Five-0 Redux: ‘Hawaii Five-0’ helps an old friend amidst a 100-year-old mystery

Each week “Hawaii Five-0” faces a mystery that has the team working to find a killer or save a victim. This week’s episode, titled “He kohu puahiohio i ka ho‘olele i ka lepo i luna,” which is Hawaiian for “Like a whirlwind, whirling the dust upwards,” has McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and the Five-0 team working a very different kind of case of the week, as well as helping out a friend in need, former MI6 agent, Harry Langford (Chris Vance).

Written by Paul Grellong and Matt Wheeler, and directed by Karen Gaviola the episode’s title is based on a ʻōlelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian proverb and poetical saying, which is “said of a commoner who makes an attempt to elevate himself so he will be regarded as a chief.” The deeper meaning runs thematically within the case of the week, as well as within the subplot dealing with Harry as he embarks on yet another chapter of his post-secret agent life.

MURDER AT THE COLONY

It seems as if books and writing are part of the theme this week, as Five-0 must solve a series of murders that have been set to mirror the plot of an unpublished 1920’s mystery novel. The author, Maureen Townsend (Nicole Steinwedell), abandoned the novel while on vacation on Oahu. Townsend is famous for writing a series of murder mysteries featuring a crime writer named Deirdre Naismith. Legend has it that she threw out her novel “Murder at the Colony” because she could not go through with her plan to kill off her most successful creation, Deirdre Naismith herself.

She instead gave the unpublished book to a bellman she had a tryst with, and fast-forward to present day, the book is about to be published by the “world-renowned expert on all things Maureen Townsend,” Suzanne Ridge (Suzanne Cryer). McGarrett and Danny (Scott Caan) find it pretty strange that Suzanne is completely thrilled about not only a suspect in the murders, but they are suspicious of the uncanny timing of her launch of the novel 100 years to the day the killings have started up again.

Of course, McGarrett, Danny, and Lou (Chi McBride) figure out that Suzanne is using the novel and the murders to publicize the publication of the “lost” novel, as well as herself. Lou is right when he says it’s “the kind of publicity some writers would kill for” before they arrest her and her assistant Kevin (Taylor Kowalski) for murder.

HARRY’S NEW CHAPTER

Some of the more humorous parts of the episode have to do with Five-0 helping Harry out of a bit of a strange situation. McGarrett and Danny meet up with their British friend at the same Literary Festival where Suzanne is set to speak about her literary find of the century. Seems as if Harry has penned a best-selling novel himself, based on his life as a spy. Only Harry cannot be the face of his novel, as there are people who might want to target him.

So Harry hires a hapless actor, Gabe (Jack Cutmore-Scott) to play his nom de plume, Michael Blanton. Gabe is then kidnapped in order to gain access to the $10 million that Harry has made from the sales of his book. Junior (Beulah Koale) and Tani (Meaghan Rath) are sent to help rescue Gabe, and stop the kidnappers from gaining Harry’s money. Of course, Harry takes a huge risk to save the day, and sadly, still loses all his money. He asks a former flame to stop the kidnappers from making off with the cash, and she double-crosses Harry and takes the money for herself.

But we can’t really be sorry for Harry, because he probably will take this little incident and turn it into another best-seller. If nothing else, it may give him a reason to come back to visit his friends in Hawaii, who seem to have a special place in his heart.

JUNIOR RETURNS

One of the best parts of the entire episode has to do with the return of Junior who has been deployed with his Navy reserve unit for the last few weeks. His budding relationship with fellow Five-0 task force member, Tani, has been on hold while he was gone. So when Junior returns home, their reunion is sweet and romantic, and just about everything fans have been wanting to happen since the pair have even hinted that they liked each other.

While not much is said between the two, for once it seems as if this relationship really could work between two task force members. After they help Harry get Gabe back, they accompany the team to watch the Hilton Hawaiian Village fireworks on the balcony of Harry’s room. The two surreptitiously link pinkies and smile at each other in a way that speaks of more than just infatuation or a casual fling between colleagues.

TRUSTING ADAM

Early in the episode, McGarrett asks Adam to find Endo (John Harlan Kim) who the team wants to punish for kidnapping Lou’s niece, Siobhan (Nia Holloway). McGarrett tells Adam, “I trust you” after asking him to use his Yakuza contacts to find the former HPD cadet. The episode ends with Adam looking over video footage he has secretly taken of a known Yakuza dumpsite. He instead finds that he now has video evidence of Endo’s godfather, and Yakuza boss, Kenji (Fernando Chien) killing someone.

As Adam whispers “Got you” to the grainy video evidence that can be used against Kenji, armed men arrive on the street below his condo. We can only hope Adam realizes he’s in danger, and that his Five-0 ohana will be there to back him up.

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