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I love when two strong, determined, and successful men are forced to work together in order to accomplish a seemingly impossible task. While I wished it was McG and Danno fighting over who wasn’t going to ride shotgun, watching Lt. Comm. Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and Capt. Lou Grover (Chi McBride) come to a reluctant truce this week on “Hawaii Five-0” was almost as satisfying.
After last week’s cuteness overload with McG and crew entertaining sweet baby Joan, I hoped this week’s episode would be another solid one, filled with all the elements we love: bromance, good humor and cool action. And between kidnapping a big time Yakuza boss, gunfights on the backs of galloping horses and lots of SWAT and Five-0 firepower working together, I was not disappointed.
To add to the new bromantic union between two alpha males, there was some great backstory added to McBride’s character. Much like Danno’s storyline, Grover uprooted his teenage daughter and moved to Hawaii to take over the HPD SWAT Team.
My one question? Where is Momma Grover? Perhaps another episode may reveal what seems to be a tragedy in Grover’s life. When his daughter, Samantha (Paige Hurd), said, “We’re going to be happy here, Daddy,” I immediately thought there was a reason she said that — as if something caused them to not be happy where they were living before moving to paradise.
I did love the fact that while Grover puts more gruff than groove into his tone and delivery, he was incredibly sweet with his daughter. What’s with this show and hard-edged cops and their daughters? They certainly understand the term “Daddy’s girl” more than possible.
I absolutely loved the opening of “Akanahe” (“Reluctant Partners”), with elusive Yakuza boss Sato (Louis Ozawa Changchien) being unceremoniously kidnapped by our fearsome four in Tokyo. When the team ripped off their ninja ski masks, I know fans were thrilled to see McG, Chin, Cath and Kono, all there to find out where Adam was being held – or where they could find his body.
Good thing Sato’s a smart man. It’s scary to think what Kono (Grace Park) would have done to him if he hadn’t given her the good news that Adam was alive. Sato just helped him fake his death out of respect to his father Hiro, and to help him escape the Yakuza crew loyal to his brother Michael, who Adam killed while protecting Kono.
You got that? I know, leave it to the writers to make it even more complicated than usual. In typical “Five-0” fashion, they cashed in on the concept of prolonging the storyline while viewers are hooked. Bottom line is, after Kono was told she’d never see Adam again, like any lovesick girl she, of course, has to find him.
And while I might be contradicting myself, I do want her to find him! So go, Kono, follow your heart — again. Have a tearful goodbye, again, with cousin Chin. Say aloha, again, in a dark alley and have Chin worry about you for another eight episodes. Yes, if you find him you could both be in danger, but we’d never forgive you if you didn’t try to reunite with your love. If Adam is out there, danger be damned. Kono knows what she wants and if we have learned anything about her, it’s that she’s going to get her man, dead or alive.
And speaking of strong women who know what they want, Catherine (Michelle Borth) appeared in her official spot on the Five-0 team. Chin even had a chance to give her some gentle rookie ribbing when she tried to make the magic table work. It was great to see she used her Navy training to help solve the crime. It seems as if her particular areas of expertise will definitely come in handy with the team.
Cyber and computer crime, as well as the type of terrorism this episode started to explore, is a reality in our world, which makes complete sense for the team to have a computer expert like Cath on their side. They did utilize Danno’s funny hacker friend, Toast, on this case, but Chin only made mention of him. It’s really Cath who brought in the big guns to stop the insane deeds of evil hacker Ian Wright (guest star Nick Jonas).
Jonas was an interesting choice for the stoic-faced alleged victim, Ian Wright. Jonas’ lack of facial expressions and laissez-faire attitude helped create the perfect two-dimensional sociopathic villain. All evil all the time.
I cheered every time McG caused him to bleed as he and Grover tried to get information. I know, I’m sure I will get more hate mail than the folks who created the ObamaCare website for wishing Mr. Jonas bodily harm, but really isn’t it a compliment, oh hordes of half-clothed tweens who love themselves some Jonas Bros, when I say he played the perfect emotionless villain? Jonas was the perfect sociopath; selfish, smug, and egomaniacal to the core.
Yet the ending belonged to McG. His acceptance of Grover seems to include the start of a budding friendship. While these new partners in crime may hit a few rocky patches, their relationship will now be based on mutual respect and not about a battle of wills.
Still, it was McG’s determined face in the last scene when he realized Wright was watching him via ATM camera, meaning Wright could be anywhere in the world yet always watching McGarrett, told us that no matter how long it will take or where it will take him, McG will get his man. And I have a feeling Grover and the rest of the team will be right there with him.
Redux Side Note:
Hawaii-based actress Melissa Puana-Martin returned in her small role as the Governor’s Assistant this week. Puana-Martin may only speak one or two lines when she is seen on screen, but she has served two governors over the course of the show’s four seasons. This week, she was seen in the CBS promo that played all week; with her authoritative voice, I’m sure folks will remember this dark-haired beauty if “Hawaii Five-0” decides she needs to play a bigger part in a future episode. I had the pleasure of interviewing Puana-Martin during the 2012 hiatus, and many of the “Hawaii Five-0” fans have met her at various public events.
This week it was TNT Wednesday, with replays of “Maʻemaʻe” (“Clean”) and “Ka Hakakā Maika‘i” (“The Good Fight”) on Nov. 13.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
