Nine Dragons

[Mr. Mike]

I am finally getting around to redoing my review of Nine Dragons, my favorite Classic H50 episode (but see next posting). I didn't do this one when I did the big revision which took me about 2½ years from 2018, starting the celebration of 50 years for the original show.

I've noticed a few trivial things:

- I think it is highly unlikely that Jack Lord actually dove into the polluted waters off Hong Kong at the beginning of the show. There are at least two cuts after McGarrett jumps off the boat, though when the sequence is repeated later, there are no cuts at all. When he is rescued by Suzie, the Chinese girl, and her uncle, they pull him up out of the drink on to their boat. f you look carefully at the way this scene is done, you never see Jack Lord other than up close with nothing of the horizon in the background, probably because these shots were done close-up in a swimming pool. We also get a glimpse of the wet hair on top of Jack Lord's head and it is not as thick as you might expect!

- After this beginning, which is like a second teaser, we then return to Hawaii at what is the real "beginning" of the show, complete with a further voice-over by McGarrett which starts out, "It all began two weeks earlier at Hickam Field in Honolulu." This doesn't make sense if this is still McGarrett in Hong Kong speaking, because there he has no memory of who he is, and probably other things as well.

- Although the lab where the deadly toxins are stored and being experimented with has very strict rules about who can enter with a 24-hour-a-day police guard, Dr. Dalton goes there with Wo Fat (their second visit to the lab, during the first one they were told to get lost) and get into it without any problems at all, because the cops are nowhere to be seen!

- At the beginning of the show, as the main credits (producers, director, etc.) are seen, which is an establishing shot of Hong Kong, you can see the junk (ship) that McGarrett is on in the distance with Suzie and her uncle moving from left to right, just before it says "Written by Jerome Coopersmith." In other words, McGarrett is returning to Hong Kong before he escaped from the other junk where he was about to be killed by Wo Fat's stooges!

[Mr. Mike]

Speaking of Nine Dragons, I finally finished my re-viewing this episode and updating the review itself.

https://fiveohomepage.com/5-0log9.htm#192

I have also linked to a copy of a script which I have which has differences with what was actually shown in the episode.

[John Chergi]

Mr. Mike
Nine Dragons sure is an entertaining episode. This is 1 of your FAV episodes. Agree there are some flaws in the episode Nine Dragons but really enjoyed it. He should have voiced his concerns to some of the faculty about the imposter Shang. Wo Fat would have had to somehow dance around it during direct questioning or have them killed off. Strength in numbers. He was able to eliminate the man after their 1 on 1 encounter. They had strict measures for the lab's security but Wo Fat was granted access. Wo Fat and his associates efficiently gained possession of the nerve gas. Wo Fat finally had the advantage and McGarrett somehow survived the encounter. That was realistic how McG was put through the mind altering things and excellent acting. I find myself having a difficult time grading Nine Dragons. Could give it 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, or 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ depending on my mood. I think Nine Dragons at 3.5 stars fits right now. Nine Dragons would rank somewhere Top 15-20 Classic HFO episodes. Nine Dragons could have been an incredible movie or series of films. It is excellent writing and 1 of the best Season 9 and later episodes. JC