The second episode of Hawaii Five O was full of jam packed action and fun. We already did our recap and now here is the Different POVs edition for the week.
Linda Stein
Ahhhh the last day of September, the beginning of autumn, the first real feel of wonderfully cool fall air so, of course, I get sick! Typical. But, what better medicine is there for a shivery, achy body then a Friday night dose of Hawaii Five-0?
So, instead of being in bed and asleep like I should have been, I was propped in front of my TV at 9pm for my favorite show. When it was over, the first thing I said to myself was “ok, I am definitely going to have to watch that again”. Not that I wouldn’t watch it again and again anyway, but in my fevered state, it felt like my mind was just jumping all over the place and having a hard time keeping up. Then I watched it again and realized it wasn’t just me. The episode itself was all over the place, pretty much all over the world, that is. No wonder I was having a hard time keeping it straight the first time.
Ok…let’s get started. Just like always, in no specific order, my rambling observations.
Previously – Last week I was very happy the writers gave us all enough credit to realize we were perfectly capable of remembering events all the way back to the end of Season 6 and didn’t waste precious screen time with a “Previously on Hawaii Five-0”. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case this week. It seems, even if we’re able to remember things from four months ago, we’re unable to remember what happened just a week ago. There was so much going on in this episode I really would have preferred them using those few moments for the actual story. But that’s just me.
Alicia Brown – A Behavior Analyst/Criminal Profiler formerly with the FBI specializing in serial killers. This is one tough lady and she comes off as such right away. She is cold, impersonal and unyielding in both her opinions and her resolve. She is retired and no amount of persuasion is going to make her come out of retirement and help Five-0 no matter how many innocent people could be hurt. This is also a woman clearly haunted by something… something involving the young woman she’s pictured with in the photo on her shelf. Looks like a best friend or maybe her sister. Something traumatic enough that it caused her to retire at such a young age Quite probably the young woman was one of the innocent people she either couldn’t save or she feels was hurt because of her.
I thought it was adorable of Steve to think he could outsmart the profiler. As if she wouldn’t see right through his “innocently” leaving the chess piece behind. But even knowing his motive she still managed to dig up some information on their case. The fact that she did that, even after so vehemently refusing to help them earlier shows that whatever happened to cause her to give it all up, the reasons she became a profiler in the first place are still there. She may not want to help but she feels compelled to help anyway.
I wonder about the information on that cop in the file, Philip Lau. Why was he was investigating all the serial killers unofficially, on his own? Was he connected to one of the victims or was it just one of those cases he “couldn’t let go”. Either way, it seems incredibly convenient he “shot and killed himself” six months ago. Getting too close? And, if Alicia is retired, how did she get those records? If it wasn’t an official investigation, she didn’t get them from HPD. If HPD had them, Five-0 would have known about it. If they were Lau’s personal records, how the hell did she get her hands on those?? I’m really looking forward to finding out more about Alicia and how she fits into all of this.
Chin and Sara – There is a common trope in TV called the Cousin Oliver Syndrome. It’s when a TV show has had an adorable moppet outgrow the moppet stage and they try to recapture the awwww factor with another adorable moppet. Usually it’s a total failure. I’m happy to say, if that’s what Five-0 is attempting with little Sara, I’m all for it. This kid is adorable and in just a few scenes has completely stolen my heart. If she wasn’t a cutie pie on her own, her scenes with her Uncle Chin are enough to get me choked up. When she put her head on Chin’s shoulder, after tearfully expressing how she doesn’t want to go away, that she wants to stay with him, I was sniffling up a storm and it had nothing to do with my cold. I sure hope it works out for these two.
Moppet replacement
Harry Langford – As a long time James Bond fan I loved the “007” flair of this episode. From Harry’s little one liners (“easy on the goods there, old boy”) to his suave charm. When Casta Mitchell fed him the classic opening of “You’re very forward, Mr…?”, my mind easily supplied “Bond, James Bond”. I’m glad the writers didn’t do a “Langford, Harry Langford” but it was fun to anticipate it for a moment. The fact that he charmed himself into her bed after using her to get the diamonds was pure Bond.
