Quick action, fast pace, balanced story
Much like “Kai E’e”, “E Malama” was quickly paced with tension running from start to finish. Not even Danny’s side story of helping Rachel, Stan and Grace slowed the tempo, in fact his investigation to help Stan accelerated the story even more. From the assassination of the marshal at the beginning, to the hunt through the woods, to the final chase and fight at the Federal court building, this episode kept charging to the finish line.
I noticed a few stylistic changes with the direction and teleplay…there were a lot of quick zoom ins and zoom outs which visually heightened the action. The best visual touch was being able to see Julie’s (Mariana Klaveno) horrified reaction to the marshal’s murder, while we the viewers saw the same scene played out through the reflection in the glass. It was a subtle play that caught all the action without cutting away from Julie at all.
Speaking of Mariana, I was so used to seeing her as the sexy, sultry and psychotic Lorena from True Blood, that I was amazed at how differently she came across as another character. Julie showed enough toughness to fight off the assassins, but also showed vulnerability and determination in her dialogs with Chin Ho.
To make another comparison, this episode was just as balanced as “He Kane Kewa’ole”, where all team members had their time to shine. McG did his SEAL thing and took out the assassin tracking him; Kono gleamed when she stuck it to the lawyer (played by real life attorney Michael Green) by spelling out her name, and on top of that she also gets props for kicking fake blondeie’s butt in the unexpected girl fight at the end; Chin Ho showed that he’s a hell of a lot more useful than piecing together broken electronics…his actions alone kept Julie safe from harm. Is this a foreshadowing of him rescuing an ex-fiancee in the future…? We’ll see! Aside from that, Scott Caan showed us again why he was nominated for a Golden Globe with the powerful scene in the restaurant kitchen, stamping his badge on the Housing Commissioner’s head, telling him to get the number off the imprint. The scene was very Soprano-esque, with Caan playing out the Jersey attitude and swagger, and I really felt like he loved his daughter to the point of doing some serious bodily harm to anyone who touched her.
The writers are doing a better job of balancing out the parts that each member play in recent episodes. The first half of the season established the individual characters, and now we’re seeing the team continue to gel together. Granted, I still would like to see a few more Kono-centric stories, and Chin’s name needs to be cleared, but in all the balanced stories are working well.
What I found a little disappointing is that the writers seemed to have slowed down with Rachel and Danny’s relationship. Like Chin Ho, I thought the two of them were getting along better, but Stan’s (Mark Deklin) first appearance might have shifted Rachel’s priorities back to her husband and not her ex. Are Stan’s dealings more sinister than pinning corruption on a city official? How will that relationship end, in order to bring Danny back into the family…or is Danny our tragic hero, never to be united with his family again? Danny gives her one long glance before getting in his car, not the wistful stare he did in the rear view mirror the last time they were together, so I’m sure somehow they’ll get closer.
Why this just might be the awesomest episode so far
As a guy, I got a kick out of watching the jungle chase…I mean seriously, it had all the elements of the best action movies of the 1980s.
"MuhGarrett, who did yoah make up? You look like a checkahboahd. You need moah duht!", "Predator", 20th Century Fox
"MuhGarrett, real men go commando. DO EET! NOW GET TO THA CHOPPA!", "Commando", 20th Century Fox
And when Jones (Sebastian Siegel) takes the log to the gut, I expected this to happen:
When Ewoks Attack, "Return of the Jedi", 20th Century Fox
But indeed, McG is a true badass, for who else would stare down a pickup truck coming at him at a high speed and taking the driver out with a few quick shots from his pistol?
Born without a fear gene. Photo: CBS
And now, Things We Learned About Hawaii From Hawaii Five-0, Episode 16, “E Malama”
1) Coco puffs from Liliha Bakery ARE THE BOMB! You haven’t lived if you haven’t had one of their deliciously addicting pastries. Liliha Bakery also happens to be the diner where Kate visits her mother in “Lost” to tell her that she “took care of everything.”
2) Hawaii is like the wild west…not! Contrary to the defense and prosecuting attorneys, we do not have a death penalty. Nor did we ever have legalized gambling (referenced in “Malama Ka Aina”).
Did you notice…?
Kono must be using her super Cylon eyesight to determine that the one tiny fingerprint on the glass pane was Julie’s.
Duke Lukela appeared again in another small role in the HPD office, played by Dennis Chun, son of the original Chin Ho Kelly, Kam Fong Chun.
The Original Pancake House, where Danny roughed up the commish makes great breakfasts.
Alright so Julie wasn’t hiding in a Dharma cave, the Others or (Ewoks for that matter) didn’t come out of the woods, nor did the Black Smoke Monster go chasing our heroes. But it would have been cool. Most of us were having flashbacks of “Lost” with Jin (Daniel Dane Kim) and Erik the Other (Sebastian Siegel) romping through the woods.
Another deep thought…does McG “go commando” when he goes Commando?
Last question…who would win in a vampire battle royale…Mick St. John or Lorena Krasiki?
Hawaii Five-0 UNDERCOVER 
Re: Vamp battle, I’m going to give it to Lorena. One for the ladies.
I think I like the diner more than the coco puffs at Liliha. Butter-soaked pancakes 24/7 (except Mondays) = nom.
There was so much to get a kick out of with this episode, AOL war paint and DDK camera time and action especially. But the log — the log! Nuts…
Funniest comment saw on FB: “So Steve is an Ewok? I thought he wanted to be Vili.”
LOL- I think he would have to drop the flak vest and shirt, and woven a skirt out of the ti leaves for that to happen.
It seems I still have not learned my lesson – once again I made the mistake of reading your blog entry at work – which had be cackling at audible volumes. But it was a nice pick me up at the end of a pretty crappy day though, so that was totally worth it – Thanks!
Not that I wasn’t duly entertained, but I’m sorry to say that relative to the other episodes I just didn’t like this one as much. I feel like I need to duck after making that statement, since the general consensus seems to be that everyone else loved it (don’t get me wrong – I did LIKE it, but not as much).
It just felt different to me – it was not the usual Five-O vibe. For the most part, the team was all split up. Kono back at the office, Chin Ho with the witness, Steve playing Commando… and Danny being totally in his own separate story line was strange to me. Why so dichotomous? This was the first time we meet Step-Stan and I feel like I didn’t really get to process it. The whole Danny/Rachel/Step-Stan should’ve been fleshed out more and turned into it’s own episode – in fact, both halves felt a little short on material and like they were scraps from the writing room that were not enough to make 2 whole episodes out of so they were just kind of smashed together with one phone call between Steve and Danny in the middle as a very thin thread connecting the two. Just my 2 cents.
Not to dwell on the negative, here are some things I did like about the episode:
* When Danny and Chin Ho are eating those coco puffs – if Steve could have seen them, he would have reiterate how much Danny’s life revolves around food! It’s a cute little “thing” they are carrying through the season and it just makes me smile.
