Recap and Review of Hawaii Five-O Season Premiere

Now THAT was a season premiere.

We started right where we ended last season with Steve visiting Wo Fat in the maximum security prison. Unknown people are breaking in to kill Wo Fat so Steve saves him by hiding behind a pillar and when they enter, he goes Jack Bauer on them and kills them all.  The next shot is of him dragging a guy through a hall, barking orders to Danny on what to do with Wo Fat because Steve's going to question the one guy who's still breathing.  (On an artistic note, that was a well put together scene, too, with the lights crackling, the music, and Steve's face. Very balanced and visually stunning.)

When Danny finally makes it to the interrogation room, he's brought a clean shirt for Steve.  So thoughtful. They talked about something during the shirt change, but I can't remember what. (Maybe I'll have to watch that part again to clear that up.)  Chin figures out the guy they're interrogating is part of the NLM terrorist group and they're probably getting payback for when Five-O thwarted the San Francisco attack. More NLM people break into the Palace and take a bunch of hostages. Since my new series of novels is about a Hostage Negotiation Team, I've done a ton of research on hostages, hostage-takers, and law enforcement who deal with it, and what they did onscreen was amazing and actually quite realistic, which I loved.  (Did anyone else go awww when Kamekona wanted to go in because he had ohana in there?)  

Steve is trying to treat the bleeding man they've been questioning, administering CPR while Danny tells him about his "moment" with Gabby that never happened. Steve's all, what, were you going to tell her you love her? And Danny says, Maybe.  Then Steve says something very telling.  "Maybe you should be sure.  Saying that is serious and something you can't take back."  I loved that.  He doesn't take 'I love you' lightly and you KNOW that when he finally says those words, it will mean something to him.  *le sigh*

Steve brings the guy back to life, but someone is coming.  That sets it up for probably one of the ickiest/cool things I've seen on TV in a while.  The hostage-taker's minion comes into the room and the bleeding guy is propped up in the doorway.  The minion steps forward and is shot FROM THE BULLET HOLE the bleeding guy already has and there is actually a frame of Steve removing the gun barrel from the hole. Ew and awesome all at once.  Steve, Danny, and bleeding guy end up having to go upstairs so more hostages don't get shot. Steve and Danny are made to kneel and the main hostage-taker puts a gun to their head, saying he knows it's not just the two of them. (How? These two are pretty incredible all on their own.)  Chin comes down and joins them.  (And Chin was amazing all night, luring one of the terrorists upstairs and taking him out. Love action Chin!)

But there's a twist.  Main hostage-taker guy goes over and shoots bleeding guy everyone thought they were rescuing.  Then all the hostage-takers surrender.  The look on everyone's face was probably the same look I had on mine.  What just happened?  

They all come out with the hostages (Chin carrying a wounded woman, aww).  Steve's phone rings and he sees it's Catherine and answers with, "Catherine, we're fine."  A male accented voice says he's glad to hear that. Steve's face practically turns to stone.  "Where's Lt. Rollins?"  Of course the NLM have her and want Steve to give back the terrorists he just captured in exchange for Catherine.  Catherine shouts to Steve not to do it and gets punched and kicked for her trouble.  Steve is listening to her cries through the phone and says this only ends one way, with the guy who's taken Catherine dead. Yeah, bad move NLM guy.

While Steve is on the phone with the terrorist, he gives Danny a look and he comes right over, knowing something is wrong.  They head out and their "cargument" is more "what are we doing?" and ends with Steve's admission that "I lost my father dealing with people like this I'm not going to lose Catherine, too." *le sigh* He was helpless in the situation with his father, and even though he's feeling a bit of that now, he's determined to save her.  They overtake the van with the terrorists in it, take down the new SWAT guy, and the terrorists are free to take the Camaro. *sniff*  Poor Camaro.

Once that's done Steve finds out where Catherine is and they head there.  He gets out of the SWAT van calling her name and when she isn't immediately found, he's yelling her name.  He throws his hand up to Danny in frustration, saying they said she'd be right here and Danny tries to calm him with, we'll find her, come on.  They search a bit longer and then Danny sees her in the gully below them.  Steve practically runs down that hill calling for her.  He reaches her, frees her hands, asking her if she's all right, obvious relief on his face to see her in front of him. Danny asks if she's okay and she says she's good before Steve enfolds her in his arms. It almost sounds like she's saying, "I was so . . ." but then her face is in his shoulder and he's pressing her to him.  They stand there, holding each other, his hand cradling her head, and it is a sigh-worthy moment. (Steve McGarrett is a good hugger.)  He asks her several times (four) if she's all right, reassuring himself by looking over her wounds.  She's worried about what he had to do to secure her release and he's all, "Come on, I wasn't going to lose you."  So much feeling behind those words and honestly the emotion was the best part of this whole scene.  Alex O'Loughlin and Michelle Borth were amazing and seriously SOLD IT.  I love them together.

They find the burned out Camaro (sad) and the SWAT guy catches up with them.  Steve mentions that they do things differently in Hawaii, (ha!) and they realize that the terrorists are using a helicopter and probably went over to Aloha stadium.  There is a really great car rollover and most of the terrorists die inside, but one is missing.  As soon as they say that, Catherine says, "Where's Steve?" And of course he's chasing the missing terrorist.  They all hear the gunfire and it's like, "oh there's Steve."  Haha. 

Steve shoots the terrorist heading for the helicopter, but his goons manage to load him on the helicopter and take off.  Steve grabs on and pulls himself up (hats off to Alex O'Loughlin, since he really did grab that helicopter) and McGarrett gives a new meaning to flying takedown.  When everyone is taken care of in the air, Steve manages to land safely and the team surrounds him.  They all head off to get a drink together after discussing whether they're going to have trouble with the new SWAT guy.  (Ya think?)

The ending sequence is of Steve boarding a plane with Wo Fat being held in a cage in the middle of it.  He asks Wo Fat about his connection to Steve's mother and ends up slamming his head against the bars to get a blood sample.  He wants answers, but I really really hope that one of the answers isn't that Wo Fat is related to Steve because I would hate that.  

Danny and Chin are trying to reconstruct the computer and find out that Kono's location has been compromised.  Chin calls her, but it's too late, gunman are already there.  Dun, dun, dun.  

This was one of the best season premieres I've seen yet and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store.  It's like watching a mini-action movie every week with explosions, stunts, emotion, connection. For this girl, Hawaii Five-0 really delivered last night.