Hawaii Five O (H5O) Double Header - TV Review

Last night CBS broadcast offered a double header for Hawaii Five O:

I ka wa ma mua, I ka wa ma hope (S8 Ep10)

When Danny is shot while quarantined in the hospital with McGarrett, Tani and Junior, he's left unconscious and clinging to life, imagining a future for everyone in Five-0. (TV-14 V)

The title translates as "The Future is in the Past".  From the previous episode, Steve, Danny, Tani, and Junior were exposed to a biological weapon, landing them in quarantine for six days.  Hours before their release, an unknown villain enters their isolation unit and shoots Danny.  As the team performs life saving medical treatment, Danny dreams of the future, including:

- walking his daughter, Grace, down the aisle

- his son, Charlie, graduating from the Honolulu Police Academy

- spending his golden years with McGarrett; see image below with the actors transformed into senior citizens.

This episode was predictable yet entertaining.  

Oni kalalea ke ku a ka la'au loa (S8 Ep11)

It's Christmas Eve and Danny tells Charlie a bedtime story about a recent Five-0 case involving bad Santas and a holiday miracle. 

The title translates as "A Tall Tree Stands Above the Others".  Let me amend that to read "Several Tall Trees Stand Above the Others". While Danny recovers from his gunshot wound, he and Charlie prepare for Santa's visit on Christmas Eve. As Danny tucks Charlie in bed, he shares a different kind of bed time story in which "angels" help the H5O team.  

Two villains, dressed as Santa bell ringers, blow up an armored truck for its cash deposits.  As the Santas escape into a local mall, the H5O team respond to the situation.  Meanwhile, Junior is driving a group of Wounded Warriors to a holiday event when he hears the call.  He responds accordingly with his "brothers in arm" in tow.  Each Wounded Warrior offers a unique skill set to assist the team as they empty the mall and apprehend the bad Santas.  

Scott Caan stands out as he delivers fatherly love and Steve-induced-sarcasm in telling the story to Charlie.  Likewise, I commend H5O for including wounded warriors in the plot. In fact, real life wounded warrior Jason Redman landed a guest role.  From People Magazine (link),

“I cast Jason based on a recommendation by Gary Sinise,” he (Executive Producer Peter Lenkov) tells PEOPLE. “I had told Gary that I was looking for some real deal vets that have inspiring stories for an upcoming episode of Hawaii Five-0 and he delivered with Jason, who did a really great job.”

This episode is now my favorite for the season.

Watch both episodes on CBS.com.

I am giving away a swag pack to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Christmas traditions - what is your favorite?  

H5O ends with Steve letting himself into Danny's house while Danny is tucking Charlie into bed.  Steve then eats the cookies Danny baked for Santa.  Classic Steve!

2. Comments are open through Sunday, December 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, January 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

RT Recap Day 2 - Catching Up with Friends

On Tuesday morning, I enjoyed breakfast with Rae Latte, a book blogger in the Washington, DC, area.  Check out her blog at this link. We chatted about her first RT convention last year in Las Vegas ... and what she expected this year in Atlanta. I loved her enthusiasm for all things romance!

I later met KC Bateman (link) for morning coffee.  KC is a British ex-pat now living in the US ... and writing historical romance.  She charmed me with tales from her alter ego as a fine arts appraiser and on screen antique expert for British reality television shows.

I lunched with my roommate, Danielle Gorman, a book blogger who created Ramblings From This Chick (link). She is also an author assistant at Author's Pal (link) - an assistant I recommend!  After lunch, we took the skywalk to the Marriott ... where scenes from the second Hunger Games movie were filmed.

We joined the growing crowd for the first workshop of the week - RT Advantage with Liz Berry, cofounder of 1001 Dark Knights (link). Liz was spot on with her advice for authors - published and aspiring - to make the most of the RT Booklovers Convention. Thanks, Liz, for your guidance!

After hobnobbing in the lobby, I walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe with my sisters in arms - Navy surgeon Tamara W. and Air Force Veteran Julie Day (link).  I was among those who are good with their hands!  Multi-genre author Sara Humphreys (link) stopped by our table to chat.

For this week of recaps, I am giving away a sampling of books and swag from RT. To enter the giveaway,

1. Have you visited any movie or TV locations? Naturally, I toured several locations for Hawaii Five O. And H50 came to Hickam AFB multiple times ... I even spotted LL Cool J at this link for a crossover episode with NCIS: LA.

