Thoughts on Season 9 --- BACK FROM THE DEAD!!!

Posted by Jeffman61 on (Mon Aug 16 2010 17:32:37)

OK,
I've managed to watch the first 3 episodes of Disc 3. Thought that I would write my thoughts in a thread while they are somewhat fresh in my memory.

"Let Death Do Us Part"

Hey, I've found a definite 3rd episode besides "Diary of a Gun" and "To Hell With Babe Ruth" that I will put in a future thread topic that I plan on putting on this board entitled: "The Worst Hawaii 5-0 episodes of all-time". Move over "Diary" and "Babe Ruth", "Let Death" joins you as one of the worst episodes that I've viewed in this series. I did decide to go with the word "convoluted" to describe this dreadful episode. So much confusion abounds in the episode which never are explained. The most significant one is how long ago did the "supposed" murder of Helen Newhall take place? After the trial in which he was convicted of murder, how long was Jim Spier in jail? It's mentioned that he twice could have applied for parole, but never started the process. The original investigating lead cop Karl Norton had long retired from the force. So was it 8 , 10, or 15+ years since the murder took place? Couldn't this possibly have been written into the script? It would have been nice to know.

McGarrett was correct in his analysis of Anita after witnessing the ouija board, seance between the "dead mother" and herself. Talking with Danny in a later scene both of them agreed that Anita was a few cards short of a full deck. The only thing that made sense in this episode. The lady was a fruit-cake!

I simply did not understand the scene in which Anita Newhall "accidentally" shot Karl Norton. And what made it even more baffling was after Spier did surrender to the 5-0 team and was interrogated in his office by McGarrett, Spier gave the opinion that Anita meant to shoot him, but accidentally placed a bullet into Norton instead. Huh? After aiming the gun at Spier who was standing still below Anita, she deliberately swung the gun towards a different angle, aiming it at Norton before pulling the trigger. Accident? Was Spier somehow trying to cover up for Anita? And if so, why? Clearly, IMO Anita shot Norton dead in a cold-blooded, calculating manner.

Although I do visit Mike Quigley's site, I deliberately do NOT read his synopsis of each episode before viewing it. Same with this episode, so I did not read Mike's thoughts beforehand. Still, after Che had made it clear that they were unable to make a positive identification of the body in question I had a strange feeling that it was NOT Helen Newhall who had been murdered. Instead it was the not-to-be-seen Edna Kentner character who always could have provided in alibi for Spier, but of course could never be found by authorities; enabling Spier to have been acquitted of the murder charges.

I've got to pick on Chin Ho and Duke again for their blundering police methods. About two-thirds the way into this complicated episode they tail Spier's new girlfriend, the hairdresser Claudine Hessler to her home. (And one can note the difference in Chin Ho's and Duke's "tailing" methods between this episode and what they employed in the earlier episode "Last of the Great Paper Hangers". In this episode Chin Ho tells Duke that they will "lay back and give her plenty of room. We don't want to be spotted".) Chin Ho and Duke thought that Claudine was harboring Spier in her home, and as it turns out they were right. However, here is the problem with their police work. When they pull up to her house, Chin Ho calls into the dispatcher, indicating their location. But, they don't ask for back-up. Hello, guys. For all they knew at the moment, Spier was a convicted murderer who had broken out of prison. It's not as if Chin Ho and Duke were going after some common pick-pocket thief. As it turns out, Spier eventually turned the tables on them behind the house sneaking behind Chin Ho and Duke, and to their unexpected surprise. If a thing happened like that around where I live, I would expect that at least a dozen cops would show up armed with bullet proof vests in order to catch an escaped criminal convicted of murder. It would not just be two cops showing up in jackets and ties. To top it off, the dialogue exchange between Chin Ho, Duke, and Spier was ridiculous. "We got you Spier", stated Duke. "No, I got YOU", replied Spier after he had managed to get the two members of 5-0 to drop their weapons. Only Spier then turned over his gun over to Moe and Curly, surrendering himself. Ahh, right!

The final scene involving McGarrett, Danny, the re-appearance of Helene Newhall, and her daughter Anita was the topping on this very bitter cake. Totally forgetful. Convoluted! Truly bad!

Mike Quigley's giving this episode one and a half stars was very generous. Take away the half star, and give it one instead.

Double Exposure:

This episode, as well as the next one, "Yes, My Deadly Daughter" were solid, and well done.

I do have a special story to tell about the actress Meg Foster, who appeared as Danny's love interest "Anne Wearing". I know that Ms. Foster was in an earlier episode of H 5-0, Season 5's "The Child Stealers". But, I know of Ms. Foster, (a sort of Kirstie Alley look-alike) for another reason. Back in 1985, I took a bicycle vacation out in Northern California with a tour group. The second day of the trip, we pulled into a little town about 80-90 miles north of San Francisco. The quaint little town is called Mendocino. It's right along the Pacific Coast. We stayed for a few days, and we had the opportunity to walk around the town on our own. To this day, I remember turning a corner and walking head onto a street that was blocked off with police barricades. There were camera trucks and crews and they obviously were filming something. Lo and behold I recognized the actress Angela Lansbury standing off to the side. They were filming an episode of her 1980's show "Murder, She Wrote". It turns out that all of the episodes which took place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine were actually filmed in the town of Mendocino throughout the show's long run on network television. The next day, armed with my camera this time I went to the same street. Sure enough standing in between takes was Angela Lansbury again, the late Chuck Connors, (who was making a guest appearance as an FBI agent), Tom Bosley who was Sheriff "Amos Tupper" for many episodes, and a fairly young actress, who I didn't recognize but who I soon found out was Meg Foster. The episode which came out later that fall was entitled "Joshua Peabody Died Here. . . Possibly". If one was familiar with "Murder, She Wrote" in every episode someone was always killed in the plot. And the "Jessica Fletcher" character, being an amateur sleuth would always solve the crime by episode's end. In this episode, it was Meg Foster's character who was the murderess; being revealed by Lansbury's "Jessica Fletcher" as to why and how she committed the crime. I still have those pictures today, stored away safely that I took 25 years ago; stumbling onto the location of where the show being filmed in this out-of-the-way small town on a bicycle tour vacation!

I also thought how ironic my situation in filming what I did 25 years ago on my vacation with what Anne Wearing was innocently doing at the beginning of the episode. Good thing I didn't catch anything, or anybody on film that I wasn't supposed to. Anne Wearing without realizing it caught on camera a syndicate head in Vincent Kaouli who everyone assumed had died in a boating accident. The accident designed to prevent him from being prosecuted for the criminal activities that were a part of his organization. Ms. Wearing could have very easily ended up dead like at least 3 other characters; all because she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and she snapped a picture.

Like alpha's take I too found the scene in which McGarrett's sarcastically, (but with good nature) reacted to Danny using his private office and phone to make a "social call" to his girlfriend as one being good-natured ribbing between the 5-0 head and his long-time trusted second in command. Still, I got the feeling that Danny had better not attempt that stunt again, in the subtle message that McGarrett did send.

I'm wondering if David Thayer who played the "Doyle Weston" character was as sick in real life as "Weston" appeared to be in this episode? Did anyone note the baby food that it seems that he ate for nourishment viewable in at least two scenes? Whatever was ailing him so explicitly was never revealed in the plot. David Thayer passed away less than two years after this episode aired on television. I know that it was make-up, but "Weston" look ghastly in this episode, like death was right around the corner even if he wasn't shot to death.

Speaking of being shot to death: Those must have been some powerful bullets, coming from the gun held by Seth Sakai's "Vincent Kaouli". Kaouli, apparently was able to implant three bullets into Doyle Weston with the bullets passing through a solid wood door as if it was tissue paper. And the wood door hardly splintered despite the bullets passing through it. Now if Kaoli's goons had not shut the door after Weston passed through it, and if he were shot directly with no obstacle in the way it would have been completely believable. That wasn't exactly a cheap house that Kaouli was "hiding" at after reappearing seemingly from the dead. One would think that the front door had quality craftsmanship, and the inability for bullets to simply pass through it with no resistance.

This scene, plus the ensuing chase with McGarrett in the helicopter eventually taking out the escaping Kauoli and his goons, with the car eventually in flames was mediocre. How was it possible that the criminals all returning fire back at McGarrett and the helicopter from the car all missed wildly? 3 stars, possibly higher with a more plausible ending beginning with the scene in which Weston was cruelly gunned down.

"Yes, My Deadly Daughter"

I actually liked this episode better than "Double Exposure". As is my usual custom I went to the actors' bios, those involved in this episode. I was trying to find out how old Irene Yay-Ling Sun, the daughter "Lee Mei" was at the time of this episode. It turns out that her date of birth is not listed. But, there is a picture of Ms. Sun as she appears today. She looks very regal looking, one can easily identify the actress as she appeared in 1976 the time that this episode was filmed.

I took particular note of Lee Mei's different clothing costumes throughout the episode. In the scene in which she meets her boyfriend Jerry Quan in the warehouse, which was a set-up for his murder by Varna, I noticed her hair being in two pony-tails. Almost as if Lee Mei was the characterization of a young, innocent teenage girl in a manner of speaking. Only Lee Mei was anything BUT a sweet, innocent, and harmless young lady. She was full of greed, vengeance, and loathing both of her boyfriend Quan and her father. BTW, in that scene in which Varna confronts her as she is wearing a bathing suit, Lee Mei looked mighty fine, indeed.

Just as you did alpha, I too noted the money hide-out scene as being similar to the "Legacy of Terror" final scene episode. I as much as said it out loud.

I recognized the boy, "Bobby Kalani" who witnessed the opening scene in which Quan drove by him in the vehicle with his hood friends, as being the actor (Remi Abellira) who starred in various H 5-0 episodes dating back to Season 2's "Blind Tiger". In that episode, he was the young kid who McGarrett paid to wash his car, and who witnessed the criminal placing a bomb in the car which nearly killed the 5-0 head. Obviously through the 7 year time gap, Remi did age from a young pre-teen boy to a much older adolescent kid.

I was somewhat surprised by the ending. I thought that Varna WOULD sell out his boss Chang Lui, (Kwan Li Kim in yet another solid H 5-0 guest appearance) and split the 4 million with Lee Mei. I also thought that if given a chance, with the greed that was a part of her being, Lee Mei would have surprised Varna and killed him; keeping the entire loot. Perhaps, Varna anticipated this which was why, for his own self-preservation, (believing that either Lee Mei would attempt to kill him or Chang Lui would have because of his disloyalty) he DID inform his boss of his daughter's duplicity. I wonder if, had the 5-0 team not shown up, would Chang Lui have killed his own daughter on the spot for her culpability, and dishonesty towards him. Chang Lui did ask her to apologize and he would spare her life. Lee Mei as much as spit in his face revealing her utter contempt and hatred towards him. I believe that the father would have shot her dead, daughter or no daughter.

In the end, just as in the previous episode we were treated to McGarrett taking to the air in a helicopter in order to catch the criminals. Only as opposed to what happened in "Double Exposure", McGarrett didn't need to pull out his trusty shot gun; taking down the criminals from above.

As I said, like "Exposure" this was a solid episode. Along with "Nine Dragons" and "Paper Hangers", these last two episodes are the best SO FAR of Season 9. After viewing the absurd "Let Death" I was beginning to believe that Season 9 was the beginning of the end for H 5-0, with Season 8 having been vastly superior in terms of quality. With "Exposure" and "Daughter" their still was quality to the episodes, though not as consistent as the previous season. I know that Disc 4 will contain two superior episodes with "Elegy" and "Man in a Steel Frame"; both rated 4 stars by Mike Q.

I will add another thread after viewing the final episode on this disc "Target - A Cop"

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Mon Aug 16 2010 17:32:58)

Extending to 20? Sure I'll participate. - ringfire211

Let's say twenty to twenty-five. Jeff is shooting for twenty. However, I already extended my list after Season 8, and my current total stands at nineteen. I've already selected two episodes from Season 9, so I'll have at least twenty-one. And I might add an episode or two more before I'm done.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Mon Aug 16 2010 18:56:40)


"Let Death Do Us Part"

I've found a definite 3rd episode besides "Diary of a Gun" and "To Hell With Babe Ruth" that I will put in a future topic entitled: "The Worst Hawaii 5-0 episodes of all-time". Move over "Diary" and "Babe Ruth", "Let Death" joins you as one of the worst episodes that I've viewed in this series. - Jeffman61

I am in total agreement with you about this.

I did decide to go with the word "convoluted" to describe this dreadful episode. - Jeffman61

I actually came up with the exact same word as I was writing my notes, but you were the first to post it in this forum. We are totally on the same wavelength when it comes to this episode. I admire your attempt to figure it out the plot, but I reached a point where I just didn't care any more!

"Double Exposure"

I do have a special story to tell about the actress Meg Foster, who appeared as Danny's love interest "Anne Wearing". Back in 1985, I took a bicycle vacation out in Northern California with a tour group... It turns out that all the episodes of 1980's show "Murder, She Wrote", which took place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine were actually filmed in the town of Mendocino... The next day, armed with my camera I went to the same street. Sure enough standing in between takes was Angela Lansbury... and a fairly young actress who I soon found out was Meg Foster. I still have those pictures today! - Jeffman61

That is a special story. Thanks for sharing!

3 stars, possibly higher with a more plausible ending - Jeffman61

I felt the same way overall, but I was bothered by the fiery crash and not by the shots through the door.

"Yes, My Deadly Daughter"

In the scene in which she meets her boyfriend Jerry Quan in the warehouse, which was a set-up for his murder by Varna, I noticed her hair being in two pony-tails. Almost as if Lee Mei was the characterization of a young, innocent teenage girl in a manner of speaking. Only Lee Mei was anything BUT a sweet, innocent, and harmless young lady. She was full of greed, vengeance, and loathing both of her boyfriend Quan and her father. - Jeffman61

Yes, the sweet innocent act was just that, an act.

I wonder if, had the 5-0 team not shown up, would Chang Lui have killed his own daughter on the spot for her culpability, and dishonesty towards him. Chang Lui did ask her to apologize and he would spare her life. Lee Mei as much as spit in his face revealing her utter contempt and hatred towards him. I believe that the father would have shot her dead, daughter or no daughter. - Jeffman61

I have no doubt that, given the chance, he would have killed her.

After viewing the absurd "Let Death" I was beginning to believe that Season 9 was the beginning of the end for H 5-0, with Season 8 having been vastly superior in terms of quality. With "Exposure" and "Daughter" their still was quality to the episodes, though not as consistent as the previous season. - Jeffman61

I agree. I prefer Season 8, but Season 9 is still decent. This season actually reminds me of Season 7 quality-wise. Overall it's good, but compared to Season 8 there are fewer peaks and more valleys.

I know that Disc 4 will contain two superior episodes with "Elegy" and "Man in a Steel Frame"; both rated 4 stars by Mike Q. - Jeffman61

I just completed Disc 4 and found ample proof that rating Five-O episodes is not an exact science. My average rating for the four episodes is a full star lower than Mike Quigley's. Details will soon be forthcoming!

I will add another thread after viewing the final episode on this disc "Target - A Cop" - Jeffman61

That was my favorite episode on Disc 3! I think you will like it!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Mon Aug 16 2010 20:38:27)


"The Bells Toll at Noon"

Wow, talk about overrated. Mike Quigley gave this one four stars, but I give it only one and a half. In terms of quality, lowest to highest, I place this between "Let Death Do Us Part" and "Man on Fire". That's right, IMO it's the second worst episode of Season 9 (so far). In fact Jeff, when you start your "Worst Hawaii 5-0 episodes of all-time" thread, I may put this on my list, along with "To Hell to Babe Ruth", "Let Death Do Us Part" and the immortal "Diary of the Dumb". I'd rather rewatch "A Study in Rage" than "The Bells Toll at Noon". Perhaps you have to be a Cagney fan to appreciate this one?

(edit 8/19)
My low rating for this episode is explained here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062568/board/thread/168442033?d=169130421
(end edit)


"Man in a Steel Frame"

Like Disc 3, the second episode on Disc 4, IMO, is a vast improvement over the first. Here Mike Quigley's rating and my own closely align. He gives it four stars, while I give it three and a half.

One thing that confused me about this episode was how Manicote and others were so quick to choose McGarrett as the prime suspect, even though there was irrefutable evidence that Steve was both hit on the back on the head and drugged. Sure, he could have injected himself with drugs. But there was no way he could have hit himself on the back on the head. And there was no syringe found in Cathi's bedroom. All of this points to the presence of a third person at the murder scene.

Some thoughts and observations:

- Robert Stambler who contributed the story for the Season 1 episode "One for the Money" returns to Five-O after a long absence.

- Barely four minutes into the episode and McGarrett's girlfriend is already dead! That has to be some kind of record!

- At the 16:30 mark, we're now back in the new "Iolani Palace" version of the Five-O office. This is the site of a touching scene where it's revealed that the rest of the Five-O team paid Steve's $50,000 bail.

- What the hell? Try freeze-framing this episode at the 31:41 mark. In my opinion, the creators went too far in making the unseen real killer faceless in Steve's memory. The killer is literally faceless! His eyes, eyebrows and mouth are covered with foam latex appliances. I pity the poor actor playing the faceless killer, as you can see he had mere pinholes in the appliances to see through. Now I admit that in 1977, when this episode first aired, there was no such thing as home video, and audiences had no way to freeze-frame. Still, even when played at normal speed, a keen eye can detect that there is something very "wrong" with this scene.

- I love when McGarrett loses his cool (scene starts at 42:07). What a great line: "I'm gonna burn you for it if it's the last thing I do on earth." You can really see the fear in Sam Wailua's eyes. This scene alone is responsible for raising my rating from three to three and a half stars.

- At the 44:56 mark, Elissa Dulce, pre-eminent Five-O babe, briefly returns as "Nali" (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/elissa/SteelFrame/). Thank you Mike Quigley for alerting us to this!

- At the 48 minute mark, as the music starts to change, I found myself saying aloud, "Please not another flashback." Guess what happens. I really would have preferred more footage of Elissa Dulce, more footage of McGarrett beating on Vaughn in the surf, more footage of just about anything than another cloying flashback.


"Ready, Aim..."

Mike Quigley gives this episode two stars, but I honestly can not say this is markedly inferior to the number of two and a half star episodes I've rated so far. In addition, I would say this is better than "Man on Fire", so I would give "Ready, Aim..." two and a half stars.

Some thoughts and observations:

- This episode features a young Edward James Olmos as Benny "Dancer" Dansero. That means actors from both the old and new versions of Battlestar Galactica appeared on the original Five-O. Dirk Benedict who played "Starbuck" in the 1978 Battlestar, appeared in Season 5's "Chain of Events". Olmos went on to play "Admiral Adama" in the 2004 Battlestar. More trivia: Grace Park who played "Boomer" in the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica plays "Kono" in the 2010 version of Five-O.

- At the 3:39 mark, we see Iso (France Nuyen) has one of those newfangled push-button phones.

- At the 3:50 mark, we see this is the second consecutive episode with the "Iolani Palace" interior.

- At the 16:01 mark, and later at the 48:22 mark, we see the exterior of the real Iolani Palace. I guess that means, in story terms, the Five-O unit moved back prior to this episode. In real world/production terms, I guess the "Iolani Palace" interior was built in preparation for the re-opening of the real palace, but there was some kind of delay with the location. Hence, we have a few episodes, starting with "Double Exposure", that have the "Iolani Palace" interior, with the Territorial Building exterior.

- At the 35:56 mark, we see a woman in Danno's office answering his phone. Does that mean Danno has his own secretary now?

- At the 43:11 mark, we see the walk-in freezer has an air vent big enough to crawl through?!? Apparently Morrison (Roger Perry) has never read Peter's Evil Overlord List (http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html). Note item #2.


"Elegy in a Rain Forest"

I also felt this episode was overrated, although not quite as seriously as the first episode on this disc. "Elegy" strongly reminds me of the episode it, ahem, borrows footage from, Season 8's "McGarrett is Missing". Not only does McGarrett find himself in the wilderness, and at the mercy of the villain, but there is a mute "native" character who helps McGarrett in both shows.

(edit 8/19)
I originally gave this episode the same rating as "McGarrett is Missing", two and a half stars. However, upon further consideration, I have decided to lower my rating to two stars. (Mike Quigley gives "Elegy" four stars.)

One reason I think this episode is overrated is, for all his bad reputation, Marcus Lucien doesn't come across as being particularly menacing. We are told that he is known as "The Butcher", and has committed multiple rape-murders in the past, but we don't actually see him commit any violent crimes (edit 8/21) - except during his escape at the very beginning (end edit). I took two fiction writing classes when I was in college, and my teacher's cardinal rule of fiction writing was "show, don't tell". This episode, (edit 8/21) for the most part (end edit), fails to do that.

Another reason I think this episode is overrated is, like "The Bells Toll at Noon", it doesn't play fair with the audience. "Elegy" makes a big point to tell us that Karen Manicote (Laurie Prange) is a virgin. Why else make us sit through an incredibly boring scene where Karen tells "nature boy" David (Edward Gallardo) that the greatest love of her life happened when she was ten years old?

Now to paraphrase Anton Chekov's First Rule of Playwriting: If a virginal girl meets a wanted rapist in act one, the rapist must at least try to rape the virgin by act three. What actually happens during "Elegy"? Well, nothing.

Don't get me wrong, I am not criticizing "Elegy" for a lack of on-screen violence. I'm criticizing it for a lack of internal logic. Marcus "The Butcher" Lucien, wanted for multiple rape-murders, meets a boy and girl in the forest. With that scenario, what are we to expect? We expect that "The Butcher" would murder the boy and rape the girl. The episode points us in that direction, in a manipulative effort to create suspense. But in the end I found it mostly manipulative and not very suspenseful. Logically, why did Lucien allow David to live? I can't think of one good reason. The script saves David so he can later save McGarrett, which is very convenient for McGarrett but not very logical.
(end edit)

(edit 8/20)
I just remembered that, near the beginning, Lucien does shoot a guard with a shotgun at point-blank range during his escape. And although we don't actually see the guard get hit, the event is portrayed with convincing brutality. But once we get to the titular rain forest, the level of violence is considerably toned down for unknown reasons. The rest of the episode plays like Five-O-lite.
(end edit)

There is an A-story and a B-story in this episode. The A-story consists of Steve and Danno trying to track down Marcus Lucien in the rain forest. The B-story is Chin and Duke trying to track down Lucien's confederate Homer Wamano in an urban environment. Overall, I found the B-story was much more intriguing.

Some thoughts:

- Starting at the 23:43 mark, great "chase-cam" footage as Chin and Duke pursue Wamano in their car.

- At the 34:26 mark, way to go Duke! The way you knocked out Homer Wamano, he never knew what hit him!

- What the hell? Once we get to the 41 minute mark, Marcus "The Butcher" Lucien, wanted for multiple rape-murders suddenly turns into a sniveling crybaby. According to the subtitles, he "whimpers", then "sobs". Then a minute later, just as suddenly, he regrows his spine.

- At the 44:18 mark, oh my God, you killed Kenny! I mean shot the Attorney General!


Recap of Season 9 (so far):

Two thirds of the way in, I find myself describing individual episodes as "solid but not stellar" or "solid but not spectacular" and that's becoming my overall opinion of Season 9. It seems for every peak there's a valley. Much like Season 7, there are several excellent episodes and several stinkers.

Best Episodes So Far (#1 being the best)

1. "Nine Dragons"
2. "The Last of the Great Paperhangers"
3. "Man in a Steel Frame"
4. "Target - a Cop"

Worst Episodes So Far (#1 being the worst)

1. "Let Death Do Us Part"
2. "The Bell Tolls at Noon"
3. "Man on Fire"
4. "Elegy in a Rain Forest"

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 17 2010 17:34:58)


I watched the final episode on Disc 3 several hours ago.

"Target - A Cop"

Thoughts,

Alpha, I love your own title for this episode: "Chairman". This episode most definitely recalls the great Season 6 opening episode "Hookman" because of the obvious similarities between the two villains. Both had physical disabilities. While "Hookman" Carl Stoner had his arms blown off in a bank robbery gone bad, in "Target" Don Stroud's "Nathan Purdy" became a paraplegic as a result of his being shot by a cop. Both seek revenge for their disabilities by killing police officers. I would wonder if Purdy got shot by the police during the course of a crime that he committed, (like Carl Stoner)? This was never explained, or at least I didn't follow it closely. Still, Purdy had an obvious vendetta against the HPD force. This was a solid episode, although not as good as "Hookman"; one of the top 10-15 episodes in the series' history.

There is a scene in which Chin Ho is the butt of a joke. Man, what did the script writers have against Kam Fong's character this season? In an earlier episode, "Tour de Force" he was mocked by an individual brought in for questioning; sarcastically and with obvious racial prejudice being derisively called "Charlie Chan". In "Target" at the first crime scene in which the policeman is killed by Purdy, McGarrett asks Danny to investigate all known criminals who would fit the description of a cop-hating killer - as a means of finding out who the culprit is. Danny replies that it would take a tremendous amount of time and effort, believing that his boss assigned the chore to him alone. McGarrett then states that Chin Ho would be assigned to help him. Danny then becomes sarcastic stating to his boss that (paraphrasing) "I thought that you wanted this investigation to be as short as possible, not longer were Chin Ho to help out". Funny, Danny, funny! Ha, Ha! I guess that in my analysis of Chin Ho with regards to his bungling police methods in several episodes this season that I'm guilty as well of taking shots at his character. What happened to the love for Chin Ho this season?

I wish that I had been able to see this episode, coming out weeks after "Double Exposure" back in the fall of 1976 during the show's first network airing of each episode at the time, (I was in college and was not into television at the time). I wonder if I would have recognized the great actor Seth Sakai as the bald-headed villain with the large ring in his left ear lobe in "Double" versus his character in "Target" as the police captain with an obvious full head of hair? Without the benefit of today's DVR technology in which one can replay network television episodes of shows, I'm betting that in watching "Target" back in the fall of '76, 2/3 weeks after "Exposure" I would NOT have made the connection, (especially without the benefit of immediate replay or not studying the credits at the end of each episode). It's amazing, an addition to the fact that we have these season collector's sets now available, that one can study episodes in much greater detail and depth compared to 35 years ago.

I'm sure that today, the cops with their scientific ability to gather forensic evidence from in a crime scene, (thanks, "CSI") would have gone over every nook and cranny of the area in which Purdy shot and killed the 2nd and 3rd police officers outside of the old lady's home. They would have found that watch in the bushes where Purdy accidentally dropped it trying to make his escape; not the case in which a neighbor luckily finds it later as he is trimming hedges. But, police science back in the mid 70's was at an almost medievial stage compared to what it is today with regards to the advancement in technology.

Speaking of scientific and technological advancements today regarding police procedure, wasn't it also interesting to see McGarrett in the scene the next morning following this second shooting. The 5-0 head notices what undoubtedly were the tracks on the ground left by Purdy's wheelchair. He then sees an old shopping cart parked nearby, measures the distance between the wheels by pacing it out on foot, looks at the tracks left in the dirt a second time, and then deduces, (incorrectly) that the tracks were NOT a clue to the killer's identity. I can imagine in 2010 that David Caruso's CSI-Miami character "Horatio Caine", with all of the scientific gizmo's at the ready amongst his team members would not have come up with the same conclusion as McGarrett did with regards to those tracks.

I, too noticed the conversation between Chin Ho and Danny as they got background checks of all possible suspects in the one scene. The two of them did come up with Purdy's bio as fed to them in a computer read-out background check. But, because the read-out stated that Purdy was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair, the two of them immediately, (and incorrectly) ruled him out.

In the final shoot-out scene McGarrett is incredibly fortunate that Purdy did not shoot him dead. The rabbit's foot given to McGarrett by the HPD officer did bring him much fortune and luck with regards to his very life. McGarrett at that moment had no idea that he was in Purdy's sights; gun cocked, finger on the trigger. At that split second before pulling the trigger, Danny burst through the door leading into the garage and right behind McGarrett's location. You're a lucky man, Steve McGarrett! Purdy like the character Carl Stoner in "Hookman" met a similar fate by episode's end. His dead body's next place of residence would be inside a closed coffin buried some 6-8 ft. underneath a pile of dirt.

This was the third straight solid and above-average episode on disc 3, following the very awful "LET me never again watch this episode. . . I mean, LET death do us part", the first episode on the disc.

Onto Disc 4.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Aug 17 2010 20:17:44)


"Target - A Cop"

Alpha, I love your own title for this episode: "Chairman". This episode most definitely recalls the great Season 6 opening episode "Hookman" because of the obvious similarities between the two villains. Both had physical disabilities. Both seek revenge for their disabilities by killing police officers. I would wonder if Purdy got shot by the police during the course of a crime that he committed, (like Carl Stoner)? This was never explained, or at least I didn't follow it closely. - Jeffman61

"Target - A Cop" states that just like "Hookman" Carl Stoner, "Chairman" Nathan Purdy was wounded in a bank robbery gone bad. You must have missed this plot point somehow.

I wish that I had been able to see this episode, coming out weeks after "Double Exposure" back in the fall of 1976. I wonder if I would have recognized the great actor Seth Sakai as the bald-headed villain with the large ring in his left ear lobe in "Double" versus his character in "Target" as the police captain with an obvious full head of hair? Without the benefit of today's DVR technology in which one can replay network television episodes of shows, I'm betting that in watching "Target" back in the fall of '76, 2/3 weeks after "Exposure" I would NOT have made the connection, (especially without the benefit of immediate replay or not studying the credits at the end of each episode). It's amazing, in addition to the fact that we have these season collector's sets now available, that one can study episodes in much greater detail and depth compared to 35 years ago. - Jeffman61

Yes, we can study the episodes in much greater detail and depth compared to 35 years ago. Apparently much more detail than the creators envisioned. As you will see, the Disc 4 episode "Ready, Aim..." all but spells out that the Five-O unit has moved back into the Iolani Palace. I just watched the episode promos for Disc 5, and I can tell just from the promo that the first Disc 5 episode, "Dealer's Choice -- Blackmail", has them back in the Territorial Building. Aye yi yi!

Onto Disc 4. - Jeffman61

As you may have noticed, my Disc 4 comments are already posted. My rating for one episode is significantly different from Mike Quigley's, so I will be interested to see your reaction to that one in particular.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by mister-mike on (Wed Aug 18 2010 15:51:54)

I would wonder if Purdy got shot by the police during the course of a crime that he committed, (like Carl Stoner)? This was never explained, or at least I didn't follow it closely.

This is established by two people who talk to Purdy (Stroud):

Parole officer: "What happened to the .38? Police slug they dug out of your spine."

Doper friend Tim: "You didn't tell him [the parole officer] how I wheeled your fat duff around for about six months after some rookie cop put a .38 slug up your spine [during a bank robbery]."

The difference between Stoner and Purdy is Stoner was targeting specific cops (including McGarrett) who were responsible for his disability and incarceration, whereas Purdy is just targeting cops in general.

I just raised the rating for this to three and a half, because I figured out the ending. Purdy >was< listening to the bogus calls broadcast about the blaring stereo (Sakai gives information to the Central Dispatcher (Jo Pruden) and tells her to repeat it twenty minutes later). However, Purdy is not actually seen listening to these calls. If he was, it would have made this episode even better.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Aug 18 2010 20:24:33)

Alpha,
Because of commitments this week involving family, (my sister has gone out of town for several days and I have to run over her house once, even twice a day to "babysit" her two Norwegian Elkhound dogs) I'm not going to be able to watch the disc 4 episodes as fast as I usually do. Today, (Wed) I was able to watch "The Bell Tolls at Noon". I won't be able to even watch the second episode of disc 4 probably until Friday at the earliest.

Anyway, as I read your last thread for disc 3 in which you stated that your thoughts and ratings for the disc 4 episodes were completely different from Mike Q's, I had a feeling that it would start with the very first episode "The Bell Tolls".

Wow, I guess that this episode really irritated you to rate it as low as you did personally. I lean towards Mike Q's opinion, though I wouldn't give it 4 stars. I liked the episode a lot, giving it a solid 3 stars myself.

In your thread, you didn't state WHY you found the episode to be so poor in your opinion. May I hazard a guess that you simply did not care for Rich Little's performance in this episode as the very disturbed "Johnny Kling"? Was it the constant impressions that Little performed throughout the episode - Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, etc. that turned you off? They didn't bother me and I thought that Little's impersonations of these famous actors actually was really good. I do remember Little as being a popular comedian during that time period, with a reputation as being quite funny. I can't say that for all comedians, some of whom come across as really bad "entertainers". It's just that by the end Rich Little's character as "Kling" truly became completely unhinged. He somehow believed that he WAS James Cagney. I looked at Johnny Kling as being as psychologically disturbed as past characters in 5-0 history. Two come to mind: "Arthur" in "Draw Me a Killer" from Season 6 and "Eddie Josephs" in Season 7's outstanding "I'll Kill Them Again". In "Bells", I believe that "Johnny Kling's disturbed romantic attraction toward the young girl who died of a drug overdose, (he was at least twice her age) and the need for avenging her death by killing the 3 men responsible for her death; caused the short-circuiting in his brain cells. Kling chose to exact vengeance by murdering these individuals based on plots taken from old 30's and early 40's movies. The last scene in which Kling goes into the Cagney "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" impersonation indicated an individual who was at least a 26 or so cards short of a full deck. The incredulous look on Danny and McGarrett's faces watching Kling's "performance" in this final scene before they took him away bore out that fact. Kling's next place of residence would probably be in a Hawaiian state mental institution, home to the mentally insane.

I truly would have been knocked for a loop if McGarrett upon taking possession of the police sketch artist's rendition of Johnny Kling, (provided to him by the apt. lady), had never recognized Kling at all; even though he was introduced to him earlier in the episode. As a matter of fact, McGarrett loses a few brownie points for his inability to IMMEDIATELY recognize the sketch as being Kling. It was only after McGarrett and Danny walked out of the apt, got in the car and left the crime scene when Steve behind the wheel suddenly slammed on the brakes, realizing that the sketch was Kling and indeed he HAD met him. I guess that Steve is one of those individuals who does NOT have an instant photographic memory of people, places, and events.

I noted the memorial headstone for the girl who had died, depicted in the scene in which Kling visits her grave midway through the episode. She was born in 1956. That's one year before I was born. She died tragically at the age of 20. I'm somewhat blown away by the fact that if I had watched this episode when it was aired originally, (according to info. on the DVD collector set it premiered in Jan. of '77), I would have been 19, still a teenager, (my 20th birthday would not have occurred until Aug. of '77)! And now, I'm much older! Man, how time flies as we go through life here on this Earth! BTW, I believe that today was the first time that I have ever seen this episode. I have no recollection of seeing it in syndication re-run.

Babe alert in the scene in which the late Don Knight's "Thayer" character is interrupted in the pre-sexual foreplay talk that I'm positive he was having with that cute, dirty-blonde haired, early 20'ish, bikini-wearing young "thing"; being told that there was a man waiting to see him. After Thayer left and the camera swung around to her, the girl had this look on her face pretty much saying "hurry back so that we can move onto other things besides chit-chatting here on this beach blanket".

And what a difference in Don Knight's "Thayer" character in comparison to his other guest starring performances in past 5-0 episodes. I refer in particular to his role as the paid assassin in Part II of Season Five's "Vashon" trilogy. I have a feeling that Knight's "Dylan Hayward" in the "Vashon - The Father" episode would have turned the tables on Johnny Kling and ended up killing him pretty much without a sweat, living up to his reputation as being one of the world's most notorious, (and wanted) professional killers. Here in "Bells" it was remarkable to see in comparison Knight's performance as "Thayer", particularly in the final scene when he went nearly apoplectic with a fear of heights as he was being forced to climb to the top of the oil tank at gunpoint by Kling.