* I was actually not disappointed by the Danny/Rachel interactions. I guess I never hoped or expected that they would get back together, so I saw these scenes as slowing down their relationship but as as good for revealing the complicated love/hate dynamic between them. In the first couple episodes when Rachel existed as just the “Psycho” ring tone on Danny’s phone it was easy to hate her. But now we see her again and it’s more apparent that their great animosity towards each other is a sign of how crazy about each other they must have been in the past. The look they share at the police station as he’s hugging Grace and again at the end when Rachel goes in the house and closes the door… I’m just appreciative of the fact that the writers are not making their relationship a 1-dimensional at-each-others-throats-all-the-time thing.
* Similarly w/ Step-Stan, I’m glad they’re making him somewhat likeable and so far, I’m able to give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s a decent guy who maybe got in over his head with a corrupt commissioner and not just this evil stepfather type. But like I said, I wish we got more time with Rachel and Stan to let them breathe and let us absorb them a little more. (I was surprised however that the corrupt housing commissioner was such a wuss. I mean, the guy is bad ass enough to had armed men do his nefarious bidding, but he looked ready to pee himself because Danny shoved him around a little in the restaurant kitchen…)
* Also did you notice, Stan and Rachel Edwards… “Edwards” is the fake name Steve gave to the guy checking the guest list in the episode when he and Danny sneak into the casino.
* We get to see Kono kick some more ass – I loved the expression on Steve and Chin Ho’s face when they arrive on the scene.
* Sebastian Siegel! I’m a little disappointed that there isn’t a big opportunity for him to come back in future episodes. But when he turned around in the cold open and there were two bullet holes in the back of the uniform he was wearing… that was chilling! My gasp out-loud moment in this episode was when the swinging log took him out. I knew it was coming, too, but that didn’t help. I was cringing as he bent over to pick up the planted shoe… and then, BOOM! Ouch. And I have to admit, I was a little dubious when I saw Steve whittling something pointy, given his penchant for alternative methods for getting bad guys to talk…
* Not much Steve/Danny banter this time, but their phone call was kind of funny. Steve can’t help but argue with Danny about Danny’s “tone” even while he’s struggling to set up his trap.
We’re definitely going to see Rachel again, along with Dane Cook in an upcoming episode. Don’t know if Stan is going to be a part of it… I’m curious as to how the writers will resolve this…
I love your write up! Agree with Sebastian not appearing to come back. The phone banter was different but still entertaining…Steve trying to hiss everything out in whispers!
I think I’m on the same wavelength as you, MyMcG. This was not one of my favourite episodes, either, and for many of the same reasons. A big thing was that I was expecting two episodes out of this material and when I realized it was being done as one, I had major lunch bag let-down. The transitions between the two story lines also seemed a little rough at time, altho’ I don’t know how they could have done them smoothly. This was the first episode that my husband actually sat down and watched with me – and not on purpose, either; he fell asleep in the chair, woke up when the show began and was too tired to get up and leave. His comment: Is it me or is this episode disjointed?
On the other hand, I did like that Danny put his family first and went to sort out the situation with Grace and Rachael, and that he had Steve’s full blessing. Another character with Steve’s background might have said, HPD has it under control, suck it up and get in the truck with us. (Blue pickup truck moment!)
I’m looking forward to seeing how the corrupt commissioner story line evolves. They can’t let a jewel like that one drop. And how many people has the governor had to hire in the complaints department since 5-0 was set up? 🙂 Sorry, commissioner, you’ll have to take a number and get in the queue behind all these other people with complaints to file…
Realistically, how would Danny’s knee have held up on a romp through the jungle at this point? Can you SEE Danny on a romp through the jungle, with tie and black patent shoes? Actually, I would like to see that. Talk about a fish out of water. It would make a great counter-point to Steve as law enforcement in the city. But not suitable to the tone and content of this episode, which may be why he was given the second plot-line.
Steve was enjoying his commando outing WAY too much. I think he really misses his former job and this was like a field trip for him. And I loved him mimicking Danny to Danny – “You, my friend, have a tone.” How long is it gonna be before he gets annoyed with Danny and calls him Daniel?
Finally Chin Ho gets a chance to shine – that was long overdue. DDK is a great actor and he needs to be taken out the the shadow of AOL and SC more often. I’m sure he would be more than willing to help with the “heavy lifting” of the shooting schedule. 🙂
Kono had extra special lines in this episode that advanced her character immensely. “I’d really like to meet her”. “Some people have trouble with my name.” Make this woman do more heavy lifting, too!
So while I found the episode a disappointment in terms of composition and flow, it had a lot of really good moments and improved on repeated viewing.
Now that is an interesting tie in….commissioner corruption tied to real estate magnate Hiro Noshimuri who is tied to the governor, all tied back to Stan…?
I actually like that they put in Step-Stan/Rachel as a counterpoint to the exes relationship. It enhances the differences between the two sides of family. The one Danny’s made himself with Steve and the rest of the Five-0 team plus Grace versus the one he used to have with Rachel and Grace.
Also, I don’t think that Steve doesn’t have a fear gene – when you see him react to the fear/shock on Danny’s face – that was McGarrett afraid for someone – not himself though. The fear for himself was mostly trained out I guess.
Good analysis…I never looked at it that way. They all come from broken families- McG’s parents murdered, sister gone, Chin estranged from his fiancee, we know nothing about Kono, and Danny with his ex. Yet they’re still together as a new family.
Mariana Klaveno was amazing. I had the same reaction as you Officer, I’m so used to see her as Bill’s super agressive maker in True Blood I had to look twice to be sure it was the same girl !
Phone banter is funny (I loved the ‘You, my friend, have a tone’ ^^), but still, face-to-face banter is way better ! Oh, and sat phones also have a vibrating mode, how cool 😉 !
I was a little disapointed by the diminished side of Danny’s story. I was expecting a full episode revolving around it. But, I’m actually glad it turned out this way, precisely because I wasn’t expecting it…This show keeps surprising me, every episode. It combines procedural, with multi-episodes arc stories, with characters, with drama, with comedy, with action, where all character has a specialty but isn’t stuck in it. It’s just really great !
Crazy Commando Steve is sooo much fun to watch. The very fist shot of him with the war paint was a little too unsubtile (I was like, oh really, come on !), but then, it works just perfectly. Same as MyMcG, I was wondering what he was doing when sharpening the stalk, if he was actually going to use that or if it was just for moral torture.
I loved Kono’s final fight, so badass. Steve’s reaction is priceless^^. I love Kono more and more these days. Unlike a lot of other women in such shows, she’s not dressed as if she was going to a soiree (cf Beckett in Castle, with her 3 inches heels, and fancy scarves). She wears jeans, and flat shoes, and kicks some major ass^^. (I guess that’s also why Kate was my favorite Lost character). So, kuddos to Grace Park for a great work there !
To add to the whole vampire thing a this episode, did you notice the prosecuting attorney is Jules the werewolf in The Vampire Diaries ? Throw the 3 of them in an arena, that’d be fun ! But yeah, Lorena, hands down.
I had the same reaction as you when I first saw Steve on screen w/ the face paint! And I agree, I like how they are keeping it real w/ Kono’s wardrobe and her ass-kicking flat shoes!
