Over the past six weeks, since we started posting all things related to Hawaii Five-0 ending, the comment sections on our social media posts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, became inundated with 100’s and 1000’s of people showing their love and support for the show. Most never belonged to the so-called fandom or any faction of ships. They just loved the show for what it is! Many annoyingly sometimes beg for it to continue and we understand it. But most of you will know we felt it was a good time to end.
Having said that, we do realize that with the end, many lost their contracts for work. But that is unfortunately also a harsh reality of this kind of industry – you work from season to season and from contact to contract. We know that, that was always at the forefront of Alex’s choices about continuing with the show. And we would think that his choice to step away, never came easy.
Mahalo to the whole cast and crew for your hard work all these years. We hope that you were as greatly rewarded doing it, as we were watching it.
We also realise that the show was the highlight of many viewers and that many on social media formed friendships around it. In fact, it is also how our beautiful friendship here at Intense Study started. I think many of the pleading and the pain from fans, was also greatly reflected in Danny’s pain and pleading for Steve not to leave.
Unfortunately, over the past weeks, I also allowed myself to see too much (especially on twitter), which I have had blocked for several years now. And a lot of it stole my Aloha. I started this post as a lash out to that, but stepped away for a bit and decided, I will much rather focus on what I love, than to respond to the hate that other shower over us.
Episode 105
But yes, this is another post about the final scene of Hawaii Five-0!
On a question, Peter responded with this beautiful tweet (which also, unfortunately, got distorted with much hate 😥 ).
But we regard it as a beautiful tribute to Alex and his ability to bring Peter’s thoughts from the page to screen. I guess we will often use it in future.
Alex did a great job. Never phoned it in over 10 years. Last scene was beautiful. Nuanced. Last few frames you see him smile. That should satisfy anyone who watched that character for 10 years. That emotion says it all. My H50 story is told.
Peter Lenkov on Twitter
11 April 2020
Peter also told us all here to move on. And that is great advice. NO number if vile comments or interpretation or anything else of it, will change of what was produced by Peter and what was there to see.
Episode 401
Okay, so Peter wrote the final scene. Alex and Michelle acted it (over many takes and angles). Peter edited it to leave us with the scenes he liked and felt told his story the best. And we all watched it. But of course, we all saw it, how we wanted to see it, I guess?
What Peter wanted?
She’s [Cath] always been the endgame for me, no matter what. There are fans that love her and fans that don’t love her, but with the fans that don’t love her, I think there’s a little bit of not understanding her motivation. She’s a soldier, and for her that soldier mentality is always “God and country” comes first, and at that the sacrifice of everything else.
I think leaving Steve and the things she’s done to perhaps hurt him weren’t by choice. She has always loved him, and he’s always loved her and always felt complete with her. For me, those two being together was always the endgame.
The idea of Steve and Danny on those chairs, looking out at the ocean, was always in the cards as well. That friendship will always be there, those two guys will grow old together.
But the idea of Steve having a family for himself, being a grandfather, being all the things that his father and grandfather was, that was always in the cards for him.
Peter Lenkov
3 April 2020
Ah, so that was what Peter meant with the final scene? He saw Cath and Steve starting a life together again. And he felt that Alex did a great nuanced version of that. #GoodToRemember
As so often Peter’s thoughts during the show were reflected in what Danny said over the years:
Danny to Cath (in Epi 6:03):
Look, I have no idea what he was like before I met him, but I can tell you now, that he is the best version of himself when you are around.
Just a weird side note here:
Although it might not seem so, by what I post – I am actually not a McRoll shipper. 😕 Have since the beginning, been a McKono shipper and my final scene would always have been this. …..
So of course, this boat sunk LONG ago when Adam came, but I always held hope that Kono would drop his gangster ass and be with her one true love, Steve. But alas, then the actress left the show and all hope was lost #MyShipSank 😦
But enough said about that. I want to get back to the final scene and what we saw.
I know there will be loads of different views. I even chimed in with a weird and sometimes crazy one, in the post of Unspoken Words
Before we move on, what was Peter aiming for again?
Well, truthfully, I think the show is going to end every year. So every year you have to think about that. But I felt like the ending that you saw could have worked as a season finale or a series finale. Everything was built to see Steve McGarrett leave the island, and if we were going to come back, he would have come back in Season 11 after a couple episodes. I always thought that the season would end this way, and then when it became a series-ender I went in and retooled some things so it felt like a real, genuine end.
Peter Lenkov
3 April 2020
The final scene (again …. )
Steve is alone and on his way. He thinks about Danny and the rest of his Ohana that he is leaving behind. He loves them, but for his own sanity he needs to step away for a while.
He looks shocked, surprised and confused. He can’t believe it is Cath.
The One That Got Away is actually right there in front of him. Why?
