Everything on “Hawaii Five-O” has a way of coming full-circle and never leaving too many loose ends. Fans will recall that Season 8’s finale last May involved Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) boarding a Russian submarine, and all of “Five-O” surrounding its perimeter, only to see Agent Greer walk off to have her freedom. This week's May 17 Season 9 finale, “Hana Mao 'ole ka ua o Waianae" (Endlessly Pours the Rain of Waianae) possesses the same feeling of frustration and abiding loyalty.

Last week, despite the best efforts of “Hawaii Five-O” to hold the heinous computer hacker, Aaron Wright (Joey Lawrence), the super-intelligent, sleazy perpetrator managed to shoot his NSA boss, and walk away in a cloud of smoke, still planning to sell national cybersecurity secrets.

Steve is determined to shut down the sales and defend Hawaii and the nation, but going after someone willing to risk everything, never afraid of the stakes, takes more than savvy and bravado. Wright makes his deal and almost makes his getaway, all the while Steve opens himself to an offer of forgiveness, and fans will have to wait over a long summer to know if that choice was fatal.

Right out of the gate, Wright does in an unwilling partner in cyber-crime with poison, but that only begins the crooked tricks he tries to wreak havoc on “Hawaii Five-O,” the island, and the nation.

A mission of honor

Never mind those rules of not drinking on duty when the helicopter pilot and old friend, Frank Bama (Jimmy Buffett) drops by to pay a visit at “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters.

Bama is barefoot and waiting for Steve as the entanglements of tracking down Wright grow. Bama and McGarrett share a brew in a toast to Joe White, and the pilot agrees to take the ashes of the cherished hero to his final place of peace at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. White considered the spot to be the most beautiful place on earth, and this gesture marks a beautiful last trip.

Frank keeps referring to Danny (Scott Caan) as “sunshine,” teasing the detective’s always doubting disposition. Danny is still distracted by calls from Rachel and can’t get Steve to slow down long enough to spill his latest story of their rekindled romance.

Jerry (Jorge Garcia) relays a message to Steve that Omar Hassan’s wife wants to come to “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters in person, and with her young son, to apologize on behalf of for family.

Completely mindful that it was Omar’s assassins who delivered Joe White's fatal wounds, Steve ponders the proposition.

Junior (Beulah Koale) is distracted for quite another reason. When his mother calls to say that she cannot reach his father, fears for his dad’s sanity and safety take over. Steve tells him to “go find Pops,” and that the team can work the case. Junior has been consumed with fear over how his dad would handle his decision to forgive the drunk driver who killed Maya. After a desperate search, he comes to his father's truck. He looks inside to find his father (Eric Scanlon) in tears with a loaded gun on the seat.

Junior empties the chamber of the weapon. He asks what his father was going to do.

The parent vows that “I was going to do what you wouldn't do,” and make sure that the driver never saw anything outside of a prison cell. When Junior tries to console his father with a hand on his shoulder, dad orders him: “Don't! You’re not my son anymore!”

Later, Junior is at Tani’s (Meaghan Rath) door and she takes him in with comforting understanding for the night.

Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) spends the night with Tamiko (Brittany Ishibashi), sleeping on her couch after she needed the comfort of a friend. She makes him an exquisite Hawaiian breakfast, and he returns that night with dinner. This is a completely wonderful couple.

Wrong man, mistaken motives

Aaron Wright is giving “Hawaii Five-O” a real run for its money.

At one point, the team is assembled at the spot where they think the hooded suspect is about to make his exchange, only to discover that he is a pawn who was paid $5000 to drop the bag at the appointed spot. Seconds later, a massive explosion emits from the carry-all. Fortunately, all of those involved on “Hawaii Five-O” are unscathed, but Wright is still free and able to make his deadly exchange.

At the same time, Jerry is tracking these wicked transactions, he discovers that his own computer systems have been infested by Wright with malware, even under the watch of “Hawaii Five-O’s favorite geek.

Jerry intercepts that Aaron Wright is about to board a plane after he finds evidence of flight training, Steve and Danny rush to interdict the criminal, and Danny is beside himself that Steve “is gonna play chicken” with an airplane.

With just a few keystrokes, Wright takes off and becomes airborne. Suddenly, though, alarm lights go off, stating “critical fuel shortage.” Jerry lets Wright know that he has drained the fugitive’s fuel tanks, and his only choice is to land or die.

Wright lands the craft, and Jerry does the honors of putting him in custody. The felon asks to stop for a sandwich, sure that he will be able to turn state's evidence into another government career. Steve tells him that possibility is no longer part of the future.

Just when Danny gets time to start telling Steve about his time away with Rachel, Jerry tells him that Hassan’s wife and son have arrived. She makes an impassioned speech about a mother's power to forgive, and the wide eyes of her son are precious, speaking to the future.

Steve listens, then offers to walk her out.

In one of the most gripping and memorable endings to any “Hawaii Five-O” season, the mother makes a quick turn, yelling that her son may forgive, but that “I don't have any.” She fires a gun as the credits roll, with Danny's voice saying “Oh, my God!”

It's going to be an especially long summer before fans find out the true target of that shot, but at least there’s all of Season10 for justice to be delivered.
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