Yeah Lorena is one psycho vamp. She’s wipe them all out I think. I don’t think Danny’s story was diminished. I havea feeling there’s something big coming up with him, his brother and Rachel…
Yes, I can’t wait to see this one. I wonder why Steve’s also around when the brother visits, if it’s purely professional, or if he’s there as a friend, meeting his partner’s family.
Regarding Danny/Rachel/Grace… I for one pray the writers never put Danny and Rachel back together. So much of what makes Danny who he is now is what’s happened to him. I don’t mind that we can see they once were truly in love and that they can still care for each other, but I don’t think they should ever get back together. Sometimes people are just best left as friends and not husband and wife.. but being more friendly with each other makes things better for Grace!
I liked the episode but it took me a while to get use to the team all being split up. It really was all 4 of them for the most part with 4 separate stories going (three connected and then Danny’s). It worked fine, but the show is at it’s best in my opinion when they are out together or in teams of 2.
I have to ask this – while I loved Danny and his threatening of the planning guy at the restaurant… get my badge number off you head attitude… I don’t get why he didn’t just arrest the guy and his thugs?? My guess is it was for the sake of Grace and Rachel by not putting Stan through more but in a way it was a little odd… that said, really Golden Globes you screwed up big time. Scott plays his part so well as he can go for overly animated guy frustrated with Steve to the distressed father and not skip a beat… never once to you doubt the emotion he’s show ever so subtle on his face.
I must end with Rambo Steve 🙂 being great, I missed Danny though because come on what kind of banter would come from Danny being if the jungle with that!
I’m with you on the splitting of the team, it doesn’t work quite as well as when they’re together or by 2.
As for Danny and Rachel getting back together, it would be too easy. I agree with you when you say this situation is what makes Danny who he is.
Someone suggested on EW to get Kono and Danny together, I must say I kinda like that. It would unfold a whole new thing, from Chin’s reaction to Danny’s anger management issues evolution. And by the long hand shake from the pilot, I’d say Danno would dislike it !
No, I really don’t want the show to turn into one of those with the principle characters involved with each other… but I do wish we’d see Danny start dating or something.. I do not know what the right answer is to that but Danny/Rachel or Danny/Kono is just to soap opery for me.
[my last sentence was supposed to say : “Danno wouldn’t dislike it”]
Lol, no, that wouldn’t be anything new.
Kono & Danny already got to “make out” in the casino episode when they needed a reason to barge in on Sid’s captors! I’m sure Danny didn’t mind THAT assignment!
they also got some quality time with the surfing lesson…
By the way I think we are of like minds on a few things, Norrisi and Cecile.
1) I also hope they don’t put Rachel and Danny back together. The whole reason Danny is in Hawaii in the first place then is gone. I can also appreciate the notion that some people can still have deep feelings for each other, but are no good together in a marriage.
2) I also think the show and the team works best when they’re all out together or in pairs. It’s usually Danny-Steve and Kono-Chin Ho. Once in a while like in this episode you see Steve and Chin Ho together. I hope they mix up the pairs once in a while. It would be interesting to see Kono-Danny out together or Kono-Steve.
But of course, the quintessential pair is Danny & Steve. Steve is a total badass on his own, but we need Danny there to call him a neanderthal-animal when Steve kicks in a door or to tell him he has the number to a therapist when Steve rides a motorcycle up the stairs. Or someone to say “Good luck Aquaman” when Steve is planning to swim up to a battleship. The thought of Danny in the jungle is completely laughable, but can you just imagine Danny’s reaction if he were there to see Steve schmearing on the face paint and rigging up a booby trap with a fallen log and some vines? And while Commando Steve’s training makes him more than capable to handle himself alone in the jungle, SEALs are also trained to work in pairs, so Steve probably works best with a trusted partner he can rely on.
Aloha norriski 🙂 I’m almost sure they’re destined to be together again, the way he keeps on riding on his white horse to the rescue. I’m sure Stan’s up to no go, somehow, someway…
I think it was cool to see the group split up but still work together to solve it.
danny was probably 70% dad and 30% cop when he threatened the commish, so the rulebook went out the door. Besides, we may see more of Stan’s “dealings”. So we’ll see…
Officer Bob, I love you but bite your tongue! Just say no to Danny and Rachel… they are GREAT as a divorced couple who as we mentioned may still have some feelings (they do share a child) but they just can’t be together… besides if Rachel were to leave Stan what would then keep Danny in Hawaii? If she were to come back to him, they could move back the NJ, as much as Danny likes the team, I think if even the chance to take Grace back home came up he’d do it in a heartbeat!
All good points. The writers are gonna stretch out the whole Stan/Rachel/Danny thing for awhile, for exactly the reason you said. However, I think Grace will develop a deep and meaningful relationship with Tim at her school, and rather than save her the heartbreak of moving, Rachel and newly reconciled Danny will downsize to Danny’s apartment in Waikiki. 😉
All three of them in his tiny apartment with the pull-out sofa bed? I don’t think so, Bob!! I don’t know what exactly gives me this impression, but I get the feeling that apart from Stan’s wealth, Rachel must come from a little money herself — but that’s beside the point. Just say NO to Rachel & Danny reunion.
Mick st.john would wi. In that fight. Steve does not go commando he wears boxers. And Scotts was emmy worthy in this episode. Well done. And h50 undercover well written.
This week’s episode of H50 was a bit of a departure from the norm for this show and I actually really loved it. It had our heroes physically apart for much of the story but for me it really highlighted the fact that our team really IS a team. Even when the members are scattered they work together seamlessly. You have Steve in total jungle commando mode. You have Chin finally away from the damn big table/computer and showing what he is truly made of. Kono, of course, attached to the computer back at the office, manages to figure out who the 4th assassin is and totally kicks ass taking her down. And then you have Danny, not even a part of the witness rescue mission, in full protective daddy mode which is not only adorable but truly frightening if you’re on his bad side.
Things that stood out for me this week:
I started off really confused. I thought there was a Google Earth commercial starting up when all of a sudden I realized I was zooming in on the Hawaiian Islands. Not sure what that was for, but it was a cool effect.
Kono! This was a great episode for Kono. In the safe house, Kono showed true admiration for the way the witness fought off her attackers. Kono could tell this was a woman after her own heart because there is no way Kono would ever go down without a fight. She does not back down at the courthouse when she comes face to face with Brenner and his attorney and even spells her name to make sure the attorney gets it right when he calls to report her behavior. Then she figures out who the 4th assassin is and takes off for the courthouse to head her off. Chin is right, this girl can totally kick ass! Did you see that back flip she did? Just like the one Steve did on the beach when he took down the diamond thief on his bike. And did you see the look on Steve’s face when he ran in and saw that it wasn’t necessary to save Kono or the witness because Kono totally had it covered! Priceless!
