H50 124 or OMG WTF OMG
This is mostly typed-out-madly-as-I-watched, but I have gone back and added bits after-action. Please understand, there is no bashing Rachel. So, y'know, please don't.
Can we just say both Rachel and Danny were Exercising Questionable Judgment? This seems the be the episode for that. The Episode Where Everybody (Except Chin) Does Really Stupid Things.
Opening episode with naked, post-coital Danny: 50 points to Gryffindor! Having him post-coital with his married ex-wife: WERE YOU BOTH DRUNK?
I cannot fault Rachel on the basis of Naked Danny (ETA: since after-ep and reading other people's spoilers I'm pretty sure she's being blackmailed or something, and of everyone on this show I DO believe that Rachel is a good enough actor to pull it off), but I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU BOTH. MARRIED. MARRIED MARRIED MARRIED.
The governor's aide: OH MY GOD WHAT. Though the first thing I thought was "WOW that's a nice car for a government employee. OOH, not anymore."
Steve calling the witness's brother: Wow Steve - that was COLD. GENIUS, but cold. I'm guessing Steve sat down for five minutes and tried to think of what would work on him.
(I am very uncomfortable with the way that all my favourite people seem to be starting out this episode morally compromised. And the Governor is acting weird - SHOW, IF THE GOVERNOR IS EVIL I AM GOING TO BE SUPER-PISSED.)
I am getting a bad feeling. A familiar feeling. A WHY MUST THE WRITERS DESTROY EVERYTHING I LOVE feeling.
DANNY: Raise your hands if you think [breaking into the Governor's mansion] is a crazy plan.
Steve. If KONO thinks this is a crazy plan, THIS IS A REALLY CRAZY PLAN.
At the crime scene with the murdered witness: Oh, Danny. Please manhandle Steve some more. Also, maybe now would be the time to get him off the street before the rest of HPD hears him talking.
Danny, man, this is so not the time to be having morally questionable heart-to-hearts with your married ex-wife. Dude. Also, have you not learned? Never take your eyes off of pets, small children, or Steve McGarrett. NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE. I was frankly astonished that he didn't disappear while you were on the phone. You should ABSOLUTELY not be sending him home unsupervised. Take him along to your weird and uncomfortable meeting! He can wait in the car! With the windows cracked! And glare at you disapprovingly!
Steve (predictably) breaks into the Governor's mansion. Oh god, Steve. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. Danny is going to be SO MAD.
BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA. SUCH A BAD IDEA.
...do antique bureaus often have multiple keys? How was she locking it if Steve's dad had that one?
Dear Steve: have you never seen a movie? You never go through the stolen evidence while still inside the enemy stronghold.
LATER, AT SAND ISLAND... more morally uncomfortable conversations with Danny's married ex-wife. Oh. Your PREGNANT married ex-wife. DANNY WILLIAMS, I EXPECT A HIGHER STANDARD FROM YOU.
RACHEL. RACHEL. I AM NOW VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU AS WELL. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SENSIBLE ONE.
(ETA: Okay, taking a break to read other people's recaps: I think this is an imaginary baby.) DANNY. You can't go back to Jersey! You are going to BREAK STEVE'S LITTLE HEART.
Though please note, when Rachel said "you can't go back to Jersey, you have a life here," what she actually meant was: "Steve will cry and cry and cry."
At Steve's house: Steve was so freaked out that he almost shot Danny. To the point that I think he was going to smack Danny over the head for scaring him.
Danny is surprised that Steve broke into the Governor's mansion. Really? DANNY. WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT LEAVING STEVE UNSUPERVISED.
Well, thank god he took pictures with his phone instead of just taking the evidence.
...no, Steve, sweetheart, it's not your fault that she's dead. It's the fault of the person who planted an anti-personnel mine in her car.
Back at HQ, the evidence is inadmissable, since Steve broke into the Governor's mansion to do it. Yeah, Steve, you did stupid. THIS IS WHY WE LISTEN TO DANNY.
Do you know what I love (and also scares me)? That the entire team was already moving to wipe all the evidence before Steven even said anything. And the look on Danny's face when he told Steve to run. And the way Steve WAIT HOW DID HE GET ON THE ROOF?
Oh look - it's the scene from the teaser. JUST AS AWESOME IN CONTEXT.
HPD descends on HQ. Aaaand now they're all hiding in Danny's (?) office.
Oh dear, Kono. And Danny suddenly finding himself in the uncomfortable position of ONLY MEMBER OF 5-0 who hasn't been suspected of a crime.
Except now is it the Danny and Jenna show? WOO.
I love this:
JENNA: Did she steal the money?
