A field trip gone awry
If your child came home and told you about a camping trip led by a police detective and a Navy SEAL, I’m sure you’d sign that permission form and send your offspring on his or her way.
But this is “Hawaii Five-0,” and in this week’s episode, “Huakaʻi Kula” (meaning “Field Trip”), the detective and SEAL leading the field trip are danger magnets. So of course, once they head out on Gracie’s Aloha Girl campout, they meet an armed man (Tom Arnold) who is out in the woods and up to no good.
All Uncle Steve wanted to do was teach Gracie and the girls how to get their survival patch by using a knife to kill and gut a pig — because, you know, Aloha Girls need to know how to do that for a campfire imu.
Little did Steve know, Ranger Ron was on his trail with a gun and a big plan to find lost diamonds he was hired to safeguard.
Once the Aloha Girls’ weekend with “kicked out of Scouts” Daddy Danno and SEAL survivalist Uncle Steve got ruined by a gunshot wound and Mr. No-Aloha, and McG was forced at gunpoint to lead an unintended mission into the jungle with jewel thief Ron, we can definitely wrap our brains around this week’s theme. “Huaka‘i” means “trip, voyage, journey or mission,” and “kula” means “plain, field, open country or pasture.”
When we Hawai‘i folks head out on a “field trip,” we just say “we’re going on a huaka‘i” — we tend to leave off the “kula.” But kula also means, “school, academy; to teach school, go to school; to hold school or class sessions,” and Danno and McG sure taught a few important lessons to the Aloha Girls. Little did their intrepid Aloha Girls leader Madeline (Lesley Boone) know this would include not only setting up tents and making a campfire, but also how to remove a bullet and how to MacGyver — we really need to re-term this “to McG” — an escape hatch and a cell phone.
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I did enjoy the hilarity that Madeline and Danno added to the episode. Their repartee was quite similar to the McG-Danno bromantic banter we have come to love. When McG got pulled off into the jungle to help the inept Ron find a big ole bag of diamonds, they needed a cargument fill-in. I’m sure many of you didn’t want or need someone to take over bromance duties, but there were a lot of great funny moments that worked for Mads and Danno. She was great asking Danno which way was North, if he knew the trails, and what he would do if he met a bear in a Hawaiian jungle. Madeline could join Five-0 as their permanent triage nurse and join McG on all tracking expeditions. She would fit right in quite nicely.
Tom Arnold was a really interesting choice to play the slightly unstable jewel thief Ron. He played a crazed madman pretty well. Although, instead of a paramedic, he needed an anger-management therapist. His frenetic delivery was more scary than funny, which was definitely a different turn for Arnold.
I almost felt bad when he was shot by the even scarier bank robber Hines (Tom Schanley). Almost. But I think my confusion of where Hines came into the story overrode my sympathy. It just seemed weird to get a major player in the heist walking into the storyline with 12 minutes left in the episode.
I think I would have just liked McG to have shot Ron. Shot him a lot.
The kidnapped Aloha Girl Lucy (Emily Alyn Lind) was a great little actress. I loved her knowledge of first aid, and her calm nature when she and McG were in danger. She was very believable as a scared — yet smart — little girl. The scene when Uncle Steve promises to come back and get her was so sweet. I’m almost positive that women all around the world felt their uteruses flip. And yes, Lucy, we all want to grow up and marry Uncle Steve.
One thing, I just wished they had named her something else. If I was the only one who thought of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” when our little hostage climbed the tree to get the bag of diamonds, then I probably was having a little too much fun with all the comedic jousting.
Now I know that amongst all the humor was a pretty serious main storyline — well, there was an armed gunman, a kidnapping, stolen diamonds, extraction of a bullet — as well as a very intriguing subplot with Kono, Adam (Ian Anthony Dale), and his newly freed from prison baby brother, Michael (Daniel Henney). They worked very hard to harden Henney’s dreamy good looks with full-sleeve Yakuza-style tattoos on both arms and a badass attitude hidden under his tight black tee.
Even after his initial hug-a-thon with Adam and Kono, I still knew we couldn’t trust him. “Cop girlfriend” Kono needs to listen to her cousin Chin — the Yakuza doesn’t forget. And it looks like Kono will be in for a bumpy ride.
All in all, Danno and McG’s field trip, disastrous as it was, made for a strong episode. Even with the over-the-top plot line, it had nice bits of comedy, good performances by the guest stars, and it wrapped in another character arc that I am interested to see played out. What happens between the ill-fated lovers Adam and Kono is one I want to see end well, because I for one don’t want to almost lose Kono again. Because the second time around, I’m not sure Adam will be the one to come to her rescue.
Yet if this episode is any indication, the Five-0 team will always come to the rescue of their partners, because all four earned their wilderness survival patches, that is for sure.
Redux Side Note:
Local radio and television host Bill Van Osdol made his “Hawaii Five-0” debut this week as the DLNR Conservation Officer. His scene was brief, but he had some nice screen time with Scott Caan.
Better known as Billy V, he is widely known as the voice of University of Hawai‘i Athletics and is the morning drive personality on Hawaiian 105 KINE Radio. He also delivers entertainment news on Hawaii News Now Sunrise. Billy V was the emcee for the season three “Sunset on the Beach” red carpet premiere of “Hawaii Five-0.”