Chin! Ok, be honest, how many of you were having LOST flashbacks watching Daniel traipsing through that jungle? I was waiting for some whispering to start. But Chin showed what he is truly made of out there. He used the tracking skills Steve had shown just a few minutes before to get the bad guys off their trail. He saved Julie when she went over the cliff and, man, can that man wield a shovel and handle a dirt bike!!!! And here is something I was really impressed with. The writers had Chin not only loose his sat phone but also his gun making him have to use his brains to protect Julie and to do it all on his own, with no back up. When do you ever see that happen in a police procedural? The cop never loses his gun unless there is another cop there to shot for him. Inspired writing there. And when they made their escape on the bike he did not head in their original direction, he headed back to where Steve was. The quick look between Chin and Steve as the bike roared past showed that these two were definitely on the same wave length.
Steve! So, that explains it. Some guys are just born without a fear gene. Now it makes perfect sense! And how can a guy in full commando mode, covered from head to toe in protective gear, eye black all over his face as camouflage still look so totally hot and manage to carry on a telephone conversation while simultaneously building a makeshift battering ram in the jungle? Then after he takes down the bad guy (and, be honest, that log to the chest was totally awesome) he saves his life with a knife and a piece of bamboo! Hero? DC should write comic books about this guy!
Danny! Danny went through so many emotions in this episode it is a criminal offense that Scott did not win that Golden Globe! He went from light hearted banter with Chin over Hawaiian pastries (Coco puffs, is that what they are called?) to murderous rage with every conceivable emotion in between. I had to laugh when he said that whoever invented cell phones must have had an ex-wife because he also invented an ignore button. I was thinking he must have had a mother-in-law, but that’s my hang-up. And I love Danny and Rachel’s “leave messages” way of communicating so they don’t have to argue in front of Grace. The way Rachel saved Grace from the car….good, clearheaded, brave thinking. She kept her wits about her and got Grace out of that car. Whatever happened between these two, they are exceptional parents. Watching Danny’s face and entire demeanor change as he listened to the carjacking was scary. Everyone felt it, the whole team, along with the rest of us. The concern they all had shows how these four have become a true family. It never occurred to Steve for even a micro-second that Danny would put his job before his family. He was in true hot headed/protective/threatening mode with the Commissioner in the restaurant but he was able to control his “anger management issues” with Stan and get Stan to admit what was going on. Scott was amazing. I was wondering though. Could Danny get into trouble for threatening the Commissioner like that? I loved how he told the guy he could get his badge number off his forehead…just as bold as Kono spelling her name for the lawyer but he did threaten the man’s life. I also liked it when Danny asked Stan why he hadn’t just gone to Danny when he made the tapes. Stan looked at him like he was nuts but Danny was serious. Danny may not like Stan, doesn’t like that his wife is married to someone else, resents the fact that Stan gets to spend time with Grace that Danny wishes he had but Danny also showed that he would put all of that aside if it meant keeping Grace and Rachel safe.
Steve and Danny! They spent practically ZERO time together but still managed to have one of their “car talks” even though Steve wasn’t even in the car. This time it was Steve trying to talk Danny down, telling him not to go off on Stan. They were miles apart, could not see each other, but Steve KNEW what was going on in Danny’s head. I LOVED that Steve told Danny that his voice had “a tone”. “I have a face, you, my friend, have a tone!” It was great the writers were able to get a Steve/Danny banter going even in this episode where they were working so far apart.
All in all, another great episode. This show just manages to get better and better every week. And the best part, we do not have to wait 2 weeks for the next one!!!
Fantastic comment – Linda…..loved every minute of it….and you are totally 100% correct in your assessment of all four characters…..loved it!!!
Thanks Val but I think I have to learn to talk a bit less, eh? LOL
Linda I always enjoy reading your response – I think you talk just the right amount!
The google earth thing is a takeoff of NCIS:LA. They do it as scene transition all the time. You’ll zoom from one location in LA to another and interesting enough NCIS:LA is doing a CHIPs inspired episode next week. Makes one wonder if CBS is now planning on bring CHIPs back now that they have had two of their biggest shows bring it up. 🙂
NCIS!! Diana I had the same thought about CHiPs when I saw Sam and Callen were going undercover as CHiPs. My desperate hope is that if/when Wo-Fat is finally in jail, all the mysteries are cleared up and the team finally goes their separate ways, Steve will take a job with the NCIS and I can continue to see him on TV!
Well said. Couldn’t have done better myself!
Yeah no cargument. But they had a logument (argument while working the log).
Also not to forget when Julie went over the cliff and Jin tried to pull her up reminds me a lot like when Jack went over and Locke saved him in Season 1 episode of Lost as well. Yeah this episode gave me Lost memories as well. I thought I was watching an episode of Lost there for a minute.
Once again I have to say this again. One of the best episodes again. I enjoyed it. And yeah I have to agree I’m glad they showed more of Chin in this episode in action. I liked how they used 2 storylines in this episode and didn’t leave it confusing.
Well it looks like Danno has finally admitted he has Anger Management issues but now I just hope they are not going to leave that out I like it when he’s angry Scott is brilliant as Danno in this show.
Talking about Scott this episode has really made him shine he was brilliant on trying to bring down on who carjacked Rachel & Grace (the girl who plays Rachel is actually Australian not British she has a great accent) was brilliant. Especially the restaurant scene I was hoping he was going to punch him in the stomach there I was disappointed but Steve did say that he has a Tone and he knew that he was going to punch somebody. Danno walking out of the restaurant like nothing had happened was funny. I’m going to have to say I think Scott should put his application for this episode for a Emmy nod putting this one and Mana’O together is both Emmy nomnation worthy. I’m starting to like Scott a lot more in his acting than what Alex has. I only like Alex because he is hot.
And one of the assasinators in this episode actually played one of the Others in Lost if you are wondering where you have seen this guy before. He’s name is Sebastian Siegel.
Can’t wait for next week’s episode. I just want to see this episode again and again
I agree that Scott’s performances on this show are exceptional but I have to disagree with you about Alex just a bit. If you are comparing Scott to Alex based solely on H50 you’re doing Alex a disservice. The charactors are written totally differently and, therefore, the actors come at them from very different directions. Steve is a military man, trained to control his emotions and analyse a situation to his best advantage. He was sent away from home when he was 16 and is now 34 so he has spent more than 1/2 of his life in this persona, therefore, he is set as the person he is. He comes off at times as very stern and unbending. But it’s the only way he knows now.
Danny is a hotheaded Jersey boy transplanted into a situation he never dreamed of or wanted. He is a professional but his firey personality is always there near the surface. Both Scott and Alex play their parts perfectly.
Alex is an exceptional actor, as is Scott. If you haven’t seen any of their other work outside of H50 you should check it out. Neither one of them will disappoint you with their skills.
Yeah *everyone* is reminiscing about Lost from this episode. Not fair to Five-0, but inevitable.
Oh yeah sorry I this from what I posted from Spoiler TV so you may spot some mistakes there sorry I didn’t edit it
no prob, kinda figured that 😉 but thanks for posting!
I thought this episode was one of the best so far, as far as giving all of the characters something to do. I wonder if they had to seperate Danny from the group to clear the shooting schedule for Scott to attend the Golden Globes?