2. Comments are open through Monday, May 15, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 16.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Atlanta Marriott 

Aloha to Hawaii Five O and Wehe 'ana (Prelude) - TV Review

Friday night was a winner with Hawaii Five O - Wehe 'ana (Prelude):

Danny protects a coma patient showing signs of waking who was the key witness from his last HPD case before he met Steve and joined Five-0, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, April 28 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Lori Petty guest stars as Nurse Jenny Kitson, and Michael Paul Chan guest stars as Danny's former HPD Captain Tanaka.

The action begins with Danny and Steve assembling a "race car" bed for Danny's son, Charlie. Naturally, the banter hits an all time high as they engage in carguments.  Retired Captain Tanaka interrupts the male bonding with an urgent situation - a witness from Danny's last case has reappeared after seven years. Tanaka directs Danny's attention to a news broadcast with a "human interest story" of an unknown coma patient in a North Shore nursing home.  Found at the foot of  Ka'ena Point in 2010, the unidentified man is now showing signs of waking up.  Little does the medical staff realize their efforts to identify the patient only makes him vulnerable to those who want to silence him again

Hawaii Five O returns to its roots when Danny takes a stroll down memory lane, reliving the days leading up to meeting Steve for the first time. Viewers are treated to "throwback" scenes where Danny is once again wearing a tie as the haole detective from New Jersey.  He is called to a murder scene and passes out his business cards to possible witnesses.  When one witness attempts to contact him at HPD, he fails to pick up the line in time and the witness goes missing.  Captain Tanaka then reassigns Danny to the John McGarrett murder case, leading him to confront Navy Lieutenant Steve McGarrett in his father's garage.  

The action in the present follows the standard H50 pattern - predictable, over the top, and full of plot holes.  But I'll take Hawaii's landscape anytime.  Still, the return to H50's roots - and that magic moment when Jersey meets SEAL - was worth the watch.

In fact, I pulled out the H50 Season One DVD and watched the pilot again.  Sigh.  Hawaii.  Then I realized that one scene from the pilot - Steve saves Kono by driving the surveillance truck through the warehouse door - is repeated in Wehe 'ana - Steve saves Danny by driving his Chevy truck into the front door of the house where he is fighting off the bad guys.

Steve always has the last word ... 

 

For the month of April, I am giving away a box of books from authors attending RT. To enter the giveaway,

1. What were you doing seven years ago?  My family was enjoying our second year in Hawaii.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I will be offline from Monday, May 1 - Sunday, May 7.

4. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Hawaii Five O: Ua malo'o ka wai (The Water is Dried Up) - TV Review

As I have previously wrote, Hawaii Five O has been hit or miss for me. Last night's episode - Ua malo'o ka wai (The Water is Dried Up) - was a hit for the secondary characters.  The sum of their contributions bypassed the uninspiring crime of the week. From CBS.com,

McGarrett and Five-0 are captured and face certain death after tracking a dangerous nemesis to the Island of Lanai. Also, Grover takes his son to Chicago where he testifies against a dirty cop from his past.

McGarrett and company discover a nefarious group (probably the Yakuza) is smuggling from an isolated beach on the island of Lana'i - the Pineapple Isle (where the Dole Company farmed the delicious fruit). Naturally, McGarrett pilots the helicopter to take Danno, Chin Ho, Kono and himself to catch the Japanese gang that has reeked havoc on the H50 team last season. No journey with McGarrett and Danno cannot be complete without a cargument (car argument now helo argument). Their bickering like a married couple keeps fans like me coming back for more.

The H50 team are caught off guard by the Yakuza and taken by gunpoint to their camp.  The Yakuza lock them up in a jungle jail of sorts as they pack up their operation. Danno expects Steve - a Navy SEAL - to crack open the steel door.  Steve responds he was trained to blow up things, not pick a lock. Ultimately that's what Steve accomplishes ala MacGyver * and the H50 team chases the Yakuza to the beach. Just as our heroes are pinned down when their ammunition runs out, four helicopters from the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) hover over the beach and officers repel down as reinforcements. The H50 team later thanks Jerry - conspiracy theorist turned special consultant - for taking action when their communication link was disabled.  Jerry contacted the one HPD cop he could trust - Duke - to recruit those who he also trusted to serve as the air cavalry.

* H5O Producer Peter Lenkov also rebooted the new MACGYVER which airs just before H5O on Friday nights. 

