CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” has found its voice again, recovering lost viewers over the past week, drawing 10.20 million viewers Monday night (Feb. 20). It led its hour with a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating, besting an also-improving “Castle” on ABC (9.66 million viewers, 2.1 adults 18 to 49) and a declining “Smash” on NBC (6.47 million viewers, 2.39 adults 18 to 49), according to preliminary overnight Nielsen ratings numbers.
Tapping Hawaiian culture and loaded with local color and guest stars, the “Five-0” segment, “Kūpale, earned sufficient points for effort and a demerit or two for execution.
The theme of na koa Hawaiian warriors, duking it out in traditional costumes in an ancient artistry of warfare, was certainly an opportunity to depict a rarely seen and photographed element of Hawaiian culture. The peg to economic greed (involving ferry service), however, was a bit far-fetched, and a crime involving shark-toothed weapons clearly a miniority issue. If anyone owned one of these rarities, would he really use it in a traceable offense?
The parade of jock guest players — notably Apollo Ohno, Olympian medalist skater as a thief of an artifact, and Shane Victorino, the Phillies outfielder as a corporate type conducting training in the wild a stone’s throw away from the Hawaiian practitioners — were casting coups but were essentially extended cameos, not fully realized roles. Ohno’s gig, the larger one, should have somehow found an arc to the finale; folks adore him, after all, and would be eager to see him delude McG and company at least with a fight — not via tear gas drop.
Nice to see Islanders Al Harrington and Dennis Chun in recurring appearances, linking the old “Five-0” with the reboot, and doubly nice to hear Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) uttering the effective but infrequent “Book ‘em, Danno” to Danny Williams (Scott Caan) again, with tongue slightly in cheek.
The banter between these two was spot-on spiffy, from the opening scene when Danno turned McG’s quarters into his personal refuge while the latter was away, to those in-the-car exchanges about anything and everything. The friction is fun, fast, frequent — caustic conversation.
With James Caan, actor Scott Caan’s dad, guest-starring in next week’s episode, it’s a good bet that “Five-0” will maintain its momentum to lead the hour again. We can only hope.
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Maybe “Five-0” should invite Bruno Mars to be a guest performer sometime. Might steal more viewers from "Smash," which featured his music and his name, but not him in the flesh.
Though physically absent, Mars' music and his magic were part of this week’s Broadway musical drama, wherein a mythical Bruno Mars Broadway show, complete with a performance of his “Grenade” hit, was bandied about.
Or maybe Mars might just skip episodic television and go for the gusto, mounting his own musical on The Great White Way. Might make him the billionaire he aspires to be.
What you think?

