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I love how they are smart and tricky, yet so ruthless and charismatic I want to like them — but I know I will lose my “Team Five-0” card if I ever gave into their evil charm.

More often than not, they seem to have a special vulnerability I can relate to, and even get me semi-cheering for them to at least survive McGarrett and his team. Don’t get me wrong, I never want them to actually succeed. I would never go against McG, but I would like a few of them to live and cause havoc one more day in “Five-0″ land.

So like last summer’s open letter to the “Five-0″ villains from season two, here’s five of my beloved season three villains, and why many of us have loved them more than we really should.

The Hookman

I can’t seem to say enough about the rebooted version of the 1973 classic “Hawaii Five-O” episode of the same name.

The Hookman, played by Peter Weller. (Photo courtesy CBS)

Not only was the villain, one Curt Stoner, someone we inherently felt sorry for, but he was also extremely clever in plotting his revenge against the HPD officers he blamed for the loss of his arms. Unfortunately for Stoner, he sought to avenge his limbless life by also targeting McGarrett — the son of the officer he blamed the most for causing his injury.

Stoner was played by the impressive Peter Weller, who also directed the episode, and the real-life double upper amputee, Jason Koger, who “stood in” for The Hookman’s bionic hands.

I think one of the reasons why I loved the Hookman was because I could understand his anger and his want for payback. I’d say losing your arms is pretty brutal, and then to spend years in jail paying for a crime that also caused that loss is adding insult to injury.

Hookman did lose a lot of my love when he shot Sgt. Duke Lukela, who was a rookie when Hookman was thwarted by Jack McGarrett and officers Keoki and Ookala. When he engraved “McGarrett” into a bullet, I knew all bets were off, as there would be no way Hookman would survive if he went after Five-0.

When Kono shot him in the end, I felt a mixture of “glad he was stopped” and “aww, poor Hookman,” mostly because the guy never had a chance once he looked through his scope and aimed at McGarrett.

The Evil Woman

I don’t think I’ve loved hating a woman like Dr. Olivia Victor, the “Evil Woman” in “Wahine ‘Ino Loa,” since Alexis Carrington graced my television in “Dynasty.”

For those of you who may not recall the kind of character Alexis was on the popular 80’s soap opera, just think of Bellatrix Lestrange from “Harry Potter” and add a cool hat and beautifully capped teeth. All three women — Olivia, Alexis, as well as Bellatrix — were evil, conniving, and clever, but always undone by good.

Olivia, played by with smirky excellence by Vanessa Marcil, was lovely to hate because she used all of her feminine wiles to twist McG into knots, and I had to give the girl some props for being a tricky wahine. She was still too skinny to completely fall in love with, but I bet she won’t be able to keep that girlish figure at Chez Halawa Correctional Facility.

The Bad Cop

How can we forget ex-HPD Detective Kaleo? We met him so briefly in season one’s “Manaʻo”, and luckily for us we’ve seen him twice more since his visiting hours were reinstated in season two’s “Kālele.”

Unfortunately for Kaleo, played with nice passionate anger by Jason Scott Lee, our third visit in “ʻŌlelo Hoʻopaʻi Make” took place during a prison riot unwittingly set off by Chin Ho and Sang Min to orchestrate their escape.

Bad cop Kaleo (Jason Scott Lee) meets his match in Chin Ho Kelly. (Photo courtesy CBS)

Poor Kaleo — not only does he have to hang out with the commoners in general population, afraid a criminal he put behind bars would kill him, but in the end it was his own need for revenge against his own brother in blue that actually brings him down. Chin Ho fights to the death against Kaleo minutes before McG and the Five-0 team swoop in for the rescue.

It seems in the dynamic of good cop/bad cop, Kaleo drew the short stick.

The Combatant

If any villain brought out the I love him/I hate him feelings in me, it was Vince Shin’s North Korean combatant in “‘Ōlelo Paʻa.”

Maybe because I met Shin in person, or perhaps because I really enjoyed the episode, but his character was the bad guy that I felt a bit sorry for when he was used as a human booby-trap. While he did kill McG’s SEAL brother Freddie, who he killed and buried years before, death by grenade still seemed like a tough way to die.

Vince Shin’s North Korean combatant character takes a shot at McGarrett. (Photo courtesy CBS)

Shin’s portrayal was a conflict in emotion because his character probably would have faced the same fate as Freddie if the situation had been reversed. I’m not a terrorist, nor do I hang out with arms dealers or underground rebel groups, but I would guess that their life spans are fairly short.

Luckily for me I got to experience how a combatant lives and dies without having to wander too far from my living room.

The Black Sheep

Now the villain I wanted to love and wanted him to love me back the most this season was Adam’s brother, Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney), who first appeared in “Huakaʻi Kula,” freshly released from prison.

Black sheep Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney) takes his anger out on big brother Adam (Ian Anthony Dale. (Photo courtesy CBS)

When he hugged Kono hello, I thought, “Well, maybe they will be one big happy family?” I should have known that anyone who looks as sweet in the face, yet have eyes that are hard as his own pecs, probably has other things on his mind besides living on the right side of the law, and the right side of his brother’s cop girlfriend.

Alas, when Adam kills him in the season ender, I was glad to see the black sheep of the Noshimuri clan finished. He would have taken down not only his trying-to-do-good brother, but also Kono, which would have torn the Five-0 team apart.

Ironically, the team is separated right now because of Michael’s actions, but I’m crossing my fingers that will be resolved rather quickly to get Kono back with McG and the team.

The Momma

Alas, we come to a character that shouldn’t be considered a villain, but I can’t help but think that Doris McGarrett really is a good antagonist for McGarrett.

