For any landmark TV Shows, much less “Hawaii Five-O,” encompassing a full decade of true “ohana” into a single, 40 minutes is a completely impossible task. That said, Peter Lenkov’s story and David Wolkove and Matt Wheeler’s writing for this week’s April 3 series closer and Episode 22 of Season 10, “Aloha” echoes with a resonant vibration of peace, love, and hope, like any faithful “Hawaii Five-O” fan would wish. Through teary eyes, everyone feels a genuine sense of closure.

For Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin), his final puzzle is solved and he is able to at least pursue that elusive personal peace he has longed for, but that privilege doesn't come before one more life-and-death intercession for his partner, Danny Williams (Scott Caan).

The two say “so long” but not “goodbye forever,” and the entire “Hawaii Five-O” team speaks their heart to the boss. This is way beyond the sessions of couple’s therapy.

Danny nearly meets a flaming death on ‘Hawaii Five-O’

In the opening seconds, of this gripping “Hawaii Five-O,” the vengeful, stealthy Daiyu Mei (Eugenia Yuan) is seen watching Danny and Steve during Steve's visit to his father's grave. Mrs. Wo Fat definitely has a gift for going after the unsuspecting subject, as she did with Junior (Beulah Koale), at the gas station with his vintage El Camino, in the fall finale. The opening scenes also revisit Victor Hesse (James Marsters) as he plots with Wo Fat (Marc Dacascos) to abduct, torture, and ultimately, kill John McGarrett (William Sadler).

After she makes tea, the McGarrett nemesis asks his wife to sit in on their diabolical briefing.

While Steve and Lincoln Cole (Lance Gross) discuss breaking the cipher, bequeathed by Doris McGarrett, on their way to meeting the mathematical wizard, Marshall Naim, who Lincoln says can solve anything, the name of Catherine Rollins (Michelle Borth) comes up.

When Lincoln recalls that only the Naval intelligence officer he once knew would have a better chance of solving the puzzle. Steve instantly knows that it's Catherine.

“She was my girl,” says Steve, sweetly. “I was with her for a bunch of years,” the commander describes, before confessing that “she was the one that got away-- what are you gonna do?”

The puzzle solver arrives, but in the same moment, a desperate call from Danny comes, being tailed by serious trouble “up my a**.” Lincoln and Steve rushed to intercede for Danny, never minding the puzzle.

The tense scenes offer some classic McGarrett behind the wheel, “Hawaii Five-O”-style, driving over landscape dividers, darting between all kinds of traffic the wrong way. He jumps out of his truck to race to Danny’s already blazing car. He goes to retrieve his partner, but Danny isn’t there.

The team dives full-force into surveillance, fearing what they see at the intersection. It takes only seconds to abduct Danny and set the car on fire. McGarrett assigns “everyone with a badge” to search for Danny before a call comes from Daiyu Mei. She demands the cipher from the “Hawaii Five-O” leader, in exchange for his partner. Steve confirms proof of life for his partner, seeing Danny hanging in chains, bloodied, and brutally beaten.

“Don't do what she says,” Danny tells Steve, but Steve is ready to deal. He agrees to meet Daiyu Mei for the trade, going against Adam’s (Ian Anthony Dale) counsel. The sounds of his father being shot ring in his mind on the elevator.

‘Hawaii Five-O’ rallies for Danny while determined to bring down Daiyu Mei

Danny doesn't have Steve's sometimes reckless sense of daring, but what he does have is impeccable. Intuition and determination, along with his immense loyalty.

When he makes a reference to his captor about exchanging “insurance information,” Daiyu Mei retorts that a man with two children shouldn't be making jokes. He assures that he will kill her if his children are harmed and that she doesn't know “what you stirred up” by dealing with Steve McGarrett.

Daiyu Mei orders that McGarrett should find a dead Danny by the time he arrives. Danny summons the strength to pull himself upward on his chain, cut one length, and hide behind a door, still shackled by hand. He tackles the henchman by foot, and then heroically takes a key to free himself, along with a gun. There are about four more shooters for the “Hawaii Five-O” detective to take on, but remember he's battled with Steve in Colombia, Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, and all over America with his partner. The last gunman does nearly take his life, but Steve arrives in the nick of time.

