For the most part, fans of episodic dramas like “Hawaii Five-0” enjoy when their program joins forces with another equally popular television show. Viewers like seeing both casts working together to figure out a case which overlaps into the worlds of each show. Crossover events are usually highly anticipated. Usually the crossover happens on the same network, to help promote a new show, or a struggling show, by pairing them up with a more established show with strong ratings. “Hawaii Five-0” has had two crossover events– once when they were the new kid on the CBS block, and then again during their seventh season when they crossed over with their new lead-in, “MacGyver.”

In the second season of “Hawaii Five-0,” they crossed over with “NCIS: LA” which is a hit spin-off series of the powerhouse CBS hit, “NCIS.” The connection between the two series came via McGarrett’s (Alex O’Loughlin) former Navy SEAL pal Sam Hanna (played by LL Cool J). In the “MacGyver” crossover, the connection between the two shows is McGarrett’s friendship with Jack Dalton, a former Army Delta Force soldier, who seems to have shared past missions with Navy SEAL McG.

Crossovers are fun to watch, and usually there is great interplay between the leads of both shows. This year’s “MacGyver” episode was interesting because it was a ‘Five-0’ crossover into “MacGyver,” but it did not flow back into an episode of “Hawaii Five-0.” My hope is that in season eight, the Phoenix Foundation team of Angus “Mac” MacGyver (Lucas Till), Jack Dalton (George Eads), Riley Davis (Tristin Mays), and Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires) make their way back to Oʻahu to work with the entire team– including McGarrett– to complete the crossover.

During the summer hiatus, fans usually discuss the future of their favorite show. So after Angela Gerstner of Munich, Germany, who runs an Alex O’Loughlin Fansite as well as the Alex O’Loughlin Fans for Organ Donation Facebook page, and is the co-Admin for the Five-0 Redux Facebook page, suggested that “Hawaii Five-0” would crossover well with the new CBS Show “S.W.A.T.” starring former “Criminal Minds” series regular Shemar Moore, I posed a question to ‘Five-0’ fans around the world, via the “Five-0 Redux” Facebook page. I asked them what shows they would like to see crossover with “Hawaii Five-0.”

The most common choice was a mix with the entire “NCIS” franchise. Fan Caitlin Ahern, from Arizona, wholeheartedly wants to see another “NCIS: Los Angeles” crossover. “A storyline between McGarrett and Sam Hanna as Navy SEALS. Or It would also be cool [to see] a Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Kono (Grace Park) story with Ruah guest starring [again] on “Hawaii Five-0,” she wrote via social media.

Likewise, Helma Gerth-Koelman of the Netherlands wanted “to see another crossover with ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ and Steve finally meeting Sam.” Karen Dritto of New York also wrote via Facebook about wanting to see Steve with Sam; and Susan Stiers from Arkansas wrote that the crossover “makes total sense because the connection has already been established.”

Several fans wanted to see an “NCIS” crossover just to see McGarrett and Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) work together. Susan Morrell of Utah and Jana Smith of Virginia both wanted a “NCIS” crossover because as Smith wrote, “McGarrett and Gibbs! And have it deal with Pearl Harbor. That would be awesome!” I think fans would really love to see the strong, but fair, personalities of both McGarrett and Gibbs work a case together. And as fans really love any storyline dealing with the history of the Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri, a crossover including Gibbs, his team, with McG and Five-0, all based in Pearl Harbor– would be rather epic.

Another “NCIS” franchise crossover a few fans called for is with “NCIS: New Orleans,” mostly because a few fans would love to see McGarrett and Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) work together on a Big Easy via Waikīkī mystery. I would love to see Christopher LaSalle (Lucas Black) and Sonja Percy (Shalita Grant) show our Hawaiian team some NOLA know-how and perhaps Pride could teach Kamekona (Taylor Wily) a new shrimp recipe for his business. And I’m sure Patton Plame (Daryl Mitchell) would have the Magic Table doing far more than pulling up surveillance video and DMV shots. But to break it down a bit more simply, Deb Young of Illinois wants a “NCIS: New Orleans” crossover because “Scott Bakula and Alex O’Loughlin on my screen at [the same time].” 

Another popular crossover possibility would be “Hawaii Five-0” and “Blue Bloods.” Many fans mentioned the connection between Tom Selleck and Hawaiʻi from his days on “Magnum P.I.”  Fan Jan McGee of New York wrote via Facebook, “I’d like to see ‘Blue Bloods’ send their ‘Danny’ (Detective Danny Reagan played by Donnie Wahlberg) to Hawaiʻi for a job-related visit. He needs Five-0’s help and the two Danny’s– Danny Reagan and Danny Williams (Scott Caan) don’t hit it off. As a nod to ‘Magnum P.I.’ they should have Tom Selleck be someone who walks by our guys while they are investigating something or other at the beach. Tom walks by, dressed like the old Magnum did, and McG stops him asking, ‘Excuse me, but don’t I know you? You look familiar.’ Tom replies, ‘I don’t think so, maybe I just have one of those faces.’ A nod to ‘Magnum P.I.’ and a nod to [O’Loughlin’s former series] ‘Moonlight.’”

Other fans liked the same idea, but for other reasons. Karen Dritto thinks “a very ethical Frank Reagan vs. a mostly ethical Steve McGarrett” and fan Brian H. Yasay wrote “I want a ‘Blue Bloods’ crossover story so that Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) and Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) should step in” to help the Five-0 crew. All would make for fine Friday night viewing.

The last big crossover choice came from Angela Gerstner’s suggestion on the Five-0 Redux Facebook page and from other “Criminal Minds” fans who would like to see “S.W.A.T.” paired with “Hawaii Five-0.” Fan Debbie Spradlin Brady of Arizona mentioned the crossover to pair Chi McBride and Shemar Moore together, and Susan Stiers wrote that  “the new ‘S.W.A.T.’ series could be an interesting crossover. Karen Dritto wrote “as a fan of ‘Criminal Minds,’ I’d love to see a crossover with ‘S.W.A.T.’ so Alex O’Loughlin and Shemar Moore could be together again.” Dritto is referencing the 2009 “Criminal Minds” episode “The Big Wheel” where O’Loughlin played the obsessive-compulsive killer, Vincent. O’Loughlin has been lauded for his portrayal of Vincent because of the depth and compassionate way he played a murderer.

Overall, fans are pretty vocal about what they like– and don’t like– about their favorite show. And while possible crossovers could be more of a possibility than a reality, they still can hope. After the success of the last seven seasons, as well as the popularity of the two crossovers Five-0 already has under their belt, we can only hope for more crossover events in our near future.

REDUX SIDE NOTE

This week’s “Hawaii Five-0” repeat of “Kāʻili aku” (“Snatchback) brings us back to Chin’s fight to save his niece, Sara (Londyn Silzer), who has been kidnapped in Mexico. Next week, June 23 resolves the cliffhanger in “Ka ʻaelike” (“The Deal). A bonus episode will air on Saturday, June 24, and replays the farewell episode for Max (Masi Oka) as he says aloha to Five-0 in “Ua hoʻi ka ʻōpua i Awalua” (“The Clouds Always Return to Awalua”).

Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright, and teacher. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.