DANNY: *facepalm* Uh huh.
And Jenna's reaction to the Let's-Steal-Two-Million-From-The-Cops plan:
JENNA: That's crazy.
DANNY: Welcome to my world.
JENNA: I like it. What do we do now?
And Jenna is now officially part of the Team, because not only does she know the truth about the locker heist, but she gets left to babysit HPD while Danny goes off to find Steve. Actually, there must be some off-screen bonding somewhere, because otherwise WHY is Danny telling her these things? I understand Steve telling her dumb things she probably shouldn't know, because he's kind of a dummy that way, but Danny's usually more careful. Hmm.
On a similar note, wouldn't it have been better for Kamekona if you hadn't told him what Steve was up to?
RACHEL, WHAT. SO MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT. Did the actress get another job or something? Is she in the next season? Because narrative causality denies the possibility of them actually leaving Hawaii. One of the downsides of having a show more or less in a bottle (or on an island). If they leave, Danny leaves, and the show is over.
Steve confronts the Governor: Okay... is the Governor a better liar than I thought, or did Wo Fat plant the evidence for Steve to find? Because she looks pretty genuinely freaked out.
And I think Steve's about to cry, oh dear.
Um. A moment to point out, Steve: I'm pretty sure that, recording or not, this would count as confession under duress.
AAAH! NO TASERS! NONONO!
I... totally can't believe that Wo Fat got the drop on Steve. STEVE. What the hell.
The Governor was a lot more rattled by an unconscious Steve and the appearance of Wo Fat than I would expect from a criminal mastermind in the pocket of the mob. Also she TOTALLY CLICKED SHARE. WHO'S WITH ME.
...saw that coming. Even the bit where Wo Fat used Steve's gun. I'm just wondering how Wo Fat thinks anyone will explain who tasered Steve.
Chin. Chin. CHIN.
The line-up: Damn, I knew that nosy old lady in the housecoat would come back to haunt them. though this is kind of what clinches my "this is a set-up" conviction. After all the dumb shit Chin pulled to protect his uncle, there's no way he doesn't have a plan to save Kono. And he can't save Kono without saving everybody else.
Steve's mugshot studio face when he sees Kono: YEAH STEVE, THAT WAS PRETTY DUMB WASN'T IT.
Okay.
Okay.
On re-watching the first couple of scenes, I'm unsure about the Governor again. That whole conversation she has with Laura (I think out of earshot of her protection or any other bystanders) makes me puzzled if she knew the car was going to explode. I guess that all comes down to how good an actor the Governor really is - I would not have said that good. In fact I think it more likely that the Governor had Laura sending those envelopes to Steve all along, and she was that upset at the scene because she'd gotten Laura killed.
Also, I have no scientific basis for this, but I'm pretty sure nobody recovers from a taser that quickly.
Not buying Chin the Traitor for even a second. Chin's a good actor. Somebody planned this (the arrest, the thing with Kono), and it wasn't Steve. My money's on Chin, but it could easily be Danny - though Danny looked about five seconds away from punching Chin in the face.
Aside: that thing where the Captain (or whatever he was) called up and warned Chin about the take-down - is that normal? It doesn't feel normal.
Upon arrest and during the line-up, Kono looked more annoyed than freaked, which makes me think she's in on it - though I don't know when they would have had time to fill her in. My guess is that the Governor sent that evidence to one of the Team. It had to be either Chin or Danny, since they were the only ones who still had phones, and I suppose it could have been Jenna, though the Governor didn't really know her. Again, my money is on Chin, because I don't think Danny knows what's going on. If he did he wouldn't have told Rachel he'd be at the gate, unless he was trying to get them off the island to keep them safe. I could buy that scene at Steve's arrest being a put-on, but I'm not sure I believe Danny's that good an actor.
In summation, WHY DO THE WRITERS KEEP TRYING TO BREAK MY BRAIN? How on Earth are we supposed to survive until show comes back? I just don't know.
ETA: Okay, sheafrotherdon makes a good point here. The Governor didn't have time to decide where anything was sent, so the recording went to whoever the button was set to send stuff to (that was a terrible sentence; moving on...). IF Steve thought about it beforehand and was keeping up with current events (which, him being Steve, is by no means assured), it went to Chin, as the only free agent above suspicion. If he didn't think about it, it went to Danny specifically or the whole team generally. (My guess is Danny, and he sent it to Chin.) NOW. Even if it went to the whole team, the only ones who could have heard it? Danny and Chin. Kono wouldn't have her phone and Jenna is still new, so she's probably not on Steve's Incriminating Evidence Friend List. And that little scene Danny and Chin played out for the benefit of the HPD? That was "Yeah man, I heard it, we'll talk later, okay? Okay."