We had yet another Season 9 episode appearance by Kwan Hi Lim, this time as the movie theater projectionist who is less than cooperative with McGarrett in giving him info. about the movies that he is showing to the theater patrons as part of his job. I'm wondering if Lim had some sort of contract with the 5-0 producers that he had to appear in as many episodes as possible back then during this particular season.

I just found this to be a solid episode. This episode being nearly as bad as "Let Death" and "Man on Fire"? No way! I made my thoughts clear about "Let Death". And compared to "Man on Fire" complete with the bad acting, (from a certain female character), holes in the script, and ridiculous plot ending - "Bells", IMO, was not polluted with these same faults within the episode.

Give me a few days before I have the chance to watch the next episode "Man In a Steel Frame", and then post my thoughts. I did not read your posted thoughts yet, and I do look forward to watching this episode - another one that I have not previously seen.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Wed Aug 18 2010 21:52:56)


"The Bells Toll at Noon"

Wow, I guess that this episode really irritated you to rate it as low as you did personally. I lean towards Mike Q's opinion, though I wouldn't give it 4 stars. I liked the episode a lot, giving it a solid 3 stars myself.

In your thread, you didn't state WHY you found the episode to be so poor in your opinion. May I hazard a guess that you simply did not care for Rich Little's performance in this episode as the very disturbed "Johnny Kling"? - Jeffman61

Rich Little's performance wasn't the reason for my low rating.

You are right that I didn't previously articulate my reasons. That's because when something like this really irritates me, it often does so at a subconscious level, and it takes me a while to fully understand the reasons for my reaction.

I will now start to put those reasons into words:

1.) I don't think this episode has aged well. I'm sure it was very hip and trendy to put Rich Little in your show in 1976/77. Now it just dates the episode. Likewise, the 30's and early 40's Cagney movies that inspired "Johnny Kling" were old then - they are ancient now.

2.) Paul Thayler (Don Knight) was supposed to be the top man in the drug cartel. You would expect him to be reasonably tough. I did not expect him to be a sniveling acrophobic crybaby.

3.) The biggest reason I disliked this episode is the ending. "The Bells Toll at Noon" telegraphs to the audience that Kling is going to recreate the ending of "White Heat", blowing himself and Thayler sky high.

Do you know what my favorite TV show of all time is? Babylon 5. There are several reasons why, but one of them is that, as Creator/Executive Producer/Writer J. Michael Straczynski says:

I subscribe to Anton Chekov's First Rule of Playwriting: "If there's a gun on the wall in act one, scene one, you must fire the gun by act three, scene two. If you fire a gun in act three, scene two, you must see the gun on the wall in act one, scene one."

http://midwinter.com/lurk/guide/022.html

I felt "The Bells Toll at Noon" didn't play fair with the audience. I was told to expect big boom. I wanted big boom. I didn't get big boom. I felt cheated.

What did we get instead? An anticlimactic ending where the acrophobic crybaby druglord is unharmed, the vigilante killer turns himself in, and then... breaks into a song and dance routine! That was the final insult - the point where I reached the "You have GOT to be kidding me!" reaction induced by previous stinkers including "To Hell to Babe Ruth" and "Diary of a Gun".

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Thu Aug 19 2010 10:07:41)

Alpha,
Your points are well taken, and intelligibly written. Your thoughts in which you articulate Anton Chekov's first rule of playwriting was something that I've never really thought of before. It's fair to say that the ending should have been more explosive, as everything led up to it according to the script. My only thought was that if Kling did able to somehow ignite that oil tank into a fury fireball, then members of the 5-0 team, (including McGarrett and Danny who were in close proximity) would have been incinerated as well. I'm not quite sure that the exec. producers back then wanted Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams to die when the show was still going fairly strong.

Your thoughts about Thayer, the reputed drug lord and tough guy were also true indeed. I know that Don Knight was playing a character to form and according to the script. But, as I said in my first thread, comparing Knight's "Thayer" to "Dylan Heyward" in Part II of the Vashon trilogy was like night and day. There's no way that Johnny Kling would have been able to kidnap Dylan Heyward; later forcing him to climb a tall oil tank and to his probable death. Heyward would have wasted Kling like a persistent fly that buzzes around you, that is until the millisecond that you crush it to a lifeless form. You are 100% correct, alpha. Thayer did not exactly portray a character who was a powerful and ruthless criminal drug lord - an individual who if you chose to mess with the result might lead towards a very unpleasant death for you. Quite the opposite. I got the feeling that Thayer probably relieved himself in his pants as he was climbing up the stairs of that oil tank, crying and slobbering all over himself like a scared 4 year old kid who thinks that there are monsters lurking underneath his bed! Perhaps that young lady in the bikini who we saw with Thayer shortly before he was kidnapped by Kling might want to look for someone who acted more like a "man", if she were the type looking to get her jollies hanging around those within the criminal element. I could only imagine that this young lady had the capabilities of slapping Thayer around too with the so obvious wimpy nature that really was a part of his character.

I don't know. Perhaps the screen writer for this episode was an old 1930's and 40's black noir movie buff. Maybe the guy wanted to have an H 5-0 episode which paid tribute to the James Cagney's and Humphrey Bogart's of the world. And he also wanted some actor who could give dead-on impressions of these actors - lo and behold Rich Little. You probably don't like those old 1930's and 40's movies. But, I do. Of my top five all-time fav. movies, one of them is the original 1946 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" with the sultry Lana Turner, John Garfield, and a younger Hume Cronyn who later starred in one of the best 5-0 episodes of all-time "Over Fifty? Steal". (BTW, the 1981 re-make of this movie with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange was absolutely pitiful, IMO).

Again alpha, I always respect your opinion as well as your intellectual ability in articulating your exact thoughts as to why/why not you like H 5-0 episodes. Not everyone on these boards are capable of doing so, and in a pleasant manner. I don't know if I told you, but I don't even exchange thoughts by posting threads on Mike Quigley's board anymore. When Season 6 came out, (and I believe that it was you who informed me about Mike's great site) I participated in a discussion about the chilling "One Big Happy Family" episode over at that board. A person disagreed with my assessment of that show. Fine, no problem. Again everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. However, I happened to write a second thread, and the same person decided to make it personal. In replying back, I accidentally misspelled his screen name. It was some strange sounding, (and spelling) screen name; probably the individual getting his jollies by the attention that it undoubtedly received from others. He replied back with some anger asking why I couldn't get his screen name right? Big mistake on his part. When I get annoyed, I tend to reply back with cutting sarcasm. I got the last word in by telling him that there are more important things going on in this world besides a mis-spelled word. And that if this innocent action by me got him so angered, than he was in some serious need of psychiatric counseling. I begged him for forgiveness, (again sarcastically) and suggested that I could never measure up to him. After all, he had never made a mistake in his entire life, and next to the Good Lord Himself was the only perfect individual in the history of mankind. I ended my cutting thoughts directed at him by telling him "see ya". I wouldn't waste another second of my life that I could never get back exchanging thoughts with an individual who considered himself to be above other human beings. And really, I found to be unworthy of MY time!!

As I said before, the problem with the Internet is that it provides anonymity to individuals. People get vile, nasty, belligerent, racist, and personal on these boards. These twisted people believe that there can be no culpability to their negative views posted on these boards, especially personal views towards fellow human beings. The funny thing though is that hiding behind their computer monitors, 99% of these same individuals wouldn't have the guts to say those same words directly towards an individual were they to meet face to face. Lest, these individuals spout their vile thoughts to the wrong person and get physically hurt. Or worse! Ending up like the two characters who went through unpleasant endings to their lives in this "The Bell Tolls" episode!

So, I no longer spend the time and energy engaging in conversation at many forum message boards, including Mike Q's. It's my goal to maintain a level of positivity in my life. At many places on the Internet, I've found that this notion is quite impossible.

Talk to you again after I've had a chance to watch "Man in a Steel Frame". I hope to do this Friday evening, (tomorrow).

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by ringfire211 on (Thu Aug 19 2010 13:30:02)

I was told to expect big boom. I wanted big boom. I didn't get big boom. I felt cheated.

Sorry, alpha. No boom this time.

But I see what you're saying. From what I recall of this episode (and it's been quite a while) I too really wanted a boom and felt quite cheated. Especially since everything was building up to that inevitable boom. Wouldn't it have been downright jaw-droppingly fantastic if it had ended on a shocking note the way season 6's "Death With Father" ended? Huge boom. Then freeze-frame. Classic! Incidentally that episode was also directed by Jack Lord - his very first! But I guess by this point in the show they just weren't taking huge chances like that anymore nor giving us great shockers - the way they did in the first 6 seasons.

What did we get instead? An anticlimactic ending where the acrophobic crybaby druglord is unharmed, the vigilante killer turns himself in, and then... breaks into a song and dance routine! That was the final insult - the point where I reached the "You have GOT to be kidding me!" reaction

I can understand how one might think of this as a bit over-the-top (the song-and-dance routine) but I personally think it fits well with the Kling character. In fact it only makes him look that much more disturbing. You just know that by that point the man has totally lost it. He's a goner!! He's not just imitating Cagney. He IS Cagney!

Look at it this way - if Wo Fat had done this song-and-dance routine then yes I would whole-heartedly agree with you. In fact I would be throwing tomatoes at the TV screen if such a thing happened. But with Kling literally ANYTHING is possible! It helps that he is one of the most outrageous/unhinged/disturbing characters we have seen on this show. This helps him to get away with most anything. And it works!!

Definitely a top episode of the season. Bettered only by "Target - A Cop" and "A Capitol Crime". Rich Little alone gives this one three stars. Throw in a cool retro story and you've got an easy four stars.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Aug 19 2010 13:46:49)

Alpha,
Your points are well taken, and intelligibly written. Your thoughts in which you articulate Anton Chekov's first rule of playwriting was something that I've never really thought of before. It's fair to say that the ending should have been more explosive, as everything led up to it according to the script. My only thought was that if Kling was able to somehow ignite that oil tank into a fury fireball, then members of the 5-0 team, (including McGarrett and Danny who were in close proximity) would have been incinerated as well. I'm not quite sure that the exec. producers back then wanted Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams to die when the show was still going fairly strong. - Jeffman61

If the creators were playing by the rules then Kling should have died - somehow. There were alternatives that wouldn't entail killing off McGarrett and Danno as well. For example, Danno was a crack shot with a rifle. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe (especially after "Target - a Cop") that Danno could make a head shot that wouldn't explode the tank, but would have sent Kling off with a figurative, not literal, blaze of glory.

In addition, I'm not saying that the creators have to play by the rules all the time. But if you're going to lead us down a road and then give us a twist ending, that twist should be a lot better than what we were expecting. An anticlimactic conclusion with a song and dance coda was not!

You are 100% correct, alpha. Thayer did not exactly portray a character who was a powerful and ruthless criminal drug lord - an individual who if you chose to mess with the result might lead towards a very unpleasant death for you. Quite the opposite. I got the feeling that Thayer probably relieved himself in his pants as he was climbing up the stairs of that oil tank, crying and slobbering all over himself like a scared 4 year old kid who thinks that there are monsters lurking underneath his bed! - Jeffman61

My thoughts exactly as I watched the episode! How on earth did that guy rise to his position in organized crime? Nepotism maybe?

I don't know. Perhaps the screen writer for this episode was an old 1930's and 40's black noir movie buff. Maybe the guy wanted to have an H 5-0 episode which paid tribute to the James Cagney's and Humphrey Bogart's of the world. And he also wanted some actor who could give dead-on impressions of these actors - lo and behold Rich Little. You probably don't like those old 1930's and 40's movies. But, I do. Of my top five all-time fav. movies, one of them is the original 1946 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" with the sultry Lana Turner, John Garfield, and a younger Hume Cronyn who later starred in one of the best 5-0 episodes of all-time "Over Fifty? Steal". (BTW, the 1981 re-make of this movie with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange was absolutely pitiful, IMO). - Jeffman61

I can't say whether or not I like 1930's and 40's black and white film noir. Those movies were WAY before my time. My only exposure to that whole genre is the 1982 spoof Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083798/).

Again alpha, I always respect your opinion as well as your intellectual ability in articulating your exact thoughts as to why/why not you like H 5-0 episodes. Not everyone on these boards are capable of doing so, and in a pleasant manner. - Jeffman61

Thank you. It's funny because when I like something, it's immediately apparent to me why that's the case. But when I dislike something, the opinion comes immediately but sometimes there's a delay in the reasons behind it. For example, another episode on Disc 4 also violates Anton Chekov's First Rule of Playwriting and my earlier post about "The Bells Toll at Noon" helped me realize it. I just added another four paragraphs to my review of that other episode (they're marked so you'll know it when you see them). I'm now tempted to lower my rating for that show by a half star, but I'll leave it unchanged for now.

I don't know if I told you, but I don't even exchange thoughts by posting threads on Mike Quigley's board anymore. When Season 6 came out, (and I believe that it was you who informed me about Mike's great site) I participated in a discussion about the chilling "One Big Happy Family" episode over at that board. A person disagreed with my assessment of that show. Fine, no problem. Again everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. However, I happened to write a second thread, and the same person decided to make it personal. In replying back, I accidentally misspelled his screen name. He replied back with some anger asking why I couldn't get his screen name right? I got the last word in by telling him that there are more important things going on in this world besides a mis-spelled word. - Jeffman61

I was not aware that you posted on Mike Quigley's guestbook in the past. I read it from time to time, but I've never posted there. I greatly prefer the format here at the IMDb, where discussions are organized into distinct topics, and original posts and replies are grouped together. It can be very difficult to follow the discussions on Mr. Mike's guestbook. The lack of an ignore list feature is another definite drawback. Sounds like you could have used one!

So, I no longer spend the time and energy engaging in conversation at many forum message boards, including Mike Q's. It's my goal to maintain a level of positivity in my life. At many places on the Internet, I've found that this notion is quite impossible. - Jeffman61

I always try to be respectful and charitable on this board, especially when I'm being critical of an episode like "The Bells Toll at Noon", which I know is highly regarded by other Five-O fans.

Talk to you again after I've had a chance to watch "Man in a Steel Frame". I hope to do this Friday evening, (tomorrow). - Jeffman61

OK. Talk to you later.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Aug 19 2010 15:11:24)

"The Bells Toll at Noon"

I was told to expect big boom. I wanted big boom. I didn't get big boom. I felt cheated. - alpha128 (me)

Sorry, alpha. No boom this time. - ringfire211

Here's another reason I love the Babylon 5 series: http://b5.cs.uwyo.edu/bab5/snds/boom.wav

But I see what you're saying. From what I recall of this episode (and it's been quite a while) I too really wanted a boom and felt quite cheated. Especially since everything was building up to that inevitable boom. Wouldn't it have been downright jaw-droppingly fantastic if it had ended on a shocking note the way season 6's "Death With Father" ended? Huge boom. Then freeze-frame. Classic! Incidentally that episode was also directed by Jack Lord - his very first! But I guess by this point in the show they just weren't taking huge chances like that anymore nor giving us great shockers - the way they did in the first 6 seasons. - ringfire211

Yes it would have been fantastic to end with a big boom and then freeze-frame! I wonder if Jack Lord thought he would be repeating himself too literally go out with a bang. I say you already gave us "Chairman" this season, give us "Death with Cagney"!

What did we get instead? An anticlimactic ending where the acrophobic crybaby druglord is unharmed, the vigilante killer turns himself in, and then... breaks into a song and dance routine! That was the final insult - the point where I reached the "You have GOT to be kidding me!" reaction - alpha128 (me)

I can understand how one might think of this as a bit over-the-top (the song-and-dance routine) but I personally think it fits well with the Kling character. In fact it only makes him look that much more disturbing. You just know that by that point the man has totally lost it. He's a goner!! He's not just imitating Cagney. He IS Cagney!

Look at it this way - if Wo Fat had done this song-and-dance routine then yes I would whole-heartedly agree with you. In fact I would be throwing tomatoes at the TV screen if such a thing happened. - ringfire211

Wow. Now that you mention it, I can TOTALLY see and hear Wo Fat doing "I'm a Little Teapot"!

Definitely a top episode of the season. Bettered only by "Target - A Cop" and "A Capitol Crime". Rich Little alone gives this one three stars. Throw in a cool retro story and you've got an easy four stars. - ringfire211

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm sticking with my one and a half star rating. Good talking to you, ringfire.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by ringfire211 on (Fri Aug 20 2010 12:24:21)

Wow. Now that you mention it, I can TOTALLY see and hear Wo Fat doing "I'm a Little Teapot"!

I take back what I said earlier. The Little Teapot would totally work!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Fri Aug 20 2010 18:32:12)

alpha,
I was able to watch "Man in a Steel Frame" earlier that I thought. Okay, here are my thoughts:

I, too found it to be an excellent episode. I would give it three and a half stars as you did. Four stars? I am quite hesitant to put this episode in that illustrious category. The highest possible 4 star rating I reserve for the absolute BEST episodes each season, (and obviously of all-time). The "Vashon" trilogy, "The Jinn who Clears the Way", "How to Steal a Masterpiece", "One Big Happy Family", "Hookman" and the 9th season opener "Nine Dragons" are all examples of episodes worthy of 4 stars. Perhaps it is unfair to judge "Man" like the others - episodes that I've seen many times repeatedly. Based on my one viewing of this episode, (today being the first time that I've seen it to my recollection) I found it to be not quite in the league of these all-time greats that I named off of the top of my head without effort. IMO, I even don't believe that "Man" was as good as the comical "Last of the Great Paperhangers" from earlier this season.

I concur with most of your thoughts in your thread, alpha. I found the sequence in which McGarrett is reliving what probably happened at the crime scene, and the murderer's face being partially covered by what looked to be band-aids to be somewhat absurd. How could McGarrett even theorize what the man looked like: his physical characteristics, was he fat, thin, tall, short, owning a full head of hair, balding, even the man's ethnicity? At Mike Q's site, he theorizes that the man's face is covered up due to the fact that McGarrett was actually knocked unconscious during this period; thus he could not visualize what the killer looked like. Still, is it any doubt that this partially faceless person seen in McGarrett's "reconstruction" of the crime happened to look EXACTLY like Malcolm Vaughn, the killer?

For some reason in watching the episodic preview I thought that the crime was committed at night. But that was not the case, it obviously happened in broad daylight. Because this was so, I found it a little disconcerting that Vaughn was able to sneak up behind McGarrett, hitting him upside his head. I realize that McGarrett's thoughts were turned to the lifeless body of his g.f. lying on the floor. Still, for Vaughn to sneak up behind McGarrett in a stealth-like manner without the 5-0 head hearing or feeling footsteps coming behind him at 4 in the afternoon in a well-lit, sun-filled room was a little "un-McGarrett, the cop-like" in its presentation. But, I don't want to make this into too much of a big deal. McGarrett's being knocked out and set-up as the fall guy was a huge part of the script.

It again was nice to see McGarrett's personal life outside of his job as head of 5-0. Based on past episodes, two common threads were followed in this episode.
1). Steve McGarrett, by this season was a man in his mid-50's. Starting with the pilot episode "Cocoon" (Nancy Kwan's character) and continuing with "Time and Memories", (Diana Muldaur's character's relationship with McGarrett having taken place years earlier) and "Thanks for the Honeymoon" (Carol Lawrence's character the photographer who once was involved in a relationship with McGarrett); it seems as if McGarrett was always attracted to women much younger than his own age. And these women reciprocated their physical and romantic feelings towards him. There were two other episodes from from Season 2 in which McGarrett "the stud" spends time with a younger female character: In "All the King's Horses" in the opening scene we see an attractive young woman reading Steve McGarrett's life-line on his palm, and she has even asked him to join him for drinks, (and a possible tryst) in her hotel room. Unfortunately, any hanky-panky between the two is suddenly and rudely interrupted by a shooting pool side. The second episode, "Singapore Files", the plot is centered around McGarrett escorting an attractive woman, Nicole Wylie, out of the Asian city to be a key witness against a mobster back in Hawaii. The two then set out on a long journey by sea back to the islands. True, the two sleep in separate upper and lower bunks in a cramped setting. And, one would believe that McGarrett was on "duty" and didn't engage in sexual relations with Nicole, both sharing the same space in the same bed. Still, I believe that Nicole had a physical attraction to an older man in Steve McGarrett, partially looking up to him as the "hero" who did eventually save her life. In "Man", the g.f. Cathy Ryan was in her early to mid 30's at most; a good deal younger than McGarrett. Hey, perhaps I should be jealous of Steve in that women who were 10,15, even 20 years younger than him, still found him to be physically attractive.
2). Taking away "Man" in which Cathy was brutally murdered and something that was beyond McGarrett's control; it seems as if all of his previous relationships ended unhappily for Steve. Nancy Kwan's character in "Cocoon" was never developed beyond her appearance in the pilot. In "Time and Memories" years beforehand, McGarrett proposed to Diana Muldaur's character. But, she was less than honest initially with Steve, failing to immediately tell him that she really had another man on the side. And that she loved this other man, more than Steve rejecting his proposal of marriage. Carol Lawrence in "Thanks" told McGarrett (at one point in the episode after the 5-0 head rejected her obvious advances) that he was really married to his job. He painfully acknowledged that she was right, also adding that whatever went on in the past between the two in his opinion simply could never be re-ignited. One could only wonder in this particular episode "Man" what could have happened if Cathy Ryan had not been suddenly and tragically taken away from Steve? They had only been dating for a few months, (mentioned in the episode) but WOULD this relationship have had a chance to grow into something long-term - possibly marriage? Or if she had not been killed, would the relationship simply have ended like McGarrett's other relationships with women - with one or the other walking away because of outside circumstances?

It is interesting in the difference today in prime time television series vs. the Hawaii 5-0, and other series that were filmed in the 70's. With today's emphasis on long running soap-style shows in which episodes run sequentially from one right to the next, the original 5-0 would probably have a different look. I'm positive that a Cathy Ryan/Steve McGarrett relationship would have taken place over 5- 10 sequential episodes, enabling viewers to get involved emotionally with the development of the characters' romantic relationships. It wouldn't be a one episode story line in which the relationship between McGarrett and Cathy is shown hastily in flashback form in an attempt to get the viewers up to speed. I'm really interested to see if this is possibly one aspect that will be explored in the "new" H 5-0 coming out when the fall season begins shortly. If the new Steve McGarrett, Danny Williams, etc. are involved in relationships outside of the office will this be developed over many sequential episodes? (That is if the show builds up ratings and loyal viewers without it being canceled by the beginning of Dec.).

It was great to see McGarrett get REALLY angry twice in this episode, related directly to the fact that his g.f. was so brutally and senselessly taken away from him. The first being in Steve's office when he confronted a less than cooperative Sam Wailau, literally grabbing him and lifting him out of his chair by the collar. The second, of course was in the final scene when he beat Vaughn to such an extent that the thug was practically begging the other cops to get McGarrett away from him. I do remember alpha that a few months ago, you sent me a youtube link on this board that did have that final scene in the vid. Just to think nowadays that some young punk in Vaughn's shoes probably would have been crying "police brutality" at McGarrett for the way that the 5-0 head was trying to re-arrange his face with his fists in this scene. I wouldn't have minded if Danny and the other police officers had decided to look the other way for another minute or so. Perhaps McGarrett would have followed up his punching Vaughn's lights out by trying to hold his head under water in an attempt to simply drown him. The cause would have been justified, IMO!

I remembered reading on Mike Q's site that Elissa Dulce would be making one short appearance in an episode during Season 9. Since reading this info. however, I had forgotten the particular episode that this gorgeous woman would be making an appearance. When the scene in which the young lady was seen leaving Vaughn's hide-out place, only to be stopped by McGarrett I had a quick flash in my head "Was that my girl, Elissa"? And when her name was listed on the final credits as "Nali", my reaction was "I thought that was her". Yes, it would have been nice to have seen Elissa for more than the 21 or so seconds that we saw her. I would also have liked to have seen her in something other than that pantsuit which hid her gorgeous legs and figure. Then again, I would have not enjoyed seeing Elissa earlier in Vaughn's hideaway, perhaps when she was undoubtedly in bed with that nasty, vile creature. The thought of watching this beautiful woman engaging in hanky-panky with such an evil individual as Vaughn would have made my skin crawl. Why? Vaughn didn't deserve to be in the same company as Elissa's character, and as attractive a woman as she was back in the mid 70's.

All in all it was a very solid, enjoyable episode.
Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sat Aug 21 2010 11:33:20)


"Man in a Steel Frame"

Steve McGarrett, by this season was a man in his mid-50's... What could have happened if Cathy Ryan had not been suddenly and tragically taken away from Steve? They had only been dating for a few months, (mentioned in the episode) but WOULD this relationship have had a chance to grow into something long-term - possibly marriage? - Jeffman61

That's a good question, Jeff. At this point in his life, Steve may well have been thinking about settling down, retiring, and passing the reins over to Danno. There is a brief scene in this very episode between Dan Williams and John Manicote (starts at 23:49) which gives us a rare glimpse of the way Dan would conduct himself as head of Five-O. Based on that scene, I'd say he's ready for the top job. Kudos to James MacArthur and Glenn Cannon for playing this brief scene for all its worth.

It was great to see McGarrett get REALLY angry twice in this episode... The second, of course was in the final scene when he beat Vaughn to such an extent that the thug was practically begging the other cops to get McGarrett away from him. I do remember alpha that a few months ago, you sent me a youtube link on this board that did have that final scene in the vid. I wouldn't have minded if Danny and the other police officers had decided to look the other way for another minute or so. Perhaps McGarrett would have followed up his punching Vaughn's lights out by trying to hold his head under water in an attempt to simply drown him. The cause would have been justified, IMO! - Jeffman61

I doubt that McGarrett wanted to drown Vaughn, but he definitely wanted to dish out some more punishment! You can see at the 1:30 mark in the Youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipo_nbEi94g) that as the other cops are dragging Vaughn out of the surf, McGarrett is still holding on to Vaughn's shirt, and doesn't want to let go of him! One of the other cops has to break McGarrett's grip on Vaughn!

I remembered reading on Mike Q's site that Elissa Dulce would be making one short appearance in an episode during Season 9. Since reading this info. however, I had forgotten the particular episode that this gorgeous woman would be making an appearance. When the scene in which the young lady was seen leaving Vaughn's hide-out place, only to be stopped by McGarrett I had a quick flash in my head "Was that my girl, Elissa"? And when her name was listed on the final credits as "Nali", my reaction was "I thought that was her". Yes, it would have been nice to have seen Elissa for more than the 21 or so seconds that we saw her. I would also have liked to have seen her in something other than that pantsuit which hid her gorgeous legs and figure. Then again, I would have not enjoyed seeing Elissa earlier in Vaughn's hideaway, perhaps when she was undoubtedly in bed with that nasty, vile creature. The thought of watching this beautiful woman engaging in hanky-panky with such an evil individual as Vaughn would have made my skin crawl. - Jeffman61

On his Elissa page for this episode (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/elissa/SteelFrame/), Mike Quigley says, "I suspect more of Elissa's role may have wound up on the cutting room floor." That makes sense since her character has a name, although we never actually hear it in the episode. Elissa probably had a few lines of dialogue, but sadly we'll never know. Since this show was made well before the advent of DVDs, the rest of Elissa's role was not preserved for a deleted scenes feature.

All in all it was a very solid, enjoyable episode. - Jeffman61

Agreed. After I wrote that the author of this episode, Robert Stambler, had a previous writing credit for "One for the Money" back in Season 1, I did some more research. It turns out that he was a producer on the show during the first and third seasons, which explains why I recognized his name. By this point in the ninth season, Michael O'Herlihy (director), Jerome Coopersmith (writer), and of course Leonard Freeman (creator) had all left the show. (Freeman had also left the land of the living.) So it was great to have an "old-timer" with an intimate knowledge of the show and its characters return. I have a feeling that's why this turned out, as you said, "a very solid, enjoyable episode."

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sun Aug 22 2010 13:15:20)

This is my next post in the "Thoughts on Season 9" thread:

Disc 5 is definitely a mixed bag. There are two excellent episodes, one that's pretty good, and, IMO, the worst episode of the season (so far).


"Dealer's Choice... Blackmail"

This is Sandi Welles' final Season 9 appearance in air date order, although it was actually her first in production order. Like her other Season 9 appearances, "Tour de Force, Killer Aboard" and "Heads, You're Dead", I would say "Dealer's Choice... Blackmail" is a solid, but not spectacular, two and half star show. (Mike Quigley gives it a slightly higher three star rating.)

Some thoughts and observations:

- At the 6:40 mark, McGarrett is quite emotional over the death of Sergeant George Tatupu, or is that Sergeant Keoki? Over the radio, Tatupu identifies himself as such, and McGarrett calls him "George" (as does his widow later). But once McGarrett arrives on the scene, he calls the fallen officer "Keoki". You wouldn't think McGarrett would be so moved when he doesn't even know the guy's name. I almost expected Steve to say, "Twenty years on the force. Twenty years without a scratch, and I still don't know that guy's name."

- At the 12:12 mark, Steve says to Rose (Tatupu's widow), "If you need anything, you know where I am." I don't know Steve, the way you keep moving your office, she may not know where you are.

- Speaking of which, at the 14 minute mark, we're now back at the Territorial Building (interior and exterior).

- At the 24:50 mark, it was pretty smart how Mike Welles posed as a pilot for hire.

- At the 40:28 mark, McGarrett records a message for "Jenny", the secretary who had left the show after Season 8. "Dealer's Choice" was the fourth episode filmed for Season 9. Perhaps at this point in the production there was still hope that "Jenny" (Peggy Ryan) would return?

- I thought it was pretty dumb for Mike Welles to give Victor Palua's name (the casino boss) to Willy Vance (the loan shark). Later, at the 41:55 mark, we see that Vance has sold out Mike to Palua. I figured Vance would do that, or bypass Mike and blackmail Palua himself.


"A Capitol Crime"

I thought this was definitely one of the best episodes of Season 9. Bernard Hughes gives an outstanding performance, and the script makes some relevant social commentary. I agree with Mike Quigley's three star rating.

Some thoughts and observations:

- Doesn't the title card (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/pix/season9/disc5-2.jpg) make Steve look like a lounge singer?

- At the 1:33 mark, the subtitles have the funniest (but still accurate) caption yet, "[WHOOPING AND GRUNTING]".

- Whoa, check out the "coconut shell" bra on the hula girl on the left (2:27 mark).

- At the 14:25 mark, as the arrival of a hotel security sharpshooter causes a commotion, it occurred to me that unless Clinton Palmer is fitted with a "dead man's switch", his plan may be fatally flawed. And honestly, why does a hotel security man have a rifle with a scope? "Hotel security sharpshooter" seems like an oxymoron to me.

- The moments leading up to the 20:46 act break are very tense. Great acting by Bernard Hughes. When he said, "I'm ready to die", I believed him!

- I noticed, as did Mike Quigley, that when Mary Beth Rogers (Sharon Farrell) walks up to the Palm Plaza Hotel, she's not wearing a bra (29:33 to 29:46).


"To Die in Paradise"

I wrote in my "two-thirds in" recap of Season 9 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062568/board/thread/168442033?d=168989169 ), "It seems for every peak there's a valley." "A Capitol Crime" represents the latest peak, and "To Die in Paradise" represents the latest valley. Mike Quigley originally assigned this episode a rating of one star, and then lowered his rating to a half-star. Well, I don't think this is quite as bad as either "To Hell with Babe Ruth" or "Diary of a Gun", two episodes that I rated a half-star each. I will say it's better than those two, as I never said "You have GOT to be kidding me" while watching this. Nevertheless, this is a big disappointment from director Joe Manduke, who gave us two other excellent Five-O episodes: "A Touch of Guilt" and "Anatomy of a Bribe".

I would have given this episode one and a half stars, maybe even two stars, but two things drag my rating down to a meager one star:
1.) A god-awful song, even worse than Chelsea Merriman's in "Sing a Song of Suspense" (if you can believe that)
2.) The moronic Bible Jim (I hate to say this, but at the 42:04 mark I was actually hoping he got shot)

In production order this was the second episode of the season, filmed right after "Nine Dragons", but it was broadcast eighteenth. Apparently the creators weren't very fond of it either.


"Blood Money is Hard to Wash"

This was an excellent episode and a vast improvement over "To Die in Paradise". I agree with Mike Quigley's three star rating.

Some thoughts and observations:

- At the 3:32 mark, we're now back at the Iolani Palace (interior and exterior). Steve, how is Rose Tatupu ("Dealer's Choice... Blackmail") supposed to know where you are?

- Why is all the surveillance footage MOS (without sound)? Duke makes reference to an "old mike" at 11:29, and we see Jovanko pulling a microphone out of a floral arrangement at the 12:04 mark. With all those microphones, at least some of the footage should have a soundtrack.

- At the 20:58 mark, what may be the best exchange of the season...

Jovanko: It might be nice for a change to ride in the same car.
McGarrett: If you don't mind wire screens.

- At the 32:48 mark, we meet "Lani", McGarrett's newest secretary. Sorry "Jenny", I have to say Steve traded up.

- At the 35:33 mark, I finally get the boom denied me in "The Bells Toll at Noon". After his similar experience in Season 7's "A Gun for McGarrett", I would think Steve would have all his gifts x-rayed.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Sun Aug 22 2010 16:42:58)

alpha,
Yesterday I watched the 3rd episode on this disc:

"Ready, Aim. . . "

Thoughts: Overall I liked this episode. Not bad, but definitely not great either. 2 and a half stars that you grade it is about right. When I was watching the episode one thing really hit me. It has been bothering me somewhat during the entire season, but it seemed to hit home with this episode. The background music. This was further illustrated when after watching "Ready, Aim. . ." I went back and watched an episode from Season 5. Perhaps starting with Season 8 but definitely continuing on into Season 9, I really do not like a lot of the background music. Perhaps the 5-0 producers, directors, script writers, etc. wanted to boost the episodes by going in a different direction with regards to the music. But, I really don't like it. During the Season 5 episode that I watched, "Percentage", one could hear the popular background music; including many well-known short riffs. Some of these music background compositions contained a part of the actual 5-0 theme if one carefully listened. The "change" that the producers wanted with the latter seasons is evident in the actual 5-0 music theme to open the Season 9 episodes. As I noted in a previous thread, the first time I heard it in this set I immediately noticed a difference. It's obvious that in addition to changing the theme, they also decided to simply throw the other familiar background music themes into the garbage bin; and go instead with the "new" and "different".
It seems as if with Season 9 they were composing radically different background music to go with the plots with each episode. You often heard this funky, hip electric guitar playing a melodic theme; one not even remotely connected to the opening 5-0 theme musically. Was this music representing a sign of the times - the mid to late 70's? Perhaps. But, this type of music sounded exactly like the thematic style heard in many other cop tv shows during that era - "Kojak", "Barnaby Jones", "Mannix", "Streets of San Francisco", and etc. Whoever was hired as writing the scores for the Season 8 and 9 of 5-0 seemed to definitely go towards a new direction. But, in doing so the 5-0 episodes of the latter seasons seemed to have lost their unique melodic themes which had always added to the pleasure of watching Hawaii 5-0. This particular episode so clearly pointed this "change" out with regards to the background music. And, IMO it just seemed to take away from what I always had been used to when watching the earlier episodes.

Further thoughts:

I know alpha in your thread you mentioned being familiar with Edward James Olmos "Dancer" in "Battle Star Gallicta" television series. I only know Olmos from the mid-80's cop show "Miami Vice". Olmos is such a great actor in that he could portray a character that was always cool, calm, and collected in the "Vice" series. In the show, Olmos as "Lieutenant Castillo" never got agitated in his role as the squad leader. The emotion that he was portraying could always be seen with that "look" he gave to other characters; readily evident in his eyes. In "Vice" "Crockett" (Don Johnson) and "Tubbs" (Phillip Michael Thomas) as well as the other members always knew that Lt. Castillo was never to be crossed. When the Lt. made a decision, that was it. End of discussion. In this episode as "Dancer", Olmos played a deadly individual not to be messed with. He was menacing without being crazy like Johnny Kling from the "Bell Tolls" episode. Again with Dancer, it was always with that "look" that he gave to other characters. Iso Taguchi, (France Nuyen) was scared to death of him. In the final scene how lucky was the Japanese cop "Kimo Nahashi" that McGarrett saved his life by implanting a bullet into Dancer a split second before Dancer could have placed a bullet in an unsuspecting Nahashi?

