Courtesy of AlexOLoughlinRocks.com
Click Play to hear H50 podcast for Ep 2.16
FIVE-0 TAKES ACCOUNT, SETTLES SCORES AND SAYS “ALOHA” TO LORI WESTON
WELCOME back to WebSouffle’s Hawaii Five-0 podcast! This week teacher, and writer for the ‘Five -0 Redux’ Wendie Burbridge and I, talk about Episode 16 of this season, entitled, “I Helu Pu” and translated as “The Reckoning” by CBS.
This week’s topics include:
-Wendie’s breakdown of the episode’s Hawaiian title and how it translates into the theme of this week’s show.
-The non-linear timeline, flashing forward and backward and of course WEBSouffle’s inevitable tie-in to “Lost”
-The Black Tie Charity Event at the Hawaii Convention Center
-The Team Dynamic: Is it back for good?
-Steve’s Superhuman powers…are they over the top, literally?
-The Departure of Agent Weston
-Local Hawaiiana:
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Radio personality, classic 5-0 actor, Kimo Kahoano who was security detail for the Governor
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Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and a bit about the Ukelele.
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Haleiwa Joe’S
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The “Wailana Cafe,” where Max went for pancakes
(**Update: For more scenes and locations for this episode please check out 3DHawaii.com ‘s blog post here)
Great podcast girls! This was a really different episode with the non-linear approach which I also didn’t care for 100%. I felt it jumped around a little too much too, but like you said, it’s good they tried something different. I still think it was an extremely enjoyable episode although it’s not really one I will watch over and over and over again like some others. I suppose after the incredible high of the previous episode with Danny and Grace it’s only natural that this one seemed like a slight let down. Not that I didn’t think it was a good episode. Of course I did, it’s Five-0 after all!
As far as Denning is concerned, I think he’s a typical politician. He is fine with Five-0 and their tactics as long as the outcomes are good and they make him look good, like he’s tough on crime and taking care to protect Hawaii. He’s happy to be able to stand in front of a news conference and praise Five-0 on a drug bust because he can bask in their glow and it makes him look like a big shot. But when an outcome isn’t so good, when he’s force to have to go to higher ups and explain the actions of his task force…well, no politician wants to look bad. An international incident where he needs to explain to ambassadors and senators? No..someone was going to have to pay for that…and Lori paid the price and took the fall.
As you said, much as been written about Lori. I agree that the character was not fleshed out as well as she should have been but the argument that she wasn’t doing the job the governor assigned her to do is a bit misleading. I mean, if she HAD done that job, if she ran to the governor to tattle on the team every time they stepped out of line, how could she have ever been part of the team. They would have frozen her out the first day and she would have been useless to everyone.
No, I think they wrote her role exactly as they should have. But as you said, and I think you may be right, some scenes were probable left on the cutting room floor, if they were filmed at all. The way Lori’s character could have been better is if they would have shown her every once in a while coming into HQ after having had a meeting with the Gov. Someone could have asked her, “so, how did it go?” and she could have responded “well, he was pretty mad but I explained our reasoning and eventually he saw it our way”. Then she would have still been doing her job as assigned by the Gov without having to be a rat to the team because she would be called to the Gov to explain instead of running to him on her own to report. She could have then been seen as a true team member who protected the team and when this “international incident” happened it was just one time too many for the Gov to let go. Then she could have been released because it was the straw that broke the Gov’s back NOT because she had ‘feelings” for her boss. I think that would have made more sense.
Oh well, water under the bridge now!
Very well thought out, Linda!!! I agree. If we saw Lori come back a few times after some dealings with the Gov (especially after the N.Korea Incident) and that she was trying to balance the conflict between the two I think it would have really shown more depth in her character. Totally believe that she could have had the same exit and not have to ascribe it to “feelings” about Steve. Then more fans would also be open to her working with then again off and on. Oh well. I see good episodes ahead though. I am very hopeful!!!
Thanks again for your comment!
This was a good podcast. I do believe it was mentioned that the non-linear timeline did not show when they switched like “Lost” did. I do remember in the episode that they did show on screen, “17 hours earlier” and so on. I did not mind this and was able to follow with no problem. I too was glad they tried something different.
