T.Q. wrote:IvanTheTerrible wrote:
Yes, "Cocoon" is the pilot episode. It premiered as a 2-hour movie called "Hawaii Five-O" in September 1968. A week later the series proper began with "Full Fathom Five". At the end of season 1 in the spring of 1969, after they ran all the 1st season episodes, they decided to rerun the pilot again but this time as a 2-part episode under the title of "Cocoon". That's what we normally saw on TV in reruns growing up (same as you probably did with the MPI pilot split up into 2 parts). On the DVD release of season 1 they of course have the full-length pilot movie, not the 2-part "Cocoon" version. I don't know how or where you're watching these so I don't know what's available to you. If you can watch the full-length pilot I would recommend that. If all you have is the "Cocoon" 2-parter then you can watch that one. For many years that's all that was available to us.
Just watched the 2-parter.
Excellent.
What's funny is I barely watched the new Hawaii Five-0 but I saw parts of the episode that ripped this one off.
That suit is creepy.
I love that they walked you through the investigation step-by-step. No car chases. No automatic gunfire every second. A REAL story.
Thanks for bringing it up and getting me to check it out.
T.Q., glad you enjoyed it! Granted, the pilot has a bit more of a James Bond vibe to it than the actual series itself, what with the deprivation Cocoon chamber and the cloak and dagger feel of the whole episode. But it's a great start to a fantastic series and one that I enjoy more and more each time I view the episode. It introduces us to McGarrett's recurring arch nemesis Wo Fat (played wonderfully by Khigh Dhiegh) - I absolutely love his whole speech to McGarrett about how the brain works and how it gets wiped clean in the tank. Absolutely terrifying stuff when you think about it. A fine guest cast too, did you notice Leslie Nielsen there as the fed (Brent) whom McGarrett initially suspects??? A great music score by Morton Stevens too! He was Emmy nominated for this one. There's also the great line about McGarrett that they even used in the Cocoon remake "
Everybody knows that McGarrett only takes orders from the governor and God, and sometimes even they have difficulty". Love that line!! Also lots of memorable filming locations - the beach where they find Hennessy's body (supposedly drowned) at the beginning is Hanauma Bay, back when you could actually drive all the way down to the beach. Nowadays you have to park in the parking lot up top and then walk (or hitch a ride on a little bus) down to the beach. There's also the Punchbowl Cemetery of the Pacific (with the Lady Columbia statue that's featured in the opening title) where McGarrett and Miller (Andrew Duggan) meet. I also enjoy the beginning where McGarrett is driving along Kalakaua Ave (on his way to Hanauma Bay) and you don't see any high-rises in Waikiki. Just small hotels. The one that's most notably missing is the twin towers of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki (where I stayed on my last visit there). That one wouldn't be built until 1976. You'll see it in the later seasons of Five-O. It's really a special time capsule of a different and more innocent time. That's why the episode "Strangers in Our Own Land" is very poignant about the over-development of the islands. And that was 1968 when in my opinion things were still fairly mild in this regard.
About the remake of Cocoon, it's funny because I was in Tennessee visiting family back in late September 2018 when the 9th season of the show kicked off. Me and my brother-in-law watched that one. He likes the reboot, not the original. I don't like the reboot but was curious to see this one because it's a remake of the classic Cocoon. I enjoyed seeing some of the scene-by-scene recreations but as you said it's all undercut by the idiotic banter of the two leads and the stupid gunfights and over-the-top action. That's why I never got into the show. It simply doesn't have the spirit of the original. It carries the name of FIVE-O but it's simply not FIVE-O. It's a different show altogether that just happens to be filmed in Hawaii. Same with the new MPI.
You mentioned that you love how they walk you step by step through the investigation. That's what I loved most about the show. It's wasn't mindless shootouts. It was a cerebral show. You watched as the team went through the clues and evidence piece by piece and figured out the case over the course of the hour. No fancy all-knowing smart computers that scan some piece of clothing from some perp and immediately spit out everything you need to know about him and where to find him. That's why the new show is so boring. They have this smart computer which literally knows everything about everyone. There's no investigation. Just drive over, point, and shoot. Then rinse and repeat. Like some stupid video game. I love how on the old show they would deduce things. McGarrett would start snapping his fingers furiously as he turned things over in his brain, brainstorming and putting the pieces together. It was fascinating to watch! COLUMBO was the same way. That's why I love old shows with REAL crime solving.
It's hard for me to believe that someone hasn't seen the original show, at least someone in our age range who grew up with MPI. Growing up, FIVE-O reruns were always playing on some channel somewhere. It was actually my mom that got me into the show. I watched it long before I ever got into MPI. She thought Jack Lord was VERY handsome! But of course she though so was Selleck (no surprise there LOL). 
Which two episodes did you see? The pilot "Cocoon" and "Full Fathom Five"? Or "Full Fathom Five" and "Strangers in Our Own Land"? All 3 are excellent episodes! You should definitely check out more! The show is remastered and the islands look gorgeous in HD. But I also love the stories and the acting! I guess I'm biased because I love the no-nonsense acting of 60s and 70s TV crime dramas. I also love hearing all the Hawaiian pidgin and the late 60s hippie talk! Just listen how many times you'll hear words like "baby" and "bruddah" and "dig, baby, dig". 
