S05.E17: Kukaʻawale (Stakeout)

[BW Manilowe]

McGarrett and Danny work on their relationship while they stakeout a woman's apartment after she escapes following a diamond robbery.

Original Airdate: February 27, 2015

Series star Daniel Dae Kim makes his directorial debut.

SOURCE: http://cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/hawaii-five-0/releases/view?id=41887

[janeta]

The cat was fantastic. :-)

But the couples therapy....-headdesk- -headdesk-

Get on with the case already!!

[Roselle]

That. Was. Perfect!

 

Only thing missing was the conclusion to the missing Mr Pickles storyline.

 

So strange that the writers clearly know what we want and yet they don't give it nearly often enough. We're simple folk, we H5-0 fans. It's not that hard - bromance, humour, slashy-undertones, whole team involvement, a kickass villain (hilarious), a shootout, an explosion, kickass Kono - give us that and we're happy. And after this episode (which, unusually for recent weeks, delivered exactly what the promos had promised), I'm happy! 

[Roselle]

Oh...and Scott Caan in a vest. 

 

Oh, and Steve McGarrett showing vulnerability. And the friendships and the laughs and the guitar...

 

Maybe one other thing missing, besides Mr Pickles - if I was being completely, and yes, unfairly, picky - would be some hurt/comfort but that's to come next week, right? So yeah... like I said...Happy.

 

Full Kudos to DDK too - I liked the many 'reaction' facial cutaways and the balance of shots of all the players. Perhaps due to the fact he's an actor and knows the value.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Roselle

[janeta]

I thought the weird kid found the cat? Hence their giving him a bit of a break at the end there, where they had him at the station and were making him give Duke the names of all his dealers? I thought Steve said something about all the crimes they could charge him with, but they wouldn't because he found the cat.

[Roselle]

 

 

 

I thought the weird kid found the cat? Hence their giving him a bit of a break at the end there, where they had him at the station and were making him give Duke the names of all his dealers? I thought Steve said something about all the crimes they could charge him with, but they wouldn't because he found the cat.

Damn - yes, you're right! Just watched it again (first re-watch of many no doubt!) So, I therefore really have nothing at all to quibble about in this episode. :)

[Trey]

I really enjoyed this episode.

 

Loved seeing Cloris Leachman again - she is still great and was well used here.  Not so much with Jon Lovitz though - they could have had anyone play his part; they should have let Jon Lovitz be Jon Lovitz and it would have been so much better.

 

I liked seeing both Danny and Steve learn to give a little in their relationship.

[dirtydi]

That cat was mazing.  I feared it was drugged because no cat, that I have ever known would stay there draped over my shoulder for that long.  Unless it was just the allure of AOL.

[Bishop]

That was one of my all-time favorite episodes. I loved everything about it, and getting to spend the entire episode with these two guys and building on their relationship was great. My favorite part was when Steve opened up to Danny. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't a big emotional scene, but it put Steve in a vulnerable moment with his best friend. I also loved that they weren't fighting the whole episode. I got to see why Steve annoys Danny, and Danny had some legitimate gripes.

I thought the pot dealer confessing all to two Five-O cops and giving him his card was hysterical. Loved Cloris Leachman too. Kono and the bad guy was great, and her "Where was I?" The end with Danny buying Steve a guitar and Steve letting Danny drive was a wonderful McDanno moment. The song on the radio was perfect too. The boys ARE back in town. It took a little too long to get there, but better late than never. I'm keeping this one the DVR for a while.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Bishop

[Bishop]

I was glad he saved his most vulnerable moment for Danny, because I wasn't happy before when he went to Grover as his confidante. 

Same here.  I do like Grover, and I actually enjoyed the banter between him and McGarrett last week, but the heart of this show, imo, is the McDanno relationship because it all started with them in Steve's garage in episode one.  It was the first time that Steve has ever admitted a fear or a vulnerable moment to someone.  Yeah, he's told Grover about losing a friend, and Danny, of course, knows of his losses, but it's the first time (that I know of) where Steve admitted a weakness.  It also helps to understand why Steve has not discussed anything he has been through, and that Steve and Danny really are different in a lot of ways.  Danny was raised in a loving, affectionate family, and he's use to talking things out.  We've seen that with his mother, brother, and his daughter.  Now we know that the McGarrett home was not a touchy, feely household.  I can see that with Doris.  She's an all-business kind of woman, I think.  I can also see that with John actually.  With so many "hero" McGarrett men:  a grandfather who died on the U.S.S. Arizona, a father who was a decorated cop and died helping to expose the corruption of the Governor, and then Steve as a decorated navy seal, I can see these guys not discussing their feelings.  Hearing Steve state that in his family, expressing your feelings was showing a weakness is actually quite sad.  It explains a lot about his character now.