By the looks of things, it did seem as though Danny would expire in Steve's arms on the way to the hospital, but that never happened.

As Captain Grover (Chi McBride) counseled, “it's all in God's hands,” all of “Hawaii Five-O” waited in anguish. Steve tried to pray, bargaining with God to “Take me-- don't take him.” Lincoln pleads with Steve to let him handle breaking the code of the cipher to bring down Mei. Steve consents, giving him his gun and telling him to take Quinn (Katrina Law) with him.

Danny survives the hurdle of surgery, and Steve takes Danny's hand, even though he doesn't seem “happy” in Danny's estimation. Despite being grateful, Steve can't shake how close this experience is to his father's loss and so many other instances where his life, and those of people he loves, almost slipped away.

Lincoln and Quinn get to Naim’s house, but too late.

He has already been beaten and dragged into his own car and driven away. They locate his body and another torched car. Quinn traces the GPS tracking, and in the meantime, Lincoln gets the cipher broken. It leads to the McGarrett family mausoleum, which Steve remembers from childhood. Surveillance footage show’s one of Mei’s men stuffing cash from the crypt. When Lincoln quips: “That’s a lot of cash.” Steve replies, “She [his mom] had a lot she thought she had to make up for-- it's a long story.” The moment was just a refresher on the human, humorous, and complex stories “Hawaii Five-O” has unraveled for fans in 240 episodes.

“Hawaii Five-O” tracks Daiyu Mei down to the harbor shipyard, surrounded by shipping containers.

For those who like the trademark gun battles-- this one is for you. No matter how ninja-Esque Daiyu Mei moves, and she even uses a loader to topple a huge container on top of Steve, she doesn't escape. Lou Grover gets in a great single shot, too.

When Steve has the widow just where she deserves to be, she declares that her husband has every right to the inheritance because he was Doris McGarrett’s son. Steve tells her that Wo Fat was his mother's “charity case,” and that a true son would never have ordered John McGarrett's killing.

Lincoln follows instructions and books her, and Steve proves that he is the “principled man” who his father hoped to raise.

Danny and all of ‘Hawaii Five-O’ give words from the heart to Steve before a surprise

Danny and Steve share one of their keepsake conversations that only they can translate. The “Hawaii Five-O” boss reaffirms that he is after “peace.” He doesn't even mind being compared to “the kung fu guy roaming the earth for answers,” as Danny insists.

“You gonna make me get up?” Danny asks as the two share a tender, lingering embrace, each saying “I love you,” with so much more in between the words. Steve promises: “This is not forever” while Danny complains that “the guy’s leaving me…” Steve takes one more long look back at Danny and his “Hawaii Five-O” vista before going into the house.

No one can help but love a man who will kiss his dog on the nose, and Steve pledges his love to Eddie and tells his furry best friend to look after Danny.

A knock comes to the door, and Captain Grover and the full “Hawaii Five-O” contingent arrive for a very heartfelt “Hail and Farewell” tribute to McGarrett. These moments were far above acting, they were more than lines in a script, and the realness came across in every exchange. “Hawaii Five-O” was truly “ohana” and faithful viewers felt it through a decade in the lives of these stars and their characters.

First was Grover, then Adam, then Tani (Meaghan Rath), Noelani (Kimee Balmilero), and last came, Junior. The father-son semblance was poured onto the screen in their exchange of the “Honi” Hawaiian forehead greeting, which actually means “kiss.” Such a greeting is also given in New Zealand, where Beulah Koale hails.

“Hawaii Five-O” has learned and given its own lesson on multicultural appreciation.

After final thanks to Lincoln, Steve boards his plane, treating himself to a window seat since this is no C-130. Just after a text from Danny and settling in, someone asks “Is this seat taken?” He looks up to see Catherine. She was the one who cracked the cipher, so why not share a little downtime? The two hold hands with a smile, just-in-time for a sunset takeoff.

McGarrett adds special love to his “Aloha,” and fans will cherish “Hawaii Five-O” with love and gratitude from this finale until forever.
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