E mālama pono

E mālama pono (Handle with Care) is the 18th episode of Season 7 in the remake version of Hawaii Five-0.

Synopsis
McGarrett and Danny finally track down the missing uranium, which has been used to build a bomb located in the middle of the jungle. Now, they must carefully extract the unstable explosive through treacherous terrain before it detonates.

Plot
We cut in to a tense raid on a warehouse. The team clears the area, but is caught off guard when an explosion rips the building apart. Of course, this is just a scenario. Steve and Danny are training police recruits and running them through certain situations.

Steve emphasizes the fact that the most important aspect of any mission is trusting your team members. I don’t know how that would have helped them in the hypothetical raid. Trusting your team has nothing to do with knowing whether or not there’s a bomb hidden in the building.

Danny isn’t buying Steve’s lesson, but for a different reason. He’s irked that Steve went through the stuff on his desk. He’s so mad, he interrupts Steve’s speech to ask the recruits their opinion. The instructor shuts it down quickly, but not before Danny gets his two cents in about Steve’s alleged betrayal.

Later, Steve is still arguing with Chin about the snooping (for the record, Chin is against it), when he walks into his house and finds blood. I assumed that it might have been either Alicia or Madison. Instead, it’s Sang Min.

Steve calls Noelani for help. She’s not pleased. Max obviously didn’t give her a very clear picture of how the team operates. Getting called out to treat a mysterious gunshot wound isn’t the most unusual thing they have expected their medical examiner to do.

Sang Min tells Steve he got shot smuggling someone on to the island. Sang Min was told that it was a poor refugee family. Instead, it was one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. Nigerian bombmaker Desmond Abati shoots Sang Min and takes off into the Hawaiian wilderness.

The team is concerned that Abati has been called on to the island to help set up a terrorist training camp in the middle of nowhere. While the rest of the team check out the house of Abati’s local contact, Steve and Danny parachute into the area of the camp. Steve thinks this would be a good time to keep needling Danny about what he found on his desk. Steve found a list of goals Danny hasn’t accomplished, and wonders why Danny would write about going traveling when he has complained on every mission they ever took out of the state. Danny finally admits that he was making a list of things to do once he retires. It turns out that he’s been seriously contemplating leaving the team.

Steve’s shock at this may be the reason Abati and his henchmen manage to get the drop of Danny and Steve. The two are captured and led to the training camp, but quickly regain the upper hand. They do, however, let Abati escape and one of his associates activate the huge uranium bomb the terrorists have been building. The two only have an hour to disarm it before it goes off.

Steve examines the intricately made bomb, made of the stolen uranium and the extremely unstable TATP. He tells Danny that he can’t disarm it, and there’s no cell phone reception at the camp. Their only chance is to drive the bomb to the drop zone and hope that they can contact someone knowledgeable to disarm the bomb in time. They also have to hope that someone else will catch Abati in the meantime. It’s a lot of positive thinking for an almost impossible situation.

Danny does his usual amount of complaining, but is convinced by Steve that it’s the only way. The two of them just have to drive an old truck leaded with an unstable bomb through the Hawaiian jungle. No big deal.

Steve and Danny’s predicament allows the writers to indulge in their favorite type of Hawaii Five-0scene: Danny complaining about Steve’s driving. I’m sure they were delighted to have a plot-based reason to write another of these conversations.

Danny also takes the time to distract Steve from his perilous mission by talking about the reason he wrote the retirement list. He doesn’t want Charlie to worry about him when he goes to work and points out that Steve must have felt the same way about his police-officer father. That’s not in great taste, considering how Steve’s father died.

When the fuel line of the truck gets a hole, Steve takes the opportunity to try to out-MacGyver Hawaii Five-0’s lead-in show. With a flare, rubber mats, and wet tree bark, he manages to patch the hole. They get the truck up and running again only to find out that the trail is flooded in front of them.

As the two try to build a track for the truck, Steve takes the time to talk to point out Danny’s hypocrisy when it comes to trust. Steve trusted his partner to tell him about a retirement decision, even if Danny has decided to do something ridiculous like open an Italian eatery.

