It is a difficult thing to do. After 238 episodes of a show, how do you decide on the top 10? Until I started doing it and in the end realised it came easy. The only question that remained for me was, in what other of importance will I have them?
1) The Pilot
Perfect set-up to wonderful characters in an idyllic and special place on earth.
2) Episode 10:07 (Doris dies)
The emotions, the music, the story – the love letter of Alex to his character.
3) Episode 1:24
(Season 1 Finale – The Governor is dead)
A seemingly shocking end of team Five-0. How do you get back from this?
4) Episode 2:01
(Restoring Five-0)
An interesting new era unfolds as the team works together to restore their order.
5) Episode 5:07
(Number #100 – Wo Fat eliminated)
An alternate world – perfect celebration and end of a villain. An epic battle!
6) Episode 3:20
(Bringing Freddie Home)
Showing us the heart of the man – Steve McGarrett
7) Episode 2:22
(Wo Fat returned to Hawaii)
So weird that the tables were turned during this episode – Wo Fat gave himself up to be captured by Steve. Steve had to protect him against the Yakuza.
Not only were the scenes between Steve and Wo Fat great entertainment, but the sight of a healthy Alex, back in full strength and on top of his game, makes it one of my favourites. And the reunion of the team on-screen and behind the scenes made it even more special
8) Episode 3:06
(Danny and 911)
An event happening in one place, that shook everybody around the world – worked into the character of Danny. And both Alex and Scott (and the guest stars) gave great performances on this one.
9) Episode 4:21
(Steve captured in Afghanistan)
The story ripped my heart out!
10) Episode 4:10
(Japanese Internment Camps )
The episode delicately highlighted a period from the past, not only of the USA – but specifically in the history of Hawaii, that was not known to me before. And added with it, a beautiful story of grandfather Steven McGarrett.
You might ask, how I decided on these 10 episodes and my easy answer will be – I knew the episode number and the stories in these episodes by heart. I did not even have to look them up or search for them – I just knew them and the reason why I liked them.
There were a few others that I could think of that might have made the list (like the epic Episode 200 and many of the earlier episodes), but when I weighed them against these that I already had on here, they kind of fell short in some way.
I admit that many of these episodes are stand-alone or milestone episodes and that for that reason it makes them easy to remember. They were also mostly about Steve and not the procedural show. But I watched the show for, and because of Alex and his Steve and that makes it easy to pick those episodes around him.
One day, when I rewatch the series again, I might find that there are other episodes that impress me more. And of course, there is also still time for one of the last two episodes to replace one on this list. And I really hope the finale will do so …..
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 
I really liked Season 5 Episode 17, where Steve opens Dan’s heart. He says why he no longer plays guitar.
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These are the episodes that come to my mind immediately. I don’t have to look.
FIRST AND FOREMOST:
if you ever want to watch a single episode of H50 it is this one. But I am warning you, your expectation about the rest of the show will be extremly high after this:
*10.07* Just because it was the best! Period!
9.10 Joe’s death. Heartbreaking, terrific acting, action and a glimpse of humor, of Steve finding some fun in every situation.
5.07 No question. V.o.E.
8.24 That’s what I said back in the days about it: 5-0 Steve and SEAL Steve are different. 5-0 Steve is more like “I know my team is good, but I am the one with the most intense training. I am the one to keep everyone safe”. SEAL Steve is “WE will get the job done and “WE” will take care of each other. They work as one determined ‘organism’. But of course in this case he took the risk, because for him it was all about saving a friend, not the reaper mission.
5.19 Steve and Odell. No Dannoying is always a relief, and the end scene was just amazing.
3.20 Don’t care much for Cath, but this episode showed who Steve is.
9.07 That was fun. And the end of the restauRANTS!
4.10 Important topic and the ❤ of Steve.
2.16 Dealing with the Russian Ambassador. Would be higher up, but Alex looked so sick those days…
10.22 Because HOPE!
I am pretty sure there are many others that come to my mind in a few minutes, lol.
Thank you for this, FOYeur. Awesome quarantine fun (and the tons of cloth waiting to be ironed can wait a little bit longer. I am not IRONSteve. I hate ironing.)
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Replying to myself here, lol. But how, oh how could I forget 4.08? One of my all time favorites! And as a bonus that awesome ‘live’ commentary from Alex and Chi.
I will miss McGrover so much!
