Hawaii Five-O: Any Fans?

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I personally didn’t care for the dog, prison, or boxing episodes of shows...as it seemed all crime shows from the 70s-90s had to do those, and they were all the same & predictable.

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

[MaiTaiMan]

I personally didn’t care for the dog, prison, or boxing episodes of shows...as it seemed all crime shows from the 70s-90s had to do those, and they were all the same & predictable.

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

The prison ones can be sort of intense sometimes...but for me, not really. They’re always the same—one or a couple of the main stars goes into prison undercover because the warden or guards are “dirty”. Of course they get found out and the rest of the cast has to help save them. They’re just overdone & predictable.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I personally didn’t care for the dog, prison, or boxing episodes of shows...as it seemed all crime shows from the 70s-90s had to do those, and they were all the same & predictable.

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

The prison ones can be sort of intense sometimes...but for me, not really. They’re always the same—one or a couple of the main stars goes into prison undercover because the warden or guards are “dirty”. Of course they get found out and the rest of the cast has to help save them. They’re just overdone & predictable.

Yeah but the 2 Five-O episodes I mentioned have a different prison premise. Hostage situation. No dirty warden or guards dealing drugs, like in other shows.

[MaiTaiMan]

I personally didn’t care for the dog, prison, or boxing episodes of shows...as it seemed all crime shows from the 70s-90s had to do those, and they were all the same & predictable.

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

The prison ones can be sort of intense sometimes...but for me, not really. They’re always the same—one or a couple of the main stars goes into prison undercover because the warden or guards are “dirty”. Of course they get found out and the rest of the cast has to help save them. They’re just overdone & predictable.

Yeah but the 2 Five-O episodes I mentioned have a different prison premise. Hostage situation. No dirty warden or guards dealing drugs, like in other shows.

Yeah, but the plots are still ones that have been done...main cast members go undercover in prison for something. They’re predictable and way overdone. To me the typical prison or boxing episodes were regular “fillers” writers liked to use when trying to complete the number of episodes each season.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I personally didn’t care for the dog, prison, or boxing episodes of shows...as it seemed all crime shows from the 70s-90s had to do those, and they were all the same & predictable.

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

The prison ones can be sort of intense sometimes...but for me, not really. They’re always the same—one or a couple of the main stars goes into prison undercover because the warden or guards are “dirty”. Of course they get found out and the rest of the cast has to help save them. They’re just overdone & predictable.

Yeah but the 2 Five-O episodes I mentioned have a different prison premise. Hostage situation. No dirty warden or guards dealing drugs, like in other shows.

To me the typical prison or boxing episodes were regular “fillers” writers liked to use when trying to complete the number of episodes each season.

I disagree about them being fillers because then you could say the same thing about any premise that was used in every cop/crime drama show. Hostage, sniper, psycho, kidnapping, bank robbery, alcoholism, rape, etc. Every show did these stories, often more than once. Boxing and prison are yet just another one of those.

[MaiTaiMan]

I typically don't care for dog or boxing episodes either but prison episodes can be pretty interesting and intense. There's an element of real danger when it comes to prisons, unlike dogs or boxing. Think about the season 1 Five-O episode "The Box". It's one of my all-time favorite Five-O episodes! McGarrett surrenders himself to prison convicts as a hostage in exchange for another wounded prisoner and guard. Gavin MacLeod is in that one, playing Big Chicken who is my absolute favorite villain in the entire series! McGarrett and Chicken's disdain for one another is really powerful! A really tense episode throughout. There's also the season 3 episode "The Double Wall" where a prisoner (Monte Markham) takes the prison doctor hostage to force McGarrett to reopen his case - he's innocent and is sitting in prison for a murder he didn't commit. That's another excellent one!

The prison ones can be sort of intense sometimes...but for me, not really. They’re always the same—one or a couple of the main stars goes into prison undercover because the warden or guards are “dirty”. Of course they get found out and the rest of the cast has to help save them. They’re just overdone & predictable.

Yeah but the 2 Five-O episodes I mentioned have a different prison premise. Hostage situation. No dirty warden or guards dealing drugs, like in other shows.

To me the typical prison or boxing episodes were regular “fillers” writers liked to use when trying to complete the number of episodes each season.

I disagree about them being fillers because then you could say the same thing about any premise that was used in every cop/crime drama show. Hostage, sniper, psycho, kidnapping, bank robbery, alcoholism, rape, etc. Every show did these stories, often more than once. Boxing and prison are yet just another one of those.

I don’t fully agree with that. Many times the hostage, psycho, serial killer, rape, etc...scenarios could & would be somewhat, or even very much different with one show, compared to other show’s uses of them (although sometimes they could be similar as well). You didn’t always know what would transpire or how they would end...to me that was the captivation, of not knowing & watching to find out. But, the prison and/or boxing plots were almost always the same...they were almost always predictable. We knew what would happen & how they would end. I still feel that those were a couple “stock” (so-to-speak) plots that most crime shows from the 60s/70s-90s used to help fill the number of required episodes for whatever season they were in. But, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking those plots/episodes, everybody has their likes & dislikes...to each his or her own!

