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.

When Peter Lenkov shared a few weeks ago that Shelburne would be revealed in episode 2.14, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for episode 2.13.

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