Hawaii Five-O: Any Fans?

[T.Q.]

Right Grave - Wrong Body

NOOOO. Officer Lyman.

Thought it was a good episode.

Sad ending. Good cop who makes a wrong decision ends up with too much guilt. I always vacillate on that. Cop risks his life for peanuts and grabs a bit of loot. Wrong but makes you go hmmmm. Anyways, surprising ending. Not what I wanted to see.

Liked the old school "sketching" scenes with the templates. Enjoy seeing the old out-of-date techniques.

Recognized Lippy Espinda. Looked him up. Was it from Brady Hawaii I remember him or earlier episodes?

MPI: Bunch of usuals and Donald Hayes (Death of the Flowers). Good job as the baddie.
I think the bartender was Cappie (?) from Way of The Stalking Horse but he's not listed anywhere.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Right Grave - Wrong Body

NOOOO. Officer Lyman.

Thought it was a good episode.

Sad ending. Good cop who makes a wrong decision ends up with too much guilt. I always vacillate on that. Cop risks his life for peanuts and grabs a bit of loot. Wrong but makes you go hmmmm. Anyways, surprising ending. Not what I wanted to see.

Liked the old school "sketching" scenes with the templates. Enjoy seeing the old out-of-date techniques.

Recognized Lippy Espinda. Looked him up. Was it from Brady Hawaii I remember him or earlier episodes?

MPI: Bunch of usuals and Donald Hayes (Death of the Flowers). Good job as the baddie.
I think the bartender was Cappie (?) from Way of The Stalking Horse but he's not listed anywhere.

I agree. A good episode. Scripted by Glen Olson and Rod Baker, the duo who gave us "Hookman" and later in season 6 "The Flip Side is Death". They wrote a total of 5 episodes and all were very good except the last one - "A Sentence to Steal" in season 8, which was yet another warehouse thefts episode and the worst one yet.

Charles Cioffi was good as Lyman. This was the first of 4 Cioffi episodes. My favorite is season 8's "McGarrett is Missing". I agree that compared to the other crimes that we see week to week in the islands what Lyman did was probably small potatoes. But as is often the case these things tend to spiral out of control. Then you've got lies and cover-ups and more lies and then someone gets killed. Guilty conscience and all that. Never ends well. The composite sketching and putting the face together - always loved those scenes! Old school.

William Watson plays the nasty Hobart and he pretty much made a career or playing nasties, especially on Five-O. He seemed nasty and vicious as L.B. Barker in "Good Night, Baby -- Time to Die" (season 4) until that cool twist at the end. But he really was vicious and psycho in season 9's "Elegy in a Rainforest". As for Lippy Espinda he was a used car salesman on Oahu (had his own lot) and did commercials and appeared in numerous Five-O episodes as well as the Brady Bunch in Hawaii episode where he warns the boys of the kapu connected with the tiki idol.

[T.Q.]

I agree. A good episode. Scripted by Glen Olson and Rod Baker, the duo who gave us "Hookman" and later in season 6 "The Flip Side is Death". They wrote a total of 5 episodes and all were very good except the last one - "A Sentence to Steal" in season 8, which was yet another warehouse thefts episode and the worst one yet.

Charles Cioffi was good as Lyman. This was the first of 4 Cioffi episodes. My favorite is season 8's "McGarrett is Missing". I agree that compared to the other crimes that we see week to week in the islands what Lyman did was probably small potatoes. But as is often the case these things tend to spiral out of control. Then you've got lies and cover-ups and more lies and then someone gets killed. Guilty conscience and all that. Never ends well. The composite sketching and putting the face together - always loved those scenes! Old school.

William Watson plays the nasty Hobart and he pretty much made a career or playing nasties, especially on Five-O. He seemed nasty and vicious as L.B. Barker in "Good Night, Baby -- Time to Die" (season 4) until that cool twist at the end. But he really was vicious and psycho in season 9's "Elegy in a Rainforest". As for Lippy Espinda he was a used car salesman on Oahu (had his own lot) and did commercials and appeared in numerous Five-O episodes as well as the Brady Bunch in Hawaii episode where he warns the boys of the kapu connected with the tiki idol.

Random side note.

I read the reviews as you know.

I notice MartinHafer turned pretty critical and nit-picky this season (7).

I find it's way better to turn down the overly critical thinking part of the brain watching any TV show.
Ruins almost any show really.

[Little Garwood]

Right Grave—Wrong Body (S7 E6)

The dreaded “Identi-Kit” episode! Actually, the scene with Danno using it to create a description of who shot the grocery store clerk would have fascinated me as a kid. The Identi-Kit reminds me of the metal-shavings-and-pencil toy so many 1970s kids had. The musical underscore heard in that scene is nice.