Momma McG tries yet again to convince her son that she is no villainess. (Photo courtesy CBS)

An antagonist is not always bad, but if you pull them out of the story, the story falls apart — and the writer’s have set Momma McG as someone who connects McG in many ways to several storylines. The Wo Fat storyline, and the Adam and Kono storyline, as well as the Champ Box/Shelburne/Jack McGarrett story that seems to still be lingering on into season four.

I know many of us love Christine Lahti, but her Doris character has often rubbed us the wrong way; sometimes good and sometimes bad. Still, I see her as someone I really love, but who completely frustrates me as a viewer. I want answers!

And like a typical Momma, Doris is making me wait patiently like the good little girl I should be. I only hope next season we see her more as a team player than someone who creates more conflict than she resolves.

OVERALL, this season’s mix of villains was a pretty good one. There are several I haven’t mentioned but could have, as I’m sure you all will comment here if you want to add to the list.

I’m just happy that there were several that I enjoyed watching be caught by McGarrett and his team. I’m hoping I’ll have more to add to the list for love notes next season.

Redux Side Note:

This week’s repeat was “Ke Koa,” featuring kapu ku‘i a lua — the ancient Hawaiian martial art more commonly known as lua. Friday’s repeat is “Pā’ani” filmed by Jeffrey Hunt and incorporates the Pro Bowl and NFL running back Arian Foster. There is a special cameo by former “Magnum P.I.” star Larry Manetti.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Outtakes Online: ‘Five-0′ premiere set

BY MIKE GORDON / mgordon@staradvertiser.com

Okay “Hawaii Five-0” fanatics, set your DVRs. The season four premiere of the Hawaii-based cop drama will air on Sept. 27, CBS said Monday, June 17.

The date represents a new day and time for the show, which will air in Hawaii at 8 p.m. Fridays. The show previously aired at 9 p.m. Mondays.

CBS publicists would not comment Monday, though, on whether the network would host a fourth “Sunset on the Beach” in Waikiki to unveil the new season for fans on Oahu. Each of the previous three seasons premiered with a red-carpet celebration and outdoor screening for thousands of fans.

The show has been on hiatus since mid-April. Production will resume July 10 at the show’s new headquarters — the state film studio at Diamond Head.
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Mike Gordon covers film and television in Hawaii for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Email him at mgordon@staradvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his weekly “Outtakes” column Sundays in the Star-Advertiser.

Five-0 Redux: Shin shows his experience

Vince Shin as a North Korean in a tense scene with “Hawaii Five-0″ star Alex O’Loughlin. (Courtesy CBS)

BY WENDIE BURBRIDGE / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Of all the villains we’ve seen in “Hawaii Five-0,” Hawaiʻi-based actor Vince Shin played the type of antagonist viewers felt more empathy for than the normal bad guy as the “North Korean Combatant” in the most moving episode of season three, “ʻŌlelo Paʻa” (“The Promise”).

Shin spoke mostly Korean in the episode and had several action scenes in which he “helped” McGarrett and Catherine Rollins find the real remains of McG’s SEAL brother, Freddie Hart (Alan Ritchson). While Shin played the one of several bad guys in the episode, he definitely made an impression with fans as someone we were supposed to hate, but probably didn’t deserve to be blown up by a McG grenade.

Vince Shin, center, on the “Five-0″ set with fellow actors Guangpyo Hong, left, and Sejin Yoo. (Courtesy Guangpyo Hong)

Obviously, his ability to play a realistic North Korean combatant had more to do with his acting ability than just his Korean heritage. As a professional actor who got his start in Korean television, Shin was the perfect person for this seemingly anonymous role.

Shin was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, but came to Hawaiʻi in 1982 for his sophomore year of high school. He graduated from Roosevelt High School, then went on to study accounting at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

After UH, he returned to South Korea to act. He made his television debut in Korean soap operas — well known in the United States today as K-Dramas. He starred in television shows in Korea for 10 years and also wrote film and play scripts. He most recently played Mr. Oh in a short film by Brent Anbe, “Ajumma! Are you Krazy???” Anbe wrote and directed the film, which is about local ladies who love K-Dramas.

According to Shin, in Korea the soap operas he starred in weren’t “as big of a deal as they are now.” He acted alongside Lee Byung-hun, who played Storm Shadow in “GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra.” He then moved from acting in television dramas to Korean stage and writing.

Once he returned to Hawaiʻi, Shin got married, had two children and decided to focus on his photography talents. His company, Love Story Weddings Photography, keeps him busy and grounded.

“My work on stage and directing really helps me to see a love story and photograph it well,” he said.

Shin on the “Five-0″ set. (Courtesy Brent Anbe)

Shin had great stories about his time on the “Hawaii Five-0” set. He shot for three days in Mililani and Waialua for the “North Korea” scenes. He did most of his stunts, except for the scenes when he rolled out of the car and when Alex O’Loughlin jumped on him to catch him — those were performed by a stunt double. He worked with Jeff Cadiente on using weapons and shooting, as well as how to properly roll out of the car.

Shin said he auditioned once and he was quickly cast. He was supposed to speak more Korean in the original script and O’Loughlin was supposed to in turn speak Korean to Shin’s character, but Shin said he and O’Loughlin talked about speaking Korean and Shin suggested that “an actor need to be an expert in the language” or basically he can make a fool out of himself. O’Loughlin agreed, and they worked out simple words and phrases for McGarrett to speak.

“So when Alex says “pah” in Korean, that means “dig,” which is what my character was supposed to do, and that was enough,” Shin said.