 

I love Danny buying the guitar.  He listened to what Steve said, knows his best friend has a passion for playing music, and wanted to make him happy.  Steve reciprocated with the simple gesture of letting him drive.  A minor thing, but Danny understood what Steve was trying to say.  That's what I love about these two, and they learned something new about the other following this stakeout.  Great stuff.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Bishop

[BW Manilowe]

I loved the ep too. Everyone above me has pretty much already explained why, so I won't repeat myself.

I will, however, add a possibly interesting note...

Lorenzo Manetti, credited as Co-Writer on this ep with David Wolkove, a veteran of the show's Writing & Producing staffs, is apparently the son (& only child) of actor Larry Manetti & his wife. Granted, with an uncommon last name like Manetti, you probably had to figure... Right? (I was actually thinking Larry himself had possibly "Italianized" his first name, if you will, & co-wrote the ep under a partial pseudonym).

Larry Manetti, of course, is best-known to the world as "Rick", the Club Owner sidekick to Tom Selleck's "Magnum" on Magnum P.I.--but he's currently best-known to us for his H50 recurring role as a McGarrett Family Friend, Lounge Owner/Singer Nicky "The Kid" DeMarco (who most recently officiated at the wedding of Steve & Mary's Aunt Deb).

This ep was Lorenzo's first produced writing credit in the business. He's apparently been a Writer's Assistant (or something like that) on the H50 Writing staff since sometime last season (S4).

On another note, production on S5 *may* be wrapping up within the next month, at most. They're apparently currently shooting Ep 522. There are 25 eps scheduled this season, so the S5 Finale should be Ep 525.

So, 3 more eps to shoot (& approximately 24 more shooting days, based on their normal 8 day shooting schedule... Though DDK said in interviews he got this ep filmed in 7 days) before they wrap... Hopefully just until S6 starts, probably sometime in July, & not wrapping forever (SpoilerTV still says the show "looks good" for renewal; TVLine & most other sites are still saying renewal "could go either way" [in 1 phrase or another]).

Actor/Comedian Pauly Shore is apparently the guest star (or at least 1 of them) in Ep 522. About 4 days ago, he Tweeted a pic of an H50 script cover, for Ep 522, which I saw because I follow Peter Lenkov's Twitter & he Re-Tweeted it.

https://twitter.com/paulyshore/status/570303772473348096

Before that Pauly also Tweeted (& Lenkov Re-Tweeted) a pic of an airplane tray table, which held a napkin & a glass with the Hawaiian Airlines logo on it & (what appeared to be) their signature POG (Pineapple-Orange-Guava) Juice blend in it.

https://twitter.com/paulyshore/status/570026911088250881

Since he's been on the set, Pauly Tweeted this pic of him with Taylor Wily (Kamekona) yesterday:

https://twitter.com/paulyshore/status/571219261420498944

This is the only selfie Pauly's posted with any of the show's cast members.

He's apparently still in Hawaii/still filming. He Tweeted something today (Saturday) about Pineapple Juice, for which Lenkov kinda seemed to give him 1 of those fake, teasing, "hard times" that people who know each other well tend to do to each other about stuff (I think he & Lenkov worked together on some movies in previous years--before Lenkov did H50 if not CSI: NY as well--& have been friends for a pretty long time).

[sidwich]

In addition to everything everyone's already said, I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed McGarrett's speech about how he loves cats because they're adorable little ninjas, smart and fast and cute and cuddly at the same time.  Absolutely hilarious.  (And true).

[BooksRule]

That cat was mazing.  I feared it was drugged because no cat, that I have ever known would stay there draped over my shoulder for that long.  Unless it was just the allure of AOL.

 

It could have definitely been Alex's allure, but one of my cats will stay draped over my shoulder (or curled up in my lap) for as long as I'll let her.  However, my other one will let me pick her up, but she tenses up and freezes, just waiting for my hold to relax so that she can run.  Mr. Pickles looked like a nice relaxed cat and I loved that Steve was a cat person.

[Jobiska]

Yeah, I asked my cat (on my lap at the time) if she could do that, and answered "no" for her.

After AOL gave the "cats are great" speech, I said for him, "and that's why I like Catherine, too!"  Cuddly ninja, heh.

I'm glad we were spared the scene of the apartment dweller coming home and immediately noticing the figurine had been glued together.  

