The gifted writers of “Hawaii Five-O” certainly have a knack for keeping devoted fans fretting from the edge of their seats, or lounge chairs, over the summer. The Season 9 finale, Hana Mao 'ole ka ua o Waianae" (Endlessly Pours the Rain of Waianae), left fans and all of “Hawaii Five-O” in a predicament that no one saw coming. A gunshot fired at point-blank range rang out the very second that the credits rolled on the black screen. Only Danny Williams (Scott Caan) is heard saying “Oh my God!” with no clue of the actual target.

Reports from TV Insider and TV Fanatic on August 28 give a peek of what to expect from the September 27 Season 10 premiere, “Ua ʻeha ka ʻili i ka maka o ka ihe” (The Skin Has Been Hurt by the Tip of the Spear).

The title seems particularly appropriate, but the attempted assassin will not be easily apprehended.

“Hawaii Five-O” and gunfire have a long and storied connection. Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) himself has been involved in past unintended shootings. The “Five-O” boss lost his beloved father figure and mentor, Joe White (Terry O'Quinn) in a gun battle in Montana, against a vicious team of killers. Danny surrendered half of his liver to spare the life of his “ohana” partner, and Steve and the team performed surgery when Danny was shot during “Hawaii Five-O's” quarantine after being aboard a ship of victims exposed to hemorrhagic flu.

Every member of the elite crime-fighting force knows the terror and grief that a gun can cause in the hands of someone bent on evil, but “Hawaii Five-O” has never been after a perpetrator quite like this one.

The stakes are high and quite personal. This situation makes the perfect time to introduce a new, savvy ally.

Another mighty Quinn

Omar Hassan’s widow used a ploy of wanting to teach her son forgiveness to gain access to “Hawaii Five-O” headquarters and Steve McGarrett. He has a particular soft spot for kids and dogs, and maybe even a cat now.

Catching the shooter won’t be the problem in this situation, but faithful “Hawaii Five-O” viewers have been speaking out on social media regarding who took the bullet. The preview synopsis says only that “the team will be saying goodbye to one of its own.” McGarrett is feeling his age a little more these days, but executive producer, Peter Lenkov, isn't about to put his leading man for the past decade out to pasture.

Jerry (Jorge Garcia) was in the next-nearest proximity to the boss, but bullets can ricochet, so anything is possible.

“Hawaii Five-O” has a reputation for loving recruits who don't go “by the books.” Katrina Law will have an explosive first encounter with Steve and Danny as Quinn Liu, a former Army Staff Sergeant who is demoted for insubordination. A case involving veterans compels Quinn to side with “Hawaii Five-O” despite heated scenes shown in some preview photos. Lenkov assures that long-time fans will “be feeling some déjà vu” during her initial encounter with McGarrett and Williams. Another storyline involves crime bosses being targeted by a killer.

Katrina Law has a long resume of portraying strong female characters, most recently as Nyssa al Ghul on the CW series, “Arrow,” through five seasons.

The actress also starred as Karen Beach in “The Oath.”

Goodbye and good things to come

Some of “Hawaii Five-O’s” most moving and memorable episodes have revolved around patriotism, honor to military service, and organized crime on the island. Season 10 seems to be starting with all of those elements, plus meeting a new team friend and a farewell.

Goodbyes are always hard, but some added girl-power could prove interesting to the police drama. Tani Rey (Meaghan Rath) started out as a booted police academy newbie. Her bada** attitude has benefited the team, along with her tender side—ask Junior (Beulah Koale) more about that.

Alex O'Loughlin has frequently described that forever love just isn't going to happen for his McGarrett, but celebrating a decade of success with “Hawaii Five-O” at least deserves a romantic fling. Passion, perpetrators, and packing heat could all be part of the Season 10 adventure. Fans are just overjoyed to be part of the milestone.
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