Shin and O’Loughlin mix it up in the brush. (Courtesy CBS)

He also talked about working with O’Loughlin and Michelle Borth, which “was really great,” even though they didn’t know Shin was a trained television actor.

“Michelle is really down-to-earth, she really helped me a lot,” said Shin. “Alex was concerned when he had to hold a knife to my throat, and I told him, you have to make it look realistic — do it for real — put it to my neck.”

The next morning, he found a red mark on his neck.

“Alex said, “I’m so sorry, Vince!” and I told him, no, no, that’s good, that how good we did in the scene,” Shin said.

In addition to the stories about the show’s stars, Shin was very grateful about the kind of treatment he got on set.

“I’m a very unknown actor (in Hawaiʻi), but they still treated me so well,” he said. “During one of the breaks, it started to drizzle and I felt an umbrella over me!

“I told them, ‘I can hold my own umbrella, thanks.’ After every cut, they’d ask me if I wanted some water — room temperature or ice cold? It was a huge treat.”

Shin with some of his fans from Australia. (Star-Advertiser File)

He said all of his friends in Hawai’i know about his earlier career about acting in Korea, but they had never really seen him act before “Hawaii Five-0.” They were really thrilled about the size of his part and how long he was on screen. And while they didn’t like his demise, they were still impressed by the size and breadth of his role.

Shin was a pleasure to talk to, not only because he obviously knows television acting and directing, but he was so gracious and wonderful to fans when they met him at the “H50 Ohana Fan Wrap Party” in April. He took the time to talk to everyone, pose for pictures, and even had a few minutes to answer my questions.

Many of us really enjoyed “ʻŌlelo Paʻa,” so while Shin thought it was a treat to be catered to on-set, we thought it was definitely a treat to meet him.

Redux Side Note:

On Monday, June 10, fans got together to kick off the “H50hana Summer Tweetup Series” at Big City Diner Pearlridge. Fans watched “Kapu”, which aired during the soon-to-end Monday night timeslot.

There will be a special repeat of “Hawaii Five-0” this Friday, June 14, with “Hana I Wā ‘Ia.” Monday episodes are scheduled during the 9:00 p.m. slot until June 17. “Five-0” will make it’s official move to Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. in Hawaii when “Under the Dome” takes over the Monday night timeslot on June 24.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Five-0 Redux: Training with Egan Inoue

Egan Inoue with “Hawaii FIve-0″ star Alex OʻLoughlin.” (Courtesy Egan Inoue)

BY WENDIE BURBRIDGE / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Like many Hawaiʻi actors who have played villains on “Hawaii Five-0,” Egan Inoue is a juxtaposition in terms.

Inoue has all the physical attributes needed to play Wo Fat’s bodyguard, as he did in the season two opener, “Haʻiʻole.” And with a resume rich with martial arts experience and training, he looks and acts like a hired mercenary.

Yet no matter what you have read or heard about Inoue, he is a family man, dedicated trainer and MMA practitioner, as well as someone devoted to staying mentally and physically strong though martial arts.

After spending time at Egan’s Training Center in Mānoa and talking to Inoue about his life and his fighting career, I found most may know about him because he trains Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Yet there is so much more to Inoue than just being a trainer to the stars of “Hawaii Five-0.”

Inoue is a self-proclaimed “Mānoa boy,” growing up in the same valley where his training center sits today. He attended Roosevelt High School, then moved to the University of Hawaiʻi Lab School to play baseball. He attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa until he decided to chase his dreams. He became a professional racquetball player, traveling more than a million miles to play and compete in a sport where he was International Racquetball Federation World Champion in 1986 and 1990.

Egan Inoue with Grace Park in a scene from “Haʻiʻole. (Courtesy CBS)

After his 10-year career in racquetball, he went on to pursue another love, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 1996 and 1997 he became the World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion and now holds a third degree black belt in the sport. He also holds black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Shotokan Karate, Jeet Kun Do and Japanese Jiu Jitsu, as well as a brown belt in Judo.

Inoue said when practicing jiu-jitsu, it is “all within yourself.”

“In other sports, you’re always comparing yourself to others around you, but if you can stay within your game and keep a clear mind, that is the most important thing in any competition. You always want to stay centered and balanced,” he said.

Inoue himself is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter with five world championship titles. He said his style is mostly based on boxing training he received at Kalakaua Gym (some of his training was with my great-uncle Peter Jhun), Muy Thai kickboxing, and Greco Roman/Freestyle wrestling that he learned from UFC fighter Randy Couture, not to mention years of martial arts training and discipline.

While he no longer trains MMA fighters, he will train those who come through his jiu-jitsu ranks. Inoue currently runs Egan’s Fit Body Bootcamp and Grappling Unlimited out of his Mānoa Training Center and holds classes at gyms in Kailua, Waipio and at the Downtown YMCA. He not only takes pride in his training center and the people he trains, but also has a strong sense of family and self. Inoue has five children, ranging from one year to 16 years old, and his wife Marcia is also very active in the running of his training center.

Everything in life is “a journey,” said Inoue.

“Whether you are learning jiu-jitsu or taking a bootcamp class or MMA, it’s all about the journey. Where you came from and where you are going,” he said.

Egan Inoue training “Hawaii FIve-0″ star Alex OʻLoughlin. (Courtesy Egan Inoue)

When I asked Inoue about his time on “Hawaii Five-0,” he said he had been up for a different role, but after being asked to read a few lines he was given the bigger role of Wo Fat’s bodyguard. While his character didn’t have a name, he was seen in several key scenes with stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park. In his opening scene with Kim and Mark Dacascos, who plays Wo Fat, he was surprised Kim asked for advice on how he would handle a “surprise attack.” Inoue used his instinctive martial arts training to figure out a quick move that he could teach Kim to use in the scene, which was used in the final cut.

Inoue said working with Grace Park in two scenes was also very memorable as she would joke with him, often fixing his tie and his coat in between shots so he could maintain his slick henchman look. Park even stayed in the scene with him so he could deliver his line, “You won’t shoot, you’re a cop.”

Park could have let her stand-in finish the scene, but she said, “No, I want to stay here for Egan, I’m going to help him,” as the scene probably would have played differently for Inoue without her there to help him maintain his character. Inoue also said he played the ninja who broke into McGarrett’s house and stole the box in “Ke Kinohi” in season one.

“I joked with some fans that I know what’s in the Champ Box,” he said. Alas, Inoue was not allowed to share any more information.

Egan Inoue with the author. (Courtesy Wendie Burbridge)

For Inoue, training O’Loughlin and Caan is like working with anyone else.

“I don’t treat them any differently,” he said. “They are human and the jiu-jitsu skill is the same.”

He did say that when they have especially hard weeks they usually want to take time to train more and often call Inoue to carve out time so they can train with him. He said O’Loughlin really enjoys training and Inoue will even text him jiu-jitsu ideas to remember and focus on when shooting is especially hectic.

Today, June 4, is Inoue’s birthday, and in honor of his special day he’ll be sending out a birthday workout as a gift to everyone. He said he’s “thankful and grateful” for all the things fans and followers have done for him, so look for his birthday workout on his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter.

Redux Side Note:

CBS is starting to get viewers prepared for the upcoming “Hawaii Five-0” move to Friday nights. This week’s episode was “Hāʻawe Make Loa,” with guest appearances by Rumer Willis, C. Thomas Howell, several Victoria Secret models, and Hawaiʻi actress Z Zoccolante. Fridayʻs episode is “Kahu,” with special guests George Takei and Lew Temple of “The Walking Dead.”
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Redux Side Note:

Last week I asked for suggestions for future “Five-0 Redux” blog posts, and I got some great recommendations.

Rick B. from Baltimore suggested more “behind the scenes” information — like how long a one-hour episode takes to film and what kind of hours the cast works on set. Jason (@sokenbicha) asked for more about Hawaiʻi actors and locations. Gwynne asked for an article about Mānoa, a beautiful residential area of Honolulu.

I shall endeavor to ask those kinds of questions for Rick, Jason, and Gwynne — and for all of you interested in that kind of information. Thanks for responding, and if you have anything you’d like to add, just email me at Five0Redux@gmail.com.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

‘Five-0′ finale draws 9 million

BY MIKE GORDON / mgordon@staradvertiser.com

CBS ended its third season of “Hawaii Five-0″ Monday night with a cliffhanger for its lead character Steve McGarrett and its largest audience since February, according to Nielsen ratings released by the network.

The show drew 9 million viewers to win the hour over ABC’s new crime series “Motive,” which drew 6.55 million viewers and NBC’s “Revolution,” which drew 5.64 million viewers.

“Five-0″ hasn’t topped the 9-million-viewer mark since Feb. 18 for an episode that featured former “Magnum, P.I.” star Larry Manetti. That episode drew 9.11 million viewers.

Among adults 18-49, a coveted audience, “Five-0″ drew 2 percent of the total viewing audience Monday and 6 percent of those watching TV at the time, CBS said. Those were the second-highest demographics since the March 25 episode.

“Five-0″ is now done with Monday nights. CBS announced last week that it will be moving the show to Friday nights and also to a time slot that’s one hour earlier. In Hawaii it will air at 8 p.m. between “Undercover Boss” and the cop drama “Blue Bloods,” which stars former “Magnum, P.I.” star Tom Selleck.

Loyal fans will no doubt remember previous “Five-0″ season finales: The first season saw McGarrett — who is played by Alex O’Loughlin — carted off to prison on murder charges, and last year he discovered in the closing seconds that his long-dead mother, Doris … was alive.

On Monday he was paired with arch nemesis Wo Fat — played with polished evil by Hawaii native Mark Dacascos — as an unknown number of machine gun-wielding bad guys with a torch were forcing their way into Wo Fat’s fortified cell.

Five-0 Redux: Until we meet again

Kono (Grace Park) bids farewell to her Five-0 team in the season three finale of “Hawaii Five-0.” (Courtesy CBS)

BY WENDIE BURBRIDGE / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Well, ladies and gents, we made it to the end of season three. And like the third year of life, college, or a smokin’ hot love affair, it had it’s share of bumps and bruises — but it sure kept up with all the action. While we nurse our scrapes and wipe our tears, the action and nail-biting drama will sure keep us coming back during season four.

Most of us will probably come back just to have our questions answered. Because wouldn’t you know it — most of them were left dangling off the proverbial television cliff with just enough rope left to keep us hanging on.

So not fair.

But of course, the creative team behind “Hawaii Five-0,” this week headed by director Bryan Spicer, and scripted by Peter M. Lenkov, Ken Solarz, and David Wolkove, delivered a good punch tonight—ending with a tearful good-bye, as well as knock-out on the cliffhanger front.

I did love this week’s title, “Aloha. Mālama Pono,” used to not only describe several dramatic good-byes, but uttered by Kono in the last few minutes of the episode. While her goodbye had more of a sad and bittersweet tone, it was not the type of farewell I was expecting according to the promos.

The “four become three” tag line made me think someone was going to die. And why wouldn’t I think that? In the season one finale they killed Laura Hills (Kelly Hu) and Governor Jameson (Jean Smart), in the season two ender they killed Malia (Reiko Aylesworth), and tried to kill Kono. So naturally, I thought more blood would be shed — and it was, just this time it was of a bad guy and it still didn’t solve anyone’s problems.

Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney) goes out with a bang — literally — in the season three finale of “Hawaii Five-0.” (Courtesy CBS)

Yet even though “Five-0″ definitely ratcheted up the drama with the stabbing of forensic “Geek God” Charlie Fong (recurring cast member Brian Yang) by Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney), and then ended Michael’s Yakuza career with a Cain and Abel fight for the gun with his brother, Adam (Ian Anthony Dale). Coupled with the side story of Wo Fat imprisoned in Hannibal Lecter’s cell, and McG and Momma playing the “let’s confront each other but not really tell each other anything” game, I was involved in the episode, loving the tension, but still feeling frustrated with the lack of payoff.

There’s a good writing technique that writers often use, and that is where they pose questions for the audience to think about and want the answers for, and then they have the characters reveal the answers as the story moves along. The writer then makes sure the audience gets an answer — a reward, you could say — so that the audience stays with the story and the characters. Writers will always add a new question when at the same time they answer a question to keep the audience on their toes—and always intrigued by the character.

For me, this season had too many questions and not enough answers—to the point that the rewards were sometimes too small and not enough for me to feel satisfied. Sort of like eating a piece of chocolate cake that looks delicious, but was made with ersatz cocoa and Splenda. Just not the same.

I want to be filled up with answers, but eager to find out the answers to the next question, the next case, the next storyline. While I enjoyed McGarrett putting Doris on the spot and getting into her face (finally!), I was so let down with the “To Be Continued.” I know I am not the only one.

Yes, I know some of you will write to me and say — but now you will come back and watch so you can find out what she means! Yes, yes, I will, but throw me a bone here — is Doris Wo Fat’s Momma too? Is she Momma Fat McG? Please just answer that question — who is Wo Fat to Doris? I know a million more questions will arise just from answering that one question. And then we get a reward, and we’ll be so much more inclined to watch another season answering the questions that follow. Oh, and they will follow, I know they will. This if “Hawaii Five-0.” There are always more questions and more problems to solve. No disappointment there.

Mark Dacascos as Wo Fat. (Courtesy CBS)

As Wo Fat, Mark Dacascos was completely scary half-burned and twitching in pain. I am eager to find out how his “enemy of my enemy is now my brother” McGarrett can save him. And does this mean that now McG and Wo Fat are allies? This storyline I’ll stay tuned for. It is worth the wait to find out who’s coming through the door, guns and torches blazing.

And of course, I’m dying to know what will happen to Kono and Adam. Will their love survive? Will Momma McG take care of them as well as she takes care of herself?

I was not sad to see Doris get on the boat, but I was sad to see Kono go. I have really loved the Kono/Adam storyline all season—well, since it was set up in season two, and I thought the writer’s really handled the pacing and the tension in that subplot very well. I liked the romance, the sexiness, and the almost “Romeo and Juliet” quality to their storyline.

I know we’re all eager to hear the official story to why Grace Park seems to be written out of the storyline for a while — but how long, we all wonder? We can only wait for someone from the show to let us know. I, for one, hope it is not long. I know I disliked when Kono wasn’t part of the team during the first few episodes of season two. But at least she was on the show.

While the essential McG questions weren’t answered this week, I thought the episode was entertaining and had many elements that I love about the show. The opening car chase was slick and cool and I always love when the team goes rogue. One thing about the team, they only break rules when it is “pono” — righteous, just, virtuous. And usually when they are trying to save one of their own, or find out information that could save lives.

They went rogue to save McGarrett when he escaped from prison, they disobeyed orders to fly in to save Chin in Halawa, and McG covered for Danno when he broke a few rules to save a little girl. They don’t just bend the rules to benefit themselves, but they do it to find justice. All elements we love about our team. And which is why we keep coming back, no matter if our questions are answered or not, but because we know what they are doing is right and good.

This week’s title is definitely bittersweet, as “Hawaii Five-0” says “Aloha, malama pono,” to the fans and viewers until season four. Many changes are headed our way next season, a change of night, a change of time, and now a change up within the cast.

So aloha ʻoe, until me meet again — to Kono and Adam, to Doris, and Fong. May season four come quickly for all of us who want to know your fate.

Redux Side Note:

Dennis Chun had an intense scene in the opening moments of the episode, and while we always love Sgt. Duke Lukela, we know it must be hard to be a cop and understand where McGarrett and his team are coming from, but having to still do the job.

Dennis Chun. (Courtesy CBS)

Chun understands the idea of “the job” well, as his father, Kam Fong — who played Chin Ho Kelly in the original version of “Hawaii Five-O” — was a Honolulu Police officer for 16 years. Last weekend, Fong was inducted into the HPD Hall of Fame. Be sure to read the “Five-0 Redux” next week, when I share my experience attending the dinner honoring Fong, as well as all the 2013 HPD retirees. It was a very special night that I was privileged to attend and share with the Chun ‘ohana.

Next week starts a summer of reruns, and like the last two breaks, the “Redux” will return with more information about the cultural elements of Hawai’i that the show touches upon, as well as interviews with local actors who have had small parts, but still made an impact on “Hawaii Five-0.”

If you have any interesting ideas for me to write about, research, or an actor you’d like me to interview, send me an email at Five0Redux@gmail.com. I’d love to know what you’d like to read about or learn about during the hiatus.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

‘Five-0′ moves to Fridays

Michelle Borth, Peter Lenkov, Christine Lahti, Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim and Kahu Blaine Kamalani Kia pose for a photo at the season three blessing. (Courtesy CBS)

BY JASON GENEGABUS / jason@staradvertiser.com

When “Hawaii Five-0″ returns to CBS for its fourth season this fall, it won’t be on Monday nights.

The network announced today the show will replace “CSI: NY” on Fridays, opening up a Monday time slot for the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced “Hostages” starring Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott.

The move also includes a time change, with “Five-0″ airing at 8 p.m. in Hawaii between “Undercover Boss” and cop drama “Blue Bloods,” which stars former “Magnum P.I.” star Tom Selleck.

“Hawaii Five-0″ executive producer Peter Lenkov remained upbeat on Twitter, telling followers to “celebrate we got picked up” and “continue to show up and we’ll be around for a LONG time.”

The move to Fridays was also a “chance (for) more live eyes,” he said.

The complete CBS fall schedule:

Monday

“How I Met Your Mother,” 7 p.m.
“We Are Men,” 7:30 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“2 Broke Girls,” 8 p.m.
“Mom,” 8:30 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“Hostages,” 9 p.m. (NEW SHOW)

Tuesday

“NCIS,” 7 p.m.
“NCIS: Los Angeles,” 8 p.m.
“Person of Interest,” 9 p.m. (NEW TIME)

Wednesday

“Survivor,” 7 p.m.
“Criminal Minds,” 8 p.m.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” 9 p.m.

Thursday

“Big Bang Theory,” 7 p.m.
“The Millers,” 7:30 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“The Crazy Ones,” 8 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“Two and a Half Men,” 8:30 p.m. (NEW TIME)
“Elementary,” 9 p.m.

Friday

“Undercover Boss,” 7 p.m.
“Hawaii Five-0,” 8 p.m. (NEW TIME)
“Blue Bloods,” 9 p.m.

Saturday

“Comedytime Saturday,” 7 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“Comedytime Saturday,” 7:30 p.m. (NEW SHOW)
“Crimetime Saturday,” 8 p.m.
“48 Hours,” 9 p.m.

Sunday

“60 Minutes,” 6 p.m.
“The Amazing Race,” 7 p.m.
“The Good Wife,” 8 p.m.
“The Mentalist,” 9 p.m.

Five-0 Redux: All in the ‘ohana

Christine Lahti returns as McGarrett’s mother in this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

BY WENDIE BURBRIDGE / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Can you imagine how much more bad-ass Steve McGarrett would be if he had actually grown up with Secret Agent Mom instead of the sweet Momma McG of his memory?

The momma who made fried baloney sandwiches, was on the PTA, and taught “little Stevie” magic tricks — not the woman McGarrett currently knows who is guilty for a myriad of questionable crimes—like hacking into the FBI database, letting Wo Fat escape, torturing and almost killing a man, and of course, never really telling her own son the straight skinny about well, anything.

In this week’s episode, “He welo ‘oihana” (“Family Business”), McGarrett learns more about his mother’s secrets and begins to reconcile the idea of the mother he lost, with the mother he found. In a parallel storyline that has been ratcheted up these last few weeks, Kono is thrust into more of Adam’s family business and it also looks like she’s going to be hung out to dry in the season finale.

(One good thing — they can’t shoot her again. Or can they?)

But if “Magic and secrets, they go together,” like Danno says to McGarrett after a night of Momma McG covert op shenanigans gone awry, then maybe some of the magic that we have missed in a few of this season’s episodes will return after some of the secrets are finally put to rest.

Do I sound frustrated? Perhaps because I’m a bit tired of the dragging on of this Champ Box/Shelburne/Momma McG storyline. I find it a bit too unrealistic that McGarrett’s thought-to-be-dead mother really was a covert assassin, and that she can do some of the same cool secret spy SEAL stuff her son can. I think Christine Lahti, who plays Doris McGarrett, is a great actress, but at times she gets glassy-eyed much too quickly and slips into Momma McG a bit too easily for someone who spent more years being a secret agent than Little Stevie’s mom to be realistic.

Danno, left, and Chin Ho question Kono’s boyfriend’s brother. (Courtesy CBS)

This week’s episode was another trip to Never Never Land for me, as it was complete with “Mission Impossible”-style wire action, a runaway elevator, and a helicopter as a getaway vehicle. I wondered why they didn’t have Kamekona flying the chopper, but I think writer Eric Guggenheim probably figured there was enough comedy in this week’s episode that they didn’t need to add helicopter humor to the mix.

I am a huge fan of all of the action that Five-0 infuses, and with a stunt coordinator like Jeff Cadiente, coupled with a great director like Larry Teng, the action was very well done. I know, who doesn’t like watching McG strap on some Kevlar, ride a freight elevator, and kickbox security guards with guns?

I just wish the stellar action scenes were supported by better storylines.

I know, you all are going to comment about how it’s a television show and can’t I suspend my disbelief for one hour a week? Why yes, I can, but I also know the action can be better supported by a stronger story. This is not always the case for “Hawaii Five-0″ — there are episodes where the action is fully engaged and works well within the story.

But with the Momma McG story, it just seemed so silly and over the top. Really? A covert op maneuver to get back the stolen microfiche from political bad guy Tyler Cain (Craig T. Nelson) that will keep the McGarrett’s safe from Doris’s past. And her current boyfriend Mick Logan (Treat Williams), and Joe White’s SEAL friend Wade Gutches (David Keith), along for the ride to help to orchestrate the “op.”

I really wanted them to stop calling it a “covert op” as it was just ridiculous. They were dressing up in black and stealing something. Yes, they were prepared and they had the technology and expertise to do it, but covert ops are for national security — not Mom’s who are have an empty nest and parenting issues.

Kono, left, and her boyfriend have a serious conversation in this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

Yet even though I found the breaking-and-entering scene unbelievable, the humor throughout really helped, as it made me not take everything so seriously. And I did enjoy the incorporation of the magic trick — that worked. As slick looking as the action scenes were, the humor reminded me that “Five-0″ can make fun of itself. McG talking about the age of Doris, Mick, and Wade and what they should be really doing “at their age,” and Doris having McG do the magic “breath,” helped to lighten the mood. And so the over the top storyline almost reconciled itself as more comedic action than serious spy games.

This was of course helpful when coupled with the return of Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) and his all-bad baby brother, Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney), which I thought was a stronger storyline. Kono and Adam reuniting, Chin and Danno confronting a super cocky Michael in the gym, and Kono being shot all seemed well constructed around the opening procedural.

I did love how the episode became more about the team than the case, as Kono’s personal life now seems to be impacted by her lover, his brother, and their family business. I do look forward to seeing how this plays out. The ending with Max arriving to tell McG and Danno that Kono’s gun seems to have killed one of the victims she found in a Yakuza warehouse was not that surprising, as I’ve been waiting to see what happened to Kono’s gun. Now, I just want to know who will come to Kono’s rescue.

The episode’s theme was “family business,” with Doris and the business of her past affecting her family, just as Adam and Michael’s business with the Yakuza affected Kono and her Five-0 family. The theme was well supported throughout, and while I’d like more realistic storylines, as long as the ʻohana is infused into the episodes, I can hang on and get through until the end.

Redux Side Note:

Only one more episode of season three, so make sure you clear your calendar for next week’s season finale.

“Aloha. Mālama Pono” will bring back Christine Lahti, Ian Anthony Dale, Daniel Henney, Autumn Reeser (who plays Dr. Gabby Asano, and stood up an eager Danno at the airport this week), as well as Marc Dacascos as Wo Fat.

I am eager to find out who is bidding “Five-0″ good-bye this time. I’m sure we’ll have a bit of a cliffhanger as we have had in the last two season finales. I’m sure it will be a great episode to end the season.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Five-0 Redux: Ripped from the headlines

Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim) helps in the search for a missing girl during this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

BY WENDIE BURBRIDGE / Special to the Star-Advertiser

“Hawaii Five-0” has had an interesting third season; one week they are up, another week they are just so-so, and sometimes they are on fire.

This week I’d say they are on an upward slope, with a pretty solid episode melded with a thread of realism that would soften even the most strenuous Team Five-0 naysayer. Between the intense moments of a heart-wrenching case, and a deeper look into Danno’s Daddy psyche, we got to see the team really work a good procedural, as well as get some movement in the Kono-Adam storyline.

This week’s episode, “Hoʻopio” (“To Take Captive”), for the most part centered on the murder of Amanda Morris (Kanani Rogers), who had been kidnapped 10 years earlier and found dead in a shallow grave. Her murder leads the Five-0 team to uncover clues about a recent kidnapping of another little girl, Ella Bishop (Mykayla Sohn). Both Amanda and Ella seemed to have been kidnapped by the same person, and Danno and McGarrett use everything within their power to find little Ella — as well as Amanda’s murderer.

Tip Gilbert stars as himself in this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

I think the best part of the episode, besides the really intense moments when Scott Caan really had a chance to shine as not only a sympathetic cop, but as an empathetic father, was the “ripped from the headlines” aspect of the case. The kidnapping of both Amber and Ella is a reminder of Maile Gilbert, who was kidnapped and murdered in Hawaiʻi in 1985.

Maile’s name was used to create Hawaiʻi’s MAILE AMBER Alert. MAILE stands for “Minor Abducted in Life-threatening Emergency” and has been referenced before on “Hawaii Five-0,” most notably in “Ua Lawe Wale” and when Danno’s own daughter Gracie (Teilor Grubbs) was kidnapped in “Mai ka wā kahiko.”

The moments when Danno recalls the inner panic he felt while they tried to find Gracie when she was kidnapped by his former partner, and when he shakes the hand of the Harley-riding, Good Samaritan father of Maile, Tip Gilbert, who plays himself in the episode, was Scott Caan at his best.

Danno (Scott Caan) is reminded of the pain he felt when his own daughter was kidnapped in this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

I know some of you will take issue with the fact that he used his fists to get information out of sadistic scam artist Ray Beckett (played with creepy weirdness by former punk rocker and spoken word artist Henry Rollins), but as a mother, I understood his extreme action. I did appreciate how McGarrett instinctively knew that Danno needed to get that information, and that in order to protect his partner — he needed to take Danno’s badge and just walk away. Not because he was punishing Danno, but to protect him. They needed Beckett to tell them where Ella was hidden, and it looked like it couldn’t be Detective Williams who would get that information out of their suspect, but Danny Williams, father and concerned citizen, who would get him to talk, no matter what.

Often I wonder why “Hawaii Five-0” uses the “red herring” as much as they do — the one character who is a shoe-in for the suspect, but who is, of course, not the real killer/kidnapper/villain. But I guess it is so we can see a famous face for a few minutes, and this week was no exception.

Don Swayze (yes, brother to the late Patrick Swayze of “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost” fame) played this week’s not-quite-our-guy, Lloyd Grimes. Grimes is a perfect suspect with a long rap sheet coupled with the team’s proof he was near the scene of the crime—but alas, he was just a thief not a kidnapper. He did look the part, and when McG plays chicken with Grimes’s van to catch him and then Danno breaks the hinges of the interrogation chair to make him talk, it was all good Five-0 action to keep us guessing.

