Hawaii Five-O: Any Fans?

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Sorry about the delay but I've been working on that bamboo cage again.

So let me get this straight. You did not like "No Bottles" (even after 2 viewings) but you liked "Horse Over Moon"? And then to make matters even worse you did not like "Hit Gun for Sale"? You're on thin ice here. Tread very very carefully. Wrath has been incurred. You must atone for your transgressions. Repeat after me. "No Bottles" is a VERY good episode. "Horse Over Moon" is a lousy episode. "Hit Gun" is a return to form and is MUCH better than "Horse".

Sorry Ivan.

Only way I can explain it is I felt most of the elements kinda came from previous episodes.

Maybe I just don't like mafioso stories based in Hawai'i.

But didn't you think the twist at the end was awesome?? You weren't surprised by it? By who the eventual target ended up being? That was totally unexpected. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Actually now that I think about it this probably was the best of the warring crime factions stories. The previous one was "Tricks are Not Treats" - the black pimps vs. Lolo which neither of us cared for. In season 4 we had "A Matter of Mutual Concern" which was a race-o-rama between the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Samoan heads of families, which I liked too. But it didn't have the cool twist that this one did. I'm probably missing some other episodes but off the top of my head "Hit Gun for Sale" might be the best one, even if we've seen snippets of it before.

Oh, I forgot Jo Ann Harris in "Horse Over Moon". I guess she was alright.

[T.Q.]

But didn't you think the twist at the end was awesome?? You weren't surprised by it? By who the eventual target ended up being? That was totally unexpected. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Yeah, it was good.

What happens is if the episode doesn't grab me by half way though, I no longer stay that engaged.

It was a good twist ending though.

[T.Q.]

The Hostage

Good episode.

Bit confusing how the whole thing started. Clark getting a door slammed on his hand turning into a shooting.

Regardless, enjoyed it quite a bit.

McGarrett's reaching out and finally making it through to him throughout the episode was really good.

Man, that Captain was an annoying ahole. McGarrett shoulda given him a beatdown.

Noticed the kidnapped girl was getting close to her kidnapper. They didn't explore that much. The Stockholm syndrome. Reminded me of Covid and how people are all getting attached to our Govt abusers.

I like the introduction of Frank in a greater role by the way. Never mentioned it before. He's good. They seem to give him more than Ben.

MPI: Wisa D'Orso, Edward Sheehan

Side note: Saw Kimo Kahoano listed as guest star. He's a Hawaiian celebrity and I'm friends with his son.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

The Hostage

Good episode.

Bit confusing how the whole thing started. Clark getting a door slammed on his hand turning into a shooting.

Regardless, enjoyed it quite a bit.

McGarrett's reaching out and finally making it through to him throughout the episode was really good.

Man, that Captain was an annoying ahole. McGarrett shoulda given him a beatdown.

Noticed the kidnapped girl was getting close to her kidnapper. They didn't explore that much. The Stockholm syndrome. Reminded me of Covid and how people are all getting attached to our Govt abusers.

I like the introduction of Frank in a greater role by the way. Never mentioned it before. He's good. They seem to give him more than Ben.

MPI: Wisa D'Orso, Edward Sheehan

Side note: Saw Kimo Kahoano listed as guest star. He's a Hawaiian celebrity and I'm friends with his son.

Yep, a good episode. Though it's essentially a sort of remake of season 1's "King of the Hill" so compared to that episode this one is definitely inferior in every way. From the setting (hospital wing vs. apartment room) to the performances of the PTSD suffering main character (Yaphet Kotto vs. Dane Clark) to the hostage (Danno bleeding out vs. Linda Purl unharmed). Basically the earlier episode was just more intense and with time running out for Danno you could really feel the clock ticking. I also really liked the flashback/hallucinations scenes in the earlier episode with Yaphet Kotto really thinking he's out there on the battlefield. Versus here where Dane Clark has no such hallucinations. In fact he seems more confused than anything. Certainly not shell-shocked the way Yaphet Kotto was. Like you mentioned, it's a bit confusing at the beginning as to what really happened to set him off. Looked like he came by to visit his army buddy, who didn't want to see him. But Clark insisted on seeing him anyway. He seemed more irritable than anything else and then when the cops got involved a scuffle ensued and he accidentally shot the cop. This made Clark freak out and he ended up taking Linda Purl as his hostage. Then we find out he has some kind of PTSD but I don't think it's explored very well. He seems to shift from being confused to being irritable most of the time. At least that's how I remember it - I probably need to see the episode again. Also it doesn't have the dramatic rescue with McG in a helicopter (dressed in a corpsman's uniform) that the earlier episode had, which I thought was a really cool trick by McG to enter into "Kotto's world".