I don't know if you noticed, but an odd thing occurred in a couple of scenes that were set several hours apart in this episode. I believed that Iso worked in a restaurant. In the first scene at the restaurant, one could see two people chatting at an outside table. One of the people, a young woman is looking towards the camera. A few hours go by in which Iso meets up with the Japanese cop Nahashi. Later on Iso returns back to the restaurant. The same two people, with the young woman looking towards the camera are seated at the same table. That must have been a heck of a long luncheon date that they were having!

I also wanted to discuss France Nuyen, the actress. I remember her as being the tortured individual who tried to kill McGarrett in Season 4's "Highest Castle, Deepest Grave" who was able to solve the fact that her character Sirone Mondrago had murdered her mother, and mother's lover 10 years before as a then young pre-teen 10/11 year old kid. I always thought that Ms. Nuyen simply did not fit the role in "Highest Castle". She simply did not look like a 20/21 year old young lady in the episode which took place in 1971. I looked up her bio. She was born in 1939. In "Castle" she was actually around 32 years old when the episode was filmed. Here in "Ready, Aim. . . she was approaching her late 30's. And she looked even older, IMO.

The conversation between Iso, and her daughter being held hostage in Tokyo was strange in the fact that it was conducted in two languages - the daughter speaking Japanese with Iso trying to calm her down in English. Shouldn't the daughter's words have been subtitled in English on the screen? I had no idea what the little girl was trying to say other than probably the Japanese word for "mother".

At the Hawaiian outdoor garden scene, it was amazing how easily Makale, the character who tried but failed to kill Nahasi, could so easily allude McGarrett's 5-0 team and the HPD officers chasing after him on foot. Perhaps they needed an always fleet-on-foot Ben Kukuo, (Al Harrington) to assist the others on foot. But, as the real story goes Jack Lord came to dislike Harrington and was instrumental in removing him from the show midway through Season 7. Except for Danny, the other officers simply had no chance, (including the slow-footed nearly 60 year old Chin Ho) in trying to pursue the fleet Makale. It was like a bunch of runners trying to chase after Usain Bolt. All of those cops needed something other than their running ability to catch Makale.

All in all, this was a fairly good episode. It's just that with this episode, I seemed to really notice how irritating it was to have to listen to that awful music playing in the background. I guess that the 5-0 producers by this time in the show's life on network television were not aware of a very well known philosophy. Or at least they simply did not care to follow it. This philosophy is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I could never get tired of hearing the familiar background music that were so much a part of the episodes from earlier seasons.

Jeff,
PS. As I stated, yesterday I watched this episode and followed it by watching the Season 5 "Percentage" episode. I then started watching "Elegy" but after 5 minutes I got distracted with an errand that came up. Fifteen minutes later I simply didn't have the desire to continue watching the episode. Watching two 5-0 episodes/day seems to be my limit.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sun Aug 22 2010 21:02:13)


"Ready, Aim. . . "

Thoughts: Overall I liked this episode. Not bad, but definitely not great either. 2 and a half stars that you grade it is about right. When I was watching the episode one thing really hit me. It has been bothering me somewhat during the entire season, but it seemed to hit home with this episode. The background music.

It seems as if with Season 9 they were composing radically different background music to go with the plots with each episode. You often heard this funky, hip electric guitar playing a melodic theme; one not even remotely connected to the opening 5-0 theme musically. Was this music representing a sign of the times - the mid to late 70's? Perhaps. But, this type of music sounded exactly like the thematic style heard in many other cop tv shows during that era.

All in all, this was a fairly good episode. It's just that with this episode, I seemed to really notice how irritating it was to have to listen to that awful music playing in the background. - Jeffman61

Jeff, I find it interesting, even amusing, that we can watch the same episode, come up with completely different observations, and yet arrive at the same rating.

I will admit that I have noticed a more distinctive, and therefore more dated, '70s sound to some of the background music - possibly including this episode, I don't remember.

I tend not to notice the background music that much, and I don't comment on it unless: 1.) it's really good, or 2.) it's really bad. As you may recall, I did mention the music for "Nine Dragons", and how it helped make Five-O seem more cinematic and more epic than ever before. In my Disc 5 post I mention a song so bad that it actually lowered my rating for the episode in which it appeared.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Mon Aug 23 2010 16:15:07)

My thoughts on "Elegy in a Rain Forest",

I've got to be honest. I was extremely disappointed in this episode. After viewing this episode, I went back and watched "They Hang Our Own" from Season 7. As I mentioned earlier when the Season 9 spoilers thread was first posted, I plan on updating my personal all-time fav. H 5-0 episodes. I even plan on ranking them from 1, (the best) through 20. "They Hang" will definitely be in the top 5! I understand that over at the official 5-0 site run by Mike Q., "Elegy" was rated 4 stars. I vehemently disagree. "They Hang Our Own" is deserving of 4 stars. It was pretty much a flawless episode when one considers plot script, acting, correct police procedure followed by 5-0 team members, solving a crime which took place during the episode with the help of both forensic evidence and the team's collective intelligence, and riveting drama displayed throughout the episode. "Elegy" shot and missed the mark in so many crucial areas when it comes to how the episode should be rated. Two stars for this episode AT MOST! You're correct alpha. In actuality, "Elegy" was the WORST episode on Disc 4. Here is what I found SO WRONG with much of the plot, as well as the police procedures exhibited during the episode.

1. So Marcus Lucien is a convicted and dangerous criminal who has raped and murdered 6 young women, (this was before he then killed two more people during this episode). He is headed for, I hope a maximum security prison facility. Can someone please explain how as Lucien, being transferred in the back of the police van, is NOT encased with special iron shackles locked around his arms, waist, and legs during this scene? And the shackles are not locked to the seat that he is seated on which would have made it impossible for him to even raise 2 inches from his sitting position? All Lucien had was his hands locked in a pair of cuffs. Did the HPD believe that they were transferring a common shop-lifter believing that only a pair of handcuffs would prevent any POSSIBLE chance of an escape attempt? Please, a little bit of reality!!!!

2. When McGarrett and Danny arrive at the checkpoint at the base of the highly wooded mountain and rain forest, Lucien has made his escape into this area. McGarrett then meets with, about a dozen officers who are assigned specific areas to look for Lucien; being paired up in twos. 12 POLICE OFFICERS?? To try and catch a convicted rapist and murderer located somewhere in a rain forest? Is this a joke? Several years ago, there was a situation in the area where I live in NC that involved the murder of the University of North Carolina student body president. The suspect escaped to a specific part of town. Trust me, before they eventually captured this suspect the town police force had more than 12 police officers attempting to track him down. He was eventually caught, and there were something like 50 or more cops, (including state police) involved combing the area along with trained police dogs. Seeing this scene during the episode, I practically yelled at the tv screen "you've got to be kidding me! A dozen cops"???

3. When Chin Ho and Duke are in hot pursuit of the Womano character by car why, at one point, didn't Chin Ho seated in the passenger seat call into dispatch and request assistance? It figures that Womano was able to eventually escape the trailing 5-0 duo by darting around the bus that Duke almost crashed headlong into, (that was a good piece of stunt driving however, indeed if it was Herman Wedemeyer, "Duke" actually behind the wheel of the car). Womano was a key character in the eventual capture of Lucien, (the team believing that Womano would somehow provide an escape route for Lucien off of the island). Knowing that it was important during this chase that Womano be captured, one would think that it be a critical part of proper police procedure for Chin Ho to radio in and request assistance from other officers in the area. But, no! Instead Chin Ho and Duke almost had a violent ending with a commuter bus - and Womano, (although temporarily) did escape. (I do agree with you alpha about the scene in which the two officers actually do take down Womano. Actually, to be specific all kudos goes to Duke. Didn't know that he knew a thing or two about martial arts).

4. Finally the scene leading up to where Lucien finally is killed. As it played out Manicote was with Danny, McGarrett setting out on foot by himself. They had heard Karen Manicote's screaming, so audibly they had a point of reference to where she and Lucien, (along with the young man David) were above them on the mountain. But then a befuddling thing occurs, Danny and Manicote separate as they head towards the DA's daughter. Eventually Manicote reaches her and gets shot by Lucien in the process. Steve then bargains with Lucien to release Manicote and his daughter. Steve offers himself as bait instead for Lucien. Lucien accepts McGarrett's proposal and allows Manicote and his daughter to escape. David somehow frees himself from the handcuffs and comes upon the scene. Intelligently, David mis-directs Lucien's attention away from McGarrett by throwing his special necklace at him, hitting him from behind. Turning around to face the person who struck him unexpectedly in the back, Lucien then is shot dead by McGarrett. I have a big question about this entire scene which was why I called it "befuddling" above: Where the heck was Danny all that time? This entire scene from Manicote getting separated from Danny, (as they both had heard the gunshots enabling them to establish a point of reference to where Lucien was) to McGarrett shooting and killing Lucien took roughly 5 minutes. Did Danny somehow go off in a different direction? Did Danny get lost? It was almost ludicrous that Danny, armed with shotgun in hand, didn't show up on the location of the shooting until it had ended. Yes, the scriptwriters probably wanted the boy David to play a role in either capturing or killing Lucien since he had originally befriended Karen; and they went through hell after that lunatic Lucien captured them. But, it would have been a more valid and believable ending if Danny had killed Lucien from a distance. It has been proven during a # of episodes that Danny is an expert marksman, especially from a distance. Danny is second-in-command at 5-0, and as McGarrett told Manicotte earlier "a trained professional"; where Manicotte was called by McGarrett "the amateur" when it came to apprehending criminals in a manhunt. Funny how the "amateur" managed to stumble upon the scene whereas the "professional" Danny appeared to be clueless. Why Danny was off somewhere in la-la land during this crucial, (and long) final scene made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

The one positive thing about "Elegy" was the beautiful mountainous scenery of the island of Oahu. Except for Chin Ho's and Duke's escapades involving Womano, the episode marked a difference from the usual street scenes, (in downtown Honolulu) and beach area. But, then again Season 7's "We Hang our Own" was also set away from the Honolulu/Waikiki area; actually taking place on the big island of Hawaii. And "We Hang" was heads and shoulders VASTLY superior to "Elegy".

I guess another reason why I wanted to watch "We Hang" was to see the ravenous Elissa Dulce, again. This was probably the episode in which she had the strongest supporting part of all her appearances that she made during the H 5-0 series. Let me say one other thing about Elissa's beauty. Recently, there was a thread in which a person nominated an actress who appeared in Season 5's "You Don't Have to Get Rich" episode which featured William Shatner as a guest character, as THE most beautiful woman to ever had appeared in H 5-0. You know what, I now change my mind. Like other threads, I initially went with this other actress too as the most attractive to appear on H 5-0. Sorry, but after further review the award goes to Elissa. If anyone wants to disagree I suggest that they watch "We Hang" CLOSELY which, as I viewed it again today, helped to solidify my opinion. In the scene in which the two Farraday brothers go to the bar, we see Elissa's "Carmen Kahela" appear in a flowing Hawaiian dress. One would have to be blind to not notice Elissa's two "assets" concerning her chest. Later at about the 37 minute mark, Elissa meets up with McGarrett, Danny, and Che Fong at the Hilo airport. Her character now appears in a short skirt which accentuates her long, tanned, shapely legs. As she is providing info. to McGarrett in the hopes of proving her husband innocent of the Farraday murder, Elissa's character is facing directly towards the camera. One cannot help but notice that Elissa, (then probably in her mid-20's at most) has an exquisite face! Perfect shape, with beautiful, dark eyes framed by long, flowing dark hair running down past her waist. No, IMO without question Elissa Dulce was THE most beautiful actress to appear during the long 12 year run of H 5-0!! Case closed!

Jeff
Onto Disc 5.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by ringfire211 on (Mon Aug 23 2010 17:36:20)

"The Jinn who Clears the Way", "How to Steal a Masterpiece"

I find it very odd that you consider these two 4-star episodes. I wouldn't give "Jinn" more than 2 stars and "Masterpiece" more than 3 stars. In fact neither of these two are in my TOP 10 of their respective seasons. Yes "Jinn" has a classic ending but the episode itself was nothing too special. A very average Wo Fat episode. "Masterpiece" at least takes us into the art world, has a clever crime committed as well as a clever revelation, and has stellar acting - especially Luther Adler and George Voskovec. And of course Morton Stevens' score was excellent! But it still lacks that special something that makes an episode truly memorable - that *something* that gives it a 3-and-a-half or 4-star rating.

For me "I'll Kill 'Em Again" is an easy 4-star episode because it truly does keep you on your toes all the way to the end. As well as giving you the most creepy character in the series in Eddie Josephs. And an unsettling Bernard Herrmann-esque score by Harry Geller! "Nightmare in Blue" is another such example! As is "One Big Happy Family"! And then you have a complete 180-degree turn with a light-hearted romp like "Over Fifty? Steal" - an episode sooooo charming, witty, and clever that you just can't look away. Another 4-star episode!

Of course that's just my opinion.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Mon Aug 23 2010 18:39:10)


"Elegy in a Rain Forest"

I've got to be honest. I was extremely disappointed in this episode. I understand that over at the official 5-0 site run by Mike Q., "Elegy" was rated 4 stars. I vehemently disagree. Two stars for this episode AT MOST! You're correct alpha. In actuality, "Elegy" was the WORST episode on Disc 4. - Jeffman61

Well, as you recall, I was even harder on "The Bells Toll at Noon". But that episode's biggest flaw, for me at least, was the ending. As you so deftly pointed out, there are problems throughout the length of "Elegy".

After viewing this episode, I went back and watched "They Hang Our Own" from Season 7. As I mentioned earlier when the Season 9 spoilers thread was first posted, I plan on updating my personal all-time fav. H 5-0 episodes. I even plan on ranking them from 1, (the best) through 20. "They Hang" will definitely be in the top 5! - Jeffman61

That's interesting, because "They Hang Our Own" wasn't on your original list (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062568/board/thread/153522884). Of course you're entitled to revise your list as you see fit. By the way, unless there are some incredibly good episodes on Disc 6, my Season 9 addendum will bring my final total to 21 episodes. So as far as I'm concerned, you don't have to stop at 20 episodes. My favorites list will most likely end up with 21.

I guess another reason why I wanted to watch "We Hang" was to see Elissa Dulce again. In the scene in which the two Farraday brothers go to the bar, we see Elissa's "Carmen Kahela" appear in a flowing Hawaiian dress. One would have to be blind to not notice Elissa's two "assets" concerning her chest. - Jeffman61

Oh yeah, check out that balance sheet!
http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/elissa/Hang/hang-1.jpg

IMO without question Elissa Dulce was THE most beautiful actress to appear during the long 12 year run of H 5-0!! Case closed! - Jeffman61

No argument here!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 06:30:30)

That's interesting, because "They Hang Our Own" wasn't on your original list (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062568/board/thread/153522884) - alpha

Alpha,
I GREATLY underestimated the superior quality that was a part of this episode -"They Hang Our Own" the first time that I watched it back when the Season 7 DVD was released. Previously, I talked about the background music and how with Season 9 I find it to truly be inferior compared to the standard themes found in earlier seasons. "They Hang" has a completely different music theme compared to standard 5-0 episodes, more or less following the same pattern that was prevalent in many Season 9 episodes. But, in "They Hang" the music ENHANCED the overall quality of the episode. To my ears, the music theme in this episode sounded familiar to that heard in old cowboy/western movies, (or tv series). In this episode, this main musical theme is especially heard when the setting is focused on the Farraday ranch. And the music fit PERFECTLY with this setting. To me, the individuals who wrote the script and directed this intelligent and great episode weren't around during Season 9; especially when "Elegy", "Man on Fire", and "Tour de Force" were released as finished "products".

To allow me to come up with my final all-time fav. list, as well as rank them in descending order I'm going to use the criteria that I mentioned yesterday in my "Elegy" thread. To appear on this list an episode would have to include: quality script writing when it comes to the plot, outstanding acting, include a criminal character who is either devious, menacing, irrational or unstable with regards to his/her mindset, but most of all he/she is believable, the team makes use of forensic science and/or their ability to problem solve using intellect, and finally the plot must contain suspense. Several episodes amongst the Season 9 set come up woefully short by their utter failure to meet these criteria, IMO.

Jeff

P.S. I have never upgraded to the "pro" IMDB version. I've always noticed this when I can't add the emoticons that you use in many of your threads. Sometimes, I can go to other links that you leave in threads by clicking on them, (the youtube links that you left in previous threads). However sometimes I can't. In this case I was unable to be re-directed to the link that you included in the thread to which I'm replying involving Elissa Dulce. When I clicked on the link, I was redirected to a page that simply said "forbidden". For some reason I was not allowed to read, (or should I say "gawk at" the page. I would only assume that it involved a photo of Elissa in all her beauty as she appeared in the "They Hang" episode). Perhaps, I need to look into this upgrade provided that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 12:23:48)

"Dealer's Choice Blackmail"

So far this is the only episode from Disc 5 that I've watched as yet. I wanted to get my thoughts while they're still fresh in my mind. I probably will watch the 2nd episode tonight.

This episode was average - about on par with many others from Season 9 that I've viewed. I didn't like the ending. I expected more of a "bang" to it. I expected that Palua would have brought in some extra muscle to take out Mike Wells. And that there would have been a knock-down, drag-out gun fight between the cops and crooks. Instead, just Palua was there vs. McGarrett and Danny. Too bad that Palua decided, (though wisely and for his personal self-preservation) to surrender to the authorities. I was half hoping that Palua would have gone down in a blaze of glory attempting to shoot his way out of his predicament. This made the ending too meek and unsatisfactory, IMO.

John Ritter does give a good performance as "Mike Wells", an individual who is completely addicted to gambling. We see him actually come up with the money, (through blackmailing Nehmiah Pershoff's character "Victor Palau) to pay back his debt of 10 grand that he owes Willy Vance. But then Mike can't help himself. He gets involved in another poker game and manages to quickly lose all of his money. Like the alcoholic who is addicted to drinking, we see Mike continuing to deny, rationalize, and minimize his behavior when it comes to $$ with those who he is in contact with - his sister Officer Sandi, Sandi's boyfriend who happens to be his boss as a pilot, and to Vance. What McGarrett said to Sandi at the end of this episode is 100% accurate - Mike Wells would need serious psychiatric help in order for him to first honestly address his addiction, then overcome it. But for McGarrett and the team's intervention, I'm afraid that poor Mike would have ended up quite dead.

This episode clearly illustrates the philosophical differences between 1970's television series and what is on the networks now in 2010. I mentioned this in a previous thread written under the "Man In A Steel Frame" topic. Network television series 30/35 years ago were not sequential when it came to character development. Each episode was almost "stand alone" with little or no connection from one to the next. Now of course, the characters in television shows - even cop shows, are sequentially developed throughout each season. One episode flows into the next with regards to plot development and also to a character's personal, (and often) social/love life. This marked the third appearance for Amanda McBroom as "Officer Sandi Wells" during Season 9, (and 4th overall). When we last saw Sandi in episode 7 of this season, "Heads, You're Dead" she was lucky to escape with her life by the end of the episode. We had never known much about Sandi's personal life - other than the fact that it appeared that she lived by herself in an apt. Also as she lay in a leaky raft with several others miles out in the Pacific, she mused about the fact that she did not have her usual o.j. for breakfast the previous morning.

Now in the 16th episode of this season in "Dealer's Choice" we suddenly discover that Sandi not only has a boyfriend, but she also has a brother, Mike, who apparently had been living in Hawaii for awhile at least. Or enough time for Mike to have had a job as a charter tour pilot and that he owed money to shady characters because of his gambling addiction. Any attempt to make a connection between Sandi's character from the earlier appearances to now in this episode was very disjointed. But perhaps back then loyal viewers of television shows really did not expect episodes to be as sequentially connected with regards to the script and character development as they are today. Now it seems as if the audience EXPECTS such a phenomenon to occur.

I might be overreacting but when Sandi is told to report to McGarrett's office I sensed a less than warm, and hearty reception by the 5-0 head. Again, there probably existed that disconnect between her two previous appearances earlier this season. When Sandi walked into McGarrett's office in uniform we didn't hear the 5-0 head ask her "how are things going, Sandi? Are things back to normal? Have you gotten past that incident out in the ocean"? It was more like "hello Officer Wells, I have a new assignment for you to do and I expect you to start on it pronto!" I do give McGarrett dibs though in the fact that he knew that Sandi had begun taking flying lessons. She was surprised that he was aware of this. But, even McGarrett's response to her reaction contained a level of superiority that he felt towards the young woman, "It's my job to know everything, Officer". I still sensed the macho, chauvinistic attitude on McGarrett's part towards female cops, dating back to Season 8's "Loose Ends Get Hit", Sandi's first appearance on 5-0. As a matter of fact, the job that McGarrett gave Sandi in this episode solely required her to interview potential female witnesses who were present in the casino home which was raided and led to Sgt. George Tatupu's death. McGarrett could easily have assigned his secretary to perform this duty.

I noted the powerful reaction by McGarrett to Sgt. Tatupu's death. I am trying to remember a similar level of teary-eyed emotion that the 5-0 head expressed in the past towards other characters' sudden deaths. Right now, I'm coming up blank. Even when his girlfriend Carol in the "Man In A Steel Frame" episode was murdered and he discovered the body we saw the natural reaction of shock as he discovered the body. McGarrett later became unbelievably angry in the final scene and almost beat the living crap out of Carol's murderer. But, in this episode I do not remember the emotional tears flowing out of his eyes realizing that he had lost his lover, compared to what was seen here in this episode with regards to Sgt. Tatupu's death. An obvious strong point illustrated in this episode is that it did show the viewers that McGarrett certainly had compassion; as he offered to do "anything" for the Officer's widow in her struggle to get past her husband's death.

Victor Palua was supposed to be this big, tough guy - an individual not to be messed with. I plan on putting up yet another subject on this board listing what I consider to be the all-time most lethal villains in H 5-0 history. Rest assured that Victor Palua will not be on this list. Victor liked to yell a lot during this episode in an attempt to intimidate and throw his weight around. But, a Wo Fat, or Honore Vashon would have found this fool Palua to be an inept and impotent ant to instantly crush and kill under the weight of their foot. Palua's main muscle guy was nothing but a buffoon as well.

Loved the scene between Danny, Duke, and McGarrett in the latter's office. They are talking about the "madame" that Steve must meet as he feels that she will be a good source of info. regarding the casino/home. Danny cracks a joke that Steve better watch out, he might get turned on (the inference being sexually) by the madame's provocative personality. Duke is laughing as well, and actually Steve finds it funny. I'm wondering though, if Danny would have dared crack a joke at his boss' expense back in Season 1 or 2? No, back then it might have cost Danny his job. Still, this shows that by season 9 there was enough mutual respect between the team to allow for some jokes and punch lines amongst them - even at McGarrett's expense. Not everything was meant to be 100% serious, all work no play!

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 17:57:04)

That's interesting, because "They Hang Our Own" wasn't on your original list - alpha128 (me)

I GREATLY underestimated the superior quality that was a part of this episode - "They Hang Our Own" the first time that I watched it back when the Season 7 DVD was released. - Jeffman61

Fair enough. By the way, I just realized we've been using the wrong title. It's "We Hang Our Own".

To appear on my final all-time fav. list an episode would have to include: quality script writing, outstanding acting, the team makes use of forensic science and/or their intellect, and finally the plot must contain suspense. Several episodes amongst the Season 9 set come up woefully short by their utter failure to meet these criteria, IMO. - Jeffman61

I agree. I will have more to say about this when I post my Disc 6 comments, which will include an evaluation of Season 9 as a whole.

P.S. I have never upgraded to the "pro" IMDB version. I've always noticed this when I can't add the emoticons that you use in many of your threads. Sometimes, I can go to other links that you leave in threads by clicking on them, (the youtube links that you left in previous threads). However sometimes I can't. In this case I was unable to be re-directed to the link that you included in the thread to which I'm replying involving Elissa Dulce. When I clicked on the link, I was redirected to a page that simply said "forbidden". For some reason I was not allowed to read, (or should I say "gawk at" the page. I would only assume that it involved a photo of Elissa in all her beauty as she appeared in the "They Hang" episode). Perhaps, I need to look into this upgrade provided that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. - Jeffman61

Jeff, I assure you that I'm using the free version of the IMDb. The "markup" features I'm using, including emoticons, quote blocks, and hyperlinks aren't costing me a cent. An explanation of how to use them is here (hopefully this link will work for you):
http://www.imdb.com/help/boards/markup

As for the "forbidden" link, you are correct - it was a link to a photo of Elissa. I'm not sure why you were unable to access it. Based on the time of your post, around 6:30 AM PDT, which would be 9:30 AM EDT, I surmise you may have been using your employer's computer at the time. If so, your employer may be using a firewall or other means to block what it considers "objectionable" images. If that's the case, try using another computer. That of course assumes you have access to more than one. Hope that helps.

P.S. The photo of Elissa is a screencap from "We Hang Our Own", suitable for general audiences.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 18:23:23)


"Dealer's Choice Blackmail"

This episode clearly illustrates the philosophical differences between 1970's television series and what is on the networks now in 2010. Network television series 30/35 years ago were not sequential when it came to character development. Each episode was almost "stand alone" with little or no connection from one to the next. Now of course, the characters in television shows are sequentially developed throughout each season. One episode flows into the next with regards to plot development and also to a character's personal, (and often) social/love life. - Jeffman61

Jeff, you're quite right about the "stand alone" nature of 1970s TV. That held true throughout the 1980s as well. My favorite crime series of the '80s, The Equalizer was much like Five-O in that it had recurring characters, and multi-part episodes, but nothing like a "story arc".

The first TV series I saw with an overarching story was the 1990s science fiction series Babylon 5 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105946/). From the onset, that series was planned as a "novel for television" - with arcs for each character and a five year long story with a beginning, middle, and end. I can see why this was seldom, if ever, done before that. It was a lot more work for everyone involved - the creators who made the show, the broadcasters and syndicators who aired it, and the viewers who had to watch it.

Back in Five-O's day, the approach was quite different. The creators thought little of continuity between individual episodes. Broadcasters thought nothing of making a season's air date order different from its production order. Syndicators showed the episodes in any order they pleased.

I noted the powerful reaction by McGarrett to Sgt. Tatupu's death. I am trying to remember a similar level of teary-eyed emotion that the 5-0 head expressed in the past towards other characters' sudden deaths. Right now, I'm coming up blank. - Jeffman61

The only other instance of teary-eyed emotion I can think of was the death of his nephew in Season 1's "Once Upon a Time". McGarrett shed quite a few tears then.

I plan on putting up yet another subject on this board listing what I consider to be the all-time most lethal villains in H 5-0 history. - Jeffman61

Sounds like fun. Looking forward to it!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 19:38:44)

As for the "forbidden" link, you are correct - it was a link to a photo of Elissa. I'm not sure why you were unable to access it. Based on the time of your post, around 6:30 AM PDT, which would be 9:30 AM EDT, I surmise you may have been using your employer's computer at the time. If so, your employer may be using a firewall or other means to block what it considers "objectionable" images. If that's the case, try using another computer. That of course assumes you have access to more than one. Hope that helps - alpha.

Alpha,

Actually I always use my own computer as I work out of my own home. I do have McAfee's firewall which, lately I find to be a pain in my rear end. McAfee recently upgraded and improved their entire package - firewall, anti-virus scanning, spam, and etc. Unfortunately, it now takes about 5 minutes after I first turn on my computer for the day until I can log into the Internet. I trace this problem to the new and "improved" McAfee firewall. I know this for a fact as before McAfee's upgraded package was made available back in May, I could click on the shortcut icon on my desktop to go to my Internet browser and it opened up almost instantly.

I contacted Mozilla Firefox, my Internet browser and their suggestion was to disable and then enable my firewall. It didn't work. I then contacted my Internet provider and after conducting a test they decided that the problem was not of their doing. So I just live with it.

It's no biggie regarding my inability to see the link that you left regarding Elissa Dulce. I can picture in my mind, even right at this moment, how she was dressed and her two-twin assets barely hidden underneath her Hawaiian dress in that scene in the bar. I'll try that link that you left with regards to what imdb. has to offer as far as extras.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 20:25:15)

Jeff, you're quite right about the "stand alone" nature of 1970s TV. That held true throughout the 1980s as well. My favorite crime series of the '80s, The Equalizer was much like Five-O in that it had recurring characters, and multi-part episodes, but nothing like a "story arc" - alpha.

Alpha,
Actually I was a big-time fan of the "Dallas" series which started when I was a senior in college back in 78/79 with the show continuing through the early 90's. Being 21 years old the first year of "Dallas", my college roommate and I used to leer at the very seductive Lucy Ewing, (played by Charlene Tilton) as she was around our age then. Speaking of the twin "assets" of our fav. 5-0 girl Elissa Dulce, Charlene Tilton wasn't exactly handicapped in that area either. We both were turned on by the naughty, sexually provocative personality that her character, Lucy Ewing, put out on full display in every episode. Lucy E. was no virgin, and she didn't mind advertising that fact either. I think that she bedded as many young guys her age as her uncle J.R. did when he regularly cheated on his wife, Sue Ellen. You would think that college kids such as my roommate and I would go out on a Friday night. But, being the era when taping episodes of television shows was essentially in its infancy, (and the two of us didn't have a VCR machine anyway) the both of us were parked in our dorm room every Friday night at 9 pm. that year to check out Lucy Ewing. Trust me, we weren't the only guys on the dorm floor that year who found himself in front of a tv on Friday nights. Actually we also used to stare at Victoria Principal, (Pam Ewing) as well. Although Ms. Principal then was in her late 20's in the late 70's/early 80's and about 7-8 years older than us, she was a drop-dead gorgeous woman.

Dallas was essentially the first prime-time television series that essentially was a soap; the "Guiding Light" and "Days of Our Lives" of night time television. Dallas most definitely was a long story arc, lasting 12 years, in which episodes sequentially followed each other with regards to plot development weekly. I think that television producers, script writers, and directors in the business saw how popular Dallas was essentially throughout the decade of the 80's and slowly began to incorporate the "story arc", sequential flowing episodes into many prime tv television shows. Of course nowadays with "Desperate Housewives", and "Grey's Anatomy", these television series are long story arcs which last the entire season. Before the show went off the air back in May after an 8 year run, "24" brought it to an even higher level with the concept of each episode lasting an hour long in real time; the 24 episode season equal to one day's length in totality. I think that we can thank "Dallas" for how viewers today essentially expect many television series to develop characters within each show - sequentially week to week. Even the popular crime show "NCIS", follows this formula on occasion with many of their multi-episode story, (plot) lines.

It's getting late at night. I did watch the next episode of 5-0 "A Capitol Crime" earlier this evening. You'll be interested on my take of this episode. I had a major problem with the plot development. Will post my thoughts tomorrow.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 21:18:51)

I always use my own computer as I work out of my own home. I do have McAfee's firewall which, lately I find to be a pain in my rear end... I just live with it.

It's no biggie regarding my inability to see the link that you left regarding Elissa Dulce. I can picture in my mind, even right at this moment, how she was dressed and her two-twin assets barely hidden underneath her Hawaiian dress in that scene in the bar. - Jeffman61

In that case, try this link instead. This link is to Mr. Mike's Elissa page for "We Hang Our Own". The picture I linked directly to before is at the top of this page:

http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/elissa/Hang/

I'll try that link that you left with regards to what imdb. has to offer as far as extras. - Jeffman61

OK. If you ever need to see that page again, click on where it says markup enabled beneath the Subject: line in the Your Reply form.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Aug 24 2010 22:06:16)

Actually I was a big-time fan of the "Dallas" series which started when I was a senior in college back in 78/79 with the show continuing through the early 90's. Dallas was essentially the first prime-time television series that essentially was a soap; the "Guiding Light" and "Days of Our Lives" of night time television. Dallas most definitely was a long story arc, lasting 12 years, in which episodes sequentially followed each other with regards to plot development weekly. I think that we can thank "Dallas" for how viewers today essentially expect many television series to develop characters within each show - sequentially week to week. - Jeffman61

I never watched "Dallas", but I did hear about it. I couldn't help hearing people ask "Who shot J.R.?", and I seem to remember hearing that one character died and then was brought back by making an entire season's worth of episodes a dream.

There were no "dream seasons" on "Babylon 5". The show was sequential, but it wasn't a soap. The entire story, all five years, was mapped out in outline form before they shot a single frame of film.

Creator/Executive Producer/Writer J. Michael Straczynski wrote on April 11, 1992:

A few days ago, I sat down with our line producer, John Copeland, and production designer John Iacovelli, and we were talking about the need to move quickly on some stuff, and how painful the process is to have the whole story in your head, already told, really, and then have to make it all over again so we can put it on film. "You think you've got it bad," I noted, "I've already worked out the last scene in the last episode of the last season (#5)...and I've still got to make Movie #1." They called me on it and asked what that scene was. Just to see their reaction, I told them. They looked at me as if I'd suddenly sprouted three heads and feathers. It was worth it. (Happily, they're sworn to secrecy.) It was also good because I think that, even without filling in the beats in between, it gave them a good sense of where the series was going to go.

The scene in question aired on November 25, 1998.

It's getting late at night. I did watch the next episode of 5-0 "A Capitol Crime" earlier this evening. You'll be interested on my take of this episode. I had a major problem with the plot development. Will post my thoughts tomorrow. - Jeffman61

OK. Looking forward to it.

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Aug 25 2010 07:28:01)

I never watched "Dallas", but I did hear about it. I couldn't help hearing people ask "Who shot J.R.?", and I seem to remember hearing that one character died and then was brought back by making an entire season's worth of episodes a dream - alpha

alpha,

Yes, that was around the 6th season. What happened was that Patrick Duffy, (Bobby Ewing) wanted to renegotiate his contract for more $$$. He, his agent, and the show's producers got into a stalemate and he quit the show for a season. During the last episode to end the season; realizing that Duffy would not come back for the next, the producers decided to simply kill off his character. They did an entire season right up until the following season's finale. By then, the producers had renegotiated a new contract with Duffy, and he would re-appear in the season, following the dream season. To explain his character NOT getting shot and killed, they explained the entire season away as a "dream", something that his wife Pam, (the lovely Victoria Principal) imagined in her sleep with what occurred during an entire 24/25 episode, story-arc season. In the season finale of the dream season, she goes to her bathroom to take a shower. There in the shower stall already is her husband Bobby, very much alive! Many fans of the show, including myself believed that the dream season was when Dallas "jumped the shark", as the popular saying goes. The show began it's downhill descent into mediocrity and finally, cancellation. Something that H 5-0 went through, unfortunately.

