Appreciate the conversation everybody, especially in light of the weird pandemic-y times we're currently experiencing (Three dead cows at Wuhan??)
Yeah it's a somewhat bittersweet feeling with Five-Zero drawing to a close tonight. I really loved the pilot episode and even with some obvious shortcomings felt the first season or two were worthy of "Five-O canon" status. The Season 1 finale/ Season 2 opener cliffhangers are still rated as 2 of the top 3 episodes of the entire run on IMDB, the other being the phenominal "Pearl Harbor" episode. While usually not equal to the high points of the original series, I think there was a genuine effort and energy present that was obviously missing in that wretched other pilot done back in '96 or whenever with Garey Busey.
But things drifted downward and went quickly off the cliff (or "jumped the shark," if you will, in the precisely correct usage of that term) once "McGarrett's Mom" and the other idiocies started piling up. Ironically I eventually became a far bigger fan of Blue Bloods and now have only watched a handful of the Five-Zeros over the past several seasons.
Overall I think Bobbi is absolutely correct though that the BIG problem was at the top: Lenkov -- and I would include his associates Alex Kurtzman, Orosi, JJ Abrams et al and that whole group of collaborators. They've been very prominent in TV and movies over the past decade (Star Wars, Star Trek, MacGuyver, Magnum, Five-Zero, Picard) and you nailed it Bobbi: not really a single meaningful original (intelligent) idea in that entire list. Their M.O. is they seem to get the surface "look" and "feel" of the originals and "try" to pay homage to the classic versions, but stupidly substitute busy movement and "modern" appearances for intelligent thought and almost never come up with a noteworthy original idea. (If you think Five-Zero got wrecked; they've absolutely butchered Star Trek: Picard --- which my lifelong Trek-fan daughter and I were so excited to begin and now we've already quit in disgust before the 9th episode -- as Mad magazine used to say, "Bleeeeaaeeeck!")
On the other hand Alex O'Laughlin is a good actor and likeable guy and he "kept the flame burning" or something --- we got to see some very entertaining episodes, and I'm grateful for the economic boost and pride that the reboot brought to the island. And the truly cool "Sunsets on the Beach" and Hawaiian blessings of the set each summer over the past decade. The reboot brought all this and more as well as renewing lots of interest around the world and the internet (especially at a little website belonging to Mr. Mike! and this one too, thanks Todd). I also have seen widespread recognition of the significance of the original Five-O in our society's history.
So it's Aloha for now to McDanno and Co. --- I'm putting on my "50th Anniversary of Five-0" t-shirt we got at the ABC Store on Kalakoua Avenue to watch the finale ... see you all for the next reboot in 2052!