I wondered that too, but I don’t think so. The Golden Globes ceremony was only 3 and a half weeks ago, I’ve noticed episodes were usually shot 2 months before airing. Plus, Mariana Klaveno was in Hawaii around Dec. 22 (see DDK’s tweet).
So either it was written that way all along, or Scott Caan needed the time for something else.
Kai e’e was finished filming 3 weeks before it aired in the U.S. the final scene as far as I know from fan images where McGarrett finds th money was filmed just before it was shown. And it was listed as that somewhere on this site as well.
But I think also with filming this ep was the last for the year 2010 judging from the pictures that I found on Facebook through this site. Where it showed Alex & Daniel driving the ute up to the courthouse and it had Alex in his military/commando gear.
But production on most shows do tend to film spoiler scenes just leading up to the episode being shown to prevent spoilers being show. Like they did with Lost.
Yeah “Kai E’e” was filmed *after* “E Malama”, but “Kai E’e” was shown first.
Oh, and who thought “Hey, they found Jacobs cabin” when Chin Ho and the witness came upon that shed? LOL.
LOL I didn’t notice that I’m in a good mood to watch that again tonight if I have some spare time. I’ll make sure I’ll keep a good mind
I thought they found it in “Palekaiko” with the amnesiac tourist in the woods 😉
First of all let me say something about the acting of Scott Caan. Yes he is really very good, but it is just his role of Danny that gives him the opportunity to shine in almost every episode. It it not fair to belittle the acting of the other three. I think they play their parts to perfection.
So let’s be honest here, Steve McGarrett doesn’t show much emotion. So it would be ridiculous if Alex O’Laughlin would play him in any other way than he does. And all the time he gets the opportunity to show another side of McGarrett he does it very well.
The same goes for DDK and GP, their roles are also very different from Danny, but they play their parts equally well.
I think it is totally unfair to compare these very different roles. The role of Danny is actually the easiest one of the four to play and SC does it perfectly. That character gives so many aspects to explore. You can play your heart out with that one.
So please stop putting SC on a pedestal and give credit to the other three who are doing a great job with the roles they are given. Not every role can be a Danny.
I guess I have now defended the honor of the other three of the team enough and go on with the episode. 🙂
I really liked the episode but was also a bit disappointed. I totally missed seeing them together or at least in pairs of two. I know they still worked perfectly in sync even miles apart, but still I really missed it.
Even if this being apart gave us great SEAL-Steve-Scenes. I just love tough-Steve, love the fighting, the running, the action in general. But it is only half the fun without Danny. Of course it was very clever not to have him there. Be course let’s be honest, Danny does not belong into the jungle. I think he would have been a danger to Steve and the mission. Sorry and yes I’m ducking under the table right now, but let’s get real here, do you really think he could keep up with SEAL-Steve? He could not, they are playing in different leagues. But that is totally OK, be course they complement each other. So don’t fret it, I just think it was good that he was not there.
Which does not mean that I liked his side mission with Rachel and Stan. I didn’t like it at all. I think the introduction of Step-Stan should not have happened at all. What is the purpose of that anyway? We don’t need to now the new husband of Rachel. That is like in a soup-opera. I hope they are not thinking about getting Rachel and Danny back together. Please don’t do that. Give Danny a love-interest, fine by me as long it is not Kono (nothing against Kono, but either Steve or Danny would just be so wrong), but do not get him back to his wife. I don’t wanna see that drama unfold. Really don’t need that. So anyway I think this whole carjacking and Rachel and Grace in danger thing was a nice way to keep Danny out of the jungle, but other than that it didn’t do anything for me. The only thing it did, I’m again complaining about Grace. I know she is just a kid, but I’m sorry couldn’t they find a kid that can actually act? Now we’re stuck with the little girl that can’t act even if her live depended on it. I know it’s probably really mean of me, but she really bugs me every time she is on screen.
Oh and all this “I do everything for my girl and kill any SOB who lays a hand on her”, yeah we knew that already. Didn’t need a whole ep for that. Whoever didn’t know that after the pilot, must not pay any attention. I mean he moved around the world to be close to her. So if this whole Rachel Grace thing was for the purpose of letting us know that he loves her and her mom, well duh we already knew that. So really what was this part of the episode for? Do I even want to know? Will there be a follow up with Stan’s business, or with the commissioner? Let’s hope not.
This episode gave every team member the opportunity to shine in his/her own right. But let’s not do it again too often like this, be course I for one would truly miss the interaction of our four heroes. I so very much missed the banter of Steve and Danny, yeah I know we had a little bit of it. That was a fun conversation, liked the slightly reversed roles. But it is nothing compared to them being together in the same airspace. So please give us that again in the future.
About more action for Chin, please no don’t do that either. I like him in this one and it was OK to show that he can do it. But we have McGarrett for that, let’s not overdo it. I like Chin as the Computer-Wiz and he is also in the field if needed. I think that is fine, he doesn’t need more action-time.
I liked Kono in this one a lot. She really is growing as a full team member. She is obviously learning from her mistakes and on a very good way to become a great cop.
What I really liked about this ep was that even the team was scattered over the whole island with one member not even on the case, they were still working together as a team. They can do great things in the future and I hope that the network will give this show lots of opportunity to do just that.
Yeah I liked the fact that they still did their own part in it and contributed!
I think McG should have shown a *little* more emotion in certain scenes in the series, but yes, he is the stoic, heroic type.
I disagree with Stan… Stan is the obstacle between Rachel and Danny, and as we know, drama is about conflict and conflict resolution…
Teilor Grubbs doesn’t seem to have a lot of fans…I think she’s great, she just doesn’t have a lot to work with…?
After watching the Pilot episode last weekend, I was suprised at how much better (more relaxed) Teilor was then.
‘Teilor Grubbs doesn’t seem to have a lot of fans…I think she’s great, she just doesn’t have a lot to work with…?’
Well the last episode was supposed to show her acting skills. But I didn’t see much difference between ‘scared at being threated by guns’ and ‘reassured in daddy’s arms’. It’s a shame, because she looks really adorable !
Great blog!! You know I totally relate to your comment about the relationship between Rachel and Danny. One thing I did pick up was when Stan told Danny that he is having some problems in their marriage – (smile on my face) but he was honest about it – I’m really hoping that there is a way for Rachel to realize that Danny’s the best for her – no money in the world could replace such a wonderful father like him. Little Teilor in her tiny first scary moment was performed so well and so naturally, that little girl was protected and sheltered in her mother’s arms but u can see the scared look on her face especially when she sees Danny at the police station and he hugged her – that little face was frightened. Danny did a great job in masking his emotions…when talking to Stan…who narrowly avoided being beaten to a pulp….the ceo at the restaurant….had no idea what he was in for when Danny hauled him into the kitchen….wow…vintage Dano jersey style…just really angry but ready to back up his anger if anyone ever dares to come near the zipcode with a gun on his daughter again.
DDK – remarked on his tweet that it was his fav. ep. and no wonder he showed some muscle power when he escorted the witness from the jungle chased by assassins and McG….did an outstanding job in pulling the rambo stunt by hauling the tree stump up and setting a trap and I loved that he was going to hunt the killers down…loved it.