It was also fun to see a character who can take on Steve. Their training is obviously very similar and their fighting styles extremely well matched. The fight sequences in this episode were fantastic. Watching Harry, unarmed, get away from Lucky Morah’s men and then watching Steve and Harry fight each other was fun. And Harry had Steve dead to rights, had Danny not forced him at gunpoint to let Steve go. Of course, this is Five-0, the Steve show, so, of course, he had to get in that last elbow to the face. We can’t have our hero come out as the loser in a fight, after all, can we?
Jerry Q – I loved the scene of Jerry trying to figure out all of Harry’s MI6 gadgets (with a little help from Lou). For someone so enamored with conspiracy theories and thoughts of espionage, getting this close to actual spy paraphernalia was a dream come true. Add to that, he was able to be Five-0’s own “Q” by putting a little “something something” GPS in Harry’s watch. Jerry was in heaven!
Five-0 dressed to the nines – Oh my God…. does this team clean up well or not?? First at Lucky’s party then later at the medal ceremony, this was an episode with more formal wear than any other, except for maybe Kono’s wedding. I loved that we got to see Danny not only in his tux at the party but in a morning suit later. He’s the only one who got to dress up twice! LOL And speaking of Kono… dear Lord, can she get any more incredibly gorgeous? That dress was to die for. I love how it’s just taken for granted she’ll have no problem getting to Lucky, and of course, she doesn’t. “You don’t need any luck, not looking like that”. I don’t know if that was an actual line of dialog but it had a Scott Caan ad-lib written all over it.
Globetrotting – From the very beginning, Governor Jamison formed the Five-0 Task Force to get men like Victor Hess “the hell off my island”. Victor Hess, international arms dealer and terrorist. Five-0 has spent the last six years fighting crime on the islands and, yes, they have dealt with international terrorists in the past but usually always on their own soil. I really liked the fact that, just this once, we weren’t confined to Hawaii. Yeah, jumping from Hawaii to Prague to Pakistan to London was a bit dizzying but I loved we got to go to other places with this story.
Once Five-0 arrested Lucky for Casta Mitchell’s murder that should have been the end of their involvement in the case. Harry, having been wrongly arrested for the murder (as pretty much every initial suspect is on this show) would have just been released and left to go on his merry way and been allowed to continue his investigation.
But I liked that Five-0 got involved in Harry’s case. I know there are some who are going to complain that cops from Hawaii have no jurisdiction off the island and Steve and Danny going with Harry makes no sense. But I’m looking at it this way. Back in Season 2, during the cross over with NCIS:LA, Sam and Callen had no jurisdiction in Hawaii and Danny and Chin, none in LA. But each were able to function as part of the other team during the investigation. Danny and Chin had, in fact, been the first outsiders allowed into the NCIS:LA inner sanctum.
The same way special consideration was made in that case, to allow outsiders to work with the respective teams, I feel the same was made here. Harry told Steve that the CIA was fully briefed on his mission so Harry was free to function in the US. I’m sure MI6 made the same allowances for Steve and Danny.
George Cross – I actually got a kick out of this scene. I know, seeing the Queen giving medals to our guys was a bit silly, but if you really think about it, it’s not impossible for something like this to happen. I looked it up.
“George Cross, a British civilian and military decoration, instituted in 1940 by King George VI for “acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger.” The award, which can be conferred posthumously, is usually given to civilians, although it can be bestowed on military personnel for acts for which military decorations are not usually awarded.”
I think averting a nuclear meltdown across most of Europe constitutes “circumstances of extreme danger” as well as taking out a known terrorist, who’s a high value target for both Britain and the U.S., on his own soil. So, Harry, Steve and Danny getting a medal from the Queen isn’t out of the realm of possibility. At least, by only seeing the back of her head and hearing her voice, we were spared more unfortunate CGI.
