Hawaii Five-0 Season Two (So Far), or Reasons I Might Stop Watching This Show

[rsadelle]

I have been so unsatisfied with this season, with the exception of episodes eight and nine, which returned to the original formula. eleanor_lavish made a long and excellent post (friends locked) about many of the things that are wrong with it. I added a few more things in my comment to her, which I am reposting here (and also one more thing I forgot in the heat of the commenting moment) both so those of you who don't have her friended can read it and because I worry that, like the person whose comment sparked her entry, you might not have seen any critique of this season:

I am so glad you wrote an entry about why you're dissatisfied with this season, because powrhug's comment made me want to do that too. I agree with so much of this. Where is Danny's concern for Grace? Why doesn't he know better than to take her trick-or-treating at the hotel? Why is Grace always so unhappy?

I have four things you didn't cover that bother me about this season:

1. Too much mytharc, not enough monsters of the week. I have never cared about the whole Wo Fat-Steve's dad's death storyline, so having that be the focus of the show is a little off-putting. I am totally with you that I think Joe has to be a bad guy. Also, I really hope Catherine got deployed because she was asking questions for Steve. That would be a good storyline. Generally, I think they have strayed from their original formula, which was: awesome crimefighting team + Steve and Danny are married + five minutes at the end of the episode for the mytharc.

2. The glorification of military force, particularly covert military force. I find this part of the story SO OFFENSIVE that it is probably the thing that will make me stop watching the show if it continues.

3. Lori. I have an incredibly superficial reason for disliking her: she looks like every other Hollywood actress. Sure the rest of the team fits that whole thin, able-bodied, etc. mold, but the Hollywood average blond girl looks out of place in a team that has more people of color and diversity of looks than any other show I'm watching.

4. The whole Danny has no place to live storyline. If it were fic, it would make more sense. But as a part of the show, it doesn't. I guess it's good that they finally got Danny living with Steve, but why is he on the couch? Steve's house has at least two bedrooms. Even if they're not going to be sharing a bed, Danny could have a bed to himself.

And one more thing I forgot: Danny's racism/cultural insensitivity in the Halloween episode. Apparently there is debate out there about whether it's a minus for the show because he was so racist or if it's a plus because everyone took Danny to task for it. I'm on the minus side because while it was great that everyone took Danny to task for it, he never changed his mind or admitted he was wrong. Furthermore, while they act as partners, Steve is technically his boss and could have ordered him not to go into the graveyard until they'd been allowed, and yet he didn't.

Comments

[eleanor-lavish.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I ACTUALLY MENTALLY BLOCKED THAT WHOLE HALLOWEEN THING because it upset me so much. That is so, so very not at all the Danny Williams we started the show with. I mean, maybe this new Danny who lost Rachel AGAIN is all bitter and angry and hurting, but give us more of THAT, then, show and less of Danny being a dick.

Though I liked the reactions of the rest of the cast. And Steve is the worst boss ever. He wants to be everyone's friend, except when he's a lone wolf, and then except when it suits him to give orders that people have to follow. Oh, Steve, you're so monumentally fucked up.

[rsadelle]

Ugh, yes. Danny just being a jerk doesn't work.

He's so terrible! Can you imagine his approach to performance reviews?