Charles Cioffi (HPD Officer Dean Lyman) and his bad toupee are here. Cioffi makes for a most unathletic HPD officer. Despite my joking about him, I’ve always liked Cioffi as an actor. His upcoming appearance in McGarrett is Missing is my favorite of his. Cioffi could have been so much better in his role as the unscrupulous journalist in S11’s Skyline Killer.

Josie Over (Marge Lyman) is an honored Five-0 stock player, and thankfully she largely refrains from her bad habit of rapidly blinking her eyes while delivering her lines. Cioffi and Over have a pretty good scene together as Officer Lyman is talking out the particulars of the case.

Doc Bergman (Al Eben) is one of my favorite Five-0 characters, especially when it’s plainly obvious to me that he and McGarrett don’t like one another! There is no Bergman-McGarrett tension here, though.

Carole Kai looks to be wearing the decade’s last “Shag” hairstyle Jane Fonda wore in 1971’s Klute; maybe it was for Charles Cioffi’s benefit? I like the semi-sleazy guitar music heard in the bar where Kai works. This episode “shows off” a lot of the seedy, blighty city areas and atmosphere are part of what I love about shows from the 1970s.

William Watson (Hobart) makes for an effective villain, but his Five-0 crowning achievement is in S9’s Elegy in a Rain Forest.

My rating for Right Grave—Wrong Body 7/10.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I agree. A good episode. Scripted by Glen Olson and Rod Baker, the duo who gave us "Hookman" and later in season 6 "The Flip Side is Death". They wrote a total of 5 episodes and all were very good except the last one - "A Sentence to Steal" in season 8, which was yet another warehouse thefts episode and the worst one yet.

Charles Cioffi was good as Lyman. This was the first of 4 Cioffi episodes. My favorite is season 8's "McGarrett is Missing". I agree that compared to the other crimes that we see week to week in the islands what Lyman did was probably small potatoes. But as is often the case these things tend to spiral out of control. Then you've got lies and cover-ups and more lies and then someone gets killed. Guilty conscience and all that. Never ends well. The composite sketching and putting the face together - always loved those scenes! Old school.

William Watson plays the nasty Hobart and he pretty much made a career or playing nasties, especially on Five-O. He seemed nasty and vicious as L.B. Barker in "Good Night, Baby -- Time to Die" (season 4) until that cool twist at the end. But he really was vicious and psycho in season 9's "Elegy in a Rainforest". As for Lippy Espinda he was a used car salesman on Oahu (had his own lot) and did commercials and appeared in numerous Five-O episodes as well as the Brady Bunch in Hawaii episode where he warns the boys of the kapu connected with the tiki idol.

Random side note.

I read the reviews as you know.

I notice MartinHafer turned pretty critical and nit-picky this season (7).

I find it's way better to turn down the overly critical thinking part of the brain watching any TV show.
Ruins almost any show really.

Yeah, the art of reviewing can be a finicky thing. Some episodes rub people the wrong way for whatever reason. Also I agree that nitpicking can be a real negative in enjoying an episode. If we're honest season 6 had plenty we could nitpick about and as a result we could downgrade our scores for all those episodes, and the season as a whole. But why do that and ruin what is otherwise probably the best season of the show? I know there are some that consider season 7 a step down from season 6 and maybe they feel more "obligated" to pick it apart and nitpick. But you could do that with every season and with every show and as a result end up with a less than satisfactory experience. Or you could just sit back and enjoy the story (if you find it enjoyable, that is) and not worry about why the suits changed color from one scene to the next or why the make and model of the car changed. I don't find those things important. On the other hand the end of "I'll Kill 'Em Again" has a HUGE plot hole in regards to how they knew where to find the hooker (I mean outside of just the general prostitution district, how did they know which specific building or flop house) that Eddie was planning to kill. We're talking an actual plot hole and not inconsistencies in the wardrobe from one scene to the next. And yet despite this the entire episode is sooooo fascinating that it's in my top 5 of the entire series! Some things I'm just able to overlook (yes, even a plot hole) because the overall product is so stellar. You and I both really enjoyed season 5's "Here Today, Gone Tonight" but Mr. Mike hates it because it's so fantastical and far-fetched. Which I agree with - it is. And yet I enjoy it more than something more grounded and realistic like "Percentage". It's just that I find the former more fascinating and the latter more dull. It's all very subjective, different people focus on different things and enjoy things differently. And then there are those that get more picky with one season over another. Don't know if that's the case with MartinHafer. Maybe he really doesn't enjoy season 7 episodes as much. And when you don't enjoy something I suppose it's easier to nitpick.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Cioffi could have been so much better in his role as the unscrupulous journalist in S11’s Skyline Killer.