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher who lives and works in Honolulu. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
11 responses to “A field trip gone awry”
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Wendie,
Great post again. Thank you for pointing out that a local played the Conservation Officer. He did well. I also enjoyed the super scout leader who could stay in the hunt with the rest of the FiveO team. The Kono relationship has trouble all over it. Should be interesting to see how it shakes out.
Paul
Great review for a strong episode. Little Lucy stole the show. What a great little actress she is! When Steve called her baby I absolutely melted and then when he hugged her after she cried to stay with him I was a puddle! Tom Arnold was alright – it makes me wonder why the show insists on hyping these has-been actors ( just my humble opinion). I’m more interested in finding out exactly who Michael killed w/Kono’s gun. Why was her gun on the bed stand and not in the drawer?? There’s going to be hell to pay for that one! And I really hope she listens to Chin! It was good to see the entire team move away from the standard procedural and have a bit of “down time” even though they’re never not working! I’ve said it before and will continue to say it, s3 is DA BOMB! I’m loving it!!
I also loved this episode, thanks for this great review!!!!!
all i know is that o wanna be in a field trip leaded by a funny sweet seal like McG 🙂 this was a very strong epi enjoyed every bit of it, great acting by Larry’s sweet half Lesley Boone, great episode by all the cast & guest stars, would love more epis in the jungle, LOVE THOSE 🙂
MAHALO Wendie, enjoyed your review as always <3
Great review, Wendie, and where, pray tell, was the Super Seal Survivalist and the rejected scout detective when I was on Girl Scout camp outs? This episode was light, but not frothy. It had depth, but some banter. The introduction of Madeline the Aloha Scout Leader/ER Nurse was brilliant! She’s the perfect character to play off of Danny! When you can’t have Danny and Steve, Danny and Mads is a great fallback! Plus, I LOVE LUCY! Wait, did that sound like something out of the 60’s? Anyway, the little actress who portrayed Lucy did a stellar job. Gracie’s new BFF would be nice. And Danny has a home! I don’t care if it’s a house or an apartment – it’s something that looks permanent – as if Danny has come to the decision he is NOT going anywhere. Hawaii is now his home. Got to love the way Peter adds to the canon of this show with little dollops, such as quietly finding a new home for Danny and then just dropping it in our laps in the last minute of an episode!
As always, Wendie, love that you add a little story about the local talent in each new ep.
Hi Wendie, Thanks for the review. Can’t add much to it. This was a great episode. The old saying kids and animals steal the show, although Madeline was right up there. Love when we see our favorite guys dealing with kids. Lucy and Madeline need to be back. Both did excellent jobs with their characters.
plz vote for Alex he needs more & more of your loyal votes…MAHALO:)
http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/12/usd-poll-who-is-best-male-lead-actor.html
Hi Wendie:- I loved, loved reading your review. It was a really great episode to watch and thank you for confirming the name of the actress who played Lucy. All the kids were adorable. I especially loved the little one who happily told Danno she could get one of the cell phones to work with that cute impish smile on her face…too adorable. They were all precious and even little Grace did her little part too. As for Adam and Kono I loved seeing them together again, but Michael, not so much. He is bad bad news and Kono is trying so hard to give him the benefit of the doubt for Adam. Madaline, (hope we see her again), she was just great. I just loved that she wasn’t charmed by Steve’s kill zone and camp story about the wild beast that’s out in the forest. She was just so funny!!
True perhaps Adam won’t come to the rescue but he might need Kono to come to his because brother Michael has no love for his older brother, there is a hint of malice on the look of his face when he saw his brother that gave me the chills. Chin will definitely be there for Kono but Kono will be there for Adam…at least I’m hoping she will keep him out of harms way from brother Michael.
Great review. Would have liked more interaction between Danny & McGarret after Danny got shot but not sure how they would have worked it in. Madeline was awesome, I liked her nature & bantering with Danny. The little girl who played Lucy was really good and I didn’t catch or think of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” but I should have! Nice not to have Cat in the episode or Steve’s mom. Strong episode with drama and comedy.
Another great review – always informative, thanks! I did really enjoy this episode. I thought the camping story was pretty good and the guest stars were excellent, especially the Aloha Girls leader and the little girl Lucy. But, it was the Kono/Adam/bad brother story that really caught my attention. I enjoy this type of intrigue and I thought these three really played it well – not over the top at all. I am firmly in the camp of wanting Kono and Adam to succeed despite their overwhelming obstacles and I buy completely that he is on the up and up and does love her as she loves him – completely, maybe a little recklessly. Brother is up to no good obviously, and I thought it was also pretty obvious that she was leery of him and cautious. I do wonder how this will play out.( I really hope Ian Anthony Dale isnt going anywhere – he is just too good for the show to get rid of, I think.) Should Kono have left her gun out? Of course not, but they have all done pretty questionable things that would probably lose them their badges if this was reality. Good thing for all of us viewers that this show is only loosely based in reality! I also dont think she is stupid or too naive and I appreciate that your review didnt devolve into some of the bashing I have seen as of late in other places. Seems that most of it is geared towards female characters – sometimes (often) undeservedly and almost always disproportionately to the male characters. All in all, a good solid enjoyable episode and a great review – thank you!
I know it’s a TV show but it pisses me off when this episode and the episode before when McG was forced to do something because he had a gun pointed at his head. He was an arm’s length away from both and he could have easily disarmed him. They’ve shown they can do it millions of times. Kono did it to that much bigger guy in a few episodes just before so idk why McG can’t simply do it to these amateur dudes holding a gun. It’s just a gripe but whatever.