Every time I watch HAWAII 5-0 I always make a vow that that’s it. I’m done with this stupid show. But for some reason I end up watching it again. And making the same vow. It’s the same principle as eating at Wendy’s.
The original version in the ‘60s was very clear. Jack Lord played the head of a special police investigation unit. He generally wore a suit. His team did most of the difficult stunts (like walking quickly) and they always got the bad guys. Throw in a great theme song, beauty shots of Hawaii, and you had rating rainbows for twelve years.
The new version had to be spiffed-up. Steve McGarrett (now played by Alex O’Loughlin) became a super human action hero. Jack Bauer goes Hawaiian. I’m guessing the more the writers gave him scenes to “act” the more they decided to give him scenes to shoot people.
Scott Caan was chosen as his partner. He’s likable, quirky, but the sense I get is he’s kind of a klutz. Good for banter, bad for cliff diving. So the decision was made to give him a heart tugging personal life. He’s crazy about his daughter but rarely gets to see her. He’s divorced but still loves his ex-wife. What the writers soon discovered was – no one gave a shit. Who wants to cut away from a drug bust to see Scott Caan taking his daughter for shave ice? So after the obligatory daughter-was-kidnapped story, they moved off of that. They still don’t know what to do with Scott Caan.
For a while they tried to establish that Alex had a former flame who still worked for the Navy and would provide needed info and the occasional romp in the sack. Three weeks of this and it was an early discharge.
Her role has been reduced to Googling potential perps, taking discreet surveillance photos with a camera the size of a howitzer, and looking smoking hot in a bikini. Every so often she gets to kick someone in the mouth.
They tried to give Alex a backstory. His father was a cop who was killed under mysterious circumstances, leaving Alex a toolbox with clues. From time-to-time they deal with that. Other times it’s ignored. A sister was introduced into the mix. After several episodes she didn’t work out and was gone.
Jean Smart was the governor. It’s hard to make Jean Smart not interesting but they somehow managed to do so. Bang! She was shot and gone the end of last season.
Larisa Oleynik was introduced late last year as a former CIA analyst who winds up doing the same stuff for the team that Grace does. Big surprise. That didn’t work. She’s mousey so she can’t be used during action scenes. My guess – they thought she could become a love interest for Alex. But there’s no chemistry. She’s now gone.
And still the new characters keep on coming. Terry O’Quinn (also a LOST alum) as a… I can’t even keep track. Alex’s mentor, John Locke, I dunno. And Tom Sizemore (in between his own jail stints) as an Internal Affairs hard-ass.
But wait! There’s more!
I suppose the writers felt they needed some comic relief. That way the tone could be action-thriller-romance-relationship-comedy. So joining the crew is Masi Oka as a goofy nerd coroner, and Taylor Wiley as big fat Hawaiian street informant, baby sitter for Scott’s daughter, scam artist, and shave ice stand proprietor. By this point you should be screaming, “Jesus! This is just a clusterfuck!” And you would be right.
But wait! There’s still more!
Arch villain Wo Fat pops in and out. Scott Caan’s ex-wife pops in and out. There’s a story arc involving Grace being investigated for grand theft. Lirisa may be a mole, or she may be a double-agent. The new governor has it in for Alex’s team. Alex suspects his late father may be a bad guy. There’s still the toolbox with clues. The HPD still hates Daniel Dae. And just what’s in that mysterious “hatch”.
The bottom line is this: If you don’t know what you’re writing you’re in trouble. Maybe one of these mid-course corrections will work and the show will click. The ratings are still okay but the theme song and beauty shots can only take you so far. One of these weeks I’m going to keep my vow. Better introduce Charlie Sheen before it’s too late.
Please still vote on your favorite sitcom of all-time. Your results and my thoughts on Wednesday. Thanks.
167 comments :
I watched one episode and decided I couldn't take any series with
Alex O'Loughlin seriously.
I think Scott Caan is a horrible actor. Looks like a talking statue!
I hate Caan's character, so those constant scenes of them arguing in the car (to hit viewers over the head that these two are polar opposites ad nauseam) were like nails across a chalkboard.
Bad writing. Bad police procedure. Formula TV at its worst. I couldn't get past a couple shows in season1 and had a hard time with that. Why bring back an old show? I can't believe it's still on.
I agree they just keep trying things out
Harry's law even worse discarded original premise
and made Jean Smart bad guy
Didn't they get your instructions on how to write a police procedural?
I still watch it for only one reason...to identify as many locations that I have visited. I pay no attention to the "plot" anymore.
I had high hopes for this show. The original was great. But it was a disappointment from the get-go! Every few weeks,when I tune in to see if has finally gotten better, it looks like I'm watching a different series.
Hmm. I watch the show which probably says more about my enjoying the eye candy of Hawaii and Alex without his shirt than it does about the actual shirt.
Wo Fat is supposed to be a stone cold killer. I don't buy it, unless he minces his victims and stuffs them in the hydrator at Kitchen Stadium.
Sometimes it's difficult to see the character and not the actor.
This is why I watch Castle.
Actually it's NOT why. I watch Castle because it's fun. It's a procedural, sure, but with a sly 'nudge, nudge, wink wink' to the genre.
The actors are all amazing, the chemistry is great, and the writing is stellar, all in all a much better show than Hawaii 5-O.
In conclusion. Watch Castle, Mondays at 10pm on ABC. The end.
*Not affiliated with ABC or Castle, other than the fact I've had conversations with Seamus Dever on Facebook.*
THANK YOU! Now I don't have to feel guilty about not watching the 15 episodes I have PVR'd.
Ken, maybe you should pitch them a save with your writing and get this show BACK ON TRACK!
without his shirt than it does about the actual shirt.
Yeesh. I was still fixated on Alex without his shirt. That should have read "about the actual show".
Thank you! Like you, every week I watch the show, after which I decide that's it. This is the last one I'm wasting time on. What are all those several guest actors doing on this show? Are they for reals, or just leftovers from other shows? What's with the dude from Lost standing around in some scenes? Or that Madsen guy? And the new governor is even more uninteresting than the last governor. Was he just hatched out of an egg, or is he the Lt. Gov. stepping into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Why does he have to be so effing stalwart? Isn't the Lt. Gov. job tailor-made for Machiavellian plotting??
I guess that's why I tune in every week. It's the suspense generated by wondering if maybe, just maybe, this is the episode where they'll figure out what to do with these characters.
Ken, Thank you so much for answering a question I've been wanting to ask you since last season: Why do I watch Hawaii 5-O?
I know deep down I should not like this show and that there is something terribly wrong with it. But not being in the tv/film/writer field I could not pinpoint from a technical creative standpoint why.
So thanks for clarifying. And also thank you for making me feel better that I am not the only one in the same Hawaii 5-O conundrum vortex. It makes me feel even better that I am in such good company!
I suppose I watch it because of a mix of expecations of what it could be (ie not trying to be 24: Hawaii), Grace (I wish she had a better role and lines to work with), Hawaii settings, and the profoundly mesmerizing theme song (probably 80% of what keeps me tuned past the intro, then the other mentioned factors keep me to the end).
I wish they would just strip the show down and let it flow with the scenery instead of trying to top it.
Ken, I wonder what you think about two of my favorite shows: "The Good Guys" and "Phych"
Here's my biggest problem with 5-0: Every week Hawaii is saved from a nuclear meltdown, smallpox or Genghis Khan's evil hordes.
The plots are so preposterous, the crimes are so outlandish that you have to wonder whether the writers ever recognised the existence of shows like "The Wire" or "Homicide".
Agreed that they have no idea what they're doing writing and plot-wise. That being said, like you I still watch the show every week. It's perfect Monday night fluff for me. I don't have to pay attention completely and when I do it's someone looking pretty - either a hot guy/girl or Hawaii.
I will say that I actually love Steve and Danno's banter and their partnership is BY FAR my favorite thing. I also loved his daughter and their relationship.