I might have mentioned in a thread in which we were discussing the 007 Bond babes, the actress who appeared in "Moonraker", Lois Chiles. I made the statement that Ms. Chiles, although about 10 years older, was a dead ringer facially for my old h.s. girlfriend. Anyway, during the dream season of Dallas, Lois Chiles had a long multi-episode part portraying a wealthy Texas businesswoman. And yes, Ms. Chiles' character did have lusty sex with J.R. Ewing. Many times! She wanted what J.R. could do for her in the Texas business community, which would put even more $$ into her bank acct. He wanted to get between her legs as payment for the favor that he was doing for her! Many of the deals between the two probably were signed, sealed, and delivered as J.R. thrust himself into her private parts during intercourse. But, the entire season, including Lois Chiles was apparently only a figment of Pam Ewing's very long dream. Several seasons later, Pam Ewing herself was killed off, when Victoria Principal decided that enough was enough and she left Dallas for good.
Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Aug 25 2010 12:53:52)


"A Capitol Crime"

alpha,
Let me start by saying this concerning my thoughts about this episode. If "A Capitol Crime" had ended at the 40 minute mark, and if they had focused SOLELY on the plot centered around Clinton Palmer and his quest in preventing his home from being bull-dozed for the sake of a modern youth home, then this episode would have gone down as one of the best of Season 9. The story on how politics and the US government have so shamefully treated the senior citizens of this country historically is well known, and is atrocious! Even today, there is the ongoing debate about medicare and social security as it relates to people over 65. I have an aged mother, not in the best of health, who constantly worries about what the govt. is doing to her health-care benefits when it comes to medicare; in addition to the fact that social security has recently lowered her monthly checks even though the cost of living continues to rise. It is a travesty. This plot in the episode is a poignant reminder that we need to take care of the senior citizens who are not multi-millionaires living in this country, today - nearly 35 years after this episode was filmed. Clinton Palmer had to resort to the tactics of threatening to blow himself up, as well as endangering the lives of innocent people to get his point across. Palmer stated to McGarrett that he had attempted to contact the Governor of Hawaii 34 times previously. And his cries for help fell on deaf ears every single time.

Unfortunately for this episode, there was that annoying subplot involving the condemned criminal George Hawley and his lunatic girlfriend Mary Beth Rogers. When the script writer attempted to wed together the main plot along with this minor subplot, it is when he essentially destroyed a very enlightening and credible episode. Why? Here are my thoughts:

Upon his extradition papers being signed by the judge, (the actor portraying him, Sutton Roley to my understanding, wrote the script to this episode) ordering that Hawley be transported to what I presume was a main land maximum security prison for his crimes, the criminal brags to McGarrett that there was no way that this plan would be enacted. Hawley, in his beliefs, practically bragged to everyone that he soon would be free. This takes place at a time to which EVERYONE was totally unaware of what was beginning to happen miles away at the hotel. Including McGarrett. Clinton Palmer at about that time had just departed from a commuter bus, and was walking on foot to the hotel with the bomb strapped to his body. How in the world did Hawley believe that he would eventually escape? As was proven out in the final scene, only Clinton Palmer himself knew of his plan that day. He also had never met Mary Beth Rogers, Hawley's g.f. Ms. Rogers had no possible way of knowing that Palmer's threatening to blow himself up miles away from the court house could lead to Hawley's possibly escaping. So, I again ask what exactly did Hawley have up his sleeve when he bragged to McGarrett that at no time in the immediate future would he be leaving Hawaii under armed guards, and to face a long stretch inside a mainland prison?

Without Clinton Palmer's incident in the hotel, what possible plan could Mary have thought up which would have allowed her boyfriend to break out from Danny and the other armed cops escorting him to Honolulu Intl. airport? Did she plan on ramming her VW Bus into the car carrying Danny, two other cops, and Hawley after they left the court house and headed out towards the airport? Speaking of transportation to the airport, why was Hawley being transported in an ordinary car? Since he appeared to be a very dangerous criminal, and not your ordinary common thief who stole old ladies' pocketbooks, wouldn't the situation have called for Hawley to be transferred to the airport by a secure prison van? Oops, that's right. That plan didn't exactly work out in a previous episode "Elegy in a Rain Forest". At least this time, I noticed that Hawley had his legs enchained in shackles; in addition to handcuffs, as he walked out of the court house accompanied by Danny and the other two armed officers. Unlike "Elegy's" Marcus Lucien who only had handcuffs and nothing around his waist, legs, or feet.

One thing about that "trip" that Danny, the two other officers, and Hawley were making by car to the airport. In several scenes they were shown traveling by highway. Now, I've been to Hawaii 5 times in my life. In leaving downtown Honolulu, you do indeed take a highway to get to Honolulu Intl. From my experiences, I estimate that the trip is less than 10 miles in length. On 3 of my visits - in '91, '96, and '06 I had spent most of the time solely on the island of Oahu. I know for a fact that once you leave Waikiki, it does not take that long traveling by the highway route that it looked as if Danny and the others were going to reach the airport. The 10 mile trip should have taken them about 10-15 minutes, max. Danny, the two officers, and the prisoner Hawley had left from a courthouse in downtown Honolulu. The city of Honolulu itself is actually CLOSER by distant to the airport than Waikiki. It made no sense that it took them so long during this episode to get to the airport, and enough time for Mary Beth to reach the hotel, mingle in the crowd for awhile, be escorted in after telling an officer the trumped-up lie that she was Palmer's daughter, commandeer that trigger controlling Clinton Palmer's bomb, and start marking her demands and threats involving her b.f. Hawley if he were not immediately released.

So, Mary Beth listening on the radio to the events taking place at the hotel, realizes that this situation might present a way to get Hawley free. She sets out towards the hotel. The only problem with this scenario is that Mary Beth cannot possibly know that perhaps the situation would be diffused with Palmer either surrounding himself, or blowing he and others to kingdom come. The situation with Palmer could have been resolved at any moment, meaning that her one and only opportunity to get her b.f. Hawley released would have passed. Time is working against her. She then arrives outside the hotel. Inexplicably she then mingles in the crowd and initially does. . . . NOTHING! A Mrs. Amy Nicols eventually pulls up outside the hotel in what looks like a circa 1949 Ford Jalopy and insists that she be allowed to bring in a pot of turtle soup that she had made for her friend Palmer. Alright, so McGarrett who has ordered that a background check on Mrs. Nichols be enacted by HPD allows her to come in. Only then does Mary Beth make her move, cleverly concocting a lie to one of the officers that she is Palmer's daughter and that she too, along with Mrs. Nicols, wants to be allowed inside the hotel to visit him. Why in the world didn't McGarrett order that some police officer on the scene outside the hotel immediately request that Mary Beth provide some form of identification? The 5-0 head had ordered a background check on Mrs. Nicols. This was done and it was proven that Mrs. Nicols was who she says she was - and importantly the sweet, old lady did not have any type of criminal background. McGarrett proved that he was NOT taking any chances earlier with Mrs. Nicols - a 70+ year old individual, as he checked her out from head to toe. But, he would not repeat the same procedure with some younger woman who showed up with her false claims? McGarrett could also have spoken to Palmer, (who by now had sufficiently calmed down emotionally) and said that a young woman named "so and so", and who was his daughter had come to visit him. Right then and there, with Palmer replying back "I don't have a daughter by that name", the cat would have been out of the back with regards to Mary Joe's plan to get inside to the hotel ballroom. Nice cop work there, Steve! So, without ANYONE asking Mary Beth for at least a driver's license to establish her true identity; she is allowed to simply be escorted in by cops along with Mrs. Nicols because McGarrett and team essentially believe that this wacko lady is who she says that she is - Palmer's daughter. I've discussed in previous threads how sloppy police procedure seen in other 5-0 episodes have lowered the quality of certain particular shows. This scene outside the hotel was exhibit A on sloppy, mindless, and inexplicably dumb standard police procedure not being followed by the police; from McGarrett all the way down the chain of command.

This subplot was not as bad as what we saw in "Diary of A Gun" - the silly tale of what happened with one gun during a 24-36 hour period. Still, with what I saw in "Capitol Crime" considering all of the above circumstances actually falling inexplicably into place allowing a woman to outsmart the cops, get into the hotel, and managing to get the trigger from Palmer which could have set off the bomb; it all was borderline ludicrous. And oh yeah, Mary Beth also managed to get McGarrett to hand over his gun to her as well. Turns out the only smart individual, a person able to use his head and finally diffuse the situation, was Clinton Palmer himself. By faking that he had suffered serious chest pains, (possible heart attack) and falling face forwards towards the ground, Palmer was able to slyly pull out the electrical lead wire from its base controlling the bomb strapped to his body as he lay on his stomach. No one, not McGarrett, other officers on the scene like Duke and Chin Ho, the hostages, or Mary Beth were aware of the stunt that Palmer managed to pull off until nothing happened when she pressed the trigger button.

This ridiculous subplot and the circumstances involved with it really lowered the quality of this episode. The first 40 minutes of the episode graded out to a solid 3 and a half, (possibly a 4 rating). What went on with the subplot and how it tied into the main plot lowered the rating of this episode drastically IMO - to a 2 star, if that!

Quick other thoughts: You were right alpha. In a previous thread, I believe that you stated how bad Jimmy Borges actually sang in that "performance" that he was giving to tourists at the beginning of the episode. I agree with you 1000%!! I truly hope that Borges had another line of work to earn a living because that dude sure COULD NOT SING. His performance act kind of reminded me of when I saw Al Harrington that one time back in '91 in a hotel. There were tourists like myself seated in a similar fashion in small tables in which we previously had been treated to a meal before the act began. During the act, not only did Al sing, but he told jokes, background tidbits from when he was on 5-0, and there were hula girls, and other performers. But, Al Harrington actually COULD sing when he got up there in front of a mic and with a band musically accompanying him in the background. Quite well, unlike Jimmy Borges who appeared to be tone deaf when he opened his mouth to sing a melody.

After Mary Beth Rogers has taken over the situation in the hotel waving around Palmer's trigger to the bomb like a lunatic, Steve McGarrett moans to Duke, and other officers in that adjoining room that this had turned out to be a "very bad day for me". I almost got the feeling that Steve was completely overwhelmed by the situation and that he had never experienced such a traumatic day for him at any point previously in his career. Actually, if Steve had time to reflect properly, he would have realized that in at least 2 episodes prior to this one, (in Season 9 alone) he really had much WORSE days! In "Nine Dragons" he was kidnapped by Wo Fat and fed enough hallucinatory drugs to turn him into an addict. This does not take into acct. with what happened after he did manage to escape from Wo Fat's minion's clutches. He jumped overboard and became totally exhausted trying to swim to shore. Except for the Chinese girl and her father who spotted him and then pulled him to their boat, Steve could have drowned right there in Hong Kong's waters. In "Man in A Steel Frame", Steve's g.f. is brutally murdered, he discovers the body, gets slugged on the head, and soon after he regains conscious and paid a visit by the initial investigating police officers is placed under arrest as the main suspect in her murder. No Steve. With what you went through personally in "Dragons" and "Man", in this episode things were not as worse off for you, IMO.

Anyway, those are my thoughts whether anyone agrees or not. The script writer, (played by that judge) bit off more than he could chew in his attempt to incorporate a solid, thoughtful main plot with a silly, absurd subplot. At about that 40 minute mark in the episode, Clinton Palmer gave all indication that he was about to surrender. The governor had even gone out of his way to insure that Palmer and his co-inhabitants in his building would be set up with a situation in which his home would not be torn down, but relocated. And, he would be given $60,000 to boot. The episode should have ended right at that spot.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Aug 25 2010 15:38:41)

In that case, try this link instead. This link is to Mr. Mike's Elissa page for "We Hang Our Own". The picture I linked directly to before is at the top of this page:

http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/elissa/Hang/

I did get the link to work just now and was able to view the page dedicated to Elissa. Yeah, right. There was a prettier woman who appeared during the long H 5-0 run according to some other 5-0 fans. Believe that, and also believe that I own property on the moon that I can sell to you! Even compared to most notable actresses,models, and who ever else is a well known female today in 2010; if Elissa was still between the ages of 25-27 years old she would more than hold her own with regards to sheer beauty. Thanks for the link as well as the info. about adding emoticons!

Jeff

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Posted by alpha128 on (Wed Aug 25 2010 15:55:15)

I did get the link to work just now and was able to view the page dedicated to Elissa. Yeah, right. There was a prettier woman who appeared during the long H 5-0 run according to some other 5-0 fans. Believe that, and also believe that I own property on the moon that I can sell to you! - Jeffman61

I downloaded that first image (hang-1.jpg) last night to "My Pictures" folder so it's now part of my screensaver.

Thanks for the link as well as the info. about adding emoticons! - Jeffman61

You are quite welcome!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Wed Aug 25 2010 17:42:44)

"A Capitol Crime"

If "A Capitol Crime" had ended at the 40 minute mark, and if they had focused SOLELY on the plot centered around Clinton Palmer and his quest in preventing his home from being bull-dozed for the sake of a modern youth home, then this episode would have gone down as one of the best of Season 9.

Unfortunately for this episode, there was that annoying subplot involving the condemned criminal George Hawley and his lunatic girlfriend Mary Beth Rogers. When the script writer attempted to wed together the main plot along with this minor subplot, he essentially destroyed a very enlightening and credible episode.

This ridiculous subplot and the circumstances involved with it really lowered the quality of this episode. The first 40 minutes of the episode graded out to a solid 3 and a half, (possibly a 4 rating). What went on with the subplot and how it tied into the main plot lowered the rating of this episode drastically IMO - to a 2 star, if that! - Jeffman61

Jeff,

As you said to me when I panned "The Bells Toll At Noon", your points are well taken, and intelligibly written.

I noticed some of the points in your critique while watching "A Capitol Crime". However, some of the things you wrote I didn't know, and other things were open to different interpretations. I'm going to rebut some of your arguments, not to try to make you change your mind, but to illustrate how I arrived at a higher rating for this episode.

1. Hawley bragged to everyone that he soon would be free. This takes place at a time to which EVERYONE was totally unaware of what was beginning to happen miles away at the hotel. Including McGarrett. What exactly did Hawley have up his sleeve when he bragged to McGarrett that at no time in the immediate future would he be leaving Hawaii under armed guards, and to face a long stretch inside a mainland prison? - Jeffman61

I had a different interpretation of Hawley's actions. I did not make a connection between Hawley's bragging and what was about to happen at the hotel. Nor do I think we were meant to. I interpreted this as a crook bragging because that's what crooks do. The prisons (fictional ones anyway) are full of inmates who claimed "you'll never take me alive!" and "this place will never hold me!" Now I did have a sense that Hawley was expecting Mary Beth to do something to help him, but I never got the sense that there was a plan involving the events at the hotel. That said however, I can see how you might arrive at your different interpretation, so I will say this could have been made more clear in the script.

2. One thing about that "trip" that Danny, the two other officers, and Hawley were making by car to the airport. I've been to Hawaii 5 times in my life. From my experiences, I estimate that the trip is less than 10 miles in length. The 10 mile trip should have taken them about 10-15 minutes, max. It made no sense that it took them so long during this episode to get to the airport. - Jeffman61

OK, you got me. I've never been to Hawaii and didn't know this. I had no way of knowing whether the trip was 10 miles or 50 miles. I suspect the same was true of the vast majority of the viewing audience and the writer was counting on this. You can call this dramatic license. If you insist on a realistic explanation, perhaps a tractor trailer jackknifed on the highway and traffic was backed up for miles.

3. So, Mary Beth listening on the radio to the events taking place at the hotel, realizes that this situation might present a way to get Hawley free. She sets out towards the hotel... This scene was exhibit A on sloppy, mindless, and inexplicably dumb standard police procedure not being followed from McGarrett all the way down the chain of command. - Jeffman61

Yes, I noticed these plot holes near the end, and figured this is what you meant when you said, "I had a major problem with the plot development." By this point in the episode your rating all boils down to how invested are you in the proceedings, and how much slack are you willing to give it. In my case I was so caught up in Clinton Palmer's plight, so captivated by Bernard Hughes' tour de force (killer aboard ) performance, that my answers were very invested and a fair amount of slack. Yeah, the stuff with Mary Beth near the end was a bit much, but I loved the payoff so much (that Palmer himself had disabled the bomb after faking a heart attack) that I was willing to forgive some of the inanity that preceded the payoff.

So that's why I gave "A Capital Crime" a rating of three stars = better than average, worthy of attention. I agree with you if that the subplot with George Hawley and Mary Beth Rogers was handled better it could have easily merited a rating of four stars = very best, must-see.

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Thu Aug 26 2010 06:30:52)

Yes, I noticed these plot holes near the end, and figured this is what you meant when you said, "I had a major problem with the plot development." By this point in the episode your rating all boils down to how invested are you in the proceedings, and how much slack are you willing to give it. In my case I was so caught up in Clinton Palmer's plight, so captivated by Bernard Hughes' tour de force (killer aboard ) performance, that my answers were very invested and a fair amount of slack. Yeah, the stuff with Mary Beth near the end was a bit much, but I loved the payoff so much (that Palmer himself had disabled the bomb after faking a heart attack) that I was willing to forgive some of the inanity that preceded the payoff.

So that's why I gave "A Capital Crime" a rating of three stars = better than average, worthy of attention. I agree with you if that the subplot with George Hawley and Mary Beth Rogers was handled better it could have easily merited a rating of four stars = very best, must-see. -- alpha

alpha,
I thought that you might find my thoughts about this episode interesting. And I once again thank you in that the two of us can conduct a mature conversation sometimes disagree with the other's opinion, yet still show enough respect for each other not to make it personal. As I've indicated many times this has happened to me before at other tv sites here at imdb.; as well as on Mike Q's site, and on sports-related Internet sites. Too many people have anger within themselves, are p'od at their plight in life, and instead of seeking help they chose to vent their frustrations quite rudely towards other individuals who they happen to disagree with on a topic. As I've said before sadly, the Internet makes this possible. The only other imdb. site related to a television show that I regularly participate in their message board is for the "Dancing With the Stars" show, yet I only do it during the show's 10-12 episode fall and spring seasons. Besides yourself, there is only one other person who I have a running dialogue with as we post threads. This woman has been posting her thoughts on the "Dancing" message board pretty much since the show's inception on ABC. She is person who has experience in ballroom dancing, and knows what she's talking about when she gives her opinion about the performers in the show. Like you she is very mature, conducts herself with class, and doesn't make her threads out to be personal vendettas against other people who post at the site. Many people who come to these sites can learn how to conduct themselves properly as adults simply by interacting both with you and her. Quite simply, you both have "class" in your characters. I have considered it a privilege to share my thoughts and opinions with you here at the H 5-0 site.

Wouldn't this entire episode have been supremely better if the subplot surrounding George Hawley and Mary Beth Rogers had never been written into this episode? Of course then, they might would have considered re-naming the episode instead of "A Capitol Crime". It was completely unnecessary to include those characters and their plight, IMO. What if instead the entire episode had dealt solely with Clinton Palmer? I agree with you 100%, the actor (Bernard Hughes) who portrayed Clinton Palmer gave a stellar, Emmy-nominated deserving performance.

To fill out the episode to its full 50 minute length, (and instead of including the Hawley and Mary Beth characters) what if after the time when Palmer had taken control at the hotel some tenants, (friends of his from the building that had been condemned and soon to be bull-dozed) had been added in as characters at some point in the episode? What if these people had been allowed to talk to McGarrett, but also try to talk Palmer into surrendering himself? Couldn't it have been written into the script that these other tenants each had their say in their plight regarding their condemned building; being allowed to address their thoughts to the Governor after he had arrived at the hotel? How about if a character had been written into the script who WAS Clinton Palmer's daughter? Assuming that McGarrett did a quick background check on her, (as he did for Mrs. Nicols) why couldn't she have been brought in to make an attempt to calm her father down? We found out some basic facts about Clinton Palmer during this episode. Wouldn't it have been an even greater human interest story if an adult child of Clinton Palmer had been added as a character to the script?

This could have been easily a 4-star rated episode, worthy of being listed as one of the best ever H 5-0 episodes in history if it had been handled correctly. Alpha, you and I agree that the social issue surrounding how we treat elderly citizens in this country has always been a hot topic. Back in 1977 when this episode came out, the country as a whole mistreated its senior citizens. Sadly, it continues today in our society. I don't know if the script writer, (who played the judge character) is still alive, but I would love to ask him WHY he chose to add the silly sub-plot to this episode. What was his reasoning? I don't know if this individual wrote a lot of H 5-0 scripts, or if this was his first attempt. All I can say is that hopefully it was his last. Then again, considering the fact that H 5-0 really started to tail off badly in Season 10, (and onward) perhaps this guy DID come up with many of the scripts for Season 10, 11, and 12.


Alpha, I know that you stated that you've never been to Hawaii. You HAVE TO go at least once in your life! I discussed Honolulu Intl. airport in my first thread with the "A Capitol Crime" episode. I stated that the airport is in close proximity both to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. If you were to spend time sunning yourself at Waikiki Beach - and perhaps looking at the ladies either strolling by you or themselves sitting in the sand soaking up the rays, (and the most gorgeous woman that I've ever seen in my life, I saw at Waikiki beach back in '96) you'll immediately notice and hear something, particularly if you gaze in the sky. Many of the jumbo jets fly over the beach somewhat close by over the Pacific. If you were to gaze to your right, and past the Waikiki hotels which are situated on the beach, (particularly the historic hotel known as the "Pink Lady") you can see, about every few minutes, the jumbo jets actually lift off of the runway heading overheard towards Waikiki.

I am a jet enthusiast as I might have mentioned before, having a hobby in playing Microsoft's computer flight simulation games for years. Honolulu Intl. has two long parallel runways that the jumbo jets use, (they also have two other shorter intersecting runways that are used mainly for the inter-island flights). The runway that the jumbo jets use to take off from the airport is runway 8-Right, and I've found out is referred by pilots as the "lagoon" runway. This is because to actually taxi out to that runway, (and it's a relatively long taxi from the gates) the captain has to taxi the jet out on the runway which is isolated from the airport by a lagoon. The runway itself is completely surrounded by water. Believe it or not I noticed on two occasions when I was leaving Honolulu heading home, there is a small military golf course on the property. Part of the golf course is very near to the lagoon runway - 8-Right. Could you imagine lining up and stroking a 10 ft. putt on the green at the precise moment that a Boeing 747's engines are being engaged towards full thrust as it begins it's hurdle down the runway close by? Anyway, as the jumbo jet lifts off from the runway, the pilot must bank to his right, otherwise the jet would be flying directly over Honolulu then Waikiki. When jumbo jets are headed to the main-land USA, they will first bank about 50 degrees to the right as they climb. They pass in close proximity to Waikiki beach. Then the pilot will bank to whatever point necessary to the left depending on where he is going to the mainland. At that point they are flying directly over Diamond Head. Conversely, if a jet is destined to Asia or Australia, you will see them start to bank to the right soon after lift-off, completely in a 150 to 180 degree turn depending on their destination. The Asian or Australian bound jet would not fly over Waikiki beach as mainland jets would do. Instead, gazing from the beach you would see a Japan, Qantas, or Cathay Pacific Airline Jumbo jet making it's slow, lazy right hand turn off in the distance.

BTW, Diamond Head would be a must-stop tourist destination point on your trip to the island of Oahu. It does take some effort to get their however, if you are staying in Waikiki. You could take a commuter bus which will drop you off at the entrance to Diamond Head State Park. From that point you have to hike on foot to the top of the mountain. A rough estimate, according to my memory bank from the Park entrance up to the summit would take 30 - 45 minutes based on your pace. There is a small cafe inside the park where you can purchase something to eat or drink, (as well as souvenirs) if you need any type of refreshments. On the way up, you will be hiking inside a few caves, (one of which unless you're about 4'6" you definitely will have to bend forward as you walk) until you reach the summit. Once you are there, however the complete 360 degree view that you have is simply indescribable! A thing of sheer beauty. You have a direct view down looking at Waikiki, and off in the distance downtown Honolulu. You can see the jets lifting off from the airport. Shortly, if they are heading to LA, San Francisco, or wherever heading to the mainland many of them will pass directly over head. Conversely if planes are coming from the mainland, they will be descending, sometimes flying overhead as well. Planes coming in from the East fly out a little further in the ocean however as they descend over Waikiki beach so as not to collide with jets taking off. These jets will actually go out as far as the very western tip of Oahu, before banking to the right to line up with runway 8-Left, parallel to the runway, (8-R) used for takeoffs. On H 5-0 whenever we see those beautiful "United Airlines" 747's landing in certain episodes filmed, they are doing so on runway 8-Left. If you were to have a seat on the left side of the jet in a window seat heading into Honolulu Intl., just before you land quite close by you can easily see Pearl Harbor, and the Memorial to the Arizona.

But, quickly back to Diamond Head, on the Summit of the mountain they also have these directional signs posted in the ground that indicate where certain city destinations are in miles from Honolulu. Tokyo, according to the sign is directly a certain way some 3,200 miles, (approx), from that spot on the mountain, another sign pointing towards a slight different direction indicates that Hong Kong is 4,000 something miles, Sydney Australia on another sign is this many miles. Pointed in opposite directions eastward are signs indicating that Los Angeles is 2,200 miles, San Francisco, (a sign pointed at a slightly different angle from the one indicating LA) is 2,350 miles, Chicago is this many miles, and so on. Standing in another spot on the summit, and on a clear day you can see the island of Molokai, and further out in the distance Maui. (I don't believe that you can see the big island of Hawaii to the Southeast. It's too far away). They even have those binoculars that you can drop a quarter or two into the slot to get close-up views of the area below you. I remembered, on my second trip to the summit back in '06, (my first trip up Diamond Head was in '96) to bring my binoculars as well as my camcorder to record all that I saw. With a good pair of sneakers, this trip up to Diamond Head would be one of the highlights of anyone's visit to Hawaii.

Anyway, just thought that you'd be interested in some of what the island of Oahu has to offer. I'll be viewing the 3rd episode on disc 5 tonight. Based on your thoughts as well as Mike Q's, (who gives it half a star) this episode could end up being as bad as "Diary of a Gun" and "Babe Ruth" - one of the all-time awful episodes. It might not be an episode that I will actually relish viewing.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Aug 26 2010 15:54:42)

"A Capitol Crime"

I once again thank you in that the two of us can conduct a mature conversation, sometimes disagree with the other's opinion, yet still show enough respect for each other not to make it personal... I have considered it a privilege to share my thoughts and opinions with you here at the H 5-0 site. - Jeffman61

You're welcome, Jeff. And thank you for the compliments. I have to say that I have enjoyed our dialogues on Hawaii Five-O as much as I have enjoyed watching the episodes. Especially this season. Our discussions have always been entertaining, even when the episodes haven't been!

Wouldn't this entire episode have been supremely better if the subplot surrounding George Hawley and Mary Beth Rogers had never been written into this episode? What if instead the entire episode had dealt solely with Clinton Palmer? - Jeffman61

I asked myself that same question as I watched "A Capitol Crime", and concluded that the Clinton Palmer story, as good as it was, was probably not sufficient to sustain the entire episode. I don't begrudge the presence of a B-story. It probably needed one. And it could have turned out worse - I half-expected the hotel manager, the one who kept complaining to McGarrett about all the cancellations, to take matters into his own hands and try to remove Palmer by force. Without the B-story, the situation would have been resolved quickly, happily, but anticlimactically. It wasn't a bad idea to try to up the tension near the end, it was just clumsily handled. On the plus side, the B-story with George Hawley and Mary Beth Rogers did enable the episode to end with a (IMO successful) twist. And this time, unlike "The Bells Toll at Noon", I didn't feel cheated because there was no boom at the end. For all its problems, the subplot enabled Palmer to be the hero by disabling his own bomb, and I wouldn't want to take that away from him.

To fill out the episode to its full 50 minute length, (and instead of including the Hawley and Mary Beth characters) what if after the time when Palmer had taken control, other tenants each had their say in their plight regarding their condemned building; being allowed to address their thoughts to the Governor after he had arrived at the hotel? How about if a character had been written into the script who WAS Clinton Palmer's daughter? Wouldn't it have been an even greater human interest story if an adult child of Clinton Palmer had been added as a character to the script? - Jeffman61

Maybe, but I tend to doubt it. To add those other characters could be confusing at best and superfluous at worst. And it could have lessened the impact of Palmer's heroism. Yes, I said heroism. Because only Palmer, of all the tenants, was willing to lay down his life - not for fame, not for glory, not for a cause - other than that of preventing his friends from becoming homeless. In the current political climate it would be easy to condemn Palmer as a suicide bomber, a terrorist. But as the episode points out, Palmer did try to go through the proper channels, thirty-three times, and got nowhere. To reference the story McGarrett tells in the episode about the farmer and the mule, Palmer didn't want to kill anyone, he just wanted to get the governor's attention. And he succeeded. Bringing in those other tenants could easily have been unnecessary "hitting the mule with a two by four".

Alpha, I know that you stated that you've never been to Hawaii. You HAVE TO go at least once in your life!... Anyway, just thought that you'd be interested in some of what the island of Oahu has to offer. - Jeffman61

Thanks for the "tour" Jeff. With your detailed description I almost feel like I've been there. I would like to go to Hawaii sometime, especially during the winter when there is cold and snow here in Ohio.

I'll be viewing the 3rd episode on disc 5 tonight. Based on your thoughts as well as Mike Q's, (who gives it half a star) this episode could end up being as bad as "Diary of a Gun" and "Babe Ruth" - one of the all-time awful episodes. It might not be an episode that I will actually relish viewing. - Jeffman61

I sincerely doubt you will relish the experience of "To Die in Paradise". If you read my comments, then you'll know I don't consider it in quite the same league as all-time stinkers "To Hell with Babe Ruth" and "Diary of a Gun" (AKA "Diary of the Dumb"). However, I will say it's the worst episode of Season 9 (so far).

FYI. At this writing I have finished viewing the first two episodes on Disc 6. I will have my Disc 6 post up soon.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Thu Aug 26 2010 19:34:42)

"To Die in Paradise"
Alpha,

I have to state to my surprise that this episode was not nearly bad as I thought it would have been. I made the mistake of looking at the rating assigned to it over at Mike Q's site. As I said in my thread earlier today, I went it believing that the episode was on par with "Diary of a Gun" and "Babe Ruth", amongst the worst of all-time. But each person, even Mike, is subjective with his/her opinions with regards to matters; in this case rating H 5-0 episodes. "To Die in Paradise" wasn't the greatest episode of the season, not by a LONG shot. To say that it was anywhere near being as close to "Nine Dragons", or "Paperhangers", or even "Deadly Daughter" in quality would be ridiculous. But, this episode wasn't the worst either; "Let Death" has that honor by a mile. I would rate it about two stars - on par with several other episodes: "Heads, You're Dead" and "Tour de Force" immediately come to mind. It also was better than "Man on Fire" which has the honor of being the second worst episode of Season 9, so far IMO.

The one major problem that I had with Bobbi Joe singing that song with the ukele was the appearance that her voice could be clearly heard throughout at least half of the island of Kauai. They showed the mountain scenery in different spots, with her voice being heard loud and clear throughout the area. I didn't know that mountains would be able to have a person's voice reverberate to such a great extent. Gee, if Danny had only been on the island at that time, he would have known for a fact that Bobbi Jo was still alive. Her singing alone in during that scene in the episode would have provided that evidence. At that point in the episode, the 5-0 team were not sure at all of her whereabouts, or if she was already dead.

Other thoughts:

Great cop procedural work by Chin Ho after listening in on Ducco's conversation with the hotel clerk. Ducco audibly lied to her that he was going out simply to make arrangements for a recording studio gig. Chin Ho thought otherwise; believing that Ducco instead was going to the airport to catch a plane over to Kauai where he could pay the ransom to Dennis and Quincy. Following Ducco out to where he saw him grab a taxi, Chin Ho radioed in to dispatch. Chin Ho, had to have alerted McGarrett as to what Ducco was up to. Shortly thereafter, we were treated to a great scene. The taxi driver is ordered to a location by his dispatch, which annoys Ducco in a hurry to get to Honolulu Intl. The taxi driver tells him that there is an important pick-up which he has been ordered to take into the taxi. McGarrett, to Ducco's surprise steps into the taxi. Ducco has just told the taxi driver that he is paying for a single fare trip, and that in his opinion no other passenger should be in the cab. McGarrett answers back to Ducco, "don't worry. I'll split the cab fare with you". And off they go heading towards Kauai.

The two hippies, Bible Jim and the supreme flautist Amanda I assume represented a nod to the era of love and flower power, (although some 9-10 years too late with the episode first being aired in early '77. I associate the hippie movement as taking place in around '67/68). How annoying Bible Jim was when he got in the way during that encounter that Danny had with Quincy, Dennis, and Bobbi Jo; knocking Danny's gun out of his hand which prevented our 5-0 man from keeping total control of the situation between he and the 2 kidnappers. Bible Jim must have been living in his own planet called "la-la land" stating to Danny that guns did not belong in his world of peace and love for all mankind. Idiot. His moronic actions could have gotten Danny and/or Bobbi Jo killed.

Since a possible manhunt took place in mountain scenery and not the city, I was surprised that McGarrett was still dressed up in his dark suit, button shirt, and tie. Where was the straw hat, mountain boots, scarf around his neck to keep him cool, and silly looking Hawaiian shirt outfit that the 5-0 head outfitted himself in "Elegy" and in a Season 3 episode "Paniolo"? Come on Steve, weren't you prepared to go hiking to not only locate Danny, but the kidnappers as well? I can only guess that on this occasion Steve believed that the use of a helicopter would suffice. If that's so, why didn't Steve use a helicopter when tracking down "Elegy's" Marcus Lucien?

This was a fairly decent, and about average episode. In the end, the right person, crazy Quincy ended up dead. Justice was served when McGarrett plugged a couple of bullets into Quincy, poetic and symbolic payback for the criminal who had earlier killed Colin, (the individual who they first encountered in the mountain and who directed them to the unoccupied hut where they stayed).

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Aug 26 2010 20:40:52)


"To Die in Paradise"

I have to state to my surprise that this episode was not nearly bad as I thought it would have been. I would rate it about two stars - on par with several other episodes: "Heads, You're Dead" and "Tour de Force" immediately come to mind. - Jeffman61

As I said in my Disc 5 comments:

I would have given this episode one and a half stars, maybe even two stars, but two things drag my rating down to a meager one star:
1.) A god-awful song, even worse than Chelsea Merriman's in "Sing a Song of Suspense" (if you can believe that)
2.) The moronic Bible Jim (I hate to say this, but at the 42:04 mark I was actually hoping he got shot)

Great cop procedural work by Chin Ho... Shortly thereafter, we were treated to a great scene. The taxi driver is ordered to a location by his dispatch, which annoys Ducco in a hurry to get to Honolulu Intl. The taxi driver tells him that there is an important pick-up which he has been ordered to take into the taxi. McGarrett, to Ducco's surprise steps into the taxi. Ducco has just told the taxi driver that he is paying for a single fare trip, and that in his opinion no other passenger should be in the cab. McGarrett answers back to Ducco, "don't worry. I'll split the cab fare with you". - Jeffman61

I too noted the taxi scene. In fact, I even wrote down McGarrett's exact line, "Don't worry, Mr. Ducco. We'll split the fare." It was a definite highlight in an episode that was otherwise lacking them.

How annoying Bible Jim was when he got in the way during that encounter that Danny had with Quincy, Dennis, and Bobbi Jo; knocking Danny's gun out of his hand which prevented our 5-0 man from keeping total control of the situation between he and the 2 kidnappers. Idiot. His moronic actions could have gotten Danny and/or Bobbi Jo killed. - Jeffman61

My thoughts exactly. This episode was no "Diary of the Dumb", but Bible Jim was stupid enough to appear in it.

And now for your enjoyment, an excerpt from the special edition of "Diary of the Dumb", featuring Bible Jim:

INT - Warehouse

(Gun smugglers are unloading their latest shipment)

Bible Jim: Guns are an offense against the Lord!

(Gun smugglers turn to face him)

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

It's a real short scene!

P.S. At this writing, I have one episode left to view on Disc 6. I will watch that tomorrow night. My Disc 6 comments will be posted shortly thereafter.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Fri Aug 27 2010 08:57:10)

alpha,

I was going to add an addendum to my thread last night after I posted it. But, it was late at night so I decided to wait until today. However, I see that you beat me in responding back to my original thread on the "To Die in Paradise" episode.

What I was going to add, I see that you noted in your thread:

"1.) A god-awful song, even worse than Chelsea Merriman's in "Sing a Song of Suspense" (if you can believe that)".

