Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16 Review: Only the Stars of Heaven Know Where Pae Is

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Well, that was an exception to the rule.

The case of the week was almost incidental to everything else that was happening on Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16.

Still, let's talk about that case first, and dispose of it relatively quickly, just like it was on the episode.

Tani Goes Undercover - Hawaii Five-0

The best part of the case was Tani and Junior going undercover as parents checking out a private academy for their young son, Noah. 

Granted, Noah was supposedly just getting out of preschool, but he looked to be much older than that in their Photoshopped photos, way too old for this young couple to have produced. How did the admission director miss that?

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As Danny and McGarrett noted early on, Tani and Junior work as a couple. A feisty, bickering couple, like they'd been married for too long, but a couple nonetheless. As McGarrett noted, there's definitely a chemistry there.

And they held their own among that private school crowd and didn't seem out of place. What could have seemed like interrogation just came off as nosy people exchanging gossip? What a great way to learn about the unlikeable headmaster.

Going Undercover - Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16

Should they be a couple? I'd say no, first because the series has already done the co-workers as a couple thing with Steve and Catherine, even though that didn't work out in the end. (Yes, Chin and Abby also.) I like them better as almost brother and sister, ragging on each other.

It's a shame that their undercover stint was so short. It had to be to keep the case zipping along.

There was no shortage of suspects: the bribe-taking admissions director, one of the women the headmaster was bedding, one of the many complainants.

I have to admit I never thought of the gymnasium contractor who was laundering money for a Venezuelan drug cartel. I mean, how does that kind of arrangement come to be?

But while Barton was a scumbag, at least he took the fall for his wife, the actual murderer. That's only fair after he endangered his family by even being involved with a cartel.

Digging for Evidence - Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16

Oh, and can you think of a more McGarrett scenario than Steve unearthing a murder victim with a jackhammer? Est muy macho.

Props to Eddie for his much-needed assistance in solving this case. 

Then there was the obligatory firefight finale, but at least Junior got to take the final sniper kill shot this time. He's integrating well into this team.

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Better was the mystery of why Adam was kidnapped and stuck in a shed out in the jungle. He was there essentially because of an underworld myth.

Yes, he did go visit Michelle Shioma, even if he should have known better. And he walked away before learning the secret which she was prepared to tell him.

I figured that Adam's task force looking into the Yakuza was stillborn, that he had been exposed somehow.

Tracking the Gun - Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16

But no, in a quirky twist of fate, Hideki was after the $20 million which Shioma had stolen from Adam's father, about which Adam hadn't waited around to find out.

Not only that, but Hideki chose to use Jessie, Adam's informant, as his muscle. With all the mouth-breathers he has available, he chose her?

So instead Adam came up with another valuable hidden prize: the gun a wealthy businessman used to commit murder, which Adam's father had hidden. Not $20 million in cash, but an item which ultimately could be worth much more.

It was a solid plan if the said businessman hadn't decided to blow his brains out instead of paying up.

This leaves Adam in exactly the same precarious position. But now he knows who's after him and why which leaves him better able to plan counter moves.

Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 15 Review: He Puko'a Kani 'aina (A Coral Reef Strengthens Out Into Land)

Then, for once, the restaurant subplot has become more interesting, thanks to Danny's Uncle Vito.

You don't bring in Vincent Pastore if you don't want his character working in the gray areas, ethically speaking. This type of behavior, unfortunately, doesn't work as well in Hawaii as it would in New Jersey, and he ended up jailed for bribery.

Hey, but at least he gave Danny and McGarrett the tough love they needed, telling them that they can't treat opening a restaurant like a hobby, as they have been. They accepted this in the spirit it was intended, welcoming his assistance, warts and all.

Then, out of the blue, we found out that Vito was indirectly responsible for the man who shot Danny while in quarantine back in Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 10.

I figured that was just a story thread that would never be heard of again. But no, it's back, even if we still have no idea what this guy's beef is with Danny.

Maybe most of the outstanding storylines will get tied up in the remaining few episodes this season, because with Alex O'Loughlin's contract expiring, who knows if there will be a Hawaii Five-0 Season 9?

To review those storylines, watch Hawaii Five-0 online.

How did you like Tani and Junior as a couple? Are you enjoying Vito's visit? How does Adam handle his predicament? Comment below.

O nā hōkū o ka lani wale no kai 'ike i kahi o Pae (Only the Stars of Heaven Know Where Pae Is) Review

Editor Rating: 4.25 / 5.0
  • 4.3 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.4 / 5.0 (16 Votes)

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.

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Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 Episode 16 Quotes

Grover: {Samantha's] already blown through her monthly allowance.
Tani: Good beer ain't cheap.

McGarrett: Are you picking up on the chemistry that's going on?
Danny: It's like they're married.