[Hawaii Five-0] Episode 3.10 "Huakaʻi Kula" Reaction

[eumelia]

The cuteness!

Danny's history continues to unfold, kicked out of the Boy Scouts? Colour me shocked, I never would have guessed Danny would have issues with authority, I mean, it's not like he's a smartassed brat, or anything.

How many people has Danny killed in order to save Steve by now? There has to be a head count or something because dude, Danny is Steve's guardian angel at this point. I mean, from the Pilot, how many people has Danny shot that were going to shoot Steve in the face?

It's lovely.

I've also been seeing a lot of enthusiasm on twitter regarding Danny being the hero, which I get and am enthusiastic as well, but you'll not, throughout the seasons, this is a trend, it's not something that happens on special occasions. Danny saves Steve, this is something he does, it's a narrative thread by now. It's part of Danny's character make up, kind of like how him being a father is integral to his narrative, Danny saving Steve is also integral.

Danny looks fantastic in a sweater, Steve is pretty enough to make the flannel not look hideous, I guess? Camping clothes, I know, you can't wear your nice over shirts.

The Aloha Girls scout leader is my new favourite! She is badass, "who wants to learn to take a bullet out of a wound"? And the little girls going "Oooooh!". Oh man, it was so great. There need to be more kickass nurses!

And all the little girls being so fierce, getting dirty, being tech savvy (oh, Danny, I'm glad you know when you're out of your depth and allow the experts to do their thing)! Wee! Yes! Seriously, this is the kind of feminist show I want to see!

And I'm with Danny, we won't hold Lucy's infatuation against her, because that little girl is incredibly smart, brave and you know she's going to join the Navy when she grows up.

As for the Grace and Danny show, so sweet, I love indoor camping. But where the hell is Danny living? Is this a small house? A larger apartment? Also, what's going on with the custody battle? Inquiring minds want to know!

Steve and Danny, how much do you love each other. It's so beautiful, I swear, I was all flaily. I continue to be enthralled by the affection they show each other and how much they show their care. I know I shouldn't be by now, but it's still so precious and delicate to see that kind of openness in a friendship among two men who are both so archetypically masculine.

It is so fascinating.

As for the b-plot (or was it meant to be the a? I don't know anymore) here should have been way more Grace Park, Ian Anthony Dale and Michael Henley and so much less Tom Arnold.

Don't get me wrong, Steve and that little girl taken hostage was nice and fun, but Tom Arnold as the villain... I wasn't sold, let's put it that way. Even the other guy ("You had one job" was actually a line in this ep? For serious?) was a bit meh, because I knew that if Steve wasn't going to get him, Danny would.

After all, it's what Danny does.

Kono and Adam. In all honesty, I felt a bit short changed when it came to Kono's story line. I get it, something really big is going to happen with the Yakuza, this we've known since the end of season 2 and I'm not feeling the building tension I should. Why? Not enough air time!

I would like a bit more ethical exploration and a little less Chin lecturing. Not that his protective streak isn't sweet and I love his and Kono's relationship, but I feel that we're not getting into the nitty gritty of what it means for Adam to be cleaning house and dating his "cop girlfriend". We're not getting to see Kono's moral conundrum, which has to exist because she's not a moron.

So more Asian gangsters and moral quibbles please. More Kono in general. I need my throat kicking and sniper rifle wielding Killshot Kono and well as the empathetic and kind all-grown-up-rookie.

Also, more Chin, what is going on in his life, how is he dealing? Is he dealing at all?

*sigh*

I suppose it's a wait and see game.

Crossposts: http://eumelia.livejournal.com/608457.html

Comments

[tazlet]

All the way around - one of the best written episodes of the series.

[eumelia]

It was really rather flawless in that regard, wasn't it?

[silveradept]

The Tom Arnold character was...eh. It was much more fun watching everyone else around him do great things. Including a very nice girl who could write up a cell phone from the parts of other ones. Could we not have had her as an Asian-coded character, though? Would have been perfect if the resident tech head wasn't casted into a type...

I agree with you about the Kono plot not getting nearly enough air time. Danny saving Steve is cute, as are his fumbling attempts at surviving outside the city, but we would like to see all of the cast getting more airtime.

[eumelia]

Normally I'd agree regarding the tech savvy Asian character trope, but I think I'm willing to give this one a go, because a) Hawaii is a minority majority state with that minority being Asian, b) She was a tiny little girl showing off skills, I think it's awesome that it wasn't a white girl (the pretty blonde girl got to be kidnapped and be the hero + rescued, talk about trope), and c) she's the first Asian tech genius we see on the show as far as I'm aware that isn't employed the HPD (first there was Toast, then that Hacker kid earlier in the season). Please correct me if I'm wrong though.

The Spider Dance is my favourite :) More Kono please!

[silveradept]

Point taken. Just seems that this show has lots of opportunities to cast people who look like native Hawaiians into roles and avoids doing so, unless, for example, it's a kahuna they need or something where anything else would look really word. Glad that there exercising a little truth in television, though.

More Chen and Kono, please.

[eumelia]

I agree that they're not using Native Hawaiians nearly enough in their casting choices, they were much better in season 1.