H50 Ep: E Malama

[the_other_sandy]

It's so much harder for me to write about Hawaii Five-0 than about Supernatural. Supernatural always leaves my brain filled with thinky thoughts, while the only thing going through my head after Hawaii Five-0 eps is "Squeeeeeeeeeeee!" This episode did not help tone down my levels of squee at all.

I was kind of disappointed that the team was mostly split up in this episode because their interaction is the thing I love most about the show. On the other hand, splitting up gave everyone a chance to be an awesome badass on their own, and who can complain about that?

Steve got to be Super SEAL in the field. Chin got to be strong and clever in protecting the witness. Kono got to take down a professional assassin with her bare hands.

And Danny? Danny was a miscreant-seeking missile aimed at every single person responsible for scaring his baby girl. And even though he was absolutely furious that someone dared to endanger his daughter, he kept a tight rein on that fury and did what needed to be done to make her safe.

Even the guest stars were badass tonight. Rachel kept her head in an emergency and worked well as a team with Danny to protect Grace, and Julie Masters (the witness) was no shrinking violet either. She was prepared to fight professional assassins to the last breath in her body, and she was an accountant. And she didn't pull Mary Sue levels of skill out of her ass either; she was using nothing but sheer determination to survive.

There was very little Danny/Steve interaction in this episode, but what there was, was solid gold. Steve recognizing from Danny's expression that Danny had gotten bad news on the phone, then releasing Danny from the witness protection mission to go be with Grace and Rachel and offering to be there if Danny needed anything. Danny and Steve taking time out in the middle of their respective cases to touch base on the phone while being all 'don't worry about me, do what you need to do.' Steve recognizing Danny's 'I'm gonna hit somebody' tone over the phone.

I hope the plot line about the tapes isn't over yet. For one thing, Danny never got to have a "chat" with the actual gun-wielding carjackers and I would like to see that happen. For another thing, Danny now has the tapes that could lead to the indictment of the housing commissioner and the commissioner knows it. Is it wrong of me that I want Danny's ownership of those tapes to make him a target? It could lead to either Danny being a badass in taking down the guys after him, or worried Steve being a badass taking down the guys after Danny. Either way, I win.

A lot of people are afraid that Danny and Rachel are going to get back together, but my biggest fear is that Stan is an innocent bystander in whatever he's involved in and it gets him and his family put into the Federal Witness Protection Program. That means Danny will never see Grace again. He won't even know what her name is. That would absolutely kill him. On the other hand, it could also lead Danny to hunt down every single person who's a threat to his baby girl until it's safe for the family to come out of witness protection, and that would be awesome.

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ETA: This is the icon referred to in comment 1a1a1.

Comments

[sgflutegirl.livejournal.com]

This episode was amazing! OMG!! I ended up watching it twice last night, and then a third time just watching Danny's parts of the episode. I'm thinking that his threat to the housing commissioner is going to come back and bite him in the ass. Either with threats to him, or the other possibility I thought of, the guy ends up dead and there is a restaurant full of people that witnessed the confrontation. I can't wait to see what happens.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

If I didn't already love Danny, this is the episode that would have done it for me.

[sgflutegirl.livejournal.com]

I absolutely fell in love with him last night. I liked him a lot before now, but damn. Scott Caan was amazing.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

I just wish Steve had been there to see it. He gets so proud whenever Danny lets out his inner Steve.

[sgflutegirl.livejournal.com]

I can imagine something akin to the look on Steve's face in my icon. It would have made an already awesome scene truely epic if Steve had been there.

[and-ed.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the squee. I still can't stop. =)

Excellent point about guest star Julie... she didn't pull Mary Sue levels of skill out of her ass either; she was using nothing but sheer determination to survive

So much to love about this one...will definitely be watching again tonight.

[bookwurm.livejournal.com]

I'll join you in the squeeing -- this is a great episode. Danny's "anger management" rant to Stan was lovely, as was Steve talking on the phone with Danny while setting up his trap.

The thing with the tapes really doesn't feel "done" to me. The housing commissioner was threatened, but no one has even started an investigation into him yet. If nothing else, he could probably make life difficult for the Five-0 by bringing charges against Danny for assault.

Frankly, given the way the characters act towards one another, I can't see Danny and Rachel getting together. Stan going into witness protection, or even just getting scared and moving back to the mainland, seems much more likely to me. If they moved out of Hawaii, I'm sure Danny would tear up roots to follow again, but leaving the Five-0 would not be an easy decision.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

The tape thing doesn't feel done to me either, but the show already has enough balls in the air with Steve's parents' murders and Chin's corruption thing. I don't know if they're planning to throw another plot thread in the mix.

If Danny were a real person, he'd definitely follow wherever Rachel took Grace, but since he's not, Danny will stay with 5-0 as long as Scott Caan is under contract.

Steve's sister was supposed to be a major recurring character (she was scheduled to appear in about a dozen episodes during the season), but TPTB changed their minds after two episodes and dropped her whole storyline. I just can't tell if they're planning to do the same thing with Rachel and Grace.

[bookwurm.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Ok, I realize that network PTB have little interest in reality or consistency or anything like that, but I wish they would clue in on the fact that their market generally does. I would think less of a character if, after completely upsetting his life to move from NJ to Hawaii just to be with his daughter, he then decided that it doesn't matter if her mother drags her somewhere else. He has friends now, so he'll stay in Hawaii.

I could see Grace showing up in the show less. That wouldn't bother me because there are plenty of plotlines they could follow, and just mention weekend visits and phone calls occasionally. Having her move away and Danny stay there just doesn't fit with the character though.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

Unless she had to go into witness protection with Rachel and Step Stan, in which case Danny couldn't follow her because he wouldn't know where she was. Hence, part of my worry about whatever Stan is into getting the family thrown into witness protection.