in the South America footage.  It made those scenes feel rawer, seedier, more dangerous.

Photo Credits:  CBS

Alex’s wonderful use of camera angles and quick cuts really ratcheted up the “edge of your seat” excitement.  We’ve had cars explode and flip a zillion times, but somehow, this one was different.. better.  Maybe because it came as such a shock because we’ve never had a member of our team in an exploding car before. (If we have, I can’t remember it).  It literally made me leap out of my skin.  All the action scenes were positively stunning.  I saw several people all over social media in the days leading up to Friday say how the episode was going to be like watching a movie.  They did not lie.  Brilliant direction by Alex and exceptional work by the always exceptional stunt team.

There was also the marvelously shot scene from the interior of the pitch dark plane Steve got into in Panama.  What looked like light shining through bullet holes in the fuselage subtlety morphing into the star studded sky of Oahu was ingeniously beautiful.

But I think the best direction of the entire episode was right after Doris dies.  Alex has the camera cast everything in a blurry aura, as if Steve, evidently in shock, is seeing everything through a veil of tears.  He doesn’t really feel the presence of anyone else with him, even with the SEALs and especially Junior right there, giving him both moral and physical support.  Also, other than the extremely haunting and mournful background music, Alex chose to have not a spoken word of dialog heard.  We are experiencing everything through Steve’s eyes and through Steve’s consciousness and in those moments where Steve is completely disconnected from what’s going on around him, when his only focus is on the loss of Doris, we’re left adrift along with him.  Feeling everything he feels.  It was probably the best scene I’ve ever seen in the series to date.  If someone doesn’t submit this scene for an Emmy it will be a crime.

Alex the Actor:  Absolutely nothing written above would be relevant without Alex’s extraordinary talent as an actor.  This is no surprise to any of us, of course.  We’ve known it for years.  But this episode was the absolute pinnacle.  Alex was 100% on point every single second right from the very first scene in the parking garage when he was briefed by the CIA agent.  He went from “Oh God, what has she done now” exasperation to angered disbelief and loyalty when told Doris had killed her fellow agent in the blink of an eye.

The range of emotions in Alex’s performance was beautiful to behold.  Not only was he literally ripping my heart out in every scene, I was amazed at how he was able to convey so many different emotions seemingly simultaneously.  Confronting Doris the first time, shifting from anger at what she had done, to determination to get her out of there, to the hurt of her abandonment and what that had done to his life.  “My life was compromised the day your walked out of it”.  Ouch!

Photo Credits: CBS

But it was those last scenes that solidified Alex’s performance into what I think should be an Emmy nomination (even though I know it won’t be).  Relief that he’d found her…. Shock that she’d hold a gun on him and wondering if she’d actually pull the trigger.  Considering that she pistol whipped him earlier that wasn’t much of a stretch.  Disbelief that, after all these years and after all she’s done and people she’s hurt along the course of her life, that she’d sell out for a “I have to get out of this life” payday.  Helplessness as Carmen held Doris at gunpoint and horror watching as Carmen drove that knife up and in for the kill.

You could see it all play out on Alex’s face and your heart couldn’t help but go out to the man who listened helplessly as his father was brutally murdered, helplessly held Joe in his arms as he breathed his last and, once again, helplessly watching as his mother is murdered before his eyes.  You could see every one of those memories on his face as they played out in that moment.  Alex was magnificent.

And so was Christine!  I have never liked Doris. More times than not I have hated Doris. But I’ve always loved every single time Christine’s been on the show because she and Alex simply light up the screen together.  Their chemistry is off the charts and has been from the first time we ever met Doris all the way back at the beginning of Season 3.  I’m not sorry Doris is gone but I am sorry that it means, unless we have some flashbacks, we won’t get to see Christine again.

Junior and the SEALs:  Even without the CIA’s directive that Steve go on this mission alone, there wasn’t any way he would have allowed anyone from his team to go with him.  But I did like how he kept the lifeline open for Junior to have his back if, and only if, he was needed and only when Steve called in his help. After all these years, it was nice to see Steve admit that maybe he might just need someone to have his back even before he took off on his latest solo mission.

I liked how he did check in with the team during the operation and we got to see how being away was affecting the rest of the team.  Everyone was beside themselves with worry, especially after that car explosion in Colombia.  No one knew if he was alive or dead.  The look of incredible relief on everyone faces when they heard his voice was juxtaposed with the still extremely worried look on Danny’s face was very telling.  Danny, more than anyone else, knows that just because Steve is safe at that particular moment, he’s not going to be truly safe until he’s back home in Hawaii where he belongs.

I loved how Junior wasn’t just going to stand by and wait around for news.  Pulling all-nighters to find Steve is just what Steve would do if their positions were reversed. Remember when Junior was re-activated, (when they went to rescue Joe) and Steve called everyone he knew to find out what was going on?  They are SEALs. They leave no one behind.  They are brothers and Steve is his beloved mentor.  I would expect nothing less of Junior.  Bringing in the SEALs who were on that mission with them when they rescued Joe was inspired.

Photo Credits:  CBS

Absolutely everyone in the cast brought their A-game to this episode.  Even when they had very limited screen time, there wasn’t a wasted millisecond. Everyone did a phenomenal job.

McDanno Rules:  Alex obviously had very definite ideas of how he wanted the Doris McGarrett story to end and he obviously has very definite ideas of who should be there with Steve when it ended.  Alex has said repeatedly in interviews over the years that the most important relationship in Steve’s life is Danny.  So, of course, who else would be knocking at his hotel room door, five thousand miles from Oahu, but Danny?

But even before that.  He was so worried about Steve when he first heard of the mission he needed to remove himself from the discussion.  He knew if he allowed himself to stay part of that discussion, he’d end up in a rant born of his deep concern for Steve.  He’d go on and on about the stupidity of the mission, the idiocy of thinking he could do it alone and the inadvisability of trusting anyone associated with the CIA, in particular, Doris. Danny removed himself so Steve wouldn’t find it necessary to spend needless minutes trying to convince Danny or reassure Danny; precious minutes Steve would need to prepare for what was ahead.  The last thing Steve needed was distraction, so Danny made sure he wasn’t one.  Scott played those few minutes perfectly.

Photo Credit:  CBS

The last scene in the hotel room was gut-wrenching. The utter despondency of Steve was palpable.  It was literally jumping off the screen.  Alone…. so utterly alone.  The emotion was so raw.  He was a broken man.

When he was on the tarmac with Doris’s body and all the cars drove up with the CIA contingent, my first thought was “I hope that’s the team and Danny coming.  Steve is going to need so much support”.  When it turned out to be just the CIA, I was disappointed, although Alex made it fantastic with Steve’s reaction to the guys who dared touch her coffin.  But it wasn’t the team.  It wasn’t Danny.

As soon as I heard the knock on that hotel door, I was saying out loud “please be Danny…. please be Danny”.  So ridiculous! Of course, it was Danny.  Who else could it have possibly been? Danny has always been there for Steve. Oh, there have been others who have periodically been there along the way.  They come and they mostly go, but it’s always Danny who’s there when Steve needs him.  In his darkest hours, Danny has always been there.

I loved Alex’s ability to weave canon into Steve’s heartbreaking monologue.  A monologue that left me feeling as broken as Steve himself.  I have to admit, when he was saying how Five-0 stared with him burying John, then losing Joe and now Doris, I feared his next words were going to be “but here is where it ends”.  Even though I knew that wasn’t going to happen, Alex’s portrayal was so absorbing, it really felt like that’s where he was headed.  I couldn’t have been happier that Danny was there to be his support once again.

And leave it to Danny to inject just a touch of levity into a morose atmosphere.  The silly smile on his face when he asked if the bed was big enough for two was wonderful. And you could immediately see it did exactly what Danny hoped it do.  It didn’t lift Steve’s grief.  It didn’t make him laugh. But when Steve looked at Danny and told him he could sleep on the couch, you could see a teeny bit of lightness in his tone, in his face.  Once again, the acting brilliance of Alex, because the change was ever so subtle, but it was there.  It was there.  Just like Danny.  For Steve…. He’s always there.

