Crime doesnt take a vacation, but crime looks more appealing in a vacation paradise. The reason Hawaii Five-O episodes are so addictive after all these years is that the islands in the Pacific Ocean played a major role in the action. The producers could have shot the series on a Hollywood backlot with a few palm trees, tiki bar elements and plenty of b-roll to make us think were in Honolulu. They shot NYPD Blue in Hollywood. Hawaii Five-O takes us around the islands while Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) and his crew track down the suspects. Each episode is the worlds most dangerous tourism film. Whats remarkable is that this series didnt kill the dreams of folks considering a package tour of Oahu. People wanted to see the locations where McGarrett declared, “Book em, Danno!” Hawaii Five-O: The Sixth Season delivers 24 episodes of criminals learning that theyre not welcome on this tropical paradise.
“Hookman” has a really great hook. Theres a sniper going around killing cops. Hes doesnt mind leaving evidence at the crime scene since theres no fingerprints on anything. How can he be so sure that theres no stray prints when Che Fong (Henry Endo) dusts the scene? Because the killer has hooks for hands. He also has McGarrett on his list. “Charter for Death” has the bubonic plague arrive on a smaller island via a boat with a dead crew. Turns out a mobster (Nehemiah Persoff), his daughter and son-in-law (Bert Convy) were smuggling themselves into Hawaii so they could fly back to the mainland undetected by the FBI (this was before the domestic no fly list). All three members are fighting the plague. They must be stopped before the locals get ill. Its strange to see Bert Convy (Win, Lose Or Draw) being a badass. He could play such a nasty semi-hood.
“One Big Happy Family” is the reason to buy this set. A family funds their Hawaiian vacation by getting small jobs at small businesses. Except after a few days, they kill the boss and steal everything in the cash register. What makes this mini-Manson family so compelling is the homicidal father is none other than Slim Pickens (Dr. Strangelove & Blazing Saddles). Have you ever seen Slim stab a man to death? His equally cold blooded son is Bo Hopkins. Hes best described as the guy you mistook for Jerry Reed in Burt Reynolds’ White Lightning. Slim and Bo should have gone on to make several low budget murdering family films. Making things extra creepy is when Slim gets frisky with his daughter-in-law. Hes got a great excuse for such behavior.
“Murder Is a Taxing Affair” has an IRS agent go one step beyond in pursuit of a cheat. McGarrett has to figure out if the government agent is too involved in the case. “Tricks Are Not Treats” takes us inside the pimp game of Hawaii. Gregory Sierra (Barney Miller) decides to make a power grab. McGarrett has to step into this battle before more mack blood flows in the streets. Theres plenty of fly fashions and haircuts on display. Ron Glass (also a future Barney Miller star) appears in funky wardrobe. “A Bullet for El Diablo” has a kidnapped dictators daughter become the main suspect in her fathers assassination. “Anybody Can Build a Bomb” proves that this series understood the nature of the dirty bomb attack long before 9/11.
“The Flip Side is Death” has a military nerve gas accident become a front for a bank robbery. Turns out a minor record label owner has plotted out this crime to save his company. Theres a great joke since the labels 8-Tracks arent completely faked. They just stuck the label name on real titles including Bob Dylans New Morning. The educational part of the episode is learning that constant exposure to pineapple juice will eat away your fingerprints. Has this been a device on C.S.I.? “Mothers Deadly Helper” has Casey Kasem involved with vigilante justice. “Killer at Sea” gets McGarrett on a cruise ship in search of his dangerous suspect. John Byner (Bizarre & Soap) is a prickly comic onboard. William Devane (Knots Landing) is the prime suspect.
Hawaii Five-O maintains its legacy as a police show that doesnt bother us with police politics. Theres nobody pulling rank or turf on McGarrett and his crew. Even his trusted men dont get in the way of his plans. Danno (James MacArthur), Chin Ho Kelly (Kam Fong) and Ben Kokua (Al Harrington) are pure support like The Untouchables. Che Fong gains in importance as the forensics specialist. The uniformed Duke Lukela (Herman Wedemeyer) is a familiar sight. Hed eventually graduate to the team full time. Hawaii Five-O: The Sixth Season brings more of the delicious, juicy pineapple justice served up by McGarrett. After a few episodes, you’ll be contemplating a visit to Waikiki to experience the land the McGarrett cleaned up.
The Episodes
“Hookman,” “Draw Me a Killer,” “Charter for Death,” “One Big Happy Family,” “The Sunday Torch,” “Murder is a Taxing Affair,” “Tricks are Not Treats,” “Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies?,” “Flash of Color, Flash of Death,” “A Bullet for El Diablo,” “The Finishing Touch,” “Anybody Can Build a Bomb,” “Try to Die on Time,” “The $100,000 Nickel,” “The Flip Side is Death,” “The Banzai Pipeline,” “One Born Every Minute,” “Secret Witness,” “Death with Father,” “Murder with a Golden Touch,” “Nightmare in Blue,” “Mother’s Deadly Helper,” “Killer at Sea” and “30,000 Rooms and I Have the Key.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are really clean. The more dirty moments on the frame appear to have been done by the optical house all those years ago. The detail gives you a great sense of what Hawaii looked like in 1973. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The levels make McGarrett sound bold when he gives the “Bookem Danno” moment. Theres a Spanish dub. The subtitles are in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Episodic Promos (1:00) give us a tease of whats going down. Most of the episodes have these previews. Jack Lord ends each with “Be here, aloha.”
Hawaii Five-O: The Sixth Season keeps up the tropical justice of Steve McGarrett. The best case of the season is “One Big Happy Family.” You wont think of Slim Pickens as merely a comic cowboy after he goes on his kill spree. The series is still clicking at a high level halfway through its 12 year run. If youve been keeping up with the series on DVD, this season will definitely please.
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CBS DVD presents Hawaii Five-O: The Sixth Season. Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong and Al Harrington. Boxset Contents: 24 episodes on 6 DVDs. Released on DVD: April 21, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