Good old friends, making small talk. Measuring the other’s state of mind
Steve kind of embarrassingly smiles for his own behaviour towards Danny for ever letting him drive.
Steve looks uneasy and nervous. They are great friends and he trusts her with his life (as we last saw in Epi 9:11) But will they be able to make a fresh start as lovers again after all these years apart?
He looks into her eyes and he gently licks his lips.
She knows him well and with a yes and a nod he confirms his readiness to leave home and move forward with her. You can see Steve thinks seriously about it. It is no laughing matter. He needs to step away for a while and discover himself again.
And he is doing it now, with the person that knows him the best. The one who knew him even before he landed here 10 years ago. The only one he ever really let in. (He said so to Harry in Epi 7:02)
He asks to take her hand, and with it to reaffirm his words. They once again connect with a firm touch. She told him before she left that Five-0 was his THING who always kept him busy, but that she wanted more. Now that he is stepping away from that constant need from others, they can maybe try to really be there only for each other – maybe for the first time. The world is their Oyster!
And with a radiant smile, Steve can feel the heavy burden of the Ghosts of the Dearly Departed, starting to lift.
(or maybe he smiles, because he remembered that he packed the ring before he left 😉 😛 )
He is content, but he will miss his Ohana, Eddie & Danny, here in his beloved Hawaii. But he will be back, refreshed and ready for the next round that life deals him. He is Steve McGarrett after all. The one with a plan, even if it does not look like it.
He looks slightly serious once again, but that deep frown is gone.
I find the light shining here on him, as he says Aloha to his precious Hawaii, inspired.
And like so many times before, Alex took the words from Peter’s pages and with subtlety and finesse, he took this very serious but also liberating moment in Steve’s Story and gave us a beautiful sincere goodbye.
(Without trying to smile like an idiot the whole time)
There is still a long road ahead to find his peace and complete his quest. Steve came full circle (as Alex said) and he is leaving again as he came. Taking along the only person he had left, who was still alive, from those that he had as a constant in his life, before he came. The one that was not broken and did not need fixing when they met – way back in their 20’s. The strong one, who also needed time during the past few years to find her place.
(And I feel confident that one of their first stops will be with Mary and Joanie. After all, Cath made that promise to Aunt Deb)
Here is our tribute to Steve’s journey of pain and desire to leave.
(Dedicated to those who felt that Steve should have had more reason for smiling at the end)
Link to video
Mahalo, Alex!
You are a class act!
A person is allowed to have many different loved ones in life. There is a place for friends, brothers and lovers ….. and children.
To be honest, an “anything but” viewpoint in life, for me, presents no Aloha.
This is the last I will say about this final scene …. I promise ….
……. unless I find some more to say, I guess 😮
ALOHA!
I’m not speaking for Al, but his wishes were to make a great finale.
We tried our best.
Sorry (if) you’re not satisfied.
If it wasn’t free, I guess I’d give your money back.
Stay healthy.
Peter Lenkov on Twitter
11 April 2020
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 
Kinda wish Alex had written the last episode. I have a feeling, my opinion, that it would have been different.
But it ended ok. Here’s to everyone who worked on the show. Mahalo.
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Yes, it would have been different.
But we must always remember that Peter was the Executive producer. It was his baby to write. He would have never given it to anybody else to do.
Alex understood the roles each one of them had very well and he said so on many occasions.
I think we all should do that as well.
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That would have been wonderful. Maybe he would have written his wish for Steve going out with a bang 🙂
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Thank you for being the voice of reason. The ending was great. Was it perfect? No, but I am pleased. My only wish would have been for an “I love you, you know” . Again, thank you for everything. Your posts have been a pleasure to read
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Thanks
The, “I love you” would have been great. But I also think that there was not enough said between them yet, to make it sound good and genuine.
For me, his words earlier of “The One That Got Away” actually meant that – for me, he was implying that she is the one that he loves more than anything.
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I have thought about this today, sitting on the front porch with the driving rain pounding down and the winds whipping the petals off the early flowing trees.
I believe Peter created a metaphor in this final scene. Cath asks if he is ready, he says yes and takes her hand because he trusts her and will fly off into the unknown with her. She really is the wind beneath his wings. I wonder if he realizes it. I’d ask him but I can’t.
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I always find endings are hard to deal with, in real & in reel life. It started for me with Moonlight, having only one season, and never ending. I fought like crazy for that show.
Three Rivers was also a series, too bad it was before it’s time, in transplants. I guess people didn’t want see someone die for some others to live. It’s heartbreaking.
With Hawaii Five-O the first episode was riveting, totally enjoyable & from there, exceptional writing, acting, scenery. It all just blew my mind, Being there for the SOTB’s was fabulous. Such great memories, of meeting so many fans, enjoying their company.
All great stories have to come to an end, it was inevitable. At least there was an ending. Like I said, Steve’s smile at the end was all I needed to see, to know he felt good about it.