Doris told Steve that the government had sucked everything good out of her life.  That may or may not have been true.  Doris had a choice.  She lived the life she chose to live.  She chose the government life over her husband and over her children. She could say, in the beginning that she “didn’t have any choice” but as the decades went by she had all the choice in the world.  As Steve said, all she had to do was get on a plane and go home.

She chose not to and once again, she’s left her children bereft of their mother.  Her choice. Please, for the love of God, let Steve also make a choice.  Please let this be the last time he has to deal with the CIA or any other agent of any alphabet agency on a personal level. They always make their choices for their own ends, never for his.

I have no doubt there will be discussions about this episode for weeks, of not months.  I can already imagine Fan Fiction writers running to their keyboards to bang out coda after coda.  This is not the best episode ever of this series.  That distinction still goes to the Pilot episode. But I’m hard pressed right now to think of another, beside the Pilot, that could top this.

Well done Alex.  You did exactly what I thought you’d do. You hit it out of every ballpark in existence.  I pray this is not the last time we’re blessed with an episode from your vision and your pen.

Aloha.  Malama Pono

Screen caps are mine unless otherwise noted

Well hello there, my friends!  Before we begin our review of this weeks H50 episode, I wanted to thank everyone who helped carry the ball here while I was enjoying everything that went along with my daughter’s wedding.  The week leading up to the wedding, the entire wedding weekend and the wedding day itself was absolutely perfect.

I can’t imagine a more beautiful wedding day. Everything went off without a hitch. Even the weather cooperated.  The day started off with pretty much constant downpours and we thought everything we’d planned for outdoors would need to be moved inside.  But by some miracle, the rain stopped, the clouds lifted and by ceremony time, the sun was shining brilliantly.  The bride was stunning, the groom beamed with happiness, parents were full of pride and everyone had a fantastic time.  It’s a day none of us will ever forget.

Of course, a TV show, even one I adore as much as I do H50, was far from my mind.  I was finally able to watch both episode 10.04 and 10.05 days after they aired, and I really appreciated the comments in here which helped me enjoy what was to come when I did get to watch.  It made finally watching the episodes even more enjoyable. Thank you all for the helping hand.  You are all the best!

Now… time to get back to the beach…..

I was full of excitement to be able to sit back, for the first time in three weeks, for a relaxing Friday night with my feet up, a glass of wine in my hand and my favorite TV show.  Naturally, I enjoyed the episode for the most part, because, well, I’m me and I love seeing all my favorite characters together on my TV screen.  But to be honest, I found the episode a bit of a letdown.  It’s pretty obvious this was meant to be a filler episode, somewhat of a breather for everyone involved and deliberately lighthearted.

Over the years, we’ve had many episodes like this one.  They’re mildly entertaining but usually not as funny as the writers seem to think they are.  Three middle-aged goof balls acting like assholes during Spring break and finding a dead body in their hotel bathtub leaps to mind.

Most of the time, these extreme filler episodes act as a lighthearted bridge to a subsequent episode that could be anything from heavy drama to fast and fierce action to downright heartbreak.  These subsequent episodes are usually a highlight of a particular season.  For example, “Ho’amoano” (S5-E22) with the three stooges preceded “Mo’o ‘olelo Pu” (S5-E23) where Kono sets off on a solo sea journey in honor of her mother only to be lost at sea after a violent storm.

So, yeah, this episode was disappointing but the “stay tuned for scenes from our next episode” showed the pattern is still intact.  Next week is the episode we’ve all been waiting for since the summer.  Written by Alex O’Loughlin…. Directed by Alex O’Loughlin…. Produced by Alex O’Loughlin…. Starring Alex O’Loughlin.  Next weeks episode is going to be epic!  I can be generous over this one knowing it’s a fun little bridge to next week’s awesomeness (I have no doubt it will be awesome!)

Like all filler episodes, there were things to like in this one and what I liked best was the partnering of Tani and Quinn.  Cagney & Lacey… Rizzoli & Isles… Season 1 Steve and Danny…. Tani and Quinn time is absolutely golden.  As I wrote in a response on a previous review, I’ve always loved when the writers team up the women on the team.  That is, the few times we’ve actually had two women on the team at the same time.  I loved Lori and Kono together and also when Kono and Catherine worked together. It didn’t happen all that often, but I always liked it when it did.

I also like how the two of them, working cases, driving around, bantering back and forth, feeling each other out as they get to know each other better feels a lot like how Steve and Danny were when they first partnered.  Quinn, the more stoic, military minded partnered with the more quick witted, sarcastic Tani.  I’m really enjoying watching them work together and forge not only a partnership but a friendship as well.

I do wish the writers could have come up with a better way to tell their part of this story though. The premise of their case was actually interesting. The revolving door of suspects in Marion’s murder was pretty funny on its own and the “nosy neighbor” was hilarious.

I think the story could have been very entertaining with Tani and Quinn alone working the case, dealing with all the suspects and the ridiculousness of the situation without the addition of the two YouTubers who were, quite frankly, annoying as hell.

I know I’m of a totally different generation, but the YouTube phenomenon of “influencers” is totally lost on me and I had no idea, until someone filled me in, that these two guys are real people.  Not just actors playing parts.  From what I’ve been told, they are real life comedians, Tom Allen and John Parr, and they run some sort of podcast, I think.  I suppose I could Google them or search YouTube, but personally, I really didn’t care enough to go look.

Like I said, I’m probably too old to get it anyway, but not everyone who watches this show is my age so the attempt to bring a younger aspect into a story is not really a bad idea.  What I found annoying and unrelatable, is probably easily understood and enjoyed by a younger generation who know exactly who these young men are and spend time on YouTube being “influenced” on a daily basis.  Just because it’s not my brand of Tequila doesn’t mean others won’t find it fun.  To each his own.

I will say that I really enjoyed the ending though, with the frat-boys posting their HPD recruitment video with the Tani and Quinn doppelgangers.  The boys club of Steve, Danny, Lou, Junior and Adam standing around just waiting for the two of them to show up so they could proceed with their friendly teasing was perfect.  I loved the reaction of Junior when Tani called him “Reigns” (“She only says Reigns when she’s really angry” 🤣 🤣) and their total embarrassment at their portrayal in the video was hysterical.  Those last three minutes pretty much made up for the rest of this story.

The main crime of the week was unique, something, ten years into a series, must be hard to do.  I thought the auto-drive car was a brilliant idea and I particularly liked Julia, the programmer, taking out all the bad guys with the car to save her father, Micah.  I don’t know which was better.  Steve, Adam and Junior storming in to save the day only to find that Julia had already taken everyone down or the look on Lou’s face as he watched Julia perform her computer magic.  Like with Tani and Quinn’s story, these last few minutes made this story as well.

We actually managed to have a nice little Steve and Danny cargument in this episode too.  You know I always love whenever we can get these two together in the Camaro to work their magic.  It’s always fun when the guys remind us that they are just like us.  We park ourselves in front of the TV to watch our favorite crime fighters and so did they.  CHIPs marathons and now Knight Rider references.  I loved when Danny called the car they were following “Kitt”! 🤣 🤣

I do have a bone to pick, however.  You know I’m not one for much complaining, but I have to say it does bother me when, for no reason whatsoever, Danny simply disappears from an episode.  It happens relatively often these days.  I totally understand and came to terms with Scott’s shortened episode schedule years ago and have no problem with it.  I’ve also come to terms with the fact that Danny sometimes just isn’t in a scene where I think he should be.  I’m less ok with that, but I’ve come to expect it. I’ve always said if this is the way it has to be, I hope the writers would manage to, at least, make the most of the time he is there.

Danny was involved in the crime of the week throughout the whole episode.  He was there at the beginning with the remote controlled car was first stopped.  He was part of all the magic table exposition and he was with Steve in the Camaro for the money drop and the subsequent car chase and cargument.  So far… so good.

So why did they find it necessary for Danny not to be part of the drug dealers bust? I understand Scott was probably not on island when that scene was shot but why couldn’t they just shoot the scene when he was on island?  There are any number of scenes in every episode that Danny legitimately has no part in. Like every single scene of the Tani/Quinn story in this episode.  Shoot those when Scott is off island and make sure you take full advantage of every single moment he is there.  As we’ve said before…. quality if you can’t have quantity!