Meanwhile Steve’s wishful thinking about Abati didn’t work out well. The second he gets on to a road, he flags down and shoots a patrol officer. Maybe Steve should have been teaching recruits to not trust others so much. Abati uses the officer’s car to run down Sang Min’s location. For a career criminal, Sang Min also shouldn’t just trust whoever knocks on his door.

If the bomb goes off, half the island could be destroyed. Abati doesn’t want to stick around for that. He wants Sang Min to arrange for transport out of Honolulu.

Steve talks Danny through driving across the stream and finally gets cell phone service to contact Chin. Unfortunately, Kono has just killed Abati in an ambush set up with Sang Min. He took the secrets of disarming the bomb to his grave.

Chin very quickly manages to get them in touch with a naval officer, who tells them that they can’t completely disarm the bomb. The only thing they can do is get the uranium out of the bomb’s blast radius, which will minimize the damage. Steve manages to rig up a little radiation protection using a car battery, which doesn’t seem like it would actually do much good. He separates the uranium from the bomb and the two drive as fast as their old truck will go.

It’s not fast enough, and Steve flips the truck to create a shield for the two of them.

The first scene of the episode serves as a foreshadowing for the big climax when the bomb goes off. While still in shock and deafened by the blast, Steve and Danny go back to bickering about what Danny will name his hypothetical Italian restaurant. It’s safe to assume they’re all right.

The entire team gathers together to try out Danny’s planned menu, although he assures them that he’s not going to retire anytime soon. After getting some shots in about Sang Min’s mullet, Lou gets a call from Honolulu PD. It shakes him to his core. If Steve and Danny hadn’t blundered into the camp, the terrorists would have planted the bomb at the Palace. Five-0 was the target all along. Abati is dead, but he was only the bombmaker. There’s someone still out there who hates the team so much they were willing to take out half the island to get to them. Who could it be?

Trivia

 * Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Chad Smith Guest Composed Multiple Cues for the Episode.
 * Singer Darius Rucker Guest Stars as Desmond Abati, the Bomb Maker.

Quotes
(standing in front of a classroom of police cadets)

Danny Williams: I think that trust is the bedrock of any solid relationship. You got to trust the person you're working with, right?

Steve McGarrett: Yeah. Like I said...

Danny Williams: I'm gonna actually keep going, if that's all right. Um, to piggyback what you were saying, trust also is not just for tactical situations, but it's also very important.. all aspects of the job. Personal relationship, trust with the people that you work with is very important. Do you, uh, you agree with that, or what?

Steve McGarrett: Really?

Danny Williams: Really, what?

Steve McGarrett: What, what? You know what.

Danny Williams: I.. I'm just making a point.

Steve McGarrett: (quietly aside to Danny) Look, for the third time, I wasn't snooping, all right? It was right there on your desk.

Danny Williams: My desk, that is in my office, that is my private stuff. That's snooping, that's snooping, right? (to the class) A show of hands.

Steve McGarrett: No, no, no, no. Don't involve these young people.

Danny Williams: Just a show of hands.

Steve McGarrett: No.

Danny Williams: This is a teach.. This is a teachable moment. Please. Teachable moment. Show of hands. Anybody who would have a problem, uh, trusting their partner after they snuck into your office and looked at all your stuff.

Steve McGarrett: Why'd I go in your office?

Danny Williams: I don't know.

Steve McGarrett: I needed a pen, okay? I didn't think I needed security clearance for that.

Danny Williams: No. Do you need security clearance to read my personal private information? You need security clearance for that?

Steve McGarrett: I glanced at a list that you had called "The Things I Like" you'd scrawled on the back of a Zippy's receipt that's sitting there on your desk. My interest was piqued. I don't see what the big deal is.

Danny Williams: Of course you don't see what the big deal is, because you're not the one who has an issue - I do. And by the way, I'd never seen this guy use a pen in seven years.

(Duke is standing on the side watching them bicker in front of the class)

Danny Williams: He uses crayons. Like, uh, like, uh, like a little kid.

Steve McGarrett: Little kid.