Ah, Skyline Killer! The last truly great Five-O episode. Hard to imagine they made that one in 1979. It's very dark and edgy and feels like it belongs in season 6! I'm surprised it doesn't get more praise. Probably because it's from season 11. Also some great stuntwork at the end on those cranes - really found it captivating as a kid. Plus the score by Dick DeBenedictis (very creepy!) could give some of Morton Stevens' best scores a run for the money.

William Watson (Hobart) makes for an effective villain, but his Five-0 crowning achievement is in S9’s Elegy in a Rain Forest.

He's definitely in full psycho mode there but some of the babbling and faux-crying (especially towards the end) was a tad too much. Too OTT. Sometimes less is more.

[Little Garwood]

I’m sure we’ll have a lot to discuss when we get to those seasons. I haven’t watched Elegy in some years, so when we get to S9 I’ll be watching that episode with “fresh” eyes.

Skyline Killer I’ve seen numerous times and I agree with everything you said.

However, we differ in that I am quite fond of S12…always have been!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

However, we differ in that I am quite fond of S12…always have been!

I'm fond of season 12 in that it was probably the best thing on television during the 1979-1980 season. Which of course isn't saying much.

EDIT: Though I do admit there's a strange curiosity in watching an almost-80s Five-O. But thankfully MPI came along and spared us a season 13.

[Little Garwood]

We Hang Our Own (S7 E7)

This is imo the most atmospheric episode Hawaii Five-0 ever did. The Big Island, with its mist and rain practically makes the island a character in this episode.

Plus there’s Bruce Boxleitner and Gerald Waialae fighting it out over Elissa Dulce’s hotness, for which any man would gladly die! This episode also has a great music score by Richard Shores, which boasts an Ennio Morricone-style rendition of the Five-0 theme, which is heard as McGarrett and company drive along Colonel Farraday’s (Leslie Nielsen) massive ranch.

Perry King (Jay Farraday) and Bruce Boxleitner (Cam Farraday) as brothers! How did the world deal with such future 1980s TV greatness?!? Cam is dead and gone before you can say Bring ‘Em Back Alive and there just aren’t enough suspects to keep the viewer guessing, but it’s the music and atmosphere that make We Hang Our Own one of my favorite S7 episodes.

I liked the Hawaiian history of the Colonel’s ancestor who had a “John Brown” quality about him. The painting looked like Leslie Nielsen with a beard. Colonel Farraday is even called “Colonel” by his sons! I thought I once read that George H.W. Bush’s father insisted that his kids call him “Senator.”

James Nishimura (Captain Ohano) sounds like most of his lines are overdubbed by Jack Soo.

My Rating: 9/10

[Pahonu]

Perry King (Jay Farraday) and Bruce Boxleitner (Cam Farraday) as brothers! How did the world deal with such future 1980s TV greatness?!? Cam is dead and gone before you can say Bring ‘Em Back Alive and there just aren’t enough suspects to keep the viewer guessing, but it’s the music and atmosphere that make We Hang Our Own one of my favorite S7 episodes.

I have Bring ‘Em Back Alive on bootleg DVD. Great reference and a pretty good series.

I also have the other half of that 80’s TV greatness: Riptide.

[Pahonu]

However, we differ in that I am quite fond of S12…always have been!

I'm fond of season 12 in that it was probably the best thing on television during the 1979-1980 season. Which of course isn't saying much.

Tenspeed and Brownshoe debuted as a mid season replacement that season. It was well done and gone far too soon.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hey Garwood, I noticed you gave "We Hang our Own" a 9/10 but the S&S episode "Love and/or Marriage" a 10/10. Now, I assume these ratings aren't "universal" and are relative to the show you are reviewing. For instance if "Love" was an episode of Hawaii Five-O you wouldn't be giving it a 10/10 would you? Because that would mean that it's a better episode than "We Hang" which would just be crazy. Does not compute.

So I assume that a S&S 10/10 is different from a Five-O 10/10. Am I correct? I take it you're a greater Five-O fan than S&S fan.

