I had tons of notes on this week’s episode but, my main thought focuses on the gang’s crime and the two overarching mysteries (McGarrett Sr. and McGarrett Sr.’s partner).
First off, wow. I can’t believe the gang robbed a bank. Considering McGarrett gathered the most technologically savvy, physically active, and weapons talented people possible, this is the group to do it. However, this week’s crime reminds me of Training Day and the daily line that law enforcement officials allegedly walk. Although we’ve seen McGarrett reject official fingerprint kits or toss perps into shark tanks to save time, this is the first time he’s stepped fully into darkness where he probably wouldn’t find gubernatorial absolution. Despite committing a wrong to generate a right, the season finale will probably reveal two wrongs don’t make a right. If Hawaii PD does not pin the entire crime on Chin Ho, the governor will disband the 5-0, or the 5-0 will go underground. Either way, ten million missing dollars will not go unnoticed.
However, I am glad that the week’s crime ties the two threads of the initial three episodes together. I can’t believe Victor Hesse was actually there for McG’s father. While I DO NOT want McGarrett’s sister back, maybe her snoopy photos are why Hesse knew about McGarrett Jr.’s “champ” investigation.
Overall, this was a fun episode, providing cohesion where the week’s crime existed in Chin Ho’s past and I loved watching Daniel Dae Kim step up to the mark.
I know the season finale is months ahead, but, after today, I’m definitely excited to see how they conclude the two main mysteries.
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Dec 15, 2010 @ 08:32 EST5EDT
I love the post picture. In fact, I thought the closing Christmas moments of the episode were very uplifting.
I usually do not like to shed any negative light on a “Grace Park” program, but I believe it is healthy to brave objectivity, even with the things you love. So I have a brickbat or two, along of course with some flowers.
Brickbat: The burning money.
No-one in their right mind throws ten million dollars in the fire. Especially a crook wanting to leave town. And as for the burning money….have you ever tried to burn closely packed paper? It is almost impossible to outright burn it without kind of leafing it out in the flames. They might have saved half that money if they acted quickly enough. Oh well….easy come, easy go.
Brickbat: Dano’s cavalierness.
I like all the protagonists and Dano is no exception. So this point concerns the directing, not the actor. Often, it seems whenever Dano begins to make a point he comes across as bordering on tongue-in-cheek. Like he’s Alice on the Brady Bunch. I would like to see him tone that down and lend more gravity to the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love banter, but not when it gets too predictible.
Flowers: McGarrett’s loyalty.
One of my most admired virtues in people is loyalty. McGarrett’s loyalty impresses me. It impresses me more than his encyclopedic knowledge or his seal’s training. I also like Daniel Kim as an actor along with his charactor (Chin Ho). Chin Ho deserved more than he got from that senator. What do they call it….thrown under the bus? They would not have had to actually GIVE up the money as they could have used the money as a tool to extricate Chin Ho….exactly as the loyal McGarrett ultimately did with the drug-bust money anyway. Great show of bravo and friendship from McGarrett.
Flowers: The incredible Kona.
The only other character that can match Kona in talent and versatility would be Boomer and Sharon from Battlestar Galactica fame. Oops….excuse me, they are played by the same actress aren’t they.
Just a note or two about the incredible facial close-ups of Kona in this episode. I wish I had the ability to convey how beautiful she looked. And her beauty is kaleidoscopic. i. e. she is world-class like in the serious scene when she approachs and speaks with the trapped Chin Ho. She is cute and pouty as in the scene in the computer-map room. Then, she is all the alluring femme fatale as she plans to cover McGarret with a high-powered rifle.
I found it deeply amusing that Danno had to mail-order that shabby little tree for his apartment. This time of year, there are Christmas tree sellers set up in supermarket parking lots and car dealerships all over Honolulu.
I do love the new show, but as a fan of the original, it’s bizarre how often Loughlin’s McGarrett flouts the law and declares himself to be a SEAL, not a cop.
The silver Bumblebee Camaro just doesn’t have the charm of the old black Mercury, though.
From the dialogue, it seems that no one had touched the secret special evidence repository in years. McGarrett expects that the theft won’t be discovered for a similarly long time, so they could choose not to pick up this thread until a later season.
Hesse is quite the idiot, isn’t he? I thought he would have the detonator on a deadman switch so McGarrett couldn’t just shoot him dead, never mind a sniper. And I totally forgot he was supposed to have an Irish accent.