I’m holding out all kinds of hope that Danny will be fully present and there for Steve during and after the upcoming episode next week.  Considering that Alex, himself, wrote the episode and Alex has always said that, to him, the most important relationship in Steve’s life is Danny, I’m hoping we’ll get to see that play out in spades.

So, there we have it.  This episode had some good car chases, a great fiery explosion with a car flying off a cliff, some awesome technical mumbo-jumbo, awesome Tani and Quinn time and a great McDanno cargument.  The rest?  Well… did I mention next week’s episode is sure to be epic!?!?!

Have a great week my friends.  Aloha. Malama Pono

Several of the screen caps are mine but most are not.  Mahalo to @ernsand2, @alohaspaceman, @sabkay_1893, @katrinalaw, @kimeebalmilero and CBS for the use of their photos, gifs and clips.

NOTE:  Several people DMed me on Twitter over the weekend to say, for some reason, they couldn’t comment on this post on Saturday or Sunday.  I just got home from Wedding Weekend and saw the DMs.  So, I’m attempting to post it again in the hopes that this time it will work properly.  Maybe it was because I posted it from my phone instead of my laptop? Who knows? Hopefully this time it will work!  Oh…BTW.. I still haven’t seen the episode! LOL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi everyone! Well, tomorrow is the wedding. 👰🤵To be honest.. this was written a week ago and saved for posting now. As I’m writing this, I haven’t seen this episode yet. I’ve been just a teeeeny bit distracted 🤣. But like last week, I didn’t want to let a week go by without giving you guys a place to talk about the episode if you’re so inclined. I’m leaving it up to you guys to “write the review” again. I’m looking forward to reading everything you’ve all got to say about what looks like a really fun episode.

Halloween episodes are always a hoot and having Max back for this one is sure to make it even more enjoyable. And I love all the promo photos of everyone in their costumes. I’ve been waiting for a full on dress up Halloween from this show for years! I’m a bit disappointed that Steve isn’t dressing up as a certain vampire but I’ll take what fun I can get! 🤣🤣

So have at it again my friends. I’m really looking forward to hearing everything you have to say about this episode. I’ll be back next week when life gets back to normal!

Aloha. Malama Pono

All photos courtesy of CBS

Hi everyone!  Wedding week is finally here!!!! I was at the airport last night at 8pm picking up the kids from Australia.  I am so excited they are finally here and I have them all to myself (well.. my husband too! 🤣) for an entire week before Wedding Weekend. I’ve missed them both so much!

So, obviously, since I was at the airport, I haven’t seen the episode yet.  It’s the first time I’ve ever missed a first run episode in 9+ years.  One streak down. But I didn’t want to break another streak by missing a week here too.  I wanted to post something so if you guys want to discuss the episode, you’d have the place.

So, have at it.  I may not get a chance to actually watch the episode for several days but I’ll obviously have my phone with me wherever I go so I’ll be able to see your comments as time allows.

This is actually going to be kind of fun.  I’m the first to admit that brevity is not my strong suit and I try to cover a lot in my reviews.  I get a lot of wonderful comments that start with something like “well, you’ve pretty much covered everything I wanted to say…..”  🤣This time you get to say it all and I’ll be on the receiving end.  I’m rather looking forward to that.  I’m leaving it up to you guys to “write the review”, as it were.  Let’s see if anyone can talk as much as I can! 🤣🤣🤣

Aloha.  Malama Pono

All photos courtesy of CBS

Photo Credit:  CBS Express

Hi everyone!  Well, preparations are in full force here this week.  My daughter and future son-in-law arrive in 6 days and we’re in full “getting ready” mode for their arrival, a family get-together the next day, a week of wedding prep (since they couldn’t do anything from Australia) and the wedding weekend itself.  This is the last episode I’ll be able to watch live until November 1st. So much for my streak.  These will be the first live episodes I’ve ever missed, from the Pilot on.  Oh well… at least I have a very valid excuse! 😃

So this will be the last review for a little while and it won’t be a full review.  Just a quick synopsis.  I hope you don’t mind.

– There it is again! Producer: Alex O’Loughlin! I guess we can stop wondering for good now.  Alex is a producer… period! I remember way back before the Pilot when interviewers would ask Alex and Scott if they thought the show could last as long as the original and they said something like “maybe we’ll be producers by then”.  Nice to see it came true for Alex, at least.  I couldn’t be happier for him.

– I got a real kick out of “1983” air travel.  Damn, but I’m jealous of those who were able to fly back in those days.  Just check out all that leg room.  And I had to chuckle when that guy took out a cigarette.  I was sure the flight attendant was going to make sure he put that thing away, not offer him a light.  I can long for that leg room but I’m sure glad they did away with the smoking.

– AND….. we’re back to a two story episode where there is no correlation between the two stories.  I really don’t like these types of episodes, as you know, but I’ll take comfort in the fact that, at least, Steve checked in on the other case and it wasn’t a three story episode.

– The COTW was a typical convoluted story of murder, theft, betrayal and red herrings.  There was a lot of magic table exposition in this one with Adam taking the Jerry role this week.  Considering this story was heavily conspiracy laden, it makes me wonder if the idea for the story was hatched before the writers knew Jorge was preparing to leave the show.  I mean, stories for the beginning of a new season are hashed out toward the end of a previous season and it seems odd to me that a story that seems so suited to Jerry would come along so soon after he’s gone.

– I loved that underwater fight Tani was involved in.  It’s great to see two women having it out and Tani was totally bad ass.  It was great that Junior leaped in to try to help her but I’m glad that Tani had it totally under control by the time Junior joined her in the water.

Junior: “I didn’t know they taught underwater fighting in mermaid school.”

Tani: “You should see what I can do when I have my tail.”

Damn, but I love these two so much!

Photo Credits:  CBS Express

– Although I don’t like the two separate story framework, I did like the team up of Steve and Quinn.  There is a very easy rapport between them but then again, Steve pretty much has a great rapport with everyone he considers worthy to be a teammate.

Photo Credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter

– I wasn’t surprised Steve asked her to join Five-0, obviously, since we were already told it was going to happen, but I was surprised it happened so soon.  Not that I object.  Quinn is a good fit for the team and is already well liked by them all.

Photo Credits:  CBS Express

Photo Credit: @HawaiiFive0CBS on Instagram

Welcome to the Ohana Quinn!

– And, of course, it didn’t take Steve more than half a second to call the Governor after Quinn is obviously set up with all that cash at her place.  Steve wasted no time in protecting her like he would anyone else on the team.  She is already Ohana.  I saw a number of people on Twitter on Friday night bring up how it seems to be a prerequisite that in order to join Five-0 you need to have been arrested at least once! 🤣 Well, that’s not 100% true but pretty damn close! 🤣

Photo Credits:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter

– Last week the whole team was sure that it was Cullen who put the bomb in the Champ Box.  I was skeptical.  I said at the time that I was “curious to see if it really was Cullen or the mysterious bad guy we’ve been told is eventually coming. We were told this new bad guy as some connection to past events.  Unless there are things about Cullen we don’t know yet, which is entirely possible, I don’t think he’s the new bad guy.”  Well, considering the way this episode ended, I guess I was kind of right. 😉🤣 Cullen is not the new big bad but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t involved in planting that bomb.

Photo Credit:  CBS Express

– This episode was a bit more laid back then the previous two with a lot of leg work within the episode, time spent around the magic table doing exposition and with Steve and Quinn driving around and surveilling Cullen’s activities.  But when there was action it was really great action.  There was that underwater fight bad ass Tani had and then there was the extremely jarring explosion at the end.  There was no way I was expecting that.  I’m not really surprised they killed off Cullen since I never felt he was going to be our new big bad.  It seems pretty obvious he pissed off someone.  He told Steve there was a lot more going on then he suspected and I suspect Cullen was working for our new big bad.  Maybe he’s pissed that Cullen failed to blow up Casa McG.  Three episodes in and we’ve already ended two of them with cliffhangers.  I’m loving how this season is going so far and I’m really looking forward to seeing where this mystery is going.

