The recap and review by Susan is done and as always we have added a lot of pics to help liven it up. This episode was a value episode that had an educative piece to it and was quite enjoyable. Here is the recap-review.
It’s Friday night, our favorite show is on, and tonight’s episode is very special. We begin with an intense chase through the woods with HPD in hot pursuit of a young native Hawaiian man. As HPD is gaining on their suspect, the young man comes to a fence, finds an opening at the bottom, and goes under. Once on the other side armed guards stop HPD with guns and armor of their own and a stand-off is in place. The guards then inform HPD that their suspect is no longer in the United States of America.
After the familiar and beloved theme takes place, we are shown the Hawaii State Department of Motor Vehicles where Steve is waiting for his driving instructor to issue a driving test. It seems he has never renewed his driver’s license since his return to Hawaii seven years ago and his end of active duty. In case you do not know active military are not required to have a state driver’s license so when he took over Five-0, he was then required to get one. Guess he had other things to do like capturing Wo Fat, dealing with his mother, sister, and Catherine, saving his team members on numerous occasions, and fighting crime. It seems when he was busy saving the world it slipped his mind.
Upon meeting the instructor, Danny immediately begins to tell her Steve’s license should be denied. He informs her of all the horrible and crazy driving that Steve does routinely on a daily bases. Showing irritation with his partner, Steve continuously tells Danny to shut up and go away, which we all know isn’t going to happen. As Steve and the instructor get into the car, Danny gives her one last piece of advice; keep your hands firmly planted on the dashboard. He is also singing and “blesses” the car. Well that was a rousing testimony of confidence.
Steve pulls out slowly but once on the road he runs a red light and answers a call from Duke. We next see our normal Steve speeding back into the parking lot, tires smoking and telling Danny to get in because he just got a call from Duke. The instructor gets out barely able to walk while not throwing up. Should we even ask if Steve passed that test?
We next see one of the most beautiful parts of Hawaii to date. It is the part of Oahu that is known as the Nation of Hawaii which has been determined to be sacred in the eyes of the government for the native Hawaiian people. Chin is there waiting for Steve, Danny and Lou to arrive. Chin informs the team that on the other side of the gate is an ex con by the name of Kanuha. He’s a suspect in an open murder investigation by HPD. When they went to question him he got combative and ran. The chase ended up at the Nation of Hawaii and they are refusing to hand him over because they believe he is innocent.
Lou is surprised to learn that they can’t just go in and get Kanuha because the land he’s on is not considered part of the United States and technically is another country. Steve asks Chin to ask the leader of the nation Bumpy Kanahele to come down to the gates to talk. Bumpy actually portrays himself in this role as he is the actual leader and fighter of the land in question. Bumpy and Steve talk and Steve tries to convince Bumpy that they just need to question Kanuha and that HPD is one of the finest police forces there is and they will be fair. Bumpy points out that he has seen too many of those things go wrong as he suggests that Chin was labeled a thief falsely just like that. He also tells Steve he believes Kanuha is telling the truth and that he’s innocent. Steve reminds Bumpy that by protecting Kanuha he’s risking the lives of the people on his land. Bumpy tells Steve that if he can prove that Kanuha is the killer he will turn him over.
Back at HQ, Steve and the team gather at the computer table and are looking at the victim that Kanuha is suspected of murdering. The victim is a former lock smith found in Moana by hikers the day before. The cause of death is a single gunshot in the neck through and through leaving no slug. They think he’s been dead about 38 hours. They also believe the body was killed somewhere else and dumped.
Kanuha and the victim were partners back in the day and committed a whole slew of robberies and they were caught during one of the robberies. Both went to trial although Kanuha was the only one convicted. Since Kanuha went to prison for seven years and his crime partner didn’t, HPD thinks Kanuha had a grudge because Kanuha was only out of prison for six weeks when his partner shows up dead. While discussing this Steve gets a call from Kono notifying him that they found the primary crime scene.
Arriving at the crime scene by the beach, a van registered to the victim is found with blood inside. His phone also indicates he got directions to the location from his shop about a mile away. The team also finds the address of Kanuha in the phone, so they believe Kanuha lured his partner there to shoot him.
We next see Chin trying to convince Bumpy that Kanuha is lying to them and to turn him over. Bumpy declines but Chin convinces Bumpy to let him in to talk to Kanuha. Chin and Kanuha talk where Kanuha admits he lied because he knew HPD would arrest him for the murder. He shares that he and his former partner had met but only for Kanuha to borrow money to get by on. He also has no alibi for the time of the murder. Chin presses Kanuha hard but he insists he didn’t commit the murder.
Back at HQ, the team finds out the lab results of the van which doesn’t show any traces of Kanuha’s blood or DNA. Lou then informs Steve they have a visitor, John Berris, who is Kanuha’s parole officer. Berris has come down to see Steve and he tells them that Kanuha has been a model prisoner. He had a job working at Berris Hardware, which is the parole officer’s brother’s store. Berris believed in Kanuha and asked his brother for a favor and believes Kanuha is innocent. While talking, Lou comes in and says the lab called. The slugs found in the van were from a glock 29 belonging to a Dillon Turner who appears to have no connection to the victim or Kanuha.
We next see the team raiding the home of Dillon Turner. They find an open safe and an empty glock case inside. A calendar found there says Turner has been in Tahiti for the last six days. They determine that Turners home was broken into and the gun was stolen in the robbery.
