Study in Rage - or Stupid at 50

50 years ago tonight, CBS aired S07E19 – "Study In Rage".

This episode is about a psycho killing people because he thinks they're all standing between him and the love of his life. Mike Apano/Opana (Richard Hatch) is weird. He gives tennis lessons and has seen various doctor including a psychiatrist Arthur Spear (John Stalker).

Mike leaves a bloody wake including killing a guy named Martin – Glynis Martin's (Gretchen Corbett) father. Mike is obsessed with Glynis after they met when she vacationed in Hawaii about a year before. He daydreams about them getting married, having children, etc. It's creepy.

Five-O figures out the down low after talking to Mike's roommate Charlie (Alan Naluai) and Connie Honaka (Josie Over). They track her down thanks to a strange painting Dr. Spear made based on his sessions with Mike.

When all is said and done. Five-O figures out Mike is an outsider due to being hapa-haole ("half and half"). Based on the casting, this makes even less sense, but I digress. Five-O finds Mike and Glynis at a house Mike is having built and literally smoke him out. They arrest him for the murders he committed.

Mr. Mike always does a much better job than I do, even on this stink pile of an episode. His review is here: https://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log7.htm#163

I'm just going to say it. This episode stinks. The only worthwhile thing to watch this episode for is Gretchen Corbett. She's fine and she gets properly enraged at Mike after he tells her he killed her father. She wasn't looking for anything serious, but Mike is well off the deep end.

Hatch is terribly mis-cast as Mike. If they had casted a native Hawaiian, it might be more convincing. Hatch is terrible! Mike is not believable at all and just has this murder streak in him that won't quit. It's stupid.

Regardless, Happy 50th, “Study In Rage”!! :cool:

I don’t know why folks dog on this episode. It’s a fine episode and creepy for a reason, like many other creepy episodes. Ok so Hatch isn’t Hawaiian (though he does have a swarthy look to him so he’s not totally miscast - it’s not like they cast a blond bloke) and his makeup a bit distracting. But other than that he’s a full-blown psycho and the story works just fine in that capacity. Not every episode can reach the heights of Draw Me a Killer or I’ll Kill ‘Em Again but to call this one a stinker is really pushing it. Especially when you consider some of what we got during the last 3 seasons and especially season 12. I have the same confusion with people dogging on Deadly Persuasion. Sure Kario Salem has these nervous ticks and wide-eyed look that might annoy some people but on the whole it’s another excellent psycho episode. I’d rather watch these episodes than yet another “Steal” episode - these are the episodes that have the word “steal” in them that are almost always for me a sign that it’s a clunker. Steal Now Pay Later, The Waterfront Steal, A Sentence to Steal, etc. These are all bottom of the barrel episodes of their respective seasons. Merchandise thefts, warehouse thefts, etc. I’ll pass…

Have to agree with Ringfire here. I think Study In Rage receives too much criticism. Mike is totally in love with Glynis who he had a relationship with during her Hawaiian vacation. In the flashbacks, it appears Glynis is having as much fun as Mike. I like that it focuses on the man Mike who wants the marriage, the family, the house etc. Usually, it's the woman that is made to be overly obsessed and delusional. Mike Anapo has plenty to offer. He's a good-looking man and solid employment giving tennis 🎾 lessons. Has a great car and working on a house he purchased. Arrow up as far as his future and potential. I wish they had explored more about that he wasn't truly accepted in either community as Half Haole/Half Hawaiian. Charlie is a great character as Mike's friend and roommate. No doubt, Mike becomes a psycho killing Glynis Father and the Psychiatrist Arthur Spear who makes a connection to Mike and the death of Glynis Father. Spear is killed by Opana before he can give Mike's name or finish the painting. The Allergy Dr is also killed by Opana as Mike tries to cover his tracks. It takes awhile for HFO to figure this out. I love when McGarrett looks at the mirror and sees the name in reverse Anapo/Opana. Glynis does not love Mike but sees him as a good friend. Mike killed all those people for nothing. It was awkward and cumbersome when they use the tear gas in the house. I guess the writers were working out different ending scenarios. I probably would give A Study In Rage 2.5 Stars but could see 2 Stars ⭐⭐ as a proper rating or grade. JC

Ringfire
I think most of the problems Deadly Persuasion first 10 minutes. 1.There's no way Stevens would know the TZ-40 gas would be stored in the Kern Industries building. It would be more believable if he was a Chemistry or Lab student helping out there. Or if he was a food delivery person. It looks like a non-descript building from the outside. 2. Nothing in the episode explains his incredible climbing and roping ability. It would be more believable if he worked clearing trees from wires or telephone line company or worked in the circus high wire acts or something. It's a weakness in the episode 3. How honestly would Stevens know how to exactly store the volatile TZ-40 gas? He seemed to know how to store it but has no Chemistry or Science degree. He's studying CRMJ. 4. I think the theft of the gas is just too easy. Don't see this important TZ-40 gas placed in a double lock 🔒 glass case or anything. He reaches in and just takes the TZ-40 gas. Should be sensitive alarms or more of a deterrent. 5. Also, I don't like when Danno seems definitive that there isn't a group or faction behind it. It's too early for him to know that. He proves to be right only Stevens. I think these are some reasons Deadly Persuasion receives criticism. Think most of the criticisms are at the beginning. There is no logical reason Stevens would know the TZ-40 gas is stored at Kern Industries. Let's say he was burglarizing an office and stealing money from a safe or place and stumbled upon the lab and the TZ-40 gas...I think that would be more believable. He targets the TZ-40 gas right away and completes his task.

