McGarrett quickly recruits his team: Danny Williams (Scott Caan) is a haole (“outsider”), a Newark, New Jersey cop who transferred to Hawaii to be close to his young daughter, Grace, and retain visitation rights while battling ex-wife Rachel. Chin Ho Kelly (Lost‘s Daniel Dae Kim) is a disgraced HPD cop falsely accused of corruption. Though frozen out by the force, Steve’s father stood by him, and now Steve wants Kelly on his team. Former professional surfer Kono Kalakaua (Battlestar Galactica‘s Grace Park) is an HPD student—she graduated in the second episode—and also Chin Ho Kelly’s cousin.
Hawaii Five-0 is an action packed, dramatic series and by this, the second season the series really found its way, introducing new characters and situations that really made each sixty minute episode feel like a mini-movie.
McGarrett has been implicated in and arrested for the murder of Hawaii’s late Governor Jameson and Five-0 has been disbanded. Chin Ho Kelly has been reinstated to the HPD as a Lieutenant. Kalakaua (Grace Park) is under investigation and has been suspended from the HPD. Danny, who wholeheartedly believes in McGarrett’s innocence, is doing whatever he can to help his partner as an “unemployed civilian,” including getting the help of Steve’s former SEAL instructor and confidant, Joe White (Terry O’Quinn). Meanwhile, the state’s new Governor, former Lieutenant Governor Sam Denning (Richard T. Jones), plans to use Steve’s arrest as a means to show his hard-line approach to governing. While it’s clear to the team that McGarrett has been framed, Kelly believes he knows who the real killer is: Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos), the notorious crime boss who intends to cover his tracks by murdering Steve in prison.
Luckily, Steve survives the murder attempt with fairly minor wounds, and is able to escape on route to the hospital. Shortly thereafter, the old team unearths evidence clearing McGarrett but not identifying the true killer, Five-0 is reinstated by Governor Denning. However, they no longer have the authority to operate above the law, if necessary. Now, aided by both Joe White and Governor appointed Homeland Security officer Lori Weston (Lauren German) the task force must tackle Hawaii’s toughest crimes and deal with mysterious circumstances surrounding Governor Jameson’s murder. The mystery of “Shelburne” will put everyone to the test.
This series moves at a much faster pace than the original Jack Lord series, but still takes advantage of the picturesque scenery and beautiful girls that filming in Hawaii offers. While the show does fall victim to formulaic car chases and allowing unimaginable exits for crooks to prolong the action, there’s no denying that nearly every episode provides a high level of excitement. One of the series best episodes to date, McGarrett is duped into traveling to North Korea. When he arrives, Steve is tortured by Wo fat and must be rescued by White, Danno, and Chin with no government sanction and little back-up.
Hawaii Five-0 is a series that goes “big” nearly every week, with non-stop action and stunts. While the dialogue occasionally suffers, it’s forgivable because the characters are so well developed, with back stories that give each of them real, dramatic shape. There’s not one dull character in the bunch, they all have something to offer. The cast is uniformly fantastic and the arrival of Terry O’Qiunn for a ten episode stint, just adds another interesting layer to the proceedings. As added bonuses, fans will note both a crossover from CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles as well as a nice collection of guest appearances, including Ed Asner, Jimmy Buffett, James Caan, Patty Duke, Robert Englund and Dennis Miller.
Filmed digitally, the series appears on CBS in 1080i in 1.78:1 transfers. These 1080p transfers are noticeably better than their network counterparts. Colors are brilliant and lush, really showing off the best of Hawaii’s beautiful scenery. Flesh tones can be a bit inconsistent at times, but for the most part, they maintain a fairly natural appearance. Black levels and shadow detail are fine throughout.
Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season‘s box jacket indicates a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is included, but the season features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation (additionally, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track is available).Dialogue is recorded well and generally emanates from the center channel, though there is some occasional directional activity. Music envelops the entire soundstage, helping to up the suspense when necessary. Ambient sounds are well placed throughout the soundfield. This is a solid mix.
English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles are available.
The following special features are included:
Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season contains episode-specific special features in the form of commentaries and deleted scenes. Disc five contains items that cover things relevant to the entire season.
Disc One:
Episode 201, “Ha’I’Ole”:
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 1:05).
- Audio Commentary: Developer Peter M. Lenkov and Actors Alex O’Laoughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Grace Park.
Episode 202, “Ua Lawe Wale”:
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 1:29).
Episode 205, “Ma’Ema’E”:
- Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:47)
Disc Two:
Episode 206, “Ka Hakaka Maika’I”:
- Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:44).
Episode 210, “Ki’Ilua”:
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 7:24).
- Audio Commentary: Developer Peter M. Lenkov and Co-Executive Producer Paul Zbyszewski.
Disc Three:
Episode 212, “Alaheo Pau’Ole”:
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 5:26).
Disc Four:
Episode 216, “I Helu Pu”:
- Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:28).
Episode 220, “Ha’Alele”:
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:37).
Disc Five:
Episode 223, “Ua Hala”:
- Deleted Scene (1080p, 2:32).
- Shore Lines: The Story of Hawaii Five-0, Season 2 (1080p, 30:36): Cast and crew discuss the season one final arc and where that takes season two. They discuss Terry O’Quinn’s character, adding the Westin character and her influence on the story, Tom Sizemore’s role, the “Shelburne” mystery, cameos, blending in the NCIS: Los Angeles cast and more.
- Aloha Action! Season 2 (1080p, 23:29): This featurette takes an extended look into the making of season two’s many action scenes, detailing how many of the intricate stunts were developed on an episode-by-episode basis.
- Hawaii Five-O’Ahu: An Interactive Guide to Season 2 Locations (1080p): Users may click on several locations to learn more about them via both text and video snippets. Included are Waimea Falls, Kualoa Ranch, Halawa Prison, Kahala Beach Apartments, Aina Haina House, Magic Island, Precinct, Waikiki Beach, and International Market Place, Waikiki.
- Becoming a SEAL: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Toughest Training (1080p, 8:46): Learn about actor Alex O’Loughlin’s dedication to partaking in SEAL training.
- Gag Reel (1080p, 10:08).
