Happy Pi Day!

[Bobbi]

Ok, it is Pi Day but that's not why I'm posting. ...

50 years ago tonight, CBS aired S04E24 "R&R&R"!

A soldier (Alan Vint) with a screw loose is seeking revenge on those he believes wronged him. But the way he does it is just plain creepy. He meets the wives of the men he used to serve with who are meeting their husbands for some R&R out of Vietnam.

The soldier, Ralston, is a real piece of work. He's methodical, heartless and has absolutely no remorse for killing these women. All total two women lose their lives with a third in grave danger. Amy Carter (Marie Cheatham) was lured to Honolulu via a Western Union telegram even though her husband wasn't due for R&R for another month. The sad part, Lt. Carter was KIA while he wife flew to Hawaii.

The telegram becomes Ralston's undoing when Five-O figures who he exactly is and the whole convoluted behind his motives. Ralston's Commanding Officer Capt. Nichols (James Davidson) put Ralston in for the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and everything went to crap from there. Nichols transferred Ralston out but it turns out, Ralston isn't mentally stable.

McGarrett confronts Ralston directly on the airplane Amy Carter flew in on. She was told to stay put until the plane could be turned around and take her home. However, Ralston has a knife to her throat. After a struggle, including a serious knife wound to McGarrett's had, the Five-O head kills Ralston.

As usual, Mr. Mike does a much better job. His review is here: http://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log4.htm#96

I like this episode but it's not one of my favorites even though it's military-oriented.

Ralston is just cold-blooded by any stretch of the imagination. The fact that he targets the wives is even worse. However, this seems to be a very typical Five-O episode. It has the team hunting down a killer and using everything they can to bring down that killer.

I don't like that they had Kono mispronounce "photographic" memory. I get what they did, leading to McGarrett's brainstorm that Ralston didn't go for their police bait, Officer Cathy (Genevieve Nelson). But it made Kono look stupid in order for McGarrett to appear smarter. Unfortunately, this is a habit they never really broke.

Regardless, we end Season 4! Happy 50th "R&R&R"!!!!

[John Chergi]

Bobbi-Thanks for posting this on R&R&R. I think some of the confusion in this episode R&R&R on why Ralston was transferred from the unit. Ralston was awarded the DSC and wanted to go to OCS and they blocked it CDR Nichols and the higher ups. However, the operational commitments at war time where every man was needed in Vietnam...I could see they wouldn't approve it at that time. They talked about Ralston going as far as he could go as his advancing at this command. McG made a good point about Ralston needing a head doctor and the command was more interested in their sharp command looking sharp. It's difficult to say what is true. I think it was Commander Nichols talking about it was an error in judgement.

Another bone of contention is how Ralston could find out the information if he was no longer in the service. Some of the R&R wives arrived from long bus and airplane rides. He could have struck up a conversation or befriended them at the recreation center. Some probably were happy to talk after the many hours of travel. Ralston also could find information at the airport. That's where we see Ralston hanging around as some of the R&R wives arrived. I think some good points were raised that Colorado was mentioned for Ralston's location yet Ralston was now in Hawaii. It would take expenses for food and hotel room and whatever expenses he needed to carry out the plan. Despite some of the confusion and problems in the episode, I enjoyed the episode as I believed Ralston was more clever and smarter than depicted by his former command members. It should have been a straight revenge type episode but it mixed Ralston's psychological problems into it. I would give this particular episode R&R&R 3 stars. JC