NBC has found its voice for Monday nights — despite dips in the overnight Nielsen ratings — beating CBS in numbers. And it's got to do with music.
The Peacock network’s “The Voice” drew 16.1 million viewers in its two-hour frame (7 to 9 p.m. here, 8 to 10 p.m. on the Mainland), logging a 5.9 adult 18-49 rating, which was down from last week. Its new show “Smash,” at 9 p.m., pulled 8.09 million viewers and a 2.8 adult 18-49 rating, but dropping 26 per cent from its premiere last week.
This was good enough for NBC to bypass the parade of comedy sitcoms on CBS from 7 to 9 p.m., with the Eye network hitting a season low for Mondays (13.433 million viewers for NBC, 10.319 for CBS).
Who's singing all the way to bank?
In spite of a problematic script, with several bumps in execution, CBS’ Island-filmed “Hawaii Five-0” at 9 p.m. held its own with 9.53 million viewers and a 2.6 adult 18-49 rating, compared to NBC’s “Smash,” which had 8.09 million viewers but a better 2.8 adult 18-49 rating, and ABC’s “Castle,” which earned 8.88 million viewers and a 2.0 adult 18-49 rating. “Five-0” was down a tenth from last week, but “Smash” had a major 26 per cent fallout, compared to last week. “Castle,” on the other hand, was up a skosh from a week ago.
Thus, the jury still is out on the 9 p.m. Monday schedule — clearly, “Smash” with its second episode mixing musical drama and show biz dreams, has become a modest player, eroding some of the viewership of the competing procedural dramas. So it’s still a free-for-all for now.
Back to this week’s “Five-0” episode, entitled “I Helu Pu,” or “The Reckoning.
I reckon good intentions got in the way in writing and execution of this mishmash.
Like the bloodied body found at the end of a laundry chute, this episode was one of the messiest yet — repeated flashbacks that disrupted the storytelling flow, action that put McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) in peril (a car hits him while he’s in pursuit of a perp, giving him gashes on his face that required bandages, which appear and disappear, because of the see-sawing flashback mode, outdated cold war themes about Russian invasions that seemed more James Bondian than McGarrettian.
Further, loyalties and trust were tested, along with common sense, so Lori Weston’s out from her Homeland Security post to aid the governor. (OK, stop the cheering, gang, but admittedly, it’s about time)
How viewers stuck this one out is somewhat baffling. But locals are bound to be loyal, perhaps waiting for that hail-mary pass.
With Lori (Lauren German) deciding to resign and move on, even terminating her adoration for McG, there’s closure to this snail-paced story arc that has plagued the pacing of the show for months. Even minimalizing the productivity of the four-member “Five-0” 'ohana in the process.
There were some bothersome bloopers: How can Kalakaua (Grace Park) merely don scrubs and steal a blood sample from a hospital? Crimefighters breaking the law?
And why were there numerous technical blips in the soundtrack, with a frequent “silent” pause that often dropped a word in dialogue? On whose watch are these things happening?
As Governor Denning, Richard T. Jones finally gets ample screen time ... but the imposing character is demonstrating more menacing maneuvers than aloha or likeability. His way or no way. Remember, the state’s chief executive officer previously took a bullet — and not via an election.
On the Go Local barometer, it was a nice touch to toss in Jake Shimabukuro as a silent auction attraction at the gala that had the cast decked out in formal wear; and season tickets to the University of Hawaii Warrior football games was a nice boost for the team, however premature. Is this the new Norm? Chow Time well before the fall kickoff?
What’s your take?

“Smash,” NBC’s ambitious and admirable backstage musical drama on the making of a Broadway show, was a ratings smash Monday (Feb. 6), attracting 11.5 million viewers in the preliminary overnight Nielsen survey. Fueled by a powerful lead-in “The Voice,” “Smash” also beat the competition with 3.8/10 rating in the coveted 18-49 adult demographics, capturing No. 1 in the 9 p.m. (10 p.m. Mainland) timeslot.
This crushed both CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” and ABC’s “Castle.”
“Five-0,” which boasted a stellar, on-the-edge-of-your-couch kidnapping drama involving Danno’s daughter Gracie and plenty of gutsy teamwork and chases, attracted 9.8 million viewers and a 2.7/7 rating in the 18 to 14 demos, down a tenth, but good for second place, reducing “Castle” to third with 8.72 million and 2.0/5 rating in demos — a season low.
“Smash” premiered strong, with 4.2 adults 18-49 from 9 to 9:30 p.m., though dropping to 3.4 from midpoint to finale.
This was the highest 18-49 tally for any regular show in the pre-news Monday schedule so far this season, nearly quadrupuling NBS’s season average in this slot. “Smash” replaced “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” which is moving the Wednesday landscape.
So the bigger issue now is: Will it have legs? Will “Smash” take the dash out of “Five-0” and “Castle,” which had been jockeying for the 1st or 2nd spot during the 2011-12 season? Or will CBS and ABC eventually reclaim former Monday primetime laurels?
Both “The Voice” and “Smash” had been touted on NBC’s “Super Bowl” coverage, and the plugs paid off.
“The Voice,” at 8 p.m., logged 17.7 viewers, reflected 6.6 adults 18-49 demos, making it the peacock network’s highest-rated regular show in four years, exclusing the “Super Bowl,” which, of course, was a ratings magnet with 111.3 million viewers this past Sunday, the most-watched TV show ever.
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Back to “Five-0”: This episode, entitled “Mai ka wā Kahiko,” or “Out of the Past,” was one of the most gripping to date, just the kind of ammo needed during February sweeps. Alas, the numbers didn't materialize — but not without effort. McGarrett, Danno and Chin Ho, and yes, Lori, too, projected the kind of brisk, taut teamwork lacking during much of this season. When Danno’s girl was in peril, there was swift movement, action, and reaction — tight writing, smart acting, spot-on directing.
The frisky and fun opening, with Lori and McG racing up the Koko Head stairs, was a contrast to the tension whichfollowed — pursuit of a cop gone bad and out of prison, who happens to have a revenge motive to get back to Danno, whose testimony got him in jail.
Acting laurels go to Scott Caan, whose Danno was all grit and snarls, opposite Peter Greene, who played his ex-partner Rick Peterson. Hook ‘em Danno. There was credible and earnest pain in his quest to get this dude back in cuffs and behind bars — and equal sizzle with his ex, Rachel, mother of their captured daugher Gracie.
That wrong-way drive makai on South Street, right next to the former Advertiser building on Kapiolani Boulevard which houses “Five-0” production studios, was swift and sensational — how they shut down the busy street for filming is a testament to savvy film-making.
Finally, here's something to ponder. If “Five-0” overdid “product placement,” with that Subway display a couple of weeks ago, there was a bit of “service placement” or "personality placement" in this one.
Murder was committed in the washroom of Hawaiian Airlines jet; Hawaiian is the show’s cooperating airline, which the plane soaring in the opening credits, and frequently shown in a number of episodes. And you might have noticed that Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Air CEO and president, played himself in a planeside press conference, which is a first for “Five-0” and him. And Hawaiian employee Denby Dung was that in-flight attendant tending to the passengers and the ruckus in the air.
Because Dung also is the spokesperson for Kia, the automaker, which is a season sponsor of the show, this was another instance of “service placement.” She and the car are regularly seen in TV commercials before and during the episodes, with a “proud to be a sponsor” message.
Any comments and/or observations?

