Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) The Hostage (1975) User Reviews

McGarrett on a bad day

[VetteRanger · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

This episode had a lot of bones to pick with society.

There was a former army commander tired of the attention sought by a troubled man once under his command. McGarrett didn't have much use for him, and dressed him down a bit although the man did help by getting the troubled former soldier's military history, plus remembering what he could himself.

There was a would-be hero who created a disturbance which set back McGarrett's efforts, and the would-be hero got himself shot in the shoulder.

There was the SWAT Captain who had his own ideas of how to solve a hostage crisis ... ideas at odds with McGarrett ... who was more concerned with making sure they got the hostage out alive.

There was the late-night news anchor who wanted a sensational exclusive more than anything ... the ex-wife who hadn't given the man any understanding in years, and a preacher who no one really knows what his deal was ... but he wasn't helping.

McGarrett had to wade through this sea of wrong-headed people and still try to talk the guy out.

As a bonus, this episode featured a young Linda Purl (as the hostage) early in her career, and she was quite easy to look at. :-)

While it is a remake of an earlier episode, it managed to be a bit better.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 November 2011]

Early in the "Hawaii Five-O" series, there was an episode starring Yaphet Koto as a soldier with mental problems who shoots Danny and holds up in a hospital room. The ending of this one was pretty weird but it was a decent episode. Here in season seven, they recycled this plot--albeit with a few changes. Fortunately, while this show is a re-tread, it's a bit better than the original story.

Dane Clark plays a down and out war vet. He drinks too much and he's emotionally unstable. When he sees his old commanding officer, Clark INSISTS to the guy at the desk in the apartment complex that he must be allowed to go upstairs to see his old Colonel. When he's told he cannot, Clark becomes a bit wacky--and the police are called. A scuffle ensues and Clark takes the gun away from the cop and shoots him! In a panic, he looks for a place to hide and takes a hostage (a very young Linda Purl). The police Captain is a hard-nose and wants to charge the apartment with guns blasting--a sure way to get the hostage killed. Fortunately, McGarrett is level-headed and insists on taking it slow and following procedures. What happens next you'll need to see for yourself.

While not a perfect episode (the Captain is a bit too tough to be real--plus you'd think he'd behave better considering his boss, McGarrett, is there!). But it is entertaining and well done.

McGarrett vs. an HPD Captain. The real battle here is between HPD and Hawaii Five-0

[FloridaFred · 9/10 · 22 April 2024]

A middle-aged Korean War Vet who is off his rocker comes to the condo of his former CO and demands to see him. When the police are called, the Veteran (Sergeant Jesse Cooper, played by actor Dane Clark) gets into a scuffle with a cop, a shot is fired, and of course it's the policeman who catches the bullet.

Sergeant Cooper then grabs a very attractive babysitter (20 year old Linda Purl) as a hostage, breaks down a door and takes up shelter in an unoccupied condo.

Lots of tension. McGarrett is having a particularly bad day, in a rare show of emotion he gets into a heated argument with a Honolulu Police Department Captain who is head of the SWAT Team (the writers made that Captain very, very unlikeable, which adds to the frustration). McGarrett also blasts an HPD undercover officer who is too eager to help.

Linda Purl, as character "Ruth Martin", plays her part well. Dane Clark also does a commendable job of playing the unstable Veteran.

There are lots of wanna-be "helpers" who get in McGarrett's way. We mentioned the HPD officer who volunteered to be a substitute hostage. Next up is an annoying news anchorman who drags in Cooper's abandoned wife and a sad excuse for a Priest. McGarrett has to dispense with them all.

There are a couple of plot holes, nothing serious. One flaw that we see in a lot of H5-0 episodes: there is no crowd control, no closing of the streets. Even when multiple shots have been fired at and into the bystanders, with bullets hitting police cars, the cops do not set up barricades or push the onlookers to a safe place. Only when the show approaches it climax, McGarrett finally says, "Get these people out of here!"

A very good "hostage story", well-written and well-played.

* * * * * * * * * 9 Stars for "The Hostage" * * * * * * * * *

Florida Fred.