Just for the record, Taylor Wily (not Wiley) has been in the show since the pilot, though he is not in every episode.
I agree the show is a mess, but I evidently don't find it as off-putting as the rest of you. BTW, my pal Joe Dante is directing a special Halloween episode, so that one oughta be swell.
WV: Asmstom--Jennifer's last name as spelled by Michele Bachmann.
Er, Danny's daughter was never kidnapped, that was Steve's sister, and personally I LOVE the dad/daughter moments. That humanizes the show for me, and maybe I have a thing for single dads who love their kids, why is that wrong?
I admit I don't necessarily watch "for the plot" so very little of this article applies to me. I know when I watch 5-0 that I'm watching a procedural cop show. I expect lots of action and lots of one-liners, and generally, that's what I get.
You're staring at a duck and trying to make it a swan. It's not super cerebral but hey, I'll just go watch Fringe or something, you know? 5-0 is fun and enjoyable and yeah, I have my complaints, but I know it's a dumb show and I still love it BECAUSE it's a dumb show.
Some people watch Jersey Shore. I'd rather watch this.
Ken, for Friday questions:
What do you think about replacements in comedies? I literally hate that. And it doesn't matter if the "new guy" is better, I would never give him a chance.
I think comedies are more personal than Drama series. If you like a comedy and connect with it, its very very hard to tolerate any changes in the cast.
I immediately stopped watching Becker when Reggie was replaced by Chris (Terry by Nancy) and I have stopped watching Two and Half Men when Charlie got replaced by Waldon (Sheen by Kutcher)
So my question is: Are the writers and producers aware of this? Do they know how delicate this is? Or is this just my personal view?
Thanks, Kaan.
I kind of wonder if 5-0's problems stem from having a creative team that is used to piling on ever-convoluted mythologies: "Fringe" being the obvious one, but with connections back to "Alias" and "La Femme Nikita." The idea that they should just be writing this as a relatively straight procedural without a multi-season, dark arc story is entirely alien.
I'll admit that I (usually) like the banter between the two leads, and that's largely what keeps me watching. I think they had an interesting enough collection of characters without having this whole damn back story for Steve's father and without turning Wo Fat into an agent of SPECTRE.
Also, as much as I like Grace Park (especially in a bikini--am I allowed to say that?) I liked the mousy CIA agent a lot more. I would have brought *her* on as the computer nerd in the first couple of shows, and had Ms. Park, uh, surf. (They really don't have any idea what to do with her, do they?)
Her role has been reduced to Googling potential perps, taking discreet surveillance photos with a camera the size of a howitzer, and looking smoking hot in a bikini. Every so often she gets to kick someone in the mouth
They could combine those two elements & I'd watch more often. Maybe.
Unlike YOU, Ken, I managed to stick to my guns and not watch this program again after the season opener. I just tuned in to see O'Quinn's character. It seems to me he was pretty much the same resourceful character John Locke was supposed to have been but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. what? Sorry. Nodded off there.
And just another thought: what was the point of the asterisk in the title if you're gonna spell out the rest of the word?
By the way, it cracks me up that you wrote it as "big f*ucking" rather than "big f*cking" in the title. Small things give me joy.
I was really looking forward to this show, and I really liked the pilot, but I stopped watching it after a few episodes simply because it seemed like it was just the same episode over and over again.
The original was great in that each episode was really like a little movie. I don't know if the original would have a network audience today though. Too deliberately paced and interested in making its villains rounded characters. Maybe if it had been brought back on USA.
They lost me in the first episode when the "surfer girl" walked up on the beach and jammed the brittle nose of her surf board into the sand. Wonder how many they broke if they had to do multiple takes?
I think the comments on how the original show wouldn't make it now are right. In the old days, you could watch any 5-0 or Rockford Files or Ironside in just about any order and you'd be fine. Each episode has a beginning middle and end. You didn't need to watch last week, unless it's a two parter, to understand this week.
All you needed to know about Steve McGarret was that his hair didn't move and he wore a dark suit in Hawaii and had hard-on for stopping crime. You didn't need to know any back story beyond that.
Now each show has to have a veiled backstory that will be revealed. It just gets tiring. Law and Order lasted 20 years for a reason. Just get on with the story.
Ken, I see 570 AM (does it still use the KLAC call letters?), now an all-sports station, has obtained Dodgers broadcast rights. Any chance you may be associated with them in 2012?
Here is a Friday question: Sometimes, when a show is redone it turns out worse, i.e. "Hawaii Five-O", "Coupling" and sometimes it is generally agreed it is as much fun or better, such as "Doctor Who".
"Arrested Development" is being revived, not unlike "Family Guy". Are there any shows that you have been involved with that you would definitely bring back and others that you wouldn't?
In your picture of Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan, is Scott on a ladder, or is Alex standing in a hole?
Shades of Alan Ladd...
Great. I'd been managing to limp along, ignoring the increasingly implausible and downright preposterous plot points and twists, for the sake of the gorgeous setting and most of the cast. Now I feel even guiltier about my guilty pleasure. Thanks.
Count me among those who love Scott Caan, whether he's arguing with McGarrett or doting on his daughter. In fact, I enjoy Kim and Park and Oka and Wiley -- nearly the entire core cast save for AO'L. You know the old saying "I'd watch So-and-So read the phone book"? Basically, that's what I'm doing each week, except the phone book's in Hawaii.
Not surprising. The guys who douched up STAR TREK are performing the same service for 5-O.
I dunno. I suppose I'm the only person who loves everything about this show--the bickering, the preposterous plots, the bikini, the shirtlessness, the side-grilling, the scenery, the Hawaii shots, the crazy car chases, the Jack Bauerishness, the Lost and Hero reunions, the "this is WHAT A NAVY SEAL WILL DO, no shit, y'all!" lesson of the week. Sniff. Give me some shaved ice. Strawberry, please.
Good recap. I tuned in a few times to see the guy from Lost and the girl from Battlestar Galactica, but after a couple episodes I was gone. Then I checked it out again to see John Locke, but it didn't help.
Mostly, on the scale of current television, there is a MUCH greater tonnage of compost steaming below "5-0" than glory and wonder above it. In other words, it gets a passing grade without distinction. I enjoy it while I'm watching and then forget about it until next week.
When there is this much screaming and ranting about a goofy little show, I can only surmise that y'all really, really, really loved the original "5-0" and are having bitter reactions at having childhood memories tarnished.
When - not if - the polar bear shows up in Hawaii, would someone please let me know? I want to start watching Hawaii 5-0 at that precise moment.
wv - auidi: the sound emanating from a German-made car starting on a cold morning.
The original wasn't as great as people remember.
The scenes they do now around the computer are like the old show. Only it used to be everyone standing around staring at Jack Lord while , out of nowhere, he would come up with the answer to that episode's dilemma.
The computer they use now has better acting range than Jack Lord did.
And Wo Fat was a running part of the old show for the length of the entire run.
At the beginning I was torn which show to watch 5-0 or Castle. By halfway through the season last year it was no problem at all to ditch 5-0.
This version also lacks epic pompadour action. Seriously, Jack Lord's hair was one of the great immovable objects in television history . . .
It is a bit messy, but I enjoy it. I don't take it seriously or compare it to the original, so for me it's fun and pretty, with some great action sequences and often a funny exchange or two. They've pulled off a few good plot twists, but mostly I just enjoy the scenery and the camaraderie among the team.
When it stops being fun, you have to stop watching or it will drive you nuts. I've abandoned many a show for that reason, and found something better to watch instead.
I enjoy the show, but after reading this and seeing last night's show, I had to laugh. AOL was flying out of a plane to rescue a drugged Navy Seal who was pushed out of the plane. It was comical, even for this show.
I do LOVE Scott Caan and the carguments that Danno and Steve get into. I think they are on the top ten Bromances on TV.
Right now there are too many new folks. I didn't like the CIA girl from last year, but I am sure she will be back with Wo Fat nonsense. The new blond and Terry O'Quinn can leave. I'd rather have Ms. Park.
