ext_11863 ([identity profile] cccarioca.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] crack_van2011-05-02 04:14 am

HAWAII FIVE-O 2010 Overview

Hey, everyone.

It's my pleasure to introduce you guys to one of my favorite shows: Hawaii Five-0.

This overview will cover the new series, not the old one. The show is a reboot of a previous TV series, which [livejournal.com profile] oddmonster will be covering for us this month.

BASIC PREMISE:
An ex-Navy SEAL with a fraught past, a loudmouth Jersey cop in self-inflicted exile, an ex-surfing champion turned rookie cop and the gift shop security guard at the "Arizona" monument band together to form an elite Hawaiian crime-fighting task force.

Photobucket
Left to Right : Kono, Chin, Steve & Danny


THE SHOW :

In the pilot, Steve McGarrett's father died, and a small special state task force was created by the Governor of Hawaii to investigate his death as well as major crimes throughout the state. To get Steve to accept the job of leading said task force, the Governor promised him full immunity and means, which is why Five-O bypasses the normal chain of command and reports directly to the Governor's office. The series usually covers a case per episode, but there are also several season long story arcs.

The main one is related to Steve McGarrett's family past and the show's mysterious villain Wo Fat. It started out in the pilot, when terrorist and arms dealer Hesse murders Steve's father while Steve gets to listen to it on the phone, leading Steve to return to Hawaii to find Hesse. When Steve finally caught Hesse, we discover that Hesse is taking orders from someone: Wo Fat, a Chinese spook turned criminal mastermind with very high-level ties to the Yakuza. Steve then finds out that his mother didn't die in a car accident, she was killed by a car bomb meant for his father who was getting too close in one of his investigations. Steve's father left everything he had about that investigation in a toolbox, which was later stolen from Steve's home. Lately, someone began to mail items from the box back to Steve one by one.

CHARACTERS :

- Lieutenant Commander Steve "Smooth Dog" McGarrett, USNR : a former Navy SEAL, he left to join FIVE-O to find Hesse and find out why his father was murdered. For a lean mean killing machine, he's unusually mellow and cheerful. He surfs, occasionally lazes around, and likes to take the time to stop and smell the hibiscuses (not roses, as the Hawaiian approach is always best as far as he's concerned.) When it's time to kick ass, however, all bets are off. He has a vague notion that there is such a thing as police procedure, but he's not all that interested in hearing about it, causing no end of frustration to his partner in the process, what with dangling uncooperative criminals off buildings or throwing them into shark cages until they talk. Full immunity and means, bitches! Steve has those and you can suck it.
Finally (and this is very important), Steve has some of the sluttiest, gayest ink ever seen on prime time, which include a lizard around one nipple, sunbeams around the other, and an enormous tramp stamp shaped like an arrow pointing at his (admittedly spectacular) ass. I swear I'm not making this up. There are pictures here. (Sadly, the slutty arrow has been reshaped recently because the actor added to it. In the words of one of my friends "I kind of like how it wraps around his hipbones, but I miss the giant arrow. Not that Danny needs the roadmap for where he's going, but yeah.")

- Danny "Danno" Williams: every no good husband has an angry harrassed fishwife, and in Steve's case that's Danny, Steve's partner, who'll gladly complain about everything under the Hawaiian sun, since he's the token haole ("mainlander"). Danny's originally from New Jersey, but when his wife divorced him and took his kid all the way to Hawaii, he followed, because he'd sooner lose everything else in his life that not have his daughter, Grace, even if it's only every other week-end. Unlike McGarett the crimefighting ninja, Danny is actually a cop, so he doesn't need gunfights, brawls, explosions and car chases to validate him professionally. In fact, much to Steve's confusion, Danny feels that a job done without those things was done better. He's got family drama like everybody else on the show, but as loud as Danny is, things on that end are a lot quieter.

- Chin Ho Kelly: Chin was once a cop - the protege of Steve's father in fact - but left under a cloud of suspicion about his being a dirty cop, which caused a huge rift with his family. In fact, his cousin Kono is the only relative that he still talks to. Steve talks him into coming back to law enforcement and it turns out to be the best idea since Chin seemingly knows a lot of people on the islands. As the season progresses, we find out that Chin was innocent, but was too loyal not to take the fall when he found out who was actually responsible. He's quiet and charming, but formidable when he has to act. He also happens to drive a Harley, and looks drool-worthy doing it.

- Kono Kalakaua: Kono was a surfing superstar until a knee injury forced her to retire, and she decided to become a cop. She's fresh out of the academy, and she may be "the girl" on that team, but you don't want to risk asking her to fetch your coffee, because she's girly and adorable right until the elbow strike slams into the side of your jaw and sends your teeth flying. Like a baby duckling, the team's rookie seems to have imprinted on Steve as her cop role model, much to Danny's dismay.

- Grace Williams: Grace is Danny's 9 y.o. daughter. She's a little too cute to be real at times, but fandom likes her anyway, because she clearly adores her Dad and her Step-Steve (she hasn't called him that on the show yet, but the way things have been going, she will soon).

- Rachel: Danny's ex-wife. At first, only an ominous malevolent off-screen presence. Then we met her, and while she's not everyone's cup of tea, she's not the dragonlady everyone imagined either. Lately, there's been a noticeable thaw in her relationship with Danny.

- Mary McGarrett: Steve's sister. They're not close, but growing closer. She was a bit of a wild child, and remains a handful, but Steve is the only family she has left and beneath the awkwardness and sibling arguments, there's genuine love.

