It was time for another Hawaii Five 0 last night so that brings us back for another recap. It was the highlight of a quiet week in the fandom after all the activity surrounding Alex last week. The recap was done this week by Stella and as always we appreciate her taking the time to contribute to the site. This episode highlighted how the past can come come back to connect one to the present at very unexpected times. It is time to jump into the recap to see what we mean.
As the episode starts, we’re taken back to 1975. It’s night, and a young man is digging a hole in the middle of Ewa forest. Of course, nothing good ever comes from this setup, and we see that the stranger is really burying a body; of an HPD cop nonetheless.
Back to the present, we’re introduced to Mr. Davis, who’s sitting in a doctor’s office. As he waits, he looks around at the many pictures of the doctor’s family until his eyes fix on a drawing on the wall made by the unmistakable hand of a child, of a father and a son, Jack. Mr. Davis stares at it as if it has a deeper meaning to him, but his thoughts are interrupted when the doctor shows up, so we’re left wondering what we’re missing.
Meanwhile, at HQ, Steve and Danny are busy dealing with a fire inspector who apparently found 17 code violations at the restaurant. Steve is baffled, can’t believe what he’s hearing, and hopes it’s just minor issues. However, the inspector tells him they’ve got bigger problems than that, starting with their electrical system that is, in the man’s words, “a mess”.
Danny points his fingers at Steve, saying it’s his fault as he’s the one who provided Vito with the electrician’s number. However, Steve blames Vito who in his opinion “has been systematically trying to destroy our dream since he landed”. Steve says, the electrician is the same one who worked at the office after the place was torn apart by bullets and he did a great job, or so Steve thinks. He then realizes he said that out loud with realization of his mistake coming across his face. Oops. The fire inspector is not pleased to hear that and thinks he should look around, much to Danny’s disappointment. “When your brain stops working, you should shut your mouth,” Danny tells Steve. For once Steve seems to be in agreement with Danny about his blunder.
Fortunately, Tani interrupts them and provides Steve with a much-needed break telling him there’s a man downstairs who wants to talk to him, and that it’s about his father.
In the next scene, Steve is standing in his office with Mr. Davis, the man from the doctor’s office, who’s staring at the Commander’s many medals and recognitions displayed on the wall. Steve is proud of what he has done, of the opportunity and the honor to serve his country. Mr. Davis, Leroy Davis, also did a tour in Vietnam so Steve asks if that’s how he met his father. Not exactly. It turns out Leroy was employed by the Hawaiian Syndicate in the ‘70s and ‘80s as a “house-painter”, aka a hitman, and that’s how he and John McGarrett’s paths crossed. Then why isn’t he in jail? Around that time, he explains, most cops were corrupt and those who weren’t were afraid to come after him; all but one, Steve’s father.
In another flashback to 1975, we see young Leroy about to enter “Infinity Disco” when John McGarrett, armed with a baseball bat, proceeds to smash the man’s car window and headlights. Leroy threatens him with a gun but John doesn’t appear to be scared, introducing himself as “the guy that’s going to put you in jail for the rest of your life.” He knows Leroy’s already killed a cop and will make sure he pays for what he did.
Back to the present again, Leroy tells Steve he did kill Detective Ozuki, and that he’s been carrying this around long enough. If John was alive he would’ve confessed to him but since he’s not, Steve is the next best option. He hands him a briefcase with three weapons which is evidence of the crimes he has committed. Other than Detective Jake Ozuki, he has seventeen other murders on his conscience.
After the opening credits roll, we find Steve and Leroy in Steve’s Silverado, on the way to Ewa Forest. Leroy is taking him where he buried some of the bodies. Steve tells him that if he’s looking for atonement he’s way off and that he sealed his fate the first time he pulled the trigger and took an innocent life. Leroy nods. He knows.
Meanwhile, Adam comes face to face with FBI Agent McNeal again. He says he has some follow-up questions but Adam is suspicious. There’s something shady about him. His thought is confirmed when the agent pulls out his gun and takes Adam for a ride.
At HQ, Danny is still dealing with the fire inspector. The inspector is now checking Jerry’s office in the basement, which is apparently a mess as well. Danny asks Jerry to show him around, hoping his “natural charm” will win him over and leaves.
In the next scene, we see Steve and Leroy as they walk through the forest. Leroy is not doing well and has to stop to catch his breath. He explains he had chosen this location because it was remote and the earth was soft, which makes digging graves easier. They finally reach the burying site and he points to the spot where his first victim is.
Steve calls Noelani, asking her to get there as quickly as possible and bring as many people as she can. There is a total of seven bodies in the area. Steve asks where the rest of the bodies are. “Patience, John,” Leroy replies, confusing Steve with his father and giving us a hint that the man’s not exactly in his right mind.
