From the very first “Hawaii Five-O” episode (on Wednesday) in this incredible 10-year incarnation of the police drama born of Leonard Freeman’s concept and brought to fresh life by the talents and camaraderie of this cast, the writers, and the creative vision of Peter Lenkov, the legacy has been at the forefront. In this week's March 13 Episode 20 of Season 10, "He puhe'e miki" (A Gripping Cuttlefish), the legacy of “Hawaii Five-O” pulsates so powerfully that it almost becomes a character on its own.

Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) is grappling with his own battle with his legacy and the tremendous losses of his life, all intertwined into a calling of service.

In the opening scene of the episode, the morning run of the “Hawaii Five-O” boss becomes an overpowering montage of his father's final words, the parting pride affirmed by his mentor, Joe White (Terry O'Quinn), following the fatal siege in Montana, and finally, his mother, Doris McGarrett's (Christine Lahti) pledge of love, despite not being willing to pull herself out from the dark cover of her life as a CIA agent. McGarrett can never outrun the sacrifice and pain that his choice of service has cost him, and the character has come to the point of simply craving peace.

It's been clear over several weeks that “Hawaii Five-O” plans to make its farewell to a decade of television to remember and to McGarrett something to cherish and remember.

The leader of the elite force has always paid a personal price for his career, and now, he's ready to make a change from walking the floor on sleepless nights. Alex O'Loughlin has always described McGarrett as a “poor bastard” who struggles in every relationship. His heroism doesn't keep his vulnerability or flaws from being on display.

McGarrett is also famous for his loyalty to friends, even those not always on the right side of the law. When he finds Gerard Hirsch sipping coffee and snuggled up with Eddie after returning home, he assigns Tani (Meaghan Rath) to assist the “Hawaii Five-O” favorite in investigating the past history of a pricey purloined snuff box that stretches into a full-fledged effort to prove his uncle’s innocence.

Tani and Junior (Beulah Koale) don't start their day off right with breakfast, while a bunch of fix-a-flat airport shysters uncovers a diamond smuggling couple.

A beautiful spread sparks a squabble on ‘Hawaii Five-O’

It was just last week, in “Hawaii Five-O” Episode 19 of Season 10, when good friend, Frank Bama (Jimmy Buffett) counseled Junior that his “Mama Bama’s” waffles could work miracles with a lady. Well, Junior Reigns took that advice to the stratosphere. He created a breakfast spread worthy of a Las Vegas buffet on Tani’s table by the time she awoke.

Tani doesn't know how to respond to being treated really well by a man, so her defenses go up. She gradually expresses that the effort is “nice” but not part of her usual routine, which is the whole point.

Instead of basking in the glow of her man's affection, she reverts to tactics she knows, saying “Maybe we're just taking things too fast.” Junior “cleans up” the gourmet feast prepared with such love, utterly confused

“Hawaii Five-O” fans have loved Willie Garson as Gerard Hirsch since his days as the phony art dealer who had an unending “thing” for Kono Kalakaua (Grace Park). He went on to have a crime scene cleanup business and other ventures, but he knows he has friends on this force. Garson turns his character to a relationship counselor in this outing, encouraging Tani to move past the bumps that befall every relationship.

Tani discovers more than just the history of the snuff box belonging to socialite, Tabitha Wray (Patty McCormack).

Gerard Hirsch discovers more than he expected about his Uncle Oscar (Michael Nouri), too. Hirsch related his love and closeness to the man who taught him how to “pick a lock and pull off the perfect con” and elaborated that his uncle was the one “there for me” while his father was busy building his art-dealing enterprise. Now that Uncle Oscar is in failing health, his nephew stepping up to help care for him. As Hirsch mentions, however, “elder care is expensive,” and he hopes the snuff box will bring some dough on the resale market.

Uncle Oscar is the man beside Tabitha in the newspaper coverage of a 1978 murder at her home, and to make matters worse, he presents himself under another identity, as the man she considered “my one true love.” Tabitha is reticent about receiving the box back because she never was able to trust again, much less enduring the murder of her housekeeper.