The only real difference between the earlier episode and this one is the addition of Scott Brady playing the Sgt. Grover character, whose only real purpose here is to butt heads with McG. Speaking of Grover, if you watched the remake series you probably remember Chi McBride playing a character named Grover. I'm not certain but I think he was an HPD cop who became a member of Five-O? Was that the story? In any case, believe it or not Lenkov said they were "paying tribute" ( ) to the original show by using this character from this episode as the basis for their new character for Chi McBride. Which I found completely laughable because NO ONE (except for some die-hard HFO fans) remember this Grover character, who made just one appearance on the show and who means absolutely NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. So why bother "paying tribute" when you just took a last name of some meaningless character and slapped it on your new character, who has NOTHING in common with the original character? Like the entire remake, which has nothing in common with the original show. Chi McBride could have played a guy named Johnson or Davis and it wouldn't have made a lick of difference. That's what I hate about Lenkov and his remakes. He keeps blabbering about being faithful to the original show, when he cares NOTHING about it. He has no intention of recreating the magic of the original show or connecting characters or plot points from the original show to the remake. It's all about blowing things up real good and far-fetched stories. And then he'll give one of the characters a pet turtle and give it the name of Ben Kokua and say "see, we're paying tribute to the original show".

Anyway, I digressed... Bottom line - I do like the episode. It's just not as great as the earlier one. Also that building where the hostage situation takes place is actually right across from the Iolani Palace on Richards St. So if you're standing on the Iolani steps facing King St. and the Kamehameha statue straight ahead, the building would be on your right on Richards St. Actually on the right and to the rear of the Iolani Palace. I took some pics when I was there.

You'll be seeing more of Kimo Kahoano from here on out. Say hello to his son.

[T.Q.]

Diary of a Gun

Wow. Trashed online but I liked the episode.

Follow the bouncing ILLEGAL gun.

I didn't think it was trying to be too preachy about the topic. The problem exists. Of course, the separate issue remains, after this age old problem, that govts still want to go after law-abiding citizens instead of acknowledging the real problem.

Doing this in Canada now. Ignore the city gun problem that are almost always illegal guns used by gangs... go after rural farmers with guns for political points.

Anyways. Don't want to start a gun debate and won't be participating if one starts.

I thought the episode was interesting. The ending wasn't that great though.

MPI: Ramon Bieri (Police Captain Frank Browning)

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Diary of a Gun

Wow. Trashed online but I liked the episode.

Follow the bouncing ILLEGAL gun.

I didn't think it was trying to be too preachy about the topic. The problem exists. Of course, the separate issue remains, after this age old problem, that govts still want to go after law-abiding citizens instead of acknowledging the real problem.

Doing this in Canada now. Ignore the city gun problem that are almost always illegal guns used by gangs... go after rural farmers with guns for political points.

Anyways. Don't want to start a gun debate and won't be participating if one starts.

I thought the episode was interesting. The ending wasn't that great though.

MPI: Ramon Bieri (Police Captain Frank Browning)

Indeed. I never understood the hate for it. Actually I'm not sure everyone hates it. Just one person on IMDB (alpha) that absolutely hated it and called it "Diary of the Dumb". Called it one of the worst in the series. But I'm pretty sure he's alone in that thinking. There's actually another episode just like this one in season 12 which I also like (which I saw first) and by season 12 standards it's quite good. I did like the "follow the bouncing gun" scenario and I think that's what alpha had a real problem with. He found this scenario unbelievable. I don't understand this at all. What's unbelievable about it? Like people don't find guns and then commit crimes with them. This happens a lot. How many times have we heard that a gun involved in one crime was also used in another crime by a different perp? Sure, it was a bit compressed here because it's a 1-hour show. In reality it would have taken a longer span of time to travel the way it did from one person to another and be involved in a crime. But the point of the story (the carnage that illegal guns cause) was well told and I enjoyed it. At the end of the day this isn't a documentary. It's a TV show! Alpha says in reality if someone found a gun in a mailbox they would know it must have been involved in a crime and therefore would have reported it to the police. Really?? Says who?? I would like to think that most rational people wouldn't just pick it up and take it home with them. But the world is full of irrational people who don't do what they should do. So when the mailman decided to take the gun home with him I didn't find it preposterous at all. He was stupid to do that. But hey, lots of stupid people around.

