“Hawaii Five-O” fans who couldn’t swing a flight to Waikiki for Veterans Day, with the cast and crew of the police drama, got to see the episode that was screened for the event with the November 17 airing of “Kau ka ‘onohi ali’i’ I luna” (The Royal Eyes Rest Above). The seventh episode for Season eight sees Ian Anthony Dale resume his role as Adam Noshimuri, but all is not bliss for the old friend and husband to Kono, as he greets Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) at the airport without her. There isn’t much time for catching up before suspicious activity at a bank prompts Junior (Beulah Koale) to give his boss and benefactor a call, and soon, deadly things happen, and all of “Hawaii Five-O” is on the case.
Not a simple morning stroll
Steve, prepared to greet his old friend with a warm embrace and double Hawaiian leis, is stunned to see him arrive alone. McGarrett makes small talk and tries to be reassuring about the situation, but there is a definite emptiness in Adam’s words.
Junior is on a jog to his Police Academy classes, when a driver at a crosswalk nearly runs over him before he realizes that it is none other than Layla (Anna Enger). Layla is clearly a “significant” part of his past, and also clearly an expectant mom now. The two promise to get together and catch up on his time in Iraq, and her time apart from Junior.
Junior instantly goes into alert status when he sees a late model, indistinct car without license plates, pull up to the bank across the street, while men in masks and military fatigues rush in, and that's when he makes the call.
McGarrett instructs him to call Captain Grover (Chi McBride), and everyone in the team for backup. Every fan on a sofa already knows that this "go-getter in training" has no capacity for sitting back and watching things happen, so it’s clear to see how this will unfold.
Meanwhile, Tani (Meaghan Rath) is embroiled in a dilemma of her own with her younger brother, Koa (Kunal Sharma), who can't keep away from the dark and lost side of life with drugs, drink, and truly low-life buddies.
He is too young to realize the price of having no direction, and Tani feels too much responsibility. In keeping with a promise made to her departed father, she intercedes to take her brother away from the scene before the police get involved. Everything is “caught on video,” and she can only dread the outcome.
She confides to Lou, fearing being fired by McGarrett, and he reminds her that allowing loved ones their mistakes is sometimes “the only way you can protect them”.
Knowing that her future is now a matter of “who sees it,” regarding her intervention and the subsequent video, Grover does his new recruit a solid favor by deleting the video and keeping it only between them. Her conscience, however, has no delete button.
Extra credit training
When the call comes in to “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters, Captain Grover jokes that Junior is trying for “extra credit” in his police training, using real-life criminals, instead of simply taking his exam like every other trainee. Lt. Commander McGarrett arrives, and scopes out the scene to see that none of the hostages inside have been fatally wounded. Going unnoticed, he unshackles a guard and tells him to get the people out.
He insists that Adam and Junior stay on scene as backup, while he dons his usual hero mantle, going in alone through the rear parking garage.
Not even two minutes pass before Junior is behind McGarrett, having picked his way into his boss’ box of weaponry. And seconds later, Adam makes it a threesome in pursuit, as both “newbies” give an unmistakable no, when asked if they would ever stay behind. It was pure fun to see this “sweep in training” under McGarrett's tutelage.
Just as they get to the vault, an explosion blows everyone back, and the power goes out. Groggy but alive, they awaken, and Steve urges a bank employee to unlock the vault. Debris reveals that the bandits made their exit underground, and Steve tracks the route, telling the others to follow him above ground.
Firing on instinct
The bowels of the building are dark, and McGarrett fires his weapon and shots ricochet from his location. Turning over the body, he sees the uniform and the HPD badge, radioing in, “Officer down!” The pursuit of the suspect is halted, and Adam and Junior literally leap structures in order to get the victim medical attention. Steve carries the wounded man back through the deep tunnels and does CPR.
Despite the valiant effort, he cannot be saved and is pronounced dead at the hospital. Steve is totally despondent, unforgiving of himself.
A bank teller’s fingerprints and a video recording suggest an inside job, and more shockingly, that the officer was actually one of the men involved in the heist.
Now, realizing that they may have more “uniforms in disguise” getting away, the full force of the “Hawaii Five-O” team engages in high-speed pursuit. The end result is a remarkable TV moment crash, and a large amount of money pouring onto the ground.
Lou Grover tries to give wise counsel to Tani again about letting her brother learn from his mistakes, and she makes a call to Steve, still wanting to bare her soul. Steve, at last, brings Adam to his empty house, and Adam reminds Steve that being there for one another is “what ohana is about.” The closing moments feature Junior looking through past fond moments with Layla-- there is definitely more to this story, and much more to look forward to for Season 8.