Well, that’s it for this week gang.  I didn’t have time to re-watch the episode so everything written above is from memory of watching Friday night while trying to keep up with live tweeting.  If I’ve made any glaring mistakes, please let me know in the comments.  Also, since I didn’t have time for a re-watch, there are no screen caps.  All photos are courtesy of others.

Like I said above, this is the last episode I’ll be able to watch live until November 1st.  I’ll try to post something in the next couple of weeks, just to give you guys a place to discuss the episode if you choose and for me to hear what you thought of them. Probably before I even get to see them! 🤣  I’m not sure what I’ll post, but I’ll try to post something.  See you then!

Aloha.  Malama Pono 

There are few things we can count on in life.  The adage about death and taxes notwithstanding, one of the most wonderful things we can count on in life is the love and loyalty of a good dog.  Those of us who are lucky enough to have or have had dogs that love us know the joy of having these incredible animals as members of our families.

Originally, when Steve took Eddie in, he intended to find him a good home.  It didn’t take long, actually it seemed like only moments, before Eddie captured Steve’s heart.  The big old softy that Steve is, his heart couldn’t help but go out to this canine broken toy, another addition to his ever growing Ohana.

Eddie has helped the team numerous times, starting with the very first bust he ever accompanied them on, when he saved Lou’s life.  Eddie’s helped find an injured Junior, sniffed out drugs and hidden perps, he’s tracked down lost kids.  He even helped Noelani meet her boyfriend.  In every way possible, Eddie has become a valuable member of the team and a good and loyal friend.  So, was anyone surprised that Eddie played such important roles in this episode?

New opening credits:  This is the first time we’ve seen the opening credits without Jorge in them.  It kind of made me a little sad. I’m really going to miss Jerry so much.  But I do want to thank @racoon_sa on Twitter for capturing my favorite panel of the new opening credits.  McDanno… speeding Camaro and.. Eddie with his very own square!! That was so great to see.

Photo Credit:  @racoon_sa on Twitter

But the best thing to see at the beginning of this episode?  Producer:  Alex O’Loughlin!  Sooooooo…. not only for the premiere and his 10.07 episode!  How awesome is that!!!  I am so happy for him I could cry.  One thing they really have to do though.  Whoever blocks out where the credits fall in a scene, needs to superimpose that producer credit over a moment in the scene when Alex is actually in the shot!  It’s not important, but I need it!!!

Bomb in the Champ Box:  When we first met Eddie, he was a drug detection dog for the DEA.  But before that, he served his country with the military in Afghanistan where he was, more than likely, sniffing out IEDs.  I don’t know anything about how dogs are trained for different types of detection or if it’s even possible for a dog to be cross trained to detect different things.  But this is TV not real life so Eddie can detect drugs, detect explosives, sniff out hidden perps, track lost kids…. He’s “Eddie the Wonder Dog”.  The perfect companion for “Steve the SuperSEAL” who we’ve also seen can do practically anything.

I do find it kind of funny though that when Steve arrived home to find Eddie barking at the back door (and after letting him out thinking he needed a potty break) that his mind immediately leaped to calling the bomb squad.  I mean, he made the right call, of course, but how did he know Eddie wasn’t just barking because some animal got into the garage? Or, if Eddie is trained not to trigger on random animals, why didn’t Steve think, maybe, there was a person in there.  Pull his gun, clear the place, then find the bomb and call the bomb squad?

But then again, Steve is a fantastic commander.  A commander who knows and respects the abilities of his team. And Eddie is a part of that team.  He knows what Eddie is capable of, what his trigger would be.  Ultimately, Steve did exactly what he should have done.

I do wonder though if Steve and Lou (and later the rest of the team) are right and it’s Cullen who planted that bomb or hired someone to do so.  Sure, he’s the bad guy from last weeks episode and fresh in everyone’s mind.  It’s an easy conclusion to jump to.  But, Lou asked a valid question.  “Who’d you piss off now?”  Steve is also right.  “It’s a long list”.  I’m curious to see if it really was Cullen or if it’s the mysterious bad guy we’ve been told is eventually coming. We were told this new bad guy as some connection to past events.  Unless there are things about Cullen we don’t know yet, which is entirely possible, I don’t think he’s the new bad guy.

Bomb in the tunnel:  I really liked how this part of the episode was done.  First, I got a real kick out of the argument the married couple was having before the first cave in.  They sounded so much like Steve and Danny for a moment, I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was also pretty rich for Steve to tell Tani to wait for the fire department to clear the scene before she and Junior went into the tunnel to try to help.  Poor Steve.  All these years of reckless behavior has it’s draw backs.  His team can’t help but to always call him on it so they can be reckless too!

Once, what proved to be a second bomb went off, I really liked the way the scene was written.  A great call back to when Steve and Danny were in the building collapse in Season 4.  Tani waking up, covered in dust with her head buzzing from the blast and screaming for Junior!  It’s exactly the way Steve woke up after that building blast, screaming for Danny all those years ago.

Photo Credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

Junior the JrSuperSEAL:  Even if he did have an overall really rough day.  First he’s bummed out because Tani is a better surfer than he is.  Then he gets blasted off his feet and slammed into a car by a blast of C4.  But he’s still able to help the lady with the broken legs out of her car, pick her up and carry her to safety and take command to muster all the survivors into trying to dig them out.  Then after overseeing the evacuation of everyone else, somehow, no one notices the rope being used to pull him from the tunnel is frayed so he ends up plummeting all the way back down to the bottom.  Yet, somehow he ends up with only a mild concussion and a busted wrist.  Is it a SEAL thing? Are they all pretty much indestructible??

“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” — Tani and Junior must plot an escape for themselves and several civilians after they become trapped inside a deadly tunnel collapse, while Five-0 investigates the cause and culprits of the cave-in. Also, Eddie the dog uses his field experience and sniffs out a bomb that has been planted in McGarrett’s home, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Oct. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured L to R: Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns and Meaghan Rath as Tani Rey. Photo: screengrab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved (“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” is Hawaiian for “Knocked flat by the wind; sudden disaster”)

“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” — Tani and Junior must plot an escape for themselves and several civilians after they become trapped inside a deadly tunnel collapse, while Five-0 investigates the cause and culprits of the cave-in. Also, Eddie the dog uses his field experience and sniffs out a bomb that has been planted in McGarrett’s home, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Oct. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns. Photo: screengrab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved (“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” is Hawaiian for “Knocked flat by the wind; sudden disaster”)

“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” — Tani and Junior must plot an escape for themselves and several civilians after they become trapped inside a deadly tunnel collapse, while Five-0 investigates the cause and culprits of the cave-in. Also, Eddie the dog uses his field experience and sniffs out a bomb that has been planted in McGarrett’s home, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Oct. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured L to R: Meaghan Rath as Tani Rey and Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns. Photo: screengrab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved (“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” is Hawaiian for “Knocked flat by the wind; sudden disaster”)

“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” — Tani and Junior must plot an escape for themselves and several civilians after they become trapped inside a deadly tunnel collapse, while Five-0 investigates the cause and culprits of the cave-in. Also, Eddie the dog uses his field experience and sniffs out a bomb that has been planted in McGarrett’s home, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Oct. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns. Photo: screengrab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved (“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” is Hawaiian for “Knocked flat by the wind; sudden disaster”)

“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” — Tani and Junior must plot an escape for themselves and several civilians after they become trapped inside a deadly tunnel collapse, while Five-0 investigates the cause and culprits of the cave-in. Also, Eddie the dog uses his field experience and sniffs out a bomb that has been planted in McGarrett’s home, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Oct. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured L to R: Meaghan Rath as Tani Rey and Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns. Photo: screengrab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved (“Kuipeia e ka makani apaa” is Hawaiian for “Knocked flat by the wind; sudden disaster”)

Photo credit:  CBS

Photo Credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

A one-story episode:  I really loved the way the team worked the case this week.  Once again just like the premiere, there was only one case even though there were, technically, two stories.  This is the way I like it best.  There was the story in the tunnel and the story of the crime of the week, but they were intertwined with each other to form one cohesive episode.  Kudos to writers Talia Gonzalez and Bisanne Masound. This one was done perfectly.

