Five-0 picks up right where it left off from last week’s final moments, showing Steve already at work investigating the cause behind the bomb at Cullen’s house. The weird thing is that it’s only the primary focus for the first few moments of “Ukuli’i ka Pua, Onaona i ka Mau’u” before dissolving into the gang’s next caper.
Granted there’s only so much time in an episode but the subject, which is rather serious considering whoever killed Cullen used the same substance for the bomb that they used to try to kill Steve, is too important to simply be brushed over.
Brushing over the deeper things seems to be the main motif of this episode. Take, for instance, Danny’s constant pestering of Steve over his dating life. It’s not the first time he’s done that this season or in seasons previous. Still, it seems Danny’s laying things on extra thick this episode as he pushes Steve, something Steve seems to be resentful of. Take Steve’s hilarious glare as Danny leaves the vet’s office – Danny was pushing his luck at the end.
One of the cutest moments of the episode was Steve walking Eddie around Ala Moana Park hoping to meet a girl, with Danny beside him as self-appointed sidekick. It’s cliché but endearing. This age-old trick, though predictable and honestly see-through, is still popular because who can pass up a man and his dog? Especially when that man is hunky Steve McGarrett?
What would have been tempting to address would be the real reason why Steve is so reluctant to commit to a relationship. He had an ongoing relationship with Catherine (Michelle Borth) for years, but with her departure he’s never had anything serious since. Not to mention Steve’s obvious fear of the unknown – like many others, he’s terrified of being shot down before a crowd. It seems that one of the hardest lessons he has to learn is how to take a risk when it comes to his own happiness. Like Danny notes, Steve’s reckless in every area of his life but dating.
It’s unusual to see Steve so grounded in this area – so many male characters on TV these days play things fast and loose, dating around, never really committing. Yet, when it comes to their careers or anything of the like, they have rules, boundaries and a set standard to follow. Steve is the opposite in that regard. Considering Steve has had plenty of heartbreak in his life, dating and otherwise, perhaps he’s being extra cautious so as to save himself from further pain?
On the other side of the dating coin, we have Danny. In all the time he’s bugging Steve about snagging a date at the dog park, and then at the vet, I have to wonder if he’s projecting on Steve. It seems Danny’s reluctant to discuss his own personal life, so he deflects through Steve. Last we saw, he was having something going on with his ex-wife, Rachel (Claire van der Boom). This isn’t unusual, the two have been back-and-forth since day one. Will Rachel make another appearance in the near future? Will she and Danny work out their “thing” once and for all?
I’m not betting on it, considering their history. It’s an eternal will-they or won’t-they when it comes to Danny and Rachel. Though they were once married and share two kids, they never do make up their minds.
Irony struck through a “ur gonna die” text message just moments before they hear a schoolgirl’s been kidnapped. Why does every kidnapper have a van? It’s imposed a permanent creep factor on every van for eternity. Five-0 hasn’t lost its touch however, as this is no typical kidnapping.
The kidnappers chose the worst target possible: a North Korean spy. Sometimes luck just isn’t on your side, and you’d think that with criminals, more bad than good luck would strike them most often. In that sense, it was kind of nice to see their own plans backfire on them.
Still, the brutality of the spy, going by Yumi Chun (Kirstin Leigh), essentially exterminating them was quite savage. Especially when she continued her rampage all around Oahu. She has a history of friendship with her intended target, but what kind of friend is she where she’s more dedicated to her country than to her friend? Who would be cold and calculating enough to willingly kill someone they were once close to? It makes me wonder about her background, though considering Five-0 killed her, we’ll never find out.
Yumi’s killing spree forced Five-0 to reconnect with another criminal this week, too. Aaron Wright (Joey Lawrence), the brother of another hacker Five-0 previously tangled with, reluctantly helps Five-0. His selfish and arrogant manner in the midst of a crisis enrages Lou more than once, but Adam is better at getting into Aaron’s head and encouraging him to help in a different way in true good-cop, bad-cop fashion.
Yumi’s dedication to her country is a noteworthy aspect of her character. It outlines the differences in countries and cultures, as well as individual preference. How and where a person grows up plays a hand in determining who they become. Her environment may have scared her into becoming the cunning person she is, but unlike her friend, she balked against heroism and turned into an assassin without a mind of her own. Her friend made a choice to save others and walk away. Why is it that good acts sometimes have bad repercussions?
As if this wasn’t enough to consider, it was also Quinn’s first day on the job. First days on the job usually aren’t so exciting, but this is Five-0 we’re talking about here. You don’t sit around getting to know the filing system, chat leisurely with your co-workers or conduct mundane research. You’re either all in or nothing. Quinn seemed more than up to the task, fitting in nicely with her co-workers.
She and Tani shared a particularly quiet moment on the way to see Yumi before they knew she was a spy. It seems like Quinn’s hiding something, as she cut Tani off. Quinn points out that they can’t understand someone else’s situation (namely Yumi’s) because they’ve never been through it themselves. However, Quinn’s tone and body language, among other actions, speak more loudly than her words. Tani seems to pick up on that, but they never address it for the remainder of the episode, leaving the mystery to possibly be uncovered later.
Further evidence supports that theory with Quinn’s initial communication with Yumi. She steadfastly relays to Yumi that the kidnapping was not her fault, again in a manner of understanding. Is there something dark attached to Quinn’s past that makes her especially sympathetic to young girls that have been through traumatic experiences? Yumi may have been faking, but I don’t think there was anything fabricated about Quinn.
Just when you lose hope for Steve, he gathers up the courage to talk to the vet before the episode’s conclusion. I was captivated by the lovable moments in which he discusses his love life with Eddie, who’s now wearing a cone. I figured Steve would give dating a chance, but it had to be on his terms, when he was ready. Not when Danny was pushing him.
Animals pick up on your emotions. It’s truly an amazing phenomenon how they sometimes know what you need or want more than you do. Add that to their unconditional love and it’s no wonder we build such deep connections with our pets. Eddie knew Steve needed to ask out the vet (or perhaps he was conspiring with Danny, as Steve suspects) and it was the final push that Steve needed to get out of his own way and go for it. Life’s short, you just have to wing it and hope for the best.
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