I love this show one of the best on TV right now! Hate Castle from day one bad actors and bad writing so Monday is H5O day for me! I watched the old H5O but this one is soooo much better!! How can people say Scott is a bad actor he got a Emmy nomination and Alex won many prizes to. They both are the best love their banter and I love Steve backstory as a Navy Seal looking forward to how all the stuff in his father toolbox will resolved!!
SERIOSLY!!! you guys have no taste in good TV Shows!
perhaps I'm slighly predjudiced - but the original series was more than "Clear" - it was also well written, and had guest stars who could act. For instance Hume Cronyn, Harold Gould, Leslie Neilson, Pat Hingle (to name a few)
Ken's post appears to minimize the original - for the sake of comedy, or brevity. The show had "ratings rainbows" for 12 years for more reasons.
So yeah. slightly predjudiced as my dad wrote and produced the show.
scott stambler
It's a guilty pleasure, like eating Jif peanut butter with a spoon... and I like the Hawaiian scenes and still get a kick out of the booming theme song.
But what is with Scott Caan? When he starts rolling, his hands take on a life of their own, like the ghost of a frantic knitter has taken them over and made them flail in all directions...
I'm not minimizing the original. I love the original, Scott. By the way, one of their regular directors was Nick Colosanto -- who went on to be the Coach in CHEERS.
Aloha.
I haven't seen it yet. It's too bad it seems to be a bit of a mess.
Peter Lenkov's done some good work in the past (namely writing for 24 for a year). And of course, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman are more than proven storytellers.
As for Scott Caan, I can picture him in this very kind of role. Can't say he's the best actor in the world, but I did enjoy his presence on Entourage quite a bit. He seemed to hit a spark with the other cast members.
Ken,
Thanks for that!
best
scott
(perhaps you saw the episode with me in it. My line "My mother ain't home"...... )
I don't have a clue if my THANK you just disappeared when I went to google sign on......
but thank you, Ken.
This just in: The Playboy Club first cancellation of the season.
Now, back to our regular programming.
wv: "comspi" -- they tried to get together to overthrow the government, but their hearts just weren't into it.
Ken you are just not getting it.
Looking for the numbers every week and guessing what the smoke monster is is ALL the fun on Hawaii.
What do you mean there are no numbers? Well let me tell you: you just don't get it! The writers have a plan and all will be revealed in Season 6. You just have to get back to the island until then. EVERY FRACKING WEEK!
VW: caletable
What a farty verifying word...
I used to watch the original series occasionally during its first five years or so, and sure it was enjoyable relative to the other hour-long series of the (pre-Rockford Files) era, but I gotta agree with Harlan Ellison that "Jack Lord can't act one millionth as brilliantly as Al Pacino's left instep" (intro to The Other Glass Teat, 1975).
Regarding the current show (which I've seen 5 minutes of, a year ago): I wouldn't mind at all if it slowly and mysteriously mutated into Lost... more and more actors from that series could start to appear (much as various Bloom County characters would turn up in Berkeley Breathed's two successor Sunday strips) and eventually they'd just take over and set up shop on the other side of Maui all over again.
Brendan DuBois said...But what is with Scott Caan? When he starts rolling, his hands take on a life of their own, like the ghost of a frantic knitter has taken them over and made them flail in all directions...
He took lessons from Dr. Rodney McKay?
[More] seriously, I enjoy the show, pretty much for the beauty of the scenery (I lived there for 4 years), and the Steve/Danny bromance. What really bothered me about this season, though, is the replacement of a quirky and normally attractive female character with (apologies to the actress) another blonde bimbo character.
Why, why, why does L.A. think women have to be drop dead gorgeous to add anything to a show? I'm watching more & more Brit TV in great part because their actors look like real people - which not so incidentally helps me tell them apart. How many of you can tell apart the female attorneys on Law & Order?
You know what I watch in the Hawaii 5-0 slot on Monday nights... The Good Wife that I recorded the night before.
By the way, thanks for sticking up for that one, Ken. Living in the land of Blagojevich and the real Chicago of corruption, the original premise was a turn off for me (and I was never really a fan of Julianna Margulies, I didn't give this one a chance, but you (and others) kept saying it was good, so I figured the one episode I accidentally caught wasn't a fluke and started watching it at the end of last season/over the summer. I've read people online who think this season hasn't lived up (because, of course, you can judge after just 2 episodes) but as a new fan, I've not noticed and have been thoroughly entertained.
(And I now think Margulies is actually just far more subtle as an actress than I gave her credit for.)
As I'm sure everyone's heard now, the show has things a little easier, with the cancellation of THE PLAYBOY CLUB (first ax of the season). The slot will ultimately be filled by a Brian Williams hosted news magazine.
Of course, I' ve seen people crowing over the news, because they are part of the sanctimonious self-righteous crowd who announced a boycott of the show, for being an enemy of morality and family values.
Number one - Scott Caan is too short to be a cop. I know that's not allowed anymore, but still, on TV, too short.
Magnum P.I. did a great job of managing humor and drama. I could see Thomas Magnum living in Steve McGarret's world. Magnum was believable as a slacker doofus that also had covert-world ties and could probably snap your neck like a twig if he wanted, but he really never wanted to.
This show could be so entertaining if they grounded it in a semi-real world setting. Five-O doesn't need to be a semi secret answer only to the Gov unit. A regular special unit tasked with drugs and gangs and answerable to, say, the head of the state police would be interesting enough.
And why DOES Hawaii have interstate highways?
I haven't watched Hawaii 5-0, but I agree with your comment about Wendy's...ick!
Absolutely dead on review of this failing foolish show, but you left out this season's extra goodie:
The Patriotism Card.
See, it doesn't matter if the show is any good or not, because nearly every episode Alex salutes someone in a moment commemorating our 'brave' heroes.
At this point, HAWAII 5-0 is an hour long BE ALL YOU CAN BE recruitment propaganda.
Watching the original series on Netflix for the first time. It rules.
We don't get to see Grace Park kicking ass. Ass-kicking is handled by Tamiko Brownlee, the stunt double for Park. Tamiko has a serious martial arts background. Tamiko is all muscle. Grace is too slightly built for the fighting styles she supposedly uses. It's just not convincing seeing her take down big guys with a right cross to the chin.
Tamiko's demo reel (linked below) shows many 5-0 scenes.
This was Hilarious, thanks. The show gave you plenty of ammo to work with no doubt. I find the military inaccuracies particularly frustrating to watch, but still I watch. I love some of Danny's one liners at Steve, I like Grace's character, and I love the big Hawaiian dude, though I am glad CIA chick left, she was irritating.
I have only one statement to make - the new Hawaii Five-0 is the BEST SHOW ON TV!!!!!!!!!!!
What PD would need a speciality in surfing, you say? Maybe one that is surrounded by water, jackass. That's why Hawaii has surfboards on the side of their firetrucks. It's important for water rescue.
RAY IS MY NAME. 5 O IS MY GAME. Most making negative comments here about Steve, Danno, Kona and Chin are howlies, goofs, repubs and dufus types. In a time where Americana is at an all time low, criticizing this show is kind of dumbbell. Why not take a chill pill and mahalo. This show has the right stuff. The first seasons of the original were kind of dumbbell at first. Give them a chance to succeed.
I live in Hawaii and desperately want this show to work, however, the high-school kids they have writing it have a different goal in mind. Like the blogger I say this is the last time, but it's so much fun to poke fun at all the inconsistencies and silly names they come up with for local people and places. I swear every Hawaiian name for a person or location is literally the name of a main street. I think they use the local map book to come up with half the dialogue. If I lived in Kahala I'd be more than miffed that they seem to want the rest of the civilized world to think that yakuza and murder victims are the only people that live in my neighborhood. Last night they used the main Honolulu library as the district court. Why not use the real fricken district court? I have personally worked with the coroner and she doesn't go out into the field to work murder investigations. Speaking of the coroner, what's a Japanese guy doing with an Anglo last name? Sure I could speculate but there was no effort by the writers to explain it. And there's Danno, his excessive hand and arm movement that he requires to get his point across is extremely annoying.