It also shows how, when an episode is written well, Alex can have a more restful work week and the episode doesn’t suffer in the least.  Steve spent the entire episode running the investigation while supervising the rescue efforts at the tunnel.  Lou took over the magic table duties this week, while Danny, Adam and Quinn handled all the leg work in the field.  Everyone fully contributed, no one was pushed to the side or given something to do just for the sake of giving them something to do.  This distribution was perfect.

Photo credits:  CBS

Eddie the Wonder Dog:  Part Deux: This episode totally belonged to Eddie.  First he saves Steve’s life by alerting him to the bomb in the garage and then he ups the heroism ten-fold by saving everyone trapped in the tunnel.  Just like at his house, Steve knows and respects Eddie’s abilities.  He understands the risks of sending him into that small space, the danger if he should get trapped as well.  But Steve also knows Eddie and he has no doubts that he will get the job done.  After all, Eddie spent years serving in Afghanistan.  This can’t be the first search and rescue he’s done after a bomb blast.

Photo credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

I couldn’t wait for the moment with Eddie would make it through to Junior and Tani. Their reaction was priceless as was that among the others in the tunnel.  Was there ever a doubt Eddie would save the day?? Of course not.

And was there anything cuter than watching Eddie lifted out of that hole?? I’m sorry, but I could watch an entire episode of nothing but Eddie.

Oh… and by the way…. it looks like we’re going to be getting just that sometime in the future.  Can you spell E-X-C-I-T-E-D????

I do have one question though:  The ventilation shaft they pulled everyone up through was there the entire time?  If it was, why was everyone on both sides of the cave in, busting their asses clearing rock when all they had to do was shut down the power, turn off the fan and bring everyone up through that huge, humongous hole in the ceiling…. that was there the entire time???  Oh well, one of those “suspension of belief” moments, I guess! LOL

Quinn Liu:  You know, there are times when something happens and you immediately know exactly what reaction it’s going to get even without having to look for that reaction.  The moment Steve asked Quinn for a favor, I couldn’t help the spontaneous eye roll and chuckle it caused.  I don’t have to see it to know what the reaction of some was going to immediately be.

But you know what?  People who know Steve, I mean really know him for who he is and not for who they want him to be, know that Steve always uses the resources he has available to him at any given moment.  Quinn was a convenient source at that moment.  Just like when he’s gone to others over the years for help when their expertise would be useful.

I can remember when Lou was still SWAT and his relationship with Steve was just beginning to change from animosity to friendship.  Steve called upon him for help with those homegrown college terrorists.  (S4E20 – Peʻepeʻe Kanaka – Those Among Us).  It means nothing more than that, in my opinion.

Photo credit:  CBS

Besides, the prisoner transport vehicle was registered to the Department of Defense, who Quinn works for.  Steve was probably obligated to inform the DOD of the incident eventually anyway. In order to track the vehicle, he could have called an official DOD office where he would have had to request assistance.  It’s probably something he would have done if he had no other option.

But he did have another option.  He had a personal contact.  Quinn.  Why waste time with government bureaucracy when you can simply cut to the chase?  Quinn didn’t even hesitate a second to try to track the vehicle the moment Steve said it was DOD registered.  I really don’t see it as a “favor” even if that’s the word Steve chose to use.  I see it more as the fastest means to an end.

Quinn was an awesome fit throughout the entire episode.  I love the way she jumped right in to help after Steve called her and how she had the team’s back the whole day.  And she saved Danny’s life in that jungle.  That puts her very…. very…. high in my “I love her” book!  So far, I can’t find one thing I don’t love about her.  And I absolutely love her sense of humor.  Her sarcasm is knife sharp but not mean or condescending. And it looks like I’m not the only one who finds her wit razor sharp either! LOL

I can’t wait to learn more about her and I’m really looking forward to when she joins the team full time.

Photo credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

Fan fiction heaven:  A full Ohana BBQ at Casa McG at the close of a big case is a fan fiction staple but one we’ve never actually seen in the show.  And it was fantastic.  It was such a great change from having everyone gather at Kamekona’s and besides, Kame doesn’t serve steak on that truck of his. I couldn’t help but squeeee just a little bit because I totally called that sirloin dinner for Eddie way before that scene!  Yeah… I know.. not a huge stretch to call it but I still couldn’t help but be just a teeny bit excited! LOL

If they were at the shrimp truck, how would Eddie have gotten his hero’s treat of a sirloin dinner?  And Eddie sure as hell deserved that steak!

I think this has got to be one of my favorite Ohana scenes we’ve ever had.  First off, just having Steve manning that grill is pure gold.  But also because everyone was there and they were all so relaxed.  Maybe even a bit too relaxed, when it came to the idea that Cullen (or whoever) could be plotting to have another go at Casa McG.  But that couldn’t dampen their mood.  They were obviously enjoying each others company in a way only true families can.  And having Quinn be a part of it only made it that much better.

Photo credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter and IG

So far, Season 10 is getting off to a fantastic start.  The first two episodes have been full of everything that makes H50 such a fantastic show.  And, the addition of Katrina Law as Quinn has been a total success.  I know I keep repeating myself, but I really can’t wait to see more.

That’s it for this week, my friends!  Have a fantastic rest of your weekend.  See you next week.  Aloha. Malama Pono

All screen caps are mine unless otherwise noted.

Photo Credit:  Katrina Law on Instagram

Well friends….we made it!!!  We survived another year of hiatus hell and managed to make it to the season premiere of Season 10 of Hawaii Five-0. Ten years!  What a fantastic accomplishment.

As always, the anticipation for the beginning of the new season was very high and the premiere did not disappoint.  It had all the things you’d expect from a season premiere.  It wrapped up the Season 9 cliffhanger, albeit too quickly (more on that in a moment), it had gun fights, car chases, fist fights, warm Ohana moments, a couple of great Steve and Danny …guments… and the obligatory “over-the-top” scene that’s become customary for premiere episodes.  It was a great way to begin what is sure to be another fantastic season.

Producer:  Alex O’Loughlin!!!!   How awesome is that! Alex is finally a producer and I couldn’t be happier about it.  No one knows Steve McGarrett the way Alex does, and he has some very definite ideas on how he wants certain stories to be told.  Episode 10.07, which is the one written and directed by Alex, will more than likely be proof of that.  Alex has voiced his opinion on other aspects of Steve’s character over the years.  It’s wonderful to know that maybe, as a producer, his wishes will carry more weight.  After all these years, it’s wonderful that Alex gets much more creative control.

Hello – Goodbye:  It feels like we started a bit of a tradition in the last few years of not only welcoming new faces but having to say goodbye to old friends.  I’ve got to tell you, right off the bat, I’m loving Katrina Law as Quinn Liu.  I can’t wait to find out all there is to know about her.  What I do know so far is she’s bold, courageous, extremely confident in her abilities and tough as nails.  Many of the qualities our other beloved military vets on the team possess.

Photo Credits:  CBS

I love how the hard, military shell she carries shields the compassionate heart she obviously has.  I saw many people on Twitter Friday night remarking on how much this trait reminds them of a Season One Steve McGarrett, and it’s very true.  Another Steve McGarrett trait, a certain disregard for rules, which might not ingratiate her with her superiors but will probably have Steve thinking of her as a kindred spirit.

Photo Credit:  CBS

Peter Lenkov told us that our first meeting with Quinn was going to bring back great memories and he was sure right.  Having Steve, Danny and Quinn draw weapons on each other, demand identification and a 1-2-3 countdown to disarm was a wonderful call back to the Pilot and the first meeting between Steve and Danny.  Danny may have thought the deja-vu was “horrible”, but I loved it.  Not as much as when they pulled the same thing in Episode 2.18 Lekio (Radio) between Steve and James Caan’s Tony Archer but pretty close.

I’m really looking forward to learning more about Quinn and all the new stories and relationships having a brand new, full time character can bring to the mix. From what I’ve seen so far, I think she’s going to fit in marvelously.

Ahhhhhh Jerry! It’s always so hard to say goodbye so let’s not.  Let’s just say “see you later, brah”.  The conclusion of the Season 9 cliffhanger was extremely anticlimactic and it’s pretty obvious now that the cliffhanger was manufactured for the sole purpose of giving Jerry an excuse to leave.  We never see who took Azra Hassan down after she fired the shot that hit Jerry, although we do briefly see Danny kneeling beside her (body?) as Steve tends to a wounded Jerry.  We also have no clue what happened to her son Khalid. They were only a means to an end.  Jerry’s end with Five-0.