[T.Q.]

Stringer

This one was alright. Liked it.

Was worried about Duke after the shocking Chin episode a while back. WHEW.

Stringer (Paul Williams) is a weird little guy.

Valiant effort to blackmail the bad guys.

Arrogant Alika gets it in the end. Book 'em.

MPI: Jake Hoopai, Michael Hasegawa, Beau Vanden Ecker

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Stringer

This one was alright. Liked it.

Was worried about Duke after the shocking Chin episode a while back. WHEW.

Stringer (Paul Williams) is a weird little guy.

Valiant effort to blackmail the bad guys.

Arrogant Alika gets it in the end. Book 'em.

MPI: Jake Hoopai, Michael Hasegawa, Beau Vanden Ecker

Yep, I don't mind this one either. The "Stringer" character played by Paul Williams is a pretty unique character. Weird but unique. I grew up with Paul Williams voicing the Penguin on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES in the 90s. Of course he also had a recording and song-writing career prior to that, in addition to playing Little Enos Burdette in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Ross Martin as Tony Alika is always a plus as well. He's pretty intimidating in that one scene in Stringer's apartment where he leans in on him in a very threatening manner. Also the scene where Alika matter-of-factly motions to his goons to throw the politician guy out the window was pretty cold. Dick DeBenedictis (who scored Columbo, Matlock) does his second Five-O score and it's a pretty good one.

I always remembered the scene where Stringer drives his pedicab into the Ala Wai Canal. I didn't know at the time what that canal was called but it left a lasting impression on me. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise years later when on my first visit to the islands (in 2008, on business) my boss and I ended up staying at the Aqua Aloha Surf hotel (on Kanekapolei St. and Ala Wai Blvd.) and I go out on the balcony and look down and see that canal and instantly "Stringer" pops into my mind! That was probably the very first "Five-O location" that I saw! Though we may have passed the Ilikai on our way into Waikiki from the airport so I may have seen that first. Can't remember now. It's hard not to recognize the Ilikai right away with its iconic white and turquoise color pattern.

[T.Q.]

The Execution File

Really liked this episode.

Robert Loggia does a fine job as a "bad" good guy seeking righteous justice taking out all these pimps for their abuse of girls (and they weren't all black guys this time! )

There was a Magnumesque quality to this episode. The club, the music, the feel. Show seems to be shifting quite a bit to more 80s style.

Good scene at the end when Russ confronted the big honcho with McGarrett there.

Good episode.

There is a creep factor 10 involved that came at the end though that Russ and the GIRL feel romantic towards each other and contemplate a future man/woman relationship.

MPI: Robert Loggia, Nevada Spencer, Jimmy Borges, Rodney Philip Aiu

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

"Good Night Baby, Time to Die" (1972)  season 4 was on MeTV Plus tonight.
I don't remember seeing this episode before but it is outstanding.
The always excellent William Watson and beautiful Beth Brickell shine.
Watson is one of those actors you have seen a million times but have no idea what his name is.
I like the unusual set up of almost all the action occurring in Carol's(Brickell) apartment, just her and McGarrett and the story unfolding as the truth slowly emerges.
 The ending is one of those great twist endings that Hawaii 5-0 did better than anybody.
I would also point out that once again they reused the footage of Chin at the phone company as the tech traces a phone call.
This has to be at least the third time during the last month I have seen this bit. 
You Hawaii 5-0 mavens have no doubt already caught this.
Or have you? I am always hoping to find some goodie you guys haven't already noticed, maybe this time I scored!
Dobie: 1
Hawaii 5-0 Mavens: 0

[MaiTaiMan]

"Good Night Baby, Time to Die" (1972)  season 4 was on MeTV Plus tonight.
I don't remember seeing this episode before but it is outstanding.
The always excellent William Watson and beautiful Beth Brickell shine.
Watson is one of those actors you have seen a million times but have no idea what his name is.
I like the unusual set up of almost all the action occurring in Carol's(Brickell) apartment, just her and McGarrett and the story unfolding as the truth slowly emerges.
 The ending is one of those great twist endings that Hawaii 5-0 did better than anybody.
I would also point out that once again they reused the footage of Chin at the phone company as the tech traces a phone call.
This has to be at least the third time during the last month I have seen this bit. 
You Hawaii 5-0 mavens have no doubt already caught this.
Or have you? I am always hoping to find some goodie you guys haven't already noticed, maybe this time I scored!
Dobie: 1
Hawaii 5-0 Mavens: 0

Awesome episode! But, yeah most older shows used what they called “stock footage”...meaning the same scene would be used in multiple episodes/times to save money filming new ones every time. Usually this consisted of driving scenes or outside shots of certain buildings/houses that are in whatever show regularly.

[Pahonu]

Stringer

This one was alright. Liked it.

Was worried about Duke after the shocking Chin episode a while back. WHEW.

Stringer (Paul Williams) is a weird little guy.

Valiant effort to blackmail the bad guys.

Arrogant Alika gets it in the end. Book 'em.

