Hawaii Five-O - PILOT - Discussion and Spoilers

[sojourner]

Call it past experience with television shows. We frequently see characters apparently killed, with no reference in the denouement to a missing body or whatever device, only to have said character return. It's a matter of artistic license I suppose, with the director having a variety of ways to choose how to handle the matter.

There's no guarantee at all that he will be back, Yet so many times when we don't see a body or iron-clad proof of the character being killed, we see the return of said character some time later.

Yeah, my past experience is that they usually make a comment about the body not being found with the hero making some kind of "dammit!" reaction. These people were way too happy.

As for Marsters character's motivation, I'll have to watch it again but I thought it was all about getting his brother back. Once that became impossible, he was trying to leave the island. What more is there for him? revenge? then why leave?

 

[davejames]

I wanted to like this, but just found it really flat and uninvolving. The main actor was completely lacking in charisma, and the banter with Caan and everybody else fell pretty flat too. The rest of it was just a bunch of tired cop show stuff.

The only cool part was the theme song at the beginning.

 

[AJBryant]

My take:

It's "Hawaii Five-0-210".

Dammit.

What does thise mean exactly? I've never watched Beverly Hills 90210, but IIRC it was a night time soap focused around a group of High Schoolers and their families. The term seems to crop up when the cast of a show or movie is composed of young attractive people. The cast of this show is in their mid thirties (and forties in the case of Kim) The cast of the original series ranged from thirty to fifty. So whats the deal?

They all seem like younger guys hanging out. Yeah, Kim is 40, but his character doesn't seem it.

In the original, they were all seasoned cop-types, except Dano, who was the young gung-ho rookie type. Here, they all come across -- to me -- as young gung-ho rookie types. Even the experts come across that way for some reason. I expected a middle-aged, established, Jack Lord-ish McGarrett.

 

[Skywalker]

My take:

It's "Hawaii Five-0-210".

Dammit.

What does thise mean exactly? I've never watched Beverly Hills 90210, but IIRC it was a night time soap focused around a group of High Schoolers and their families. The term seems to crop up when the cast of a show or movie is composed of young attractive people. The cast of this show is in their mid thirties (and forties in the case of Kim) The cast of the original series ranged from thirty to fifty. So whats the deal?

They all seem like younger guys hanging out. Yeah, Kim is 40, but his character doesn't seem it.

In the original, they were all seasoned cop-types, except Dano, who was the young gung-ho rookie type. Here, they all come across -- to me -- as young gung-ho rookie types. Even the experts come across that way for some reason. I expected a middle-aged, established, Jack Lord-ish McGarrett.

Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan are both 34. Daniel Dae Kim is 42. Grace Park is 36 (!). In this new series, McGarrett is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy (going by his shoulder stripes), with several years' worth of service in both ONI and the SEALs. Danno is a veteran cop who's recently transferred from New Jersey. The only way in which they may seem like rookies is that McGarrett had not been a career law enforcement agent before now, and Danno is new to Hawaii and still figuring out how things work there. Chin is also a veteran cop with presumably a fairly long career in HPD before being forced out. Kono is the only one who fits the rookie image, since she's only just graduated from the police academy.

I think it's just more that sensibilities are different now. The typical American guy is a lot more brash and outgoing, and less stoic and reserved like the Jack Lord types of the past.

 

[WHF]

Anyone believe that Mick St. John actually killed Spike?

I don't even believe William Sadler is dead.

I though the show wasn't terrible but there is too much good TV out there for me to spend more time on this.

Not on this time slot. Let's remember McGarrett replaced Horatio

My PVR makes the time slot irrelevant for me. For me this show has to compete with everything that currently airs and there are only so many hours in the week that I can watch TV.

 

[Samurai8472]

I wonder, if this show is successful could a remake of Magnum P.I not be too far off?

The ultimate crossover

Hawaii Five-O and Magnum P.I

I think that theme would be harder to update or maybe they'll keep the old one.

Both are CBS properties too

 

[Trekker4747]

Remake McGyver casting Jamie Hyneman in the Richard Dean Anderson role, work in Adam and Kari and you'd have a heck of a show.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Remake McGyver casting Jamie Hyneman in the Richard Dean Anderson role,

With a mullet.

 

[Trekker4747]

Remake McGyver casting Jamie Hyneman in the Richard Dean Anderson role,

With a mullet.

Nah, the bald head, beret and walrus-stache works nicely. Adam can have the mullet, though.

 

[Base_Delta_Zero]

Excellent. I knew I'd be sticking with this show when McGarrett racked the slide back just enough to see there was a bullet chambered. Then he later changed mags after only a few shots when moving between firefights to make sure his gun was fully loaded. AND THEN they just ran people over that got in their way AND THEN Danno drops his pistol for a handy AK when given the opportunity!

On top of everything Locutus said, how can I not love this show.

Alex O'Loughlin's back on my mancrush radar after his disasterous Three Rivers pit stop.

 

[Nerys Myk]

My take:

It's "Hawaii Five-0-210".

Dammit.

What does thise mean exactly? I've never watched Beverly Hills 90210, but IIRC it was a night time soap focused around a group of High Schoolers and their families. The term seems to crop up when the cast of a show or movie is composed of young attractive people. The cast of this show is in their mid thirties (and forties in the case of Kim) The cast of the original series ranged from thirty to fifty. So whats the deal?

They all seem like younger guys hanging out. Yeah, Kim is 40, but his character doesn't seem it.

In the original, they were all seasoned cop-types, except Dano, who was the young gung-ho rookie type. Here, they all come across -- to me -- as young gung-ho rookie types. Even the experts come across that way for some reason. I expected a middle-aged, established, Jack Lord-ish McGarrett.