As for Lori. The character could have very easily been reporting on the team in the beginning, and then start to have a change of mind, and slowly showed signs of feelings for Steve or the team. That would have made it so much better, and probably more accepted by those of us who did not like the character. A team that had been through everything that they had been would not have accepted someone so easily. No mention of her governor spy until she left was wrong. I think the writers did blow it for this character from the start. I agree she took away too much time from the other 3 members of the team, Danny, Chin, and especially Kono, and for a character that they kept changing what she was to the team.
I know a lot of people don’t like the fact that Steve is getting beaten up one way or another each week, but he’s our superseal. This is TV, not real life. It’s entertaining, so lets just go with it.
Hi Diane!
You are right about the replays giving us some time stamps, I just think they were a bit more confusing than some others I’ve seen done. ‘Lost’, of course, wanted to mislead us and often didn’t even have time stamps so it’s probably not even fair to make a comparison. On the other hand, I did enjoy it and wasn’t too bothered by the flipping back and forth for this episode when all’s said and done.
In the instance of “Lori” I think we’re on the same page as you are too. I think most fans of the show wanted to see it work out for her as much as the writers and producers but in the end it was just kind of fumbled and sad. I don’t get the feeling it will get resolved either. We’ll just have to chalk it up to the writers learning a lesson about female character introduction on this show. They’ve done it twice
now and I’m pretty sure it didnt go they way they intended. Thanks so much for such a thoughtful comment!! Please come back soon!
bonjour à vous . cela fait du bien de tomber sur des écrits tels que les votre . en effet, la plupart critique lorie weston comme si celle ci etait une horrible actrice dans la série . n oublions pas qu elle n a fait que réciter ses dialogues et en tant qu actrice bien accomplie je trouve qu elle a assure . j ai trouve vos critiques tres juste et sans mechancete . j ai aussi tres ien aime son role tout de meme . je trouve que c est la copie de steve au feminin et qu elle a apporte beaucoup d humour et de repondant . je regrette enormement son depart . et regrette aussi la facon dont steve la laisse partir car ai trouve entre eux beaucoup de complicite et steve ne parraissait pas insensible a ses charmes plus meme qu avec catherine qu il ne voit juste pour avoir ses informations et passer du bon temps avec elle ( catherine) . elle amenait un petit plus a l equipe qui apparemment l aime beaucoup . espere qu elle revienne ………… et pas pour etre tue . merci .ai eu plaisir a vous lire
Hey, Dana and Wendie! Great blog, as usual. Uh, is there ever a time when there’s NO traffic on Oahu? LOL! I enjoyed everything you discussed, ladies. I’m really in agreement with Linda concerning Lt. Gov. Denning. He irritated me to no end this past episode. IMO, he’s using 5-0 to improve his popularity with the Hawaiian voters. “See? I’m tough on crime – vote for me!”
Also agree on your take on Lori Weston. I liked her, thought she had a quirky personality, but agree that her character was poorly introduced to the show. The network claimed she was going to be a female McGarrett – but everything she was supposed to be good at, was just laughable. Beating her boyfriend in martial arts? 3-time shotput champ? Not going to say anything against the actress, Lauren German. She did her best with what she was given, and I wish her the best of luck.
The lifespan of female recurring characters on this show is alarmingly short! At least Lori wasn’t killed off outright! There’s still a chance they can bring her back, in order to finish her off more spectacularly!
I am going to say I liked the non-linear story-telling. They can do this again. I do admit I didn’t catch everything until the second time I watched it, though!
Again, ladies, thanks again for a great podcast! Until next week! Aloha!
Hey, Ladies! — Thanks for the new GREAT podcast.
I always enjoy “getting together with you” to hear you talk about H5-0, even if it is during rush hour traffic.
Just a few quick things:
I got a tad LOST (wink!) with the nonlinear story telling, particularly when the kept it up past the initial opening scene.
I did think Alex looked thin this episode.
I felt sorry for Lori’s character that Steve didn’t even acknowledge her feelings. That stings! I think I’ll miss her, but feel I was only just meeting her.
Can’t wait for the next podcast.
Mahalo again!