In fact, McGarrett rewards Jerry with a coveted H50 badge to welcome him as an official member of their team.  It is this moment that makes viewers forget the predictable story line. We first met Jerry when his high school classmate, Chin Ho, asked him to decipher a puzzle related to a murder.  Since then, Jerry has led the H50 team on a merry chase with other conspiracy theories, landing him with a windowless office in the basement of the 'Iolani Palace where the H50 headquarter themselves.  Actor  Jorge Garcia conveys the emotions that the audience is feeling - Jerry finally belongs.

The episode failed to give us a glimpse of Lanai's unique landscape. Alas, the action remained secluded in the jungle then tumbled onto a beach that could have been anywhere in Hawaii. The episode (and series) also underutilized Duke - a character from the original series.  He is simply a fill in when H50 needs HPD assistance.  I would like to see more of actor Dennis Chun (he is the son of Kam Fung Chun who portrayed the original Chin Ho Kelly).

The icing on the episode takes place in Chicago where Grover travels with his son, Will, for a "boys' weekend" to their hometown. Grover is scheduled to testify in court for a previous case he worked as a member of the Chicago Police Department (CPD). He and his son revisit favorite cop hangouts only to find that Grover is no longer welcome after testifying against his corrupt partner.  Grover painfully learns that he can never go home.  Yet he tells his son that he made the right choice, no matter the consequences.  Sensing his father's sadness, Will has room service waiting for Grover when he returns from court with his favorite foods from the Windy City.  It is the emotional connections - Grover and Will, Jerry and Chin Ho, Steve and Danno - that make Hawaii Five O a must see for me on Friday nights.

Learn more about Hawaii Five O, including cast interviews and full episodes, at this link.

For the month of April, I am giving away a box of books from authors attending RT. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment food you love from Hawaii or Chicago - I love plate lunches from Hawaii.

I would also have joined Grover in the Chicago hotel room since his son ordered a cannoli! 

2. Comments are open through Sunday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I will be offline from Monday, May 1 - Sunday, May 7.

4. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Hawaii Five O: Ka Pa'ani Nui (Big Game) - TV Review

I've previously written that Hawaii Five O has been hit or miss. Last night's episode, KA PA'ANI NUI (Big Game) was on target for capturing Hawaiian culture, Hawaiian history, and current world events:

When working a murder case involving the illegal practice of shark finning, Five-0 uncovers the possibility that a former Nazi war criminal may be hiding out in an old leprosy colony in Hawaii, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Feb. 3 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The episode begins with the murder of a shark hunter.  As the team considers the suspects, the producer includes a gorgeous underwater shot of a shark protector swimming in the crystal blue water.  

Yes, it is that blue.

When the team find a second body in Oahu waters, they realize they have a second (separate) murder.  The victim, a young woman from New York, was last seen volunteering on Kalaupapa - the infamous leper colony on an isolated peninsula of Moloka'i.  The victim tattooed her grandfather's Auschwitz number on her own arm, a clue that leads the team to realize she was tracking a prison guard who tortured her grandfather. 

The episode includes three secondary (and ongoing) story lines:

- Lou trying to outcook Chin Ho
- Kamekona's staff going on strike

- Eric's emotional growth after meeting a Kalaupapa patient scarred by the disease.

These are fluff pieces but add an extra dimension to the ohana (family) spirit of the TV series.

The dialogue referenced the difficulty of the general public to visit Kalaupapa - a visitor must be invited by a resident.  This is somewhat misleading as the general public can visit the Kalaupapa National Historical Park.  From its website (link),

When Hansen's disease (leprosy) was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, King Kamehameha V banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula on the north shore of Molokai.

Since 1866, more than 8000 people, mostly Hawaiians, have died at Kalaupapa. Once a prison, Kalaupapa is now refuge for the few remaining residents who are now cured, but were forced to live their lives in isolation.

Visitors must register with Damien Tours, which offers a 2 hour drive through the colony, trying to afford the remaining patients their privacy.  Visitors can arrive to the peninsula by:

- hiking down the cliffs
- riding a mule down the cliffs

- arriving by small aircraft from other islands.

When we lived in Pearl Harbor, I treated my mother in law to a tour of Kalaupapa - check out our pictures on my travel blog at this link. 

Hawaii Five O glossed over another aspect of Kalaupapa. From Pacific Historic Parks (link),

There are only two saints in the world that are from the same location, and Kalaupapa is the backdrop of the heroic stories of Hawaii’s two Catholic saints. 

Here you will learn how Father Damien De Veuster and Mother Marianne Cope sacrificed themselves and gave up everything when they both made their one-way trips to Kalaupapa. These selfless individuals provided comfort and medical assistance to thousands of Hawaii's people who suffered from this horrible disease.

