Ironically enough, I usually strongly dislike crime procedural dramas. (I say “ironically” because the two American shows I cover here are Bones and Hawaii Five-0.)
Usually what turns me off about these shows is that everything happens in a one-episode vacuum with no thoughts for repercussions or morality. The cops/detectives aren’t people, they’re human incarnations of the audience that are completely unaffected by the horrors we’re supposed to believe they are constantly exposed to. They have no personality or life outside of the show. What draws me to any show is the human element, and recurring characters who endear themselves to me are what keeps me coming back and turns me from a casual viewer who will watch occasionally while chopping vegetables for dinner to an honest-to-God fan who would never miss an episode. There are a lot of shows that attempt to do that, mostly with limited success. Bones did it first, which is what drew me to that show, Castle made a serious attempt to replicate that, but I was never as endeared to the characters (which is why I’m a casual viewer) , but I think, far and away, Hawaii Five-0 does it best.
Let’s be honest about Hawaii Five-0‘s flaws, because it has some. The week-to-week plots are giant MacGuffins. There is a lot of cheesecake fanservice/objectification. (Hello, this week’s shirtless Scott Caan, that was very much appreciated.) And, I am told by my geologist friend who I was watching this episode with last night, the science was, shall we put it politely, highly unsound.
But here’s the thing — I don’t care. Normally, I would, but this show does enough that those are details I’m willing to wave off. Most notably, the show does two things superlatively — character development and a long-term arc. The long-term arc is something I’m consistently amazed more crime dramas don’t employ. It’s by far the easiest way to make a show go from something fun you tune into when you have time to something that you can’t bear to skip in case you miss the twist. And this week’s was a doozy — the money is all back. How the heck did that happen? How did they just pull that on me? I am probably the world’s most jaded TV watcher in the history of watching television. I’m that person who calls out the ending to movies before they happen and then no one wants to watch things with me. And I genuinely did not see that coming.
Long-term arcs also help fix another gaping hole in the cop procedural drama that usually turns me off them — they give a chance to flesh out the characters and make them into living, growing people. And not just the main ones, either. It’s a little ridiculous how excited I get to see Kamekona or Mamo or Catherine again. And frankly, it’s a little sad that a tiny bit of continuity is all it takes to make me that excited in the first place. I mean, it makes sense they’d choose to do it — Hawaii is a small island with a small population compared to giant cities like New York where most crime dramas are set, and it doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t run into the same people over and over again. But when they do, it lends just that little bit more credence and realism to the show.
And you can tell when a show thinks in terms of arcs instead of episodes, because suddenly, magical things like character development start happening. You start learning about the characters as people instead of just a crime-solving robot. And when you do that, you get moments like right before the team goes to bring in the bad guys where you see them all click into place as individuals. Kono’s unrepentant and reckless, Chin’s guilty and resigned, Danny cares about thinking things through (and his daughter), and Steve is all no-nonsense exterior with a lingering vulnerability under the surface. When you spend time lovingly painting each character, you can shamelessly manipulate your audience (like I was manipulated), to get all teary-eyed over a “book ‘em, Danno” because oh God, it might be Steve’s last one. (And it made up for not hearing it for about five episodes straight before this. You are forgiven, show writers.)
So I retain my right to say that yes, nine times out of ten, I totally hate procedural cop dramas. But I say that with a caveat — because as far as I’m concerned, Hawaii Five-0 is a sprawling whodunit laden with rich characters and compelling interpersonal relationships, and that? That I happily tune in for.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Jan 24, 2011 @ 20:14 EST5EDT
That was an interesting take on how you view H5-0. I suppose I have not consciously thought of it, but I too love a show that embeds continuity in it’s fabric. It makes it far easier to bond with the characters.
To say the science was highly unsound, is putting it too mildly. For a top ten show, it has the laziest writers in the history of television. You can’t call this a crime procedural since the “crimes” they are stopping are ridiculous and the way in which they solve them ludicrous.
I’m sorry…
I sat here wondering why the Navy didn’t launch a F-18 to buzz the wave from the instant I saw Steve’s on again/off again girlfriend in the first act. Seems like a no-brainer on so many different levels.
When there’s a plot hole big enough to steer an aircraft carrier through, it is hard to enjoy the rest of what’s going on.
Julia & Tim-1, I agree, and did not realize how the character development is as important as it is to the enjoyment of the cop/crime shows–as a junkie to that group; it helps to explain how I do rank them in my viewing choices. D.W., as a Navy resident of those islands for over a year–I don’t understand your logic. The military, especially the Navy, is certainly a big part of that scene, but almost because it is; they really attempt to keep as low a profile as possible.
Then remove the Navy portion of the comment, and insert “private pilots.” Its ludicrous to me that with that much warning, no one would fly out and look at the wave.
GREAT review and I agree with you on almost every point. Characters are what draw you back week after week. You become invested with them and their back story/lives and that is what you talk about around the water cooler at work….not the crime of the week.
By rationing out the tidbits on what makes each character tick, the writers are holding the proverbial carrot stick and we follow willingly along.
As viewers we get bogged down in the detail and logic……this is TV, it’s ENTERTAINMENT….I don’t watch shows like this for a education….I watch it for enjoyment, fantasy, envy, fun, humor and, dare I say it, sweetness! And the eye candy aint’ bad neither!
Watching this group of such dissimilar people, come together as a team, has been lesson in how to make a series work. We weren’t given everything already in place. Each character has to earn their place on the team and how they mesh, hearts & thorns, makes you look forward to those moments every week. The ‘bromance’ banter reveals little parts of McG and Danno every week. Most men can’t talk about their feelings and emotions, but the banter allows them to give glimpses of what drives them.
Again, great review, looking forward to many more!