Back to Adam, who’s still held at gunpoint and led to a house in Waimanalo with tarp on the floor. Not a good sign. He guesses this is not an official FBI meeting and he is correct. McNeal’s true intent is finally revealed as he introduces him to Noriko, his half-sister and the person he has been after since Steve asked him to run the special division within Five-0 focused on organized crime. While Adam had only recently learned of her existence, Noriko has always known about her father’s “other family”. She has lived in the shadows her whole life, and that had turned out to be an advantage in her line of work.
We learn that McNeal was working as a double agent, and he gets a bullet to the head as a result of it. As Noriko’s men dispose of his body, she reveals to Adam what she’s truly after; Michelle Shioma’s 20 million dollars. She wants Adam to get the money and give it to her so she can disappear. He has six hours to do as she says. As incentive, she shows him videos of a motel in Amarillo, Texas, and a diner in San Francisco, revealing she has men surveilling both Kono and Chin and won’t hesitate to have them killed if she doesn’t get what she wants. As she leaves one of her thugs punches Adam in the stomach leaving him on his knees, breathless and worried sick about his loved ones.
In the meantime, Steve is getting updates from Lou over the phone as he drives to Leroy’s house. The man’s prints are all over the weapons he had handed to Steve, and Tani is over at HPD pulling files on everyone who went missing during Leroy’s active years, in case he doesn’t remember all his victims.
The two drive up to Leroy’s house. Something about the man’s house is familiar to Steve, and he asks how long Leroy’s lived there. “Since 1982”, he replies. Steve has a flashback of sitting in his dad’s car and driving past the same house several times on his way from school. John McGarrett was keeping tabs on Leroy. “Can’t say I’m surprised,” the man admits. “Your old man was relentless.” (a trait that Steve has definitely inherited from him)
The fire inspector is still walking around inspecting the offices. Lou Grover asks Jerry how it’s going. Not well. He’s taking lots of notes, shaking his head and frowning. The HQ is a death trap, the inspector tells them. Lou tries to work his charm on him but fails miserably, and the man moves onto his next task: counting the fire extinguishers. Danny apparently uses one of them as a doorstop Jerry mentions to Lou, so the situation is not looking up.
Adam goes to see Jessie and explains everything to her. He apologizes, saying he is going to fix things. She says it’s not his fault and asks what their next move is. Does Adam have a plan? He does, and it’s simple. He’s going to get the money. Jessie is shocked to learn he’s always known where Shioma’s money was, and that he’d let her beat him and Hideki almost kill him because of that. Adam tells her handing over that money would’ve created a whole other set of problems, problems a thousand times worse and that’s why he didn’t say anything. However now, since his family is being threatened, he has no other options. Adam wants her to stay put, but Jessie says that they started this thing together and they’re going to end it the same way.
Back to Leroy’s house, Steve watches as the man feeds the only family he has left; two cats. His wife has passed away and his kids moved to the mainland and haven’t been back since. Junior calls, saying they’ve exhumed two bodies and confirmed five more with each one buried exactly where Leroy said. Steve tells him to have the lab run DNA to ID those people as soon as possible, and get back to him with the results. As they talk, one of the techs hands Junior Detective Ozuki’s badge, buried with the remains. It confirms the identity of one of the victims.
Leroy hands his beloved cats to his neighbor and gets back into Steve’s truck to head to the next location. Steve wants to know why he killed Detective Ozuki, what he did to deserve a bullet. Leroy doesn’t know. He didn’t need a reason and he never asked his employers why they wanted someone dead. He just pulled the trigger. That brings up another question. Why did he let John McGarrett live? “I only killed when I was ordered to,” Leroy says. “Though I admit, in the case of your father I came very close to making an exception.”
And in another flashback, this time from 1977, we see John McGarrett in Ewa Forest at night, exploring Leroy’s dumping ground. Leroy’s hidden in the shadows, watching with a gun trained on him. Then a call from dispatch comes through requesting an ‘urgent backup’. “What’s the situation?” John asks. “It’s your wife, Doris. She’s going into labor, Sir.” Leroy hears it too, and lowers his gun as John smiles and says he’s on his way.
After that night, Leroy explains, he stopped using the forest as a dumping site. “In a way, you saved your father’s life,” he adds, looking at Steve.
Back at HQ, Tani, Junior and Lou are working on the HPD files of all the missing persons; files that according to the logs John McGarrett has looked into. We also learn that the victims buried in the forest have all been identified, and that the guy that Leroy answered to was a Gary Kahele. Kahele is alive and still on the island, surprisingly never been accused of anything. Five-0 pays him a visit and arrests him for ordering the murder of 18 innocent people.
Meanwhile, Adam and Jessie drive to a Bonsai nursery in Waimanalo. It turns out that the place is also an unofficial bank for the Yakuza. Mr. Kimura, the owner, is an old friend of Adam’s father who among other services accepts deposits, makes loans, and washes money. Adam asks for a withdrawal. He asks for the entire 20 million that Michelle Shioma had hidden in Kauai.
