Keck’s Exclusives: Hawaii Five-0 Adds a Fifth
Feb 21, 2011 07:00 AM ET
by William Keck
Source: TVGuide.com
Talk about pressure. Larisa Oleynik debuts on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 on March 21 as CIA analyst Jenna “K” Kaye, then returns for the season’s last two episodes — giving her three shows to prove herself worthy of being signed as a permanent team member.
“They’ll let me know by June 30 if I’ll be a series regular in the second season,” says Larisa, a former kid star on Nickelodeon’s The Secret World of Alex Mack. “One of the reasons for bringing me in is the four [main actors] are being worked nonstop. And maybe to add more female energy.”
Jenna arrives in Oahu from Virginia, on the hunt for Wo Fat, who killed her fiancé (also a CIA agent). “She’s left everything she knows and has nothing to lose,” says Larisa. “She thinks she’s going at it alone — until she meets McGarrett.”
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Officer 808 says: Mmm…love that nerdy, librarian look. Don’t know if that’s what the new definition of “female energy” is for Hawaii, though. CBS may be cracking down on the “Sexy Bikini Kono” and “Sexy Hot Pants Kono” motif currently sprinkled throughout the series. Definitely a love interest possibility for Max the coroner (Masi Oka).
Hawaii Five-0 UNDERCOVER 
I have mixed feeling about this one… I like the idea of bring someone in ONLY if they are going to be a techy in the office person (a la – Garcia, Abby or Eric) they do NOT need someone else out in in the field. I think that would screw the whole dynamic of the show up… that said this person needs to have killer chemistry with the principle cast, if that’s not there they need to cut their loses after the end of the season. I say this because I rarely remember watching a first season show where the chemistry is there right from the get go as strong as it is with H5O and I’d hate to see someone forced onto the show that doesn’t mesh well with the others. (That is part, only part, of my problem with the Mary character, besides not liking the character, I don’t see the chemistry between the actress and the cast.)
I think the writers are gonna see how it plays out before inviting her back…
I’m with Norriski. And I feel less and less sure about this as we hear & see more…
Wasn’t this character supposed to go way back w/ Steve? I thought I remembered she was supposed to a wise-cracking old buddy that took a bullet for Steve in the past or something like that…
Hey I’m all for the smart girls w/ glasses, but that picture hasn’t quelled my misgivings so far. A love interest for Max – Bob, you never cease to make me laugh!
Thanks 🙂
You’re right the casting call described someone a little more extroverted than the photos of Larisa show…
I’m glad they brought in a female character, and not another male. The show is already very much loaded in testosterone ! (not that I’m complaining, far from it ! But Kono would have been very lonely.)
I was afraid she would be a rival to Kono , or Catherine, as another strong kick ass girl, but from the pic, it seems she’s something new to the show, which is good. If I agree on the fact that another character in the field would be one too many, I definitely hope she won’t be another geeky tech genius : that would be nothing new to the procedural genre (as Norriski pointed out, we see that in both NCIS, but also Bones, UK’s Spooks (MI:5)…). And then, she would be a ‘threat’ to Chin’s tech guy!
I have nothing against Oleynik, and maybe I’ll like her, and maybe she’ll have a great chemistry with the team, but I actually hope she’ll be only involved as far as the McGarrett Sr investigation in concerned. Four people are enough : the four of them are in the field ; Steve as the military survivor side ; Danno the by the book investigator side ; Chin can be the tech guy ; Kono’s still learning but she’s already good on all of these things.
I don’t know, I guess I don’t want to be optimistic and be disappointed, so let’s wait and see !!
All I can say is I am nervous. I don’t like change, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’m not very optimistic about this. But I guess if we don’t like how this plays out, we can loudly voice our opinions and perhaps even be heard by the brass, at least until June 30th!
I’m with everyone else. Not crazy about a new team member. The four cast members have wonderful chemistry and I don’t think it should be tampered with. I guess time will tell.
I read today that Michelle Borth is getting her own show on ABC. Does that mean no more Catherine? I hope they don’t replace her with Larisa’s character, she doesn’t seem his type.
Yes I saw that too…I just think it might make it more hard to coordinate her appearances in Five-0.
Thanks for contributing!
No, do not like this character. Bring back Steve’s sister. I liked her. I do like the new character of Charlie Fong.