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love it Audrey. my feelings exactly. Thank you.
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Love it, love it, love it … so well spoken! Thank you. I also remember these various scenes you mentioned and that lead me to the same conclusions.
One other aspect came to my mind about some people said about Alex’s statements to this relationship some time back: in Ep 10.07 he said some words, caused by the pain by loosing his mother. But yet they are deep and go further than that scene. “You don’t get life on your terms ….. you can only choose from the information you get whe you get it”. For me this also means that life changes. IF Alex meant this, then mistakes of the past don’t have to determine your whole life …..
Mahalo and Aloha
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So it will have season 11 yes
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Hi Jevon.
No. There will not be a Season 11.
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I once drove 650 miles with my fiancé and we did not say one word during all these hours. There was no need. We knew.
So I am not sure that an “I love you” would have been great. They know they love each other. So do we. Saying the obvious is purposeless. So much more can be said by silence, looks, a hint of a smile. All the emotions are there, quietly but intensely. You can feel the mutual flow of love engulfing them.
So the end is perfect, at least for me.
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Yes, people who have been intimate for so many years and know each other so well, can somehow sense what the other one feels so well, with just the tiniest of gestures.
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such a great point. These two have been together (though apart) for so many years. She wouldn’t be on that plane if she didn’t love him, and he wouldn’t have kept letting her back in if he didn’t love her. I really wish we could have seen things go further with them, but a finale wedding would have been a bit cliche. This ending does mark a new beginning for Steve and is interesting as the “opposite” of his plane arrival looking out the window in the pilot. episode. I just can’t believe Steve McGarrett is gone. I need more of him in my life.
I have never been in a serious romantic relationship but can appreciate the type of relationship in which you can sit in silence for so long as you described with your fiance. My best friend and I can take a few hour car ride in silence. We just enjoy the other’s presence and the silence is never uncomfortable. We can get into really deep conversation, but it isn’t necessary.
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Another beautifully written article. Thank you! Not just in the past weeks have you done an amazing job.
And you are right, it’s way better to remember the good and not to waste your time with some of the super fans.
Again, thank you for entertaining us over the past years.
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Thank you, Sam
One get sucked in all that negativity and pure hatred so easily. And then you just want to react to that stupidity with a whipping lash of comments. But it is not worth it to engage. I will just go ahead and block again.
Not worth one minute of my time.
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You nailed it!
For me the best thing is that it feels like Steve , Cath and all the others are still out there. It didn’t feel like a final goodbye- so it made letting go so much easier! They all did an amazing Job. And I am still wondering, how s show respectively one person can take so much from our hearts and influence our life!
Mahalo!
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Of course they did an amazing Job- sorry for the mistake
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I enjoyed incorporating Peter’s thought process with it. It all just makes better sense to see it like he wanted us to see it.
And while watching it once again, I got such dearness in my heart for Steve again. This strong man who realized that he needed help. Alex made him look so vulnerable in those moments with Cath. Those soft jokes routed in the knowledge of each other, between Steve and Cath, made it so much more precious.
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Exactly! And it is so well played that I tend to forget once and again that these are fictional characters!
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It actually breaks my heart to think that fans of Alex would think that in those moments, he was trying to make a point about the pairing.
It is as if they don’t understand is integrity as an actor and his heart. Those traits in him that I have seen so much evidence of, in the past 8 years.
Specifically, someone who I know would under normal circumstances bitch slap anybody who would say anything against him, agreed with all this BS. about him not smiling enough and making a point.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw that.
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I’ve kept a copy of this last episode, so during a quiet time, I will watch it by myself and savor it all, again.
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Belo, muito belo post!
Como eu gostava de transmitir assim meus pensamentos…
Infelizmente não tenho esse talento.
Gostei muito do elogio de Peter a Alex – fê-lo tão pouco ao longo dos anos -.
Irei sempre olhar para Steve como um homem forte, honesto ,capaz de enfrentar todas as tormentas de cabeça erguida e peito aberto – e como são belas estas partes do seu corpo – , mas ao mesmo tempo apetecia abraçar e dizer: Vai ficar tudo bem!
Grata , Foyeur e Paula !
Saúde para todos! 🎶🍀
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I surely do hope that Alex, after however long he wishes to rest, will come back on-screen…movie or tv I don’t care. Just please do return, Alex!
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I think we live in hope, that Alex, after a much needed sabbatical from acting, will do something else that will astonish us even more.
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Thank you very much for this post, Foyeur. I’m happy that this finale refuses to fade away. I hate any negative crap about Alex, and the nastiness of the McDannos, but I like the fact that this ending is still creating response. I’m surprised actually- I didn’t think people cared that much.
I hope there will reason to continue posting here. Maybe discuss individual key episodes, if that is not too redundant.
Thanks, again.
