Review of Hawaii Five-O Fallen Hero

Last night's episode was full of emotion and action---everything I love to have in a show.

We start off with Kono and Adam who are running from the Yakuza still.  They get away and are hidden in an alley when Adam says he's going to draw them away from Kono and meet her someplace in an hour.  They say goodbye and he goes back to the road where he is immediately picked up by the guys chasing them while Kono watches.  That didn't sit right with me.  Sure, he doesn't want them to catch Kono and gives himself up, but really? They didn't even look for her at all? See the car about a hundred yards away? And why would Adam go back to the road?  Why not draw them away by giving them a glimpse of him while he runs and hides or something? Giving himself up seemed a needless sacrifice since he has to know Kono will now look for him and refuse to leave without him.  Which she did say to Chin later in the episode.  Still, great action in the chase and great emotion in the goodbye.

Then we move on to Billy and Catherine on surveillance of a cheating husband. Talk about awkward! They see the mistress leave and are packing up to go when another car pulls up with a shooter.  Billy and Catherine both go to confront him after he murders the cheating husband, but both Billy and Catherine are shot. Catherine's wound is in the arm and she manages to get Billy to the hospital before she faints.

Cut to Steve's garage where he's working on a car and Joe walks in. They talk a bit about Doris, who Steve is trying to contact and he wants Joe's help.  Why, I will never know since Joe is rarely honest with him.  Later on, we do see Joe stealing something from Steve's father's toolbox and Joe seeks out a guy who seems to have answers to Steve's questions.  The new secret source tells Joe to be careful what he tells Steve.  That annoys me a lot, but whatever.  Hopefully Steve can find it out on his own, but I digress.  Steve's phone rings and it sounds like the hospital or someone official telling him about Catherine and Billy.

The scenes with Steve at Catherine's bedside while she's waking up were some of my favorite of the season. The emotion between these two is so well done.  Steve is clearly having a difficult time telling her about Billy and when he finally does, Catherine turns over in grief and tears.  Not overdone, but a perfect pitch. Steve stands to tell her how sorry he is and to kiss her head.  And I love that the next scene we get with these two, he's in the hospital bed, cradling her, until she rips out her IV and heart monitor leads to get up and go find Billy's killer.  Steve is obviously torn here because he wants her safe, to stay and rest in the hospital since she's been shot and all, but he also does know how it feels to want to find justice for a friend.  When Catherine presses this point, he caves and helps her leave.

They head up to the cabin crime scene where the HPD are waiting.  Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a crime scene.  The cabin is pristine, no blood spatter, no body.  Steve gently asks Catherine if maybe she got it wrong and she's the one who smells bleach on the floor and finds fresh paint.  So there, Steve! They go back to Five-O headquarters to talk about the little evidence they do have and there is a really sweet hug between Danny who's come back to help with the case and Catherine.  Awww.  I love how easily Catherine seemed to fit into the team and the action scenes were very well done.  Car chase with the guy who stole the car with the body in it, shoot-out with the killer, all so good. I also loved that they were keeping it real when Catherine froze at the scene of the shooter.  Seeing him lying there in his own blood with a stomach wound (just like Billy) when he's the one who shot you and killed your partner, would have an effect on anyone.  I'm interested to see if they follow up with any more of that reaction.

Of course the case was a teeny bit predictable. I called the culprit who hired the hitman early on.  Especially where they just showed the sarin episode the night before where the secretary did it then, too. But it was still a nice wrap-up.

The ending was full of respect for the military.  I liked the scene where Joe calls the M.E. down to tell him who Billy was and the funeral, flag ceremony, TAPS, the whole thing was fitting for the man, SEAL, and hero that Billy was.  The ending Irish song was perfection and the fact that Catherine is feeling guilt for Billy's death was so believeable.  Michelle Borth hit all the right emotional notes and really tugged on my heartstrings.  I can't wait to see how this unfolds if she does, in fact, join the team.

So, another balanced episode of emotion, action, and great teamwork for the Five-O family. Can't wait for the Halloween episode next week!