- Kamekona: The only character on the show who probably doesn't have a secret past as a swimsuit model, moutain-like Kamekona's as cheerfully entrepreneurial as a Star Trek Ferengi. He's kind of hilarious and sweet (and a little shady, so the guys occasionally go to him for information).

-Max Bergman: Max is the medical examiner and he's ... quirky. But like all quirky TV characters, he's a genius at his job.

-The Governor: Governor of Hawaii Pat Jameson is the one who made Five-O happen. She pops up here and there and she seems to find being around Steve comforting even if the shit he pulls would make most everyone have a heart attack. But she promised that she'd have his back and she has yet to fail him. She may or may not have had something romantic going on with John McGarrett. They were at the very least friends.

E.T.A.: The first season finale? It changed everything! *highlight for shocking spoilers* The Governor was secretly Wo Fat's ally! And then Wo Fat killed her and pinned it on Steve! Kamekona sells shaved ice and black market weapons! Kono gets blamed for the stolen ten million dollars! Danny's leaving and Rachel's preggo! The H5O fandom wails and gnashes its teeth!

FANDOM:

The show is only in its first season, but the fandom is thriving, because between the numerous flyover views of the Islands, which basically amount to Hawaiian scenery porn, and the many endearing characters with their complicated and interesting personal lives, and the endless fanservice (Steve McGarrett's approach to problem-solving? Step 1 - Take Shirt Off), how could a fan possibly resist?

I've read several pairings in that fandom over the year, but the overwhelming majority of the fanfics are Steve/Danny, not that you can blame the fans, since both actors are smoking hot, have great chemistry, and canon has such things as the guys referring to each other as "babe", Danny signing a giant "I <3 U!" at Steve, and during one memorable hostage situation, an old guy telling Steve that now is not the time to bicker with his wife (guess who Steve was on the phone with).

Here on LJ, we have a gajillion comms among which:

[livejournal.com profile] hawaiifive_0_tv for general discussion of the show
[livejournal.com profile] h50_fic for fan fiction
[livejournal.com profile] hawaii5_o_news for the fandom newsletter
[livejournal.com profile] h50_rec_room for Hawaii Five-0 Recs
[livejournal.com profile] h50_flashfic for flash fiction
[livejournal.com profile] h50_iconage for icons

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the InterWebs we have:

The official site of the show
AO3 for all your fanfic needs

[identity profile] cross-stitchery.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
Steve McGarrett's approach to problem-solving? Step 1 - Take Shirt Off

LMAO! so true.

i'm looking forward to seeing what you have to rec :)

[identity profile] wightfaerie.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
And we think this is the most important step (I mistyped that and put moist first--I think both apply!).

I love this programme. I also loved the original (I was only small when it was on).

And I love AOL's tats. All of them. I hate when they cover the chest ones up. The make-up job is really bad, and you can see that they are covering something up. He's a Navy Seal, just leave them all. We don't mind.

[identity profile] laughingacademy.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
You forgot to mention that Max turned to criminal forensics after giving up time travel (http://crack-van.livejournal.com/tag/heroes).

[identity profile] enviropony.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I will definitely have to give this fandom a go. Kono and Chin are hot! (and the other guys are cute, too).
ext_6657: She solders!  With glasses! (Jackie sighs in delight)

[identity profile] katemonkey.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
I was unaware of the tramp stamp. NOW I CANNOT STOP STARING AT IT.
nic: (Default)

[personal profile] nic 2011-05-02 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
This is awesome -thank you. (I've started reading fic recently but still didn't have all the characters straight, nor their backgrounds.)

Looking forward to the recs! :D

[identity profile] duonoaikouka.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 09:16 am (UTC)(link)
You know what, my friend, you may have just convinced me to give this show another chance. I started watching the pilot 'cause a TON of people in my current playground, SGA, seem to be watching. I thought what they hey, I can dedicate at least an hour to see what all the fuss was about. Yeah... After ten minutes, I shut the show down 'cause starting a series with a big hostage/war criminal situation wasn't up my alley. Now though.... Me'thinks I'll have to re-think! A daddy character! Canon slashy overtones! *starts pilot again*

[identity profile] duonoaikouka.livejournal.com 2011-05-03 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
Ack! You've caught me!! Just got done watching the pilot and enjoyed it like crazy. Man, that "slashy overtones" comment wasn't even close!!! Holy crap, but they're married in the first ep for goodness sakes!!! I don't think I've seen as many dreamy glances and meaningful silences in a police procedural. Steve and Danny are so doing it!!

And yes, I think I do have to agree with your character comparisons to SGA; they're almost scarily close. Man, methinks I've got a craving for crossover fic. LOL

Thanks for converting me, Ms. cccarioca!
Edited 2011-05-03 01:27 (UTC)

[identity profile] celia311.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Love this show, and somehow I missed that "babe" was canon! How did that happen! Do you know which episode it was? Seems like something that just shouldn't be missed :D

[identity profile] starbuckssue.livejournal.com 2011-05-02 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I love your summing up of the show, if I wasn't watching and reading already this would definitely have encouraged me to take a look, some of your comments here are just priceless :)

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2011-05-03 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately, while Alex has those lovely tats around the nipples, they are covered on the show. *sigh* Lucky make-up person...
Image

[identity profile] twigged.livejournal.com 2011-05-04 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you!

Also, I have added a new tag for the current series. Please use it when tagging your posts. Thanks!
Edited 2011-05-04 00:21 (UTC)