I’m obviously extremely happy the powers that be didn’t decide to kill Jerry off and that Jorge Garcia will continue to be listed in the cast as a “recurring” character.  There is the hope that we could get to see Jerry again from time to time.  I know many of us thought that Jerry would be leaving to continue his training, like maybe going to Quantico or something.  I admit I thought it was kind of dumb when he said he’s going to be writing a book which sounds loaded with the conspiracy theories he so adores.

But on second thought, I decided it actually makes a lot of sense.  If Jerry was off to Quantico or in some other official Government training, he wouldn’t be readily available for Five-0 to call on him if needed.  Of course, they may never actually call him, depending on Jorge’s availability, but keeping Jerry on the island writing a book instead of somewhere far away on the mainland, makes calling him in a lot more feasible.

I’m really glad they gave Jerry a proper send off with an Ohana gathering at Kamekona’s shrimp truck.  Jerry is such a lovable teddy bear and having his last scene on the show be a huge, warm and loving group hug was simply perfect.  I’m also really happy they didn’t do any kind of montage of clips.  No montage also helps me feel like we could really see Jerry again.

Photo Credit:  CBS

Steve’s dating again:  And about friggin’ time!!! Steve and Lynn broke up a year ago.  The idea that the wonderfulness that is Steve McGarrett has been alone all this time is just too heartbreaking to bear.  I’m thrilled he’s stepping out again.  It’s adorable that he’s a bit nervous after all this time but I have zero doubt that he’ll get his sea legs again very quickly.  We already know that he has a second date with Brooke coming up (which we probably won’t see, of course) and thanks to an Instagram story from Peter Lenkov, we know he’s going to be asking out another lady soon.  This should be a lot of fun.

Of course, Steve’s date gave us our first scene of the year with our beloved…….

McDanno:  These two were awesome in this episode.  Danny bugging Steve on his date was really funny even if I can totally understand Steve getting exasperated with Danny’s constant interruptions.  It kind of reminded me of when my daughter was a teenager and I would text her while she was out with her friends and finally have to resort to an actual phone call when she wouldn’t answer me.  “Just answer the first text and I won’t have to bother you ten more times!” 🤣 🤣 🤣

I really liked how the entire team worked one single case in this episode and what I liked the best was that when Steve broke everyone up into two’s he kept Danny by his side.  As a matter of fact, Danny was by Steve side pretty much the whole episode, except for the short time Steve went off with Quinn.  The back and forth between the guys was totally on point.  Whether it was Danny telling Quinn he had to follow Steve even when he didn’t know where they were going to the back and forth between them over the text Steve was sending to their perp.  These two were just perfect. God, I love them so much!

One thing I really liked was when Danny pointed out to Steve that he didn’t make that leap between buildings as cleanly as he would have “10 years ago”.   Why did I like it?  Because it isn’t 10 years ago and it’s dumb to always pretend it is.  Steve isn’t as young as he used to be so it’s very realistic to just say so.  With the wonderful stunt teams on this show it would be so easy for “Steve” to be the indestructible SuperSEAL today that he was in the early years, but this way is much more realistic.  Now, that doesn’t mean I never want to see Steve be SuperSEAL but it’s more realistic for him to be a SuperSEAL at 40 rather than keep pretending he’s still 30.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if dialog like that isn’t the start of a not so subtle movement toward the younger team members getting much more of the “rough and tumble” action that pretty much only Steve has done for quite a while.  We already know Alex has been scaling back the physical stuff in recent years.  It’s about time they let Steve reflect what Alex is doing.

Relationships:  So, Steve is dating.  Adam and Tamiko have been growing closer.  And Tani and Junior are out on a real date!  The look on Junior’s face when he saw Tani all dressed up was adorable.  It’s nice to see how she’s still able to elicit “stunned silence” from him just like she did when she opened the door to him the night they went to that wedding last season.  They are so cute together.  It’s really a shame that pesky little murder had to go and interrupt their date.  It should be fun seeing if these relationships blossom into anything more.  I’m just thrilled we didn’t have to hear anything about Rachel this time.

Obligatory “over-the-top” scene:  It’s a premiere… there has to be that one scene that makes you laugh and shake your head.  Planes landing on Kalakaua Avenue.  Giant claws.  Cabins lifted out of fires with a chopper.  Monster truck crushing every car in its path!  Hawaii Five-0 how I love you and your “can we top last year’s premiere??” attitude!

Start with a cliffhanger resolution…. End with another cliffhanger:  Who would have ever thought we’d be seeing the Champ box again??  Other than Steve, Danny and Jerry, who else even knows the Champ box exists let alone where it is in the McGarrett garage?  A very intriguing choice to have whoever that is, plant a bomb in that box.  Is there some sort of significance in the bomber choosing to use it?

On the other hand, it might not mean anything at all, at least not to the person planting that bomb.  It could be that he/she just went into the garage and looked for something harmless to put the bomb in.  It could have been anything lying around the garage. Everyone’s garage has some sort of toolbox laying around.  The fact that Steve’s toolbox is the Champ box, could be more for our enjoyment than anything else.  A fun shout-out to the Pilot to make all of us who’ve been watching from the beginning give an excited yelp! “OMG… it’s the Champ box!!!”

All in all, this episode is a really strong start to what looks to be a very interesting season. Yeah, there’s some changes but change is sometimes a really good thing.  Just look how wonderful the addition of Tani and Junior has been.  I am so excited to see where it’s all going to lead.

Have a great week!  Aloha.  Malama Pono

Screencaps are mine unless otherwise noted.

Photo Credit:  Katrina Law on Instagram

We are on our way!!!! Only one more week to the season premiere of Season 10 of Hawaii Five-0 and what better way to kick off the new season than with another wonderfully successful Sunset on the Beach?  Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t be there again this year.  With my daughter’s wedding only a month away, a trip to Hawaii just wasn’t in my budget… damn it all.  But fortunately for us all, there were a ton of people, many of them H50 friends, who were able to get to Queen’s Beach this year.  And it is through their generosity that we all get to share in this wonderful event.

I’ve pretty much spent most of Friday on Twitter and InstaGram trying to gather as many goodies as I could.  While there a ton of pictures here, I can assure you I have a lot more saved on my laptop.  Of course, I can’t post everything I found.  This would be as long as a Harry Potter novel.  But I do what to give all the thanks I can to everyone who shared their photos and videos for those of us who couldn’t be there. I especially loved the little sneak clips of the episode. Looks like it’s going to be another premiere winner. Can’t wait to see it all!

I saved as many pictures as I could find and diligently recorded who took/posted each shot.  Hopefully I haven’t messed any of them up because we own these people a huge debt of gratitude for their generosity.

Early mornings on the beach:

Photo Credit: @ninjaloha50 on Twitter

Peter Lenkov, Dennis Chun and others arrive with swag and coco puffs:

Photo Credit: @ninjaloha50 on Twitter

 Photo Credit:  @dmparm on Instagram

Photo Credit:  @H50hana on Facebook

Here they come………….

 Photo Credits: Courtesy of Getty Images

Photo Credit:  Dennis Chun on Facebook

 Photo Credits: Courtesy of Getty Images

Cutest Baby on the Beach:  Katrina’s baby daughter was an adorable knockout on the red carpet! It was so sweet seeing her husband with his little date!

                                              Photo Credit:  @celspi on Twitter   Photo Credit:  @fokopoint on Twitter

Photo Credit:  @hideshawaii on Twitter

The hot ladies of Five-0:  Both Katrina and Meaghan looked absolutely stunning.  I loved their dresses. At first I thought Meaghan’s was a bit too plain then she turned to the side!  Wow!  Absolutely beautiful.  These two are going to bring some serious woman-power to the Five-0 team.  I can’t wait to see them rock my screen.  They’re already rocking Twitter and InstaGram!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Getty Images

   Photo Credit:  hiromi_cha_nce on Instagram

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Getty Images

Photo Credit: coachmandy808 on InstaGram

Eddie and The Lads… more cuties on the red carpet:  Yes, again this year SOTB was a shared event between H50 and Magnum PI. But since this is not a Magnum blog I didn’t really address their participation in the event. But, I can’t resist cute doggies….

