The Payoff turns 50

Today, S03E13 "The Payoff" is 50!

The episode follows a gang of five: Jase (Warren Vanders), Vince (Albert Salmi), Toomey (Paul Carr), Lew (Richard Brady) and Madge (Madilyn Rhue). Six years before they kidnapped the son of Washington State's governor. They were paid $500,000 but the son died. Unfortunately, he's not the only one.

The episode opens with Vince tracking down Jase who is from Hawaii and returned trying to start over. Vince shoots him and leaves him for dead. However, Jase survives long enough to realize his old girlfriend Madge betrayed him and to phone Toomey and Lew in Seattle. Jase's current girlfriend Lila (Joyce Van Patten) didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping but she is key to Five-O nailing the gang because Jase died at her house after telling McGarrett everything.

Mr. Mike does a much better job in his review and excellent gallery: http://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log3.htm#61

Five-O tracks everybody down to the Hawaiian Village Hotel (I think this is the Hilton Village now? I remember walking past it when I stayed at the Hale Koa in 2015). A gunfight ensues with the gang busted and one of my favorite scenes in the episode with Madge trying to hang onto all the money and sniffling while doing so. Like duh! The cops busted you guys, girlie...suck it up! ;)

This is another strong episode and a good one to introduce someone to the series. This was another episode when it aired on MeTV that got my attention. It's not one of my favorites again but it's really well done all the way around. What sticks out to my is Madge. She is pure evil and fun to watch. She starts the events in motion in betrayal and the eventual undoing of the gang.

Happy 50th, The Payoff!! :cool:

Madlyn Rhue was a very talented and beautiful presence who could be equally credible as victim and villainess. Sadly, she was stricken with MS in the early 80s and soon could only act from a wheelchair.

That "stretched" image of the Seattle Space Needle means the stock footage was lifted from a widescreen movie and the image "squeezed" to accommodate the TV ratio. This can be seen a lot in 60s-70s TV shows with establishing shots of big cities that were lifted from movies of the day. No idea what movie is the source for that Seattle shot though.

Love the Season 1 music cue they used in this episode (also memorably used in Season 2’s “Run, Johnny, Run”) when Jase limps towards Lila’s house. I think its first use was in “One for the Money”.

Yep that’s the “Long Wait” cue from the official Five-O soundtrack album. And yes I do remember it first from “One for the Money” where Charlie is about to stab himself. But I think it was also heard in “UpTight” but can’t remember which part. Its most extensive use (the complete track as heard on the album) isn’t heard until “Leopard on the Rock” when the girl is preparing to assassinate Jakhal, almost plugging Kono instead.

In fact “The Payoff” is chock full of stock season 1 music by Stevens, especially in the teaser.