The episode was packed with references to current events - the first crime spotlighted the need to protect our natural resources, even sharks.  The second crime comes one week after we recognized Holocaust Remembrance Day (link). When the murderer escaped Kalaupapa, Steve commented:

He won't stay missing for long. There’s a camera on every street corner...Social media. 24-hour news. There is no hiding anymore.

For me, the most compelling aspect of this episode is the reminder that all civilizations across time have "refugees" who become outcasts. While we honor Father Damien and Mother Marianne for their selfless service, I believe we can follow their example to make our communities stronger.

Watch KA PA'ANI NUI at this link.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about:
- your favorite park, or

- your favorite Catholic Saint or historical figure known for his/her selfless service, or

- would you have hiked down the cliffs, rode the mules, or arrived by airplane into Kalaupapa.

My favorite park is the Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai.

I admire William Wallace who fought for Scottish Freedom (I also admire Father Damien and Mother Marianne - they were canonized in Rome when I lived in Hawaii).

We arrived by air - not sure I would have the stamina to hike or mule down the steep path.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, February 12, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, February 13.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Pearl Harbor

Punchbowl National Cemetery

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Oahu.

I am teary eyed as I write this post.  I lived on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam from 2009 - 2013. I have visited the various sites around the base (and island) which were attacked.  I have met veterans who returned.  I have sat near the USS Arizona and USS Utah, listening to the water lap on top of the sunken ships.  

Romance author Pamela Clare shares the story of Uncle Joe aboard the USS Utah at this link.

Defense Media Activity remembers the nurses who were there at this link.

Learn more about the 75th anniversary activities from the National Park Service at this link.

Looking at the USS Arizona from the USS Missouri

To this day, I can still hear actress Stockard Channing narrating the film at the Visitor's Center, asking, "How do we remember them?"

Here are my suggestions:

1.  Thank a veteran.  

2.  Appreciate the freedom they defended.

3.  Buy a poppy fron veterans' groups selling them outside grocery stores. 

4.  Watch the Hawaii Five O's episode, Ho'onani Makuakane - Honor Thy Father, from Season 4.  The episode travels back in time to that day of infamy.  Here's a preview from the producer, Peter Lenkov, at this link.

5.  Write to deployed personnel - contact me at sos.aloha@yahoo.com for addresses.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Vintage photo of Boy Scouts at Punchbowl

Aloha to Hawaii Five O - He Moho Hou (New Player)

Third Time's A Charm ...

... the third episode of this season's Hawaii Five O finally delivered the mana (power) of this series.  In fact, the episode featured three story lines - the ongoing hunt for the "chess" killer, the crime of the week, and a heartwarming reunion between Kono and her surfing mentor.

Kono dominated this episode. During the crime of the week, she popped up in an unexpected way to save the day. But it is her chance encounter with Rosey Valera - a fellow surfer who often bested Kono on the teen circuit - that added warmth to show. Viewers were treated to a flashback of Rosey on the winner's stand and Kono looking up to her, in second place, with envy. That koa bowl given to surfing champions no longer seems important as Kono discovers Rosey is a disabled veteran living in a tent city.  The producers boldly address a growing problem with returning veterans - their physical and emotional wounds. Rosey asks Kono to respect that she has to "do this" on her own ... but Kono extracts a promise from Rosey.  In the closing scene, we see that promise - Rosey goes surfing with Kono on a modified board.  As they surf together in the present, the producers inserted a flashback with them surfing together as teens to the song, TOUCH THE SKY from the Christian group Hillsong United (link).  I was crying during the closing credits.

Kudos to Grace Park for hitting a home run in this episode.

I assumed the producers used CGI to project Rosey without legs. Oh, was I wrong.  Rosey was portrayed by Kanya Sesser. From Abilities.com (link),

Sesser was born in Pak Chong, Thailand and abandoned at the tender age of one week on the steps of a Buddhist temple. The monks cared for her until she was two-years-old when she went from foster home to foster home.

All that changed when she was six and adopted by an Oregonian couple who brought her to America.

Since then, her life has been a celebration of ability. She skateboards. She surfs. She breakdances. She skis. She races. She models sportswear and lingerie. She acts. She has played every adaptive sport and is gunning to qualify for the Mono-ski competition at the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

But, whatever you do, don’t tell her that she has a disability.

“When I look at life, there’s no disability,” said Sesser. “I don’t see that as being a disability because even though I have no legs, there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m blessed for what I have so that’s all that matters.”