“Hawaii Five-0” edged “Castle” to win its Monday slot (Jan. 16) and helped CBS log a victory for the coveted adult 18 to 49 demographics, according to preliminary overnight Nielsen TV ratings.
The CBS procedural drew 10.50 million viewers and a 2.8 demo, compared to its chief ABC competitor’s
9.40 million and 2.3 demo, with NBC’s “Rock Center With Brian Williams” pulling in 5.56 million and 1.3 demo at 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on the Mainland).
Still, the “Five-0” demo was down 3 per cent, compared to its 2.9 figures two weeks ago, when a new episode aired.
“Pu’olo (The Package)” was a bag of old tricks of character revivals, repeating themes. Some thrills, some ills; over-all, a see-sawing, confusing, disappointing hour.
Lauren German (who plays Lori 0000), utters the ultimate review, when referring to a returning baddie, but perhaps sums up the episode: “Clearly, you need some new material.”
The episode featured a truck hijacking/robbery that wasn’t (goods not stolen), the return (via flashback) of Steve McGarrett’s (Alex O'Loughlin) dad John,(William Sadler), threats from the yakuza, the comeback of a nasty criminal from season one, Sang Min (Will Yun Lee), the reappearance of Kamekona’s (Taylor Wyle) shrimp truck (though the hefty one is calorie-counting with five Subway footlongs), the continuation of doubt between McG and his Uncle Joe White (Terry O’Quinn), the rebounding of Danno’s (Scott Caan) preggie ex-wife Rachel (Claire van der Boom) about to give birth and so on.
Through it all, Hawaii looks damn good. If only the story could match the scenics.
The issue and mystery of Shelburne is finally revealed, but it’s a yawn.
But nice to see local faces in prominence: Dean Kaneshiro as Lee Dolan, the dude in the hijacked truck who isn’t killed. His pidgin rants were credible; not so with Sang Min’s. Plus the hearing of John Cruz’s “Hi’lawe” track from the “Five-0” soundtrack CD, with a plug for the album before the final aloha.
Will Carson plays the teen McG in flashback; probably will be reintroduced in future episodes, since that’s the template with the show. A character you know appears when you least expect it.
With the mystery of Shelburne finally solved, or resolved, does this mean this is the last we see of Uncle Joe?

Short and sweet: Actor James Caan will join son Scott Caan in a “Hawaii Five-0” episode in Februrary.
It’s not a total surprise — more a matter of when, not if — since the notion of twinning the veteran acting dad to do a role with son, who portrays Danny “Danno” Williams on the filmed-in-Hawaii procedural.
Specifics were not revealed; no date, no details on role, no plot info.

This was the Twitter message shared today by CBS and CBS studios:

EXCLUSIVE CASTING ALERT! Aloha to James Caan who will join his son Scott on #H50 in February! #TCA12

Book ‘em, Danno!