He might be the hunter but I believe civilian life has stopped him from becoming a ruthless hunter because even tho he brought a man down, he saved his life and that’s the honorable part of McG…the part that amazes me about someone who is a Seal. He never fails to show us the good hearted side to all that toughness and the jungle talk with Danny was just so priceless…very humorous in the face of tension…that tree limb was heavy and he had time to worry about his friend and partner. Kono…she was wonder woman when she confronted the killer and the attorney …..if looks could kill…she never once backed down….and I love that she spelt her name letter by letter making it unmistakably clear she was unmoved by any threats…by anyone gone was the vulnerable look on her face – she was all wonder woman….lovely to see and how nice the last face we see in that ep was Daniel Dae Kim. Brilliantly done!!
while not a Chin centric story, his actions saved the witness. Loved to see that! Good observations 🙂
Actually, it was a bit silly to what I said about Alex’s acting sorry.
I have said a couple of times on websites and possibly You Tube. That I have found this show has the best emsamble cast this 2010/2011 Season. I have never seen anything like this for ages and the way they play their characters are really well and they don’t hate each other or anything like that. And they enjoy working with each other in real-life as well.
I only just got hooked onto this show and became a huge fan just before Christmas and the reason that I love it is the storylines are always enjoyable to watch they never leave you disappointed, there’s never a cliffhanger involved, and if we don’t get an answer right away on a case we’ll always find out til the next episode, the chemistry between Steve & Danno is hilarious I totally love it practically every scene that I watched in the Pilot episode with them couldn’t make me stop laughing. Like I always say I did have this show as a high priority watch from the beginning when it started in September but it kept pushing back because when I told my friends about it they were like you should not be watching it I don’t think it will last an episode. So I was bored one Sunday and I decided to download the first 10 episodes and as soon as I saw the pilot I was like, ‘I need to see the next episode NOW!’
Love this show so much. Glad they let Chin do something besides nerd work. I know tractors are usually diesel fuel, I thought dirt bikes etc were gasoline? Maybe that was why it smoked so much. ha ha. Steve in the jungle was… wow. They had to have Danny do something else because he could have never kept up. Would have been funny tho!! Chin is a quick learner yeah? Throwing the bad guy off the trail with overturned rocks and broken twigs. Love the character of Danno, Scott plays it so well. We can kind of see why Stan wins over Danno tho right? :>) I think Alex is a brilliant actor, they all are. I do like it better tho when they are all together. Or some of them together, the all of them seperated isn’t as much fun. Can’t wait for Monday!
The bike sounded like it was equiped with a two-stroke engine (dirt bikes usually are), which is fueled with a mix of oil and gasoline (hence the smoke actually !). But according to the almighty Wikipedia (hehe), diesel two-stroke engine exist, so maybe Chin got lucky !
The maven of research. I salute you!
Thank you, sir !
My father didn’t waste his time when he taught me about motor bikes and engines !
gack. I don’t even want to think about mouth siphoning gasoline, but diesel??? gack, gack!!!
One thing I don’t think anyone mentioned, and that I totally love about H50 is their treatment of women charactors. Yes, I know that Kono has been the fake “damsel in distress” a couple of times, but it was always appropriate to the story line. Others have mentioned her everyday wardrobe and I agree with them. Her clothing and flat shoes totally go for her charactor. It would be just ridiculous for her to wear short skirts and high heals as her work clothes even though, I’m sure, all the guy fans would love that 🙂 Because the writers do not do that I can let the “damsel” scenes go because they are only used when the story really needs it.
Having said that, this episode is exactly what I love about this show. Yes, Danny was the protective daddy lion on the warpath. Yes, Chin was a great protector and fighter in the jungle and in the cabin. Yes, Steve was…. well….. Steve! But it was the women of this episode that really stood out.
First there is Julie. She disables the killers with the hairspray and lighter which was just awesome to escape and then jumps out the damn window. She totally cuts herself up but doesn’t slow down. Heading into the jungle on her own with a shard of glass from the window she jumped through as her makeshift weapon she was totally ready to do battle with whoever found her. She was damn scared but her courage outweighed her fear. She was determined to survive, get to that courthouse and bring Brenner down!
We’ve already discussed Kono and how bad ass she was in this show. She has brains and brawn and is more than an equal to her 3 male partners. Yes, she still has a lot to learn but she is well on her way to be everything the men are.
The female DA trying the case (I can’t remember her name) showed no fear in going after Brenner either. If he is the head of a major drug cartel he would have no hesitation in bringing her down, yet she’s going after him full force along with Julie.
Even our 4th killer. The writers easily could have made anyone the cleaner but they chose to make her a women. Now, it WAS done for obvious reasons. Everyone, we watching, along with the H50 team, would think the 4th one would be a man so throw them off and have it be a women. But the charactor of the cleaner, no matter if it was a man or a women would have been completely involved in the plan and the plot. Also, the cleaner has the ultimate responsility of getting the job done if the first 3 killers fail. This is not a secondary member of the assult team, she may be the most important. So not only is she intellegent she was one hell of a fighter and gave Kono as good as she got.
So in one episode we never had an actual damsel in distress. The writers could have made Julie a cringing, whiny baby who needed saving. The DA could just as easily been cast as a man. The same with the cleaner. A four MAN team of killers. But instead, the writers gave us four female charactors who are strong, independent, intellegent, resourseful women. More TV shows should write like this.
I agree, it’s nice to have strong female characters who are not either :
– manipulative sex driven bitches (any vampire show)
– emotionally damaged control freaks
– just a foil for the male character
I really like the 4th hitman to actually be a woman.
I am a fan of #1.
You forgot #4: pure eye candy
As long as #1 goes hand in hand with a 6’4 steel-eyed Viking, I’m in :p
Excellent, superb discussion! Everyone here has done a fabulous job dissecting our newest episode. I’ll just add my 2 cents in so everyone knows I read each and every comment. (It took me 45 minutes, I timed myself!)
1. First, let me say, I really enjoyed E Malama, every bit of it. There was something for everyone here.
2. Never having been a devoted Lost fan, I didn’t get any sense of deja vu in the jungle.
3. I liked the change up in this episode. I think we got a chance to focus on the strong points of each individual and the strengths they can bring to the whole team, something difficult to do in the fast-paced action of a typical episode. Now, though, put them all back together, please. It was a little discomfiting to have all off on their own for the whole show.
4. I am another one who wasn’t very happy about Danny not being part of the witness recovery scenario. Didn’t feel right, although I do agree he would have been a hindrance in the jungle – I just can’t even picture it. His banter would have been annoying and unbelievable. The logument (thanks for the new word, officer 808!) was good enough to make me happy.Still, I just don’t like Danny being so detached from the group.
