Hawaii Five-O - November 1 - Shirtless but serious

Aloha!  It gives me great pleasure to celebrate my 100th post with Hawaii Five-O!

Tonight's episode was titled, Ho'a pono - True Friend.   It echoed the Seal Motto - never leave a man behind.

 From http://www.cbs.com/,

­McGarrett uses his SEAL training to secretly board The Missouri when another former SEAL, Graham Rivers, takes a group of tourists hostage on the ship. That morning, Graham ran his house, covered in blood and carrying a knife used to murder his wife. Though he doesn't remember what happened, he doesn't think he killed his wife and uses the hostages as leverage to get the crime investigated. McGarrett teams up with a retired Boatswain, Ed, who was conducting the tour and evaded capture; Ed knows the ship better than any and acts as McGarrett's guide. Meanwhile, Danny, Chin Ho and Kono investigate the murder of Graham’s wife. Graham clearly suffers from PTSD and could have murdered his wife without remembering. There's also very little evidence at the scene that suggests anyone else was in the house. Fortunately, Kono gets his step-daughter to talk and she reveals there was another man at the house that morning. When that man shows up and kidnaps the little girl, our team figures out that Graham's wife was killed and his step-daughter abducted by his wife's first husband, a Russian businessman, Graham believed was dead. McGarrett has kept Graham calm, but when SWAT rushes the scene, Graham loses it, and McGarrett works to make sure the hostages get out safely, all the while, protecting Graham.­

The Maika'i (Good):

1. Dedication to James MacArthur.  James played the original Danno from 1968 - 1979 (11 of its 12 seasons).  He is the adopted son of American iconic actress Helen Hayes and playwright Charles MacArthur.  Producers of the new Hawaii Five O were negotiating for James to make a cameo appearance.   But his recent death ensures that fans will remember him as the original Danno.

2.  Opening shot of Pearl Harbor.   It is that beautiful.   The action begins in Navy housing on Ford Island.  The housing featured in tonight's episode is called Battleship Cove because it is located near the east moorings where the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and other battleships were sunk or destroyed on December 7, 1941. 

3.  Ensemble Cast:  Each week, the team members are given the opportunity to showcase their individual talents.  Tonight, Steve took off his shirt, dove into Pearl Harobr, and climbed up the side of Mighty Mo (Danno remarked, "You are shirtless but serious.")  Danno and Chin used their police training to conduct the investigation.  Kono coaxed Lily to talk about what she witnessed. 

4.  Special Guests.  

- Kelly Hu, former Miss Hawaii, played the Governor's Public Safety Liaison.  

- Kimberly Hagi, another local personality, played the Navy psychologist.

- Robert Loggia played the Navy Vet and Missouri guide

- Adam Beach played Navy Seal Graham Rivers.   Adam is a Native American who portrays Native Americans on film, notably:

-- Private Ben Yahzee in Windtalkers (portraying one of the Navajo Marines who used their native language for code in WWII's Pacific campaigns; the Japanese never broke their code.)

--Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flag of Our Fathers (one of the six Marines to raise the American Flag on Iwo Jima)

5.  Salute to tradition.   December 7, 1941 is a significant part of Hawaiian history and culture.  I appreciate that the producers have written it into Steve's character - his grandfather was aboard the USS Arizona when it was attacked.  Tonight, the Navy Vet/Missouri guide remembered Steve's grandfather. But he made a comment that rang true of the day - he was too young to enlist so he lied about his age.  I suspect this was the case after December 7, 1941 when the American public rallied behind President Roosevelt to defend liberty and freedom.

The fact that the episode was filmed on board the USS Missouri - the Mighty Mo - was fitting tribute to her place in history.  As the tourist remarked in the episode, the Japanese surrendered on board the Mighty Mo in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

I wrote about the 65th Anniversary of the End of WWII back in September:
http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/2010/09/mighty-mo-big-guns-and-bigger-heroes.html

My husband sang with the Sounds of Aloha during the Remembrance Ceremony on the Mighty Mo.  The Sounds of Aloha return to the Mighty Mo for its Veterans' Day Ceremony.

The episode also spotlighted Steve's concern for his fellow Navy Seal  and the effects of PTSD on personnel returning home from deployments.  I also suspect this is true of those who survived.   The veterans I see at ceremonies inspire me to thank God each day that I live in freedom.

The Hewa (Inaccurate)  Since the crime took place on a Navy base, in Navy housing, involving Navy personnel, the Navy Military Police would have responded to the crime (the Air Force Security Forces might have joined them from adjacent Hickam AFB).  Then the military police would have called NCIS - Gibbs and company.

Would that be awesome for Gibbs and Company to guest star on Hawaii Five-O (and vice versa)? Same network but different producers.  But NBC pulled it off with two cross over events between Law & Order and Homicide:  Life on the Streets.   So let's start that email campaign ...

Other References:

- A local cable station broadcasts reruns of Magnum PI at 6 pm and Hawaii Five-O (the original) at 7 pm.  My mother in law prefers Jack Lord.  But there is nothing like the eye candy that Alex O'Laughlin provides on Monday night.

- To learn more about local coverage of Hawaii Five-O, log onto the local CBS affiliate:
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/category.asp?C=195902

Their website features clips and interviews from the Hawaii Five-O cast. 

Join me each Tuesday morning for Hawaii Five-O! 
Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii