Playing the game
Vince Lombardi once said, “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”
Thanks to the man who not only lent his name to the Super Bowl trophy, but who also won two Super Bowls himself, we have the overall theme of this week’s “Hawaii Five-0.”
“Pā‘ani,” which CBS translates as “The Game,” centered around the Pro Bowl, which was held last month at Aloha Stadium on O‘ahu. The NFL all-star game, which matches the best players from the AFC and the NFC, gave “Hawaii Five-0” an opportunity to meld sports into the action of the show. And since the Hawaiian word pā‘ani really means “to play, sport or game,” what better way to bring the two favorite pastimes of men — as well as it seems, of McG and Danno, together as one.
Sports (in this case, football) and action (in this episode, murder). Gives new meaning to tailgating, wouldn’t you say?
The Pro Bowl was held in Hawai‘i for 33 straight years, from 1980 to 2009, as well as the last three years. 2010’s Pro Bowl was played in Miami, and the Pro Bowl’s future will be decided in April. It is typically a week when professional athletes come to bask in tropical weather with their families and end their vacation time with a friendly game of football.
This year, Houston Texans player Arian Foster got a chance to not only play in his fourth Pro Bowl, but also to play himself on “Hawaii Five-0.” He gave the Five-0 team a much-needed clue and gave Danno a chance to figure out his fairy tale football team — much to the chagrin of McG.
There was a lot of sports banter in this episode (who is the greatest quarterback of our generation, who is the better team among the Cowboys, Jets and Redskins, and who should McG go to the Pro Bowl with). It’s too bad Danno didn’t stick with Cath, since she got to meet his favorite quarterback, Payton Manning. Maybe it’s the girls who really know how to play the game.
But perhaps McGarrett is right; some people are sometimes busier playing real games than fantasy ones. And the fantasy has to do with the business Davies was involved in before someone killed him. Computer chips, digital intelligence, Internet espionage, whatever you want to call it; it’s all based in fantasy.
Davis had been warning his boss, Redding, that the chips that they are making are not worth anything. And of course, Chin finds out that because of insurance, Davis is worth more to his company dead than alive. So it was the boss who killed his prize employee with the gun at the faux play-soldier compound. Good thing McGarrett and Danno caught him with a flying escalator tackle to end the game.
And what a win, with both McGarrett and Danno taking one for the team! McG suffered a shoulder injury, while Danno has to watch Cath and Kono on the sidelines from a hospital waiting room. But, in a sense, the entire Five-0 team made it to the game — cousins Kamekona and Flippa (Shawn Mokuahi Garnett) sat with the ironically dressed Max enjoying Danno and McG’s seats, while Chin and Duke (who looked like he pulled through after being shot by the “Hookman”), discussed Kono’s better offer from Cath.
Last night’s episode had a several special guest stars, not only Arian Foster, but also Train lead singer Pat Monahan, who played the very anti-rock star, Neil Redding, the boss of Scott Davis, the victim whose murder the Five-0 team worked to solve. The episode started with a more real than simulated training maneuver, complete with paint guns, good guy camouflage, and a chopper drop off.
More games and more guns — all very “Hawaii Five-0.”
Veteran actor Larry Manetti returned to his Hawai‘i roots, playing a character very similar to his King Kamehameha Club managing, Orville “Rick” Wright from “Magnum P.I.” In the “Five-0” timeline, his character, Nicky “The Kid” Demarco, is a lounge singer at the very real La Mariana Sailing Club, and was nicknamed and trained by Frank Sinatra. He is also an old friend of “little Stevie” McGarrett’s dad, Jack.
Nicky helps Danno and McG find the link between their victim and the woman who seemed to have set up Davis’s death. I did love how they created a very large opening for Manetti to return to “Five-0,” as a link to McGarrett’s dad, as well as perhaps an informer. I just hope in future episodes he doesn’t have to sing.
Manetti’s acting was great — it was such a homecoming of sorts to see him in the show. They’ve already had T.C.’s chopper in the episode when Danno helped Kamekona buy his helicopter, so now all we need is Roger E. Mosley, who played T.C. in “Magnum P.I.” to show up to give Kamekona flying lessons, and Tom Selleck, who is currently playing NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan on “Blue Bloods,” to visit his fellow brothers in blue — and it will be a “Five-0” and “Magnum” crossover on an epic level.
Director Jeffrey Hunt had a very interesting script to work with this week. Writers Kyle Harimoto and David Wolkove gave him a big chunk to chew on by incorporating three special guest stars, a confusing procedural, as well as some major action and stunt scenes to work into the mix. But I wasn’t disappointed in the episode or how Hunt expertly wove all of that into a fun episode, which included a lot of the cast, as well as some nice bromantic moments between McG and Danno.
Actor Dennis Chun, “Sgt. Duke Lukela,” said that Hunt “is the kind of director who gives an actor room to create and try things.” And that was evident in the episode. The epilogue to the procedural seemed very much like a scene Hunt would feel comfortable enough to let his actors do what they do best, and he would just enjoy being there to capture them on camera. So McGarrett throws a nice forward pass to Danno, with a Payton Manning signed ball, while a generous Cath looks on.
Sometimes Danno, it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. And Hunt definitely knows how to play “Five-0” games and give us a strong episode without much fuss or extra drama. I can’t wait for more.
Redux Side Note:
Mike Gordon comes through again with a great interview with guest star Larry Manetti in Sunday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Be sure to also catch his blog here on The Pulse.
Daniel Dae Kim is reaching out into the local theatre world and producing a play, “Hold These Truths,” which plays through March 2 at Tenney Theatre. “Ke Koa” actor Joel de la Fuente (Shane Kawano) stars in the production; click here to read more about the production.
Next week’s “Hawaii Five-0” is a repeat of “Lana I Ka Moana” and a special episode will air on Saturday, March 2 — a replay of season two’s “Kālele.” I’ll be back here next Tuesday with an interview with director Jeffrey Hunt.
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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.
15 responses to “Playing the game”
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I really enjoyed this episode..but then again..I usually always do, don’t I? LOL I loved seeing Larry Manetti again but I agree…bring him back but please don’t require him to sing! LOL
I just adored all the bromance in this episode. TPTB seem to be really playing it up this season more than ever. I don’t know if it’s because it was so lacking last season (and most people complained) or the fact that because Cath is in the picture now they feel they need to play up Steve and Danny even more. Whatever the reason, I am loving it! The relationship between Steve and Danny is what drew me to this show from the start. Buddy shows/movies have always been a favorite of mine all the way back to when I was 12 and saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid the first time! So yeah…. the more bromance the better I like it!
But I also loved to see the budding girl crush Kono and Catherine are developing. I wish we could see more of these two together. I loved seeing them jumping around together on the sidelines at the Pro Bowl. These two need a girls night out complaining about the men in their lives. That would be a hoot.
Unfortunately it’s what? 3 weeks off now before the next new episode? Got I hate this time of the year. Lots of re-runs and the end coming up. It’s like when you’re reading a really fantastic book and you notice that you’re closer to the end then the beginning. You want to read slower to make it last but it’s so good you can’t put it down. I have actually gone back and read favorite chapters just to prolong the experience. Re-runs are re-read chapters to me too.
Thanks Wendie for your review for someone who doesn’t live in the USA it was hard to follow al the football discussions and name’s I’ve never heard of these guys so it didn’t interest me that much.
After last night episode the writers have made it clear that Steve/Danny are the “couple” on the show and Cath is just a distraction or someone to do favours for Steve. Steve is officially the worlds worst boyfriend ever!! and Cath should ditch him pronto. Steve treats her like dirt he always puts Danny first I am so over the McDanno relationship the whole bromance thing has been over done. Good for Cath to take Kono with her, their tiny scene was the best part of the episode for me.
Steve always was my favorite character but after last night they have ruined him for me.
I am getting pretty darn frustrated how they write for Michelle. Why did they make her a regular if they aren´t gonna use her?
Now I gonna hide before I get all the McDanno fans over me!!
Hi Wendie. I’m glad to hear we get to read one of your articles while we await the return of the new episode. I’m with Linda, I hate this time of the season. Not many episodes left.
As for the episode, I liked it very much. I thought it was funny Danny and McG had 50 yard line seats, thinking they had the better, but Catherine actually had sideline passes. Good for Kono, I too like Kono and Catherine together. I liked that they showed Danny sticking with McG even though his injury was not that serious. Even when Danny had been so sports struck, he knew where he should be. Loved Larry Manetti, and I agree, we can do without the singing. Loved that his character was Nick instead of Rick, and that he owned a bar. Is that the same one in Magnum, or is it another place? I loved Magnum, I hope we get Tom Selleck to come back in some capacity. He is on CBS so it would not be any network problem with Blue Bloods. I liked the crime of the week and how they tied in the pro-bowl with Arian Foster, he did a good job. Pretty much everyone got a scene in this one. Thanks for letting us know that DDK was producing local theater. I was wondering why he wasn’t there much the last couple of episodes. Thanks for continuing to give us the answers. Have a great week, look forward to your article next week.
Am I the only one who’s curious about why Cath referred to her tickets as a “peace offering”? I don’t seem to remember the declaration of war? Did they run the episodes out of sequence again?
Because she is a Cowboy’s fan and Steve a Redskin’s fan. The peace offering line came right after Danny made the joke about them rooting for opposing teams.
LOVE reading your reviews get all the background info Mahalo!!! I do like your line “about the girls knowing how to play the game” I think that will be VERY telling in the last few episodes to come!
Good read Wendie!! It was a very cute episode. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but seeing the guys so excited over the game was priceless! Too bad they didn’t get to really enjoy it! I’m a little confused, why did Cath say it was a peace offering?? Did they have a disagreement or did she lose a bet with him or something or were the episodes out of order again? I have to admit that I love #9 myself – go Tony Romo!! The procedural was good – a bit too far fetched for my taste (but then again, anything is possible in this day and age) but well worth it just to see Steve in action! I think it would have been better had Nick and Neil traded roles – at least Neil can sing!! But it was good seeing Larry again. Hey, maybe we can get Tom to make an appearance. That would be a crossover of EPIC proportions!! The ending was good – seeing all the guys together -DUKE!!- but the GIRLS absolutely ruled!! Nothing like being front and center on the sidelines. It would be awesome to see more of Cath & Kono! Cath’s gesture to Danny was sweet but I just loved Steve’s comment that “if Danny could run as fast as he talked, he could have been in the NFL”! Do you know why Steve kept switiching shirts btwn the green (gorgeous) and the blue?? Believe me I’m not complaining but they usually wear the same clothes throughout the epsiode!! I’m already getting sad that the end is coming, hate this time of the year. Oh well, I’ll just have to endure the reruns till the next new episode!! What did we ever do before DVR’s??
i obviously have nothing to add to your strong & written well review Wendie 🙂 great job you said it all with a very easy & yet pro way (hope you got my point) everything about about this epi was great & WELL DONE, felt relaxed watching & i enjoyed every single moment of it & didnt want it to end 🙂
BTW, AMEN TO THE “Five-0″ and “Magnum” crossover on an epic level” would looove to see that one 😀
Kudos to the cast & crew, for an other AWESOME & BREATH TAKING EPISODE!!!
indeed great GAME everyone :))))
mahaloz for the great review honey, but thats not a new thing from you 🙂 xox
Wendie,
Great post as usual. Others have mentioned the “peace offering” line from Catherine whuch did not make sense to me at all. Excellent news that the Duke is back; must have “just been a scratch” instead of a bullet hole. Cath and Kono actually on the sidelines was a hoot. Was that film magic, or were they really on the sidelines during the game.
Paul
Great write up! Loved this episode as always.
Wendie, thanks for the insider info from Dennis Chun! That’s something we can’t get anywhere other than here, and is just one of the reasons why you’re the top Hawaii 5-0 blogger.
There was a lot of cuteness in this episode, and quite a few laughs, but other than that, it felt weak. The plot was blah, but in all fairness, the writers were asked to squeeze in two separate bits of stunt casting with Pat Monahan of Train, and Arian Foster of the Houston Texans. Pat may have a future in acting, but he’s not up to par yet, and to include him in the same show as Arian Foster, who most definitely is not an actor, just further diluted this week’s show. Now maybe, if McGarrett had stumbled upon Cath and Foster having dinner together at a nice restaurant, that stunt would have paid off more.
On the other hand, I loved seeing Larry Manetti as “The Kid.” It made my Magnum fan-girl heart sing and I laughed out loud when he clocked the bouncer who’d escaped McGarrett and Danno. I guess that could qualify as “stunt-casting” of a sort, but at least Manetti is an actual actor.
I adore the bromance between McGarrett and Danno, and I have from the start. Having said that, it seemed like this episode shouted, “This is all our show is – a bromance! We don’t need good actors or a compelling plot because we have BROMANCE!” For a while it seemed the promotional gimmicks were working – After the extended Victoria Secret commercial, the “Pick-your-perp” episode and the post AFC Championship timeslot, Hawaii 5-0 was beating Castle each week. Sadly, that came to an end last night, with Castle taking back the number 1 spot. It seems the quality of the show is not enough to keep the show on top, so it’s time some adjustments were made.
Aloha Wendie! Great writeup! I hope your new autographed picture of Larry Manetti is ‘worth’ more now! Ha! I thought he did a fun redux of his Magnum PI character Rick as Nick. Now he is an old crooner but still packs a solid sucker punch just like Old Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra himself. I noticed the quick cameo of the Pro Bowl shop at the HHV. I bought a couple of shirts there. Good marketing ploy by the Hawaii tourist bureau and CBS to feature the game in this episode. I hope it comes back to O’ahu next year. Now the Five-O game is to get the other boys in that picture on the show! Certainly can see Roger Mosley coming back to fly that sunkist rainbow helicopter with Kamekona. Mr. Lenkov probably already has that idea “booked’! And I’ll see if I can run into that other guy here in Hollywood. Maybe Mr. Lenkov can have them meet at a classic car show at Ala Moana featuring McG’s Mercury and Magnum’s Ferrari! Of course, given that I got conned in 1982 on that PI set, I will have to ‘book’ Mr. Selleck first! Ha! Sunny days and beautiful rainbows to my Hawaiian Ohana! Big Al in the OC
Hi, Wendie! I love football. I love H50! So how could it NOT have been a win/win for me with Pa ‘ani? The Pro Bowl, as you point out, Wendie, has been an annual event in Hawai’i for many years now – the Island’s one opportunity to take part in pro football’s fun and games. I sincerely hope it stays in town! I also think incorporating the Pro Bowl into the story this week was a great way to show off other aspects of Hawaii – not just it’s beautiy or wildlife or culture, but also some of the events that take place there. I think it was well done!
It wasn’t a perfect episode, but I think that’s a perception many have because most of us followers are getting anxious for what we know still needs to be addressed before the end of the season – the main story arcs of Mom McG and Kono and Adam. Fun and games are entertaining, but we’re ready to get into the meat and bones. I think it’s coming (I HOPE it’s coming!)
Having said that, I enjoyed the light heartedness this week. It did feel as if the crime was more of an interruption to their otherwise perfectly planned weekend of Pro Bowling. Kono and Catherine together make a fine twosome – more of this, show! (and all we saw was 5 seconds of them together on the sidelines!) I love the idea of the two of them having girls’ night out and ragging on their men! That would indeed be awesome!
The guest stars were okay, but not something I was duly excited by this time around. There were some great one liners that were smartly delivered.
I have a theory as to why there’s been a build up of the bromance over the course of this season (as compared to the total lack of it last season!), but I’m going to wait on it for a while to see what happens in the upcoming installments! Besides, I will undoubtedly be proven wrong, and then I’ll just be embarrassed!
Thanks for another great review and for giving us diehard H50 fans somewhere to spout off each week!
Hi, Wendie! I love football. I love H50! So how could it NOT have been a win/win for me with Pa ‘ani? The Pro Bowl, as you point out, Wendie, has been an annual event in Hawai’i for many years now – the Island’s one opportunity to take part in pro football’s fun and games. I sincerely hope it stays in town! I also think incorporating the Pro Bowl into the story this week was a great way to show off other aspects of Hawaii – not just it’s beautiy or wildlife or culture, but also some of the events that take place there. I think it was well done!
It wasn’t a perfect episode, but I think that’s a perception many have because most of us followers are getting anxious for what we know still needs to be addressed before the end of the season – the main story arcs of Mom McG and Kono and Adam. Fun and games are entertaining, but we’re ready to get into the meat and bones. I think it’s coming (I HOPE it’s coming!)
Having said that, I enjoyed the light heartedness this week. It did feel as if the crime was more of an interruption to their otherwise perfectly planned weekend of Pro Bowling. Kono and Catherine together make a fine twosome – more of this, show! (and all we saw was 5 seconds of them together on the sidelines!) I love the idea of the two of them having girls’ night out and ragging on their men! That would indeed be awesome!
The guest stars were okay, but not something I was duly excited by this time around. There were some great one liners that were smartly delivered.
I have a theory as to why there’s been a build up of the bromance over the course of this season (as compared to the total lack of it last season!), but I’m going to wait on it for a while to see what happens in the upcoming installments! Besides, I will undoubtedly be proven wrong, and then I’ll just be embarrassed!
Thanks for another great review and for giving us diehard H50 fans somewhere to spout off each week!
Thanks for mentioning Daniel’s play. It may help to explain why he hasn’t been prominent in episodes lately.