‘Five-O’ Preview: Oia’i’o
Who’s going to be voted off the island? That’s the key question looming over Monday’s hotly anticipated first season finale of “Hawaii Five-0.”
The episode, titled, “Oia‘i‘o” (or “trust”), has been dubbed an “all-star episode,” with a huge cliffhanger and the death of a major character. Executive producer Peter Lenkov tells TV Guide that “there will be a murder,” making for a “Holy crap! I-can’t-believe-they-did-that whodunit.”
CBS has lined up cliffhanger endings for several of its top shows this season, and since “Five-0” hasn’t yet technically been renewed for a second season, the potential lack of resolution could be agony for fans.
Of course, with network head Leslie Moonves anointing “Five-o” as “another billion-dollar franchise,” and a contest promising a Hawaii vacation and set visit, it’s pretty obvious we’ll have the gang back on TV in the fall.
Or rather, the gang minus one.
Who’s Going to Die?
The series finale brings back Jean Smart as Gov. Pat Jameson and Kelly Hu as her safety liason Laura Hills, both of whom have signed on to appear in pilots for new shows on NBC next season. That makes them prime candidates for the TV reaper.
TV Guide floats Grace Park as a possible departure, but it’s hard to ignore the earlier signals surrounding Daniel Dae Kim. On screen, his character Chin Ho Kelly is headed toward a major reckoning, while off screen he’s sold both his business and his house.
But while I think it would be gutsy for CBS to allow for the death of one of the show’s major players (Chin Ho’s course seemed to take a turn for the better this week, and Scott Caan and Alex O’Loughlin are obviously safe), I’m expecting the final curtain to fall for a “series regular.”
Promo photos released for the episode (see below) suggest a fiery death for someone close to the governor, which puts Hu at the top of my list. But we’ll have to wait and see. Several regulars will be making an appearance on Monday.
Familiar Faces
In addition to Smart and Hu, the finale’s most notable returnee is Marc Dacascos, playing arch nemesis Wo Fat. The iron baddie retaliates in a big way after “Five-0” gets a little too close. Indeed, on Monday, the entire “Five-0” operation is put in jeopardy.
We’ll also see Danno’s ex-wife Rachel (Claire Van Der Boom) and rookie Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik). Young Grace (Teilor Grubbs) and big Kamekona (Taylor Willy) round out the regular recurring cast.
(I have to admit, the rekindled sparks between Danno and Rachel make me worried about her as well.)
We’ll finally meet HPD’s Chief of Police, Chief Makaha, played by renown Asian American actor Kelvin Han Yee. Lab technician Charlie Fong (Brian Yang) is still on the job, his spin-the-bottle record with Kono apparently not a career-ender. Also on tap, “Five-0” alum Dennis Chun (Sgt. Duke Lukela) and Garret Sato (Det. Ahuna). And returning as “old lady,” Marika Yamato, who appeared several times in the original series in the 1970s.
But as far as appearances tied to the original series go, the classic car nut in me is perhaps most excited to hear that the classic black 1974 Mercury Grand Marquis will get more screen time in the season finale.
Preview
“When Five-0 gets too close to the truth about Wo Fat and his associates, the criminal mastermind retaliates by trying to destroy the team. They’ve always played by their own rules, but when the Governor can no longer protect them, it’s time for Five-0 to pay the consequences of their actions.”