Adam explains to Jessie that he went looking for it after her death and stored it here, not telling anyone. Not Steve, not even Kono. He explains to Jessie that when his father died, he left some debts to some not-so-nice people. As long as he hid the money there, those people knew that the debts would be paid. Now that he’s taking it out, there will be consequences.
Meanwhile, Leroy has taken Steve to a beach where he has buried the rest of the victims. Leroy places small red flags at the locations of their final resting place. He tells Steve that despite what he did, killing has never been easy for him, even when he wore his uniform. The story goes that after the war, nobody would hire him, so he put to good use the only thing he knew how to do. Steve is not buying it. He says his father fought in the same war and came back to the same country but didn’t become a professional killer. “That was your choice,” he angrily tells him.
Leroy tells him that John was a better man than he was and asks Steve, “did you get his killer?” Steve replies yes and it is returned with “at least one of you got your man.” OUCH!
Adam and Jessie load the money into the trunk of the car. He asks Jessie to give him a second and goes back inside to thank Mr. Kimura. As the two men shake hands, they hear the engine start and Jessie drive away in Adam’s car. In shock, he calls her, asking what the hell she’s doing. “What I probably should’ve done weeks ago. I’m getting out.” she replies. Adam tries to convince her to turn the car around, even begs her, with no result. Desperate, he tries to reach Steve and eventually calls Tani, asking for help tracking Jessie’s cellphone.
Meanwhile, Steve has taken Leroy to HPD. He hands him to Duke who says they’ll take him from there, and instructs his men to read him his rights. Leroy asks Steve to do it. It’s something John McGarrett would’ve enjoyed doing. Steve does, and as he asks why he really confessed, Leroy admits he did it ‘for Jack’. Steve is puzzled, thinking he’s referring to Detective Jake Ozuki, but Leroy repeats that he means Jack, the detective’s son. He never forgot his name. John McGarrett made sure of that.
As he says this, we’re transported back to 1994 with another flashback. John McGarrett has taken Leroy to the cemetery to show him the detective’s family, wife and son. He explains that they come every year on the anniversary of the death, but that they’re unknowingly really visiting an empty grave. “What’s the point of this, John?”, Leroy asks. And John tells him the very same words Steve told Tani in episode 8.08: ‘Every murder has two victims: the deceased, and the family left in the wake.’ Like father, like son.
Steve watches him as they lead him inside and then goes to visit Leroy’s doctor who confirms that the man is suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare but fatal brain disorder, and that he only has three to six months to live. As he walks out of the office, Steve notices the same drawing on the wall that Leroy did. It’s a drawing made by the doctor’s son, Jack, when he was six.
Steve then goes to the Medical Examiner’s office, where Noelani tells him they’ve identified all the remains and notified the families. He thanks her for all her hard work and she replies that those people have been waiting years for answers so that was the least she could have done.
In a very emotional ending scene, Steve surprisingly finds all those family members outside Noelani’s office, waiting to say thank you. He hugs and shakes hands with all of them, including Jack Ozuki, the detective’s son. Steve is not someone who’s usually comfortable in situations like this but this time it’s more about his father than him, so he accepts it. “
We did it, Dad. We did it”, he says as he sits in his car about to drive away.
But there’s one last surprise before the episode ends. Tani and Adam, tracking Jessie’s cell phone, find Adam’s car with the trunk open. The money is missing, and still sitting in the driver’s seat, Jessie’s body, with a bullet to her forehead. Adam’s shocked expression is the last image we see before the final credits roll. It is very likely his decision to take the money will be haunting him for a long time.
This was another good episode. There were some memorable moments in it and although both stories seemed a little unrealistic, it is television after all.
We enjoyed watching Alex and Frankie Falson’s (Leroy) scenes together as both are good actors and played well off of one another. Through Alex’s facial expressions and eyes, you could see how Steve felt about Leroy and his actions no matter what Leroy was selling so to speak. Ian also had a notable performance in the dramatic scenes he was called on to do.
Although there were three stories in this episode, they handled it better this week with the comedic one not having too much air time. This allowed for the A and B stories to take center stage, especially the main one.
Some highlights of the episode include the reflective nature of the whole episode, Steve reconnecting with his Dad again through the past, Steve having a story for a change, Steve learning that he inadvertently saved his Dad’s life when he was born, Jessie’s good/bad girl persona with one side of her finally winning out to what unfortunately was her demise, Steve’s fallible side showing through with the electrical inspector, Steve and Danny’s scene, the scene at the end with the victim’s families, Adam showing loyalty to those he loves, and the scenery.
Adding one point that Eddie was not in this episode, we will leave the rest unspoken and just rate it an 8.5.
The ending of Hawaii Five 0 made me tear up it made me love Alex even more for the big beautiful heart that he has