Steve McGarrett
By Mike Gordon
A Navy SEAL, Lt. Cmdr. Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) returns to Hawaii in the season one premiere after his father, John McGarrett (William Sadler), is murdered by terrorist Victor Hesse (James Marsters). McGarrett is recruited by Gov. Pat Jameson (Jean Smart) who asks him to head an elite task force — later to be named Hawaii Five-0 — that will operate outside the law in its search for criminals.
He soon discovers that his mother, who died when he was 16, was killed in a car bomb meant for his father, and not in what he thought was a car accident — and that his parents’ murders are related. Steve’s investigation leads to the arrest of yakuza crime boss Hiro Noshimuri (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and his first encounter with arch-villain Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos).
Wo Fat turns out to be the mastermind and had long wanted an end to the elder McGarrett’s interest in his criminal activities, the evidence of which is contained in a toolbox dubbed the Champ Box. But after the Champ Box is stolen, Steve mysteriously begins receiving items from the box that are clues to the truth.
After getting a skeleton key that was in the box, he realizes it opens a drawer in an antique desk in the governor’s office. He concludes that his father was killed because he was close to exposing Jameson’s connection to Wo Fat. But when Steve breaks into the governor’s office and confronts her, he gets Tasered by Wo Fat, who then calmly shoots Jameson and puts the weapon in McGarrett’s hand.
Arriving police book McGarrett for murder.
Season two opens with McGarrett doing cellblock push-ups in an orange prison jumpsuit. What happens next is the TV equivalent of being shot from a cannon. O’Loughlin considers it unconventional, dynamic television.
“The crime stories are really good, and all the stuff with Wo Fat is really exciting but the action this season so far is really huge,” O’Loughlin said. “I have jumped out of an airplane, galloped across Lanai on a quarter horse, driven a speedboat and scuba-dived to 200 feet. There are all kinds of things happening.”
The show’s creators have generated an almost breathless pace.
“The guys keep delivering the material, and somehow here in production we keep delivering the performance,” he said. “It has taken a lot. We have worked a lot of hours. We have worked some weekends but I think it’s worth it. Hopefully everyone will feel the same way.”
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser; scans are in the gallery
The show is great – BEST on TV!!!!!!!!!