Round Two: Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0: Season 1, Episode 2 “Ohana” (B)

After a strong, fun-filled start last week, I’m not surprised that the secondary installment isn’t quite as good. It’s not bad by any means; I’m just starting to think that it’s a show I don’t really need to watch. The appeal of seeing actors formerly from “Lost” and “Battlestar Galactica” isn’t terribly fulfilling since Chin and Kona are no Jin and Boomer. The roles aren’t nearly as challenging, and while that’s hardly to be expected on a procedural, not to mention a remake of a procedural, it’s still somewhat disappointing. Steve and Danny, or rather, Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan, do make a good pair, and they’re definitely the most entertaining part of the show (and the best reason to watch). Yet the show’s plotlines seem to be a bit too grandstanding, following the “Rizzoli & Isles” style of having the most sensational cases possible rather than regular, run-of-the-mill crimes. Sure, these guys are part of a special task force, but I still think it’s a bit far-fetched to follow these criminals, who seem almost as thinly-developed as the bad guys on “The Good Guys.” Having Peter Stormare of “Fargo” terror guest star on this show was a pretty big score, and it’s a shame he wasn’t put to better use. I was also hitting myself for not realizing until he was already off screen that Martin Starr, recently seen on “Party Down,” was playing the hacker. I’m not sure if I want to keep reviewing this show since it’s very much like “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” – loads of fun but not terribly interesting to review. Thoughts either way?