Danny Williams: Uh-huh.

Steve McGarrett: Says the one throwing a temper tantrum. Maybe you should take a time-out.

Danny Williams: I'll take a time-out if it gets me out of here, gets me away from you,

(Duke moves from the wall to where Danny and Steve are standing)

Duke Lukela: Okay..

Danny Williams: I'll take a time-out.

Duke Lukela: okay.

Danny Williams: What?

Duke Lukela: (looking at the class trying to interrupt the fight between Danny and Steve) I think, uh, we can all agree that we learned a lot today. Mahalo, Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams.

Steve McGarrett: Yep.

(scene cut to the interior of the Camaro)

Steve McGarrett: You're overreacting, a little bit.

Danny Williams: Okay. You invaded my privacy. I have a right to be upset, okay?

Steve McGarrett: It's not snooping if something's out in the open. That's the rule.

Danny Williams: That's not a rule.

Steve McGarrett: Are you serious? If it's not hidden, it's not forbidden. You never heard of that?

Danny Williams: No. I never heard of it, because you just made that up.

Steve McGarrett: First of all, it's ridiculous to me that you would even write a letter like that, but second of all, the fact that you're getting so worked up about it, it tells me, it informs me, that this is not just about this. It's something else deeper. I know you. It's deeper. So why don't you tell me what's going on and we can talk about it.

Danny Williams: You invaded my privacy! That's it, okay?!

Steve McGarrett: Don't tell me, that's fine.

Danny Williams: Okay. Can we drop it, then?

Steve McGarrett: Mm-hmm.

(awkward silence. Steve is obviously having a hard time not saying anything else)

Steve McGarrett: If it's not put away, looking's okay. It's another one.

Danny Williams: Just take me home. Please, take me home. I beg of you.

(scene change to Steve coming home alone. Steve walks in the door on his cellphone)

Steve McGarrett: Well, of course the "plain sight" rule applies. It was right there on his desk. It was out in the open.... No - I didn't go in there to snoop, Chin. You... Listen - Chin.I'm not asking you to take my side. I'm asking you to, you know, agree that I didn't do anything wrong, is what...

(Steve sees blood on a doorjam and focus shifts)

Danny Williams: How are we gonna check out that location? There's no roads in, no roads out.

(Steve gets a big smile and walks away)

(scene change to inside a small plane. Danny and Steve are set up to tandem skydive. Danny sits right in front of Steve)

Danny Williams: Why did I agree to this?

Steve McGarrett: It's like you said, there's no roads in or out of here.

Danny Williams: This is so dumb. This is dumb!

Steve McGarrett: Just relax, all right? You're gonna be fine, you're gonna be fine. When this light goes green, we're gonna jump, okay?

Danny Williams: No, I.. I don't want.. You know what? I don't want to do it, 'cause if I die, I don't want to be strapped to you like an infant.

(light switches from red to green)

Steve McGarrett: All right, here we go, buddy!

(Steve throws them both out of the plane)

(Danny screams and yells as they freefall)

(Steve eventually activates the main parachute and it releases)

(as they gently descend)

Danny Williams: I don't like it.

Steve McGarrett: Just breathe, Danny.

Danny Williams: I hate you. I hate you.

Steve McGarrett: Wasn't that something?

Danny Williams: I hate you.

Steve McGarrett: (smiling) Try opening your eyes, buddy. Look. Look at how high we are.

(Steve laughs exhilarated as they descend)

(scene change - they are now down on the ground, rigged out in their tactical gear and walking to the location)

Steve McGarrett: Why don't you just admit it, huh? Admit it, you loved it. Who doesn't love skydiving? In fact, I'm willing to bet that skydiving is gonna go on that list of yours. Right after baseball and hoagies and complaining and..

Danny Williams: Pretty sure hoagies and complaining was not on my list.

Steve McGarrett: No, it was not on the list, but it should've been.

Danny Williams: Wh.. What is your obsession with this list? Leave it alone. Please.

Steve McGarrett: No, I don't have an obsession.

Danny Williams: Yes, you do!