Too bad Swayze didn’t have more lines and could have offered Danno some relaxing dance lessons to loosen up. That would have really been a way for Swayze to utilize his guest star moment to its fullest potential.

Henry Rollins guest stars in this week’s episode. (Courtesy CBS)

A good portion of the episode was used to further develop the side story of Kono and Adam. Kono and Catherine have a couple nice scenes where Kono asks Catherine to investigate Adam’s dealing with a man named Sato. It’s not really what we want to hear for our romantic couple. What happened to hot shower and bubble bath scenes? I guess when your boyfriend used to be in organized crime and you’re a cop, it can get tricky, but it doesn’t mean you should lie to your cousin and search your guy’s house. I know he’s not answering your calls, but that just means you have to stalk him through your BFF who can use her Navy intel connections to hook you up with good info.

At least now Kono knows where Adam is and who he’s been hanging out with — albeit it’s in Japan and he’s hanging with the Yakuza — but Chin did say to let Adam explain first before she decided if she could trust him. And it looks like Adam has a lot of explaining to do.

Besides the intense moments of the procedural and Kono trying to figure out what’s up with Adam, there were many sweet moments in this episode as well. The good-natured ribbing of McGarrett’s super short hair, which was a smart way to let actor Alex O’Loughlin ditch the horrible wig he had to wear in last week’s episode “ʻImi Loko Ka ʻUhane.” And Danno taking time to get a hug from daughter Gracie during her cheerleading practice, was a moment we needed after seeing two sets of demolished parents, as well as watching the difficult minute when Tip Gilbert offers his services to McG and Danno with a picture of his lost daughter Maile pinned to his leathers.

The ending voice over by Kanani Rogers reading Amanda Morris’s journals as her parents weep and Danno looks on was nicely done. Many times television shows go too far, and have characters use melodramatic screaming and sobbing to portray sadness and suffering. But I thought the tears and the pain was very realistic in this episode and evenly handled. Nice direction by “Hawaii Five-0” veteran Steve Boyum, based on a great story by Peter Lenkov and teleplay by Noah Nelson.

If the last two episodes are like this one, we could end season three with a bang.

Redux Side Note:

This week, several Hawaiʻi actors — as well as a Hawaiʻi Olympic athlete — were featured in the episode:

» Jodi Jarvis and Brent Scott Dupuis played Joyce and Don Bishop, the parents of the missing little girl, Ella Bishop.

Shawn Mokuahi Garrett. (Courtesy CBS)

» Kanani Rogers, who most recently was seen in Manoa Valley Theatre’s “Next to Normal,” played brave Amanda Morris, the girl who had been kidnapped and held captive for ten years.

» Former newscaster and current Star-Advertiser blogger Diane Ako was seen on Henry Rollins’s television reporting on the death of the alleged kidnapper Helen Cantera.

» U.S. Olympic wrestler Clarissa Chun, who is credited as “Petite Young Woman,” help separate Shawn Mokuahi Garnett, Kamekona’s cousin Flippa, from a shrimp dinner as well as his dignity.

» Dennis Chun shined yet again in a short scene with the team finding Amanda’s body and catching McG and Danno up on the chain of evidence.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Outtakes Online: Gilbert inspires ‘Five-0′ episode

BY MIKE GORDON / mgordon@staradvertiser.com

The memories are unavoidable for Tip Gilbert, even now, 27 years after the kidnap and murder of his daughter. Whenever he hears about a missing child, he thinks of Maile. She was only 6.

Maile Gilbert. (Courtesy photo)

But the experience will go a step further on tonight’s episode of “Hawaii Five-0,” in which he’ll play himself and discuss the case. Gilbert and his friends in the Pacific Knights motorcycle club will help Five-0 investigate a kidnapping and its connection to the discovery of the body of a girl who vanished a decade earlier.

“I’m playing me,” said Gilbert, a 58-year-old project manager for the commercial dive company Sea Engineering. “Everything I basically said I’ve said before in real life.”

“Five-0” has previously mentioned the state’s Maile Amber Alert program, which is named for Gilbert’s daughter and Amber Hagerman of Texas, who was also kidnapped and murdered. That led to a lunch meeting with Peter Lenkov, the show’s executive producer, and Gilbert told him his story.

Maile was abducted during a family party on Aug. 25, 1985. Her body was found the next day in a shallow grave near Kaena Point. Her killer is serving a life term in prison. Gilbert worked with law enforcement agencies, the Hawaii Attorney General’s Missing Child Center of Hawaii, state civil defense officials and the local broadcast community to create the alert program that began in 2002.

“Peter wrote a story inspired by Maile,” Tip Gilbert said. “I think she inspired his creativity on this episode.”

Lenkov wrote the story and the teleplay was written by Noah Nelson. The episode was directed by “Five-0″ regular Steve Boyum. It also features guest star Henry Rollins, punk rocker-turned-actor.

Gilbert spent three days on set last month. But even though he has been on camera before, explaining the story to journalists, it wasn’t any easier this time.

“When I was shooting ‘Five-0’ I actually in my mind, journeyed back to the day Maile was missing,” Gilbert said. “It was pretty intense for a while but the people at ‘Five-0’ were understanding and supportive. They treated me very well.”

State officials estimate that more than 3,000 children are reported missing in Hawaii every year but authorities are able to locate the majority of them. But time is always crucial. Nationwide, most children kidnapped by non-family members are killed within a few hours of an abduction. An alert system improves the chances of survival for abducted children.
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Mike Gordon covers film and television in Hawaii for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Email him at mgordon@staradvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his weekly “Outtakes” column Sundays in the Star-Advertiser.