 Photo Credit:  hawaiiirl on InstaGram

Photo Credit:  h50eddie on InStaGram

Photo Credit:  @PLenkov on InstaGram

Photo Credit:  marichinchan on InstaGram

Everyone looks like they had a ball:  Photo credits for the following photos:  @alwaysdawsey on Twitter, amiami_amy on InstaGram, hiromi_cha_nce on InstaGram, jillkuramoto on InstaGram, melissacoko on InstaGram, Mark Salondaka on Twitter, @H50hana on Facebook and @fokopoint on Twitter

And, of course, Alex!  It’s always all about Alex:

Photo Credit:  @fokopoint on Twitter

Photo Credit:  @ninjaloha50 on Twitter

Photo Credit:  @StarAdvertizer

Photo Credits:  CBS

Photo Credit:  Getty Images

Photo Credit:  amiami_amy on IG

Photo Credit:  hiromi_cha_nce on IG

Photo Credit:  Poohko Hawaii on InstaGram

The evening concludes with the full cast on stage, a concert by Train and, of course, the screening of the Season 10 premiere!  Looks like everyone had a fantastic time!

Photo Credit:  nsane1 on InstaGram

Like I said up above, there is a ton of stuff available on line if you want to see even more of the fun.  Check out the #H50 timeline on Twitter (pay special attention to the accounts of @alohaspaceman and @SurfBelle2) for fantastic pictures and a lot of videos from the red carpet.  For some reason I couldn’t get the links to the videos to post here but they’re there on the #H50 timeline so don’t forget to go check it out.

Also, there’s a nice article and even more videos available on the Star Advertiser site.  Here is the line for that:

The stars come out at Sunset

There’s also a ton of pictures and videos on the H50hana page on Facebook taken from the red carpet and the beach by my wonderful Ohana friends.  I wouldn’t miss out on checking out our page at   https://www.facebook.com/H50hana/

Well… another Sunset on the Beach over and done.  Just a week to go and we’ll be on our way to another fantastic season of our favorite show.  I know I’m not the only one who can’t wait to see it all unfold.

Have a great week my friends!  Aloha.  Malama Pono

Photo Credit:  CBS

Happy September everyone! We’re finally on this side of Labor Day which means the season premiere of Hawaii Five-0 is not too far off.  Still not soon enough, I know, but we’re getting there.  More and more really cool stuff has been coming out about what may or may not be coming in Season 10.  Now it’s our turn.  What are your hopes and wishes or your “OMG…. please God no” for the new season.  I’ll go first.

I’m looking forward to Alex’s Episode:  I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this episode.  Written and directed by Alex O’Loughin.  We now know that Alex’s episode, “Ka ‘i’o” will be shown as Episode 10.07 and will be the 225th over all episode of the series.

We know the Navy SEALs who run Trident Adventures and who appeared in Episode 8.24 (when Steve and Junior saved Joe White) will be in this episode so it’s a good bet that the episode will have a military/governmental story line.  We also know that Doris is back for this episode.  Alex has said many times that he thinks story line between Steve and Doris needs to be completed.  I’m thrilled he’s decided to use his own pen to make that happen.  I can’t wait to see how he’s written the next chapter in their story.

Photo Credits:  tridentadventureshawaii on Instagram and @ChristineALahti on Twitter

I’m not really looking forward to the conclusion of that Season 9 cliffhanger:  I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Steve isn’t the one who got shot and it’s pretty common knowledge that it was Jerry.  We also know, courtesy of various online articles and spoilers that we’re going to be losing one of our beloved team.  We also know that it won’t be a death (thank God) so it’s easy to extrapolate that it’s Jerry who will be leaving.  I’m not looking forward to Jerry not being there anymore.  I have loved Jorge Garcia since LOST and I’ve loved Jerry from the first moment we met him.  I’m going to miss his sense of humor and his stable presence behind the magic table.  I’m really going to miss him.

Photo Credit:  CBS

Welcome to #HawaiiFriday:  I’m looking forward to more cross references between H50 and Magnum PI now that both shows are back-to-back on Friday nights. I’ve enjoyed the appearances of Noelani, Kamekona, and Duke on Magnum and I’m sure there will be more with them.  I’m really hoping for a full fledged cross over between the two shows.  It may be the only way we ever get a full two-hour episode (not two separate one hour episodes back-to-back), even if we have to share it with Magnum.

Photo Credit:  Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Photo Credit:  @SurfBelle2 on Twitter

I’m loving everything I’ve seen so far about Katrina Law’s new character of Quinn Liu:   First of all, I like that she’s a new, full time character and not a recurring character.  Being full time, main cast, affords the writers as much time as they need to develop her character, lay out her back story, work her into the fabric of the team and establish interpersonal relationships without having to worry about when or if she’ll be available for a story they want to tell.

Will she become a love interest for Steve?  Who the hell knows? I’ve been in this fandom for 10 years now and if I had a dollar for every time the “love interest” term has been floated I’d have enough money to attend Sunset on the Beach every year.  Everyone knows my feelings with regard to Steve’s past love life so there’s no need to go into that again now.

But, I do like the idea that if… if… if…. something  may or may not grow, it will be over some stretch of time. If it’s something that works well between Alex and Katrina, it will grow organically and won’t need to be over-done or pushed too quickly. The fact that she’s not a recurring character adds a new spin the others who’ve carried the burden of the “love interest” label didn’t have.  Of course, I have no clue whether they will end up being a couple eventually but the fact that she’s already main cast makes it more credible. The writers can bring them along at their own pace without having to deal with the shifting availability of a recurring actor. It will add a level of consistency to the story they haven’t had since Steve was in a stable relationship back in Season 3.

Then there’s:  

Tani and Junior – They are totally adorable and I hope we get to see their relationship move forward.  I also really hope we get to see Junior and his dad start to make it back to the warm relationship they were just beginning to find again.

Adam and Tamiko – Not sure about this one.  I’d love to see Adam find happiness but I’m very nervous about him getting so close to anything even remotely touched by the Yakuza.

Danny and Rachel –  No….. just…… no.  Two people who have been able to put their animosity behind them and become friends and loving co-parents to their kids….. wonderful. Anything more… just…. no.

McDanno… always McDanno:  Every year…. every single year… my biggest wish is for there to be as much Steve and Danny time as there possibly can be.  I know that my McDanno ship will never happen and that’s 100% ok.  I just want to see my two favorite characters together, fighting crime, hanging out together and with the kids, drinking beers on the beach, busting each other’s balls, and just being there for each other as only they can be.  It was this partnership, this brotherhood, which hooked me onto this show that very first night and it will always be the cornerstone of what holds it all together.

Ok everyone… let’s here it.  What do you want to see, what do you want to not see, in what promises to be another fantastic season of Hawaii Five-0?

Hello friends!  Long time no see!  How have you all enjoyed your summer? I hope you’ve all had a wonderful few months but now it’s time to face reality.  Labor Day weekend is upon us.  Local pools will close, and local schools will open and it’s time to go about the business of preparing for fall and winter.

However….. we all know that’s not what we’re thinking about here, is it?  Nooooo… We are seeing the light at the end of the very long hiatus hell tunnel.  To the day we all look forward to all summer.  The season premiere of Hawaii Five-0.  I can’t believe we’re starting Season 10 of our wonderful show and September 27^th can’t get here soon enough.

Photo Credit:  @alohaspaceman on Twitter

There haven’t been a ton of official spoilers but it still looks like there’s some great stuff heading our way from what we’ve seen courtesy of the great people in Hawaii who send us video clips and pictures from the filming going on around the island.

Before I go any further I want to send a special thank you to @hawaii_isla808 on both Twitter and Instagram.  Victor is an absolute jewel.  Being on the East Coast, every morning I wake up and can’t wait to get on Twitter to see what new gem he’s posted. I’m amazed at how much wonderful stuff he’s able to capture and thrilled he’s so gracious to share it all with us! From those of us lucky to have access to your wonderful work, mahalo Victor! ❤❤

So, what’s in store for us in the new season?  As of this writing there really hasn’t been a whole lot of true spoilers.  But we have had some indications of a couple of directions, even if we’re very short on solid facts.