Uncle Oscar still has a sly way with the ladies, including his nurse (Ixchel Samaniego), as he proves when Tani and Gerard go to talk to him about a sudden move to Seattle in 1978. He doesn't demonstrate any sinister motive, but his heart rate climbs from the conversation. Gerard is convinced that his uncle is not guilty of the murder.

It turns out that a roommate of Uncle Oscar back in those days was Stanley (Lawrence Pressman). Stan used a gun from another wealthy woman’s heist in the murder of the innocent housekeeper. Oscar tried to bury the ugly truth and move on with his life, but he never lost his real love for Tabitha, despite the fake identity. Gerard and Tani witness his request for forgiveness and the chance to try again with Tabitha, planting hope for Tani’s romantic future, in the “Hawaii Five-O” style.

These final TV Shows pay homage to the past in their own way. Oscar is there to see Tani arrest Stan in an act of justice finally delivered.

‘Hawaii Five-O’ tracks a tourist couple trying to smuggle diamonds

While Tani and Gerard are on their mission of proving Uncle Oscar's innocence, the rest of “Hawaii Five-O” have their hands full with a group of shady criminals who shakedown tourists at the airport car rental lots. They take the standard method of placing nails near select car tires, after sending photos of the targeted cars to watch. When the unknowing tourists stop to fix their flat tires, the robbers hold them up for all they’ve got.

Greg and Cynthia (Jon Mollison and Andrea Bogart) seem like just another of their targeted couples, except that Greg is dead from a shot in the heart.

Cynthia tries to portray a devastated widow, who ran for her life until her strength failed when she gives her statement from her hospital bed. Captain Grover (Chi McBride) doesn't by anything in her story. He knows that something much more than just another robbery is behind the homicide. Cynthia readily identifies the man she says killed her husband, but there is a whole other motive to the story.

A lead takes the team to the gang’s hideout, where they find Cynthia and Greg’s bags and some of the robbers’ dead bodies. They also find a lead safe, suitable for getting past airport screenings. Steve declares that it's for hiding something truly valuable, and the couple’s frequent travels to Antwerp certainly indicate that the something in question is diamonds.

“Hawaii Five-O” finds that Cynthia has escaped from the hospital, and the team swarms the robbers on the getaway trail. Steve intercepts Cynthia with her gun pointed straight at the head of the man who “took something I can't get back.” McGarrett puts his gun down, coaxing her to surrender. No wonder the stress of the job is getting to him.

One of the delights among all of the criminal activity is the chat between Junior and Grover in the car. The wise senior and former Chicago policeman counsels Junior that all Tani needs is some space, and that “she thinks the world of you.” The two do a car dance to “Walking on Sunshine” that is nothing short of wonderful.

A mysterious call to Steve out of the blue on ‘Hawaii Five-O’

The team is all arriving at the McGarrett house to commemorate another case satisfactorily closed. Gerard Hirsch tries to give Captain Grover lessons in discerning fine Chardonnay, but Grover goes for a beer from Adam (Ian Anthony Dale). No one is sure where Steve is.

Tani apologizes to Junior about breakfast. She admits that her typical MO is to “blow up” something good before she gets hurt. She tells him about losing her mother as a girl, and never being treated “so kind and so lovely” as he constantly demonstrates.

“I'm not going anywhere,” he assures with a tender embrace. This pair will share many more sunrise rendezvous's.

Steve is in his garage, listening again to the words recorded by his father.

The admonishment to “be anything but a cop” pulsates in his mind. McGarrett continues to listen as his father says he has regrets about his choice to protect and serve. His phone rings and a voice declaring himself as an English barrister named Claypool (Anthony Armatrading) says he has a package to deliver from Doris McGarrett to her son. Steve insists that her estate is settled, as she died months ago. The man says that he is doing just as instructed by Doris herself, contacting Steve four months after her death. He doesn't know what is in the package but says he can be in Hawaii in two days' time for delivery.

This tasty and complex “Hawaii Five-O” twist will play out in the two-hour series finale on April 3.

It is impossible to wrap 10 years' worth of stories and memories in about 80 minutes of broadcast airtime, not counting commercials. The gratitude for the heart and history of “Hawaii Five-O's” “ohana” will be remembered and cherished by fans forever.
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