Hawaii Five-0‘s season finale left a lot of unanswered questions in the air. Instead of leaving Season 7 off on an action-packed ledge, many of the characters were left in vague positions which leave fans to wonder what place they will be in when they return. This is not unusual for a season finale. That being said, it seems that certain events set in motion could be tells of where the team could end up at series’ end. There’s plenty of story left to tell for Season 8, but could it be a good stopping point for the show?
On a personal level, Season 8 could revert back to some old ideas. It’s already been put out there that Danny Williams could reunite with his ex-wife pending her divorce from her second husband. Despite Rachel’s lie about their son and Danny having moved forward in another relationship, a reunion could very well happen next season. The stage for this move was set at the end of Season 1 when Danny and Rachel initially agreed to give it another go. The issue would be whether or not Rachel is finally ready to accept Danny’s high stakes life, and whether or not Danny is can trust his her again. That’s the crux of the dilemma he may face next season. Love is difficult to kill, but trust is easily broken and nearly impossible to get back in its entirety. Time will tell.
Not much should change for Grover or Jerry next season, as they both went through some big professional hurdles which solidified their sense of belonging to Five-0. Chin has never felt anything but belonging to the team, and now has a home life which is just as solid. It’s doubtful he’ll want to leave Five-0 for the opportunity to head the division he was offered in San Francisco. While it is a fantastic opportunity, and one he rightfully deserves, leaving home isn’t something he seems inclined to do.
Kono’s future with the team may be the biggest wild card of all. While she may or may not be expecting, the human trafficking case hit a nerve with her. In the final minutes of the season finale Kono was headed to Carson City with the intent of tracking down the rest of the traffickers. She has done so without authorization or backup, so it’s tough to say whether she will go through the proper channels, whether she has gone rogue, and if she will temporarily resign from Five-0 to follow this lead.
Steve McGarrett takes the most risks, does the most combat, and has had more injuries than anyone else. That’s finally caught up with him. Radiation poisoning is nothing to follow around with, and it could spell the end of McGarrett’s time as Five-0’s leader. Though Executive Producer Peter Lenkov rebuked that thought after the finale, it’s not to say it still couldn’t be the case towards the end of Season 8. Series star Alex O’Loughlin has stated that like his character, his own body has taken several brutal hits from filming his own stunts. It’s his intention not to continue with the series past the point that his body can no longer take the strain. This could mean that O’Loughlin, and the series itself may have all the necessary plot points to make Season 8 Hawaii Five-0’s last. As a fan I would be opposed, but from a creative and realistic perspective, it might make the most sense.
Let’s put it to a vote. Should Hawaii Five-0 end after Season 8? Hit the comments to weigh in.
