Just the right kick
PHOTOS COURTESY CBS
Kono (Grace Park) confesses to Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) that she’s conflicted about their future together because of his ties to his formerly corrupt family business,
I guess a kick in the head is much better than a bullet in your gut. Unless, of course, you get hit with both.
While each type of attack is obviously painful to endure, it seemed as if they proved beneficial in this week’s episode of “Hawaii Five-0.” In one way, it brought out some interesting information that helped to capture this week’s villain; it also served as a reminder to one member of the Five-0 team about what is most important in life.
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I’m not a fan of beating someone just to get things back on track, but in this case, it did help former drug dealer turned federal informant JC Dekker (Xzibit). He proved to the Five-0 team that he really is a not-so-likely villain.
Dekker returned in “Pōwehiwehi,” or “Blackout,” to help Five-0 identify a Bulgarian arms dealer who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jeff Morrison (Greg Grunberg) had been hunting for eight months. Morrison got Dekker released six years early from Halawa Correctional Facility in an attempt to use Dekker and his contacts to capture Roman, an elusive bad guy who no one had ever seen or could identify. And once again Morrison looked to Five-0 to help him wrap up his investigation.
The last time Morrison and Five-0 banded together to close a case was in season two, when Morrison aided McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and his team in finding the killer of Morrison’s friend, Monica Jennsen. Dekker, was last seen in last season’s “Kū I Ka Pili Koko” (“Blood Brothers”) when he helped Chin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Kono (Grace Park) from behind bars to find a connection to his brother who was killed in the building collapse that endangered McG and Danno (Scott Caan).
The last time we saw Dekker he was in prison. This week, our first glimpse at Dekker was of him trying to get back into prison. It was sort of an interesting way to start an episode, with a guy trying to break in and not out. That’s a new one.
But that’s what happens when you get kicked in the head. You sort of lose all your senses, which is what happened to Dekker — a complete blackout of all memory of being released from Halawa, meeting up with his dawn patrol surf buddy Odell Martin (guest star Michael Imperioli of “The Sopranos” fame) and setting up a meeting with Roman.
Seems like getting out of prison wasn’t what Dekker had hoped it would be. I’m sure Morrison was thinking that not only was entire case going down a lava tube, but so was his career.
Thankfully, McGarrett — this time sans Danno, who was in New Jersey testifying in an old case from his from his NJPD days — helped figure out who the real Roman really was.
It seems as if in every case this season, everyone gets to play the lead at some point. While the fifth man seemed to have trouble melding into the team in the past — see Lori Weston (Lauren German) in season two and Catherine (Michelle Borth) in season four — this time it really works with Lou Grover (Chi McBride) as the fifth member. He doesn’t seem to stand out and it doesn’t seem like he’s someone who was stuck into the team to fill a gap.
He’s not just a wingman. He investigates, makes decisions, and has never been an errand boy for McG. Maybe it’s because Grover’s character was fully formed before he joined the crew, or because McBride is such a talent, but he really has integrated himself into the team. I really like Grover and the dynamic he adds. Face it, Five-0 needed a SWAT guy to add to their firepower.
And speaking of firepower, it’s always nice to see Kono kicking butt in an episode. She’s taken a lot of hits lately, but this episode was a major kick to not only her head, but to her heart as well.
Or should I say her gut? Remember, Hawaiians believe all of our deepest emotions and darkest fears reside not in our hearts, but in our naʻau, our guts. And Kono took a big kick to her gut in this episode.
I guess when the man you love asks you to marry him several times, and you keep saying no, maybe Dekker was right and Kono is the one with commitment issues. And that’s not something that can be solved with a special delivery of Leonard’s Bakery malasadas, either.
The issue Kono is dealing with has to do with Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) and his past. In a sense, it’s both of their pasts coming back to haunt them. Adam’s business, no matter how legitimate it is now, was “a business born out of corruption” and for a cop to have a husband with that kind of business could be hard to deal with both emotionally and professionally.
Kono knows what her cousin Chin went through to clear his own name with HPD. She, of all people, knows how the dirt sometimes doesn’t just wash off — even when you’re trying to be clean.
That’s how Michael, Adam’s brother, came back into their lives, and that is what started the entire mess with Kono and Adam having to be on the run for almost a year. To be married to that, and think about having a family within those confines, must be hard for Kono to imagine.
Perhaps fighting a killer arms dealer who also happened to be a very bad girl kicked some sense into her. The ending of Dekker’s blackout not only brought to light the real villain, but also gave Kono some perspective as to how she really felt about Adam.
