‘Hawaii Five-O’: Catherine’s back on the case, patching the past can be the pits

Countless “Hawaii Five-O “fans had happy faces tuning into this week's Friday, April 13 20th episode of Season 8, "He lokomaika'i ka manu o Kaiona (Kind Is the Bird of Kaiona).” Michelle Borth came back to the island in her role as naval Lt. Catherine Rollins, on the trail of a terrorist who is after supplies of depleted uranium. It's the perfect opportunity for her and Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) to catch up on the past few years, but this adventure turns more deadly than merely delightfully sentimental when the former couple and “Hawaii Five-O” partners are accosted by thieves, trapped in pits, and made targets of gunfire on an abandoned naval base.

Jerry (Jorge Garcia) cons himself off as a guide to search for historical artifacts, and gets into more trouble than the adventure is worth.

Junior (Beulah Koale) is filled with conflicted feelings on his dad's birthday and finds himself trapped in a pit of his own while out on a run with Eddie. Great dogs always go above and beyond the call of duty, and all's well that ends for the “Hawaii Five-O” “ohana.” History and memories weld bonds that last forever.

Restoring connections

Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) is inconsolable as he sits beside the body of Jessie. Despite Steve's reminders that she chose to run with the money, Adam declares, “I'm out” with the task force.

With no sign of Noriko's whereabouts, he plans a return to the mainland and a more solid future.

Tani (Meaghan Rath) pays a visit to Junior, bearing gifts of coffee and dog treats. She gently nudges him to visit his father on his birthday, but having been through her own family troubles, she knows he has to make the decision. After a joke to choke down a dog treat “went south in a hurry,” Junior goes for a run with Eddie.

The scene switches to Kenya, where Catherine is furious that the key subject of her case, who she knows was in “good condition” upon arrival, has died after being beaten and tortured. She takes out her dissatisfaction in her own way on the interrogator and begins going through belongings for leads.

When she finds a necklace related to King Kamehameha, she recognizes it instantly and knows where she has to go to solve the case.

The years since 2014, when Michelle Borth left “Hawaii Five-O” as a regular, seemed to vanish as her character stood at the famous “intelligent table,” scoping out all the details of her case involving this bandit of very toxic uranium. The hijinks happening behind her were a delight, as Captain Grover (Chi McBride) kept motioning and mouthing to McGarrett, “What's she doing here?” She sums it up, saying, “You’re being weird!”

Needless to say, after being called “the expert” on all things Hawaiian, and having a criminal in his midst, Steve McGarrett can't resist jumping into this adventure.

He and Catherine set off to the abandoned naval base at Halo’awae, and hopefully, touching base over the past.

Down we go

Just as they prepare to depart, Jerry pleads to join Steve and Catherine, saying that he “hunted” on the base as a kid, and would give anything to search for the historic items related to the iconic king. They give in and arrive at the property, equipped with machetes, ready to chop their way through to the abandoned storehouse of depleted uranium. Jerry balks at the notice that unexploded munitions may be anywhere on the property, giving way that his cover story was completely untrue.

It doesn't take long for Catherine to give her take on Tani, to which Steve relates that his new recruit and Catherine share a lot in common, especially "good hearts." Catherine says that she is “dating” some, and Steve calls things “casual” in his romantic life.

Clearly, these two are still more committed to the call of justice than to romance, but they can never forget their memories, no matter how much of a mistake “sleeping together” was to their friendship. Just as clear is the fact that neither one has found anyone to compare to the other.

Switching scenes, the vista is breathtaking while Junior and Eddie are taking their vigorous run, a perfect view for clearing one’s mind. When Eddie gets distracted and runs off, Junior gives chase, and falls into a deep ravine in an instant, hitting his head, and breaking his leg. Eddie returns to find him, but Junior shoos him away, not wanting him to be injured. This situation is too tough to surmount for the young Navy Seal.

He splints his leg and reflects on his life through the recorded history on his phone. He records a beautifully touching and truthful message to his father, only to be at the end of his battery life. Koale is a powerful force on screen, big or small. When Eddie turns up at “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters, Tani takes off looking for Junior, and finds him, thanks to the K-9 hero.

Heroics are on full display with Catherine and Steve. When she drops into a concealed pit, filled with barbs of wood at the bottom, Steve is just about to help her out when two robbers take their weapons, maps, and all they've got. They are after the uranium stores, too, and they order Steve to go down into the pit. In one of the most memorable scenes, Catherine playfully barbs, “So you think I've gone soft?” after she asks Steve to give her a boost to the top, not even considering her injured arm.

As she pulls Steve up, she asks him if he was really going to propose that day, and he assures her that he was. Steve insists that he can still get them to the uranium, and as they approach, they see men who robbed them shot dead.

They near the entrance, and assailants hooded in black shower them with bullets. Just like old times, Catherine proves she's a sure shot, and that she's got Steve’s back as he makes his way to get the shooter from behind. Once inside, they discover cylinder shells filled with the uranium as dirty bombs, and one is with a man who got away. Catherine and Steve pursue him, and she urges Steve not to shoot since he has the canister. The perpetrator does the blowing up himself and leaves enough evidence for Catherine to close her case.

Sounding just like a guilty husband, Steve affirms “I didn't do it,” when the perpetrator explodes. Every fan knows how McGarrett has a thing for blowing things up.

Jerry’s fear of bugs nearly costs him all his historical booty, but it turns out to be worthless tourist junk anyway. Junior makes a call to his dad, promising to see him the next day as he heads to the hospital.

Catherine has no problem shimmying up a tree to get a cool drink from nature, but seeing her with all the “Hawaii Five-O” gang sharing beers over shrimp at Kamekona’s seems just like old times. A call comes for McGarrett, letting him know that the body of Adam’s half-sister, Noriko, has just washed up on the beach.