Terry O'Quinn (Lost) as a guest star was the only excuse I needed to give this premiere a chance. Indeed I'm not into police procedural shows because of their slow pace, déjà vu concepts and often disappointing episodic stories. However I can only admit that its exotic and colorful settings can only refresh the spirit. It's specially true considering the production couldn't be more immersive. From the dynamic filming to the outdoor scenes CBS can be proud. Even car and boat scenes are flawless so delivering so much quality action on a TV budget is impressive. Moreover beside O'Quinn actors like James Marsters (Spike) and William Sadler (Roswell) were also part of the adventure.
As for the main characters they're one of the show weakness in my opinion. First Masi Oka (Heroes) plays Max Bergman, an other geek who brings some comic relief. Don't get be wrong I liked him but wish they asked him to perform out of his comfort zone to surprise the audience. Second Grace Park was under used in this episode even if I suppose her beauty and talent were better exploited in season 1. Third Alex O'Loughlin's performance was exciting and Scott Caan also did a good job but I found their characters interaction was cliché and boring. Steve and Danny aren't engaging and none of their "bro" jokes made me laugh. It's specially disappointing considering the story is driven by them and that the actors are energetic and convincing in their respective roles. Fourth and not least Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) was the only character that really grew on me but it's probably because I was getting desperate.
O'Quinn's character reminded me of the colonel in First Blood. He was confident and brought the maturity required to make the young team more believable. But sadly the story that was captivating at first thanks to a edgy twist quickly became predictable and even silly at times. Kono's arc (Park) was written by the book and you should be able to anticipate its events. As for the last part it was well produced but the random shooting was ridiculous. What a lazy way to wrap up a premiere when at the beginning Steve's side (O'Loughlin) was reminiscent of Prison Break and Hit-man !
In fact the most disappointing element was probably the absence of creativity. Compared to CSI : NY it lacked these jaw dropping sequences that make you beg for more. Even the cliffhanger shouldn't invite you to stay for an other session. The bad guy has potential despite its one dimensional profile but in the end I just didn't care about his fate or the few arcs opened to intrigue the viewers. I remember pointing out similar issues for Castle but at least in its early episodes the show had a charming factor that made it almost irresistible. To sum things up Hawaii Five-0 didn't feel like a re-imagining of the original but more like a remake stuck in a different space and time.