MPI connection: you missed Remi Abellira, who's been in lots of Five-O's and was Moki in a few MPI's.

I'm gonna add a KNIGHT RIDER connection here too. Ramon Bieri was "Acid John" Byrock in the famous episode where KITT is thrown into an acid pit and destroyed. "Junk Yard Dog" was the episode, with a really cool synth-ed up soundtrack by Don Peake, resembling the famous Axel F theme from Beverly Hills Cop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHpzMi8 ... A&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jszUm5v ... A&index=27

[T.Q.]

How many times have we heard that a gun involved in one crime was also used in another crime by a different perp? Sure, it was a bit compressed here because it's a 1-hour show. In reality it would have taken a longer span of time to travel the way it did from one person to another and be involved in a crime. But the point of the story (the carnage that illegal guns cause) was well told and I enjoyed it. At the end of the day this isn't a documentary. It's a TV show!

This reminded me the first time I watched the series 24.

I binged it.

Jack Bauer' daughter couldn't take 2 steps down the street without some crazy bad thing happening to her.

Kidnappings, crazy people, shootings, walking into hostage situations, etc...

I remember telling my wife "If anyone random person didn't know anything about the USA, they'd be afraid to death traveling there after watching three episodes".

So, yeah. TV shows are TV shows.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

How many times have we heard that a gun involved in one crime was also used in another crime by a different perp? Sure, it was a bit compressed here because it's a 1-hour show. In reality it would have taken a longer span of time to travel the way it did from one person to another and be involved in a crime. But the point of the story (the carnage that illegal guns cause) was well told and I enjoyed it. At the end of the day this isn't a documentary. It's a TV show!

This reminded me the first time I watched the series 24.

I binged it.

Jack Bauer' daughter couldn't take 2 steps down the street without some crazy bad thing happening to her.

Kidnappings, crazy people, shootings, walking into hostage situations, etc...

I remember telling my wife "If anyone random person didn't know anything about the USA, they'd be afraid to death traveling there after watching three episodes".

So, yeah. TV shows are TV shows.

Yep, especially season 2 and Kim's adventures with the cougar. But then in season 3 when she was finally given a job at CTU I found it even more preposterous. Are we seriously supposed to accept her as an analyst and place our national security in her hands? She's better off being chased by cougars! LOL!

But yeah, 24 was great! The most gripping television I ever watched! For a long time it was my all-time favorite show. Until I went back to watching shows that I grew up with and found that they had much more rewatch value and are just plain more fun. These days I really need to be in a mood to watch an entire season of 24 (I own all the seasons on DVD) which I'm not, but I can pop in an episode of MPI or FIVE-O anytime and just enjoy it. No binging required.

[T.Q.]

6,000 Deadly Tickets

BEN?

Musta been an episode held over filmed earlier in the season.

Not very good. Didn't turn my crank.

Story didn't grab me.

I liked the hit on the business. Big Kablooey.

Fijiwara was good in this. He plays a good sleazebag.

MPI: Jack Hogan (whack of regulars)

Kimo Kahoano in this again... Funny I didn't realize he was in a Magnum episode. That's my 3 degrees of separation from TS.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

6,000 Deadly Tickets

BEN?

Musta been an episode held over filmed earlier in the season.

Not very good. Didn't turn my crank.

Story didn't grab me.

I liked the hit on the business. Big Kablooey.

Fijiwara was good in this. He plays a good sleazebag.

MPI: Jack Hogan (whack of regulars)

Kimo Kahoano in this again... Funny I didn't realize he was in a Magnum episode. That's my 3 degrees of separation from TS.

A solid episode to finish the season but certainly no classic. The things that stand out are Kwan Hi Lim and Tommy Fujiwara playing ruthless sleazy types. The big kablooey was pretty impressive too! But I really like the boat chase up and down the Ala Wai Canal at the end, with McGarrett giving chase right alongside in his Mercury, slipping and sliding all over the grass! Well executed and shot, that entire sequence! Had a movie quality feel to it.

Yep, Ben is back. It was definitely an episode filmed much earlier in the season.

