'NCIS: Hawai'i' Episode 4 Review: CBS drama provides a heady mix of humor and action
Spoilers for 'NCIS: Hawai'i' Episode 4 'Paniolo'
'Paniolo' just takes 'NCIS Hawai'i's explosive factor to a whole another level. Toggling between suspenseful and gritty, the crime drama just adds in enough humor to not make the episode too dark. This pattern stretches well into the fourth episode as the team grapples with some dangerous drug peddlers and kicks some ass while at it. The character storylines are being developed albeit slowly, but with the focus predominantly on the cases they solve, the former just serves as relevant subplots.
The episode sees Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and her team take on a drug gang after they rescue a former Navy man who was shot while out riding his horse. Over the course of the chapter, it is revealed that the man was protecting his son who was accidentally got himself mixed up with dangerous meth distributors. Headed by Crazy Sam (Tom Schanley), the gang attempts to kill the son and the father takes it on himself to protect him. What stands out in 'Paniolo' is the crisp writing and that makes 'Hawai'i a series that promises to deliver.
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The chemistry between the characters, which seemed a bit clunky at first seems to have been rectified too. Yasmine Al-Bustami's Lucy Tara and Alex Tarrant's Kai Holman get to work together and know each other in the episode while Jesse Boone (Noah Mills) and Tennant have quite the action themselves. Ernie (Jason Antoon) has a dating history with Det Dalia Reed (Lauren Cook) and that just adds to the fun quotient.
To be honest, this is really the sort of storyline that was expected from 'NCIS: Hawai'i' as it jumped deeper into the season. Again, the happy endings don't necessarily mean the plotlines will always be happy that day. This series also celebrates the culture and Hawaiian flavor. It's supposed to and does so. The improvement is out there and there's hope that it matches up to the popularity ratings its spin-offs 'NCIS: Los Angeles' and 'NCIS: New Orleans' did.
'NCIS: Hawai'i' airs Mondays at 10 pm ET on CBS.