Of all the starving actors out there you're telling me they couldn't find someone better suited that O'laughlin and Caan?? Last night's episode involved McGarett rescuing his mentor from the clutches of the dreaded yakuza. I believe in equal opportunity but one of the henchmen was black. Is the yakuza having problems recruiting young ambitious Japanese bad guys? Is some continuity too much to ask? Enough, I could go on but I think you get my point. The theme song and locale can't carry this show forever.
Alex O' can act and does so very well as McGarrett. I hated three Rivers and Moonlight but loved him from seeing him in The Shield (my favorite show). So thought I'd try out HFo. He's much better than scenery chewing Scott. But guys hate on Alex on a regular basis.
Funny how they never did when he was on The Shield. I blame CBS for making him take his top off every other week and making all the men feel insecure.
Its a fun procedural and nothing more. It ain't The Wire but its slick, well produced and has a likeable cast. Its better than most procedurals out there and really its an action show just dressed up as a police procedural.
Feel free to hate on the show but stop declaring Alex can't act. David Caruso- now that's a bad actor!!
Scott Caan: The kid everyone knew in 2nd or 3rd grade ... You know, the classmate "who could not hold it in" during class, and had to grab the hall pass on the wall to trot to the boy's toilet.
Scott Caan = "The Doody Boy"
A serious "save the series" consideration/recommendation: Move the locale to Guam or Saipan for
1-2 episodes - drug bust, or Wo Fat encounter. Great drug smuggler hub, both islands, ripe with real life Russian mob types. After a brief hiatus from Hawaai fans will come to appreciate "the usual" Oahu repetitive crap.
Back up plan: Danny Williams meets Tony Soprano back in the Garden State, at an all night diner, or better yet, Satriale's Pork Store.
Season 2 was not as good as season 1. It's still my favorite show but the writers have to do better in the future.
I totally disagree with some of the points you made. Sure the show is all over the place, but some points you named as negative are what make the show interesting.
The bantering between Danny and Steve and the fact that they've become best friends is one of the main reasons I watch the show.
And you say people don't care about the relationship between Danny and Grace. Well...to me their relationship is a lot more interesting than a drug bust. Seriously, how many people are gonna watch yet another cop show for the crime plots? We've seen it all before. What makes a show nowadays is the relationships. It's why NCIS has been so successful, it's interesting because of quirky, likable personalities and strong friendships. Sure, original plots help, but it doesn't matter how interesting and action packed a story is if you don't give a crap about the main characters.
That being said I do wish they'd stop with the totally convoluted plotlines.
If Grace Park wasn't on the show, I wouldn't watch.
If it weren't for Alex O'Loughlin I wouldn't watch. Unlike most people here, I can't stand the banter and 'bromance'. It's wearing thin now and is forced. I hate it that such a good actor as Alex is reduced to playing the comic other half. The show excels with the action based on the Navy Seal. Why not then make a show based on that? I can't see the point of Danno - he seems to be there only to whine in that horrid whiney voice of his and screw up his face - what does he do exactly?He seldom lends anything to investigations? And we were promised ohana among the four stars but Chin and Kono have been relegated to 'background' figures.
I can't believe how the producers and writers managed to make such a mess either after the promise of that fantastic pilot. The stories are cliched and the plot flaws run into the thousands.
Please someone cancel this show and find something decent for Alex to appear in!
I don't mind convoluted plots if I like the characters and they are well developed. Can't say I'm invested in any of the characters except Steve. The writing is the problem with this show and I agree the producers have no idea what direction they want to take it.
Alex O loughlin is the best thing about the show and when they give him decent dialogue and some good action scenes the show can be very entertaining.
Scott Caan for me is the weakest thing about the show. I find his manerisms and voice really annoying and his character is useless. All he does is complain and whine. It's obvious the writers haven't a clue what to do with him. He seems to be there for the forced banter between the guys and the comic relief.
I really can't stand the character and if the show had better plots and less stupid childish dialogue from Danny, I'd enjoy it a lot more.
I guess that's why I tune in every week. It's the suspense generated by wondering if maybe, just maybe, this is the episode where they'll figure out what to do with these characters.
hawaii beach
I watched the first few episodes of the shows inauguration. My, ;new season try-out' protocol is this:Watch a show once, and if not completely disgusted try it out a time or two more before deciding. I figure that a new shows first couple of episodes are them putting their best out their to wow the potential audiences. I usually know if a show is going to be in my wheelhouse by the second show - the third show at most. But Grace Park kept me looking on for four shows before even SHE wasn't enough to entice me back. I've seen better shows than this get kicked to the curb after only three episodes. And so have a lot of you folks out there, too I'd wager.
I think all you people are idiots. I think this show is better then the original one.
Personally, I still find it fun. But for a program with good ratings, it's crazy how inconsistent they've been with the cast and storylines. Most annoying is how they don't just decide something isn't working and move on...they'll drop something only to bring it back and then drop it yet again.
Case in point is Steve's Navy girlfriend: She was there, then gone, then after a long stretch where you'd forgotten about her entirely she's suddenly back again, only to immediately be sent off once more... Steve's sister got the same treatment. Then there was not just one, but two new females on the team in quick succession, only to have them BOTH be gone within a few episodes. Why all the flirting if Steve and the one girl are NEVER going to get together? Why have his sister find the tool box of clues if she's going to immediately be sent off never to be seen again?
Grace Park's character really never materialized, which is a shame because she was great on Battlestar Galactica. I liked Danno's storyline with his ex-wife, but they dropped that before they'd ever fully reunited and now it seems like she's going to be off the show.
Just total indecision on all fronts.
Scott Caan/Danny Williams holds the show together. His married couple banter with Steve provides all the best dialogue and they need his comedy relief since the rest of the main cast is dead serious 95% of the time.
Too bad it looks like they're going to screw up Danny like they did the rest of the show. He's always been the outsider from Jersey who's only there because of his daughter. He still wears a tie, he doesn't try to speak Hawaiian, and all that is good because it makes his character different from the rest. But now it looks like they're setting the table for his staying in Hawaii even if his daughter moves. I hope they don't play it that way, because it will totally destroy everything his character was about.
I wouldn't mind seeing more of Grace Park googling in a hot bikini.
I put it on DVR to see how long it will take me to get a still of the girl in the bikini in the opening credits.
At last!!! I found a site where my own views of the New Hawaii 5-0 are in synch!!!!!! I am an admitted fan of the original 5-0 you know, the one where Hawaii itself was actually the main character (loads of views of ocean, scenery and all that goes with it). I did try to watch the show, but gave up almost immediately - it was horrible. I read that james macarthur, the original Danno, died a couple of weeks after the new show air. I commented on this to my sister, who said "he must have seen the new 5-0". I think that just about sums it up. What a terrible waste of air time. Is Caan really good, or is he just the son of... Please give me back Kono, the real Hawaiian and not a boyish girl surfer. I could go on and on, but I won't. Your blog says it all. Take this waste of t.v. airtime off the air!!!
I have been watching 5-0 off and on when I didn't have anything better to watch. It appears to me to be written by twelve year olds, or maybe for twelve year olds. I'm not impressed. The original series was good. The new series, not worth my time.
I lived in Honolulu when they were filming Hawaii 5-O Worked at the Ilikai Hotel in Security as the Desk officer, and knew most of the cast. They knew how to dress and act well, they picked a lot of locals for their cast, which made it more real. They didn't have as much dialog as the new version, but had a lot more action, and a lot more scenery shots, and not continue closeup shots like Dragnet. Continuality is poor, as they jump all over the place. They dress like the Mod Squad, with no kind of authority, more like a soap opera, than a exciting TV show. Timing is very important, and there clock is wacko.