Sergeant John Chergi

John, those things never bothered me about Deadly Persuasion. Somehow he found out about this dangerous gas and where it was being kept. Maybe some guard who worked at the place let it slip while being drunk in a bar. Could be anything really. I don’t worry much about that. Or his roping/climbing ability. He’s a young guy and how do we know that he doesn’t do roping and climbing in his spare time? Maybe it’s his hobby. I’ve no problem with any of this. Not everything needs to be shown to me beforehand for me to accept it. I have a much bigger problem with David Wayne in 30,000 Rooms and I Have the Key (an episode that I really like by the way) taking a lightning-fast plunge off a balcony on a rope like a 20-something year old ace mountain climber. That part really bugs me. That guy was like 60 or 70? Yet he makes a split second disappearing act right off the balcony before McGarrett’s eyes. Unbelievable!

Good reply Ringfire!

I think the problem with Deadly Persuasion is the beginning. There's no great evidence provided how Stevens would know about the TZ-40 gas. He's not an employee in the building. Doesn't have a girlfriend or sister that works there. He's not having an internship through the college at Kern Industries. Not a food delivery person or messenger bringing things to the building. I think it's just lazy writing. He's also very young college age probably 20-25 age range. It's probably why it gets lower marks. I think it moves well after he captures the TZ-40 gas. We had this discussion before about suspending belief on things. You might remember about McG in A Time To Die having the time to be fitted in a Coast Guard uniform and also finding a needle in a haystack boat. That's where the Surgeon's daughter was being held. It was all in a short period of time. It was kind of spilt in the discussion. I wasn't bothered by it as they don't have to show everything. It's understood he's got changed into the uniform quickly and going to the different boats for the Coast Guard inspection. It was a brilliant idea. That guy wanted to cast off but McG had him stay aboard. I think we had a similar discussion on the forum in R&R&R on Ralston. How would Ralston obtain all this info about when the officers would be returning back from Vietnam? He had been given a Section 8 in Colorado then ends up in Hawaii. It also talks how the officers blocked his OCS because of wartime commitments. JC

Ringfire & JC -

And once again, Five-O proves "to each their own". I don't like this episode but I do enjoy Deadly Persuasion.

My problem isn't the psycho side of things. I think this episode is one of those that looked good on paper but execution sucks! It could have been stronger with someone talented (without the need for so much makeup) in the role of Mike. Hatch isn't believable to me - not the character. Mike is believable, but Hatch playing him is not. That's the difference.

Just because I think an episode stinks, doesn't mean someone out there doesn't like it. I'm sure there are episodes in this series I really enjoy that people find abhorrent. Nothing wrong with that.

Great discussion.

John, I think you missed the part where I said it could have been a guard at Kern industries who got drunk in a bar and let it slip to Stevens or someone Stevens knew about the gas stored there. Maybe even what room it was stored in. Sure maybe it’s a bit of a stretch but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility. Could happen. Even with something that’s supposed to be top secret. Again, I can roll with it.

Bobbi, you’re right. Maybe the execution wasn’t the best when it comes to Study in Rage (hence why it won’t make anyone’s top 10 of the series). But the story itself is sound and interesting. Personally for me it worked just fine. Even if it’s not a stone cold classic. But still a very good season 7 episode.

In response to comments above, I decided to look at this episode again. I don't usually do this! And hopefully I won't have to do it for too many more. BUT ... I found a whole bunch of angles in this show which I had totally overlooked. I'm not going to repeat this stuff here, please check out my revised review:

https://fiveohomepage.com/5-0log7.htm#163

I still think that Hatch's performance in this show is mediocre, though it doesn't come anywhere near two of my least favorite acting jobs in Classic H50: Carol Lynley in Angel in Blue and David Dukes in When Does A War End? (two episodes right next to each other in season 10).

It's pretty funny that Hatch's performance in both this and his last episode (The Waterfront Steal, S08E11) has him playing the Hawaiian equivalent of "white trash." He is called "trash" by not only Simon Oakland in Waterfront Steal but also in this episode by an uncredited Ted Nobriga who (according to his daughter, played by Josie Over) says Hatch's character was a "chop suey, half-Hawaiian, hapa haole."