The downer from this week’s episode for me wasn’t the somewhat mundane Shelburne reveal, but rather that as a result, Joe White will be lying low for a while.
Considering that I was afraid Joe had been earmarked for an untimely demise at the hands of Wo Fat in Pu’olo, the news isn’t all that bad!
Although Terry O’Quinn is this season’s most effective cast addition, it’s probably good to give that nerveracking storyline — and us poor fans — a short break.
I’m relieved that the writers didn’t make Shelburne seem larger than life. No Doris McGarrett alive and well, tucked away in a witness protection program or running a crime syndicate of her own. No faked death for John McGarrett, and Joe isn’t Steve’s real father…
None of this, at least, as far as we know.
The reprieve from this particular story arc will definitely be temporary, because Peter Lenkov promises on Twitter, “More reveals (THE BIG ONE) coming up in finale…” Don’t forget that we are still in the dark about who Joe was talking with on his cell phone when he said in 2.11, “Steve is getting too close. We’re gonna have to move you.”
According to Peter, “Answers coming soon.”
Mr. Lenkov also shared with Michael Ausiello at TV|Line that “It’s not over yet. It’s going to wrap up at the end of [the season] and it’s a pretty significant turn in our show.”
That definitely does not bode well for someone…
To off-set the serious tone of Pu’olo, the episode also gives us plenty of laughs and “awww” moments.
“Holy Mullett!” Sang Min makes a welcome return to the show — it’s hard to believe that Will Yun Lee is quite a head-turner in real life, even though he was turning heads for completely different reasons on Monday night… 
Even the most blatant product placement so far is woven well into the show and draws as much laughter as it probably raises eyebrows.
And Danny, who is clearly so not over his ex-wife, definitely deserves a special spot in our hearts. His scenes with Rachel are well-crafted without being overly sentimental.
I also like that Adam Noshimuri appears to be an ally… this prospect paves the way to more great storytelling!
Much of what McG learned this week would never have been discovered if he hadn’t taken action by confronting Joe and the yakuza. As dangerous as both actions may have been, McG is never one to turn away from a tough fight — just like his father. But perhaps he was right; maybe action was the best way to figure out what secrets Joe was hiding. Sort of like trying to track down a lost UPS parcel with their handy tracker number. Only McG’s number seems to have been altered many times by Joe and others so he would not find out the truth.
Another thing I loved about this episode was that Kamekona finally got to throw his weight around, and remind the fans of how “street” he was before he went legit. Actor Taylor Wily has played Kamekona as such a big teddy bear that is was a shock to see him man handle another street boss. But how legit is he? Peter Lenkov mentioned in the HIFF interview that he wanted some moral ambiguity with Kamekona, in that he might be playing both sides of the law, and this episode may finally reveal that he isn’t as clean as he claims to be. Was he paying lip service to Nicky Chang (Dante Basco) when he said he was laundering money, or was that actual truth? Keep in mind that Kamekona does keep a stash of illegal firearms in his back yard, so I see some room for giving Kamekona another, possibly more sinister dimension.
Is it wrong that a part of me is sort of happy to put this Wo-Fat, Shelburne thing away for a little while? As much fun and intriguing as it was, I’m excited to get back to the team just working on some cases. I feel like Danny and Steve haven’t worked together all that much in a while and I miss it. I want some carguments and more of that team camaraderie I fell in love with in season one. Danny’s bit in this episode, helping Rachel deliver her baby, was adorable and I loved it, but I want Danny back in the action. So though I will miss Joe, and I really will miss that guy, I’m happy to see him go for a little while. Besides, I have no doubt that he will be back again soon enough.
Operation “Shellburn” has been revealed and it was just that, a codename Joe White and Daddy McGarrett came up with to take down the Yakuza. Sounds pretty rudimentary, considering their line of work, except it ultimately led to the death of Wo Fat’s father at the hands of Joe White. Ah, so now it all makes sense…
Is anyone disappointed that Joe is going into hiding? I know I’m not. After the months of cat and mouse over Shelburne and the disappointing reveal, I’m ready for him to not be the focus – at least for a while. Then again, Joe called someone a few episodes back about Shelburne. I suspect it was Hiro Noshimuri, but it could be a loop hole for a better answer to this ongoing question.
Despite the overloaded father issues and the anvils that Rachel’s kid *might* end up being Danny’s (God forbid), this was a pretty strong episode. It was yet another example where the case didn’t overshadow the character driven plots and the two wove together a nice story in the end.
Well, at first I wasn’t sure about this episode, but I watched it again and liked it much better the second time around. Perhaps due to a lack of expectations… Lots of good moments. I particularly loved the moment when Steve cracks up at Sang Min’s outfit.
It was a close call, but I think the best line belongs to Danny with, “If you say he has my nose, I’ll bust yours!”
One thing that I did like about the Shelburne reveal was that it put the trust back into Steve and Joe’s relationship. After a lifetime, it would have been a shame not to. I can’t help myself, I am an optimist and I like shows that bring out the better parts of human nature, not just the bad. It is also interesting that the situation with the Yakuza got resolved when Steve took charge and perhaps Joe accepted that he is not a 16 year old any more… I am interested to see where this alliance goes, given their history….
