The idea behind this episode isn't bad at all, however, later in the show it all becomes a bit silly and incoherent. That's a shame, as the notion of an environmental crusader disrupting life in Hawaii in the name of an ancient Hawaiian god is pretty good--especially since pollution was a much more serious problem in 1971 (despite the news shows making it seem like it's getting worse, things were far worse in the early 1970s--just ask an old person, like me, who remembers).
The show begins with a very difficult to complete 'prank'. Someone has managed to climb to the top of an incinerator tower over the weekend and place an aluminum lid on it to protest the pollution. Oddly, a Hawaiian religious item is left there with a note that the act was done by Kaili--an ancient Hawaiian god of war, also known as 'Kū-ka-ili-moku'. How any one person could climb the tower with a 125 pound lid is hard to believe, but a witness says she saw this happen! However, the environmentalists on the island love this act of disobedience--as it has drawn attention to the decay on the islands.
Later, though, after a couple peaceful attacks by Kaili, things get worse--and the public's support for this environmental crusader wanes. That's because their acts of sabotage now include shooting down a crop-duster (and nearly killing the pilot) and publishing a death list of polluters who will die by Kaili's wrath. When the most notorious among them is killed brutally, Five-O knows they must act fast to catch the maniac.
The film ends with a rather horrific ending, though how McGarrett handles this final showdown seemed pretty slap-dash. In fact, the final portion of the show seemed like a bit of a letdown--especially when the person killing in the name of Kaili became a total nut-case--even threatening to kill people who were crusading to HELP the environment. This inconsistency really took away from the value of the show, but the parallel between the show and the modern actions of the Earth Liberation Front (an environmental terrorist group) is pretty interesting and still timely. In fact, it's too bad that the ELF isn't mentioned very often on TV despite their extreme methods.
By the way, Richard Morrison plays an Asian man and looks about as Asian as Nipsy Russell! I loved this show, but also know that their casting decisions for Asians were often stupid...and a bit offensive. Aside from Morrison, some other "Asians" appearing on the show over the years include Ricardo Montalban, David Opatashu and Ross Martin! Yikes.
The show begins with a very difficult to complete 'prank'. Someone has managed to climb to the top of an incinerator tower over the weekend and place an aluminum lid on it to protest the pollution. Oddly, a Hawaiian religious item is left there with a note that the act was done by Kaili--an ancient Hawaiian god of war, also known as 'Kū-ka-ili-moku'. How any one person could climb the tower with a 125 pound lid is hard to believe, but a witness says she saw this happen! However, the environmentalists on the island love this act of disobedience--as it has drawn attention to the decay on the islands.
Later, though, after a couple peaceful attacks by Kaili, things get worse--and the public's support for this environmental crusader wanes. That's because their acts of sabotage now include shooting down a crop-duster (and nearly killing the pilot) and publishing a death list of polluters who will die by Kaili's wrath. When the most notorious among them is killed brutally, Five-O knows they must act fast to catch the maniac.
The film ends with a rather horrific ending, though how McGarrett handles this final showdown seemed pretty slap-dash. In fact, the final portion of the show seemed like a bit of a letdown--especially when the person killing in the name of Kaili became a total nut-case--even threatening to kill people who were crusading to HELP the environment. This inconsistency really took away from the value of the show, but the parallel between the show and the modern actions of the Earth Liberation Front (an environmental terrorist group) is pretty interesting and still timely. In fact, it's too bad that the ELF isn't mentioned very often on TV despite their extreme methods.
By the way, Richard Morrison plays an Asian man and looks about as Asian as Nipsy Russell! I loved this show, but also know that their casting decisions for Asians were often stupid...and a bit offensive. Aside from Morrison, some other "Asians" appearing on the show over the years include Ricardo Montalban, David Opatashu and Ross Martin! Yikes.
