Hawaii Five-0 (2010) ends after 10 seasons! I first remember watching this on MBC Action when I was in grade 9 or grade 10 and subsequently waiting for it to air every week (those were the days!).
Though it suffered in storytelling quality when its two main cast members (Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park)left during season 7, the subsequent 3 seasons were still entertaining yet inconsistent, and the feeling of the cast being a family was quite less. This was the same problem with Criminal Minds when original cast members left the show due to being fired or through their own will.
I am pretty sure H5-0 would have ran for at least 15 seasons like Criminal Minds if the two original actors didn’t depart 70% into the overall run of the series.
Still, the best part of the show was the frequent arguing of Alex O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett and Scott Caan’s Danny Williams and as long as their individual or paired storylines were the focal point of most episodes, the show remained a must-watch. Chi McBride’s Lou Grover became a main member 50% into the show and ended up being one of the best written characters especially due to McBride’s acting chops.
Many viewers complained the series finale was rushed but the show was also announced to be cancelled just before season 10 ended, but given the time limit, the finale was excellent (4/4) and gave closure to many plot points which were there since the onset. The final episode is titled “Aloha” and rightfully so. Also, it was way better than how other long-running crime shows of the 21st century ended and whose fan I was: The Mentalist, Castle and Criminal Minds.
I will always cherish Hawaii Five-0 not only because it was an interesting take on the police procedural genre, but also because it showed that people unrelated to you can still be family, and binge-watching the last 2 seasons in June/July 2020 made me nostalgic for a time in my life I will never get back. To my friends: “Until we meet again”.