Back at the Nation of Hawaii, Chin is being filled in by Steve and Danny when Federal Marshals pull up. The Deputy in charge Deputy Marshal Wes Lincoln played by Lou Diamond Phillips, tells Chin that he and Five-0 are relieved of their duties and that the situation is now a Federal matter.
Meanwhile in Jerry’s office, Jerry is conducting roommate interviews to help pay for Max’s lease he has taken over. Lou comes in to ask Jerry to take a look at the Turner robbery.
Back at the Nation of Hawaii, Steve and Danny arrive to see all the Marshals and their manpower. Bumpy is upset and tells Steve he trusted him and that there are women and children inside who are afraid. Steve explains they had nothing to do with it and he will talk to the Marshal. Steve tells Lincoln that they had it under control to which Lincoln disagrees. Lincoln says they will go in and get Kanuha if they don’t hand him over. Chin and Steve both explain that the people will die to protect Kanuha and the land. Lincoln gives Steve until sundown to resolve the situation peaceful and after that they go in. Steve calls the governor for help. The governor says it’s not in their hands and the Marshals are in control. There is a small comical relief piece here where Danny is describing Steve’s body language while on the phonecall to Chin and that it is not going well.
Back at HQ, Lou and Kono get a Jerry alert by phone. Jerry has a replica of a safe like Dillon Turner’s sitting on his desk. It seems Jerry did some research and found that using a very large magnet on the safe disrupts the tumblers allowing the safe to be opened. Since the victim was a lock smith he would know how to this. So now Lou and Kono are thinking that the victim and Kanuha went back into business and one turned on the other. Kono calls Chin to give him the new theory when Chin’s phone goes dead. Chin sees the phone with no service and goes to Lincoln. Lincoln tells Chin they are cutting commutations including water and power in effort to show Bumpy and his people it is not worth harboring a fugitive.
While in the car, Steve and Danny are having their first cargument that we have seen in a few episodes. While discuss mind reading abilities or lack of them in Steve’s case, they get a call from Kono. She tells them she got a call from Turner giving a list of stolen items from his home. One of the items was a tablet with mobile broad band which they pinged and got the location as Dillingham self -storage. Steve and Danny meet up with Lou there and the manager identified Kaunhu but with a different name. They all go to the storage unit and find it full of stolen merchandise including the glock 29; the murder weapon.
Back at the Nation of Hawaii, Chin confronts Kanuha about the stolen items at the storage unit. Kanuha admits they stole the things but continues to deny killing his old partner. Bumpy asks Kanuha to look him in the eyes and tell him he’s innocent, which he does and Bumpy is sure he telling the truth.
Bumpy begins to move the people further into the land for protection as Chin goes back down to talk with Lincoln. Lincoln tells Chin in less than an hour he will be storming the place.
Back at HQ Steve and the team discuss with Kono that the lab confirmed the gun is the murder weapon did have Kanuha’s prints on it. but Kono now thinks Kanuha may be telling the truth. She pulled footage from the storage facility and found records that someone entered the code to access the facility that same day. So the team now knows Kanuha has been with Bumpy and Chin all day so who is entering the storage facility.
They identify a guy by the name of Devon Berris who is the brother of Kanuha’s parole officer. There is footage showing his car pulling into the storage unit facility. So now the theory is that when Kanuha started stealing again Devon told Kanuha that he would have to steal for him or he would tell his brother and Kanuha would go back to jail. So now Steve and Danny are on the way to see Devon Berris.
Meanwhile Devon Berris is arriving at the stand-off and asks to talk to Kanuha. He tells Chin he thinks he can get Kanuha to come out. We also see that Devon has a gun. He convinces Chin and Bumpy that he can be of help and he goes in to find Kanuha. Meanwhile, Chin tells Duke to double up his men on the Marshals for some intimidation potential.
In the car, Steve and Danny are calling Chin. They tell Chin their theory about Devon Berris. Chin tells them that Devon just went in to talk to Kanuha. When Steve hears that we once again get to see the driving that Steve is infamous for and they are on the way to where all the action is.
When Devon finds Kanuha he tells him he was smart to keep his mouth shut about the murder. Kanuha confronts Berris and says he knew he was the one who killed his friend. They argue and Kanuha who is clearly angry over his friend’s death and having to take the warp for something he did not do, lunges at Berris.
With Devon getting the upper hand he pulls the gun and aims at Kanuha. Just then Chin comes in with gun drawn and tells Devon they know everything and have blood evidence to prove it. Devon drops the weapon. Chin cuffs Devon and they are all walking out just as Steve and Danny arrive. Bumpy and Steve hug. The case is closed.
Soon we are taken back to the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii in which we see the beauty of the land with the people at work and play. Their way of life and apparent values and how important the land is to them is showcased. As they prepare a meal for all, Steve and the entire team are there joining them and although I’m not familiar with the song playing it’s fitting and beautiful. The final scene is with Chin and Bumpy giving a traditional Hawaiian honi – exchange of breath.
This was a really good and educational episode. I loved the scenery, the story of the native Hawaiian land and respect of it, and all the traditions. The crime of the week was not as appealing but was necessary to share the important story behind the Nation of Hawaii. I did enjoy that there was no B story and everyone worked for a common cause. There was also some humor and action so for me this was a 9 rating.