5. Speaking of Danny, I have to say I’m in the “don’t put Danny & Rachel back together” camp. Now, some people who know me here, might scoff at this comment. I have been known to scream at the tv when Rachel blames Danny for violence following him, or reaching for the box of tissues when they have such soul searching parting glances at each other out of windows. And although I am a sap for happy endings, I totally agree with Norissi that Danny is Danny because of what happened in his relationship with Rachel. My hope is that we eventually find out what really broke them up. It’s obvious he will always continue to love her, but they really are too much alike to live together.
6. With that being said, let’s not make Danny a tragic figure. He’s helped Stan out of a tight fix, made light of it in front of Rachel and Grace, and took on the heat with his encounter with the Housing Commish. I don’t think Stan is going to be man enough to fess up to Rachel how he got her and Grace targeted, but I would really like to see Rachel come to the realization that Stan isn’t such a wonderful catch, he does stupid things too, and maybe believe what Danny tells her without her getting all defensive! (Needless to say, she irritated me in this episode). They could start up a little romance for Danny, but definitely NOT with Kono. That would not be cool.
7. Have to disagree about Teilor Grubbs. I think she’s a fine little actress. She’s much more believable and charming in the recent episodes. She’s playing an 8-year-old with 2 very strong willed people for parents. She’s been around her dad enough to know that when he tells her he wants her to do something, it’s for a very good reason and there’s no arguments allowed. I could feel her fear in the carjacking scene, and the tight grip she had on her mom’s arm, she was scared. The hug with Danny at HPD, the way she squeezed extra hard, she showed how safe she felt that he was there. I hope she’s around long enough to give Danny heart palpitations over boyfriends!
8. The jungle scenes. Super Seal Steve in commando mode – wow! Love it all. Everyone’s talked about their favorite scenes from here, and mine actually is the dialogue with the assassin after the log ramming. Wouldn’t you like to wake up, struggling to breath, and have a vision of Rambo leaning over you with a jungle knife sharpening a piece of reed? Then when that vision talks, it’s so calm and matter of fact: “how many of you are there? Really, you’re going to make me ask again?” while waving the knife and stick around! Truly, a great scene.
9. Very impressed with Chin. The rock comment made me chuckle – Chin has come up with these little one liners before, but this was the best. His determination to get Julie to the courthouse was impressive, and someone pointed out the fact that the writers, by having Chin lose his gun and phone, thus making him use his brain to figure out how to get safely out of the jungle, allowed for a twist that is not usually seen in police procedurals. Great effort by Daniel Dai Kim in this episode.
10. (I promise, I’ll limit myself to 10 points). We have to give Kono kudoes for the best badass performance by a female law enforcement person this season! Linda, you brought up the point about how the writers portrayed all the female characters in this episode as stong, empowered women. This is a great point, and I hope to see more of it on H5-0 in future episodes.
Again, this is a wonderful blog, officer808. You have attracted some truly intelligent, enlightened and gifted writers (myself included, of course) to your website. I look forward to reading all the blogs and comments here almost as much as I do each new episode. I know it’s a lot of work to keep on top of everything 5-0, but your efforts are appreciated!
I’m so happy that my blog generates a thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking discussion. Thanks for your recap, loved it! I also love the fact that people catch onto things that others haven’t 🙂
Great post, as usual Lynnette! You’re as good at brevity as I am and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! We make a good team, eh? I can not add a single thing. You hit every point dead on!!!
You bet, Linda! We’ll have to collaborate together sometime (who knows, maybe we can hijack this blog someday!!!). If nothing else, we can write a book! (Maybe Textbook will help us out??)
Excellent assessments, Lynette! Pretty much agree with everything.
Intriguing, Lynette. I got time, anyway, being between jobs, as they call it. Do you want to write a proposal?
Intriguing, Lynette. I got time, anyway, being between jobs, as they call it. Do you want to write a project proposal?
(I promise, this is my last intervention here, I spend way too much time on this blog ! That’s what happens when you work on a computer 12 h/day, at home : a lot of internet wandering, specially when there are such great stuff to wander on (in ? at ? ‘insert correct preposition’) !
About the Lost déjà vu thing, I have a paradoxal feeling. When I see this jungle or the breathtaking view of the moutains, it does remind me of Lost, but I don’t have the same feeling of oppression that I had when watching Lost. On H50, even when they’re lost in the jungle, I know there is civilization nearby (more or less), while on Lost, I was totally conviced that there was nothing around, and these people were in big trouble on this deserted island.
It’s like the jungle is more ‘open’ on H50, while it was really ‘closed’ on Lost (if that makes any sense !)
Sure it makes sense. No one knew where the island on LOST was. They were stranded in the middle of nowhere with “others”, smoke monsters, hatches… all kinds of stuff that made you hold your breath everytime one of our charactors wandered off into the jungle. You never knew what they would encounter or if they would ever come back. Unlike most other shows LOST had no hesitation to bump off a main charactor.
The island on H50 is Hawaii, after all. No matter what, you are right, there is civilization in the distance. And while our heros may be in danger it’s a pretty safe bet than none of them are gonna die.
Danny is lonely. He’s not only a fish out of water living in Hawaii, but – to his surprise – he was out of his element in a marriage. He and Rachel did love each other, as opposites often really do attract. Danny was happy being married, but in the back of his mind he knew that their differences were just too much for him. If he’d realized it he could have done something to deal with it. Maybe Rachel did, and she thought she could live with it – or change him, as women often do. Eventually she gave up trying. The excuse that it was his police work that she was bothered by was partly true, since it reflects on his built-in touchiness. Neither of them addressed the elephant in the room. His volatility pushed her beyond her natural calm and she couldn’t take that any more. Of course she still loves Danny. He’s the guy she was attracted to in the first place, and she’s sorry it turned out like it did. Danny never stopped loving her, but didn’t realize there was something more in their conflict than her changing into a shrew. He resents Rachel for falling in love and marrying another man, altogether different from himself. Down deep he feels betrayed, that their marriage must have been a sham if she wants somebody like Stan now, especially because he’s rich. Now he’s confused, realized he’s lost something important, and – if he’s even thought about it – can’t really get to the point where he could see himself having feelings for somebody else.
Danny amazed himself that he enjoyed being a dad. He genuinely loves Grace for who she is and not for a pawn in his relationship with her mother. She’s his unconscious link to his essential humanity. That he doesn’t get to see her much, that his fatherly duties have been taken over by Step-Stan, and that the family unit that he was unexpectedly happy with can’t happen for him any more, is a sadness that lives in his heart all the time.
Right now he’s got more of a support system than he’s had, in the team. It’s taken him out of routine police work, and given him focus and purpose. What he showed in this episode was that he could handle the Stan crisis without going to pieces. He was ready to punch people, yes, but he kept his head. Most of the time. Except where it counted, served the best purpose. Especially, he didn’t punch Stan.
I enjoy Danny’s banter with Steve. He’s really funny, and we’re learning now that much or most of it comes down to Scott himself. What comes through for me, though, is the sadness and loneliness that’s just under the surface all the time. He (Danny) doesn’t know it’s there, but it makes him frustrated, which results in both the hot temper and the smartass way of dealing with everybody, whether he’s angry or not. He can’t help it.