Again, I actually don't think that Bobbi Jo's rendition heard clear through the mountains and valleys of Kauai was all that bad. It just gave the impression of being corny. If the camera had just stayed focused on her, instead of the different scenery on the island; giving the impression that her voice reverberated for miles and miles than it would have been more valid IMO. Assuming that it actually was Pamela Franklin, (the actress portraying Bobbi Jo) who was singing I can say one thing: She could carry a tune, unlike Jimmy Borges in the previous episode on this disc. Borges truly was awful! If I had been in the audience I might have asked for part of my $$ back, that's how bad he was!

The problem with Chelsea Merriman's singing performance in "Sing A Song of Suspense" was that in the 3 times that I've viewed this episode, I sensed a definite feeling that the actress portraying her, Lois Nettleton appeared very nervous, (and a lack of self-assurance) during that song performance in this opening part of the episode. I did do some research on the late Ms. Nettleton here at this site. She was a noted stage performer, and was honored with many awards during her career. But nowhere did it state that Ms. Nettleton had any background as a professional musician/singer. In the "Sing a Song" episode Ms. Nettleton, to me, sounded exactly like an actress performing a song who had no musical background, (even though her character supposedly graduated from Julliard School of Music. In reality that would have been highly doubtful. Julliard is one of the most noteworthy and prestigious music schools in this country, if not THE best. Even Lois' guitar playing in this episode appeared to be at the level of a novice beginner). Nettleton's character as she performed that opening song was very timid, she could not project her voice outward very well, and she appeared to be fumbling with the chords on her guitar as she was singing. Other than that opening sequence when she performed that song in front of a room full of people, Ms. Nettleton's character portrayal throughout the rest of the episode was outstanding. Again, she was a great actress. Singer? Ahhh, don't think so!

The best performance by a character singing in an H 5-0 episode I believe took place in Season 1's "No Blue Skies" by the actor Tommy Sands who portrayed the character "Joey Rand". In a scene in a bar midway through the episode, Sands is performing the classic Little Anthony and the Imperials 50's song: "I Think I'm Going Out of My Head". Sand's character is backed by a small instrumental section and backup singers. At one point in the song, the harmonization between Sand's character singing the lead and the backup singers in perfect pitch with him was outstanding. Then again, it's probably unfair to compare Tommy Sands with Lois Nettleton, Pamela Franklin, or fun heaven's sake Jimmy Borges. Looked up Sand's bio here at the site. Sands had an extensive background as a professional musician. He was first discovered in the early 50's by Elvis Presley's manager and signed immediately to a recording contract. Later, Sands made a name for himself in Vegas during the 60's as a casino/nightclub performer. At one time, Sands was married to Franks Sinatra's daughter, Nancy. Nancy Sinatra is famous for her pop recordings during the 60's, "These Boots are Made for Walking" being her most famous. Ms. Sinatra also performed the hauntingly beautiful, opening music theme to the James Bond 1967 film "You Only Live Twice". I've always considered this song, along with Shirley Bassey's theme song in "Moonraker" to be the two most beautiful Bond theme songs in the franchise's history. Anyway, Tommy Sands is one of the very few characters to appear in H 5-0 history who actually COULD carry a tune.

I rolled over on the floor when I read your special take on Bible Jim were he to have appeared in the episode "Diary of a Gun". A very realistic scenario that you envisioned involving the very dumb Bible Jim encountering gun smugglers in a warehouse. You know, if the script writer to this episode had included this scene, (instead of the one involving the clown crook and his "sandy-haired" girlfriend who tried to elude HPD by car during the final scenes) it would have VASTLY improved the whole thing. Alpha, back in the day you should have been a writer for H 5-0. Seriously, some of your thoughts and ideas are much better than what the individuals who wrote the scripts for "Diary", "Babe Ruth", "The Big Kahuna", "Let Death Do Us Part", and "Man on Fire"; completed as finished products. At least your scripts would MAKE SENSE! Gee, you know what? I think that I just revealed 5 of the all-time worst H 5-0 episodes, IMO in the franchise's history. So, I guess you now know 50% of the episodes that will appear on my eventual list!!

Jeff

P.S. I'll watch the final episode on Disc 4, "Blood Money" sometime this weekend, probably Sat. night. I see that the episode is sports' related. Sounds like it will be an episode that will pique my interest since I am heavily into sports.

I also noted at this site here, on the page that lists all of the H 5-0 episodes chronologically that some of the Season 1 episodes apparently will very soon appear on Spike TV?!? I NEVER watch that channel on my cable television, although it is a part of our subscription package. I'll have to definitely check it out to see if these episodes are appearing in my area here in NC. According to the list, Spike TV is set to start airing the episodes beginning next Monday the 30th. Essentially the cable channel will air each episode at least twice initially, and will do them in chronological order beginning with the first episode of Season 1. AWESOME! It's about time that some national cable channel starts airing this show, instead of the absolute junk that pollutes the airwaves on a daily basis.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Fri Aug 27 2010 16:37:21)

I rolled over on the floor when I read your special take on Bible Jim were he to have appeared in the episode "Diary of a Gun". A very realistic scenario that you envisioned involving the very dumb Bible Jim encountering gun smugglers in a warehouse. - Jeffman61

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Alpha, back in the day you should have been a writer for H 5-0. Seriously, some of your thoughts and ideas are much better than what the individuals who wrote the scripts for "Diary", "Babe Ruth", "The Big Kahuna", "Let Death Do Us Part", and "Man on Fire"; completed as finished products. At least your scripts would MAKE SENSE! - Jeffman61

Thank you. As I posted earlier, I did take two fiction writing classes when I was in college. We had to write our own stories, as well as critiques of the other students' work. Even then I had a reputation as a skilled and brutally honest critic. And I'd like to think I've improved in the intervening years.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Fri Aug 27 2010 22:03:47)


This is my next post in the "Thoughts on Season 9" thread:

OK folks, this is it, the last disc of my last season of Hawaii Five-O.

Yes, I know that the series limped on for three more seasons before finally being put out of its misery. Yes, I know that things got so bad that Kam Fong wanted to "die", and James MacArthur ventured into the Amazon jungle rather than return for the final season (true story!). But I'm going to willingly delude myself into thinking that Season 9 was the end, and that Jack Lord and company managed to bring things to a reasonably satisfactory conclusion with some measure of their dignity still intact.


"To Kill a Mind"

This is Dr. Grant Ormsbee's final Season 9 appearance. Not only did I like this better than "Man on Fire", but this time I actually understood the title. The "mind" to be "killed" is the computer with data to be erased.

I was debating right to the end whether to give this episode two and a half stars, or three, but the finale where McGarrett books Ormsbee for "interference with a police action" just to make him "squirm", tipped my rating to three stars. (Mike Quigley gives this two and a half stars.)

Some thoughts and observations:

- At the 28:12 mark, Cathy Doar is murdered by automobile. That was unexpected. What is that covering the front bumper? Brown paper perhaps? To prevent blood from getting on the chrome beneath?

- At the 29:12 mark, we see a police report with the following headings (including an apparent typo):

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT

DAILY REPORT SHEET

CASE CX113 THEFT

CASE CX114 PAROLE VIOLATIONS

CASE CX1115 HIT AND RUN

Mike Quigley notes that Case CX113 is being investigated by an Officer Mifune, the same name as a cop killed by Nathan Purdy (Don Stroud) in "Target - a Cop". I can go one better. Case CX114 makes reference to George Atwater, who was Purdy's parole officer in the same episode. The interesting thing is Case CX114 isn't readable at normal speed. The camera quickly pans over it to get to Case CX1115, the hit and run involving Cathy Doar. You have to freeze frame to read Case CX114. I applaud the creators for their attention to detail in this scene.

- At the 32:11 mark, we finally see the Five-O offices. That lengthy delay has to be some kind of record! By the way, here we have the Territorial Building exterior with the "Iolani Palace" interior.

- Around the 44 minute mark, Drs. Ormsbee and Hammond arrive where David Hammond is being held to unnecessarily complicate the plot. When McGarrett sees this it sounds like he says "Arrogant", but the subtitles read "Hurry".

- Now that Jeff has got me paying closer attention to the background music, I noticed that the Five-O theme is played starting at 47:08.


"Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider"

Writer Herman Groves, who gave us the lackluster "Elegy in a Rain Forest", makes up for it with "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider". With the similarity in titles I was not surprised both episodes had the same author. But I was surprised that "Requiem" is much better than "Elegy", and that my biggest criticism of "Elegy", that it played like Five-O-lite, is remedied. IMO, "Requiem" is the first truly edgy episode of Season 9, and is all the better for it.

"Requiem" reminds me of two consecutive Season 8 episodes, and that's a good thing because I'm referring to two of the best: "Honor is an Unmarked Grave" and "A Touch of Guilt". And while this episode doesn't quite measure up to that standard, I found this better than the typical Season 9 show. I give "Requiem" three stars. (Mike Quigley gives it two and a half stars.)

I was reminded of "Honor is an Unmarked Grave" because there is a mystery here which is finally all pieced together via a long flashback. I was reminded of "A Touch of Guilt" because a girl named Lani, just like in the earlier episode, is raped. Unfortunately for her, this Lani is also murdered.

Some thoughts and observations:

- At the 4:01 mark, we're now back at the Territorial Building (interior and exterior) for the last time this season.

- At the 5:47 mark, the very attractive Miss Susan Wainane (Victoria Racimo) is kind enough to drop by, show us her pokies, and then explain this episode's title.

- At the 15:55 mark, a fly lands right on Calvin Lyle's nose!

- At the 26:07 mark, the pathologist drops a bombshell, "There's a strong possibility that she (Lani Kapalii, Billy Wainane's fiancee) was raped."

- At the 43:11 mark, Danno tells Steve, "I spotted him (rapist/murderer Len Jessup) across the yard. He's carrying a rifle." OK guys, this would be a good time to CALL FOR BACKUP!!!

- At the 46:22 mark, McGarrett takes an improbable turn as a matador and actually does all right.


"See How She Runs"

Here we go again! Another peak, another valley. I just finished praising "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" and now I'm going to start panning "See How She Runs". This episode was HORRIBLE! EVEN WORSE than "To Die in Paradise"!!!

At least "To Die in Paradise" had some action. In fact, up to the 18:53 mark, I was wondering why Mike Quigley rated "To Die" a half-star. Then Bobbie Jo started to sing and I had my answer...

But "See How" is just talk-talk-talk, chant-chant-chant, talk some more, chant some more. It's not far-fetched, but it is INCREDIBLY BORING! They should have called this one "See How She Sits/Stands Around"! I give this episode one star - truly one of the very worst, a show to avoid. (For some reason that's a complete mystery to me, Mike Quigley gives this three stars.)

Even the act breaks in this snoozer are anticlimactic. The first one at the 11:55 mark is particularly weak. I wonder how many viewers changed the channel at that point when this episode was first aired? As for me, I called it a night and watched the rest of the episode the next day.


"Practical Jokes Can Kill You"

The season finale, "Practical Jokes Can Kill You" is another solid, but not spectacular, two and a half star show. While not as good as "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider", it managed to wash away the bad taste left by "See How She Runs".

Some thoughts and observations:

- At the 7 minute mark, Danno informs Steve, "Someone stole King Kamehameha's royal cape." I half-expected McGarrett to reply "Again?" Come on Steve, don't tell us you've forgotten the events of "The King Kamehameha Blues" (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/5-0log2.htm#31)? We haven't!

- At the 10:29 mark, Todd Seymour exits a Ford Bronco with the royal cape - in full view of anyone passing by, including Joko. How dumb!

- Starting at the 15:20 mark, why is Molly so standoffish toward Danno? Mike Quigley speculates this is due to Danno calling Molly "the proud bird with the golden tail" and she was annoyed by this comment. I'm not so sure. I thought there might have been a failed romance between Danno and Molly between "Turkey Shoot at Makapuu" and this episode. The way Danno says that Molly "used to be a friend", it seemed there was unseen history between them, and Danno didn't want to talk about it.

- Speaking of "Turkey Shoot at Makapuu", the footage with the turkey hang-glider (17:22-17:46) comes from that episode.

- At the 20:37 mark, Todd says he doesn't trust the postal service to return the cape undamaged to the authorities. His mailman must be just as bad as yours, Jeff!

- I noted with approval the moments preceding the 29:29 act break. Now pay attention "See How She Runs", that's how you do a Five-O act break!


Season 9 Recap:

With returning characters like Sandi Welles (Amanda McBroom), Dr. Grant Ormsbee (Pat Hingle) and Molly Taggart (Lee Purcell), Season 9 seems, at times, like a direct sequel to Season 8.

But Season 8 is highly consistent in its quality level, like a long plateau. Season 9, on the other hand, is like a mountain range with peaks and valleys. The highest peaks rank right up there with the best episodes of the series. Unfortunately the season gets mired in several deep valleys containing some truly poor shows.

When it comes to Season 8, I disagree with Mike Quigley on some individual shows, but our overall opinion is the same. We both have an average rating of 2.9, which equates to "better than average, worthy of attention."

However, if you have followed this "Thoughts on Season 9" thread from the beginning, you will have noted that my ratings for some episodes sharply diverged from Mr. Mike's, and this is reflected in our overall averages. Mike Quigley's overall rating for Season 9 is 2.9, but my own rating is 2.5, the very definition of "solid, but not spectacular".

Two episodes where I strongly disagreed with Mr. Mike, "The Bells Toll at Noon" and "Elegy in a Rain Forest" illustrate another change from earlier seasons - an almost complete lack of edgy, shocking stories. "The Bells Toll at Noon" leads us to expect another explosive conclusion like "Death with Father" and then fails to deliver. "Elegy in a Rain Forest" provides a rapist who hints he's going to rape the girl, but fails to um, consummate, the threat. Only the episode "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" provides a "genuine" rapist/murderer this season, and is solely responsible for the presence of the word "almost" in the topic sentence of this paragraph.

I would say that Season 9 is a mixed bag. There are many excellent episodes, several that are pretty good, but far too many stinkers. Back in my college days, when I discovered Five-O in syndication, my local station never aired any Season 9 episodes and I think I know why. About forty percent into Season 9, I got the distinct impression that the Five-O series was past the peak of the bell curve and heading down. It was an impression I was never able to shake, because IMO, it is the truth.

I would still conclude that Season 9 was a worthwhile investment. Overall it's still pretty good, I had never seen any of these episodes before, and "Nine Dragons" alone is worth a good chunk of the purchase price. But I am now dead set in my resolve not to purchase, or even rent, any more Five-O DVD sets. The decline in quality I was told to expect in Season 10 actually happened this season. And yet, this DVD review says:

Hawaii Five-O: The Ninth Season keeps up the island justice under the watchful eye of Steve McGarrett. Fans of the series often hold this up as the last season before things went weird enough to cause James MacArthur and Kam Fong to quit the force. This truly is the calm season before the pineapples took over the scripts.
http://movies.insidepulse.com/2010/08/12/hawaii-five-o-the-ninth-seaso n-dvd-review/

I can only conclude that Seasons 10-12 must be REALLY BAD indeed.


Season 9 - My Rankings and Ratings:

Best Episodes (#1 being the best)

1. "Nine Dragons"* (4 stars)
2. "The Last of the Great Paperhangers"* (3.5 stars)
3. "Man in a Steel Frame" (3.5 stars)
4. "Target - a Cop" (3 stars)
5. "A Capitol Crime" (3 stars)
6. "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" (3 stars)

Worst Episodes (#1 being the worst)

1. "See How She Runs" (1 star)
2. "To Die in Paradise" (1 star)
3. "Let Death Do Us Part" (1.5 stars)
4. "The Bell Tolls at Noon" (1.5 stars)
5. "Man on Fire" (2 stars)
6. "Elegy in a Rain Forest" (2 stars)

* Episode is on my Season 9 addendum to my all-time favorites list (see link below).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062568/board/thread/153522884?d=169661142 &p=2#169661142

In conclusion, I would like to say "Mahalo" (thank you) to CBS/Paramount for nine solid seasons on DVD and "Aloha 'oe" (farewell to thee) Five-O.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Sat Aug 28 2010 10:13:45)

alpha,
I did end up watching "Blood Money" last night. Outstanding episode, it kept me riveted to the end. This high quality episode goes right up there with the other excellent episodes from this season - "Nine Dragons", "Paper-Hangers", "Man in a Steel Frame", and "Deadly Daughter". Excellent script, acting, drama, realism.

Thoughts:
What a difference between 1977 and today, 2010 when it came to the scene in the beginning involving the football team's star quarterback. He finds himself in the locker room alone. Two of Victor Jovanko's thugs end up giving him a beating and separating the athlete's shoulder - and putting him out for the season. That wouldn't happen today inside the locker room of a major sports team. There would be beefy security personnel, which all major sports team now have on staff, which would prevent unwanted individuals from entering inside a locker room. The star athlete wouldn't be isolated by himself. In addition many of these gazillionare athletes today have their own security detail, constantly protecting them. I highly doubt that thugs like the two that we saw in this episode would get anywhere close to a LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, or Peyton Manning in a locker room. Less those criminal thugs themselves end up with broken body parts themselves after a physical encounter with two 6'6" 300 lb + bodyguards who are paid a lot of money to protect their star athlete client. I completely understand that scene taking place in this episode from the late 70's. Taking place today, however? It simply wouldn't wash!

I kept looking at Victor Jovanko's wife Anna throughout the episode. Since unquestionably this was the first time that I ever saw "Blood Money" I kept wondering "is that Jo Anne Worley of the old late 60's/early 70's "Laugh-In" Show? I first developed a life-long crush on Goldie Hawn, the funny, lovable, good-looking, bubble-headed, blonde klutz, (who really is a smart woman) as she was in that comical variety show. Sure enough when the final credits rolled through at the end of this 5-0 episode, indeed it was revealed that it was Ms. Worley.

I loved the realism that the director to this episode detailed in the finished product, as it related to Victor Jovanko and his travels. After telling McGarrett and Danny that he and his wife were finally taking the suggestion and leaving Hawaii, (which had that great exchange that you, alpha quoted in your thread) you see the United Airlines jumbo jet taking off from Honolulu Intl, (remember it took off on Runway 8- R in all probability). In the next scene the plane is shown landing in San Francisco Intl. I've flown into SF numerous times in my travels. Indeed that scene was real with the jet landing on a runway with San Francisco Bay being seen in the background. Later when Jovanko returns, (in that stupid disguise) along with his hired crony Augie, the plane is seen descending into Honolulu. The director showed realistic scenery, as a jet coming from the main land would circle completely around Diamond Head and the cities of Waikiki and Honolulu itself, (we correctly saw the Waikiki beach hotels and skyscrapers of Honolulu located from the right side of the plane were Jovanko was seated) then land on the runway coming from the west. Great film work which accentuated the realism of this episode. I distinctly remember the William Shatner appearance in a Season 5 episode. In one scene, Shatner is filmed talking to a businessman, the conversation supposedly taking place in Dallas Ft.-Worth Intl. This is a huge airport, and I also have been there several times, (including one time flying in from Honolulu to change planes). The problem with that scene was that DFW does NOT have palm trees of any kind located on the property. Looked more like Honolulu's airport to me, and anyone else watching that episode. Bravo to the director and producer of "Blood Money" who both insisted on realism and authenticity as a part of the finished product.

Yes, it was nice actually seeing McGarrett's new secretary, Lani who had a meatier part in this episode. Previous to this episode, viewers had only heard her voice, (or a person "supposed" to be Lani) speaking to McGarrett on the phone, or caught a brief 2-3 second glimpse of Lani at her desk. Agreed, she is a major step up in the beauty dept. compared to Jenny, the previous long-time secretary. It also was nice, and pretty much keeping in step with the long H 5-0 tradition, in hiring an actress who appeared as she was Hawaiian for this role. I looked up the actress' name who played "Lani". E. Lynne Kimoto had actually been in three 5-0 episodes prior to Season 9. The actress was in the outstanding Season 5 episode "Pig in a Blanket", as one of the hospital nurses. I didn't recognize her at all with her longer appearance in "Blood Money". I intended to re-watch the episode "Pig in a Blanket", anyway. I'm considering it to be on my list of all-time fav. top 20 H 5-0 episodes. I'll have to look for Ms. Kimoto. Anyway, I had my eye glued to her when she was on camera with the scene in which Lani came in with Jovanko's "present" for McGarrett. Apparently as I watched the scene, I wasn't the only individual who was checking out Lani from head to toe. Danny, Chin Ho, and Duke had their roving eyes on her like adolescent, horny, school boys in heat watching a beautiful woman saunter past them wearing a mini-skirt, tight-fitting blouse, and heels. Hey, Chin Ho you dirty old man. You have a wife at home! At least Danny was a single, available man! (joke-joke)

Besides, the connection that you mentioned alpha with an earlier episode "A Gun for McGarrett", (and I also saw one to Season 2's "Blind Tiger") in which a bomb went off injuring McGarrett, I also saw a tie in to the second part of the Vashon trilogy. In Vashon, Dylan Heyward follows McGarrett around for a few weeks in an attempt to find a pattern to his movements related to his job, and his personal life, (traveling by car in/outside his duties as cop, when he gets a haircut, etc.). In this episode, "Augie" Jovanko's hired hit-man is also seen following McGarrett around to try and clue himself on when the 5-0 head was more vulnerable to an assassination attempt. The slight difference between the episodes was that in Vashon, McGarrett essentially knew that Honore had hired a professional assassin to kill him. They just initially did not know the "who", "when", and "where" as to this hit man's agenda for taking out Steve. The team worked out a plan to outsmart Dylan Heyward and save McGarrett's life. Here in "Blood Money", McGarrett had no idea, believing that Jovanko had left the island for good. Only by chance and good fortune did Augie not succeed in the plan.

The ending was outstanding. One knew that Jovanko would make an attempt to kill McGarrett after being admitted as a patient. I was concerned when the two cops left their position outside Steve's room, to go check out the fire that Jovanko set as a ruse inside the ladies' room. The assumption would have been that the two cops' orders were told NOT to leave their stations for whatever reason. Turns out that McGarrett, Danny, and the boys outwitted Jovanko - just as they outwitted Dylan Heyward in "Vashon" with the phony call-girl, (in reality a police woman who acted as a diversion). Jovanko thought that with the cops leaving their posts, that he had a clear moment to simply walk in and plug several bullets into McGarrett. Wrong! McGarrett finally told Jovanko how stupid he was in admitting himself into the hospital as a patient with a diabetic condition. Jovanko's tag identified his true identity. So the hospital staff, and more importantly McGarrett, the team, and HPD knew who he was from the get-go. McGarrett was also 100% correct in telling Danny to book Jovanko on 5 counts of attempted murder. True, Jovanko attempted to kill McGarrett with that bomb in the statue. But, the 3 other 5-0 members were also in Steve's office at the exact moment that it went off. And, Lani had just walked out the door when it exploded. So even though Lani escaped uninjured, McGarrett included her as well, being Jovanko's 5th intended murder victim.

Again, simply an excellent story.
Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sat Aug 28 2010 12:04:28)


"Blood Money is Hard to Wash"

I loved the realism that the director to this episode detailed in the finished product, as it related to Victor Jovanko and his travels. Bravo to the director and producer of "Blood Money" who both insisted on realism and authenticity as a part of the finished product. - Jeffman61

I agree. I too noticed that the audience took a trip to San Francisco along with Jovanko. The attention to detail you refer to gave this episode a scope and a realism that other Five-O episodes lacked. In the past Five-O had either stayed in Hawaii, or used Hawaiian locations as stand-ins for other places. You mentioned "You Don't Have to Kill to Get Rich, but It Helps", the Season 5 episode with William Shatner as an example. Another offender would be Season 2's "Singapore File" where the Byodo-In Temple on Oahu is portrayed as a Philippine shrine (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/5-0log2.htm#32).

Yes, it was nice actually seeing McGarrett's new secretary, Lani who had a meatier part in this episode. Previous to this episode, viewers had only heard her voice, (or a person "supposed" to be Lani) speaking to McGarrett on the phone, or caught a brief 2-3 second glimpse of Lani at her desk. Agreed, she is a major step up in the beauty dept. compared to Jenny, the previous long-time secretary. - Jeffman61

Actually McGarrett had at least three secretaries during Season 9. In "Dealer's Choice... Blackmail", shot early in the season, McGarrett records a message for long-time secretary Jenny. In "Heads, You're Dead" which was shot later but aired earlier, the Five-O secretary is Malia. Malia is the secretary for most the season, but she usually "appears" only as a disembodied voice on the phone or intercom. The only good looks we get at the Five-O secretary is Lani here and a different secretary, presumably Malia, in the season finale "Practical Jokes Can Kill You".

Besides, the connection that you mentioned alpha with an earlier episode "A Gun for McGarrett", (and I also saw one to Season 2's "Blind Tiger") in which a bomb went off injuring McGarrett, I also saw a tie in to the second part of the Vashon trilogy. In Vashon, Dylan Heyward follows McGarrett around for a few weeks in an attempt to find a pattern to his movements related to his job, and his personal life. In this episode, "Augie" Jovanko's hired hit-man is also seen following McGarrett around to try and clue himself on when the 5-0 head was more vulnerable to an assassination attempt. - Jeffman61

That's a good point. I didn't notice the connection at the time I watched "Blood Money". But now that you point it out, there is definitely a similarity to "'V' for Vashon: the Father" as well.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Mon Aug 30 2010 16:18:10)

Alpha,
I must apologize in that I've not yet started Disc 6 yet. Sunday night, I got into watching other shows including one of my favs. "Mad Men". Today, Mon., I consider the best prime time viewing night for me during the week with TNT's back-to-back presentations of their summer shows "The Closer", (and congrats to Kyra Sedgwick for winning the Emmy for lead actress in a television drama) followed by "Rizzoli and Isles". In addition, as I am a tennis fan, the US Open began today and my boy Roger Federer has his opening round match tonight.

I'll probably get around to watching the first episode on Disc 6 tomorrow night.

In the meantime, I did go ahead and read your thread to which I'm replying; in particular with your closing thoughts in what you feel overall about Season 9 of H 5-0. I concur with you completely. Like a roller-coaster that had a long climb up a steep summit, Season 9 was the point in which the person riding in the coaster was about to begin the very fast, and sometime scary descent downward. By Seasons 11/12 the coaster was probably going 120 mph downward; only there were would be no further uphill climbs to extend the ride.

Even without yet watching the episodes on the final disc, I could bluntly inform anyone that Season 8 overall was better than Season 9. Season 8 had more shows on an even keel with regards to quality. There were less peaks and valleys compared to Season 9 which were full of terrific highs, but balanced out by putrid lows. I can only recall, at most, two episodes from Season 8 which I found to be below-average, and not to my liking: "Deadly Persuasion" and the finale "A Sentence to Steal". Both of these episodes, however were not nearly (note that I learned how to use the emoticons) as bad as the pitiful episodes that were a part of Season 9 that I've seen so far: "Man on Fire", "Let Death Do Us Part". Both of those episodes will be included in my bottom 10 all-time worst H 5-0 episodes when I post it. I've already noted that one episode on Disc 6: "See How She Runs" cannot exactly be called "quality viewing" based on your opinion after you watched it.

I also agree with your statement about Season 10 and beyond. Unfortunately H 5-0 had run its course in the late 1970's, and like another all-time fav. show of mine that finally had the plug pulled this spring by NBC, "Law & Order", it probably should have been put out of its misery and been canceled, then, by CBS following Season 9. (bye-bye)!


So, you can probably expect to begin seeing my thoughts about the final Disc 6 episodes probably by Wed.


BTW, did you have a chance to see any of the Season 1, 5-0 episodes on the Spike cable channel today? They actually had a day-long marathon to start the precedings which lasted for about 8 hours. They did take the first 4 episodes chronologically from Season 1, air them once, and then repeated them again until 6 pm, EDT. Starting tomorrow, (and through this week at least according to the cable programming guide that I saw) they'll run episodes from 3 - 6 in the afternoon. Some viewers on the thread that I started yesterday replied that they too saw these episodes, and remarked how clean and crisp the episodes looked on television.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Mon Aug 30 2010 18:49:07)

I did go ahead and read your thread to which I'm replying; in particular with your closing thoughts in what you feel overall about Season 9 of H 5-0. I concur with you completely. - Jeffman61

Glad to hear it Jeff. Last night I submitted an edited version of my closing thoughts to Amazon.com as a user review of the Season 9 DVD set. When I woke up this morning, I saw that someone had already voted down my review! Glad to see that somebody around here agrees with me!

Season 8 had more shows on an even keel with regards to quality. There were less peaks and valleys compared to Season 9 which was full of terrific highs, but balanced out by putrid lows like "Man on Fire" and "Let Death Do Us Part". I've already noted that one episode on Disc 6: "See How She Runs" cannot exactly be called "quality viewing" based on your opinion after you watched it. - Jeffman61

Yes, "See How She Runs" definitely qualifies as a "putrid low". IMO, the most putrid low of the entire season. Now I wish the IMDb had an emoticon of a smiley vomiting. Oh well, I can always go back to this classic:

Like another all-time fav. show of mine that finally had the plug pulled this spring by NBC, "Law & Order", it probably should have been put out of its misery and been canceled, then, by CBS following Season 9. (bye-bye)! - Jeffman61

Before I forget to mention it, good use of markup! You've taken your first step into a larger world...

I recently found an article on Mike Quigley's site that gives insight into the production of Season 9 (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/9yrlater.htm). It explains that Jack Lord's contract was up after Season 10, and during Season 9 they had built a new studio at a cost of $500,000.

Under the circumstances, I can see why they would want to keep going as long as the TV ratings justified it. But as far as I'm concerned, Seasons 10-12 were created for financial reasons, not artistic ones.

So, you can probably expect to begin seeing my thoughts about the final Disc 6 episodes probably by Wed. - Jeffman61

Looking forward to it!

BTW, did you have a chance to see any of the Season 1, 5-0 episodes on the Spike cable channel today?

Since I already own the uncut, commercial free version of Season 1 on DVD, I'm not going to watch it on Spike TV. But it is nice to see a national cable channel running the show, even if it is heavily edited.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Aug 31 2010 10:00:18)

Since I already own the uncut, commercial free version of Season 1 on DVD, I'm not going to watch it on Spike TV. But it is nice to see a national cable channel running the show, even if it is heavily edited - alpha

Alpha
As I noted in a thread within another topic here at this site, Spike TV, so far is too much into airing commercials during their episode presentations. I watched a few episodes yesterday. Spike TV apparently has decided to air commercials right in the middle of dialogue between characters, (or in the middle of tense chase sequences) which breaks up the flow and sequence of the plot story within each episode. I quickly found this to be annoying. Each episode, as I'm sure that you know, actually lasts about 50 minutes in length, leaving 10 minutes or so for commercials within an hour long air time. When each episode originally aired, the original producers of the show automatically built in commercial time whenever the scene shifted to the rolling Pacific Ocean waves accompanied by background music which often fit perfectly with the mood of the plot.

I would assume that originally during a 60 minute airing that the same 10 minutes were available for commercial promotions. So, it's not as if the original episodes allowed for more commercial time during each hour long episode. I simply can't understand why Spike TV chooses to air commercials when they do. You're right, the original uncut season DVD's are much more enjoyable to view . I also agree with a few threads posted. Some people theorize that Spike TV, (probably in bed with CBS) is simply airing the original 5-0 episodes solely to promote the "new" H 5-0 coming in several weeks when the fall season begins .

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Sep 1 2010 11:07:59)

"To Kill a Mind",

Okay, I viewed this episode I found it to be slightly above average. I agree with your thoughts alpha when it comes to the idea about comparing the fact that the Dr. Ormsbee' character, (the late Pat Hingle) appears in this episode and "Man on Fire" earlier this season - that this episode was much better. When I come to one of the thoughts that I have below, the episode could have been better if the script had been written with more clarity regarding one of the main villain characters in this episode.

Thoughts:

At first I didn't understand the two young women Catherine Doar and Melissa, (who later was the individual who first came across the supposed "pieces" from the sunken Soviet Ship when she stepped on it emerging from the ocean) having an immature fight trying to vie for the attentions of David Hammond. My first reaction was "what's the point of this scene?" As the scene played out, the script writer did a great job in relating the fact that Catherine and David were a young couple in a relationship. Melissa was trying to force her way into David's affections. Catherine became jealous and angered over Melissa trying to steal her man. Catherine took off her in car, (a very nice vintage convertible, BTW. Hmm, she came from money), David attempted to chase after her and instead was kidnapped by Emil Radick's, (Mel Ferrer) goons which started the chain of events that were to involve David's older scientist sister, McGarrett and team, and the good Dr. Ormsbee. Unfortunately, it also laid the path for poor, young Catherine's eventual demise, too.

Mike Q mentions the great scene involving McGarrett and Ormsbee's - for lack of a better term - p#!sing contest in the middle of the episode. Things hadn't changed between the two type A personalities. Ormsbee tells McGarrett that he will go ahead and conduct his test on the computer software equip. found "dumped" in the ocean. McGarrett informs Ormsbee that he has contacted a top level authority figure in the Navy; and that he has the authority to take control of the situation regarding that equip; and that Ormsbee is to hold off the test under McGarrett's orders. Ormsbee has one of the great classic comebacks to usurp McGarrett's authority - really I believe that no other character in the show's history, ever put Steve in his place as Ormsbee did with the following reply. Ormsbee, too has talked to a top level Navy official. The official placed Ormsbee in as lead authority. Ormsbee then sticks the dagger further into Steve by telling him that the only other authority that he will be following "would be God, Himself". Simply a great scene! And, boy did Steve McGarrett get put in his place. (In the final scene of course, Steve gets a measure of "payback" by ordering that Ormsbee be placed under arrest on some trumped up, "interference in the course of police action" charge. Steve also informed Ormsbee that in addition to his many degrees, he also had another one in "stupidity"!)

You mentioned the "method" in which Catherine Doar was murdered by one of Radick's henchman. I take it back to the scene in which Catherine has her final conversation with Sgt. Mirataki, (played by the ever present and great character actor Tommy Fujiwara). Catherine believes that she will be going to meet her boyfriend David. She tells Sgt. Mirataki that he can remove David's name from the missing-person list. Sgt. Mirataki is pleased by this news. He told Catherine that he always believed that it was nothing but a lovers' quarrel between the two of them, and that David would return back to her after he had cooled off. The sgt. then ends the phone conversation with Catherine by telling her "see I knew that it would always be a happy ending". As we know, unfortunately, this was not to be the case. As soon as he spoke those words to Catherine I knew for certain that she would be a goner. Killing her by running her over with the car as a method for getting rid of her spoke of "amateurism". What if another person had been a witness to the scene? What if Catherine had been able to react better to what was about to happen, and made a move to evade the driver? If it was the attention to get Catherine because "she knew to much" according to Radick's boys; wouldn't shooting her have been less conspicuious? A professional killer would have chosen other means. Above all else, I wish that the script writer had simply not made it necessary to include in the plot the murder of a young, innocent, naive, and fairly attractive female character as Catherine was in this episode (my mood).

What lowered the quality of this episode somewhat was the characterization of Radick himself, with regards to the plot. It was never completely explained as to who he was. Was he a Soviet citizen? Did he hate the USA? What was his reasoning for so wanting to embarrass the US military with his stunt in making believe that the equip. was from the wreckage of a sunken Soviet sub? Did he have an agenda, and if so what was it? Did he want money from the govt? It was never explained, at least to my liking, exactly what Radick's hidden intentions were. Because the script writer left this gaping hole in the plot by failing to explain the who/what/why of Radick, his true character was left as a mystery in the end. True Radick was caught and placed under arrest by HPD and the 5-0 team, (McGarrett even angrily said "book 'em" 3 times in succession). I was hoping that he would prove to be a "man" and attempt to engage Steve and Danny in some type of shootout since he was armed. Radick instead took the chicken way out, believing that he could escape by driving away and eluding the police. The script writer should have killed off Radick, and let Catherine survive the episode to be reunited with her boyfriend in the end.

