S03E10 "The Last Eden" is 50

Tonight, "The Last Eden" aired 50 years ago on CBS. :p

This episode is about ecology-minded, nightclub party boy Jimmy Nuanu played by Ray Danton. Danton also appeared in a short-lived series titled "The Alaskans" which I find at least ironic, but mostly funny. His buddy Eddie is played by Tom Fujiwara who meets a nasty end thanks to a bigwig named Colfax (Paul Stevens). Colfax's thugs Zane (Robert Luck) and Sutton (Steve Merrick) throw Eddie out a window.

Colfax is after a presumably multi-million dollar deal with the State of Hawaii to take care of the sewage/garbage being dumped into the ocean. Colfax is slimy forcing his competition out of business or taking them in hostile takeovers to create a monopoly. Colfax wants to set up Jimmy to take the fall for a sewage plant explosion at the beginning of the episode that also killed a night guard.

Mr. Mike has a much better explanation, as usual, than I do. Here is his review: http://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log3.htm#58

Five-O has to do some catching up and they know Jimmy, including his prior Army experience with demolitions. McGarrett and Jimmy also know one another personally as McGarrett catches up to the singer at one of his all-day parties. However, they find a clue in one of Eddie's hands as he's being taken away after being thrown out the window. The problem is in the shot prior to the commercial wave, both of Eddie's hands are open on the ground (oops!).

That aside, this episode is worthwhile because of the issue at hand: the environment. The movement didn't really gain try traction until the 1990s but started as far back as NASA's Apollo program when some people realized this is the one planet we have. Five-O was definitely ahead of their time tackling this issue. They tackle it again in S04E13, "Is This Any Way To Run A Paradise?" and it's an underlying issue is several other episodes. Richard Morrison's character, a professor McGarrett consults with, is kind of slimy but tells us what the bottom line is: money. This, sadly, hasn't changed either so another point to the show for being ahead of the power curve.

Another trivia note that is not mentioned by Mr. Mike: If you look closely at the picture in Jimmy's dressing room beside the mirror, it's Elizabeth Smith who made several appearances on Five-O herself.

Personally, I can take or leave this episode. I remember watching it on MeTV during the Fall 2017 run and thought it was a cool subject matter because no one was really talking about the environment that much on 1970s TV. Unfortunately, that's about all it's got going for it. The acting isn't bad per se and McGarrett has a snappy comeback for a blonde practically throwing herself on him.

Regardless of the flaws (it's one of the charms of the series, in my opinion), it's worth tuning in. Happy 50th "The Last Eden"! :cool: