Five-0 Redux: A midseason rewind of ‘Hawaii Five-0’ season 10

After ten years, “Hawaii Five-0” has certainly earned its spot as a celebrated veteran television show, as long-time fans continue to watch the show each season and many new fans join their ranks. “Hawaii Five-0” enjoys a steady position on CBS’s coveted Friday night as the lead-in for the newly rebooted “Magnum P.I.” followed by the equally popular “Bluebloods.” It seems inevitable that a possible eleventh season is on the horizon.

So it seems after two weeks of repeats, fans are all set for “Hawaii Five-0” to continue on Jan. 31 with episode 10.14, “I ho‘olulu, ho‘ohulei ‘ia e ka makani” (“There was a lull, and then the wind began to blow about”). As there typically have been 24 to 25 episodes each season, we are officially at the half-way mark for the year. As we start down the road toward the season finale — here’s a look back to the start of the season, and all of the changes the Five-0 team have gone through.

A SEASON OF CHANGE

While this season has been full of interesting changes, some of what McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and his Five-0 team have endured this year is quite surprising. Season ten started off with the departure of Jerry Ortega, played by Jorge Garcia, and the addition of a new team member, Quinn Liu, played by Katrina Law. Grover (Chi McBride) and his wife Renee (Michelle Hurd) moved into a new condo as empty nesters, Junior (Beulah Koale) and Tani (Meaghan Rath) seem to be taking their relationship to another level, and Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) found love with Yakuza heiress Tamiko Masuda (Britany Ishibashi).

Yet some of the changes have been devastating for the team. In the much-anticipated episode, “Ka ʻiʻo” (“DNA”), which was written and directed by Alex O’Loughlin, McGarrett is tasked by the CIA to bring his mother, Doris (Christine Lahti) home after she has gone rogue while undercover with a Mexican cartel. McGarrett must work without the help and back up of Five-0, much to the dismay of Danny (Scott Caan). Sadly, things go awry and McGarrett barely has a chance to say aloha to her before she dies. McGarrett is still dealing with the loss of his mother to the point that by Thanksgiving, Danny moves into McGarrett’s house because of his concern for his friend.

ADAM’S CHANGE OF HEART

Another big change is how Adam’s love affair with Tamiko caused him to turn in his badge and gun to McGarrett and return to his Yakuza roots. It is a curious change, as Adam found a place with the team after his marriage to former Five-0 member Kono fell apart last season. Yet when Tamiko is kidnapped in the episode “O ‘oe, a ‘owau, nalo ia mea” (“You and Me, It is Hidden”) as a ruse to force her father, Hajime Masuda (Sonny Saito), to step down as the oyabun in Hawaii, he goes beyond the law to save her life.

While Adam succeeds in saving Tamiko, he backed himself into a corner when he did not ask for McGarrett and Five-0’s help to rescue her. When Duke (Dennis Chun) reluctantly brings McGarrett evidence of Adam’s crimes, Adam chooses to quit Five-0 instead of confessing the real reason for his actions.

In the Jan. 10 episode, “Loa‘a pono ka ‘iole i ka pūnana” (“The rat was caught right in the nest”), Adam has gone to Japan to ask for the kumicho’s support because he has chosen to be with Tamiko and feels that he must pledge himself to the Yakuza in order to protect her. But the Kumicho wants Adam to spy on Five-0 and help the Yakuza, which currently leaves Adam’s loyalty to McGarrett and his former team in question.

TANI AND JUNIOR TEST THE WATERS

Since last season, Tani and Junior have danced around their true feelings for each other, yet they never really moved their relationship beyond that of trusted partners and friends. Yet, after the crossover event when Five-0 joined forces with “Magnum P.I.” in “Ihea ʻoe i ka wā a ka ua e loku ana?” (“Where were you when the rain was pouring?”), Tani seemed to have a change of heart about pursuing a real relationship with Junior. It is Juliet Higgins’ (Perdita Weeks) advice to go after what makes her happy that gets Tani to ask Junior to meet her for a drink.

Yet right after he agrees, he is kidnapped, and it is In the “Magnum P.I.” episode, “Desperate Measures,” that Tani and Quinn ask Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and Higgins to help Five-0 get him back. Of course, Junior is rescued, and later at Rick’s (Zachary Knighton) bar, La Mariana, it looks like Tani and Junior are much more than just friends. We have yet to see where their relationship is headed, as Junior has been called up for reserve duty, but we’re all looking forward to seeing them picking up from where they left off.

FOR THE LOVE OF MCGARRETT

At the start of the season, Danny was very aggressively trying to get McGarrett to get back into the dating game, which doesn’t seem to have panned out. We’ve seen more sweet moments between McGarrett and Eddie his dog than any beautiful wahine. But one thing that still seems steady — McGarrett’s friendship with Danny has not wavered. While Danny has spent most of the season helping and supporting McGarrett, when his son Charlie (Zach Sulzbach) is being bullied at school, it is McGarrett who helps him deal with the situation. Still, while a man needs his friends, but it would be nice to see McGarrett find true love. Perhaps this Valentine’s Day will be his lucky day.

Wendie Burbridge writes the “Five-0 Redux” and “Magnum Reloaded” blogs for staradvertiser.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.