His life situation isn’t unalterable, but if the writers have any notion of reality, it isn’t going to change any time soon. Whether or not Rachel and Stan stay together, there’s probably no happily ever after for Rachel and Danny in the foreseeable future, hence no happily ever after for Danny and Grace.
Brilliant! And exactly why Scott has received such accolades for his performance in this show. Scott is a superb actor and the part of Danny is superbly written. He is multifaceted and complicated. Then you add Scott’s freespirited way of acting and you get magic.
That’s why I had to disagree a couple of days ago with the person who thought, initially, that Alex isn’t as good. Alex is a brilliant actor. The part of Steve is just written differently. It doesn’t give Alex the opportunities to stretch the way Danny’s part does for Scott.
Besides, think about it. What does Steve have, really, besides the team? His parents are gone. His sister is gone. Catherine, whom he has genuine feelings for, is on active duty on an aircraft carrier. There isn’t alot of area there for emotional exploration. That’s why it was nice when Mary was home. It’s a shame he had to send her away. She gave him an additional emotional level which was loving, protective, tender. I hope they bring her back just to give that back to Steve.
Wow. I just loved this. Thank you!
Wow! Awesome! You really spent a lot of time thinking this through! Will you send it on to the writers? They need to know how they are supposed to write Danny’s story arc! Better yet, I think I’d like to hire you to come and tell me what my problems are!. No,really, Textbook – I’m serious, you are that good!
I guess I’d have to watch you like a TV show for a few weeks to be completely objective. Seeing how somebody behaves is more educational than what they want to tell you. For instance, I don’t have much to say about Chin and Kono yet. I need a little more.
Probably the writers wouldn’t be too happy to hear from the peanut gallery, although I’m vain enough to think that if they haven’t seen Danny this way they’re not paying attention to the person they’ve created. (Or is it Scott?)
That’s probably the best character deconstruction I’ve read about Danny 🙂 His swagger masks his loneliness? Brilliant! The Five-0 team is definitely his new family…
That is/was a wonderful explanation of Danny Williams, I could not agree with you more!
I’ve been thinking since this episode about why I think the show is good. It’s actually surprising to find that I admire the writers and producers more than I would have expected. I mused elsewhere after reading about the show’s debut in Ireland:
“I like this, thanks for sharing. It makes me think about how H50 seems to be working all over the world, and wonder about what is making that happen. I’m reading the AO’L quotes and then I think, “What would the show be without him? Is he really the biggest draw here? Would I be watching it faithfully if it wasn’t for him?” (Because, yes, I’m one of those poor schmucks drooling over him.) And what about the show’s impact in other countries? Are they as smitten with him as I am? But after consideration, I figure even without him it’s a killer show. They’d need to have found somebody else who was up to the job – that poor schmucks weren’t already drooling over – but it all holds up. Even take away all four of them, and the show holds up. It’s something I’ve been musing about lately, how this show is somehow different. Probably that’s why I read these forums and chime in. Never did before. Just seems like this show’s sparked a conversation that’s worth chiming in on.”
What I mean by “this show is different” comes from a half-formed thought that’s often popped up toward the end of the show or just after. It goes fast. It cuts from place to place and development to development, just short of the time it takes to process. At first I think, “well, they were in an awful hurry with this one, it looked like it was cobbled together at the last minute.” But it’s like that every week, and what I see now is that it’s intentional, and by god/dess it works.They are taking us on a ride. (Not “for a ride”, I hasten to add.) This has given me a new respect for the production. The stars don’t make this show by themselves.
Somebody is responsible for this, and I don’t know exactly who to point at, not knowing much about TV production beyond knowing that shows usually get made against all odds. They hardly ever get made the way they were supposed to. So either everybody lucked out or a bunch of incredible writing and producing talents with great track records have been allowed to make the show that they really wanted to. This is rare. Somebody gave Lankov/Orci/Kurtzman, et al, the reins. Good on them.
I can see the family resemblances to 24, and Alias. (Not so much Fringe, but maybe it’ll come to me later.) I’m impressed. The elements of this episode fit together well, as 24 and Alias usually did, at least early on before the inevitable decline. Each development looked at first like a random leap in the dark, but then I could see how it made sense. The idea of Steve and Chin splitting up in the jungle seemed dumb, but then once Steve got all Rambo on us I could see where it’s just the sort of thing he would do. It comes naturally to him. Throwing in the “cleaner” as a lawyer and not another thug seemed like a stretch, but it illuminated how the guy on trial was, in fact, as big a bad as he was painted, and his organization was widespread, thoroughly deserving of a 5-0 takedown.
The thing is, all this goes by in a flash. I’m enjoying the flash-bang, and the eye candy, and the witty banter, and somehow it becomes clear that a bigger story is being told. It’s so satisfying I can’t quite grasp it. This is atypical television.
I can imagine other actors in the roles, barely. The characters would be different, because the actors – if they’re any good at all – bring special things to their roles. Another Kono might be more outwardly aggressive and dynamic, let’s say. Then she wouldn’t have this Kono’s latent power, that bursts out when you don’t expect it. This Kono has her moments of awkwardness, being new at the job, but she steps up when it’s called for, without holding back. We like this about her. Still, who’s to say we couldn’t like another kind of Kono? My point is, as I said before, take these actors away and you’ve still got a good show. But put them back in, and you’ve got magic.
And now, here’s why there’s nothing wrong with splitting up the team: They’re still a team. They are professionals, not cowboys. They know the goal. Even Danny, being off on another mission, is with the others in spirit, as they are with him. He did not run off half-cocked. It was a logical action to have them performing the tasks they each needed to perform. They’ll do it again sometime, because it has to be done that way. And it makes sense. I freakin’ love this show! It gets better all the time.
You make very valid points! I think the show is perfectly cast and I can’t think of any other 4 actors who could do a better (or even close to the same) job then Alex, Scott, Daniel and Grace. Having said that, you are right. The show is brilliantly written, produced, and filmed. If we had never seen Alex, et.el. in these parts, but 4 different actors we wouldn’t know that Alex et el were better, we would have accepted whichever actors were there.
There have been hundreds and hundreds of TV shows and movies which starred some of the most brilliant actors ever that were total bombs! While it is true that a great actor can elevate subpar material it is also true that no matter how good an actor is, dreck is still dreck. H50 is a fantastic show and would still be a fantastic show even if it were with different actors. We just lucked out that they cast 4 actors who are just perfect for the roles.
Good job!
Here! Here! Applause! Standing ovation! I get it and I appreciate the analysis! It’s just not normal, the way I love this show and think about it all week long – something magical has happened. People who only gave it a week or two, have really missed out on the evolution of a phenomenon!
I seriously have the awesomest bunnch of Undercover Special Agents following the blog! 🙂
Well that is just be course YOU created the most awesome blog about H50 out there.
Thanks Sam!!!!!!!!
Here! Here! Do they have an award show for blogs? I would nominate H5-0 Undercover for Best Blog for a Television Program Generating Best Comments Ever!
A little suggestion? You need a “back to top” button, Officer 808! LOL