I really enjoy this show, but then, I also like eating at Wendy's. Not every night, but from time to time. A number of the complaints here are valid, but kind of beside the point -- this isn't great drama, but it's fun. My only real complaints are the addition of Masi Oka (who can't act and is incredibly annoying) and the weak writing for Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim (two incredible actors, each of whom could star in their own shows).
I'm so sick of this dumb show and I'm so sick of hearing about stupid wofat. I cannot believe CBS is letting this joke go on. The writer of the show need some new material. Who is blowing who for this job?
The only reason I watch the show is in hope they'll bring James Marsters(Victor Hesse) back.
How could you guys dislike this show, i find it amazing, its fun, it gives you a great feeling, it has great plots (sometimes) Danno and Steve's arguments make me laugh and its an overall fun time. Its one of my favorite shows on TV at the moment!
Thank you, Ken Levine! Isn't the Masi Oka character a reprise of the Che Fong character from the original series? That's a good thing, I believe. I think it would help if Oka's Bergman character talked more and the other characters talked less. No need to explain EVERYTHING (unless you are Dr. Bergman/Che Fong and you are COMPELLED to explain everything....)
Helen o Kekai
As a resident of Hawai'i I think this show SUCKS! Scott Caan is an absolute embarrassment and every journalist hates him...He is so full of himself...And like his pompadour haircut makes him look taller than is 5'4" status?
Jack Lord is revered here! We have statues of him..He was the BEST! Alex is another nice Australian boy with an American accent..but enough! Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Simon Baker and now Alex O'Laughjlin? Jack Lord was a commander in the Naval Reserve and no one called him Commander McGarrett in the show unless he was in uniform. And NOW there is Christine Lahti as Alex's spy mom! I watch it just to laugh at it. They get from downtown Honolulu to Ewa Beach in 5 minutes when Honolulu has the very worst traffic jams in the USA!
And what is with the leather gloves that they all wear when shooting their assault weapons???? It's HOT in Hawai'i! NO ONE Wears gloves...ever!
At least they finally stopped making fun of haoles! (White people). My haole husband was beaten to death by some locals and each public school has "Kill a haole day."
And a black governor? Puh-lease! The only black people are in the military on bases. We have had Filipino, Hawai'ian, Japanese, white female and male governors but you will NEVER see one popolo (black) governor!
It really, really is a very bad show!
Thank you.....well said..i mean the show is great I dont know why people hate it so much...tv
I think that nobody from here understand what is sequel, because all you write here is dumb like a tree.
New hawaii five-0 it's not the old version in 2010 , it's only based on original show, so I don't see a reason to hate a show only because you knew the original and you think it was better, honestly I watched the original series and its not that great , sure it has some kind of "magic" like every old shows, but they can't do everything like in the old version, because that years are old gone, today it's not about people it's about a money and honestly I don't like when they cancel a show after couple of episode, because there is much more haters than fans, even if the show its great.
Btw. I love new hawaii five-0, sure it has some low moments but its still has somethIng to offer, and if somebody don't like the show I don't see a f**king reason to say it in the Internet or everywhere, I don't like couple of tv-shows for a good reason, but I'm not saying that to everybody just to have a good fight in the Internet, because everybody has a favourites shows, and it's dumb to tell them you don't like, honestly I don't give a damn what you like and what you don't like in shows.
Find me a tv-shows which doesn't have a stupid ideas, bad plot, action, special effects and etc. I can guess you never find a one in this century.
Ps. Sorry I meant remake not sequel.
Wow all negative comments, well I guess why it does so well each week with ratings cause it's a crap show. Ok, yeah.
I still prefer the original 5-0. In the new version, I can't figure out Scott Caan, why does he swagger so much and talk like he's perpetually mumbling. Stand up man, lose the attitude. And what happened to McGarrett, he's no longer the leader, more like a limp follower. The saving grace is Grace, she's cute. The other saving grace is the beautiful shots of Hawaii.
THE problem is, they tried to make it Hawaii 5-o II. But that's where the whole thing fell apart.
So, Lt Commander McGarrett is the son of Steve (Jack Lord). Ok, I can buy that it sometimes happens.
BUT how about Danny Williamns? Is he the son of the character played by the late James MacArthur?
And what about Kono? Not only does Grace Park's character loose a lot of weight, it also underwent a sex change. Played b Zulu in the original, Kono used to be a man.
The show tries to hard to cling on to the past. Even Luke Lukela appears. Who is he a son of? The original Luke - a uniform who walked the beat.
Then we have WoFat. The original used to be the size of Lt Commander McGarrett's ex Commanding Officer but the current one has undergone slimming.
They're trying too hard to make McGarrett a superman - remember TJ Hooker? He too USED to don special ops uniform. And even though Heather Locklear looked good as a special ops, she couldn't pull the role off.
The worse was when McGarrett went to North Korea and Danno, Chin Ho,Kono and rest went to bail him out.
It's just too Rambo.
I enjoy this show, I love the banter between Steve and Danno. A O'L is yummy eye candy and the beautiful Hawaiian scenery makes me want to travel there ......... Don't think about it too much! When I want something more serious and intense I watch Criminal Minds.
I love the banter, the eye candy and the beautiful scenery......don't think about it too much! When I want to watch something more serious and intense I watch Criminal Minds!
I love this series because I like the characters, their personal lives, and the great photography in Hawaii. I was a big fan of the old show, but after getting used to the new show (after the first few episodes) I find I like it even better than the old one.
Lynne Diligent
Wow, so much hatred for Five-0.
I caught an episode in early March and was hooked, and when I went back to watch the series through I fell even more in love with it.
It's generally agreed that the show's second season was awful, but in my opinion they straightened it around after Lori got the boot and the writing team remembered to focus more on their character development than single-episode plots. Viewers enjoy the sagaesque plots, the ones that seem to fade away but suddenly pop back up. This isn't indecision on the parts of the writers; it's quite deliberate.
Are a lot of the plots kind of outlandish? Absolutely, but I'm not super interested in watching another Law and Order. I want something different, and the ratings suggest that many viewers agree with me.
I watch it to try and identify place I have visited in Hawaii and to see Grace Park, of course.
The third series has been quite good fun. Admittedly they need some better writing on the main story arcs and you are right about the churn of actors, celebrity of the week etc. Hopefully they will finish off Grace's story soon.
I find Scott Caan is either totally wooden or just whiney. I find he seems to mumble most of his lines. Fortunately he seems to be given less and less to do as the weeks go by and as Alex O'Loughlin takes centre stage.
Scott is horrible and you hit the nail on the head about him. Furthermore he is always critical of his boss questioning Mc Garrett's every decision. Scott is stiff and comes across as a know it all. The old Mc Garrett would not tolerate it and was always In charge.
I can't stand Scott Caan's character because he comes across as stiff and Danno complains about Mc Garrett's decions and challenges Steve's authority. I won't watch it
Gottacook,
Harlan Ellison was just writing like many critics who were bashing television and still got money off doing it. He simply promotes the stereotype that critics are idiots. If you agree with him and use his comments as a measuring stick, you are as stupid as he was.
Jack Lord was not as talented as one-tenth of Al Pacini's instep? You call that drivel commentary? Try watching Hawaii Five-O again and brushing up on how to recognize personality traits and emotions. Jack knew how to portray those things in the mold of a police detective who has to supress his emotions. Also, take a look at Jack's roles in westerns, crime dramas, and spy shows before H5O, and then go choke on some crow.
You never bothered to pay attention to Jack Lord. You just watched the show to the pass the time and then criticize him when the moment arises. Jack showed more range than many other
Scott Caan, one of the biggest douches on TV!
The new Hawaii Five-O is an absolute travesty. Since when was the character, Kono, a woman? That's like recasting Miss Marple as a cross-dressing vicar.
Give me a break.
Jack Lord was one of a kind and made the show his own. I am acquainted with a Hawaiin artist called Michael Van Dorn (look him up on YouTube) who was an extra on the original series. He even looks a bit like Jack, which is why I want him in our proposed police movie, which will be filmed in Canada and Hawaii next year.
Anyway, the original is always the best. Jack Lord might have been a bit egotistical, but he was also a perfectionist. He showed up ready to shoot. If you were late, hung over, didn't learn your lines or didn't give it your best, Jack got annoyed with you. After all, he WAS Hawaii Five-0, and visitors world-wide who visited that beautiful place did so because of Jack Lord and the success of Hawaii Five-O.
Anonymous,
Jack Lord was not the least bit egotistical. That means that he was selfish and did things to better himself and to bring attention to himself. Where did he do that? There is no proof of it. Jack did a lot of work for charities, the environment, schools, veterans, training young actors and TV crew, and all without any fanfare. This is noted by those with whom he did charity work and worked on Hawaii Five-O. The egotists were the boors who criticized him - the media and certain cast members whose stories were nothing more than accusations with no proof. Jack was a lot more of a humble man than cast members on the new show could ever be.
Please put it out of its misery. It should never have been undertaken.
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I can't believe this blogpost is 2 years old and still SPOT ON! My husband and I record H50 and always sigh and say, "Okay, let's get it over with." We've never missed a single stupid episode. What happened to the Constitution in Hawaii? I swear the Jack Lord (I am 53 and remember the original series very well) at least followed Miranda warnings. At least SOMETIMES. McGarrett's use of torture makes Jack Bauer look my neighbor's nanny!
And why does Australian actor McLoughlin use a New Jersey accent for his Hawaii-born-and-raised character? Did they pay Scott Caan a little extra to be his coach?
The actors are all whites, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese and Samoans. (I forgot about the black governor, who was SUCH A TERRIBLE ACTOR they had to make him vanish.) Has a Hawaiian actor even appeared on the show?
I can't believe anyone watches I can't watch can part those stupid hands and all the nothing jabbering the so called super man is a nothing part that acting is the tough guy that is not even believable It's just stupid the other two should do something else because there not bad.Jim
The show is one of the worst on T.V.
I gotta say. yep. this show sucks. but I find myself going back to see what's next. the back stories and the story lines are ridiculous. they just slap stories together and hope you're too dumb to notice. what keeps me coming back is I like anything involved with hawaii. with that said grace park is one of the worts actors ever. I think it was season 2 and 3 where she looked right at the camera. now is this just bad editing or was this take 100 and the director needed to do a quick cliff dive into hell. also when you camera shoot the amazing computer video monitor in a scene make sure the camera man's reflection is not in it. this could work if it got rid of park, the slapstick forensics dude and the magnum pi wannabe fat hawaiian turned helicopter pilot. tighten the stories. make them more grittier. peace.
I prefer Hawaii Five O to Castle. Wonder what makes Castle so compelling (no, I've watched both of them so I know what I'm talking about). Contrary to other people, I want to see Hawaii Five 0 renewed because I love Alex.
Ray Winstone, the first few seasons of the original were anything but dumbbell. Did you even watch them? Try doing so before you comment. The new has gotten worse with each passing week.
I love the original Hawaii 5-0 particularly, it's the only show I know that (I suspect) used non-actors for bit parts: the shop keeper, the hotel worker, the clerk, etc. The acting was stiff and unnatural, but it was fun and I bet the locals had a blast being on TV. Also the plots of the original didn't constantly dwell on family issues or people dragged from the past like the new show seems to do constantly. Enough said about Scott Caan's swagger and constant complaining. Give me more of Jack Lord and crew.
I originally started watching just to get some of that old "Lost" vibe: the "island," and Daniel Dae Kim. Stayed for the great scenery and the theme song. Agreed: show has ridiculous plots, superhero antics by McGarrett and his superspy mom are over-the-top and Caan's character is wildly annoying. Yet there is some kind of freshness about it (maybe all the outdoor scenes) that lightens the mood and sometimes makes me smile. It's not supposed to be a serious realistic crime drama. Come on -- it takes place on the mysterious "island." Just waiting for Benjamin Linus to show up.
agreed with you Ken 100%...i never grew up in the 70s or 80s watching shows from that era. But what struck me about current tv shows is that, well, like you said, it's all over the top. They throw everything in the pot to try to keep "politically correct" sort to speak. When i watch tv shows, I just want to suspend everything that is happening in my own life and escape to another world. Current shows are either too stupid or they numb your senses. I mean, if I wanna watch sex on tv there's plenty of that. And I don't need to watch a show just because an actor who use to star in a previous one with a cult following, in the hope it would bring that same cult into that new show. I mean what kind of thinking is that? Classic shows like Hawaii Five-O with Jack Lord is like watching a good novel in screen mode. I just want to be entertained without feeling like I'm being used to generate ratings.
ok......so this is a place to use negativity to its fullest....i reserve my commenting to people are who are making intelligent remarks instead of venting...Peace to all of you....
Literally all of these comments are complete negativity. I personally love the show. Alex is a great actor, successful, and his Character's personal background in the show gives it that character vibe, so its got some procedural, but still plot twists here and there. Obviously the characters have lives outside of their team, and that gives it more suspense. The car arguments give the show a comedic tone and i think Steve and Danny's relationship is very cute and funny. Danny isn't always questioning and challenging Steve? Sure, sometimes, but he has reasons behind it and Steve gets them in trouble sometimes. Scott being too short to be a cop is probably the dumbest i've heard yet. There is nothing that indicates height with being a police officer? He is a great actor and his height is irrelevant. I don't think the show is too much, the writers balance it out and make it to where there's suspense, but they don't crowd everything into one part. This show is original and its different from all the others. They have their own material. So enough with the negativity, eh? Its a good show!
People on here just don't get it! OK, first off, it is a REMAKE of the original. Did you all expect the exact same type of characters with every episode the same? Well, no. and newsflash: Steve 'tortures' people because he has FULL IMMUNITY. However once there is a new governor, it doesn't slide as much. And people are also bashing Scott on here. Grow up! Plenty of celebrities go through shit with the media and paparzzi. so lay off, ok? And Steve doesn't have a Jersey accent on the show, nor does Alex O. have an American accent in person? Clearly nobody pays enough attention to form a valid opinion. This is annoying and immature.Cant believe some of these comments were actually allowed. Pffft.
Great show all action, with a little backstory and it's just fun and easy to watch. Who ever wrote this article needs lobster shoved up his arse. He's not going to accept this comment of course but mate you are a fuck. Did your parents throw you at a wall when you were younger? You have no idea what some people like watching. Please go play on a highway
Although I didnt grow up with the orginal Hawaii Five O- Id did on and off see epsiodes of the orginal series--now the orginal wasnt perfect some were good some were poor some were suspenful and some were average cop shows...one of the better ones was "Hookman" saw the orginal and the remake. I prefer the orginal....when I saw the pilot of the new remake-Ithought that Macgarrett Sr who get killed off was going to be a continutaion of the orginal Steve MCGarret who doesnt survied after being kidnapped shot poison blown up and blinded....was I ever wrong!
When i saw the first episode of H50 i was so disappointed. I like many made the mistake of comparing it eith the original. I gound myself saying, 'Mcgarrett would never do this or that....' I hated the fact that Danny and Steve bickered all the time. Jack L and James MacA never did. There was respect. 4 years later, i love love love the new 5 0 show. I have all the originals on disc and the new one too. I simply decided not to compare the shows. Treat them individually and watch with fresh eyes and mind. I have a stressful job, but once Alex and co are on i know i am hoing to be able to escape for 45 minutes of light entertainment. Infact its on my tele as i write this. Writing is weak but if I want something more intellectual i'll watch a documentary. The writers should keep things a bit kore real though.