The Cemetery – I’m sure there are some out there going through fits because of this scene. I really hoped we wouldn’t be saddled with another Catherine reference before 7.07 but it seems the writers are determined to keep her in Steve’s mind and ours as well. Ok, let’s discuss it.
It seems obvious to me that Steve is feeling something he’s never felt before. Vulnerable. He’s been horribly hurt and, whether he follows them or not, he’s under physical restrictions. He’s on meds. He’s trying his best to go on as if nothing happened but clearly he is not 100%. It’s not something he’s really had to deal with before. Vulnerability isn’t something SuperSEAL is used to.
He was clearly uncomfortable being in the plane. Alex, as he so often does, was able to project being uncomfortable with only very subtle facial expressions and, yes, body language, which was anything but relaxed. Danny, of course, noticed it right away, asking Steve if he was ok. Steve, being Steve, would never admit how he was feeling and, as usual, hid behind bravado by trying to tell Harry the best way to fly the plane. Did you notice Steve’s insistence that flying lower would get them there faster, as if all he wants is to get off that plane faster? Danny, seeing this, could have called his friend on it but instead, pawned it off on the old “control freak” line and another liver complaint, saving Steve face.
When Steve was talking to Alicia about the chess piece being left in his house, he wasn’t just angry. The killer broke into his house, was in the house when Steve was. There was something in Steve’s eyes. Almost a look of doubt. “Maybe what happened took more from me than just my liver. Maybe I’m not as good as I used to be.” I saw doubt in Steve’s eyes. Of course, I could be completely off base with that but it just seems to me that he’s in bad place in his head, reflecting on and questioning everything, including himself.
I’m sure Harry had a similar experience after his wife was killed. His type of work, probably made it difficult to have a normal life, a normal relationship. I can see a man like that purposely keeping people at arm’s length out of fear, that with his work, they might become collateral. I can also see a man like that meeting a special woman, one able to penetrate the hard core and the man, putting all reason, reservations and logic aside, letting her into his heart. And that’s what I saw in Harry’s statement. She was the only person he “let in” to his heart. When Steve responds “I got one of those”, he’s talking about the same. I have never doubted that Steve loved Catherine and she, him, in their own way. Harry is sadly reminiscing about the woman he lost. Steve is doing the same.
But Steve isn’t thinking clearly right now, at least as it relates to his “legacy”. The events of the last few weeks have his thoughts all over the place. He’s replaying events, rethinking unchangeable decisions, reflecting on everything. He’s romanticizing some memories and conveniently forgetting why she’s not around anymore. The difference being Harry’s love was torn from him while Steve’s left by her own volition. But I have no problem with the scene because both are simply remembering the women they once loved but are now gone.
The fact that Harry asks Steve “Any chance of getting her back?” only shows that Harry is projecting the feelings he has about losing his wife onto Steve. Harry has no idea what the facts are in Steve’s situation, has no way of knowing if Steve feels the same way he does. Steve’s “No” definitively answered that question. Like the cousin Oliver trope, another is to write a story that looks to be setting something up a particular way but when the denouement finally occurs it’s the total opposite. I’m hoping all this hand wringing Steve is doing over Catherine, that looks like he’s pining for her and wanting her back is just that. A set up to look one way when in actuality the opposite will occur.
Steve and Danny – Finally to what is and always will be the most important relationship on this show. Seeing these two acting like partners and true friends again was refreshing, as was the return to witty banter as opposed to bitter bitching. It’s not as mean spirited anymore. Yes, Danny will always complain about Steve’s driving and yes, we’re all going to have to endure liver references for the rest of time.
But they are acting more like their old selves again. Steve worried that if they stop off in London for Fish and Chips at a pub Rachel once took Danny to it will make Danny sad and he doesn’t want to see Danny sad. Danny on the other hand will be happy if Steve goes with him so he can watch him drive on the wrong side of the road. So far this season the boys are acting like brothers again and I, for one, could not be more thrilled.