Steve McGarrett: I have a mild curiosity, all right? That you would A, write a list like that in the first place, and B, be so hypersensitive about it.

Danny Williams: Ah. So that means you're not gonna leave it alone. Is that right?

Steve McGarrett: You've known me for seven years now. What do you think?

Danny Williams: Okay. (clears throat) Okay, hey, hey, hey, okay, listen. Stop for one second. You want to know?

Steve McGarrett: Yeah.

Danny Williams: Okay, I'll tell you. That was a list of things that I'd like to do when I retire, okay?

(Steve mentally steps back in surprise/shock/disbelief)

Danny Williams: You happy now? I said it. Now we can continue. After you, please.

Steve McGarrett: (flabbergasted) I'm sorry, excuse me. Retire?

Danny Williams: That's what I said, when I retire. I'm coming up on 20 years. Okay? I'm gonna pension out very soon. I got to think about what comes next.

Steve McGarrett: You're serious right now?

Danny Williams: I'm absolutely serious. You know, I want to do this for the rest of my life with you. Unlike you, I don't want to do this.

Steve McGarrett: Okay. All right. I just want to get it straight, all right? You retire, you retire, and then, uh what?

Danny Williams: (smacks lips) I don't know, maybe I'll open a restaurant.

Steve McGarrett: (questioning/disbelief) Open a restaurant?

Danny Williams: That's right. A nice Italian restaurant.

Danny Williams: Just so I'm clear, you want to drive a truck with a dirty bomb made out of uranium and TATP - which you personally told me was the most unstable explosive on the planet Earth... you want to drive that through the jungle.. through this jungle, on.. on, at best, uneven terrain. That's is that that's what you've come up with?

Steve McGarrett: We're gonna drive real slow.

Danny Williams: (resigned) Find the keys.

(Danny and Steve climb in the truck with the dirty bomb in the back)

(Steve slams his door shut)

Danny Williams: Don't slam it!

(Danny shuts his door gently, hands the keys to Steve and sighs)

(Steve inserts the key into the ignition, looks at Danny and hesitates over what they are about to do)

Danny Williams: What?

(Steve looks back at the bomb, gathers his courage and intently looks at Danny)

Steve McGarrett: If this doesn't work, I just..

Danny Williams: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't. don't.. don't say that. Don't say anything, okay? I don't need to hear it, okay?

Steve McGarrett: But... I'm just saying, all right, this is an old truck, it's gonna vibrate once the engine's turned over, all right?

Danny Williams: I didn't need to hear that, Steve. I didn't need that in my life. Okay? Just start the truck, please. Carefully.

Steve McGarrett: Okay.

(Steve prepares to start the truck and breathes deeply)

Steve McGarrett: (sincerely to Danny) I love you, bro.

(Steve closes his eyes and turns the ignition trying to start the truck without it exploding)

Danny Williams: You know what it's gonna say on my tombstone?

Steve McGarrett: Yeah, I do. It's gonna say "Here lies Danny Williams, beloved curmudgeon."

Steve McGarrett: Just explain something to me, all right? You've never mentioned retirement ever, ever, ever since I've known you. Now it's lists and it's plans and restaurants, you know. Why? Why? Where's it coming from?

Danny Williams: Yes, I told you. I'm coming up on 20 years.

Steve McGarrett: So what?

Danny Williams: So what?

Steve McGarrett: So what? Doesn't mean you have to retire.

Danny Williams: Okay, okay.

Steve McGarrett: It's not mandatory. Why is it on the table?

Danny Williams: Okay. Grace got an assignment at school, all right? Her guidance counselor told her to write a list of all the things that she would like to do in life, and that she should pursue one of them. So it got me thinking, all right? Then I-I decided to make my own list. And as I made my own list, I started to think some more, and I started to think about Charlie.

Steve McGarrett: What about Charlie?

Danny Williams: Well, the guy thinks that I am a superhero, okay? And that I'm indestructible. Guess what-- I'm not indestructible, but he doesn't know that yet. Soon he will know that, just like Grace found out. Right? And he's gonna get worried. Every time I put my gun in my belt, he's gonna be worried about me. And I can save him from that worry if I retire, okay?

