Nightmare for 50 years

[Bobbi]

50 years ago tonight, CBS aired S07E02,”A Hawaiian Nightmare”.

Five-O has its hands full in this episode when a desperate geothermal genius decides to blackmail the State of Hawaii.
Bernard Brown (James Olson) is kind of the epitome of “a sucker is born every minute.” Brown has participated in multiple get rich schemes and always wound up with the short end of the stick. It’s a major contention point between him and his slutty wife (Sheree North). It’s so bad, in fact, his company moved the couple to the Big Island to prevent more problems. However, his past catches up when Vince Bonner (Felice Orlandi) shows up at their door expecting money that Brown owes a Honolulu loan shark.

Brown’s solution is to place a bomb along a fissure point in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that would cause lava to flow straight for Hilo. The governor (Richard Denning) calls McGarrett and the team arrive on the Big Island lickety-split. They talk to Dr. Rogers (Seth Sakai) who informs them how serious the situation is. They need an expert and Rogers suggests Brown.

The team tries to track down the explosives used, not realizing the blackmailer is in their midst. This doesn’t last long as Brown becomes more and more desperate.

Everything comes to a head at the ransom drop – an abandoned sugar mill on the Homa Kuoa coast. Brown winds up dead by Bonner who later gets literally smacked down by the helicopter Danno is in. (It’s a weird scene and all I have to say, they had a damn good pilot!)

After that, it becomes a chase of where the explosive is. In the meantime, McGarrett realizes what is going on with the garage remote. The remote is the trigger to stop the bomb and the show ends.

Mr. Mike does a much better job of thoroughly explaining the chain of events here: https://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log7.htm#146

There are a few moments that have you scratching your head, but it’s a good episode. This is one of the many guest appearances of James Olson in the series. He doesn’t do bad here.

This is an episode where we see some good teamwork from Five-O. But the brainstorm McGarrett has with the garage remote is a bit forced.

This episode shines though, with actual footage of Volcanoes National Park! I love that. There are also shots reused in later episodes from this one, especially with the magma vents. I enjoyed that part the best.

Happy 50th, “A Hawaiian Nightmare”!!

[John Chergi]

Season 7 A Hawaiian Nightmare 50th Anniversary Episode.

A Hawaiian Nightmare ⭐⭐ 1/2 Stars out of 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐. Thanks Bobbi with the next episode here A Hawaiian Nightmare. I turned 50 this year in May only 4 months old when this episode first premiered. Agree with Mr. Mike 2 1/2 Stars for this episode.

Bernard "Bernie" Brown a 40-something brilliant Geothermics and Demolitions expert formulates a daring and incredible plan to cover his growing gambling debts. Now over $70,000. He writes a ransom letter demanding $500,000 or he will trigger an explosion 💥 from Mauna Loa Volcano 🌋 which will cause a river of hot flowing lava to flow to Hilo. Causing much destruction to life and property. The Governor and McG assess the credibility of the threat. Dr. Rogers, the Director of Volcano Observatory, believes Consol Oil Corporation has a man of expertise in Bernard Brown. The episode paints itself into a corner as Bernie is the most likely suspect. He has the perfect profile as the extortionist. Bernie has expert knowledge in Geothermal Dynamics, military experience and expert knowledge in Demolitions, plus has a troubling gambling addiction. Consol Oil Corporation paid off 1 of his large gambling debts in the past. Bernie indeed is in trouble with the loan sharks again. Behind on a $25,000 loan plus growing interest over $70,000. His blonde wife Doris has endured many years of Bernie's gambling addictions and money problems despite his good salary. She is alone and isolated in the house. Doris sees an opportunity to escape her situation when Bernie explains his plan $500,000 in ransom. Doris notifies Vince Bonner who had been by earlier to collect the gambling debt money. She has an attraction for the good-looking Bonner. Doris and Vince double-cross Bernie at the abandoned sugar mill ransom drop area. Vince shoots Bernie leaving him dying on the abandoned sugar mill floor and taking the $500,000 ransom. A helicopter 🚁 swoops down immediately knocking into Vince. McG arrives but Bernie cannot tell him how to stop the detonation. He takes his last breath. McG has 1 of his brainstorms remembering a TV remote earlier. He had noticed a garage door type remote at Bernie's. Perhaps the garage remote could stop the Mauna Loa Volcano detonation. McG flies back in the 🚁 and retrieves the remote. It's getting closer and closer to the detonation time. McG uses the garage remote stopping the detonation just in time. Hilo is spared the horrific volcano eruption.

A Hawaiian Nightmare could have been a 3 ⭐⭐⭐ or 4 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐ episode. James Olson is an excellent actor. The blackmail plan triggering the Volcano and destroying Hilo possibly was creative and inventive. Bernie could have paid his gambling debts with plenty of the $500,000 left over. Starting a new life. However, the episode quickly paints itself into a corner. Bernard Brown fits the profile of the extortionist to the letter. There's really nobody else that could be the volcano bomber but Brown. Also, McG had to gamble that the garage door remote did not trigger the volcano. It easily could have when he pushed the button. Instead, it stopped the possible detonation. Still a solid Season 7 start. Hope a few more Classic HFO 🌊 regulars chyme in with their thoughts. Bobbi puts plenty of energy and time in these reviews. JC

[barnzoboy]

I will say this much - the Browns had an awesome house!!
Season One - episode 17 - One for the Money - another electric garage door in play when McGarrett has the station emit a high frequency sound over the car's speaker to magically open the electric garage door where bad guy Charlie had stuffed Arnold in a car in the garage.