Just a couple of last little tidbits:
- Why is it when a spy picks a lock to get into a room they don’t just relock the door behind them again? They always seem to be caught, or almost caught, by the goon who come upon the door that’s supposed to locked. Oh well, I guess If they did we’d lose some of the suspense, wouldn’t we?
- Do you think we can ban diamonds from Hawaii for a while? I mean, seriously. Every time more than one of those shiny stones shows up its trouble.
- I got a real kick out of Harry handling the magic table. Chin was pretty impressed himself. “You’ve used one of these before.” “Actually, it’s my first time but it seems pretty straight forward.” ROFL
- Anyone else notice the Greystone sounds an awful lot like Goldeneye. Greystone is “a next gen encryption tool capable of cracking any computer network” while Goldeneye sends out an electrical pulse which renders all electronic equipment useless.
- Speaking of Bond references… I loved the little exchange in the rendition room about the best Bonds. I agree with Danny that Harry is more of the Daniel Craig version but for me, Sean Connery will always be the Bond.
- Another little nod…. anyone notice how much dead Casta Mitchell looked like dead Jill Masterson… minus the gold, of course.
- Lastly in this episode we learned the lobster at Lucky’s party is incredible. Ergo, it’s perfectly acceptable to hang that guy off the roof.
And there you have it… another great episode of Five-0. I know it’s only been two episodes but so far this season really looks like a winner! Ok, off to juice, Tylenol and bed.
Have a wonderful week my friends. Aloha. Malama Pono
Emanuela Par -(Manu)
Aloha fellow Five 0 fans,
After the exciting premiere last week here we are to enjoy episode number two of Season 7
And what an episode it was. I was already intrigued by the spoilers, teasers, previews and the show definitely lived up to my expectations.
I think this episode can be easily described as a mini Bond movie. It has all the elements of a two hours feature wrapped in a 43 minutes episode, not easy to achieve but brilliantly executed by writers, cast and crew.
I really liked both the main guest stars, Alicia Brown, played by Claire Forlani and Harry Langford, played by Chris Vance.
As we know Alicia is going to be a recurrent character in at least three episodes this season. She is a retired F.B.I. agent, specialised in Behavioural Analysis, which makes her an asset in the still unsolved case of the serial killer that was introduced in episode one. With her skills she can provide a useful inside to the personality of the villain, explaining to McGarrett that the killer doesn’t see him as a pawn, like the bad guys from the previous episode, but as a dangerous adversary, worthy of admiration and up to the most exciting challenge.
When Steve and Danno ask for her help Alicia refuses categorically, saying that she is retired and doesn’t intend to go back to work. She might come across as a bit cold and definitely we can already spot some sadness in her expression, but I guess we’ll find out in the following episodes what brought her to that decision. McGarrett tries to persuade her mentioning all the innocent people with families that might get hurt if they don’t catch the killer soon. He notices a picture of Alicia with a younger woman, presumably her sister or daughter, which I’m pretty sure we’ll eventually find out the identity of and in which way she affected Alicia’s decision.
Steve also conveniently forgets the chess piece, evidence that the killer has left in his house, on Alicia’s table, in the hope that it might induce her to think about the case and decide to be part of it.
His little trick works as we see an already intrigued Alicia shorty after at Five 0 headquarters, already having found crucial information on the case, like the fact that Philip Lau, an HPD agent was investigating the three killers before shooting himself three months before.
She is adamant that she hasn’t changed her mind about coming out of retirement but I’m sure we’ll see otherwise soon enough.
And then what to say of British MI6 agent Harry Langford? I absolutely loved his character. Good looking, suave, cool as they come. We see him first in a typical 007 scene in which he infiltrates a very elegant party, steals a little doll that we’ll find out later contains diamonds and escapes capture hiding the goods on an oblivious escort lady. Also in typical Bond style he’ll manage to get the poor girl killed after seducing her to retrieve the diamonds.