Bonus trivia - when Kono looks for Rosey in the tent camp, she passes by "Aunty" cooking Spam on the grill.  The aunty is Helen Kuoha-Torco, the Tahitian dancer who swayed her hips in the opening credits of the original series.  

Watch the episode from CBS.com at this link.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Aunty on the grill - what do you like to cook over the coals?

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Sunday, October 23, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Monday, October 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Surfing lessons on the North Shore

Hawaii Five O: Kanaka Hahai (The Hunter) - TV Review

Hawaii Five O has been hit or miss for me throughout Season Six (2015/2016).  Friday night's episode, Kanaka Hahai (The Hunter), brought back the magic.  In fact, the episode featured three story lines for the ensemble cast.

Kanaka Hahai opens with Danno taking his children, Grace and Charlie, to the North Shore for Huli Huli chicken from a road side stand.  Grace grumbles that Danno made her leave her cell phone in his car. He asks her to embrace the opportunity to spend time with family.  Grace responds that she can't without taking a selfie and posting to Instagram. As they leave the park, Danno realizes his beloved car has been stolen (the running joke is Steve always drives his car). He leads his children to the bus stop for a ride back to Waikiki. When Da Bus (link) pulls up, the driver is Mamo Kahike, a recurring character who knew Steve and Mary as children. Mamo is portrayed by Al Harrington, a Samoan actor who starred as Ben on the original Hawaii Five O series (Ben replaced Kono on the team).

As they ride along, Danno spots his car pulling out of a gas station. He orders the passengers to the back of the bus and directs Mamo to trail the car, but not so close. Mamo follows the car into the pineapple fields to Danno's chagrin. Danno orders the passengers off the bus, gets behind the wheel, and chases down the thieves.  Hawaii Five O returns to its trademark thrills, humor, and cultural references which won fans in the first season.

Meanwhile, two Asians was ashore in Makaha, leading Steve to investigate a "ghost" ship.  In reality, The Ghost Fleet is a documentary of the human trafficking in the fishing industry.  I commend the producers of Hawaii Five O for addressing a real problem in Southeast Asia.

Finally, Abby confesses to the H50 team that the FBI recruited her investigate them for corruption.  She quits the sting and Steve invites her to join H50.  Chin Ho is pleased that she will be staying on the island.  I am happy to see Chin Ho smile after the grief he has experienced at the hands of the writers.

The episode closes with Kamekona Tupuola - former convict turned confidential informant - serving his shrimp plate to the gang from his food truck in Waikiki.  He reminds Danno that Huli Huli chicken only leads to trouble and nothing beats his garlic shrimp.  As the screen fades to Diamond Head,  I am reminded that the biggest star of Hawaii Five O is the gorgeous backdrop.

CBS announced last week that it renewed Hawaii Five O for its seventh season in 2016/2017.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about chicken versus shrimp - what would you choose?

2. Comments are open through Saturday, April 9, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Hawaii Five O at cbs.com.

Aloha to Hawaii Five O Season 6 Premiere - Mai ho`oni i ka wai lana mâlie (Do Not Disturb the Water that is Tranquil)

Hawaii Five-0 is back for its sixth season on Friday nights. From CBS.com, 

The sixth season of Hawaii Five-O premieres with “Do Not Disturb the Water that is Tranquil,” as a murder leads the Five-0 team to investigate a centuries old pirate story involving buried treasure and a killer who is using the back of a stolen painting as a map.

The episode opens with pirates invading Honolulu in the 1880s, interrupting a state dinner hosted by King Kalakaua.  Coming back to the present, Hawaii Five O jumps into Kono's wedding reception with her "cousin" Tia Carrere singing a Hawaiian ballad.   

Born and raised in Honolulu, Tia Carrere is a Grammy award-winning musical artist of Hawaiian music.

cbs.com

While the H50 family and friends are enjoying the wedding, an archaeologist turned treasure hunter is murdered on the other side of the island.  The H50 team is activated the next morning to investigate ... and Steve asks Jerry (aka Mr. Conspiracy Theory) to fill in for honeymooning Kono.   They soon learn the archaeologist was searching for the pirate's booty from 'Iolani Palace.  

The episode follows the typical pattern of most police procedural series with high tech gadgets, facial recognition, car chases, and fight scenes.  Three things set Hawaii Five-O apart:

1.  The bromance.  Steve and Danno are back in action, squabbling as they drive across the island to each crime scene. Yet Danno breaks into a huge smile when Steve announces his plans to ask Catherine to marry him.  Even the cynic in Danno can't help but be happy for his SEAL pal.