Chin Ho was an older cop ( older than McGarrett even) Danny and Kono were both younger cops. Not sure thery were supposed to be gung ho or rookies. TV cops have changed and so have audience expectation. TV cops aren't straight laced guys in suits anymore. They banter more and have quirks beyond wheelchairs or blindness. ( yeah I'm old ) And I gotta say they sound morel like the way my friends and co-workers interact, minus the car chases and gun battles.

 

[Star Wolf]

Excellent. I knew I'd be sticking with this show when McGarrett racked the slide back just enough to see there was a bullet chambered. Then he later changed mags after only a few shots when moving between firefights to make sure his gun was fully loaded. AND THEN they just ran people over that got in their way AND THEN Danno drops his pistol for a handy AK when given the opportunity!

On top of everything Locutus said, how can I not love this show.

Alex O'Loughlin's back on my mancrush radar after his disasterous Three Rivers pit stop.

That was the weakness of the pilot. The SEAL stuff, the gunship ambush and all they got right. Besides Danno calling for a search warrant before McGarrett took over there was no "real police" procedures evident

 

[Owain Taggart]

I wonder, if this show is successful could a remake of Magnum P.I not be too far off?

The ultimate crossover

Hawaii Five-O and Magnum P.I

I think that theme would be harder to update or maybe they'll keep the old one.

Both are CBS properties too

That would be harder to do, I think. Magnum P.I was in my opinion more iconic. It's a bit like remaking Dukes of Hazzard.

 

[Star Wolf]

I wonder, if this show is successful could a remake of Magnum P.I not be too far off?

The ultimate crossover

Hawaii Five-O and Magnum P.I

I think that theme would be harder to update or maybe they'll keep the old one.

Both are CBS properties too

That would be harder to do, I think. Magnum P.I was in my opinion more iconic. It's a bit like remaking Dukes of Hazzard.

Vietnam and being on the losing side was such a large part of Magnum I don't think a bunch, of desert fighting Iraq vets would work. A new Magnum would be totally dependent upon the actors not like 5-0 with its built in hook.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I wonder, if this show is successful could a remake of Magnum P.I not be too far off?

The ultimate crossover

Hawaii Five-O and Magnum P.I

I think that theme would be harder to update or maybe they'll keep the old one.

Both are CBS properties too

That would be harder to do, I think. Magnum P.I was in my opinion more iconic. It's a bit like remaking Dukes of Hazzard.

Vietnam and being on the losing side was such a large part of Magnum I don't think a bunch, of desert fighting Iraq vets would work. A new Magnum would be totally dependent upon the actors not like 5-0 with its built in hook.

Right, that's just one reason why it wouldn't work As a continuation on the big screen, maybe, but as a reboot? I really don't think so.

 

[Brolan]

Excellent. I knew I'd be sticking with this show when McGarrett racked the slide back just enough to see there was a bullet chambered. Then he later changed mags after only a few shots when moving between firefights to make sure his gun was fully loaded. AND THEN they just ran people over that got in their way AND THEN Danno drops his pistol for a handy AK when given the opportunity!

On top of everything Locutus said, how can I not love this show.

Alex O'Loughlin's back on my mancrush radar after his disasterous Three Rivers pit stop.

That was the weakness of the pilot. The SEAL stuff, the gunship ambush and all they got right. Besides Danno calling for a search warrant before McGarrett took over there was no "real police" procedures evident

This is a show about "cowboys", any relationship to real police work will be purely coincidental.

 

[DigificWriter]

Since there was some confusion expressed earlier, I thought I'd lay out the 'experience dynamic' in terms of each character, as per the pilot:
McGarrett: Army officer
Chin Ho: 'Seasoned'/veteran cop who worked with McGarrett's father, but was forced off the police force due to accusations of corruption
Danno: Veteran cop who transfered to Hawaii from New Jersey
Kono: 'Rookie' about to graduate from the Police Academy

McGarrett may be the leader of the group, but he isn't the most experienced when it comes to handling actual police work; that honor goes to Chin Ho, with Danno being the next most experienced.

 

[sojourner]

So, maybe if you were still a kid these new actors would seem less like "young rookies"? Your perceptions of young and old have changed since the original 5-0.

 

[Skywalker]

Since there was some confusion expressed earlier, I thought I'd lay out the 'experience dynamic' in terms of each character, as per the pilot:
McGarrett: Army officer
Chin Ho: 'Seasoned'/veteran cop who worked with McGarrett's father, but was forced off the police force due to accusations of corruption
Danno: Veteran cop who transfered to Hawaii from New Jersey
Kono: 'Rookie' about to graduate from the Police Academy

McGarrett may be the leader of the group, but he isn't the most experienced when it comes to handling actual police work; that honor goes to Chin Ho, with Danno being the next most experienced.

McGarrett was actually a Navy officer. He graduated from Annapolis, spent a few years in Naval Intelligence, and then a few more years as a SEAL. He was a Lieutenant Commander at the time of the pilot episode.

Sorry for being picky. I'm a military brat.

 

[Star Wolf]

So, maybe if you were still a kid these new actors would seem less like young rookies? Your perceptions of young and old have changed since the original 5-0.

I was just noticing the other day that all or LAPD's patrol officers looked young enough to be my child. One of those moments like when Keyshawn Johnson who my little brother helped coach in high school retired from the NFL.

As for Chin Ho versus Danno in actual detective versus general police experience who knows. It seemed strange that a security guard picks up the latest equipment and plugs right in. Now was that laser bug HPD or SEAL technology?