So the ending of this week’s episode was both shocking and sweet. Kono got the bad girl with a defibrillator and told Adam she will be his wife. I cheered at both moments, because for a while there I thought Kono was going to break it off with Adam. I thought Kono might do that whole “it’s best for you if we’re apart” nonsense that too many sappy storylines run into.
Thankfully, writers Travis Donnelly and Eric Guggenheim, as well as director Peter Weller, crafted an episode that married everything fans like about “Hawaii Five-0.” There was a good story, great action and sweet moments. I think the ending was the one of the best moments this season; Jerry (Jorge Garcia) got Adam the special malasadas as a peace offering, and in return Adam let him take his Ferrari for a spin.
Jerry has Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head?” playing with the top down and the sun shining as he cruised along Kalanianaole Highway. The song and the scene is juxtaposed with Kono taking Adam out of a meeting with his business partners where he is planning to sell his company. Kono agreed to marry him as Jerry sang along:
“If this is just the beginning / My life’s gonna be beautiful / I’ve sunshine enough to spread; It’s just like the fella said / “Tell me quick, ain’t love like a kick in the head?”
Thanks for the kick, “Five-0.” Now don’t mess it up by killing anyone or kidnapping anyone or blowing anyone up. Sometimes fans just want one of the team members to have a real happy ending.
REDUX SIDE NOTE:
Dennis Chun was back this week as Sgt. Duke Lukela helping Grover and Chin investigate the scene where Dekker was shot. Even when Chun has a small scene, fans from around the world — who have met him and corresponded with him — love when he is on screen.
Frank Bayot played a valet at the Moana Surfrider. He was in the scene where Adam arrived to meet with Jerry and set up operation malasada for Kono. Bayot’s sister was the late Bernadette Bayot, making him the uncle of her son, Peter Hernandez Jr., better known around the world as Bruno Mars.
Former NFL defensive end, and Mililani High School and University of Hawaii graduate, Ma’a Tanuvasa, reprised his Sheriff role from the season four finale. This time Tanuvasa had a name, Marcus Kalawaia, as well as a short scene where he brought Michael Imperioli’s character into Five-0 Headquarters.
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Wendie Burbridge is a published author, playwright and teacher. Reach her via Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
13 responses to “Just the right kick”
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WOWOWOWOWOWOW a perfect perfect delivery on this one Wendie!!!! so agree on everything. I worry for Adam because we KNOW how Peter and crew like to keep “drama”
Wendie,
This was a great ep where the bad guy was really one bad woman who got to experience a defib machine up close and personal. Always great to see Sgt Duke.
Paul
My sentiments exactly, Wendy! Kono and Adam have finally made the commitment to each other, now let them get married and live happily ever after. They can have some ups and downs, but this show really needs ONE steadfast, strong and romantic relationship, for Pete’s sake!
Great review for a really charming episode. I like Decker. He’s been humanized! Would really like to see more of him on the show – legitimately of course! Maybe another CI? You can’t have enough informants, I wouldn’t think.
The Show really got me this time, I didn’t catch on who Roman was until Decker did, either!
Nice to see Kono can still bring it – we haven’t seen this level of feminine butt-kicking in quite a while!
Thanks for the Hawaiian notes as well!
I too thought they might be planning to write Adam out of the series. I’m glad she finally said “yes.” Adam has proved time and again that Kono is the single most important part of his life. When she begged him not to shoot Wo Fat, he didn’t. When she was plunging to the depths of the ocean, he rescued her. When his brother was intent on killing her, his brother wound up being the one dead. Faced with the choice of living in hiding with her and putting her life in danger or separating from her so she would be safe, he chose her safety. If she had brought him back from Vancouver only to dump him now it would have put her in a very bad light. I’m glad Dekker and Jerry were there to make her see what’s important. (He even appeared willing to sell the businesses for her.) The future won’t be perfect because life isn’t perfect, but they will face it together.
Great episode! Was glad to see Kono finally come to her senses about Adam-they make such a beautiful couple! Adam has proven how he feels about Kono so many times. Glad to see them finally be happy-just hope there aren’t any big obstacles coming to get them off track!
Once again you spoke for me, Wendie. I so hope that Kono and Adam’s happy ending this week will not get destroyed again by upcoming tragedies for these two. We all know that happiness never lasts long for any of the main characters on this show, so it remains to be seen what the writers have in store for this wonderful couple. Since the promo trailer for next week’s episode shows Kono during an explosion, I just hope she won’t get hurt in that…
When Kono walked into the meeting-room looking bruised and battered after fighting Roman (whom I disliked from the very first moment I saw her), I somehow knew she came there to say “Yes” to Adam. But I’ve also been wondering if she not only reflected about the wedding proposal after her little chat with Dekker, but also about what Adam said about not asking her to give up her job despite him fearing for her life. I definitely hope I’m wrong but, for a moment, I actually thought she might consider that option (giving up her job) after she had to fight for her life once again. Throughout the nerve-wrecking sequence in the hospital from when Dekker recognized Roman until the moment Kono finally “electrocuted” the disgusting woman, I was clinging to my chair and hoping things would end well for Kono. And now I’m hoping the best for her future – with Adam and on Five-0.