Steve has a new truck:  I don’t know why this makes me so happy but I’m thrilled that Steve has a new truck.  Yeah, it’s another Chevy Silverado, but this one is a totally awesome red color.  I never warmed up to the silver truck since I loved the blue one so much.  Blue is Alex’s color, after all.  But this red truck is hot! Is it too much to hope that Danny gets a new Camaro this year too???

Photo Credit:  @hawaii_isla808 on Twitter

To be continued:  One is the aftermath of the Season 9 finale when Omar Hassan’s wife, Azra, smuggled a ceramic gun into HQ and took a shot at Steve with Jerry in close proximity.  So, who got shot in the finale?  Well, from the behind the scenes photos we’ve gotten from our friend Victor of Alex filming all around Oahu, Steve looks hale and hearty, if not somewhat scruffy.  It seems pretty obvious that Jerry probably took that bullet.

I’m curious to see how this event will play out for Jerry.  I wonder how it will manifest with his character.  Will there be a long medical leave and recovery period where we won’t get to see him much? Will he, in fact, fully recover and go back to work as the valued member of Five-0 that he is?  Will he recover and choose to leave the team?  Jorge is recently married, and his wife is based in Los Angeles.  Will he be like Scott and want to spend more time in LA with his family?  Will that mean less Jerry or no Jerry from now on?

I’m also curious to see how this event will manifest itself with Steve.  Is the reason he’s looking so scruffy and out of sorts in the BTS photos we’ve seen because he’s struggling with the guilt of Jerry’s shooting.  It was Steve, after all, who allowed Azra access to HQ.  It was Steve she was gunning for.  And we know from experience that Steve takes the safety of his team very personally.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Photo Credit: @hawaii_isla808 on Twitter

Another to be continued:  Just the other day, there was this tweet from casting.

I’m thinking this could very well be Junior’s mom. We know she’s still around because Junior has mentioned her numerous times, but we’ve yet to meet her.  At the end of last season, there was that parole hearing where Junior showed forgiveness to the man responsible for the death of his sister.  That caused a major rift between Junior and his dad. It would make total sense for his mom to try to bridge the divide between them.  I love when we get to meet the families of our team, to expand the Ohana beyond just those we see week to week.  I don’t know for sure this is casting for Junior’s mom but it would be really nice if it is.

Other New Faces:  We do have some official news with regard to casting.  CBS has confirmed that Katrina Law will be joining the cast as a series regular.  She’ll be playing a character by the name of Quinn Liu.  Quinn is a Staff Sargent in Army CID.

Photo Credit:  https://twitter.com/TVLine/status/1161706624047865856

According to Peter Lenkov, she’s the team’s “newest recruit” so it sounds like, eventually, she’ll be joining the team.  TVLine describes her as “sharp-tongued in several languages” and with a “deep knowledge of military culture”.  Considering that it also says she’s been “recently demoted for insubordination” it sounds like she’s going to be a great foil for both Steve and Danny.

Just like Jenna and Lori before her, Quinn enters the Five-0 orbit in a less than congenial way.  Jenna barreled her way into Five-0 headquarters pretending to be a CIA Agent looking into John McGarrett’s investigation.  Lori was sent in by Governor Denning as a spy/babysitter to keep Five-0 and specifically Steve in line.  While both started off as antagonists they both (before Jenna betrayed Steve to WoFat) became friends and trusted members of the team.  Both, especially Lori, coming to realize that the Five-0 way of doing things, while not conventional, is usually the best way to get things done.

It looks like Quinn may be another cut out of that same mold.  The press release says she “comes into the show after an explosive collision with Five-0 on a case involving veterans.  She will soon become a local ally….”.

Photo Credit: @hawaii_isla808 on Twitter

I’m very curious to see how this situation is going to play out.  I mean, at this point Five-0 has seven full time team members.  Is Quinn going to be number eight?  That’s a pretty large team and with only 42/43 minutes per episode, I’m interested to see how the time will be distributed.  I’m not really overly concerned about it though.  I’m sure with the individual filming schedules the actors have, along with Alex, Scott and Chi doing less of the physical running and jumping (not that Chi did a huge amount anyway, bless his heart), there will be plenty for everyone to do.

Photo Credit: @hawaii_isla808 on Twitter

Another to surface on social media in connection with H50 is actress Katie Wee.  In an Instagram post, which has subsequently been deleted, Katie posted a picture of she and Alex in what looked like a date scene between her character and Steve.  Of course, I have no idea why she felt the need to pull the post down, other than, perhaps, it gave away a part of a plot TPTB didn’t want out there just yet.

I, personally, don’t think this date is any indication that her character is a new love interest for Steve, as I’ve seen people on Twitter speculate (and/or pray for).  As much as I would adore for that to happen for Steve, I honestly don’t think that’s what this is.  I think it’s just a way of showing that Steve is, finally, ready to step out a bit since his breakup with Lynn.  It’s a good, healthy step in the right direction for him.  He’s been alone too long.  He needs someone to love, confide in, and trust (above all trust).  Of course, he has all those things in Danny ….. 😉 😉

It looks like actor Rob Morrow (@officialrobmorrow on Instagram and @RobMorrow_ on Twitter) will be making an appearance (or more) on the show as well.  He’s been having a blast all over Oahu.  He went diving with the SEALs at Trident Adventures and he’s been posting IG videos and selfies from all over the island and the H50 set.  I don’t know what character he’s going to be playing but he sure is having a lot of fun while he’s there filming.  Check out his Instagram and Twitter feeds for some really fun stuff.

Photo Credit:  @RobMorrow_ on Twitter

More than just the star:  As I’m sure you all know by now, Alex is going to be directing again this season but what’s really exciting is that, instead of an episode being written around a story idea of his, the episode he’s directing is one he personally wrote.  This episode, already filmed as Production #10.01, has already finished primary filming although we still don’t know which Episode number it will be shown as.

What we do know is that the Navy SEALs who run Trident Adventures and who appeared in Episode 8.24 (when Steve and Junior saved Joe White) were at the Blessing Ceremony for the first day of shooting in July when this episode was being filmed so it’s a good bet that the episode will have a military/governmental story line.

Photo Credit: tridentadventureshawaii on Instagram

And Doris is back!  Isn’t it fascinating that given the opportunity to write his very own episode that Alex would choose to write one that revolves around Doris? He’s said in the past that he thinks that is a story line that deserves to be completed and it seems he’s taken it into his own hands to write the next chapter in the story, whatever that may be.

Photo Credit:  @ChristineALahti on Twitter

Sunset on the Beach:   The annual funfest that is SOTB has been scheduled for September 19^th.  Like last year, this year’s event will be a two-fer with the Magnum PI cast and as usual, the season premieres of both shows will be shown on Queen’s Beach.  This year’s gala will also include a special performance by the band Train. As always, it’s going to be a great party on the beach for those lucky enough to be able to attend.  For the rest of us, we’ll just have to live vicariously through those who are gracious enough to share their experiences with us on social media.  

Welcome to #HawaiiFriday:  Don’t forget that CBS has decided to give us a one-two Hawaiian Punch this coming season.  H50 will no longer be on at 9pm EST but will be shown an hour earlier at 8pm with Magnum PI following at 9pm.  I know many are not very happy with this change.  Many are worried that ratings will fall with H50 leading off the night and they very well may.  But, H50 is a much stronger show than Magnum and it seems, CBS feels they have a much better chance of a successful night with H50 leading the way.  Only time will tell but with the two Hawaiian shows, which exist in the same universe, back to back, maybe we’ll be treated so more references in each show about the other, as well as, a full blown crossover which fully utilizes both casts.  I could go for that!

Photo Credit:  @stephenhillacts on Instagram

For those of you who are Blue Bloods fans, they will still be on at 10pm.  For those who normally would tune in at 8pm to see MacGyver, that show will be returning in the beginning of 2020.

So… what are you guys looking forward to in Season 10?  I’d love to hear all your ideas, your wants and your not-wants.  It promises to be another great season but then this is our favorite show.  So of course, it’s going to be a great season.

Aloha.  Malama Pono