MPI: Jake Hoopai, Michael Hasegawa, Beau Vanden Ecker

Yep, I don't mind this one either. The "Stringer" character played by Paul Williams is a pretty unique character. Weird but unique. I grew up with Paul Williams voicing the Penguin on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES in the 90s. Of course he also had a recording and song-writing career prior to that, in addition to playing Little Enos Burdette in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. Ross Martin as Tony Alika is always a plus as well. He's pretty intimidating in that one scene in Stringer's apartment where he leans in on him in a very threatening manner. Also the scene where Alika matter-of-factly motions to his goons to throw the politician guy out the window was pretty cold. Dick DeBenedictis (who scored Columbo, Matlock) does his second Five-O score and it's a pretty good one.

I always remembered the scene where Stringer drives his pedicab into the Ala Wai Canal. I didn't know at the time what that canal was called but it left a lasting impression on me. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise years later when on my first visit to the islands (in 2008, on business) my boss and I ended up staying at the Aqua Aloha Surf hotel (on Kanekapolei St. and Ala Wai Blvd.) and I go out on the balcony and look down and see that canal and instantly "Stringer" pops into my mind! That was probably the very first "Five-O location" that I saw! Though we may have passed the Ilikai on our way into Waikiki from the airport so I may have seen that first. Can't remember now. It's hard not to recognize the Ilikai right away with its iconic white and turquoise color pattern.

My favorite part of the final two seasons was Ross Martin as Tony Alika. This one was interesting, but I really enjoyed A Lion in the Streets… still to come.

Paul Williams was the subject of a documentary several years ago called Paul Williams: Still Alive. He’s had a very unique career and until a few years ago lived in the Naples neighborhood of Long Beach near my home. I met him once while walking along the canals several years ago. He was very gracious, but quite obviously taken a back by my size as he is not a big man. Nonetheless, he was very nice and I would add, he is a very gifted songwriter. Look into his credits and you might be surprised.

[MaiTaiMan]

What I wish is that the original Hawaii Five-0 would be released as a complete series set on Blu-ray! Although the Paramount DVD season sets are awesome & I’m very grateful for them...with Blu-ray the colors & picture quality would be superb!!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

The Execution File

Really liked this episode.

Robert Loggia does a fine job as a "bad" good guy seeking righteous justice taking out all these pimps for their abuse of girls (and they weren't all black guys this time! )

There was a Magnumesque quality to this episode. The club, the music, the feel. Show seems to be shifting quite a bit to more 80s style.

Good scene at the end when Russ confronted the big honcho with McGarrett there.

Good episode.

There is a creep factor 10 involved that came at the end though that Russ and the GIRL feel romantic towards each other and contemplate a future man/woman relationship.

MPI: Robert Loggia, Nevada Spencer, Jimmy Borges, Rodney Philip Aiu

Agreed. I would include this one in my top 5 for the season. For season 11 it's quite good and pretty edgy in the subject matter too. I agree that the club music (original song by Rod Stewart, replaced with some other music on the DVD's, not sure which one you heard) and overall feel gave it an early 80s feel. Maybe not quiet MPI "Laura" or "Death and Taxes" (mid-80s) but headed in that general direction. More like Rick's cafe in the MPI pilot. More similar to that.

Robert Loggia did a good job as you say (a complex character), as did John Larch as the head honcho creep at the end - Maggers. A fitting name! Also I agree that there is a creep factor there with the "special relationship" between Loggia and the girl he saved. Again, it's a complex story that's pretty edgy.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

"Good Night Baby, Time to Die" (1972)  season 4 was on MeTV Plus tonight.
I don't remember seeing this episode before but it is outstanding.
The always excellent William Watson and beautiful Beth Brickell shine.
Watson is one of those actors you have seen a million times but have no idea what his name is.
I like the unusual set up of almost all the action occurring in Carol's(Brickell) apartment, just her and McGarrett and the story unfolding as the truth slowly emerges.
 The ending is one of those great twist endings that Hawaii 5-0 did better than anybody.
I would also point out that once again they reused the footage of Chin at the phone company as the tech traces a phone call.
This has to be at least the third time during the last month I have seen this bit. 
You Hawaii 5-0 mavens have no doubt already caught this.
Or have you? I am always hoping to find some goodie you guys haven't already noticed, maybe this time I scored!
Dobie: 1
Hawaii 5-0 Mavens: 0

Yep, this one had a heck of a twist at the end! That's what really makes the episode. There are some long patches of just Lord and Brickell going back and forth over her story again and again, with her becoming more agitated and unfocused as time progresses. We think she's unraveling because she's fearing for her life (love how she "sees" Watson getting closer and closer through her eyes) but as we find out at the end it's also because she killed the old man and McGarrett is finding cracks in her story. It all culminates in a great twist - maybe the best in the entire series! Of course it loses something on repeat watches because you already know the twist so all you're left with is a lot of talky scenes. But on first watch it's pretty outstanding!

And yes we have all noticed Chin tracing the phone lines being reused many times. So...

Dobie: 1
Five-O Mavens: 2