Magnum P.I. and THE Hawaii 5-0 shows always respected the local scenes. They would go out of their way to film outside and get out of their Diamond Head studios. And if it willingly or unwittingly promoted tourism (a necessary evil, unfortunately), then so be it. This recent incarnation of Jack Lord's baby is a complete joke. They act like they would be inconvenienced if they ventured into the yard to film outside the studio. This series could be filmed in Indiana and it wouldn't make that much difference, because 90 percent of it takes place inside a room or inside a car. Every 3 months or so, I will stumble upon this piece of crap and I'll watch it for about 30 seconds and just laugh at the close-ups in the car (or some room) - while blurred images of "canned Hawaii" fly by in the background.
DannoHiggins have paid any attention to the show??? They film all over Hawaii. Think of most procedurals... much of the story takes place indoors. It is a cop show, not a show about vacation resorts and scenic views. Hawaii is a backdrop. Magnum PI had those shots because they utilized T.C.'s chopper a lot. Otherwise... indoors. Criminals aren't usually hanging out in the open to be easily seen doing whatever illegal activity they're doing.
All that pointless criticism aside, the show has its issues. Still, it has endured and gained a following, obviously. I won't pretend to understand what makes a TV show successful as many of you have. I watch the show and find it mindless guilty pleasure entertainment.
If you're looking for substance on television, then network TV is not where you should be looking. Almost all the shows on network TV are formulaic. There are very few really good shows. The rest are for their fans... you don't have to like it and don't have to keep trying to watch it. Find something else to watch or do.
It is easy to sit at your screen and criticize the writing and the actors, but unless you're actually producing or writing quality television or are a professional critic with a lot of "expertise" on the subject, save your whiny, negative comments and just find a good television show you enjoy. I mean... this blog was started in 2011 and the show keeps going. Must have something redeeming enough about it that people are watching.
Tazzio, The blogger and readers should refrain from "whiny negative" comments on the show, but you can make whiny negative comments regarding the Blog?
You almost go so far to admit the show is crap, but you watch it any way. People are entitled to make negative comments or criticize what they want please grow up.
The show is crap you really don't need to watch one episode to know this if you have half a brain. It's another formulaic cop show, dumbed down with all cliches included. You don't get Great actors on a show like this you get the recycled washed up TV actors. Further more Grace Park is a gross bag of bones. How any one thinks she is hot is beyond me.
The Show is weak in script, Scott Caan is their because of his father,
not a good Dano, Alex O'Loughin is a extremely weak Steve Mc Garrett,
no leadership in the show, it looks like Dano is his boss. The Scripts
are very bad, too short intro very cheesy graphics. The stories are all
over the place. Grace park and Daniel Dee Kim should play the main
roles, don't waist your time watch this very poorly made show. The show
is made very poor, where is Jack Lord when we need him. The people who
made this show never watched the old Hawaii 5-0, skip this show its
really bad. CBS must be shooting this show on a shoe string. Avoid this show at all costs, watch the old Hawaii 5-0 show's if you really want to watch a good Hawaii 5-0 show
I don't get all the hate,that I read on here since 2011. So first, y'all were wrong, here we are in 2015!! Some of us just liked it, perhaps mostly those who did not watch the original. We didn't have all those weird expectations.
I do believe Grace Park is there only to wear a bikini and that is offensive and seen all over television. It is all offensive as well as the disbelief I have that she could do any real police work.
I like the show. I like the development of the characters, except for the Grace Park bits.
Danny is more likeable, Steve is growing and learning, they are a family and its just plainly funny sometimes. The Danny, Grace story line is awesome.... maybe you guys who are sucky oh, I meant such experts should have looked into what a woman would like to see. I am sick of the screwed up cops who have fucked up their families story lines. That is so old.
So, I will remain a happy viewer inspite of all your dire predictions and hateful spewing.
Kaileigh Tara, Maine
May I comment on the original series? I'd been watching it on Netflix when they suddenly yanked it. I was on the 1974 episodes. Then they left up the last 2 seasons. Man, did the quality go down. The scripts were tripe; e.g. there was one about a neo-Nazi outfit that was silly. Maybe the series had to tone down the violence; one early episode had an innocent travel agent get brass knuckled to death. Anyway, the first 6 or so years of the Jack Lord series was really excellent.
I love this show. AOL is a great actor to me and hot as hell of course. Scott Caans character is annoying most of the time. Bromance is great between him and Steve but other than that he's boring. Whiny and just boring.
The original was good the first few seasons then it became boring. The new H50 is great and keeps getting better and Alex gets hotter each week.
The plots are formulaic, nothing that special but it's the personal banter/relationships that make the show. Caan's relationship with his daughter is wonderfully sweet and well-written, maybe the people that have trouble with that should stick to more mindless fare like The Big Bang Theory and reruns of Cops.
why can't they find an Hawaiian born governor.
The show is a nice show i really like the show but the only thing i don't like about the show is where Alex and Scott always arguing over simple things.Grace Parker i like that Girl she has a nice smiling face and very emotional.Daniel also is a great character but never seems to be lucky with the ladies.I hope one of them read this one day lol.
this show is the worst thing on tv and probably the worst thing that has been on tv for a very long time. i mean these cops could not get fired if they tried. they do so much crap that is illegal and nobody seems to care. and why worry about a plot when you can just make it up on the fly and people will watch it and apparently the network will pick it up because the girls are pretty. i am amazed this show made it thru 1 season let alone 5-6 seasons. ugh, can the networks please stop insulting our intelligence and create a good show is has been too long....
Good show
Lol and the show is starting season 7 ..i love it.. people it's tv stop taking it so seriously.
It's 2016 now and Hawaii Five-0 is still going. They must be doing something right then ;)
In the UK and just seen the episode that was done as documentary with an Oprah style woman hosting. Possibly the worst US detective episode I have ever seen
This is complete bull. Hawaii 5-0 is one of the few cop shows that makes since. As far as I can see this post is all opinion no facts and with that being I feel like all of you are over the age of 35 and don't get that the old is old and the new is new. And there are somethings that can't stay black and white and the shows with a strong story line most likely end after 2-3 seasons while Hawaii 5-0 is going strong at 7. I feel like there are a lot story personal story lines while the main plot changes after every episode. I feel like this plot is like most cop shows so instead of bashing on 5-0 because it's not like the old one is bull. They are making the series better and making it as they seem will go the best so with over 2 billion people watching on premiere night i believe most people would disagree.
I went back to the beginning and watched every season. My original comment was more negative. In watching it all, I will say my complaints about the show (really, constructive criticism) is to stop the bromance cat fighting between Steve and Danny for one. The other would be o try and not be so predictable. twist the story so people go WTF, i never saw that coming. It's action packed and the scenery is great. In all, I feel slightly better about it after watching every show.
I am 56 so I watched the original show, and I also watch this show. I am one of the few that have seen both shows. I personally love the new Hawaii 5-0. I love the Steve/Danno banter. I love Grace and Chin; I love the quirky supporting characters and the guest stars. I love Grace/Danno - I could go on and on! It all works for me. I don't compare this new show to the old show; they each have their own flavor. I have loved Alex since Moonlight (a show that should NOT have been cancelled). Anyway, 5 years is long enough for people to check in to complain about a show they hate but keep watching. If you don't like the show, don't watch, but don't ruin it for those of us who love it. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect - no show is. The point is that the show draws you in, it entertains.
So much hate on this blog post. Good to see that H50 is doing great for nearly half a decade now.
Millenials like fanboy James have no taste and epitomize what is wrong with the world. It all starts with TV! Why can't there have been a H5-0 snipper to take out beyonce & fake hubby & kids, the retardashians tranny included, viley virus et co? No, instead we have fictitious snoopers on a retarded show for utter retards. I started watching this last year for a few months, TNT-a-thons including, it makes no sense but worse, the retarded writers openly mock their moronic viewers by having 0 continuity!
Storylines & characters dropped alone. Alex 0'Retard can't act. All his previous series tanked 3 episodes in. Why this one didn't blame it on IVF'd milleniatards who are engineered synthetics with the gay genome anomaly. Alex 0'Tard, guy cant act. Gays eat shit up, him including.