Steve McGarrett: All right. We got a hole in the fuel line, all right? Looks like a bullet must have ripped a hole in it. I got to fix it.

Danny Williams: Okay, good. How you gonna do that?

Steve McGarrett: There's a repair kit under my front seat; I saw it.It's gonna have a couple of flares in it. Grab those, grab one of the rubber floor mats as well. Bring them out here.

Danny Williams: Wait a minute. What are you gonna do with a flare? I'm just curious.

Steve McGarrett: I'm gonna melt some of the rubber floor mat over the hole in the rubber hose and it should seal it, all right? It should be easy to fix.

Danny Williams: Oh, good. Good. You're gonna use a flare, fire, underneath the bomb. Is that.. I just want to make sure that that's what you're saying?

Steve McGarrett: That's a very good point.

Danny Williams: Thank you.

Steve McGarrett: Why don't you go find a big piece of wet tree bark, I'm gonna.. you're gonna hold it for me. You're gonna hold it between the fuel line and the undercarriage of the truck. It should insulate the heat.

(Danny can't believe he is doing this - but goes off to get some wet bark)

Danny Williams: Can I ask you a question? Do you, do you take into account that I'm here, too? Do I have a say in anything we do? Or you just make decisions all by yourself?

Steve McGarrett: Oh, that's rich coming from you.

Danny Williams: Wh-What do you mean by that?

Steve McGarrett: What do I mean by that? You didn't feel the need to include me in your decision to retire.

Danny Williams: It's my retirement! Why would I include you in something like that? It's got nothing to do with you.

Steve McGarrett: I don't know, Danny.

(Steve groans as he lifts the wooden sides of the truck off)

Steve McGarrett: Maybe... Maybe

(Steve drops the side on the ground)

Danny Williams: Easy.

Steve McGarrett: because it's a big decision that affects me, too. Did you think about that? Huh? I mean, you want to talk about trust. Well, I - trust you to bring me in on big decisions like that. And quite frankly, it hurts my feelings when you don't.

Danny Williams: Oh, you have feelings? Well, you know what? It hurts my feelings when you roll your eyes when I tell you I want to make a restaurant. That hurts my feelings.

Steve McGarrett: Okay, let me ask you a question. If you were still married to Rachel, and you made a decision like this, a big decision that affected her, how would she feel if you didn't tell her about it?

Danny Williams: Are you comparing my failed marriage to our relationship?

Steve McGarrett: Are you gonna answer the question?

Danny Williams: She'd be upset.

Steve McGarrett: Thank you.

PO1 Aukai: Except there's no reason for both of you to risk exposure. Removing the canister isn't a two-man job.

Danny Williams: Want me to do it? I'll do it.

Steve McGarrett: No. I'll do it. This thing goes off, we're both screwed anyway. Besides, you know I'm a control freak.

Danny Williams: I'm not gonna argue with you..

Steve McGarrett: Danny...

Danny Williams: What? (groans)

Steve McGarrett: If you open that restaurant, I want you to seriously consider calling it "Steve's" please.

Danny Williams: "Steve's"?

Steve McGarrett: Yes, because then if we're not together, we'll still - ya know - we're still gonna... we'll be together still.

Danny Williams: Very Sentimental

(Outside on Steve's lanai, Steve joins Lou who just got off his cellphone)

Steve McGarrett: Hey. Everything all right?

Lou Grover: That was HPD. You remember the emblem that was on that truck - K&L Construction?

Steve McGarrett: Yeah.

Lou Grover: K&L Construction was contracted to do some renovation work in Waikiki tomorrow right across the street from the Palace... at the same time the governor was scheduled to be there.

Steve McGarrett: The governor, Five-O, HPD

Lou Grover: That's right.

(Steve turns around to look in his house, seeing his ohana at the dinner table. Everyone is there but the visual focus is on Danny at the head of the table in Steve's seat)

Steve McGarrett: We were the target.


 * Desmond Abati
 * Darius Rucker
 * The bomb maker
 * The bomb maker