“Loa’a Pono Ka ‘Iole I Ka Pūnana” features murder, clashes between social classes, bullying and a few more of Steve’s and Danny’s famous arguments. There was a lot going on for a single episode, and it didn’t seem to blend well together. Meaning, from one storyline to another, it wasn’t exactly complementary. If storylines are too different or don’t share a connection at some point, it throws off the structure of the plot.
Lou’s performance was the most prominent, given he had the most screen time of the Five-0 members. Quinn and Junior weren’t even in the episode, and Tani only appeared here and there helping Lou from the sidelines at Five-0 headquarters. Steve and Danny, meanwhile, took a day off to tend to Charlie (Zach Sulzbach), Danny’s son.
Lou hasn’t had much screen time lately, so I appreciated that he had a storyline that revolved around him. He’s recruited by the Head of Security, Zev (Alon Aboutboul), at a golf course to help investigate a murder on the premises, which cuts into Lou’s one day of golf at the fancy club that he’s long tried to become a member of. When you’re a member of law enforcement, it seems you’re never off the clock.
My favorite part of the episode was watching Lou engage in a chase by golf cart to pursue the murderer across the perfectly manicured course, followed by the murderer’s fistfight with Zev, which was simply badass. Lou’s channeling Danny in the way he pursued his man. While Steve or Junior may participate in a chase on-foot, Lou will take a shortcut. Why not? A golf cart is certainly faster than your own two feet, and it made for a hilarious chase. It reminded me of a time in the earlier seasons when Steve chased a suspect on-foot, and Danny drove beside him on an ATV.
Chi McBride’s (Lou) performance was stellar and truly showed off his talents as an actor. Lou was smart and calculated in his investigation, as always, but sometimes his skills are placed secondary, or even in the background, compared to other characters like Steve, Danny or even Junior and Tani, so we don’t often get to see his full potential these days.
“Loa’a Pono Ka ‘Iole I Ka Punana”, however, changes that dynamic so we can get to know Lou a bit better. He’s been on the show for years, but too often he’s been shuffled into the background simply because there are several characters on the show to keep up with, and it’s no easy feat to give each character an ample amount of screen time, especially where it concerns certain storylines.
I also liked the lesson that Lou learned. Though he had spent years trying to become a member of the fancy golf club, he learned that at the end of the day, it’s not really the scene he’s looking for. There’s too much emphasis on people with money and the pretentious tendencies that come with it, whereas Lou just wants to have a good time and enjoy the weather, his fellow golfers, and the great game of golf itself. Lou realizes that, and even gets a friend out of it in Zev, his new golfing buddy.
Tani’s main storyline was one that has long since grown old. Tani’s and Junior’s potential relationship has again been delayed because he’s been inconveniently called into duty. What’s the point of them finally making a move for one another only to be delayed? Is it even worth all the hassle at this point? I’m not even into their potential story as a couple anymore because it’s been put off for too long, and I’m ready to see Tani and Junior happy with other people, since the universe, and them, appear to place so many obstacles in their way that it seems likely they were never meant to be in the first place.
Adam’s storyline is drastically changing, and not for the better. He’s looking for a blessing from the family head of the Yakuza in Tokyo, so he can take over his girlfriend’s father’s place in Hawaii. He’s also trying to spread a warning about Kenji, but it turns out that that warning places him in his own dilemma, both physically and mentally.
Adam was faced with the option of choosing between his new destiny, and his old life. I find it highly unbelievable that Adam’s just given up and left behind the life he worked so hard for, not just with Five-0 but a life away from the Yakuza and his father’s criminal legacy. Given that he must now make a choice, one of which means betraying Five-0, it makes me wonder why he’d ever want to go back to the life he hated, especially now given the dire requirements. One choice means betrayal to his closest friends and placing himself and Tamiko in danger, while the other means no support, which still leaves Adam in danger. It’s a rock and a hard place.
Five-0 has been there for Adam through everything. They were there when he married Kono, one of the first members of Five-0. They were there when he did his time in prison, when he went through good and bad times; everything. We were not shown what his answer was, but it doesn’t look good.
Could Adam betray his Five-0 family in favor of his new one? And who is to say this new life, including his girlfriend and former connections, would work out well for him? Ever since he started dating Tamiko, it’s been an unhealthy relationship, mainly because it puts Adam in a bad position. Does he love her enough to continue down this path, or will he let her go so he can save himself?
Danny and Steve, meanwhile, were busy dealing with a bullying situation at Charlie’s school. They briefly discussed Daiyu Mei, and Adam, but their main focus was on Charlie.
Now, their storyline struck me as weak. At least, initially. In the beginning, it seemed like things would only be on the surface, but I appreciated how it gradually developed. Danny’s temper is in full-force, and Steve, in a hilariously ironic twist, is the one trying to hold Danny back from doing something he may regret. Danny somewhat abuses his position as an officer to track down the father of the boy that’s bullying Charlie to have a discussion with him, but finds that there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
It was actually Steve that shared this insight in an attempt to get Danny to go easy on the boy’s father, and Steve revealed that he too was bullied in military school back in the day. That actually says a lot about his character. He states that it made him stronger, mentally, but it’s still rough and it’s not like it’s a fond memory. If nothing else, Steve can relate to Charlie on that matter, and it allows the audience to see yet another part of Steve. Ten years later, and we’re still learning about the main characters, which is a good thing.
I was impressed with Scott Caan’s (Danny) performance as he leveled with Luke (Coby McLaughlin), the father of the boy bullying Charlie. He was deeply, albeit brutally, honest about the trauma of divorce, and he speaks from experience. Last we saw Danny and his ex-wife, Rachel, together on-screen they seemed to be headed towards a reunion. Lately, though, it seems they’re off again, which is clear when Danny noted in his meeting with the principal that Rachel would not be joining them. What’s going on between them that Rachel wouldn’t show up for her son that’s being bullied?
In any case, Danny and Luke’s shared experience of being divorced dads was sincere and meaningful. Not to mention we see Charlie playing with his former bully, Blake, and Steve’s dog as their issues have been resolved thanks to the adults.
However, Charlie himself was hardly featured, and never had a line. We only see him running through the house with the dog and Blake. Why not offer up a touching moment of the two boys apologizing, or Charlie interacting with Danny and Steve and discussing his experience? I thought that more could have been done in that respect, as it seems like an opportunity lost.
Steve, meanwhile, had a thoughtful moment of his own when he offered to talk to Tani if she needed it, given Junior’s sudden departure. Steve is always looking out for everybody else, and he especially does so in “Loa’a Pono Ka ‘Iole I Ka Punana” for Danny, Charlie, and Tani.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