The one with slitty eyes is annoying to look at he's so fu'ken ugly. The other Asian whispering Ian nonstop needs to be shot in the face for whispetarding! The 45 yr old Korean bitch is fuglier than korean sh!t! Ship them slitty eyed bitches to North Korea.
The only good? Danno & Davascos. Kill the rest spin these off tho Scott is too short and Mark now way too old to butterfly snap.
The filthy graphic gore is what killed this show for me.all of you viewers, writers and entire cast and prod need to be shot in the face and quadruple amputated. That will teach ya to enjoy, create and spread filth into the planet. Die assholes, die in a fiery car crash this weekend.
Amen. And if you don't approve this comment, fuck u and may Papa Legba off you first. :)
A few words about this series:
-The constant TORTURING. (fact: critical and true informations torture in REAL LIFE produces: ZERO!)
-The all-present military propaganda which reminds me of NAZI films- like most hollywood war movies.
-A military takes control over a police department and has good connections to the government.
Yet the stories are very entertaining to watch and I'm a fan. I don't understand the bad critics about the constant changes. I think it's really refreshing and brings more dynamics into the series (like in real life)
I had to stop watching because of the girlish bromance going on. I grew up with the original. It was a great show.
I understand it's been brought up to speed with the times but I say, if the original were brought back as a new series today, I think many people would like it as much if not more.
The original was true to life and more serious
This one is fluffy and they break more laws and protocol making it unrealistic.
Lastly, they are predictable every week. The guy Scott sucks
Couldn't watch more than 1 episode (pilot) utterly ATROCIOUS.
Just like you, each time I watched I said that's it. 6 Years later this rubbish is still on, how I don't know, maybe all the tourists that visited Hawaii just want to see the scenery, as one commenter said. Me too. I visited Hawaii in order to walk Jack lord's footsteps. One of the best moments of my life. No one can replace him as McG. As for Caan he had the audacity to say Jack was a relic and no one remembers him. He forgets without the original, Caan wouldn't have a job. He can't act anyway. No one will remember him in 45 years time and he won't have a memorial bust. The storyline is ridiculous. I agree with everything said in the first comments. How can they use Steve's old mercury and say it was McG's father's. they bring in the original August March who says he was put away my a young rookie, who was the new McG's father. We know the real Steve was never a rookie and also how can the new McG have a team all with the same names as the old team. Are they all decendents. Plain daft. The only one I like is the original chins son, Dennis Chun, but he should be ashamed to be seen in such a sham of a show. As you may guess I am a passionate fan of Jack and the original show. The sooner the fake finishes the better.
Waste of time , dexter walking dead, breaking bad, sesame street this show is for people who dont care to think about much of anything....
100 percent agree
Danny gets a lot of hate but I love him. I think Scott’s a fine actor. I don’t know where people get that he’s a bad actor. If you don’t like the character, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad actor. That’s the character, with all the mannerisms and quirks, that he’s paid to portray. As for being “whiny” or challenging McGarrett, how would you be in his place? Danny is a by the book cop for the most part and Steve often does crazy risky shit (I love Steve, but come on) and Danny has a kid to think about. I also find it refreshing to see a character that’s a man who is not emotionally constipated and wears his heart on his sleeve. He seems like the most realistic character to me. And honestly the main reason I watch the show is for the Steve Danny bromance. For me, if the characters and relationships aren’t likable, I won’t watch the show. And this show does a great job with it. I love Danny and Grace’s relationship and now Danny and Charlie. And as someone with anxiety problems, it’s nice to be represented in a character. And Scott plays it beautifully. Especially since he doesn’t let it stop him from being a good cop. And I know there’s a stigma around anxiety, but he’s very collected and not trigger happy when in the field. Also I find the banter hilarious. And for everyone who went off on Scott’s looks and height is just rude. And I’m betting the guy who said that Caan was too short to be a cop would be fine with a 5’4 female cop so I think we’ve uncovered a sexist here is this comment section. I will say one negative is the characters, main and supporting, are sometimes really stupid or I see things as an untrained young adult viewer that a trained cop should see. I know it’s a TV show but still. For example, when McGarrett didn’t pick up on the fact that, when an inmate asked for a pen and paper, he was going to stab himself in the neck. I thought that was obvious the moment he asked for the pen. Or when trained cops let people steal their guns from their holsters. I mean, again, I’m not a cop, but I feel that’s something cops wouldn’t let happen as often or as easily. But other than that, I love the show. And I think people are just too negative, which is ironic, because they were just hating on Danno for that very reason. This show was not a recreation of the original but a remake. If you watch a remake of any show or movie, it will have a similar premise but it will be drastically different. Because, first of all, that’d be boring since there is already a show like that (just watch that one) and second of all, it’s very plageristic and lazy to just copy the previous show. They created original characters and that should be applauded. So again if you want to watch a show exactly like the original Hawaii Five-0, just watch the original Hawaii Five-0. And my rant is over.
I'm sorry, but Koale is the most annoying actor that will break my viewership of this show. His facial expressions are disjointed, inappropriate and badly timed. What is up with all these smirks and subtle smiles that do not for into the emotional space that he's suppose to be creating. He just seems unable to match his facial expressions to the emotions he should be feeling. I fast forward through most of the scenes he is in! How could they pick such a bad actor for an important role in the team. Also, dressed in navy attire, he can't even nearly accomplish a military salute. Horrible! There are so many talented actors! I understand he's Samoan.... But, his acting skills are very limited. I'm very annoyed to have to watch him. I will have to stop recording this show all together unless they find an actor that can make us believe his emotions are real.
Ditto about Scott Cann. All he does is whine, complain, and nag at McGarrett. His character is SUPER annoying. I wish he would leave the show.
This show is garbage, why is it still on.
The acting is TERRIBLE, they could never master what the jack lord team had.
Don't try to bring back the old show. SHOW THE OLD SHOW!!!!!!
Impossible, the don't film in Hawaii. You shouldn't watch at all, you give them ratings. Stream the old show.
NO !!! Its still GARBAGE
The show stinks, it was never on track.
You got to be kidding me. Look at the old show, That was great, every episode. This show stinks!!!!
WRONG. YOU WANT THE REAL SCENERY, STREAM THE OLD SHOW. THE CAST MOVED TO HAWAII TO DO 5 O IN HAWAII WITHD REAL HAWAIIANH.
Stop wasting your time, the show stinks.
I love this H50 redux....you complain that Scott Caan is stiff ...sorry but stiff is Jack Lord as the original Mcgarrett and James Mcarthur as the original Danny...I think most of you are watching a different show...It's in it's 10th season...they must be doing something right...unlike some shows that are straight cop shows this one has some comedic aspects and police work but what carries it is the chemistry between Steve and Danny actually the real life chemistry between Scott and Alex...that's my opinion and obviously many other fans...TEN SEASONS!!!!
It's "hear, hear," stupid. Like what you do with your ears.
Amazing how many people don't like this show but continue to watch it AND take the time to complain about it on the internet. They're the real idiots.
They should of kept kono and chin ad the other actors minus grover are absolute rubbish. I liked the dynamic the 4 original cast had. Should of paid them more to keep them.
Caan is a terrible actor in this show, he mumbles like a drunk or a savant, is stiff, walks and carries his firearms very arkwardly, is robotic and emotionless, too short and not believable as a police officer. He comes across sometimes as someone doing a terrible imatation of his late father (R. I. P.), the great John Caan.
This show is disappointing and the acting of Caan and the other males are even more disappointing❗️Caan acts like he is all that and can’t seem to lose that pole stuck up his axx.
Get rid of all of them and start all over or just kill the show all together ❗️
As a fan of the original 5-0,all I can say about this diversified CBS remake is that it sucks,like all of their diversified remakes. Is the people who work for CBS so incompetent they can no longer come up with original ideas, rather than crucify a one of their TV CLASSICS.
Scott Caan Sucks , He'll Never Be James , He's all head basically a Joke ...
I agree about Scott Caine looking like a statue
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