I Ka Wa Mamua (episode)

I Ka Wa Mamua (In a Time Past) is the 6th episode of the third season in the remake version of Hawaii Five-0.

Synopsis
After shooting a terrorist, Danny ends up triggering a motion-sensor bomb that will explode if he moves. To help take his mind off things and while the techs attempt to defuse the bomb, Steve asks Danny to relieve one of the toughest and emotional cases Danny experienced while he was a cop in New Jersey with his then partner Grace Tilwell which also happened to be on September 11th, 2001.

Plot
2001: Danny and his partner enter a warehouse in New York and discover a gangster with a lot of drugs. Before they can arrest him they are caught unawares by two further gang members who take their guns and ask how the two cops managed to find them.

Present: Danny and Steve are sitting in the Camaro and Danny interrupts his story because he sees the perpetrator they have been watching out for. They race the man who ran when he caught sight of them. Danny manages to catch up to him and shoots him but discovers he had a still active bomb with a sensor that is directly directed at Danny.

9 hours earlier: Danny and Grace are shopping for a dress for a father-daughter-dance that evening when Danny is called to the site of an explosion. They discover traces of acetone peroxide, which is used by Middle Eastern terrorists, indicating a terrorist cell may be active in Hawaii. The team discovers a terrorist hideout and they also find information of a planned attack at a military base where the Secretary of Defense is speaking at an event. With HPD's help, H50 manage to secure the area and successfully locate and disarm the bomb but the main terrorist responsible is still at large. The team manages to locate and search the terrorist's house. As they believe the terrorist will come back for his passport, Danny and Steve stay and surveille the house. Danny is anxious not to miss the father-daughter-dance and tells Steve he has been living on borrowed time. Steve doesn't understand what Danny means so Danny begins to tell him about a significant day back in 2001.

2001: Danny is talking to Rachel at the phone about how he feels about her being pregnant before entering the interrogation room. He interrogates a man who has been caught in a stolen car with an unregistered firearm and 50 000 dollars. Danny's partner interrupts as she has found out his identity as well as location and time of a drug buy in New York. Planning to arrest the people involved in the drug buy, they go to the meeting where they are however subdued by the gang members.

Present: The terrorist's bomb has a proximity center which means that Danny needs to stay completely still or else, the bomb will pick up on his presence and detonate. While the bomb squad work on defusing the device, Steve distracts Danny by asking Danny to continue the story he started telling in the car.

2001: The gang members tie Danny and his partner up and interrogate Danny, wanting to find out how they knew about his place. Danny doesn't tell them even after a rough beating so the gang members shoot his partner - who is revealed to be named Grace - because they think this will break Danny. When they hear sirens they are distracted and Danny manages to get himself loose and successfully kills all three gang members before escaping. When he runs out of the warehouse he sees police and emergency responders rush towards a burning building: it is revealed the events took place on 9/11.

In the present, once the bomb has been defused, Steve and Danny share a hug, both men relieved that the event is over and Danny rushes to the father-daughter-dance.

Quotes
Catherine Rollins: (phone) Lieutenant Catherine Rollins, assistant to Steve McGarrett. How can I help you? Steve McGarrett: Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, I can't live without you? Danny Williams: (whispers) No, no, she's way too smart to fall for that. Catherine Rollins: You really think I'm gonna fall for that? Danny Williams: See?

Main cast

 * Alex O'Loughlin as Steve McGarrett
 * Scott Caan as Danny Williams
 * Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly
 * Grace Park as Kono Kalakaua
 * Masi Oka as Dr. Max Bergman
 * Michelle Borth as Catherine Rollins

Guest starring

 * Teilor Grubbs as Grace Williams

Co-starring

 * Sydney Tamiia Poitier as Det. Grace Tillwell
 * Kendall Jenner as AJ
 * John Colton as Secretary of Defense
 * T.I. as Ray
 * Terrence Howard as Billy
 * Jeremy Luke as Nicky Bova