Episode Title: ‘Ka Hakaka Maikai’
Writer: Kyle Harimoto
Director: Larry Teng
Story:
McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) meets with Commander Joe White (Terry O’Quinn) and NCIS Agent Blye (Daniela Ruah) about the video of his father and Wo Fat. Their meeting is soon interrupted when he gets a call about a murdered restauranteur, found duct taped to a chair in his pool.
At first, it appears the man was killed by employees of the valet service he contracted for his restaurant. The team’s investigation turns up a string of home invasion cases involving four employees. However, after catching them in the act, 5-0 learns they had nothing to do with the restaurant owner’s death.
Meanwhile, the team discovers that the murdered businessman also ran a gym where young people could train, run by his sister, Samantha. The team’s initial theory is that Samantha had him killed to reclaim her stake in his restaurant business. However, a gun planted in a Jeep belonging to one of the gym’s former champs sends 5-0 in a new direction.
Back at his apartment, Joe White returns home to find Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) waiting for him inside. He warns the commander about looking into the death of McGarrett’s father. The two come to blows with Wo Fat gaining the upper hand and making a quick escape.
After questioning the fighter, McGarrett realizes he can’t be the man responsible for the restaurant owner’s death. Instead, a new suspect comes to the forefront, the restauranteur’s brother-in-law, Marshall (Shawn Hatosy) who was looking for sponsorship money for the fighter. McGarrett and Danny (Scott Caan) arrest Marshall at the gym, who claims his brother-in-law’s death was an accident.
After filling in at a charity event for the fighter he took out, McGarrett gets a text from Joe White, asking him to come to Makoto’s house immediately. There he learns that Makoto was tortured and killed. The two determine that Wo Fat was behind the old man’s death. White warns McGarrett about more bloodshed should he continue to pursue Wo Fat.
Breakdown:
Well fans of MMA and “NCIS: L.A.,” this episode of “Hawaii Five-0” was made for you. Former UFC champ Chuck Liddell and “NCIS: L.A.’s” Agent Blye both made guest appearances in ‘La Hakaka Maika,’ which means “the good fight.”
While I’ve never seen an episode of “NCIS: L.A.” I am an avid MMA fan and thus appreciated the appearance of a rather portly Chuck Liddell taking a superman punch off the cage from McGarrett. Did the Navy SEAL ninja take down “The Iceman?” Based on the 5-0 post-fight locker room banter, I’d say no.
Though we saw little of Liddell and McGarrett’s fight, there was plenty of quality 5-0 action in this episode. There was the usual McGarrett fight sequence, this time against a suspect who’s also a skilled MMA practitioner but Danny and Joe White also got their licks in. Keeping a gun on ice? Awesome but man, freezer burning a glock can’t be good. Although the Commander was worse for the wear after engaging in hang-to-hand with Wo Fat.
Another notable guest star, this week, “Southland’s” Shawn Hatosy stopped in to play the MMA trainer-turned-murderer in a rather dull case. The team hit the usual red herring about twenty minutes in with a little bit of the over-arcing Wo Fat storyline in the mix to carry us to the second plot with ten minutes left in the hour.
Honestly, I wish this episode was just McGarrett cage fighting Liddell, intercut with Joe White walloping Wo Fat. With Kono back on the team without missing a beat, or Baldwin brother, I’m hoping “5-0” spends those precious moments away from the “case of the week” on Wo Fat and not another pointless subplot. Or perhaps more McGarrett ass kicking. That works, too.
Crave Online Rating: 7 out of 10.
