Hawaii Five-0 - Ua ho’i ka ‘opua i Awalua - Review:"The Clouds Always Return to Awalua"

If, just like the previous Chin cliffhanger, you thought that tonight’s episode would focus on the fallout (maybe literally) of the missing uranium from last week’s episode, you would be surprised. Once again, Hawaii 5-0 puts an ongoing plot on the back-burner to focus on the team’s Case of the Week and, more importantly, a heartfelt goodbye to one of the foundations of the show.

Sure, Masi Oka’s Max wasn’t front and center of every episode, like Steve or Danny, but he’s a beloved character. I’m a little annoyed that the writers refuse to provide good resolutions to their cliffhangers (although I have it on good authority the stolen uranium will be making an appearance soon), but I’m glad they took the time to give Max a proper goodbye.

The show uses Jerry’s discovery of Max’s journals as a way to flashback to memorable moments that proved Max’s value to the team. Jerry is just as entertained by the early Hawaii 5-0 seasons as we were (although his interest in the journals stops him from helping Max move). It’s sweet that the moments Max remembers aren’t outstanding examples of his capabilities, but moments where the team placed their trust in him. As Max tells Jerry, 5-0 aren’t just coworkers, they’re his friends. Jerry even gets Max to realize that he owes Kono for giving him the courage to ask Sabrina out and that he has always been inspired by Danny’s sacrifices (and is probably the only one of the team who truly appreciates Danny’s jokes). Jerry persuades Max to open up about his feelings because his new job will be around the living, not the dead. Max is happy about his new path in life, but can’t help getting a little sentimental over his last postmortem ever.

The postmortem in question is for Miles Barton, a poor Milwaukee cop who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. When a law firm’s offices are destroyed in an explosion, Barton was one of the many vacationing cops who rushed to help survivors. He stumbled across a criminal plot and was stabbed to death for his troubles.

Steve and the team determine that the explosion was an accident, triggered by a heist team operating a massive drill in the building’s basement. When Barton arrived, they killed him to cover their tracks. Steve and Kono believe one of the news agencies must have footage of the robbers making their escape. They track down Hirsch (who is busy trying to drum up business at the Honolulu Police Expo) and get him to tell them the whereabouts of G Stealth, a man who may have the missing footage.

After quite a bit of aimless driving around, the team find the right house. They give Hirsch the order TV cops have been giving TV civilian consultants since the medium was invented: “Stay in the car.” Hirsch does what he’s told, but is turned into a reluctant getaway driver by the gun toting G Stealth. Luckily, Hirsch immediately crashes the car and the team can apprehend G Stealth and the all-important footage.

The footage leads them to career criminal Jimmy Rorke and Leo Stein, a disgruntled ex-employee of the law firm. Steve realizes that the heist crew wasn’t looking for money, but for an item to blackmail a law firm client. One of the firm partners, Brian Hadley, refuses to give up his client, but the team pieces it together from cell phone records. A former weatherman was accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death, but they never found the knife. The knife was being kept safe by the firm and the crew, led by the girlfriend’s grieving brother, stole it to get justice. When the police officer surprised them, they stabbed him with the only weapon available. Comparing the stab wounds of the police officer and the girlfriend proves Steve’s theory.

Alan Mayfield, one of the masterminds of the heist, had his heart in the right place. He desperately wanted to get justice for his sister. He let that quest for justice turn into one of vengeance and innocent people died because of it. Rorke is killed while resisting the arrest and Mayfield is talked out of getting his revenge by Steve and Danny.

The team, plus extended family and one very hammered Hirsch, gathers to celebrate Max and wish him the best of luck in Madagascar.

Max first gives a fairly formal goodbye, but takes Jerry’s words to heart and tells the team how much he will miss each of them.

He calls Steve a brother and Danny an inspiration. He assures Chin that he will be an amazing father to Sara and tells Lou that he has been adopted by Hawaii as one of her sons. He thanks Kono for her advice about Sabrina and tells her how much her relationship with Adam has inspired them both. He thanks Jerry for his encouragement.

It’s a beautiful moment that ends with a series of flashbacks to Max’s memorable scenes throughout the series. As Max is overcome with emotion, it’s not hard to see this as a goodbye from Masi Oka to the cast and crew as well. Max will be missed both by his ‘ohana and by the audience. I hope we haven’t seen the last of him.

What did you think of tonight’s episode? What’s your favorite Max moment? Let me know in the comments!