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We still have lots of reasons to post here. We will also be reposting and reminding people of older posts they might have gone on unnoticed. There are so much stuff on here that people might have forgotten about. I know I have – even stuff that I posted myself.
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Thank you for your words, kindness, and maturity in what seems to be a difficult time to handle for many H50 fans. I totally agree with a lot of that hate having stolen some of your Aloha – I found the same thing. Eventually I stopped looking and decided that I won’t let anyone steal my happiness and ruin a show that I’ve loved for so long. It was a beautiful ending and a bittersweet goodbye to a show, actors, and place that I have loved watching each week! Loved your take on things, thank you for sharing!
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Thanks, Bella
Yes, I guess people react in their own way, just like everybody saw things in their own way.
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❤️ McKono!❤️ Be still my heart. These two would have been awesome together. Sigh. And Alex and Grace had a wonderful chemistry. Thanks for the picture. I always loved it.
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Yes, that episode was not my favourite, but I really want to imagine Steve roaming the Seven Seas, sailing with a lovely companion who can hold her own with him. No phones, no broken toys – just good company.
Think I said something about that, a few weeks back in a comment to you.
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Regarding Alex’s professionalism, I read this morning and article published by the Hwaiian newspaper Star-Advertiser, about the 5 best H50 epis. And Alex was highly praised by the journalist.
I would like to share this with you, but I am not sure that I can quote full paragraphs or if I have to paraphrase, which would be a pity. FOYeur, what do you say?
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Are you talking about this from Wendie’s article?
““Ka ʻiʻo” (“DNA”), episode 10.07
Written and directed by Alex O’Loughlin, it originally aired on Nov. 8, 2019.
O’Loughlin takes his character and McGarrett’s mother, Doris (Christine Lahti), on the final leg of their journey together and puts to rest the story of Shelburne, his mother’s CIA operative handle. The episode itself is a tour de force for O’Loughlin, as it shows his skill behind the pen, as well as his expertise as an actor and director. It should have been the series finale, as it gave us a conclusion that was emotionally heartbreaking, but ended all speculation of any secrets McGarrett hoped would be answered.”
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No, it was a resume of the 8 best epis favoured by fans around the world: the Pilot, the 100th epi, Honor Thy Father… The journalist explained why they were favourites, but for three of them, those directed and written by Alex, there is a special mention about Alex’s work.
And BTW, the Star Advertiser is the most important newspaper in Hawaii. So I hope Alex has read it. It would be very gratifying for him.
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I still think we are talking about the same article of Wendie posted in the Star-Advertiser over the weekend.
I just quoted the last part of it here. The other one she talks about the episode that Alex directed with Danny’s story and also the one that Alex directed with Junior’s story:
https://t.co/lK6EKZqCQc?amp=1
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You’re right. Somehow I missed the connection between the newspaper and your quote. My mistake.
Anyhow, if you have time, guys, and unfortunately I think time is something we all have, being staying at home, read the full article. It is interesting plus there are two additional bits about Alex’s skills as a director.
I am going now to my couch, where I will take shelter under a blanket while I meditate humbly about my bluster. How can I have thought for one second that I could find information about Alex that you did not have or would not share? Un-for-giv-able!
You’re the best, FOYeur! Thank you for all your generous work!
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All good.
I might have shared or been more willing to share the article, if we were not scolded for harassment by a person connected to Wendie and her Redux site and her articles, over the weekend (with a post on their FB page).
We had a difference of opinion over the whole journalist incident and when I posted my amazement that fans would support someone for insulting Alex’s integrity – they tried to get sympathy against us.
I guess we all see the situation differently. But I stand by my view and the view that Alex gave that final scene his full support and did not use it to make some sort of point. Or that the journalist was right to post such a comment.
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Exactly! I stand by you. As you stand by Alex, his talent, his commitment, his professioanlism and his integrity.
That’s what fans do. Period.
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It’s disgusting. So much politics about the way some defend or attack an actor or a show or whatever.
It’s so simple if everyone can give their point of view without insulting, without using attacks just to prove their point, which is the easiest and basest way to defend their arguments.
It’s all a question of respect, a word I love and is very much used here in this blog. And this is why I follow you.
Never loose your aloha spirit, dear FOYeur!
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Awesome.will miss this show
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Is there a chance of a special in the future.
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Hi Madeline
There is always a chance of anything in the future
I guess you are talking about a special episode of maybe a movie of Hawaii Five-0?
That will depend upon a lot of things.
Peter having an idea for a story for that.
Alex and the other cast being available for that.
And the Network being up to finance the making of such a special.
Therefore it will mostly depend on the future careers of all of them
Will Peter not be too busy making other shows?
Will Alex not have any other offers for movies of other shows?
Will the network have enough faith in such a project to let them spend money on making it.
So yes, there is a chance …
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