Can we just say both Rachel and Danny were Exercising Questionable Judgment? This seems the be the episode for that. The Episode Where Everybody (Except Chin) Does Really Stupid Things.
Opening episode with naked, post-coital Danny: 50 points to Gryffindor! Having him post-coital with his married ex-wife: WERE YOU BOTH DRUNK?
I cannot fault Rachel on the basis of Naked Danny (ETA: since after-ep and reading other people's spoilers I'm pretty sure she's being blackmailed or something, and of everyone on this show I DO believe that Rachel is a good enough actor to pull it off), but I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU BOTH. MARRIED. MARRIED MARRIED MARRIED.
The governor's aide: OH MY GOD WHAT. Though the first thing I thought was "WOW that's a nice car for a government employee. OOH, not anymore."
Steve calling the witness's brother: Wow Steve - that was COLD. GENIUS, but cold. I'm guessing Steve sat down for five minutes and tried to think of what would work on him.
(I am very uncomfortable with the way that all my favourite people seem to be starting out this episode morally compromised. And the Governor is acting weird - SHOW, IF THE GOVERNOR IS EVIL I AM GOING TO BE SUPER-PISSED.)
I am getting a bad feeling. A familiar feeling. A WHY MUST THE WRITERS DESTROY EVERYTHING I LOVE feeling.
DANNY: Raise your hands if you think [breaking into the Governor's mansion] is a crazy plan.
Steve. If KONO thinks this is a crazy plan, THIS IS A REALLY CRAZY PLAN.
At the crime scene with the murdered witness: Oh, Danny. Please manhandle Steve some more. Also, maybe now would be the time to get him off the street before the rest of HPD hears him talking.
Danny, man, this is so not the time to be having morally questionable heart-to-hearts with your married ex-wife. Dude. Also, have you not learned? Never take your eyes off of pets, small children, or Steve McGarrett. NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE. I was frankly astonished that he didn't disappear while you were on the phone. You should ABSOLUTELY not be sending him home unsupervised. Take him along to your weird and uncomfortable meeting! He can wait in the car! With the windows cracked! And glare at you disapprovingly!
Steve (predictably) breaks into the Governor's mansion. Oh god, Steve. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. Danny is going to be SO MAD.
BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA, BAD IDEA. SUCH A BAD IDEA.
...do antique bureaus often have multiple keys? How was she locking it if Steve's dad had that one?
Dear Steve: have you never seen a movie? You never go through the stolen evidence while still inside the enemy stronghold.
LATER, AT SAND ISLAND... more morally uncomfortable conversations with Danny's married ex-wife. Oh. Your PREGNANT married ex-wife. DANNY WILLIAMS, I EXPECT A HIGHER STANDARD FROM YOU.
RACHEL. RACHEL. I AM NOW VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU AS WELL. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SENSIBLE ONE.
(ETA: Okay, taking a break to read other people's recaps: I think this is an imaginary baby.) DANNY. You can't go back to Jersey! You are going to BREAK STEVE'S LITTLE HEART.
Though please note, when Rachel said "you can't go back to Jersey, you have a life here," what she actually meant was: "Steve will cry and cry and cry."
At Steve's house: Steve was so freaked out that he almost shot Danny. To the point that I think he was going to smack Danny over the head for scaring him.
Danny is surprised that Steve broke into the Governor's mansion. Really? DANNY. WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT LEAVING STEVE UNSUPERVISED.
Well, thank god he took pictures with his phone instead of just taking the evidence.
...no, Steve, sweetheart, it's not your fault that she's dead. It's the fault of the person who planted an anti-personnel mine in her car.
Back at HQ, the evidence is inadmissable, since Steve broke into the Governor's mansion to do it. Yeah, Steve, you did stupid. THIS IS WHY WE LISTEN TO DANNY.
Do you know what I love (and also scares me)? That the entire team was already moving to wipe all the evidence before Steven even said anything. And the look on Danny's face when he told Steve to run. And the way Steve WAIT HOW DID HE GET ON THE ROOF?
Oh look - it's the scene from the teaser. JUST AS AWESOME IN CONTEXT.
HPD descends on HQ. Aaaand now they're all hiding in Danny's (?) office.
Oh dear, Kono. And Danny suddenly finding himself in the uncomfortable position of ONLY MEMBER OF 5-0 who hasn't been suspected of a crime.
Except now is it the Danny and Jenna show? WOO.
I love this:
JENNA: Did she steal the money?
DANNY: *facepalm* Uh huh.