That’s how he gets involved with our Five 0 Team, when Casta Mitchell is found strangled and with his DNA underneath her fingernails.
Five 0 also discovers that the girl and the agent are also connected to Lucky Morad, an Egyptian businessman whom might be either embarrassed by what Langford stole from him or involved in an illegal activity.
After an exciting car chase and a hand to hand MI6 agent vs Navy SEAL fight that shows that the Commander is still not 100% his old self Danno comes to Steve’s rescue an Harry is apprehended.
While Steve and Danny interrogate him Jerry enjoys studying Harry’s spy gadgets, nearly melting his hands with acids coming out of a pen and giving us one of Lou’s priceless facial expressions when he tells him that the wallet is to contain money and credit cards.
We find out that Langford is after a man called Nasheed El Hamedi which is behind a bomb attack in London that happened in 2012 and is plotting a cyber attack in Europe, with a device that was supposed to be in Lucky’s safe but was sold and paid for with the diamonds.
Getting close to Lucky Morad means that the full team has to go to a party and boy do they look the part in their tuxes and hot red dress for Kono.
The scene is both amusing and intense, with Chin joking about the continuously getting smaller tux for Lou and Danno reminding Kono that she doesn’t need any luck looking the way she does.
Morad is tricked into following Kono outside where Harry and Steve are waiting for him.
We are treated once again to one of Steve’s interrogation techniques by hanging the guy from the roof, and in this case Danno isn’t even bothered, in fact he offers his partner some expensive and tasty lobster in the process.
Steve, Danno and Harry fly to Prague to intercept the device, scene that gives us a sweet moment between Danno, which asks Steve if he is OK, I presumed because of what happened in their previous flight together more than out of worry for Steve’s controlling issues for not being able to pilot Harry’s plane.
Very cool to see Prague and London as locations in this episode, considering that all of it was actually shot in Hawaii. A friend of mine was there when they were filming so I know very well where they were when they shot the “Prague scenes” but it was shot so well that one would really believe they were in Europe and Asia.
The guys manage to stop the villains from obliterating Europe by regaining control over 100 nuclear reactors which cooling system was compromised by the cyber attack.
When we think everything is over, Danno proposes to Steve to go to London, where he has eaten the best fish & chips on his first anniversary with Rachel. Steve is worried that the memories might upset Danno and in the meantime a sneaky Harry disappears with the device.
When Steve and Danno catch up with Harry, thanks to the bug that Jerry has placed on him before, we find out that he is out for revenge on the man that caused his wife’s death in that bomb attack in 2012.
The boys end up being honoured by the Queen of England, which makes a cameo appearance on the show, with a tense Steve being reassured by a much more relaxed Danny that his tie looks OK.
All together an amazing, exciting, full of action and fun episode. As I said I loved it.
Only one little glitch will keep me from calling it perfect though.
And that’s the scene at the cemetery where Harry Steve and Danno visit Harry’s wife’s tomb and when Harry says “ She was the only one I ever really let in” Steve answers “I got one like that” clearly referring to Cath. A cute scene that shows a softer side of Harry but once again leaves me perplexed on how Steve’s relationships are perceived in the show.
I believe the continuous mentions of Cath are in preparation for her return in 7.07 and caused by Steve’s current depressed and reflective mood after his near death experience. Having said that I find this references to a character and a relationship that were far from being as meaningful and important as they are depicted rather annoying and already tedious.
At least when Harry asks “Is there any way you can get that back” Steve answers with a decisive NO, which makes me hope in final closure in episode 7.07. Dragging that storyline further wouldn’t be beneficial for the show or the characters in my opinion.
And now looking forward to see Alicia back next week.
In the meantime have a great weekend and an even better week ahead.
Mahalo for reading,