A fairly solid episode; better than average. But not as good as the "best" of Season 9's episodes.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Wed Sep 1 2010 18:27:48)

"To Kill a Mind"

You mentioned the "method" in which Catherine Doar was murdered by one of Radick's henchman. Killing her by running her over with the car as a method for getting rid of her spoke of "amateurism". What if another person had been a witness to the scene? What if Catherine had been able to react better to what was about to happen, and made a move to evade the driver? Wouldn't shooting her have been less conspicuous? A professional killer would have chosen other means. - Jeffman61

I was originally expecting a drive-by shooting. But, upon further consideration, murder by automobile does have the advantage of looking like an accident.

What lowered the quality of this episode somewhat was the characterization of Radick himself, with regards to the plot. It was never completely explained as to who he was. Was he a Soviet citizen? Did he hate the USA? What was his reasoning for so wanting to embarrass the US military with his stunt in making believe that the equip. was from the wreckage of a sunken Soviet sub? Did he have an agenda, and if so what was it? Did he want money from the govt? It was never explained, at least to my liking, exactly what Radick's hidden intentions were. Because the script writer left this gaping hole in the plot by failing to explain the who/what/why of Radick, his true character was left as a mystery in the end. - Jeffman61

Radick's agenda was the episode's title: "To Kill a Mind". The "mind" he wanted to "kill" was the memory bank from the Soviet sub. He wanted to "kill" it by planting a sabotaged storage disengage unit. Ormsbee said he had been trying to extract data from the sub's memory bank for almost a year. Radick's entire plan was to convince Ormsbee that he had recovered the crucial device he needed to access the computer's memory. When the bogus device was used, Ormsbee would erase the data he had so long been trying to retrieve.

So even though Radick's employer is not identified, I got a strong impression who it was. Ask yourself these questions:

- Who would want to prevent the American military from retrieving the sub's data?

- Who would be able to provide a genuine Soviet disengage unit?

- Who would be able to modify said unit to erase rather than retrieve, and do so in a way that would keep the unit's actual purpose a secret, even under close examination by an expert?

If you answered "the USSR" you came up with the same answer I did. It was pretty clear to me that Radick was a Russian agent, even without the letters "KGB" stamped on his forehead.

A fairly solid episode; better than average. But not as good as the "best" of Season 9's episodes. - Jeffman61

Agreed.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Thu Sep 2 2010 17:41:25)

"Requim"

Alpha, I just ended my viewing of this episode awhile ago. I immediately concur that it was edgy in that the subject of rape was part of the plot. You mentioned Season 7's "A Touch of Guilt" in comparing the two victims both sharing the same name, "Lani". With Requim, the Lani character was brutally murdered, following her rape by the sadistic Jessup. I felt a greater connection with "A Touch of Guilt's" Lani in that she survived her gang rape and had to deal with the consequences of guilt being violated against her wishes and the shameful display of non-support from her parents. "Requim" was not as good as "A Touch" overall; instead about on par with many other episodes from Season 9, slightly above average - but nowhere close to being a great or memorable story.

Thoughts:

I guess that the point of McGarrett, the team, and other HPD officials regarding their attempt to stop a gambling/illegal cockfighting ring was written into the plot to show that the 5-0 boys sometimes had more than one case to deal with, simultaneously. McGarrett was pulled into the situation with Susan and her then, missing brother because of his long-time connection to the deceased HPD father of the two. But, it seemed like the other issue was superfluous in that there only was a resolution to the Billy/Lani killing/rape/murder. And I ask myself, what was the point of the gambling story line since we never saw a resolution to the case?

I recognized the actress who played "Alaki" in the scene in which she prances on screen wearing a bikini, (being a friend of Susan, she offered to share her home as a place to stay while the latter was in Hawaii attempting to locate her brother). I've got to admit that "Alaki" looked mighty fine in that very revealing/skimpy two-piece that she was "modeling". The actress' name is Carole Kai and she was in another 5-0 episode that I recently saw from Season 5 - "Percentage". In the other episode, she managed to get hold of a man who became her husband/sugar-daddy. It had to be the fact that he had some money to his name, why else would a good looking under 30 year old woman marry a man who probably was closer to 65?

Poor Chin Ho was once again the butt of a joke in this episode by the script writer. McGarrett asked our sometimes goofy 5-0 team member to check out the particular bus and driver who gave Lani a ride out to the rodeo site on the night that she was raped and murdered, at first in an attempt to find out what happened to her. Spotting the bus as it pulls up to the bus stop, Chin Ho gets out of his car, and boards the bus seeking this info. (Mike Q. at his site pointed out the fact that Chin Ho stayed in front of the yellow line even though there was a sign specifically pointing out the fact that this should not be done by any passenger). First thing, Chin Ho is asked to pay the fare like any other passenger. What, just because Chin Ho was a cop, did that entitle him to a free bus ride implied the bus driver in a question to which Chin Ho dropped some coins into the machine? Shortly thereafter, believing that he has gotten all of the info. that he could out of the driver, Chin Ho asks him to stop and let him out. Chin Ho realizes that he has left his vehicle a ways back and, as he is close to 60, and not exactly a physical fitness freak, he would have to walk back to his car. The driver tells Chin Ho that he can't stop the vehicle when it is not at an actual stop. "But how am I going to get back to my car," asks Chin Ho? The driver tells him that he can get back to his car on the return route. "Sit down and leave the driving to us", was the driver's final say in the matter. I'm sure that Steve M., Chin Ho's boss would not have been too pleased if there had been a need to explain the fact that he took an hour long, round-trip bus ride, to get answers to questions that actually took him 3 minutes to find out in his investigative process. And, what if some common thief had managed to carjacked Chin Ho's unattended police car left at the side of the road while our merry 5-0 team member was taking a sight-seeing tour of part of the island of Oahu? Chin Ho, then would have some "explaining to do"!

My other big thought was that I noticed that H 5-0 during this season must have been trying to stretch the storyline plots beyond the confines of the cities of Waikiki and Honolulu. I went back and reviewed the episodes of Season 9. Without having watched the final two episodes as of yet, "Requim" was the 7th episode which was primarily centered outside of the two big cities, either on other Hawaiian islands, other areas on the island of Oahu, and in the case of "Nine Dragons" the second half of this episode took place in Hong Kong, China. These episodes were:
Nine Dragons
Man on Fire
Heads, Your Dead (including the fact that the initial two murders took place off the coast of Oahu)
Elegy
To Die in Paradise
To Kill a Mind
Requim

I did not take the time to compare, but I'm wondering how many other previous Seasons, (1 - 8) followed this same pattern? I'm willing to bet that Season 9 might have had the highest # of such episodes. I've got to believe that by Season 9, the script writers wanted to do something to keep H 5-0 fresh and exciting for the viewers back then. Perhaps they simply did not want to follow the "same-old, same-old" from past seasons in which we had another 20-22 story lines as part of the Season 9 episodes taking place solely in either Waikiki or Honolulu. I found that in viewing them some 30+ years after they aired in prime-time that while a few of the episodes were less than stellar, (Man on Fire, Elegy) the scenery at least was different and refreshing. It made one realize that there are many wonderful places on the Hawaiian Islands besides the city of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Sep 2 2010 20:58:24)

"Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider"

I guess that the point of McGarrett, the team, and other HPD officials regarding their attempt to stop a gambling/illegal cockfighting ring was written into the plot to show that the 5-0 boys sometimes had more than one case to deal with, simultaneously. But, it seemed like the other issue was superfluous in that there only was a resolution to the Billy/Lani killing/rape/murder. And I ask myself, what was the point of the gambling story line since we never saw a resolution to the case? - Jeffman61

I think you hit upon the point yourself. The point of the unresolved plotline is verisimilitude. It was realistic for McGarrett to be deeply involved in another case when Susan Wainane stopped by to ask for Steve's help in locating her lost brother.

"Alaki", a friend of Susan, offered her home as a place to stay while the latter was in Hawaii attempting to locate her brother. I've got to admit that "Alaki" looked mighty fine in that very revealing/skimpy two-piece that she was "modeling". The actress' name is Carole Kai. - Jeffman61

I think the presence of Susan's friend Alaki Kaimi (Carole Kai) in the script is another example of verisimilitude. It made perfect sense that Susan, being a college student who now lived in California would stay with an old friend when in Hawaii. And it was nice that the creators put Alaki in a bikini since her character served no dramatic purpose. But personally I thought the actress who played Susan, Victoria Racimo, was more attractive. I wish we would have had the opportunity to see her model a bikini for us at some point. Obviously that wouldn't have worked in this story, but it would have been nice to have seen her in a bikini in another Five-O show. I checked Ms. Racimo's credits here on the IMDb, and sadly this was her only Five-O appearance.

My other big thought was that I noticed that H 5-0 during this season must have been trying to stretch the storyline plots beyond the confines of the cities of Waikiki and Honolulu. I'm willing to bet that Season 9 might have had the highest # of such episodes. While a few of the episodes were less than stellar, (Man on Fire, Elegy) the scenery at least was different and refreshing. - Jeffman61

That's a good point, Jeff. I think you're right that Season 9 had a higher proportion of episodes outside the "concrete jungle" and inside the real thing. While previous episodes like "Paniolo" (Season 3) and "A Hawaiian Nightmare" (Season 7) had taken us into undeveloped regions of Hawaii, Season 9 does seem to have more shows like this than previous seasons.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Fri Sep 3 2010 06:18:57)

alpha,
Hi! I went to the board this morning and immediately noticed the lay-out (Beta) change on H 5-0's front page - even from yesterday when I posted my "Requim" thread. I almost could not find the 5-0 message board. I had to scroll down to the very bottom of the page. Don't know if I like the "new" look. But, everyone probably has to just get used to it.

Regarding some of your thoughts in your response to my thread:

"But personally I thought the actress who played Susan, Victoria Racimo, was more attractive. I wish we would have had the opportunity to see her model a bikini for us at some point. Obviously that wouldn't have worked in this story, but it would have been nice to have seen her in a bikini in another Five-O show. I checked Ms. Racimo's credits here on the IMDb, and sadly this was her only Five-O appearance". - alpha

Alpha, I agree with you about Victoria Racimo. She was quite attractive in this episode. In the first scene in McGarrett's office and later at the rodeo, she was dressed in a skirt, which was fashionable in the latter half of the 1970's - to about the knees. It's a shame that Ms. Racimo hadn't made an appearance on H 5-0 back in around 1968/72 when women wore those sexy, fashionable, and leg revealing, (upper thigh and downward) mini-skirts. Many an H 5-0 episode from Seasons 1 through about 5 had female characters dressed in short mini-skirts, as well as sexy "hot-pants", being the trend then for women. Reminded me of the "good old days" back when I was in junior high up to perhaps my sophomore year in h.s. when many girls in school showed up wearing those outfits; interrupting the thought processes in class of pubescent guys like me! (Perhaps one day in a private message to you, and away from the prying eyes of others, I can relate the story of two girls - one in my 8th grade science class, the second in 9th grade French class who used to flirt with me personally on an almost daily basis in school; often dressed in those trendy early 70's "hot pants"). But, I have digressed from the main point. I can only imagine that Ms. Racimo would have looked mighty fine if she had changed roles with Carole Kai; and she had been the character dressed in that bikini outfit in the one scene midway through the episode.

At first I was kind of taken aback when Ms. Racimo's character, Susan, and McGarrett arrived at the rodeo site. He immediately took her hand in his as they walked around seeking info. At first the thought in my mind was "there goes Steven again", with his history of dating and being almost exclusively attracted to much younger women, seen in previous episodes, (including the earlier "Man in a Steel Frame" from Season 9). But, a more powerful thought then came to the forefront. Susan's late father was a friend and close colleague of McGarrett's. Steve probably looked at her more as a daughter, to be protected. Thus the hand holding was simply an innocent gesture on Steve's part.

Just like you, I also went to look up Ms. Racimo's credits since I had never seen her before on 5-0. I was shocked to find out that she's now 60 years old, and that she last made a television appearance back in around 1996! That passage in time seems to be like a punch in the stomach because once again, regarding my now being 53; I would have been not quite 20,(birthday being in Aug.) when this episode first appeared on network tv. The actor who played Calvin would now be 60 as well. Ah, Father Time can be so cruel to all of us!

"That's a good point, Jeff. I think you're right that Season 9 had a higher proportion of episodes outside the "concrete jungle" and inside the real thing. While previous episodes like "Paniolo" (Season 3) and "A Hawaiian Nightmare" (Season 7) had taken us into undeveloped regions of Hawaii, Season 9 does seem to have more shows like this than previous seasons". - alpha

Alpha, don't forget what I consider to be one of the two best episodes to take place outside of Waikiki/Honolulu besides the second half of "Nine Dragons". I refer to Season 6's "We Hang Our Own", which took place almost exclusively on the Big Island, (Hawaii) near Hilo. I mentioned it before, but as I now have ranked at least my top 5 fav. H 5-0 episodes of all-time; "We Hang Our Own" is definitely in my top 5. I just have the top 5, and in order. What will be #6 - #20, and in order, I'm still working on!

See ya after the next episode of Disc 6 "See How She Runs". From your harsh review of the episode posted in your first Disc 6 thread, I can gather that it will not be up the level of quality of "Nine Dragons" - and that I can forget about even considering that it could be included in my top 20, all-time favs. !

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Fri Sep 3 2010 17:12:12)

"Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider"

I went to the board this morning and immediately noticed the lay-out (Beta) change on H 5-0's front page. Don't know if I like the "new" look. But, everyone probably has to just get used to it. - Jeffman61

Jeff, I guess they are implementing the Beta layout selectively, because I haven't seen it. I sincerely hope this doesn't turn into another Google News debacle. If you're not familiar with that story, Google implemented a new layout for their news site over the very vocal objections of their beta testers. The testers all HATED the new layout, but Google thought they knew best, ignored their feedback, and this is the result:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/news/label?lid=06c20bed07a04da6&; amp; amp; amp; amp;hl=en

Alpha, I agree with you about Victoria Racimo. She was quite attractive in this episode, dressed in a skirt to about the knees. It's a shame that Ms. Racimo hadn't made an appearance on H 5-0 back in around 1968/72 when women wore those sexy, leg revealing mini-skirts. - Jeffman61

Well, I've never been a "leg man". No, I'm the kind of man who watches another part of the female anatomy. That explains why I noticed Ms. Racimo, ahem, pointed out the effectiveness of the air conditioning in the Territorial Building.

(Perhaps one day in a private message to you, I can relate the story of two girls...) - Jeffman61

If you're going to make an offer like that, be prepared to follow through!

I can only imagine that Ms. Racimo would have looked mighty fine if she had changed roles with Carole Kai; and she had been the character dressed in that bikini outfit in the one scene midway through the episode. - Jeffman61

Yes indeed. In his guestbook back in July (http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/gbarchived/gbjul10.htm), Mike Quigley posted screenshots of his nominees for the babes of season 9, which included:

1.) Pauly Gardner
2.) Carole Kai (from this episode)
3.) Lee Purcell

For some reason he excluded Victoria Racimo, maybe because she didn't dress in any revealing clothes. But I thought she was just as babely, if not more so, than the other nominees. And lest I forget, she was a good actress too!

At first I was kind of taken aback when Ms. Racimo's character, Susan, and McGarrett arrived at the rodeo site. He immediately took her hand in his as they walked around seeking info. At first the thought in my mind was "there goes Steven again", with his history of dating and being almost exclusively attracted to much younger women, seen in previous episodes, (including the earlier "Man in a Steel Frame" from Season 9). But, a more powerful thought then came to the forefront. Susan's late father was a friend and close colleague of McGarrett's. Steve probably looked at her more as a daughter, to be protected. Thus the hand holding was simply an innocent gesture on Steve's part. - Jeffman61

I never thought for a second that Steve had any romantic interest in Susan. I could tell from the beginning that she was like a daughter to him. Hmmm, maybe that explains why Susan went to the University of California at Berkeley instead of the University of Hawaii at Hilo...

(CUE WAVY VISUAL EFFECTS AND HARP MUSIC)

Lost Episode from Season 2: This is Jack Lord inviting you to join us next for...

"Yes, My Daughter has a Boyfriend"

INT - McGarrett's office. Kono, Chin, and Danno are present.

MCGARRETT:

All right gentlemen, as soon as Susie Wainane entered high school we knew this day was coming. And now our worst fears have been confirmed. Susie's father Paul has just informed me that she has a "boyfriend" named Joey. Now it looks innocent, probably is innocent. But before I allow this to continue I want proof it's innocent.

I want to know everything there is to know about this boy.

Kono, go over to the high school, talk to Joey's friends, see what you can find out.

Chin, run him through the computer, see what turns up.

Danno, contact the FBI in Washington and Karl Albrecht at Interpol. I have a hunch our boy has traveled.

(PICKS UP PHONE)

In meantime, I'm going to contact the district attorney's office. See if I can get a court order to tap Joey's phone...

Lost Episode from Season 5: This is Jack Lord inviting you to join us next for...

"Prom, Prom, Who's Got the Prom?"

INT - McGarrett's office. Ben, Duke, Chin, and Danno are all present.

MCGARRETT: This is the big one gentlemen, Susie's Senior Prom. Now Susie's date, Tommy, seems to check out, but we're not going to take any chances. Ben, I want sobriety checkpoints set up at all entrances and exits to the prom site. Get as many men from HPD as you need.

BEN: Right Steve. (leaves)

MCGARRETT: Duke, I want HPD to provide a full police escort for Tommy and Susie. Squad cars, motorcycles, sirens, the works.

DUKE: I'll lead the detail myself Steve.

MCGARRETT: Good, good.

(DUKE LEAVES)

MCGARRETT: Danno, I want you and Chin to guard the punch bowl in shifts. If anyone gets within two feet of that bowl with a bottle or flask, I want them booked for attempted murder. Make no mistake gentlemen, there will be no underage drinking at Susie's prom!

(CUE WAVY VISUAL EFFECTS AND HARP MUSIC)... AND NOW WE'RE BACK!

That's a good point, Jeff. I think you're right that Season 9 had a higher proportion of episodes outside the "concrete jungle" and inside the real thing. While previous episodes like "Paniolo" (Season 3) and "A Hawaiian Nightmare" (Season 7) had taken us into undeveloped regions of Hawaii, Season 9 does seem to have more shows like this than previous seasons". - alpha128 (me)

Alpha, don't forget what I consider to be one of the two best episodes to take place outside of Waikiki/Honolulu besides the second half of "Nine Dragons". I refer to Season 6's "We Hang Our Own", which took place almost exclusively on the Big Island, (Hawaii) near Hilo. - Jeffman61

No, I haven't forgotten. In fact I remember "We Hang Our Own" was actually from Season 7, not 6, as you indicated. The episodes I listed were just the first ones to come to mind.

See ya after the next episode of Disc 6 "See How She Runs". From your harsh review of the episode posted in your first Disc 6 thread, I can gather that it will not be up the level of quality of "Nine Dragons" - and that I can forget about even considering that it could be included in my top 20, all-time favs. ! - Jeffman61

Let me put it to you this way. I give "See How She Runs" four stars - as an insomnia cure! As a Five-O episode however, I give it only one star.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Sat Sep 4 2010 17:42:42)

"See How She Runs"

Alpha,

You're correct. This truly was a boring episode. It definitely was not deserving of the 3 stars over at Mike Q's. site. But, it was not as bad as "Let Death", or "Man on Fire". I put it on par with "Elegy". As a matter of fact, let me quickly recap the best 3 parts of this episode:

1). The first scene with the waitress who delivers the drinks to the customers as well as Sonny and Todd Daniels dressed in the bikini. I thought immediately of your comment concerning a woman's assets above the waist and below her neck. If I was in Hawaii at the time, I would not have minded at all if that beautiful woman served a drink or two to me. I'd re-order something just to get an up close view of that body of hers. She'd get a big tip as well!

2). The scene in 5-0 headquarters when Maiki, aka Mr. Peeping Tom (a very funny Kwan Hi Lim) and his wife as they are interviewed by McGarrett about what was seen in the hotel room across from their location. The wife's physical reaction, (shaking her head, and rolling her eyes sarcastically) as Mr. Tom described exactly what he saw, then admitting that he was sorry that the shade was pulled down, was priceless. Later upon leaving she slams the door shut on his face, probably muttering what an idiot her husband was. In the earlier scene in their room across from the motel where all of the "action" was taking place, I'm surprised that Mrs. Peeping Tom didn't just rip his binoculars from around his neck and crack Maiki upside his head with them. I believe that she had better things to do then watch her husband getting his jollies as he looked through his binoculars.

3). Immediately after Todd shoots the Re-born spiritual leader Osiris, (and I assume killing him), he threatens the Asian cult member; threatening to shoot him as well. Only, the guy apparently knew martial arts, and with a quick judo-like move displaces Todd through the upper floor window. Mr. tough guy continues airborne in a downward descent, flying glass and all, and lands with broken body parts. He also is quite immobile. See Todd, guns aren't always the answer in solving your problems!

Those were the highlights of this episode.

Thoughts,
This episode was, I believed filmed one year before the Jonestown incident in which thousands of people died following the religious beliefs of a crazed cult leader, Jim Jones. He encouraged them to drink some Kool-Aid like drinks which, he led them to believe would take them to a safe place outside this world. Only the drinks probably contained something called arsenic, cyanide, or other poisonous mixture. I thought of this when I saw one of Osiris' cult people mixing what looked to be Kool-Aid like drinks in one scene inside the home.

So, Sonny Mandell, (played by the actress Jessica Harper) was supposed to be 17 years old - the age of a senior in h.s. Yeah right! And I own as much money as Bill Gates. I went to Ms. Harper bio here at imdb. She was born in 1949 and turned 28 years old the year this episode was filmed. There simply is no way that she convincingly looked like a kid probably young enough to be a year away from being in her freshman year in college. Couldn't they have at least cast an actress for the part of Sonny who looked as if she was not yet of drinking age, (I believe 18, then, as I was in college) at the time?

Lynne Hollinger, as Daniel's girlfriend made, another appearance as a thoroughly dis-likable character. I only liked her in Season 7's "Bomb, Bomb", and unfortunately for her character she was cast as William Windom's - Senator Harlan Henderson's secretary. She made a rather hasty exit early in the episode when she inserted the key in the ignition, gave it a little gas, turned the key and. . . was blown to kingdom come. But, in all seriousness I didn't like Ms. Hollinger's character roles in "Hari-Kari Murder" and "Retire in Sunny Hawaii - Forever". In this episode, she was very wise not to resist her being arrested when Danny and Chin Ho finally caught up to her in the hotel room, bringing her in on the murder involving that guy. Consequently, if she had instead pulled out a gun chose to stupidly attempt to shoot her way out of the situation with two of the 5-0 team members, I would not have mourned her death.

What did the script writers have against my man Chin Ho in Season 9? Just like in about 5 other episodes this season, (including the previous episode "Requim" that I commented on in my previous thread) Chin Ho was made to look as if he was again the subject of a cruel joke. The HPD officers, (acting on a tip that one of them believes that he saw Sonny) along with Chin Ho, Duke, and Danny head back to the cult's house armed with a warrant looking for her . Chin Ho is outside and fiddles with what looked like a grated gate to a window which led to a cellar-like room. The camera switches to Sonny, hiding in this cellar area. Chin Ho looks, but he can't quite see inside through this grate. He then proclaims to Duke that there can't be anyone down in there, (he "thinks" as he clearly stated in the dialogue) because it looks as if it has not been inhabited in years. "No one could possibly be down there" states our friend Chin Ho to Duke. They then depart when, in reality Sonny was probably less than 10 ft. from Chin Ho. Come on script guys, why couldn't they have made Duke to look like the keystone cop?

This show will not make my all-time worst top ten episodes in 5-0 history. Then again, neither will I rush out one night to view it again when nothing else is on prime time television. There would be about 100 H 5-0 episodes in line ahead of "See How She Runs" as preferred stories to see again!

Jeff

One more episode to go in Season 9. At least I do look forward to seeing Lee Purcell again in what looks like a sequel to Season 8's "Turkey Shoot".

PS. Alpha, earlier today I did send you a private message as promised. For your eyes, only!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sun Sep 5 2010 12:06:47)


"See How She Runs"

So, Sonny Mandell, (played by the actress Jessica Harper) was supposed to be 17 years old - the age of a senior in h.s. Yeah right! Ms. Harper was born in 1949 and turned 28 years old the year this episode was filmed. There simply is no way that she convincingly looked like a kid probably young enough to be a year away from being in her freshman year in college. - Jeffman61

That's a good catch Jeff! I didn't notice the eleven year difference between the actress (Harper) and her character (Mandell). In the previous episode "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" they cast Victoria Racimo, who was 27 at the time, to play a graduate school student. That was much more convincing.

This show will not make my all-time worst top ten episodes in 5-0 history. Then again, neither will I rush out one night to view it again when nothing else is on prime time television. There would be about 100 H 5-0 episodes in line ahead of "See How She Runs" as preferred stories to see again! - Jeffman61

Well, I just couldn't stand it. It took a bullet to make Osiris finally shut up. For example, starting at the 15:26 mark, Osiris introduces Mariah, Rainbow, Phoenix, Rhyme, Cassiopeia, Aquarius, Cloud, and finally Karma. I was thinking, "Where's Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen?!?" Seriously, after all this I wanted to make an introduction of my own: "This is Lame".

I would say however, that the Five-O office scenes (Iolani Palace - interior and exterior) seemed to come from a different, and better, episode. The scene you mentioned, "Mr. Peeping Tom" being interviewed by McGarrett, was a highlight in an episode that was otherwise lacking them. Also the act break at the 34:23 mark, the only one to involve the Five-O team, was a bit better. At least Jack Lord was able to inject some life into the proceedings. These office scenes saved the episode from a half-star rating - but this was a definite stinker from writer Anne Collins, who had previously contributed Season 8's "A Touch of Guilt", which we both praised.

There must have been some behind the scenes turmoil during Season 9. Bud Freeman had also delivered an excellent episode ("Honor is an Unmarked Grave") during Season 8, and blew it with "Let Death Do Us Part" in Season 9. What was happening in the production offices? Were they calling these writers on a Friday and telling them they needed a completed script by Monday?!?

Comparing these two subpar efforts from two talented writers, I rated "See How She Runs" below "Let Death Do Us Part". "Let Death Do Us Part" just didn't have the "air of suck" that "See How She Runs" did. I had the sense during "Let Death" that there was a competent script lurking beneath the surface, had the writer been able to rewrite and polish it. I didn't have that sense with "See How". And although I described "Let Death Do Us Part" as a chore to watch, I couldn't even watch "See How She Runs" in one sitting - which was a first for me with Five-O. Therefore, "See How She Runs" would go on my personal list of Five-O's worst episodes.

One more episode to go in Season 9. At least I do look forward to seeing Lee Purcell again in what looks like a sequel to Season 8's "Turkey Shoot". - Jeffman61

I can guarantee you will find "Practical Jokes Can Kill You" an improvement over "See How She Runs".

PS. Alpha, earlier today I did send you a private message as promised. For your eyes, only! - Jeffman61

Got it! Thanks!

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Posted by pacwarbuff on (Sun Sep 5 2010 12:18:12)

Wow! You guys are prolific posters! I tried and failed to pick up the sixth season a few months ago and got shoved aside and now it's happened here with season nine!

You've rendered everyone else as useless when it comes to Five-O discussion. Guess I'll just sit back and continue reading your ramblings... ;)

Good stuff!

Consilio et prudentia

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sun Sep 5 2010 12:41:39)

Wow! You guys are prolific posters! I tried and failed to pick up the sixth season a few months ago and got shoved aside and now it's happened here with season nine!

You've rendered everyone else as useless when it comes to Five-O discussion. Guess I'll just sit back and continue reading your ramblings... ;)

Good stuff! - pacwarbuff

Congratulations pacwarbuff, your post brought the total number of replies to 75, making this the longest running thread on the Hawaii Five-O board, surpassing "Rumored DVD release dates for Season 9-12".

Glad to know there are lurkers out there enjoying the discussion!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Sun Sep 5 2010 18:06:29)

That's a good catch Jeff! I didn't notice the eleven year difference between the actress (Harper) and her character (Mandell). In the previous episode "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" they cast Victoria Racimo, who was 27 at the time, to play a graduate school student. That was much more convincing - alpha

Alpha,

I thought of this last night after I posted this thread. H 5-0 was always known for having a lot of guest actors who were fairly well known at the time. I thought of a fairly popular actress, (still well known today) who was starring in a popular show back in the late 70's who would have been perfect in the role as Sonny. I refer to "One Day at a Time's" Valerie Bertinelli. In her bio., Ms. Bertinelli actually WAS 17 at the time that this episode was filmed, as she was born in 1960. And, she had been a character in "One Day" already for 2 years, as it debuted on prime-time television in '75. So, she already had the acting experience.

Valerie would have been much more convincing as being the "Sonny Mandell" character in this episode - a person who not yet was 20. Valerie, also was probably a better actress than Ms. Harper anyway.

Jeff

PS. Alpha, I also sent you another private message, just as a follow up to the first one.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Sun Sep 5 2010 20:07:57)


"See How She Runs"

I thought of a fairly popular actress, (still well known today) who was starring in a popular show back in the late 70's who would have been perfect in the role as Sonny. I refer to "One Day at a Time's" Valerie Bertinelli. In her bio., Ms. Bertinelli actually WAS 17 at the time that this episode was filmed, as she was born in 1960. And, she had been a character in "One Day" already for 2 years, as it debuted on prime-time television in '75. So, she already had the acting experience.

Valerie would have been much more convincing as being the "Sonny Mandell" character in this episode - a person who not yet was 20. Valerie, also was probably a better actress than Ms. Harper anyway. - Jeffman61

Yeah, Valerie Bertinelli could have worked well in the role of "Sunny Mandell". I wasn't a fan of "One Day at a Time", but I did catch some episodes over the years and am familiar with the series. I had forgotten what network it was on, but the IMDb says it originally ran on CBS. So now I'm really curious as to why Valerie Bertinelli wasn't cast. Maybe they thought she looked too young to pass for 18 or 21 in the opening scene, maybe her work on "One Day" kept her too busy and she was unavailable.

But even if they had cast a different actress as the titular "She", that would not have solved the episode's main problem - that it was so soporific it should have been accompanied by a warning not to operate heavy machinery after viewing!

(edit)
FYI. After I posted this, I formalized my review of "See How She Runs" from this message board, and submitted it as an official user comment. I just received confirmation from the IMDb that my review is accessible here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0598136/usercomments
(end edit)

PS. Alpha, I also sent you another private message, just as a follow up to the first one. - Jeffman61

Got it. Thanks.

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Tue Sep 7 2010 08:40:48)

"Practical Jokes"

Alpha,
Okay here are my thoughts on the last episode of Season 9:

This was easily one of the best episodes of the Season - right up there in the top 4/5 along with:
Nine Dragons (the best)
Paper Hangers
Yes, My Deadly Daughter
Man in A Steel Frame


With "Practical Jokes", we all know that this episode was intended to be a sequel to Season 8's "Turkey Shoot". IMO, this is one time in which the sequel was actually better than the original. Great plot, topped off with a good ending in which McGarrett and team, having cornered the lead criminal on a cliff advises him not to jump off without some type of flying device, (like the hang gliders which were so pivotal to the plot in this episode). But, hey if he wanted to. . . I'm betting that no one would have minded.

The "practical joke" in which Molly Taggert's boyfriend steals the King Kamehameha cape from the penthouse location in a hotel is borrowed from a Season 2 episode: "King Kamehameha Blues". In the earlier episode, young kids steal the cape supposedly from a location, (gaining access from a sky roof) thought by authorities to be burglar proof. I would suppose, theoretically, that the owners of this cape would find a better spot to put it on display after it was taken, again in "Practical Jokes". Perhaps the next logical step would be that the cape would be placed in a case locked and protected with an ADT type security alarm, connected to HPD headquarters!

I recognized the actor who played Joko. He also was in "Turkey Shoot" being one of the two drugged out hoods who first killed Molly's friend early in the episode when her car broke down, (stealing the car for parts), then they killed Molly's brother, and finally they made an attempt to kill Molly herself in the episode's final scene. Only in "Turkey Shoot" the actor Chuck-Chuck Akamine's character was shot dead the 5-0 team. Perhaps the producer/director who hired the actor for "Practical Jokes" figured that, minus a beard in the sequel, he would not have been recognized. And, back when H 5-0 was in prime-time one probably would not have noticed the same actor, playing two different characters. It's just nowadays, with the availability of the show on DVD, I was able to spot Chuck-Chuck immediately in the first scene, (in which he and the other criminal attempted to car jack the army truck).

It's a shame that Lee Purcell, as Molly was only seen wearing bell-bottom jeans throughout the entire episode: and not more appropriate clothing for the heat and humidity of the tropical Hawaii. One scene would have been perfect: Molly pulled up in her VW Beetle in an attempt to make up with her boyfriend after they had that fight, (she wanted no part of him being involved in that plot to hang glide into the military headquarters to help steal the shipment of weapons). Instead of the non-erotic, and no-thrills jeans that Molly was wearing, the following would have been both more appropriate for the situation and arousing. Molly pulls up to her house in her VW Bug and cuts off the engine. She steps out of the car wearing short, cut-off jeans, (revealing a lot of leg), a tee-shirt tied just below her breasts showing off her "assets" and revealing her flat stomach, (think Jo Ann Harris as "Laurie Benedict" in Season 7's "And The Horse Jumped Over the Moon" episode prancing around in similar clothing ); and finally wearing flip flops, the Dr. Scholl's sandals that were so in vogue back then, or just going barefoot even as she was driving up to her house. The scene did show Molly and boyfriend reconciling and then heading into their little house arm-in-arm to do some obvious lovemaking. It would have been even more tantalizing if Molly had been more appropriately dressed in an attempt to not only make up with her boyfriend but to seduce him, (as well as the viewers like myself watching this scene). I knew that they couldn't stay mad forever at each other, anyway. Then in her late 20's, Lee Purcell was quite an attractive woman! It was a shame that we only saw her character as the tomboy who liked to take off from great heights in a hang glider in both episodes. Now, if I had been the script writer. . . !!

We once again have a funny scene involving Chin Ho. Working late at night in McGarrett's office, Chin Ho walks in with a tray of what he says is coffee that he picked up at a Chinese take-out food shop. The guys, including McGarrett are thankful towards Chin Ho in his gesture and immediately start sipping the hot liquid. McGarrett is surprised by the taste and remarks to Chin Ho, "This isn't coffee Chin Ho, it tastes more like tea"! Chin Ho replies, "Come on Steve, when have you heard about a Chinese take-out restaurant serving coffee"?!? Ha Ha! I'm telling you, Kam Fong should have received an Emmy award that season. In so many episodes, his character was either the butt of jokes, or he told them, (from "Tour de Force" when Officer Sandi calls him Duke on purpose during that critical scene, and it takes awhile for Chin Ho to understand her meaning, to his tailing methods in "Paper Hanger", to the bus scene in "Requim" to what happened in "Practical Jokes", the guy was hilarious this season). Kam Fong should have been given a special Emmy award that season. The award could have been entitled: "Best supporting actor comedic role, in a Drama". The Emmy goes to Kam Fong!!

In the previous episode "See How" I meant to add that I noticed the scene in which there is a different secretary in the office who had replaced Lani from "Blood Money". Perhaps, (jokingly) the shock of almost being in the room when the bomb went off might have told Lani that the job had an element of danger to it, and she quit. She was replaced by an actress in "See How", Malia who was not nearly as attractive as Lani. In "Practical Jokes" there was yet a third secretary who was quite good looking, (the scene in which Molly's two male friends go to the office to talk to Danny. They keep asking her when she thinks that he will show up, but she just could not provide a definitive answer). Just wondering with all of the change in secretaries for Steve this season, it was apparent that the 5-0 head probably missed his long time, and faithful secretary Jenny.