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Yes, the Epi where Steve & Grover found each other – definitely in my top 20
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Some of yours will definitely make my top 20 or maybe my top 15 lists.
9:10 – Yes, they also used the rest of the team very well during this “away”
episode.Always great if the whole story can be about one thing.
8:24 Definitely up there in top 15 – Also because the story is by Alex AND I think it is the start of events that will end up featuring in the finale.
5:19 – Was good, but that is one of those where I would not even be able to get the epi number right or even in which season it was.
None of Epi’s 2:15 -2:19 will ever make any list of mine purely because of how ill Alex looked back then.
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Well, I have come up with my top ten episodes as easy as you did, FOYeur.
1) 5.07 the 100th. BEST EPISODE IN THE WHOLE SERIES!!!! (Need I say more!?)
2) 2.10 Steve and Jenna in Noko. First time we got to see Steve’s range of acting skills. (Plus, we met Frank Bama)
3) 3.3 Steve ans Danny on a leaking dinghy, one of the funniest episodes ever.
4) 9.7 the 200th episode, probably the most original idea the show’s ever had, and we got Steve in a fedora.
5) 4.21 Steve and Catherine in Afghanistan. It showed how much Steve cared for her, and I love seeing him definently keeping Catherine safe, in the face of the Taliban. That, and Danny being there in the end.
6) 8.11 Christmas! The bedtime story has to be the sweetest episode ever! I can say literally every part, and the ending is gold.
7) 1.11 This episode is one of my favorites, and try as I might, I can’t figure out why! It was exciting, and funny.
8) 3.20 Steve gets Freddie’s body home. Such an amazing episode, where we got to see a ton of Steve and Joe’s backstory.
9) 9.11 Even though Joe’s death was horrible, all of them joining together to avenge it was awesome.
10) 5.17 Meeting Mr. Pickles!!! Nothing else needs to be said.
That’s all for me, and if you ever wanted a top ten list of my favorite episodes featuring Danny, all you gotta do is ask!
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Yes, I think Epi 2:10 might make my top 20 list – but for the exact opposite reason why I loved 2:22 and Alex being healthy again, 2:10 was one of those where his shoulder injury got worse and eventually deepened his addiction to the pain meds. He was also already very thin back then.
But it was still a good and pivotal episode and would, therefore, be up there for me.
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Thank you !
I nearly totally agree with your choice with one exception: instead of 4:10 I choose the Episode with Steve and Alicia where both of them were thrown into the cave !
Stay healthy!
Sunny
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I liked all the episodes with Alicia, but I must be honest I do not even remember in which Season they were, if you should put me on the spot.
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Me neither – I had to look it up: it was 7:4
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Yes, the episodes with Alicia were great, wish we would have seen more of her; as requested by the court [insert big eyeroll here].
Especially Alex’ scenes with Elisabeth Röhm have been outstanding acting!
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You basically have my list. I would add the episode where Jenna betrays Steve and he is captured by Wo Fat. The actress did an amazing job and I was really sad to see her go. Her character was one of my favorites. The rescue was epic H50, and hard to match. Maybe there were more than 10 episodes?
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I forgot to mention that we got to see the S.E.AL.’s leave no man behind.
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Yes, it was good and great acting all around. But I will copy my reply that I already wrote to someone else about that episode:
Yes, I think Epi 2:10 might make my top 20 list – but for the exact opposite reason why I loved 2:22 and Alex being healthy again, 2:10 was one of those where his shoulder injury got worse and eventually deepened his addiction to the pain meds. He was also already very thin back then.
But it was still a good and pivotal episode and would, therefore, be up there for me.
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I love all the eps that everyone has chosen. I’ll add a couple —
7.22, when Steve takes on Lee Campbell and his mercenary gang. We see SuperSEAL taking one in the vest and having an intense fight to the death with Lee. Also, Steve learns the details of his grandfather’s death. My family had just learned the details of my uncle’s death on D-Day in almost the exact same way. Very moving for me.
4.08 – Steve and Lou grudgingly work together to find Ian Wright and along the way they earn each other’s respect.
4.09 – Thanksgiving ep, Steve learns Deb is dying.
4.19 – Steve and Danny trapped under bombed building.
5.08 – Steve meets Leonard and decides not to turn in the mystery box until after Leonard and Deb spend together what time they have left.
Thanks for this great post! My heart is still so heavy that we’re losing the show, but it helps to share those feelings with like-minded fans!
