I know I shouldn’t feel so competitive, particularly considering my weekend post about over-identification. However, as one who reviews Hawaii 5-0 on a weekly basis I can only say in a rather adult and detached manner, IN YOUR FACE, CASTLE! LiveClack That! HAHAHAHA. OK. That was super-obnoxious and I apologize. But, considering Hawaii 5-0 is only just re-taking first place, I have to take my happiness where I find it (also, I’ve always wanted to start a mini-CliqueClack turf war a la the Jets and the Sharks). If ABC hadn’t placed Castle on a two week hiatus, it probably would’ve murdered 5-0 with last night’s Dancing with the Stars battle royale. So, thank you Brett and Carla for allowing me my minor moment of obnoxiousness.
Speaking of murder, this week’s episode featured the usual crime with thieving, vampire tri-athletes using the iron man competition to commit heists. I loved 500 things about the episode despite the non-unique crime, including: Hawaii scene porn, the increase of team interaction, the return of “Steve the science guy,” the deepening Danno-McGarrett relationship, and the increasing use of Chin Ho and Kono as more than Hawaiian flavor. But, the thing I loved most included the introduction of Danno’s ex-wife. Claire van der Boom’s Rachel proved the opposite of Frasier’s mythical Maris. Despite the faux-posh, cut glass English accent, her hyper awareness, her ability to cut Danno verbally, and her quick thinking, demonstrated why the two connected, even as Danno’s job pulled them apart. While the show’s female actresses never feel as strong as the male actors (outside of Kelly Hu and Jean Smart), Sarah Goldfinger did an AWESOME job writing for the character. So much so, I want her to return.
The show definitely has a pattern from the opening crime to McGarrett-Danno serving as the unit’s arms/feet with Kono/Chin Ho serving as the tech investigators (does that run in the family?) to the pre-crime solving McGarrett-Danno car-bonding moment. Even so, this week and last week, the pattern just seemed better without burying Kono/Chin Ho. And, this week featured even more investigative references. Evidently, you can check the mirrors of the person you’re tailing to see if they marked your van. On a side note, I love Kamekona. Nothing else. Just that.
However, a couple things stood out as way too obvious, including:
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Nov 23, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Seems like a hollow victory since there was not a new Castle on this week…
The title references last week, when there was a new episode -
Ah, of course, I take it back then!
Castle wasn’t on last night…
Has the show improved that much? I watched the first 3 episodes of H5-0 and they were horrible. I couldn’t decide if McGarrett and Danno needed to be placed in a locked room with knives until only one came out, or set up at a motel to finally bring their “man love” to its inevitable conclusion. After 3 episodes I finally decided that I didn’t really care either way. The interaction between the two was so horrible it was unwatchable.
I won’t even get into how bad the dialogue between the two was.
I absolutely love Grace Park, but just couldn’t bring myself to watch the show for the few minutes of cinematic beauty that is Grace Park.
Nope, Castle is far better. Vastly better scripts and far better character development across the board.
The Castle/Beckett thing is nowhere near as confusing, they don’t hate each other, they just need that motel room.
Maybe I’ll give H5-O another shot in re-runs, but I really can’t picture being able to watch the rest of the cast with how much I despise the McGarrett and Danno characters.
Whoa, so do do you like it or not? :o)
While I no longer watch H50, I don’t feel it’s a bad show. In fact, I think it’s a pretty decent show, but it doesn’t have anything to pull it from the bloated pack of procedurals and have it remain on my weekly viewing list. Coincidentally, I watched only the first 3 episodes, too, and it just didn’t hook me. I agree that Castle is the more entertaining of the two shows, but considering how the ratings for both shows are essentially neck-and-neck, it looks like a lot of viewers are still trying to make up their minds.
At first I assumed that Castle taking top spot after a number of weeks was a sign of permanent and continuing shift in the ratings. I chalked up H50’s initial ratings lead to be due to curiosity, and it still may be with people either having a hard time deciding their favorite or viewers are sampling H50 in “shifts” rather than during the initial weeks. Sometimes it’s better to let a show find its footing before trying it out, so there may be some wisdom in the idea of giving a new show a try after a couple of months’ worth of episodes have aired.
At any rate, it’s a decent show and if Castle weren’t on I’d likely be watching it.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey Tom and Wayne,
I think ‘Hawaii 5-0′ and ‘Castle’ will continue to “battle” it out, at least, until the Spring. They’re both good shows. Although their lead actors are in the same age range, I had always assumed ‘Hawaii 5-0’s guns, hot cars, and hot actors would bring in more of the younger demographic. Either way, both have good writing, they just have a different focus – ‘Castle’ is quirkier and warmer while ‘Hawaii 5-0′ is straight up action.
I also had assumed that ‘Hawaii 5-0′ would continue to do well in the ratings, but wouldn’t recover its opening spot. But, luckily, as you stated, people are going between the two. I’m just surprised ‘Hawaii 5-0′ did better last week considering ‘Castle’ had its ‘X-Files’ tribute. Either way, I have to cheer for the show I review. So, go team 5-0!
To An Nicholson: You’re surprised that Steve didn’t recognize Danno’s neighbourhood? It’s his ex-wife’s neighbourhood. Danno has a studio apartment elsewhere.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey Linda – In the past, McGarrett has driven with Danno to pick up Gracie -
This episode was my favorite since the pilot. No super duper guess star really helped, as did the use of the entire cast. The story was interesting, meeting Danno’s wife was a necessity (the actress playing their daughter seems genetically different than the parents – was she adopted?) and was timed perfectly for the episode. If they could make every episode without a named guest star as a suspect, fully utilize the cast and Alex O would get a damned Twitter account to give Nathan Fillion a fun for his money (Moonlight references would so kick some Firefly ass), it would be a far better match up.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey Carissa – I wondered if the lack of guest stars made the show enjoyable, as well. Actually, Gracie looked like a cross between the two actors. The ex-wife has dark coloring while Danno is fair, and she seemed to have a mix of the two together. The vampire reference was interesting, I wonder how many more they’ll slip in before the season ends :)
I think when ANY show focuses on guest stars, it takes away from an ensemble cast. If an actor wants to come on for an arc (like, say, John Lithgow on Dexter), then it works.
But for one episode, especially on crime dramas, the odds always point to them being the number one suspect and the writers spend too much time catering to them and ignoring the real stars – the series regulars.
In my not-so humble opinion, of course. ;-)
I like both shows. Lets remember that Castle is 2nd Season,5-0 a new modification of a very old favorite. Think the writers are doing a good job in making an old favorite into a positive new show that can stand on its own. Agree that guest stars take away from shows that don’t need them. If I can believe the hype, many guest stars are on because they like a particular show and want to be a small part of their history. Thanks to Tivo/DVRs, it is great to be able to watch both–I really would not have to choose between the two.
I have not watched this week’s episode yet, but I did really last weekLs episode. That was the first time I thought the whole team was well utilized. I will watch this episode over the holiday.
I still like Castle more, but if H-50 keeps up that tone it may move up my DVR list.
If you watch Castle live … Please stop by the LiveClack. We chat the episode and have some fun trying to figure out who did the crime.