Overall, this was an exceptionally fine episode! It ended Season 9 on a high note; but as what we know historically from people like Mike Q who have studied H 5-0 in depth, with the beginning of Season 10 the show began a steep and steady decline into finally being unwatchable by Season 12. Seasons 8 ("Sentence to Steal") and Season 7 ("6,000 Deadly Tickets") had episode finales which were markedly inferior to "Practical Jokes". I could make the case that one would have to go back to Season 5's ending "Jury of One" to find a finale of the quality of Season 9's.

Alright, so that is it, I believe. What I plan on doing to sort of top off what I think of my favorite cop show of all-time is to start additional subjects. They will be the following:

1). My all-time top 25 fav, (best) H 5-0 episodes. I settled on 25 episodes from Seasons 1 - 9. I put a lot of thought into this, and I admit that it is different from a thread that I put up a year or so ago. Some episodes have been removed from my list. I had such difficulty with it, that I only ranked in absolute order the top 10. The remaining 15, I have grouped in 5's, (11 - 15, 16 - 20, and 21 - 25). So, you will see what I think is the absolute best H 5-0 episode of all-time, then the second best - all the way to #10.

2). I will also list in order what I consider the worst 10 episodes of all time.

3). I will have a thread in which I list the 10 most heinous, villainous criminal characters in 5-0 history.

4). Lastly, I will list my favorite guest actors/actresses to appear in H 5-0. This list will solely be composed of actors who were NOT the main characters - Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong, Zulu, Harry Endo, Al Harrington, etc. Only actors who played characters in episode that I thought were the all-time best. BTW, Ms. Elissa Dulce (later Hoopai) most definitely WILL be on that list. I'll give that much away. Yes, she is THE most beautiful woman to appear on H 5-0. But, if one thinks about it she was a very good actress, and she did show a depth of range in portraying different characters quite well.

Look for these lists soon!

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Tue Sep 7 2010 16:54:37)


"Practical Jokes Can Kill You"

It's a shame that Lee Purcell was seen wearing bell-bottom jeans throughout the entire episode, and not more appropriate clothing for the heat and humidity of tropical Hawaii (think Jo Ann Harris in Season 7's "And The Horse Jumped Over the Moon" ). Then in her late 20's, Lee Purcell was quite an attractive woman! It was a shame that we only saw her character as the tomboy who liked to take off from great heights in a hang glider in both episodes. Now, if I had been the script writer. . . !! - Jeffman61

I get the sense that if you had been the script writer, the episode would not have been passed by the network censors. .

We once again have a funny scene involving Chin Ho. Working late at night in McGarrett's office, Chin Ho walks in with a tray of what he says is coffee that he picked up at a Chinese take-out food shop. The guys, including McGarrett are thankful towards Chin Ho in his gesture and immediately start sipping the hot liquid. McGarrett is surprised by the taste and remarks to Chin Ho, "This isn't coffee Chin Ho, it tastes more like tea"! Chin Ho replies, "Come on Steve, when have you heard about a Chinese take-out restaurant serving coffee"?!? Ha Ha! - Jeffman61

I am a frequent coffee drinker and I once made the mistake of ordering coffee at a Chinese restaurant. Never again! Steve, Danno, and Duke should thank Chin for bringing them tea instead. The Chinese are experts at making tea, but in my experience, their coffee making skills leave much to be desired! When I go a Chinese restaurant now, I just smile and order tea.

I noticed a scene in which there is a different secretary in the office who had replaced Lani from "Blood Money". Perhaps, (jokingly) the shock of almost being in the room when the bomb went off might have told Lani that the job had an element of danger to it, and she quit - Jeffman61

In production order "Blood Money is Hard to Wash" followed both "Practical Jokes Can Kill You" and "See How She Runs". Lani (E. Lynn Kimoto) could have returned, but apparently it didn't happen as Mike Quigley doesn't mention her again on his site.

Overall, this was an exceptionally fine episode! It ended Season 9 on a high note. I could make the case that one would have to go back to Season 5's ending "Jury of One" to find a finale of the quality of Season 9's. - Jeffman61

That's a good point which I would not dispute.

What I plan on doing to top off what I think of my favorite cop show of all-time is to start additional subjects. They will be the following:

1). My all-time top 25 fav, (best) H 5-0 episodes from Seasons 1 - 9.
2). The worst 10 episodes of all time.
3). The 10 most heinous, villainous criminal characters in 5-0 history.
4). My favorite guest actors/actresses to appear in H 5-0 (NOT the main characters). Ms. Elissa Dulce (later Hoopai) most definitely WILL be on that list.

Look for these lists soon! - Jeffman61

I will look for those lists! I don't know if I'll be able to come up a full assortment of 25 favorites, 10 "worst of the worst", etc. but I'll give it a shot. However, it's been so long since we started, I feel like I would have to watch all nine seasons again to come up with complete and accurate lists. Can you believe it's been three and half years since Season 1 was released on DVD?!?

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Wed Sep 8 2010 07:47:32)

It's a shame that Lee Purcell was seen wearing bell-bottom jeans throughout the entire episode, and not more appropriate clothing for the heat and humidity of tropical Hawaii (think Jo Ann Harris in Season 7's "And The Horse Jumped Over the Moon" ). Then in her late 20's, Lee Purcell was quite an attractive woman! It was a shame that we only saw her character as the tomboy who liked to take off from great heights in a hang glider in both episodes. Now, if I had been the script writer. . . !! - Jeffman61


I get the sense that if you had been the script writer, the episode would not have been passed by the network censors. - alpha

Alpha,

Oh no, no! The episode most definitely would have passed the network censors. Just in that one scene, (unless Ms. Purcell somehow objected) I would have dressed her in more appropriate clothing considering the climate, as well as to set the proper mood. Molly was after-all making an attempt at reconciliation with her boyfriend. The bell-bottom jeans in 88 degree tropical weather just didn't cut it, IMO. So here is how the script would have worked out if I was in charge:

First of all, I would have had a short 20-25 second part in the episode in which she is driving up to her house in her VW Bug. There would have been a camera placed in the rear view seat showing her driving up to the house. The camera also would have caught her wearing a tee-shirt tied at midriff, and a view of her attractive legs in cut-off jeans. We did see Jo Ann Harris in a similar scene in "Horse" when she was driving her Jeep. If I remember correctly, Ms. Harris' character was going to rendezvous with her boyfriend, (or at least the guy thought he was her boyfriend. She was also seen fooling around with Ed Flander's character on the sly) after parachuting down from a drug drop. The censors found nothing wrong with that scene. There were hints of sexuality with Ms. Harris' mode of dress, but nothing bordering on offensive in the FCC's minds back then.

I'd even have give Ms. Purcell the option of choosing her own footwear for this scene, (no sneakers however, they wouldn't fit the mood that I'd be trying to set). Flip flops, Dr. Scholl's sandals, clogs - something appropriate for the climate. Or she could have chosen to not wear any shoes at all, and just do the scene barefoot even as she was driving her car. I personally have known women who like to drive a vehicle barefoot in the summer, so nothing wrong there. Just as with Jo Ann Harris' appearance in the other episode, there needed to be a strong hint of femininity in this scene. Molly wasn't heading off towards the summit of Diamond Head to go hang-gliding. Instead, Ms. Purcell's character as Molly was going to make-up with her b.f. Molly then would have gotten out of the car, and follow the script according to everything that actually occurred in the episode - except for the fact that those bell-bottom jeans would have been exchanged for a more suitable, summer-like, I-want-to-entice-my-boyfriend-into-having-sex-with-me, and skimpy type outfit. We all know what probably happened after Molly and the b.f. kissed and made up, as they headed toward their house arm-in-arm. They both had one thing on their minds! It's just that my script, all quite legal with the FCC thought police, would have better captured the moment.

I know, as you mentioned in a previous thread that you once took a film-making course in college. Now, based on your experiences wouldn't my suggested script in that scene involving Molly making up with her boyfriend have been acceptable in the censors' eyes; and more appropriate in the mood that was being conveyed?

I'll also be putting up two of my H 5-0 subjects regarding my top 25 all-time fav, (and what I consider the best) episodes, as well as my top 10 all-time worst episodes in a few days. Perhaps tomorrow, time permitting. Or, definitely by Friday. Within the top 25 fav. list, I do have the top 10 ranked in order. I found out that going beyond that, in an attempt to rank #11 - 25 was a difficult and almost impossible chore. I ended up changing episodes starting with #11, all the way up to #25 countless number of times. And what I think is the correct order today, might be different in my mind tomorrow. However, the top ten episodes were much much easier in my mind to rank based on plot, acting, suspense, drama, and appropriate ending.

I'll work on the other two lists that I plan on eventually posting, (most heinous villain characters, and the best guest actors to appear all-time in the H 5-0 episodes) perhaps by the end of next week. I have a great idea about the villains and who will be included. The other list with the guest actors I am just beginning to resolve in my head. I have about twenty names that I'm considering. I want to narrow it down to ten if I can. Don't worry, no matter what Elissa Dulce will definitely be on the final list!

Jeff

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Posted by alpha128 on (Wed Sep 8 2010 19:03:47)

I know, as you mentioned in a previous thread that you once took a film-making course in college. Now, based on your experiences wouldn't my suggested script in that scene involving Molly making up with her boyfriend have been acceptable in the censors' eyes; and more appropriate in the mood that was being conveyed? - Jeffman61

Yes, I see where you're going with this now. I'm sure there would have been no problems with the censors. Oh, and for record, I took two classes in fiction writing, not film-making.

I'll also be putting up two of my H 5-0 subjects regarding my top 25 all-time fav, (and what I consider the best) episodes, as well as my top 10 all-time worst episodes in a few days. Perhaps tomorrow, time permitting. Or, definitely by Friday. - Jeffman61

OK. I really don't have anything new to contribute for a Top 25 list. As I wrote earlier, my plan is to come up with an ordered list by rewatching all of my favorites when the Season 10 DVDs are released, circa Feb. 2011. That way I won't feel so left out. In addition, having recently watched 23 Season 9 episodes at the rate of about one per day, I'm in no hurry to begin another intense period of Five-O viewing. Please forgive me, but I'd like to watch something else for a while!

As far as a Bottom 10 list goes, I'll definitely have something to add. Did you have a criteria for inclusion as far as the 1 to 4 star rating scale is concerned? In other words, should every episode have a one star rating (out of four) or below? 1.5 stars out of 4 or below?

For example, I had the following list of Season 9 stinkers:

Worst Episodes (#1 being the worst)

1. "See How She Runs" (1 star)
2. "To Die in Paradise" (1 star)
3. "Let Death Do Us Part" (1.5 stars)
4. "The Bell Tolls at Noon" (1.5 stars)
5. "Man on Fire" (2 stars)
6. "Elegy in a Rain Forest" (2 stars)

Depending on where the cut-off is, I could put two, four, or all six on my Bottom 10 list. Is there a specific cut-off you used?

I'll work on the other two lists that I plan on eventually posting, (most heinous villain characters, and the best guest actors to appear all-time in the H 5-0 episodes) perhaps by the end of next week. I have a great idea about the villains and who will be included. The other list with the guest actors I am just beginning to resolve in my head. I have about twenty names that I'm considering. I want to narrow it down to ten if I can. Don't worry, no matter what Elissa Dulce will definitely be on the final list! - Jeffman61

Somehow I knew Elissa Dulce's place in Five-O history would be secure!

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Posted by Jeffman61 on (Thu Sep 9 2010 08:10:19)

OK. I really don't have anything new to contribute for a Top 25 list. As I wrote earlier, my plan is to come up with an ordered list by rewatching all of my favorites when the Season 10 DVDs are released, circa Feb. 2011. That way I won't feel so left out. In addition, having recently watched 23 Season 9 episodes at the rate of about one per day, I'm in no hurry to begin another intense period of Five-O viewing. Please forgive me, but I'd like to watch something else for a while!

As far as a Bottom 10 list goes, I'll definitely have something to add. Did you have a criteria for inclusion as far as the 1 to 4 star rating scale is concerned? In other words, should every episode have a one star rating (out of four) or below? 1.5 stars out of 4 or below?

Depending on where the cut-off is, I could put two, four, or all six on my Bottom 10 list. Is there a specific cut-off you used? - alpha

Alpha,
Actually I've been watching a # of my favorites in between the releases of each Season on DVD. Between 6 and 7, 7 and 8, etc. I almost know a lot of the really good early episodes, (1 - 5) line-by-line according to each script. I'm quite comfortable and happy with what I've come up as far as the list, (and it's going up right after I respond to your latest thread).

I don't know if you notice, but I wasn't as big as Mike and you are about assigning a specific rating to each episode. I just thought they were excellent, good (above average), average, and stinks()!

The list for the bottom 10 I actually found to be a much easier assignment for me, as opposed to listing the all-time great, (fav) episodes. I am very settled on my top 10 of all-time. They're ranked in order - then I list the next 15, (not in order). H 5-0 had so many great episodes, (as opposed to very poor ones) that just naming 10 episodes and leaving out the others would have been unsatisfactory. I actually had about 5-6 episodes which I thought barely missed my top 25. (I'll name them on my thread). The bottom 10 however, really STAND OUT as being putrid, with only 2/3 others that could have been added.

Jeff

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by pacwarbuff on (Sat Nov 13 2010 07:52:50)

"Target - A Cop" is without question the best episode of season 9, not just Disc 3. I'm afraid the highly praised "Nine Dragons" can't hold a candle to "Target". One of the all-time greats for sure!

You said it, bruddah! "Target...A Cop" is my favorite ninth-season episode as well! Don Stroud always did his best work for Five-O and this is his absolute best. He was almost nonchalant in his quest for vengeance. I also like that this one captures the state of the country at the time, coming to terms with Vietnam, it's use is actually casual in its referencing, as Stroud's Purdy character uses it as a cover for why he's paralyzed.

It's interesting to note that Don Stroud was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Posted by ringfire211 on (Mon Nov 15 2010 11:05:30)

Don Stroud always did his best work for Five-O and this is his absolute best.

Yeah, Stroud was the freakin' MAN!!!

He shined in all 3 of his Five-0 guest performances - "Target-A Cop" being by far his absolute best! I also love how he always referred to people as "paley" - instead of saying "Hey, pal" he would say "Hey, paley". I believe that's a Stroud trademark as I've heard him use it in various films that he's done and guest appearances on other shows (THE A-TEAM, KNIGHT RIDER, etc.)

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Posted by midnight_raider2001 on (Thu Dec 30 2010 10:35:55)

Hi guys ... I will insert a few comments of my own into yours and I hope you don't mind.

I was the one who noted that "Heads, You're Dead" was a fictionalized version of a real life boat-jacking that occurred of the coast of Oahu in 1973. The title of the Reader's Digest article that covered the story was called "A Dime of Pure Gold." The crew members on the boat were told to jump overboard in life jackets. The hijackers then flipped a coin (a dime, of course), to see if they would lower a life raft to the people in the water. When the toss came up favorable, the leader of the hijackers tossed the dime into the life raft as a souvenir.

This being fiction -- and the lead villain being played by Paul Koslo -- the subsequent fate of the people in the life raft and in the boat diverged considerably. The life raft was equipped with signal flares and water (but no food), and eventually they managed to use the flares to signal down a passing cargo ship which was on a much more southerly route than usual (Great Circle routes from America to Asia pass far north or Hawaii; maybe this was headed for Australia or New Zealand). The boat hijackers were arrested without incident and not charged with murder. As far as I know, the United States Coast Guard was not involved in the rescue because they didn't know a boat was missing.

Hope to chat with you more about these shows later on.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Posted by alpha128 on (Thu Dec 30 2010 13:13:00)

Hi guys ... I will insert a few comments of my own into yours and I hope you don't mind. - midnight_raider2001

I don't mind at all. Welcome to the forum.

"Heads, You're Dead" was a fictionalized version of a real life boat-jacking that occurred of the coast of Oahu in 1973. - midnight_raider2001

Interesting. I did not know that.

Hope to chat with you more about these shows later on. - midnight_raider2001

Sounds good. Bye for now.

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Well, folks, this is it! We are all caught up now. No more old posts.

Now I can start posting my thoughts on each episode. As can others. But I think I need to watch each episode again. It's been a while now - about 6 months I think when I began my season 9 viewing. So things aren't as fresh in my mind. I think I'll post as I watch each episode (not each disc). It'll be easier for me this way. I'm a bit busy these days.

Hopefully it won't take me a year to go through the whole season.

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Well, folks, this is it! We are all caught up now. No more old posts. - ringfire211

Thanks again for doing this, Ringfire. I hope this reposted thread is retained for a good, long, time!

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Thanks again for doing this, Ringfire. I hope this reposted thread is retained for a good, long, time!

You're quite welcome, alpha. Yes, you and me both!

Here we go...

Nine Dragons
written by Jerome Coopersmith
directed by Michael O'Herlihy

This 2-hour season 9 opener ends up serving as the finale for Five-0 director Michael O'Herlihy (my personal favorite Five-0 director), who directed more episodes than any other director. I think the next 2 frequent directors would be Charles Dubin and Paul Stanley. I'd pick those as my next 2 favorites. Also, this and the next episode would serve as the finale for Five-0 scribe Jerome Coopersmith, considered by many to have been the best writer on the show (though I personally might have to give John D.F. Black the edge). Jerome was indeed great and he certainly finished on a high note with his last 2 episodes.

As for the episode itself yes it's a very good season opener and is considered by many to be among the series best. It's certainly Mr. Mike's personal favorite. While I've warmed up to the episode considerably over time (not that I ever disliked it, mind you) I would still hesitate to put it on my "favorites" list. Simply because there are way too many episodes that I'd place ahead of it. There's just simply no way it would land in my top 25. Perhaps I'm a bit biased in that I was never the biggest Wo Fat fan. Sure, he's a fine villain and Khigh Dhiegh played him to perfection, but for whatever reason the Wo Fat episodes never quite gripped me the way other episodes did. Very often the episodes seemed to be needlessly stretched to 2 hours simply because it's a Wo Fat episode and hence it's an "event episode" - something special. So we gotta make it a 2-hour special or a 2-parter. Or at least that's how I felt about "The Ninety-Second War" (the second part being a huge letdown from the first part which was excellent) and "F.O.B. Honolulu". Even "Murder - Eyes Only" I thought dragged in spots. This certainly wasn't the case with "Nine Dragons" - in fact it seems like they rushed the ending because they didn't have enough time. Go figure, eh? And then when it comes to the Five-0 villains even though I do like Wo Fat I just don't love him the way I love Big Chicken (my favorite!) or the Vashons or Lewis Avery Filer or Charley Bombay (Albert Paulsen's version) or Eddie Josephs who was particularly creepy in "I'll Kill 'Em Again". Those are the cream of the crop for me when it comes to Five-0 villainy.

All this said, I would definitely say that "Nine Dragons" is the best Wo Fat episode. Actually I'd prefer "A Bullet for McGarrett" but since Wo only makes a cameo in that one then I guess it doesn't count as a bonafide Wo Fat episode. So "Nine Dragons" it is! Followed not too far behind by the series pilot "Cocoon" and then "And a Time to Die" (a nice concise 1-hour episode ). The score by Morton Stevens for "Nine Dragons" is definitely a standout and probably the best score for season 9 (though I also love Mort's score for "The Bells Toll at Noon" and Bruce Broughton's score for "Double Exposure"). His main theme that is used at the beginning when McGarrett is making his getaway is quite effective and is repeated throughout the episode. Not sure if I hear John Barry's FROM RUSSIA IN LOVE there (as Mr. Mike points out) but it's a great instrumental piece! Particularly outstanding is the "torture theme" during the middle section of the film where McGarrett is undergoing "behavioral modification". It's unsettling, creepy, disturbing. Fantastic stuff - especially with the imagery on the screen. This whole middle section is actually the highlight of the episode. This is some of the best stuff we've ever seen on Five-0. 38 years later it still packs a punch! Jack Lord is also fantastic in those scenes. In fact I think Lord really stretches his acting chops during season 9 - more so than in previous seasons (check out also "Man in a Steel Frame"!). The movie-quality feel of the episode is also a big plus. That's really Hong Kong there! That's not downtown Honolulu. That's not the Valley of the Temples (which doubled as the Philippines back in "The Singapore File" - great as that episode was).

Overall this was a very good episode (and one that tends to get better with each viewing) and the best Wo Fat episode of them all. The ending did feel a bit rushed - from the moment McGarrett realizes that he was being filmed saying something to the moment they actually locate the film and stop the broadcast it all seems incredibly quick. Way too quick! McG doesn't even get a chance to snap his fingers for a brainstorm. Not even one quick finger snap! C'mon! Still, an otherwise engaging episode and a high note on which director O'Herlihy made his departure. Just doesn't quite make my "favorites" list. In fact it doesn't quite make my top 5 for season 9 either. Perhaps on a particularly lucky day it might squeeze into the #5 slot. But not at the moment.

If I were to award stars to this episode I'd probably go with ***1/2 stars. That's an improvement from the *** that it used to be. But it's not quite 4-star material for me.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Feel free to comment on my episode reviews. I'll be doing one episode at a time. Not the entire disc at once. I'll be away for a few days so won't get around to the next episode until sometime later next week.

Take care!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Assault on the Palace
written by Jerome Coopersmith
directed by Ernest Pintoff

This is a very good heist episode. No, it's not quite on the same level as the season 3 classic "Ten Thousand Diamonds and a Heart" (probably the best heist episode on the show) but it was quite good nevertheless. I remember always liking this one. I thought using the Wilcox Rebellion re-enactment during the King Kamehameha parade to rob the bank was quite clever! Clu Gulager, who plays the mastermind Arthur Lambert, also played the mastermind in an earlier heist episode - season 5's "Fools Die Twice". I also always remember the opening being quite creepy - Lambert bashing Professor Kalani's skull in with a shovel while the poor guy is begging for his life in a ditch. Then Kalani being buried alive. Whew! Speaking of Kalani, he is played by Five-0 stock actor Robert Costa but in the end credits his character is listed as Professor Chang. This has happened numerous times on the show - a character's name is identified differently in the end credits than in the episode. I recall an episode where Danny Kamekona played some psychiatrist with some Oriental name but in the end credits was listed as Dr. Rosenstadt. Seriously? Does Danny Kamekona look like a Rosenstadt??

I do have a question about the actual heist. After the Wilcox Rebellion is "finished" we see some of the "rebels" come out of the bank with their hands raised as they surrender. But a few of them remain in the bank because they're cleaning out the vault. So my 2 questions are:

1. Wouldn't any of the parade spectators notice that not all of the "rebels" have come out of the bank?
2. It seems like those few "rebels" remained in the bank for quite some time even after the parade was over (until the getaway ice cream truck arrived). Wouldn't someone enter the bank as soon as the Rebellion "ended" and walk in on the robbery in progress?

These are my 2 issues that I have with the actual heist itself. I also have a quibble with the fact that at the end we see that Lambert hid the cash under some vase on the actual premises of the Museum. Really? Why? Why not hide it in some remote location? How long did Lambert actually plan on hiding that cash in that spot? It seems really dumb. It's almost like he was being chased by someone and just decided to stash it under that vase in a last ditch effort to conceal his loot. It doesn't make sense for that cash to be hidden there like that. What if someone from the Museum staff found it? Did Horton really bring that bag of money to Lambert right there at the Museum? Highly unlikely! They no doubt met at some remote location, so the money being hidden under that vase at the Museum makes little sense.

Still, it was a very good heist episode. The last episode penned by Jerome Coopersmith. The score by Bruce Broughton was quite good too. I'm teetering between *** stars and ***1/2 stars. Yes, it's almost as good as "Nine Dragons". That's right - I said it.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Hopefully I'll have my review for Oldest Profession -- Latest Price up soon...

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Oldest Profession -- Latest Price
written by Anne Collins
directed by Philip Leacock

This is another solid episode. While it's a slight step down from the previous one ("Assault on the Palace") it's still quite good. Actually I just rewatched it before writing this review and enjoyed it more than when I watched it about a year back when I got the season 9 DVD set.

I think Ned Beatty raises this one above what could have been a very average episode. His portrayal of the hooker killer Keith Caldwell is very interesting - it's a strange mixture of mob enforcer and psycho with female issues. On the one hand he's doing a job that he's getting paid for - killing hookers to send others a message to pay up or share a similar fate. But on the other hand you can see that he clearly enjoys doing this to women. He particularly gets hung up on Cory because she's the one who is adamant about not paying. At the end Pendelton tells Caldwell to "come home" and collect his share of the money and forget about Cory (Pendelton doesn't seem to care that one hooker refused to pay) but for Caldwell it's personal - he doesn't care about the money, he needs to make Cory pay (with her life). He's basically a sadist who loves to beat up on women and the more they stand up to him the more personal he makes it. He needs to feel like he has power/authority over a woman and when this power is threatened you can see that he starts boiling inside. Again, this could have been a very one-note performance of a simple enforcer just doing a job for an extortionist. But Beatty adds a touch of the psychotic into his performance. It's not too much (we're not talking Eddie Josephs from "I'll Kill 'Em Again" here) but it's just the right amount sprinkled here and there to give a certain sense of uneasiness about this character's mental state. Plus the fact that Beatty is not someone you typically associate with psychos and who does have a certain "lumbering teddy bear" quality about him it does add a certain strangeness to the character. It works for me!

I thought the score by Morton Stevens was quite good as well - especially during the stand-off with the police outside Cory's apartment when Caldwell is holding her hostage. I don't know what to call that sound or what instrument was used to achieve it but it's a somewhat creepy sounding wa-wa-wa-wa reverberating type of sound. Really cool and unsettling. I heard it again 2 episodes later in "Tour De Force -- Killer Aboard". And as alpha mentioned, the sound when Dee gets killed by Caldwell in the massage parlor is straight out of Bernard Herrmann's PSYCHO - the infamous shower kill scene.

And yes I also really love the fishtailing scene with McG's Mercury tearing up that hill at the end after apprehending Caldwell. That was one epic fishtail/hill climb!! I guess I really don't have anything negative to say about this episode. It didn't have the suspense or excitement of many of the superior episodes, nor was its plot particularly original or gripping. But what it did it did quite well. Ned Beatty played a big part in the success here I think. And I really did not have any issues with Pendelton's fate at the end. I think they made it quite clear that Caldwell was going to sing like a canary and incriminate his boss. He said so himself as soon as McG and Danno apprehended him. I didn't need another scene where we see McG and Danno driving up to arrest Pendelton. I'm going with *** stars for this one.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Man on Fire
written by Stephen Kandel
directed by Gordon Hessler

Well, here is our first "average" episode of the season. It's not bad but it's not good either. It's just one of those episodes that you want to skip over when you're doing a rewatch. Pat Hingle makes his second appearance as the obnoxious and cranky physicist Dr. Grant Ormsbee, once again bucking heads with McGarrett. I don't mind this at all as it's part of the charm when it comes to these two. Pat Hingle does a good job as always so I don't have any complaints with him. We also have a pre-MAGNUM PI John Hillerman who does a good job as the oily baddie Donald Blair.

But overall the plot about developing nuclear warheads underneath some medical supply company is rather preposterous and the whole story is just not exciting enough (rather surprising considering what's at stake). Compare this episode to another episode dealing with nuclear materials/plutonium - season 6's "Anybody Can Build a Bomb". Now, that episode I am actually quite fond of. I find it both appropriately tense and exciting. I know I'm probably in the minority when it comes to that episode but I really like it. To me it was yet another great season 6 episode. I'm sure it had its share of inaccuracies but somehow it was more thrilling and tense - especially with the clock on the bomb ticking away in that warehouse. Plus Lew Ayres put in a sympathetic performance. "Man on Fire" in comparison just doesn't have that extra oomph. Of the 3 episodes featuring Dr. Ormsbee it's my least favorite. Pat Hingle returns again towards the end of the season in "To Kill a Mind" which is a superior episode and my personal favorite of the "Ormsbee trilogy". That episode, along with this one, is directed by Gordon Hessler - his only 2 Five-0 episodes. Stephen Kandel wrote all 3 Ormsbee episodes. The babely Pauly Gardener also appears in both this episode and "To Kill a Mind". She gets my vote as the hottest chick (along with Lee Purcell) of season 9.

Some more observations:

The score by Don Ray seemed to be mostly stock music from season 8.

The secret passageway from Blair's office to the underground facility/basement where the nukes were being assembled (via a vault room and behind some rotating cabinets) looked like something out of a Bond movie. A bit too much.

McGarrett storming into Blair's company past scared-looking office workers and pencil-pushers and wielding a huge gun like Rambo was unintentionally funny!

What really kills me is the laugh-out-loud hilarious ending where McGarrett and company are dodging rolling plutonium canisters! Those rolling plutonium canisters is the single funniest thing in the history of the show! Especially with Ormsbee yelling "Don't let them nest together!!!" like it's some alien species or something! LOL!! I have no clue if any of this resembles reality in any way, shape, or form, but it just seems like a totally bizarre idea dreamed up by the writer on the spur of the moment. What should be a very tense scene is completely comical! I'm sure there were ways that Blair and DeGroot could have threatened our guys with plutonium without resorting to rolling canisters at them as they play hopscotch over them. Oh, and... DON'T LET THEM NEST TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall this one gets ** stars. An average episode. Maybe I should give it half a star more for that comical ending. Hey, laughter is good for the soul.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Tour De Force, Killer Aboard
written by Charles Larson
directed by Jerry London

This episode is the best since "Nine Dragons" (although "Assault on the Palace" is very close). I love assassination stories and although there wasn't exactly a whole lot of novelty to this story (we've seen similar stories earlier on the show) it was still interesting and suspenseful for the most part. Plus Sandi Welles is always a plus. I love her smile and enthusiasm and her energy.

I thought Cliff Gorman did a good job as the assassin Robert Huston (a.k.a. Raymond). He wasn't exceptional but he was effective enough - I think it must have been that lazy eye of his. Did anyone notice this? His one eye looked a bit weird (lazy eye I think) which made him a bit creepy looking. I definitely think the way the Ilikai employee Julia fell for him was a bit of a stretch. A stranger jumps into a cab with her, flashes a smile, starts gabbing away, and she begins to gush over him and starts sharing all sorts of secrets with him (minus the Ilikai secret which gets her killed eventually). Maybe folks were a bit more trusting back in the day but I still thought it was a bit much. Plus that lazy eye of his didn't seem to phase her.

I agree that Chin Ho "Charlie Chan" Kelly seemed to have gotten hit with a stupid stick when Sandi and Huston approach him and she calls him "Duke" (presumably to give him a clue that something is up). Not only does he not seem to catch on to the "Duke" signal she gives him but he doesn't bother correcting her that it's "Chin". So that scene is a bit weird. Either Chin is really out of it for some odd reason (in some trance or way too preoccupied, which seems unlikely) or the scene wasn't written very well. Most likely it's the latter.

The finale outside the Ilikai highrise is the highlight of the episode. The photography is gorgeous and the view dizzying and spectacular. The stunt work is excellent! The stuntman is very obvious with his very curly brown hair (I believe it's Chuck Couch who did most of the high-climbing stunts on the show) but it doesn't detract from the suspense and beauty of those scenes. Very well done! I really love the shot of Huston getting drilled by the OPEC security through the glass. Great looking shot!

There is some good humor here too - with the annoying Hazel Parr and the other curly-headed dude who ended up with Hazel at the end. Plus there's the great scene with the guy being questioned in McG's office who calls Chin "Charlie Chan" and calls McG "pal". McG tells him sternly "don't call me pal" Then McG tells the guy to tell "Charlie Chan" where he can be reached.

The score is effective and seems to be a stock score by Morton Stevens. I think a lot of the cues come from "Oldest Profession - Latest Price" which was by Stevens - in particular the creepy wa-wa-wa-wa reverberating sound when Huston is getting his gun from his chess set.

I give this one a solid ***1/2 stars. Yes it's very good! It shows that season 9 still had the spark. I've finished viewing season 10 and just started season 11 and there's quite a difference between those episodes and those from season 9. This one still has the edge that the later seasons lost. But hey, I've enjoyed those too. As Jack Lord got older and times changed it was inevitable that the show would have to change and adapt to the times. It worked I think and still provided us with beautiful Hawaii and good entertainment.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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I'm curious... is anyone reading these?

Should I continue or should I stop?

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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I'm curious... is anyone reading these?

Should I continue or should I stop? - ringfire211

I've read all your Season 9 posts. I haven't been commenting because I already wrote at length about these episodes.

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Ok, alpha, I guess I'll continue. Thanks! Feel free to chime in if something catches your attention.

Haven't heard anything from Jeffman though.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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The Last of the Great Paperhangers
written by Orville H. Hampton
directed by Philip Leacock

Another winner of an episode! Maybe even a touch better than the previous one - "Tour De Force, Killer Aboard" - which was also great. A touch better than "Nine Dragons" as well.

The episode is not only humorous (something of a rarity for a show like FIVE-0, with a few exceptions) but its plot (HRH's scheme in particular) is quite clever and makes sense. I couldn't spot any holes. Seemed pretty reasonable to me. In fact if you just watch it once you may miss some things here and there (as far as HRH's scheme goes) so a second viewing definitely explains anything that may have been missed the first time. Very clever episode!

The acting is first-rate - particularly from guest-star Kevin McCarthy playing Hunter R. Hickey ("HRH"). Gotta love that name! McCarthy is one of the best guest-stars of the season, right alongside Barnard Hughes ("A Capitol Crime"), Rich Little ("The Bells Toll at Noon"), and Dane Clark ("Blood Money is Hard to Wash") - I'll get to those later. The best scene in the episode is the repartee between HRH and McGarrett in the latter's office. This is where McCarthy truly shines and gives an Emmy-worthy performance! The expressions on both McGarrett's and Danno's faces are priceless! Makes you want to hit the rewind button again and again. Danno doesn't even have any lines there but his expressions are pure gold! This scene really reminds me of an almost identical scene in season 2's "Which Way Did They Go?" (another great heist episode) where William Windom plays the mastermind Ossie Connors who also walks into McGarrett's office and gives him a load of bull about going straight. Except that scene wasn't quite as humorous and Connors was a more deadly individual than HRH.

The tailing by Chin and Duke of HRH/Janice didn't bother me so much - we've seen lousy tailing like this plenty of times on this show so here it's nothing new. It's probably not meant to portray the tailing exactly as we see it anyway. We're meant to interpret them as being further away. The part that did bother me, however, is Chin and Duke mistaking Janice for HRH. From just across the street. She puts on sunglasses and a hat and immediately becomes HRH? Please! This is cheesy 1st grade Clark Kent/Superman logic. This was a mistake on the part of the writer.

The score is by Bruce Broughton and is appropriate to the proceedings. It does sound like Morton Stevens, as Mr. Mike mentions in his review.

Overall, great episode! It's not quite in the same league as "Over Fifty? Steal" (a bonafide classic) but it's nevertheless a fine entry of the lighthearted variety. McCarthy can't quite match Hume Cronyn and Broughton is no match for Stevens' brilliant score BUT what it does here it does very well. A solid 3 and 1/2 stars!

If I were to rank these episodes thus far it would look like this:

1. The Last of the Great Paperhangers
2. Tour De Force, Killer Aboard
3. Nine Dragons
4. Assault on the Palace
5. Oldest Profession - Latest Price
6. Man on Fire

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Overall, great episode! It's not quite in the same league as "Over Fifty? Steal" (a bonafide classic) but it's nevertheless a fine entry of the lighthearted variety. - ringfire211

"The Last of the Great Paperhangers " is one of my all time favorite Five-O episodes, and definitely one of the best in Season 9. I also gave it 3.5 stars. I never saw any Season 9 episodes in syndication, so it was great to discover episodes of this quality on DVD.

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"The Last of the Great Paperhangers " is one of my all time favorite Five-O episodes, and definitely one of the best in Season 9. I also gave it 3.5 stars.

I believe you also included it in your "best of" list. It doesn't quite make my all-time favorites list (so many great episodes from earlier seasons sit on that list) and in fact it doesn't even make my top 5 for season 9. I thought some of the episodes towards the second half of season 9 were truly spectacular. We'll get to those...