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Yes, as I said to somebody else, I think 4:08 will make my top 20 list also. I love McGrover and that was the episode where the two men ‘found’ each other.
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Thanks, Foyeur. I liked all of your choices. Though not containing epic events, I loved all the episodes that Carol Burnett was in. Aunt Deb and Steve had great rapport. Plus, it was wonderful to learn that Carol is crazy about Alex, like the rest of us. The episode in which Aunt Deb died was very sad.
Even with all the eye-rolling and beefs we’ve had over the years, they did manage to produce some gems.
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I can totally go with all of them. Great choices.
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I agree with everyone and would like to add a few
3.10 Steve, Danny and the Aloha Scouts. Always made me smile.
6.14 Valentines Steve explaining his black eye, Chin without pants. And the sad moment when Steve deletes Catherine from his phone.
7.7 A date with Lynn, Catherine shows and they rescue Doris. My favorite because it is the First Episode, where I discovered the Magnificant McGarrett.
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Yes, I loved 3:10. Steve and Lucy were great.
And I think 7:07 will also maybe may my top 20. Many things happened there in the Story of Steve McGarrett.
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The ending of 3.10 completely destroyed the episode for me. It should have been Steve coming back for Lucy as he promised. Instead we got the stooooopid indoor camping scene. Big fat UGH.
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For a number of reasons, I practically agree with all your choices, Sometimes because some epis let us know more about Steve’s background, or because they simply were well written and interesting, or because they were Steve-centered, my favourite ones, of course.
Yet I would remove all the epis with Alicia, a character I never really liked, don’t ask me why, and would add (maybe it has been mentioned but if so I’ve missed it) the one from S3, epi 8 I think, with Vanessa Marcil as the evil therapist. The festival of Alexpressions in that epi was complete!
In general, all epis dealing with Steve’s life as a SEAL, or with his memories or with his family (excepting Mary who invariably gets on my nerves) have a special place in my heart. That is, I prefer Steve the man to Steve the cop.
Which brings me one more time to the conclusion that Alexis a hell of an actor!
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Oh, FOYeur, I have not thanked you for this and the previous posts. In these troubled times, they are really welcome, and you make quanrantine more endurable. It’s not everybody who can enjoy such sweet help as that you offer us!
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I like your pics my all time favorite is where steve gets tortured and the whole gang come in the helicopter to save him ,, and I loved the aloha scout one, Also the one where chin and steve save the girl from witness protection and they hide in the jungle, steve and catherine cooking on the beach he was so happy of course the first one, . I dont know the episode numbers but they are in my brain and heart, thanks again for the great pics
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Yes,
* 2:10 was great, but as I also told a few others in comments why I do not have it as one of my to 10.
* 3:10 with the Aloha girls will definitely make a to 25 -30 list for me. It was great fun.
* The Jungle one – 1:16 was great – but that is one of the episodes I had some issues with how a Navy SEAL will do a pursuit and rescue mission.
* Cath and Steve on the beach – 1:05. Nearly all the 1ste season episode rank high for me. That one had the first scene where we could start wondering about the Gov’s loyalties. And also how Mary discovered the Champbox which lead to loads of Steve Story stuff.
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I can’t believe no one mentioned 2.06! I love that one. I also love 3.08 & 9.07 is one of the absolute best of the series. A reboot set in the 1940s and 1950s would have been fantastic; no relying on magic tables or smart phones or DNA means they could have written some real investigative stuff for the characters.
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Oh, of course, we can not forget 2:06.
I think it will definitely make my Top 30 episode list – I think all the shirtless episodes, apart from one or two will make that 30’s list.
Your idea sounds a lot like Columbo – maybe someone should reboot that?
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Lol! Colombo had no eye candy!
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Concordo com a sua lista.Todos os episódios centrados em Steve foram os melhores. Fico a pensar o que teria sido a série se as histórias contassem a vida militar de Steve, a vivência com Joe – um personagem forte que eu tanto gostava – tinham grandes personagens que se foram apagando pouco a pouco.
Mas, posso sempre recordar os melhores momentos quando vier a saudade!🎶🎻
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I loved all the choices. I also liked the one at Christmastime one where Steve & Catherine help the little boy find his missing father, the one where the fans choose the ending, also the 1st Halloween one.
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how could i forget the two episodes alex wrote and directed were perfection and better then the regular writers
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