“Hawaii Five-O” has a rich and long-standing tradition of unforgettable Halloween episodes. Aor the October 25 Season 10 Episode 5 contribution, “He 'oi'o kuhihewa; he kaka ola i 'ike 'ia e ka makaula" (Don't Blame Ghosts and Spirits for One's Troubles; a Human Is Responsible), Masi Oka returns in his beloved role of Dr. Max Bergman. The expert in forensic medicine has been in Madagascar and is as hungry for the camaraderie of “Hawaii Five-O” as he is for a juicy crime case. Holloween is always a frenetic and fun night for this elite force, which always discovers that people, not pretended goblins are the truly heinous beings.

No treats for the terrible

Sweet trick-or-treaters start the fright-night fun. Not even little ones are afraid of Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) in his scary mask. Eddie is even more of a heart stealer, rolling over for tummy rubs in his lion costume. Everyone in “Hawaii Five-O” is excited to join Noelani (Kimee Balmilero) at the Halloween party, with Flippa’s mom, Princess (Lori Pelenise Tusano), preparing food fit for an army, and stealing loads of attention, too. Dr. Max Bergman is this year's honored guest, along with his son, Tunde (Jonny Berryman), who couldn't possibly be any sweeter. Max is presenting himself as John Wick, and his boy is a younger incarnation, in the continuing Keanu Reeves tradition.

No one can hold a candle to Noelani as Elton John, but her fun is short-lived.

Noelani has just had fun listening in on Max surprising the boss when another call comes in about the body of a missing girl, Lani, being found. Duty calls, and she rushes to headquarters. Tani (Meaghan Rath) delivers Max as a “party favor” to Captain Grover (Chi McBride) at another unbelievable crime scene.

Edith (Blossom Lam Hoffman) seemed to be a lovely neighborhood lady, loving the night of doling out candy to the kiddos until two very sinister masked intruders rang her doorbell and fatally shot her. The pair came armed with safe-cracking hardware, but their discovery was something very different. The heavily-armored interior was a dank living quarter, where both villains met their fate from a killer that even Max doubted was human.

The incarcerated suspect was now on the loose, and no one on “Hawaii Five-O” understood who they were after.

Noelani is not the only one in the dark

Noelani is all set to start her work on the body of the girl last seen alive leaving a frat party months ago. Power goes out, leaving everything dark at the worst possible moment. Writers Zoe Robyn and Rob Hanning, along with the director, Yangzom Brauen, take the credit for this immensely taut but tender “Hawaii Five-O” encounter. When Noelani is safely escorted back to her examination room after lights are restored, the body has disappeared, and the area itself is now a crime scene. Noelani is crushed. She blames herself for leaving the body and is overcome by the sense of betrayal she feels to the family.

Steve assures her that “Hawaii Five-O” will retrieve the body from the takers, and the family will at least have closure, with none of the blame her own. Steve, Duke (Dennis Chun) and Junior (Beulah Koale) retrace case files. Duke still feels confident that three privileged suspects are prime targets. As they investigate, however, two are already found murdered and bound in the same way as the original victim, with the initials of the girl left “printed” in their blood. Only one is left to solve the case if the team is not too late.

Quinn (Katrina Law) asks to dismiss all pleasantries with Adam (Ian Anthony Dale), and get down to the business of the case. Once more, the “Liu girl” and Tani go on the trail of the mysterious creature from the cell and have the first true encounter.

Quinn sees the blue and brown eyes and immense form and Tani leaves a blood trail, trying to stop him from running.

Max adds crucial insight into the case by noting that the dual eye color must be genetically inherited. Tani originally thinks that Edith, being a nun for 20 years, is embroiled in an evil “Rosemary's Baby” plot because of all the material on exorcism found in her room. The only person “Hawaii Five-O” has encountered with the same eye trait, however, is Mother Superior Decosta (Lisa Kaminir) from the convent. It doesn't take much probing to realize that she is the mother of the baby boy now grown into a man, and knowing rejection his whole life.

Mother DeCosta confesses that she is the biological mother to Kimo (Derek Mears), the cloistered, disfigured son, whom she only visited when he was eight.

Covering his own and her brown eye, he said: “Two blue eyes.” That memory was their only common bond. Edith did her best to love the boy, but could not bear allowing him to endure the prejudice and ridicule of society. What neither woman managed to see was that a child supported by a truly loving mother, or father, can find the strength to thrive no matter the circumstance. Max Bergman convinced DeCosta not to abandon her son again, and to help “Hawaii Five-O” in helping him to live a viable life. Max has his own story of horrific maternal loss and not being accepted in some circles. Beautifully, his young son gives the break in the case.

Kimo comes upon Tunde’s playful band of runaway trick-or-treaters.

The other children run in horror, but Tunde takes his costume wig off and offers kindness and a lollipop to the shunned man. At the same moment, Max arrives, declaring: “That’s my son,” to police. He and Tani urge officers to hold their fire, and mother and son embrace after their familiar “two blue eyes” recollection.

Fans will happily note that Masi Oka is now included among the recurring cast. There is more than a good chance of seeing this favorite and Jorge Garcia again before the season finale.

“Hawaii Five-O” barely intercepts the surviving suspect in the high school girl, Lani’s murder.

He is intercepted by her sister Emily, as he attempts to fully dispose of the body. Junior pulls him from the trunk of the car after it is left in a lake. He will survive but still face justice, as will Emily, who left her own markers to the killing.

This episode closed with the David Bowie song, “Heroes,” and conveyed a very important message. It takes more than military service or any great feat to be a hero to someone. Kindness can be heroic and so can doing one’s job, on Halloween, or any other day.
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