I noticed that you mentioned that season 9 is where you thought the show was beginning to falter in its quality. Too many peaks and valleys for you. Before my last rewatch of the season I would have disagreed with you. But now I can see a bit where you're coming from. Mind you, I don't agree that this is where the show started its decline but that perhaps it's not as spectacular as I used to think (as a whole). Basically I used to think that season 9 was an improvement over seasons 7 and 8. But now I think they're about even. I do disagree with you that season 8 was stronger than 9 though. So if there was any decline then perhaps season 7 is where it started. Not a big decline. Just a small one. Which shouldn't be very surprising since sooner or later they were bound to run out of ideas and begin to repeat themselves. Seasons 1-6 are the show at its absolute peak for me! Season 10 is where the big decline started. Seasons 7-9 were just a peg lower than 1-6.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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I believe you also included ("The Last of the Great Paperhangers") in your "best of" list. - ringfire211

Yes indeed I did - http://www.imdb.com/list/ls005352325/

I noticed that you mentioned that season 9 is where you thought the show was beginning to falter in its quality. Too many peaks and valleys for you. Before my last rewatch of the season I would have disagreed with you. But now I can see a bit where you're coming from... I used to think that season 9 was an improvement over seasons 7 and 8. But now I think they're about even... So if there was any decline then perhaps season 7 is where it started. Not a big decline. Just a small one... Seasons 7-9 were just a peg lower than 1-6. - ringfire211

I agree there was a small decline in Season 7. However, I thought there was then some improvement in Season 8, and then a more significant decline in Season 9. So IMHO 8 > 7 > 9. If you look at my "Least Favorite" episode list (http://www.imdb.com/list/ls003076358/) most of the episodes come disproportionately from Season 9.

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Looks like season 6 contains more of your favorite episodes than any other season, even season 8. Season 6 was indeed a fantastic season!

But seeing "The Bells Toll at Noon" on your worst list just blows my mind completely! Anyway, we'll get there... I did read your reasoning for the low score. But, wow, to me it's a downright DYNAMITE episode!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Looks like season 6 contains more of your favorite episodes than any other season, even season 8. Season 6 was indeed a fantastic season! - ringfire211

Yes, Season 6 was indeed a fantastic season. However, if you count "The Vashon Trilogy" as three episodes instead of one, then Season 5 has one more episode on my list than Season 6 does.

But seeing "The Bells Toll at Noon" on your worst list just blows my mind completely! - ringfire211

I call 'em like I see 'em!

I did read your reasoning for the low score. But, wow, to me it's a downright DYNAMITE episode! - ringfire211

But there was no dynamite. In fact, the problem with the episode can be summed up in three words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rYotiiFP8

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No KA-BOOM for ya, buddy!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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No KA-BOOM for ya, buddy! - ringfire211

There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!

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Heads, You're Dead
written by Herman Groves
directed by Bruce Bilson

Another solid episode. Not as memorable as "The Last of the Great Paperhangers" but nevertheless quite good. It actually appears to be partially based on a true story (hence the title of the episode). In that sense it harkens back to the excellent season 6 episode "One Big Happy Family" which was also based on a true story. The other obvious similarity is that both episodes feature some pretty vile white-trash criminals who never leave anyone alive after their crimes. Obviously the latter episode is superior but I still think "Heads, You're Dead" resonates pretty well and shows that season 9 was still able to pull off some fairly edgy subject matter. I found the scene where McGarrett discovers the dead bodies on the abandoned yacht pretty chilling. Great facial expression from Jack Lord there! Bruce Broughton's score certainly helped - his music brought a sense of uneasy atmosphere and creepiness to the episode. The scene where McGarrett tells the Lou Richards character about his parents' death is also very well done - particularly the latter's acting in that scene.

As for white-trash types or redneck types I can't think of anyone this side of Bill McKinney that can play 'em better than Paul Koslo. He's perfectly cast as Charlie Turner the head hijacker and John Lisbon Wood is equally spot-on with his bad teeth as Bama (gotta love that name!). Seeing Sandi Welles is always a plus for me - I always liked her. Though I do have to agree that Danno's "undercover" garb is pretty ridiculous. No, just NO. Maybe back in 1968 or 1969. But not in 1976/77.

Basically this episode has enough edge to it and combined with some high seas adventure (courtesy of the Coast Guard, which is always an added bonus on FIVE-0) delivers a satisfactory result. The inclusion of sharks towards the end (when Sandi and the crewmen are tossed into the sea) was also a smart move by the writer/director, since this was only a year after Spielberg's JAWS came out and EVERYONE was terrified of sharks at this point!

I'll give this one *** stars.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Let Death Do Us Part
written by Bud Freeman
directed by Barry Crane

This one was pretty lousy. The lousiest episode thus far in the season. Though upon my last 2 viewings of this episode (one about a year back and one today) I found it to be not quite the stinker that I remembered it from way back when. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty sucky, but perhaps slightly more tolerable than I remembered it. It was always for me the worst episode of the season. But now there's an episode further down the line that is even worse ("See How She Runs" - we'll get to that one).

The #1 problem that most seem to have with this one is that it's convoluted. This I definitely agree with. Especially if you're seeing it for the first time. However, if you pay close enough attention and pause every now and then you might be able to follow it. Which brings us to problem #2 - it's boring. Even if you're able to follow it it's simply not compelling enough. It feels like a soap opera and not a crime drama. You've got adultery, love triangles, bickering, family secrets, attempting to communicate with the dead, teary-eyed confessions, etc. This episode feels like it belongs in season 10, 11, or 12 where they tended to swap crime stories for "soapy" drama (the wretched "Tread the King's Shadow" comes to mind). This type of thing just doesn't work on a show like FIVE-0. There are some moments of mystery here and there in the episode and maybe one scene that looked noirish but on the whole it's all too "soapy" for my tastes. It's all rather dull. I also think that perhaps it's not so much that the story is convoluted as it is that the script is sloppily put together. It just feels shoddy and therefore leaves open many holes and questions. With a tighter script (and hence better explanations to the audience) it wouldn't leave us as confused. One good example of this script problem is the scene where Anita Newhall shoots Norton. It's clear to us the audience (and to Jim Spier too, or so we assume) that she purposely shoots Norton in order to frame Spier. Yet Spier confesses to McGarrett that clearly Anita shooting Norton was an accident and that she was really trying to hit him (Spier). This makes no sense. Why would Spier think this? Is he really that dumb? Does he really believe that she's such a bad shot? Does he not believe that she's capable of such a thing? She basically sent him up the river for life for a crime he didn't commit and he knows this. Yet he doesn't believe that she shot Norton on purpose? The only other explanation is that he does know that she meant to shoot Norton but is telling McGarrett otherwise because he has some ulterior motive. That's what I initially thought. But this ulterior motive is never followed up on. Which leaves us with what looks like some problem at the script level. A character does something that doesn't make sense to us.

Overall I didn't care much for the guest cast here. Zohra Lampert always has this odd vibe thing going (which I guess makes sense for the character she plays here) but I never cared for it. She does a similar oddball thing in season 11's "Small Potatoes". Jack Kelly of TV's MAVERICK fame is very forgettable as Jim Spier. Compare these guest stars with the ones preceding them like Kevin McCarthy and Paul Koslo and the difference is incredible! No wonder this episode is dull.

I thought the score by Bruce Broughton was pretty good. I especially like the part when Spier breaks into Norton's house and then is chased by the dog. That segment of the score sounded like Bernard Herrmann - some pieces of it sounded like they could have been from PSYCHO.

Did anyone notice in the beginning when McGarrett and his men are having lunch with Manicote (when they stick him with the tab) McGarrett is seen wearing some sort of gray/light blue suit but in the closeups of his face you can see that his suit jacket is white with blue stripes? Like some waiter's jacket or something.

Definitely an episode I won't be watching anytime soon. One that can be skipped. I'll give it 1 and a half star. That's a half star more than what it used to be. Still, a pretty lousy episode.


Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Double Exposure
written by Dean Tait and David Deutsch
directed by Sutton Roley

After a lousy previous episode we are back on track with the very satisfying "Double Exposure". I'm not sure I quite see it as a great episode the way some see it (Mr. Mike included) and it doesn't quite make my top 5 for season 9. However, it does have a certain unique oddball flavor to it which elevates it from being just a generic mob story. At its core it's not a particularly suspenseful or original story but the look that director Sutton Roley (who directed a total of 3 episodes, all in season 9, and all very good - with "A Capitol Crime" being the highlight of the season for me) brings to this episode definitely elevates the material he has to play with. Primarily I'm talking about the villains in this one who are all first-rate! Not so much their characters (as they probably were written on the page) but the "embellishments" that Roley gives them. In Mr. Mike's review it says that Seth Sakai recounted at the Five-0 Reunion Convention that director Sutton Roley felt that the plot was so preposterous that he decided to make the characters equally outrageous to balance things out. Personally I see nothing outrageous about the plot at all. One mobster (presumed dead) wants to rub out the other - with the help of 2 enforcers whose loyalties are somewhat questionable. I mean as far as Five-0 plots go ("Here Today... Gone Tonight", anyone?) this one is pretty standard stuff. So I have no idea why he thought this plot was preposterous. But whatever the reasons he decided to go ahead and give us these bizarre villains. For this I cannot complain because they're just too damn entertaining! I challenge anyone to name a more bizarre Five-0 villain than Doyle Weston as played by Thayer David. We're talking Frankenstein here!! That ghastly face, that makeup, that childlike babbling, the baby food, the opium, the Japanese kimono, etc. Plus the man looks like he's about to keel over dead any second. Did anyone notice him sweating profusely in McGarrett's office? I mean the back of his neck and his hair was so wet it looked like he just stepped out of the shower. Yep, this was definitely a preposterous villain! And I loved it.  Speaking of Thayer David, watching him here I couldn't help but remember the Clint Eastwood spy flick a year earlier in 1975 called THE EIGER SANCTION where David played a similarly bizarre looking character. He played Clint's secretive CIA boss named "Dragon" (a really creepy looking albino who always stayed in his red-lit den due to his skin condition). I can't help but think they must have remembered his performance in that film when they were casting this episode.

Then we have Seth Sakai as Vince Kauoli. Less bizarre than Weston (that goes without saying - how do you match that?) but still an oddball character who wears a giant hoop earring on his right ear, has a bald "bullet head" (as McG calls it), and eats his bowl of fruit with the ferocity of a madman (he jabs his fruit violently with a fork as he eats it). Even the 2 enforcers Sherick and Okima have their quirks. Okima has this crazy hair/afro thing going and Sherick is played by George Wyner, an actor better known for comical Nervous Nellie types in comedies like FLETCH and SPACEBALLS. Seeing Wyner playing a traitorous killer further adds to the off-kilter beat of this episode.

Personally I loved the ending with McG appearing out of nowhere in a copter and drilling away at the bad guys with an uzi Rambo-style. If anything it only adds more flavor to this already off-beat tale. There is some fantastic stuntwork in that sequence - props to the stuntman for hanging on to that copter and not falling out. There is a scene where Jack Lord pretends to almost fall out - obviously he's on a stationary copter. The camera work in that finale is pretty amazing too - I especially love the shot of that red Lincoln going over that hill and bursting into flames. Then I love how the camera pans down as the Lincoln continues its journey in flames (down some kind of incline). The camera work is great throughout - I love the beginning when Pule Lamii (love that name - for a guy played by a Caucasian actor ) is being chased by that red Lincoln and then finally getting run down inside the Diamond Head tunnel. Also the many close-up shots of people's faces are great. George Wyner in particular has some great close-ups which add greatly to the menace and duplicitous nature of Sherick. Okima has a great closeup when he runs right into the camera lens just before it cuts to the commercial wave. I love stylistic touches like these! It's these touches and the off-beat villains which elevate this episode for me because story-wise I can't really call it a great episode.

I thought Meg Foster was good. She and Danno seemed to have chemistry but this for me was all secondary to the outrageous villains. They were the real showcase here!

I do have an issue with Vince killing Weston by shooting him through his own (!) door. Now, I don't like to nitpick but this seems really stupid. Why do this??? You just had Weston in front of you where you told him that you were gonna dump his men "into the nearest sewer". Why not then pick up your gun and shoot Weston right there? Or let him turn around and then shoot him in the back? Or let him exit your house and shoot him in the back with the door open? But no, you let Sherick first close the door and then you pick up the gun and shoot Weston through the door. Huh?? What are you doing??  Testing to see if bullets can penetrate your door?? Doesn't make a lick of sense. You know you're gonna have to replace that door now, right? Oh well, maybe I'm supposed to chalk that up to yet more offbeat behavior in an offbeat episode. Okay, fine. I guess this is TWILIGHT ZONE meets FIVE-0. I'm game.

The score by Bruce Broughton is very good (his best this season) and has a wide range of odd sounds and beats which perfectly fit the bizarre nature of this tale. My favorite is actually the piece of music that plays when Vince arrives into Honolulu by boat. It's later heard again when Okima arrives at the house where Vince is staying to report that the girl got away. It has a really great sound!

I'm teetering between *** and ***1/2 stars for this one. Very good episode with some fantastic offbeat villains!


Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Double Exposure

It doesn't quite make my top 5 for season 9... I'm teetering between *** and ***1/2 stars for this one. Very good episode with some fantastic offbeat villains! - ringfire211

I'm glad to see that you're still writing reviews ringfire.

I gave this episode 3 stars. An excellent episode, but not in my top five either. My rankings are as follows:

Best Episodes (#1 being the best)

1. "Nine Dragons" (4 stars)
2. "The Last of the Great Paperhangers" (3.5 stars)
3. "Man in a Steel Frame" (3.5 stars)
4. "Target - a Cop" (3 stars)
5. "A Capitol Crime" (3 stars)
6. "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider" (3 stars)
7. "Blood Money is Hard to Wash" (3 stars)

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I'm glad to see that you're still writing reviews ringfire.

I'm just glad that someone is reading them. Thanks! I know they're coming along rather slowly. Mostly it's just a matter of finding the time to sit down and rewatch an episode and write a review while it's all still fresh in my mind.

Your top 7 list is solid. I wouldn't quite have "Saddle Bronc Rider" in there but otherwise I agree with your picks.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Yes, My Deadly Daughter
written by Tim Maschler and James Menzies
directed by Bruce Bilson

Another solid episode. It's not as bizarre (and hence not as unique) as the previous episode "Double Exposure" but it had a pretty decent story. You have to admit that the idea of a sweet and innocent daughter being a manipulative cold-blooded killer is quite intriguing (the title of the episode is very apt). A daughter seeking to secretly destroy her father. The daughter being the last person a father would suspect. These are all pretty cool ideas for a story. Having said that, I can't help but feel that maybe this story wasn't fleshed out to its fullest potential in this episode. I have a feeling that if this episode had been filmed back in season 5 or 6 it would have had more of a bite to it. More edge to it. Don't get me wrong - it's a solid episode. But something tells me it could have been great. For instance, this episode plays around with some edgy ideas - Lee Mei Lieu using her boyfriend and then luring him to his death and coldly telling him what's about to happen, or Chang Lieu seemingly getting ready to kill his own daughter (that's pretty hardcore!). But somehow it doesn't seem to be as shocking or gripping as it should be. In an earlier episode we would have seen her personally pumping a couple slugs into her boyfriend Jerry before an eerie commercial wave roll. Or we would have actually seen Chang kill his daughter (or most likely both would have killed each other). Think of father and son perishing at the end in "Death With Father". I guess by season 9 they were no longer giving us such gripping moments. I think the elements were there in this episode. Just the execution wasn't quite as spot-on. As it stands I can't help but wonder if Chang would have really killed his daughter or not. Even as unrepentant as she was. The way it played he could have just as easily changed his mind at the last moment even if the helicopter hadn't showed up.

Irene Yah-Ling Sun did a fine job as the duplicitous Lee Mei Lieu. I have no complaints about her performance. She played the Jekyll/Hyde personality quite effectively. I guess I would have liked some scenes that showed her more ruthless side (like her personally plugging Jerry) but I suppose it made sense that she would have Varna do it instead. She seemed to be a "user" - someone who uses others to do her dirty work. First Jerry, then Varna. Why kill when others can do it for you? She would rather user her innocent charm and feminine wiles to get others to do her bidding. So I suppose it's consistent with her character. Kwan Hi Lim also did a fine job as the "honorable" Chang Lieu - always a treat to watch Kwan Hi Lim on screen, here in a bigger part than usual. I like the scene where Lee Mei hitches a ride with McGarrett as he leaves her father's residence and she tries to plant some seeds in his mind about her father. I'm not sure this was a smart move on her part - it makes her look very suspicious. I'm surprised that the always too clever McGarrett didn't find this suspicious and didn't immediately assign his men to tail her. As Mr. Mike mentioned, the background shots during this driving scene are all real. There are no process shots as is the case with most modern shows, including the new FIVE-0. You can tell the actress is acting while the car is being driven. It's all real.

I found one of those Wo Ching gang members Tony (Reggie Ho) to be pretty funny. He has a few pretty good zingers towards our guys, including calling Danno "Curly". The cinematography here was quite good - lots of lush green colors, especially the scenes in the rainforest. The music is credited to Don Ray - I did hear his "trombone interval" theme briefly during the scene where Chin searches Tony's van. There were also 2 instances where we hear a nice melodious type of music which sounds innocent and a bit Oriental - I'm guessing this was Lee Mei Lieu's theme. We first hear it when she leaves her father's house and goes to Jerry's house (before we realize they are in cahoots together). But the rest of the music is mostly by Morton Stevens from "Nine Dragons".

The ending at the water tower in the rainforest, as already mentioned by others, does look like the one from the end of "Legacy of Terror". I actually used to get those 2 endings confused. It actually makes sense since the director of both episodes is Bruce Bilson. Speaking of Bruce, he directed a total of 9 episodes and all of them are very good. A few are even classics! Not a stinker in the whole batch. That's a good track record for him.

Check this out:

*The Young Assassins
A Gun for McGarrett
Small Witness, Large Crime
*McGarrett is Missing
Sing a Song of Suspense
Retire in Sunny Hawaii... Forever
Legacy of Terror
Heads, You're Dead
Yes, My Deadly Daughter

The ones with the asterisk (*) are my 2 favorites from Bruce Bilson. Classics all the way!! There are other great ones there too.

Anyway, I will give *** stars to "Yes, My Deadly Daughter". Another solid season 9 episode with an intriguing story. Wish it was a bit edgier (like Bruce Bilson's previous "Heads, You're Dead") with a more hard-hitting climax as opposed to just everyone getting neatly arrested and McGarrett soaring away in his helicopter to some upbeat music. But I'm not going to complain too much here.


Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Target - A Cop
written by Bill Stratton
directed by Robert Scheerer

NOW we're talking! Finally a **** (4) star episode!! Without a doubt this is the best episode so far this season! In fact it used to be my favorite season 9 episode for a while. Now it slipped just slightly into the #2 or maybe #3 spot. But regardless it's still a fantastic episode. It's also one of two episodes from this season (the other being "Elegy in a Rainforest") that goes waaaay back in my memory - to some of my earliest memories of this show. I'm sure that adds another level of nostalgia for this episode. Long before I ever saw "Hookman" or "Rest in Peace, Somebody" I saw "Chairman", errr, I mean "Target - A Cop". Then I remember spending many years after that hoping to catch this episode again in reruns but with no luck. I didn't even know what the episode was called. I just knew it was about a guy in a wheelchair shooting cops. That just seemed like such a wild idea to my young and impressionable kid brain. Hence why I couldn't forget the episode. Then I finally caught it like 10 years later when they were rerunning season 9 on a local channel. Then after that I didn't see it again until I got the DVD set about 2 years ago. The episode still holds up incredibly well and brings back great memories. Of course it's not as original or as powerful/suspenseful/hard-hitting as "Hookman" (its spiritual predecessor) or my favorite episode "Rest in Peace, Somebody" but it's still nevertheless a classic from the latter FIVE-0 years. Proof that season 9 was still getting our juices a pumpin'. In fact when we did our elimination game of best episodes per season this was the episode that was last standing for season 9. Yes, it even beat "Nine Dragons" (as it should have).

On with the episode at hand. Don Stroud makes his third appearance on this show playing the wheelchair bound ex-con Nathan Purdy who gets his kicks sniping cops using a "starlight rifle with a night scope" (as McGarrett points out). It's an impressive looking thing! This is my favorite of Stroud's 3 performances although I also really liked his first appearance as Nick Pierson, the hitman who falls in love with his target, in "The Late John Louisiana" back in season 3. Stroud, who was born in Hawaii, always excelled at playing nasty scumbags and probably guest-starred in every cop/detective show there was throughout the 70s and 80s. Here he plays his usual nasty self in his typical loud and boisterous manner. He also uses his trademark "palie" phrase (or is it "paley"?) which is short for "pal". I notice that Stroud always uses this phrase no matter where I see him. Gerald McRaney of SIMON & SIMON fame also does a good job playing Stroud's strung-out dope buddy Tim Ryder.

- Very interesting editing at the 3:55 mark, as the dead policeman fades into his chalk outline (and night changes to day).

I agree with alpha on this point. Very well done! A good choice of editing to give the scene that something special. Season 10 and onwards would be lacking in creative moments like these.

I like Danno's ribbing of Chin (as mentioned by Jeffman). When Danno tells McGarrett "It'll (going through list of suspects) take too long" McGarrett tells him "Have Chin give you a hand". Danno responds with "Then it'll take twice as long". 

As Mr. Mike mentioned the subtitles on the DVD are all over the place. When the police dispatcher lady says "701 suspect proceeding mauka (meaning towards the mountains/inland) on Punchbowl" the subtitles state "701 suspect proceeding Malga on Punchbowl".  Similarly when Purdy is killed and Danno feels his pulse and says "pau" (meaning finished or done) the subtitles say "oh". 

Again, this is a great episode. Easy **** stars from me! This was Robert Scheerer's sole directorial effort on this show. I wish he had done more. The score is credited to Morton Stevens and features some music from "Nine Dragons" as well as some music by Don Ray.

P.S. Mrs. Pelcher (or was it Miss?) was an interesting character. Sure made some good brownies. Also it looks like Vincent Kauoli survived that fiery crash, went straight, grew out his hair, lost that ridiculous hoop earring, and became the HPD captain. And they say crime doesn't pay.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Even in the episode promo, it was apparent to me that this episode is "Hookman" revisited. Hence my nickname for this one: "Chairman".  - alpha128 (me)

Long before I ever saw "Hookman" or "Rest in Peace, Somebody" I saw "Chairman", errr, I mean "Target - A Cop". - ringfire211

Glad to see my joke title is a gift that keeps on giving! 

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Glad to see my joke title is a gift that keeps on giving!

All year long, alpha!! 

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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The Bells Toll at Noon
written by Charles Larson and Irv Pearlberg
directed by Jack Lord

Wow! Another dynamite episode!! That's two in a row now. Now I'm having a difficult time deciding whether I liked this one or "Target - A Cop" better. Both seem to be tied for my second favorite of the season (I'll get to my favorite in a few episodes). Anyway, these 2 episodes have easily eclipsed anything that came before thus far in season 9. Earlier we had a few hits and misses but now we are definitely riding high with a string of super-hits!

I have to say that Jack Lord hit this one out of the park! He nailed this episode from behind the camera. A superb directing job! This is easily his best out of the 6 episodes that he directed (although his first "Death With Father" was also quite impressive). Everything about this episode just WORKS!! From the first frame (the title of the episode over the shot of a church steeple) to the very last frame (the freeze frame over Kling's rendition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy") everything is superb! The way the scenes are framed, the cinematography, the music, the dialogue, the script, the performances - all first rate!

Morton Stevens just nails it with his score for this one. No doubt Jack Lord personally called for his services to score this one. The 3 episodes that Jack previously directed were all scored by Stevens. I read somewhere that Jack personally asked Stevens to compose music for the episodes he himself directed. It's pretty obvious why. Morton Stevens was a superb composer and Jack wanted the very best. But Stevens usually would only score 3 or 4 episodes tops per season. The remainder were usually done by Don Ray who would typically use stock music (either his own or Stevens' earlier scores). That said, I can't think of a more appropriate episode than this one for which to hire Stevens to write the score. This is unlike anything we had seen earlier. This isn't your typical FIVE-0 episode. A killer doing voice impressions of famous movie gangsters? Murders intercut with black-and-white footage from film noirs? Nope, this episode called for a different sound and we sure get it. As Mr. Mike points out, right from the beginning when Johnny Kling in his VW Beetle pulls up to the apartment building with his guitar (sniper) case and we hear Stevens' music we sense that there is something off here. Something is not quite right. It has a low-key and unsettling sound to it. It feels off-kilter. It doesn't have the typical FIVE-0 sound. It doesn't have the driving tempo of something like "Hookman". It's not like other Stevens scores that we often hear recycled in other episodes. This one is unique. We never hear it again in any other episode. It was solely composed for this episode and it's brilliant. It's minimalistic but it sets the perfect unsettling atmosphere and mood. The scene where Charlie Hazard is shot on the church steps is a masterpiece - the music combined with the church bells is just epic stuff!! The way the scene is scored and photographed is too good for the small screen. It's like something out of a movie, which I guess makes sense since Kling is emulating murders from movies. But I see this as the magic touch of Jack Lord and Morton Stevens behind the camera! This is the exact opposite of many an episode of FIVE-0 (especially in later years) where scenes were haphazardly thrown together or shoddily executed. This one has real style!! And how about the scene where Kellman falls like a mummy when McGarrett opens the closet door? It cuts to a commercial wave with no music at all, just the scratching sound of a pin on a record. Fantastic stuff!

Then there is Rich Little himself as Johnny Kling! For a guy who is not a professional actor I thought he did a superb job! It's probably my favorite performance of the entire season -- and that's quite a tall order when you consider sterling performances this season from veterans like Kevin McCarthy or Barnard Hughes! I'll admit that I'm a big fan of Rich Little outside of this show as a celebrity voice impersonator. I suggest everyone check out some YouTube videos of his impressions - brilliant stuff! His Jimmy Stewart and Johnny Carson are classics going back to his days on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. And no one can do Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan better than Rich! But just looking at his performance in this episode and putting aside any personal biases I may have I think the man really delivered here! Not just the impressions (Cagney, Bogie, Edward G. Robinson, Sydney Greenstreet) which are his usual schtick but the way he is able to fuse those impressions with the psychotic nature of the character that he is playing is where Little really shines here. I love his little nervous ticks - as when he's getting himself perched up on the roof with the rifle at the beginning or later when he confronts Kellman. The scene where he makes Kellman beg for his life is pretty creepy. Then he unloads a bunch of slugs into Kellman. Pretty intense scene! "You didn't shay... pretty pleashe". Then there's the ending where Kling bursts out into a song-and-dance routine doing the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and then it just freeze-frames with a shocked reaction from McGarrett and Danno gets my vote as the all-time best ending on the show! It leaves me speechless every time. If you're not won over by Rich Little's performance as the deranged Kling by this point then this episode is definitely not for you. The reason why I think that ending is perfect is because it shows just how flipped out Kling really is at that point. He's no longer just doing an impression. He IS James Cagney!! The reactions from both McGarrett and Danno say it all.

The supporting cast of Don Knight and Milton Selzer are extremely effective as well - these 2 never let us down whenever they pop up on this show. They really sell us on what they are going through. Who would have thought that you could actually feel some sympathy for a drug supplier and distributor? But I did, especially in Kellman's (Milton Selzer) case just before his brutal execution. You could see the man was genuinely terrified. Pauly Gardner was fine eye candy (in her second of three babely season 9 appearances) as Thayler's (Don Knight) girlfriend. Mel Ferrer basically has a cameo as Father Neill.

I know that alpha had a serious issue with not getting a big boom at the end when Kling holds Thayler on top of the oil refinery tank and threatens to blow them up a la WHITE HEAT. Initially I agreed that it was somewhat of a missed opportunity and that a "Death with Father" type of finale would have been more appropriate. However, having watched it last night I noticed that it didn't really bother me at all. Maybe I was just so enthralled by the whole thing. Maybe it was McGarrett's plea to Kling to remember the dead girl (Makamai?). Maybe it was Kling slipping in and out of Cagney as he tries to remember the girl. Whatever the reason, the whole thing just played out perfectly and held me spellbound and I didn't even think about the whole refinery going BOOM! Come to think of it, if the whole place goes sky-high it'll wipe out everyone in close proximity which of course means McGarrett, Danno, Duke, and all the cops on the scene. Nah, I think it worked well the way it did. Plus we then get the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" scene (another groaner for alpha) which immediately makes it my favorite episode finale. We wouldn't have gotten it if Kling went sky high or was killed in some other fashion.

In conclusion, I see that I can't find a single thing wrong with this episode. There is simply not one wrong-footed move here. It all works flawlessly. It's a **** star episode all the way!! One of the very best in the series!!

P.S. On Mr. Mike's site where he reviews this episode there is an interesting story of how this episode came about. Basically it was inspired by a story written by an editor of a Catholic newspaper in Albany, NY named James Breig (he gets credit during the closing credits of the episode). Apparently he was a huge fan of Jack Lord's and the show and he wrote a very nice column about the show in the paper and Lord spotted it and sent him a thank you. This led to a phone interview with Lord which eventually led to Breig on a whim deciding to write a script for the show which he had no reason to believe would actually be seriously considered. Much of Breig's original script was changed but the basic premise remained (he had Frank Gorshin in mind for the voice impersonator killer). That's the genesis of "The Bells Toll at Noon".


Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Man in a Steel Frame
written by Robert Stambler
directed by Allen Reisner

Third outstanding episode in a row!! 4 stars all the way!! It's as if the show was warming up during the early part of the season and then at the midway point really pulled out all the stops and walloped us with 3 superb episodes in a row! Not since the beginning of season 6 ("Hookman", "Draw Me a Killer", "One Big Happy Family") did we get treated to 3 sterling episodes one after another.

This one is directed by FIVE-O veteran Allen Reisner, who also gives us another excellent episode later in the season ("Blood Money is Hard to Wash"). Reisner was responsible for such past gems as "Skinhead", "Hookman", "A Bullet for El Diablo", "Friendly Persuasion", etc. The writer for this one is Robert Stambler who also wrote the excellent season 1 episode "One for the Money". Additionally Stambler was also the show's producer during seasons 1 and 3. During season 1 he shared producing duties with Joseph Gantman and Sidney Marshall. During season 3 he was the sole producer. So here is a guy who really knows FIVE-0 inside out. No doubt this contributed to such an excellent episode as this one.

In this episode McGarrett is framed for murder. In the past he had been framed for art theft and other forms of corruption. Here it's murder. Not just any murder either, but the murder of the woman he loved. The only other murder McGarrett was ever framed for was in the third part of the Vashon trilogy and there it was just a criminal pushing junk to high school kids. Here it's much more personal, intimate, and heartbreaking for McGarrett. He makes the comment to Danno when being questioned at the scene of the crime that "something strange is going on here... I feel like I'm in a vise". Then when he realizes that he's the prime (and only) suspect he exclaims "Oh my God" a few times and says "I feel kind of sick". I really love this whole sequence as little by little McGarrett begins to realize that he's trapped in an elaborate frame-up. From Chick Matsuda's questioning of McGarrett to his bewildered expressions (partly from disbelief and shock, partly from the effects of the drugs he's been injected with) it's all done very well and kudos to Jack Lord for a brilliant performance. Just like his psychological torture at the hands of Wo Fat in "Nine Dragons" here we really feel McGarrett's pain and Jack really does a great job with those dramatic moments. Finding Cathi's dead body, getting knocked out, regaining his consciousness while in a groggy state, trying to frantically call for help, then getting questioned by Matsuda - all brilliantly done! This was Jack's episode all the way! I think he really gave some tour de force acting during this 9th season. The way McGarrett shakes up Sam Wailua in his office ("I'm gonna burn you") is classic furious McGarrett. Then the ending where he beats the crap out of the killer Malcolm Vaughn (played by Jonathan Goldsmith, the "Most Interesting Man in the World" from the Dos Equis commercials) is the icing on the cake! That's the kind of ending that makes you want to rewind it and rewatch it a few more times. It's THAT good!! I don't remember another time seeing McGarrett so rabid when pounding the crap out of someone. Hell yeah!! More please!! If Danno and company hadn't arrived in time he would have drowned the bastard. Aside from the ending flashback which we could have done without (it was a tad cheesy) I love the way the episode ends. McGarrett standing alone - exhausted, disheveled, wet - against the backdrop of the beautiful turquoise ocean (and I think those are Mokulua Islands in the background too) looking into the distance as the sound of the surf swells. No music. Just the sound of the surf. Then freeze frame. Beautiful and powerful!

Another thing I really loved was the use of the tilted angles in this episode. Michael O'Herlihy was the master of those types of angles, hence why his episodes are so memorable! Not sure if he was still employing this camera technique during season 8 but the earlier seasons had plenty of them - starting with season 2 and I recall plenty of them during season 6. It added that special oomph and flavor to this series which separated it from the other cop shows of the era like THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO and others. By season 9 these tilted camera angles were no longer being used, especially with O'Herlihy's departure after "Nine Dragons". So it was a welcome sight to see Allen Reisner use those angles in this episode. It was especially appropriate for this episode considering the subject matter and McGarrett's state of mind - especially right after Cathi's murder. The tilted angles, especially during the scene where McGarrett is pulling out of Cathi's driveway as he goes for help, do a great job of reflecting McGarrett's disoriented and panicky state of mind.

I've seen some discussion regarding the latex mask that the killer is wearing in McGarrett's imagination. First of all, I love that entire scene where we see how the killer did it all. I love that all this takes place in McGarrett's head. But I will agree that if the intention was to give us a faceless killer then it could have been done better than how it was done. The fact is that there was no need for any mask at all. All they had to do was film the actor from angles where his face would never be seen. There are plenty of scenes where they almost go out of their way to show us that the killer has a latex mask on his face. In the scene where he tampers with the radio in McGarrett's car he actually turns his face towards the camera revealing the mask with the tiny holes for eyes. That's just weird! Unless we are supposed to believe that the killer actually wore this type of "mask" (which is ridiculous - wouldn't he just wear a ski mask or a stocking?) it doesn't make sense to show the killer wearing this weird thing. Unless they were going for some sort of Freddie Kruger/Michael Myers type of nightmare vibe inside McGarrett's head. Which is how I'm left to interpret it. Otherwise all they had to do was get some shots of the killer from behind and then just show his hands as he's setting up McGarrett. It's really that simple. It would have made the mystery inside McGarrett's head more real and that much more mysterious. But that's a minor quibble in my book. My guess is that they were going for a more hyper-imaginative scary version of "the man without a face". Something out of a horror movie.

In the scene where McGarrett and Danno are driving and Steve gets a brainstorm about where his gun could have been switched (at the tennis club) you can very clearly see a guy hiding in the back seat. This is obviously a crew member - most likely a sound technician. Still, it's funny how visible this guy is. His head keep bobbing up and down and around that back seat.  I'm sure lots of people must have spotted him even back in 1977 when this episode aired. Yes, it's THAT obvious! No need for the pause button.

Finally, the score by Don Ray is very appropriate here. Most effective in the early scenes when McGarrett arrives at Cathi's house and then after he discovers her body and tries to get help. The score is both creepy and weird and discordant and fits those scenes perfectly. The score is less memorable during those flashback "lovey" scenes between McG and Cathi - it's the typical syrupy banal sounding stuff. But those scenes are very few so all is good.

Overall an outstanding episode and an easy **** stars!! It's my #4 for the season.

P.S. I didn't even recognize Elissa Dulce as Vaughn's girlfriend. I saw her name in the end credits and then had to rewind to check again. For some reason it didn't even look like her. Maybe because I'm used to her smiling. I also recall her with a wide face and full lips. She didn't look like herself here for some odd reason.


Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

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Can we just drop this and move on to another topic?

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