Also, I'm surprised that you guys connect Boxleitner with something obscure in the 80s like BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE (which I've never seen, nor have many I'm sure) but not SCARECROW AND MRS. KING which is the 80s TV show that he's best known for. Are you guys familiar with it? I'm actually quite the fan. Saw all the episodes. I'm a fan of all things espionage and this was a great return to the Cold War spy stories which were largely gone after the late 60s. The show debuted in 1983 which was actually the height of the Cold War in the 80s. Love that era - Reagan policies, strong anti-Communist sentiment, and this show played up to that very effectively. Granted it wasn't some super serious espionage and it did have a more light-hearted approach thanks to the wonderful chemistry between spy Boxleitner and suburban housewife Kate Jackson, but the show still had its share of thrills, mystery, dead bodies, cloak and dagger spycraft, and actually some impressive action sequences! I'd take that show over S&S in a heartbeat! It was definitely something unique for the 80s, compared to yet another PI show. Any thoughts?

[Little Garwood]

Hey Garwood, I noticed you gave "We Hang our Own" a 9/10 but the S&S episode "Love and/or Marriage" a 10/10. Now, I assume these ratings aren't "universal" and are relative to the show you are reviewing. For instance if "Love" was an episode of Hawaii Five-O you wouldn't be giving it a 10/10 would you? Because that would mean that it's a better episode than "We Hang" which would just be crazy. Does not compute. So I assume that a S&S 10/10 is different from a Five-O 10/10. Am I correct?

Yes, I rate episodes based on their own merits within the context of what I like about the series and that series alone. I am not comparing it to anything outside of that “realm.” Like every viewer, I bring my likes/dislikes and preferences to how I rate an episode, and that can push a rating up or down without any regard to logic and reason.

I take it you're a greater Five-O fan than S&S fan.

I certainly am more familiar with Five-0, and I definitely prefer the late 1960s through mid-1970s pop culture era which Five-0 inhabits, even if I don’t go back as far with it as I do with Simon & Simon, which I watched as a kid. Oddly enough, my Five-0 obsession didn’t begin until the summer after I graduated high school.

Bruce Boxleitner will forever be “Frank Buck” to me. I of course knew of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, but I’ve never watched it. Despite having grown up during the ‘80s, I was largely disinterested in the era. By the time 1984 rolled around, I was firmly immersed in earlier decades.

[Pahonu]

Also, I'm surprised that you guys connect Boxleitner with something obscure in the 80s like BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE (which I've never seen, nor have many I'm sure) but not SCARECROW AND MRS. KING which is the 80s TV show that he's best known for. Are you guys familiar with it? I'm actually quite the fan. Saw all the episodes. I'm a fan of all things espionage and this was a great return to the Cold War spy stories which were largely gone after the late 60s. The show debuted in 1983 which was actually the height of the Cold War in the 80s. Love that era - Reagan policies, strong anti-Communist sentiment, and this show played up to that very effectively. Granted it wasn't some super serious espionage and it did have a more light-hearted approach thanks to the wonderful chemistry between spy Boxleitner and suburban housewife Kate Jackson, but the show still had its share of thrills, mystery, dead bodies, cloak and dagger spycraft, and actually some impressive action sequences! I'd take that show over S&S in a heartbeat! It was definitely something unique for the 80s, compared to yet another PI show. Any thoughts?

I wasn’t a fan of Scarecrow and Mrs. King when it aired. I remember watching early episodes and losing interest pretty quickly with the housewife and a spy premise. I immediately recognized Boxleitner from Bring ‘Em Back Alive, which is probably why I gave it a try. It, and Tales of the Gold Monkey were both very good adventure shows trying to build on the success of Raiders if the Lost Ark. They had high production values, exotic locations, and period settings. Unfortunately, this made them more expensive to produce and in need higher ratings to justify the cost. That, and Bring’Em Back Alive was slotted against The A-Team, Happy Days, and Laverne & Shirley, which gave it little chance of success. Both were gone within a year.

[T.Q.]

We Hang Our Own

Bit slow moving but good episode. Little predictable.

Wow. Lotsa good recognizable faces.

Bruce Boxleitner (didn't recognize him at first)
Perry King (Pretty good)
Leslie Nielsen (Great job).

I'm trying not to read the discussion you guys (who've seen the series a million times already) are having before I get there.

Change to Big Island was refreshing.

The Ranching reminded me of some Magnum Hawai'i episodes.

I could have sworn Capt. Ohano was Jack Soo. I was doing bench presses and only heard the voice. Holy Mackerel. Same voice. Then rewound and stared at him for a few. Looked like him a bit but no. Soo is so unique.

Scene at the end turning the gun on his son was excellent. Will he or won't he.

Solid episode.

MPI: Elissa Hoopai