The phonecall back in 2.6 still has me a bit miffed…I find it unlikely that Joe was calling Hiro given that we was in the trunk of Joe’s car at the time…
I also think Danny sending the photo to Stan shows what a genuinely good man he is. Although with the baby’s middle name….you know what they say about coincidences….
And hey….just a though….what about the other 98 passports!?….
I really liked this episode but was a little disappointed in the Shelburne “reveal”….I’m glad it wasn’t the end of the story because I was hoping for something a little more dramatic after the build up they’ve given us. I’ll look forward to the finale to see more on that storyline.
When the scene was playing out between Steve, Joe and Adam, I couldn’t help but think there might be some additional meaning behind Joe telling Adam that he had to help Hiro fake his death in order to protect Adam. Subtle as it may’ve been, I think that was a preview of what we could find out later….At least I’m hoping. 
I enjoyed the scenes with Kono, Lori, and Sang Min. Sang Min is always so funny to me and those girls ROCK (Lori has grown on me). I like the scenes they’ve had together so far.
I also loved the scenes with Danny and Rachel even though my heart was aching for Danny. You could almost physically feel the heartache he was feeling in being there when Rachel was delivering “her” baby. I’m still hoping the baby will turn out to be his!
Any word on when we may see Catherine again? I miss her & Steve together. Whether he admits it or not, I think she’s a good stabilizer in his crazy life.
Hmmm.
I dont know what to think of that whole shelburne thing,
I think he’s either lying or telling only half the truth.
bud i hope the keep bringing mr. white back.
Thank you Mizz for the recaps and reviews of the superb episode 214. This episode was funny (Kamekona and his subway foot-long sandwiches and he and Sang Min going undercover), touching (Danny helping Rachel with the birth of her and absentee Stan’s baby boy) and so intriguing and fascinating about the Shelburne mystery. I know there is more to the Shelburne mystery that has not been disclosed yet. I cannot wait for season 2 finale.
even me, the most pessimistic of people when it comes to CBS, is fairly certain
that there will be a season three. In fact, I will go out on a limb and say there
will be many more seasons, however, if that proves not to be true, yours truly
willl be the first to jump off that limb.
p.s. Mizz, I always listen to you. You absolutely know what’s going on. Keep
up the good work.
I’m so relieved that the reveal (if that is REALLY the reveal) wasn’t something earth shattering. Steve has had enough of that in his lifetime. I knew Shelburne wasn’t completely over. After all Peter Lenkov is behind it!
I got a lot out of that conversation between Joe and Adam. It was directed toward Adam but Joe meant it for Steve and Steve got the message LOUD & CLEAR – sometimes it’s best to let things work their own way out. Slow and steady wins the race and too many people around Steve have died trying to get to the truth. They all put themselves in danger rescuing him from WoFat. I’m sure none of that has escaped Steve. Anyway, I think he got the message.
Loved everything about this episode. Plenty of interaction between all of the team members, new & old. Sang Min is a scene stealer for sure. He is quite entertaining and I gotta give a thumbs up for his bad guy buddy Nicky. He’s quite the colorful character too. Kamekona and Sang Min arguing on the street corner was hilarious. The team inside the van was equally so. One of my favorite scenes ever! It was a perfect blend of comedy and story.
I didn’t mind the 5 foot longs gig. Some critics spent longer complaining about it than it was worth. It just proves one thing… people noticed it and that’s what advertisers like. It was effective. So if they think complaining about it is going to make it stop, they would be wrong. I’d rather see a commercial inside the show than to take away more time from the episode. Nobody was hurt in the making of the Subway caper.
Loved the Lori zingers. She’s quite good at dishing them out. The Sweet & Spicy duo was cute. Kono & Lori work well together. Kono needed some estrogen fuel in that team of men.
Fantastic episode… now we can fret about Shelburne at the end of the season. Can we relax for a couple of epis?… probably not… there will be more drama and intrigue to come!
Thanks Mizz!
I’m sure Subway is thrilled with the attention they’re getting. That whole scene is better than your average ad and certainly funnier than any Bing plug Five-0 ever did. I’ve seen worse product placements in James Bond movies.
Relax…?! With the Season 3 jitters coming up? I think not… I can tell people not to worry, but nobody ever listens to me anyway, so I won’t waste my breath.
The first thing I read from was how many people said they got hungry for a Subway sandwich. LOL! Kono and Steve looked a little hungry too.
mizzoh…I like how you say ‘with the season 3…’ its music to my ears! Already talking about another season of Alex & Crew gifting my Monday evenings…thank you for that day brightner, a bit dreary in my next of the woods today. I liked the humor in 2.14 but letdown on the Shelbourne thing, but looks like I wasn’t alone! Just have to hold on to see where Peter & Company take us? Please more Steve and Danny carguments & less Lori…more Kono!!! Have a blissful weekend & I guess a rerun next Monday???