I also agree with you about Chi McBride as Lou. He fits into the Five-0 team just perfectly. It’s really good to have five very talented actors with great chemistry on the show. This gives individual members of the main cast a chance to take a little time off work occasionally. While Scotty is certainly missed by his fans whenever he’s away spending time with his baby and working on other things in L.A. ( such as promoting his photography book, which is what he did when this episode was filmed, I think) – it’s good to know that the remaining four actors are doing such a fantastic job and interacting so well that we (almost) forget that one team-member is missing. I admit though that I would definitely miss Steve on the show if he wasn’t there for an entire episode – no matter how good the other actors are and how much I love the entire Five-0 team (resp. the actors).
As you said, the episode “married everything the fans love about the show: A good story, great action and sweet moments.” And the ending was definitely the cherry on top that put a bright, satisfied smile on the fans’ faces – At least, it had that effect on me 🙂
Another awesome “Hawaii Five-O” that kept us guessing to the end of the show who the actual villain was.
See how you are with the “kick in the head” metaphor? I didn’t pick up on that at all. I guess that’s why you’re the writer. 🙂
My thoughts when Kono agreed to marry Adam, either 1) Adam will get killed. 2) This could be the last year for the show, or 3) Grace is leaving the show.
Mind you, I have no knowledge of any of those things being on the horizon but we all know how romantic relationships on CBS crime dramas go, don’t we?
Sent from my iPad
On Feb 7, 2015, at 8:07 AM, Karen Dritto wrote:
Kudos to the writers for giving us another high octane, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat episode. From the opening watching Dekker get shot to the ending seeing Kono shocking Roman to death it was thrilling roller-coaster ride of emotions. We haven’t seen bada$$ Kono in a while!
I had my doubts in the beginning that Kono and Adam would make it but I’m very happy they’re going to make a go of it. I thought it was very sweet watching both Dekker and Jerry giving her relationship advice! Here’s hoping nothing happens to either of them and we finally have a happy ending for one of our beloved Ohana.
Lou fits the show like a glove. I think another good addition to the show would be Jeff Morrison! He and Steve work so well together.
Can’t wait to see what tptb have in store for us going forward!!
I liked last night episode. It had turns and twists that kept everyone guessing. Hopefully they let Adam last longer than Chin’s wife. You know Danny is going to suggest that they just live together. LOL!
Wendie I agree totally on the Kono and Adam situation. Kono and Adam are perfect for one another, and both realized that they each have to deal with the others life. Please let the writers hear us, we want someone on the team to live happily ever after, and I especially want to see a wedding. No one dies or separates. There is plenty of drama to go around, lets have a happy ending. I too love Grover, but I think the situation with the others had to do with the fact that they were females that in some way or another were involved with McGarrett. At least thats where the fans complaints came from. I want McGarrett to find happiness, I want Joe to tell the whole truth, and end the Doris saga by the end of this season. I also want more seasons.
As for Jerry driving Adam’s Ferrari down the highway singing Dean Martin, perfect ending.
“Roman” kept me guessing all the way to the end. Well done!
I hope they don’t make Kono a widow; the writers tend to get rid of spouses and girlfriends. In the original series, Chin Ho had a wife and and whole slew of kids off-screen, and none of them died.
I don’t know if Adam should go ahead with selling his family’s company; to the world, Adam himself is “tainted” because of his parentage, and selling the company won’t remove his father’s blood, so why sell it. Think of the German companies that benefited from slaves during WW2; after the war, they didn’t sell their companies – they just straightened out. And some apologized for their use of slaves.
Well, this was an edge of the seat episode. I was glad when the commercial came on so I could take a breath. I don’t know about Adam and Kono. I always felt that Kono and the lab guy, Charlie, belong together. He seems to have a crush on her. My husband and I thought there was something funny about the girl. We never dreamt she was the evil Roman. Leave it to our hero, Steve, to figure it out. When Kono and Decker were running through the halls it was very suspenseful. I kept thinking, Steve has got to get there. I knew we wouldn’t lose Kono but I was worried about Decker. He’s starting to grow on me. I missed Danny so much. It is never the same without him. But I am glad that they explained his absence this time. It makes sense that he would have to testify back in New Jersey. He’s back next week so it’s all good again.