The biggest surprise from “Ma’ema’e (Clean)” is not that our girl Kono has been working undercover, but that Steve McGarrett was oblivious to it. A young cop just “a year-and-a-half out of the academy”, in hot water with IA for a crime that she committed on behalf of her team, and her boss never informed after her welfare?
Admittedly Steve’s imperfections are part of what makes him so appealing and what allows him to get away with playing it “fast and loose”, but I would have liked for him to have been in cahoots - reluctantly of course – with Tom Sizemore’s menacing Vince Fryer.
“If you’re gonna blame someone for why Kono is in danger, just look in the mirror,” the IA captain throws back at McGarrett when he confronts him. “I use what I have, just like you do.”
Steve has definitely met his match in Fryer, but it’s nevertheless satisfying for both the viewing audience and the Navy SEAL when he gifts the IA captain with a fat, bloody lip, because “Nobody messes with my team.”
Duly noted, Commander.
In an episode where emotions run high, outstanding performances are expected and 2.05 does not disappoint. Grace Park finally gets to show what she’s capable of and we want more! Kono has come of age now and it will be interesting to see where Five-0 takes us next.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the show I have been missing since the premiere. This is Hawaii Five-0, back together, working as a team with carguments and big guns and Steve with his control issues. This episode was chocked full of character development, moments of extremely well-done emotion and a case that didn’t overshadow those points. Three words: thank you, Show. I needed this.
There’s a lot of badmouthing about “Hawaii Five-0” out there, I know. People stop me in stores and in my office at work and tell me why they just cannot watch the show — but I ask them to name me a show that works a metaphor into their scripts for every episode, and “Five-0” joins the ranks. It usually wipes those dirty looks right off their faces.
Returning tonight was Reiko Aylesworth as Chin Ho’s former fiancée, Malia, Tom Sizemore as HPD Internal Affairs officer Vincent Fryer, and William (formerly Billy) Baldwin as Frank Delano. I have to say that I was dreading Sizemore’s return to the show, as I really disliked his character — not Sizemore, he’s really a terrific actor, regardless of his personal problems and addictions — but Fryer is about as greasy as his name. And I was proven right — McG’s good effort to clean his clock was very satisfying.
In the end, when Kono cleared the air, she brought the team back together. And though the Five-0’s may not be free of flaws, they definitely can no longer be called dirty. And if nothing else, that is worth cleaning up the house.
The closing scene showed our newly fixed Five-0 team in dramatic slo-mo fashion. I had no idea how long the Kono undercover storyline would be drawn out, and I was somewhat surprised that it ended last night. But make no mistake that she’s probably back with her badge next week. How will Lori fit in? How will the team dynamic change? Will she be absent for a few episodes now that Kono’s back on the team? How will the fandom react?
Someone on twitter asked me last night about what I thought about her character. I told him that I liked Lori’s character, but I think she really needs a well written episode to make her (and Lauren German) stand out from everyone else. Hopefully that episode is coming soon.
I know a lot of us fans have felt as though Steve and the rest of the team had sort of left Kono out to dry, but I feel like they all really made up for it in this one. As soon as Steve finds out that Fryer put Kono in that much danger, he is immediately her protector and leader again and when she goes back in, this time she’s got them at her back. That made me very happy, as does the fact that it looks like she’s back for good now, judging by the last few second of this episode.
I know I’m in the minority as a Lori fan, but look at how quickly she’s fitting in. You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy Chin Ho teasing her about being like Steve. If you didn’t think this was true, consider her shooting Dwight a minute later. Mind changed yet?
They have even started to show a little tarnished side of Lori, as we finally got to see something that she’s not very good at: being patient.
I’m just hoping that fans can be a little better at it themselves and wait a little bit before screaming for her to be gone; I want to see how she and Kono work together. I suspect we might have the making for the Hawaiian Cagney and Lacy here.
More recaps and reviews:
I really enjoyed this epi Mizz!
I agree with you Mizz – I would have liked to see Kono receive hugs all around from the team, not just Chin – but, they are H50 tough afterall. I thought this was one of the best espisodes yet in Season 2 and I too am so glad to see the whole team back together. I like the fact that the writers don’t drag out the big questions too long so we get our answers and move on to the next issue at hand. But I really like that they are spending more time on our Fab 5 and not just the case of the week. I’m a huge Alex fan, but I don’t understand those who say they “just can’t watch H50″???
I’m loving each and every Monday night!
Thank you Mizz for your direct links to the People’s Choice Awards to nominate Alex O’Loughlin and Hawaii Five-0.
Thank you Mizz for the great recaps and reviews and the awesome ending video clip. I love the ending scene where McGarrett was tough and took charge as a team leader. I’m so happy and excited that Kono is now back on the Five-0 task force.
Great recap Mizz!! This episode was so totally awesome! Kudos to Stephanie Sengupta for writing such a fantastic script!
We’ve got our Ohana back together and they’ve all been guilty of having faults but that’s what makes them so lovable. They love one another and it’s been proven that they would give their lives for one another. What more can anyone want or desire in a team?