2.  The cast.  They play off each other.  When the team discovers the murderer is a descendant of one of the pirates, 

Jerry:  "The coconut doesn't fall too far from the tree."

Steve: "It's the apple that doesn't fall too far."

(Chin Ho enters the room and they tell him about the connection)

Chin Ho:  "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."

3.  Hawaii.   H50 incorporates its culture and beauty into every episode.

Mahalo, Hawaii Five-O, for taking me back to paradise.  

cbs.com

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about coconuts (or apples) - do you like coconut (or apple) pie?  Or some other delicacy?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 3, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 4.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Hawaii Five O: Mo'o 'olelo Pu - TV Review

Mo'o 'olelo Pu - Sharing Traditions:

When Kono goes on a solo outrigger trip around the Hawaiian islands in honor of her mother, she hits a patch of wild weather and must fight to stay alive. As Five-0 searches for Kono, they investigate a man busted for cooking meth who claims he received a threat on his son’s life if he didn’t continue making the drug.

Mo'o 'olelo Pu opens on Bellows Beach - a stretch of ocean front land own by the federal government.  I posted pictures on my travel blog here and here.  Bellows Beach was a favorite hideaway when I lived in Hawaii ... so this episode is off to a great start.  

Each segment of this episode opens with an appropriate quote, including surfing icon and swimming champion, Duke Kahanamoku, "Out of the water, I am nothing."

The H50 gang comes out to wish bon voyage to Kono on Bellows Beach.  Kono's father also brings her mother, stricken by an aneurysm, to bid Kono farewell.  We learn that Kono is making this voyage in honor of her mother, who made the voyage herself from Oahu to Molokai (it is 26 miles between the two closest points of each island).     

Shortly after Kono's departure, she encounters bad weather which capsizes her wa'a - an outrigger canoe.  She is able to rescue her satellite phone, a bag of sand, and her paddleboard (she places her phone in the bag for the sand to dry it out). Over the next few hours, Kono struggles to stay aboard her paddleboard.  She has flashbacks to her mother teaching her to surf,  "You’re going to get knocked off your board many times…the only thing that matters is you get back up."  

Once the weather passes, Kono reads the stars, including Na hiku (the Big Dipper), Hokupa'a (the North Star), and 'Iwa Keli'i (Cassiopeia).  In the morning, she hallucinates her mother is also in the water, leading her leading her back to land.   Kono realizes she is imagining her mother and breaks down in anger.  

She is forced to spend one more night on the water but notices her satellite phone is finally dry.  She is able to reach Chin Ho before more bad weather disconnects the call.  Steve asks the Coast Guard to launch a search. When the commander delays an aerial search due to the weather, Steve replies, "I will go."   Ultimately, the weather passes, the helicopters launch, but the H50 team is unable to locate Kono.  Instead, Kono paddles her way to shore by the morning.  The episode ends with the H50 team receiving a call that Kono is safe.

Hawaii Five O (link) tweeted trivia during the broadcast:

Kawika's prayer "hele e ka wa'a" translates to "in strength to the canoe on its journey across the ocean." #H50

Kawika is performing the pi kai blessing, a purification ceremony for newly-made wa'a involving ti leaf and salt water. #H50

The momoa,the hull of the wa’a, is a nonfunctional feature of the canoe believed 2 serve as a seat for a paddler’s ancestral spirit. #H50

Paddlers on the Hokule'a, a 60ft double-hulled wa'a, replicated the voyage made by ancient Polynesians b/n Tahiti & Hawaii in 1975. #H50

The shark god Kamohoali'i in Hawaiian mythology guided lost canoes back to land #H50

Ian Neville-Niel, who plays the chopper pilot, is a real coast guard helicopter pilot #H50 

This episode was all about Kono.   The director showcased her dedication to Hawaiian traditions and her inner strength when she needed it.   Mo'o 'olelo Pu is now my third favorite episode, just behind the Pilot (link) and Ho'onani Makuakane - Honor Thy Father (tribute to December 7, 1941, link).   

Watch Mo'o 'olelo Pu  on cbs.com (link) or on demand.   

May is National Military Appreciation Month.  For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you have sea legs?  I do not.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

This episode reminded me of Eddi Aikau, a legendary surfer and lifeguard at Waimea Beach Park.  I posted pictures on my travel blog at this link with a special tribute to Eddie.   Because Eddie would go.