What did you think of the season? Can't wait to see your top 5 for the season!

[T.Q.]

A solid episode to finish the season but certainly no classic. The things that stand out are Kwan Hi Lim and Tommy Fujiwara playing ruthless sleazy types. The big kablooey was pretty impressive too! But I really like the boat chase up and down the Ala Wai Canal at the end, with McGarrett giving chase right alongside in his Mercury, slipping and sliding all over the grass! Well executed and shot, that entire sequence! Had a movie quality feel to it.

Yep, Ben is back. It was definitely an episode filmed much earlier in the season.

What did you think of the season? Can't wait to see your top 5 for the season!

I have to backtrack now and watch episodes 9 - 16.

I'll tell you now though that seasons 5 and 6 were much better.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

A solid episode to finish the season but certainly no classic. The things that stand out are Kwan Hi Lim and Tommy Fujiwara playing ruthless sleazy types. The big kablooey was pretty impressive too! But I really like the boat chase up and down the Ala Wai Canal at the end, with McGarrett giving chase right alongside in his Mercury, slipping and sliding all over the grass! Well executed and shot, that entire sequence! Had a movie quality feel to it.

Yep, Ben is back. It was definitely an episode filmed much earlier in the season.

What did you think of the season? Can't wait to see your top 5 for the season!

I have to backtrack now and watch episodes 9 - 16.

I'll tell you now though that seasons 5 and 6 were much better.

Oh, that's right. Forgot that you're not done yet with season 7.

Yes, 5 and 6 were better but 7 is still pretty strong. You're about to see a few strong episodes. Enjoy! I like the first half with Ben more than the second half with Frank (though there were some good ones there too).

[T.Q.]

How to Steal a Masterpiece

May catch heat for this (MartinHafer loved it) but I found this episode semi-boring.

As per with so-so episodes though the last 15 minutes were pretty cool.

Got interesting after the son was killed.

I dunno. Maybe I did like it.

7.5/10

MPI: Michael Anderson Jr. (Garwood Huddle Jr.)

[Little Garwood]

My Hawaii Five-0 season 7 top ten (always subject to change):

10) The Hostage
09) How to Steal a Masterpiece
08) Diary of a Gun
07) We Hang Our Own
06) Bones of Contention

05) A Woman's Work is with a Gun
04) Steal Now, Pay Later
03) Computer Killer
02) Ring of Life
01) The Two-Faced Corpse

Howl away, Ivan!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

How to Steal a Masterpiece

May catch heat for this (MartinHafer loved it) but I found this episode semi-boring.

As per with so-so episodes though the last 15 minutes were pretty cool.

Got interesting after the son was killed.

I dunno. Maybe I did like it.

7.5/10

MPI: Michael Anderson Jr. (Garwood Huddle Jr.)

I do find the episode somewhat overrated but only in the sense that I don't think it's the masterpiece (no pun intended) that some make it out to be. It's nowhere in my top 5 for the season. Not even top 10. That said, it's still a very good episode. It opens with a clever little heist, accompanied by a really cool extended Morton Stevens cue (http://www.fiveohomepage.com/ST-2004/Track%2028.mp3). Later in the episode when Ogden (Luther Adler) and his entourage lead Five-O on a wild goose chase we hear an even longer Stevens piece (http://www.fiveohomepage.com/ST-2004/Track%2029.mp3). And then at the end when the big reveal is made and things are wrapped up nicely we hear another nice piece by Stevens (http://www.fiveohomepage.com/ST-2004/Track%2030.mp3). So the score is a big part of what makes this episode good but then there's also Jack Lord directing and the whole subject of art and paintings which we know played a HUGE role in Jack Lord's life. He was an avid painter and his works are even displayed in a museum as I recall. So I'm sure Lord relished directing this episode! Perhaps it does drag a bit around the middle section but I do like the art forgery premise and I LOVE the reveal at the end when we find out how the painting was concealed. Very clever!! And yes the murder of the grandson was somewhat unexpected and put a darker spin on the whole thing. Made nabbing Durkin all the more gratifying! Love it when Durkin yells "Daaaaaring!!!" to his assistant after he practically shoves the stolen painting (concealed) into McGarrett's face without the latter realizing it. I like that George Voskovec again plays a forger. In "The Finishing Touch" he was a certificates/bonds forger. Here he's an art forger. In both cases he played an expert in his field.