[BW Manilowe]

Same here. I do like Grover, and I actually enjoyed the banter between him and McGarrett last week, but the heart of this show, imo, is the McDanno relationship because it all started with them in Steve's garage in episode one. It was the first time that Steve has ever admitted a fear or a vulnerable moment to someone. Yeah, he's told Grover about losing a friend, and Danny, of course, knows of his losses, but it's the first time (that I know of) where Steve admitted a weakness. It also helps to understand why Steve has not discussed anything he has been through, and that Steve and Danny really are different in a lot of ways. Danny was raised in a loving, affectionate family, and he's use to talking things out. We've seen that with his mother, brother, and his daughter. Now we know that the McGarrett home was not a touchy, feely household. I can see that with Doris. She's an all-business kind of woman, I think. I can also see that with John actually. With so many "hero" McGarrett men: a grandfather who died on the U.S.S. Arizona, a father who was a decorated cop and died helping to expose the corruption of the Governor, and then Steve as a decorated navy seal, I can see these guys not discussing their feelings. Hearing Steve state that in his family, expressing your feelings was showing a weakness is actually quite sad. It explains a lot about his character now.

I love Danny buying the guitar. He listened to what Steve said, knows his best friend has a passion for playing music, and wanted to make him happy. Steve reciprocated with the simple gesture of letting him drive. A minor thing, but Danny understood what Steve was trying to say. That's what I love about these two, and they learned something new about the other following this stakeout. Great stuff.

Responding to the bolded. Yeah, I could see Doris being "all business" too; especially when it comes to an op--or at least most of them; especially the ones she went on for the CIA.

But let's not forget, Steve said she was a PTA Mom (I think); she taught him how to paddle a canoe, catamaran, or an outrigger--some sort of mainly Hawaiian watercraft they were paddling in the post-titles opening of an ep, anyway; she also taught him magic tricks--which she used/tried to use to cut the tension between them during that op including her & Steve, plus Mick, her new boyfriend & Steve's ex-SEAL/Private Eye friend, & Commander Wade Gutches, Steve & Joe's friend/colleague & the leader of the SEAL team which helped Joe, Five-0, & Frank Bama extract Steve from North Korea when Wo Fat was torturing him over Shelburne in S2 (in return for Five-0 saving a member of their team after other members had been killed by a drug cartel with a vendetta). The op was to retrieve the microfiche Doris supposedly secretly kept with details about her CIA ops--which she claimed would keep her family safe from retribution by her enemies just by its existence--after it was stolen by another former CIA operative who'd apparently become an enemy of Doris's & was up for a high-ranking US Government post... Which he apparently was afraid he wouldn't get if someone saw Doris's microfiche.

I think the PTA Mom thing, the Hawaiian watercraft paddling thing, & the magic tricks thing showed that, while she was probably "all-business" on a CIA op, & probably in her school classroom, I'd suspect, she also maybe had a side that was less rigid.

By the way, you referred to Steve as a "seal" & not a "SEAL" above. And I think "navy" needs a capital N. Just FYI.

Edited March 2, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[Jobiska]

I forgot to mention:  What is the obsession with belly wounds?  I've lost count.

If you are a Serbian fighty guy (I always forget what their specific background is) turned jewel thief, you survive them and can even stitch them up yourself.

If you are Steve (some seasons ago, forget which episode) you survive them and go leaping about the jungle with them.

If you are 5-0 (Danny, recently, probably some others too) you survive them but are weaker than Steve and are often shown being patched up or looking wimpy in a hospital gown.

If you are an innocent tourist in a cab, you survive.

If you are a bad lady jewel thief, you die.

[ChelseaNH]

What is the obsession with belly wounds?

 

If a bullet hits the renal artery, you could bleed out pretty quickly.  You could also be in trouble if the bullet hits the spine.  Otherwise, a single wound to the abdomen should be survivable with medical treatment.  But the whole fighting-while-wounded thing?  Getting a hole poked in your abdominal wall HURTS.  It's kind of distracting.

[anna0852]

As funny as therapy round two was, what stood out for me was the loneliness of the Cloris Leachman character. That shot of her struggling with the groceries nearly broke my heart.

[Trey]

As funny as therapy round two was, what stood out for me was the loneliness of the Cloris Leachman character. That shot of her struggling with the groceries nearly broke my heart.

She is such a great actress.  That touched me too.  I was glad Jerry brought her to the shrimp shack to be with the gang.  And I'll bet he visits her regularly from now on.

[HurricaneVal]

I thought it was just hilarious when Jerry knocked on her door, and she opened it, saw Jerry, then immediately said something like "the pot guy's down the hall" while shutting the door.  Ain't nothing wrong with her comedic timing, she's definitely still "got it."

[lynny]

Cuddly, little ninjas was just about my favorite line ever and I don't even like cats that much .

[BW Manilowe]

Cuddly, little ninjas was just about my favorite line ever and I don't even like cats that much .

And if anyone would know about ninjas, of any size, it would be Steve, right?

[tvfanatic13]

Loved this episode. But REALLY loved the Jorge/Cloris scenes.