And Jenna's reaction to the Let's-Steal-Two-Million-From-The-Cops plan:
JENNA: That's crazy.
DANNY: Welcome to my world.
JENNA: I like it. What do we do now?
And Jenna is now officially part of the Team, because not only does she know the truth about the locker heist, but she gets left to babysit HPD while Danny goes off to find Steve. Actually, there must be some off-screen bonding somewhere, because otherwise WHY is Danny telling her these things? I understand Steve telling her dumb things she probably shouldn't know, because he's kind of a dummy that way, but Danny's usually more careful. Hmm.
On a similar note, wouldn't it have been better for Kamekona if you hadn't told him what Steve was up to?
RACHEL, WHAT. SO MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT. Did the actress get another job or something? Is she in the next season? Because narrative causality denies the possibility of them actually leaving Hawaii. One of the downsides of having a show more or less in a bottle (or on an island). If they leave, Danny leaves, and the show is over.
Steve confronts the Governor: Okay... is the Governor a better liar than I thought, or did Wo Fat plant the evidence for Steve to find? Because she looks pretty genuinely freaked out.
And I think Steve's about to cry, oh dear.
Um. A moment to point out, Steve: I'm pretty sure that, recording or not, this would count as confession under duress.
AAAH! NO TASERS! NONONO!
I... totally can't believe that Wo Fat got the drop on Steve. STEVE. What the hell.
The Governor was a lot more rattled by an unconscious Steve and the appearance of Wo Fat than I would expect from a criminal mastermind in the pocket of the mob. Also she TOTALLY CLICKED SHARE. WHO'S WITH ME.
...saw that coming. Even the bit where Wo Fat used Steve's gun. I'm just wondering how Wo Fat thinks anyone will explain who tasered Steve.
Chin. Chin. CHIN.
The line-up: Damn, I knew that nosy old lady in the housecoat would come back to haunt them. though this is kind of what clinches my "this is a set-up" conviction. After all the dumb shit Chin pulled to protect his uncle, there's no way he doesn't have a plan to save Kono. And he can't save Kono without saving everybody else.
Steve's mugshot studio face when he sees Kono: YEAH STEVE, THAT WAS PRETTY DUMB WASN'T IT.
Okay.
Okay.
On re-watching the first couple of scenes, I'm unsure about the Governor again. That whole conversation she has with Laura (I think out of earshot of her protection or any other bystanders) makes me puzzled if she knew the car was going to explode. I guess that all comes down to how good an actor the Governor really is - I would not have said that good. In fact I think it more likely that the Governor had Laura sending those envelopes to Steve all along, and she was that upset at the scene because she'd gotten Laura killed.
Also, I have no scientific basis for this, but I'm pretty sure nobody recovers from a taser that quickly.
Not buying Chin the Traitor for even a second. Chin's a good actor. Somebody planned this (the arrest, the thing with Kono), and it wasn't Steve. My money's on Chin, but it could easily be Danny - though Danny looked about five seconds away from punching Chin in the face.
Aside: that thing where the Captain (or whatever he was) called up and warned Chin about the take-down - is that normal? It doesn't feel normal.
Upon arrest and during the line-up, Kono looked more annoyed than freaked, which makes me think she's in on it - though I don't know when they would have had time to fill her in. My guess is that the Governor sent that evidence to one of the Team. It had to be either Chin or Danny, since they were the only ones who still had phones, and I suppose it could have been Jenna, though the Governor didn't really know her. Again, my money is on Chin, because I don't think Danny knows what's going on. If he did he wouldn't have told Rachel he'd be at the gate, unless he was trying to get them off the island to keep them safe. I could buy that scene at Steve's arrest being a put-on, but I'm not sure I believe Danny's that good an actor.
In summation, WHY DO THE WRITERS KEEP TRYING TO BREAK MY BRAIN? How on Earth are we supposed to survive until show comes back? I just don't know.
ETA: Okay, sheafrotherdon makes a good point here. The Governor didn't have time to decide where anything was sent, so the recording went to whoever the button was set to send stuff to (that was a terrible sentence; moving on...). IF Steve thought about it beforehand and was keeping up with current events (which, him being Steve, is by no means assured), it went to Chin, as the only free agent above suspicion. If he didn't think about it, it went to Danny specifically or the whole team generally. (My guess is Danny, and he sent it to Chin.) NOW. Even if it went to the whole team, the only ones who could have heard it? Danny and Chin. Kono wouldn't have her phone and Jenna is still new, so she's probably not on Steve's Incriminating Evidence Friend List. And that little scene Danny and Chin played out for the benefit of the HPD? That was "Yeah man, I heard it, we'll talk later, okay? Okay."