Take Three: Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0: Season 1, Episode 3 “Malama Ka Aina” (B-)

Maybe it’s just me, but dunking a criminal in a shark tank, no matter what kind of sharks there are inside, doesn’t seem like a particularly good idea. I know this is Hawaii, but aren’t there lawyers there too? Clearly there are, because Danny nearly bites one of their heads off (like the sharks could have done) when he thinks he’s losing custody of his daughter. This show, while still action-packed and decently entertaining, is becoming considerably more ridiculous as it goes on. It’s enough for two of the main team members to be first cousins, and now one of the criminals is also a cousin? Make that a cop, since he’s undercover and there doesn’t seem to be a color of the day in Hawaii. I just have a hard time taking it all seriously, though I realize that’s hardly the point on this show. The start at the football game was pretty exciting, and I enjoyed the fact that they all so readily leapt into their law enforcement roles, with Kona directing the frightened spectators out of the stadium and a jersey-wearing Chin springing into action to chase down some bad guys. While a random woman with a child might theoretically seem trustworthy, it doesn’t strike me as a particularly wise move to abandon your daughter to a stranger when men with guns are running amok. Granted, this show does look good and the characters have charisma, but I’m not sure there’s much else separating it from a run-of-the-mill procedural.