OK, everybody can relax now: Jack Lord is back on DVD in Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Fifth Season. Phew, it had only been five months since the last Five-O release but man, was I having some serious withdrawal symptoms. Hell, even my children were thrilled when they saw the Season Five box set (yes, parents, it’s suitable enough for kids).
Now then, sometime during or after Season Four, a major change in casting occurred: actor Zulu (who co-starred as Detective Kono Kalakaua) was “let go” after an altercation with the series’ publicist in which a racial slur allegedly occurred. Jack Lord, who was one of the driving forces behind the series, wasn’t about to let this sort of thing threaten to shut his baby down, and so, in Zulu’s place stepped Al Harrington (who had appeared in several episodes of the previous four seasons as different characters) as Detective Ben Kokua. James MacArthur (Det. Danny "Danno" Williams) , Kam Fong (Det. Chin Ho Kelly) , and Harry Endo (as the forensics lab maestro Che Fong), however, were still on Jack Lord’s good side and returned for another fun season…this time crossing paths and sharing scenes with guest stars Ricardo Montalban, William Shatner, Keenan Wynn, Dirk Benedict, Harold Gould, Andy Griffith, Patty Duke, Richard Basehart, and more.
DISC ONE:
Episode 5.1: “Death Is A Company Policy”
Directed by Charles S. Dubin
A balding Michael Ansara plays the murderous mob boss who sets up HPD officer Duke Lukela (series semi-regular Herman Wedemeyer) as his patsy when the feds get too close to his operations. Glenn Cannon (another series semi-regular) returns as D.A. Manicote and Richard Denning makes an appearance (again) as the Governor.
Luigi’s Useless Information: Hey, here’s a dumb (but fun) game Star Trek fans can play: Spot the Trek Actors in Five-O! Actors that played major characters (Kirk, Picard, etc.) are worth 10 points, actors that played minor characters (Yeoman Rand or Doctor Pulaski, et al) are 5 points, and guest stars (a limited amount of appearances throughout the entire filmed Trek universe) are 1 point each. No doubling up points for actors that played both major or minor characters in one series and guest starred in another. You should have 1 point so far.
Episode 5.2: “Death Wish On Tantalus Mountain”
Directed by Allen Reisner
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