#h50 10.22

[my-fav-mcdanno]

2 pieces of advice for Lincoln Cole:

(1) don't act like you know better than Steve what's good for Steve - mind your own business

(2) if YOU admire Catherine so much: call her & ask her out (nicely) YOURSELF

[miriam-heddy]

Danny: “…”

[jamiemarsters]

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Pic of the Day: James Marsters flexing the face muscles in preparation for his angry shooty face™ in @hawaiifive0cbs #10.22 "Aloha"

@realjamesmarsters #JamesMarsters #HawaiiFive0 #H50 #GottaWarmUpThoseCheekbones #AngryShootyFace™ #CanBeQuiteTaxing #OneImagines

[drwolfnichols]

OKAYYYY so one minute Steve is sticking his WHOLE ASS ARM into a burning vehicle because Danny might be in there,,, "the person you care about most in the world" and then a week later he's leaving his still-recovering person and his dOG behind to chase peace with Doris #2?? OKAY I see your homophobia Peter

[yoko787878]

“I won't let anyone take him out of my arms, i won't let anyone touch him, Danno is mine.”

[mahal-5o]

After some time to reflect on the ending, I regret letting myself get so angry, particularly at Lenkov.

Was it a great ending? Not really. But it wasn't supposed to be. This was clearly supposed to be a season finale and not a series finale. From what I understand, it was right at the last minute CBS decided to end the show. There wasn't much they could have changed to make it a true ending.

Is it OOC that Steve would leave his home and his ohana and Danny after so many years of friendship and support? Arguably yes, but Alex was leaving the show, so short of killing Steve off, they had to write him leaving. They didn't give Danny an ending because it wasn't supposed to be an ending. This was supposed to be a farewell to Steve, not the show.

Over 95% of this episode is a damn loveletter to Steve's and Danny's friendship. This whole season was. Whether this makes me delusional or not, I honestly think if Lenkov knew it was the end much sooner, he wouldn't have ended it this way. We would have had the guys sitting in those chairs by the beach bickering at each other.

[slightlystrangepsyche]

H50 S10E22 questions, thoughts, frustrations.

Gonna put my epic rant under the read more, but I have a few questions:

Was Wo Fat really Steve's half-brother all along?

Why does Doris McGarrett suddenly have a crypt, and wouldn't the contents of the crypt have been discovered after she /actually/ died?

What did Wo Fat hope to get out of having John McGarrett killed, and torturing Steve so many times?

Why wasn't Mary McGarrett ever even mentioned?

Why does the ending hurt me so much?

Please, read and share your thoughts. No flames though, please. I'm very fragile right now.

The murder of Steve's father is what started the show. But having watched 10 seasons, having watched every single episode, I'm still not sure why he was murdered.

The initial reason seemed simple. Steve had Anton Hesse in his custody. Anton's brother, Victor, was using John McGarrett as a hostage to try to get Steve to free Anton. But Anton died in an escape attempt, and Victor shot John in the head.

But then it's revealed that a guy called Wo Fat was actually pulling the strings. Wo Fat wanted information about something called “Shelburne”

Shelburne turned out to be Steve's mom, Doris, who faked her death so very long ago in a car bomb John thought was meant for him. The guilt consumed John, so he pushed away his two children, Steve and Mary, sending Steve away to military school as soon as he could.

Shelburne also killed Wo Fat's mom. Steve knows this, because he dug up the grave himself. And it seems like Doris practically adopted Wo Fat after this. That's why she doesn't shoot Wo Fat when she gets the chance. Even though Wo Fat tortures Steve later.

Now, after 10 years, a few months after Doris died (for real), she sent Steve a cipher. That cipher gets Danny attacked once, then kidnapped and beaten and almost killed by Wo Fat's wife. The cipher revealed a location. Doris McGarrett's mausoleum, which hasn't been mentioned once in 10 years. Inside was money that Wo Fat's wife steals until Steve catches her and arrests her.

Before Daiyu Mei is arrested, she plays a few mental mind-games, on Steve McGarrett and me. She makes a lot of game-changing claims, but is she an unreliable narrator?

Firstly, she claims Wo Fat and John McGarrett only met once, when Wo Fat had John killed. However, we've seen camera footage of Wo Fat, the Governor of Hawaii at the time, and John McGarrett in a meeting. It was part of John McGarrett's investigation to prove the Governor was corrupt. There was also something about Shelburne there too, but I can't quite remember. But it proves Daiyu Mei's statement is a lie.

So is her claim that Doris was Wo Fat's mother a lie too?

Was her claim that John McGarrett begged them not to tell Steve about his mom a lie? If not, was that another misguided attempt of John's to protect Steve, even though it caused him more trauma?

If true, why did Wo Fat torture Steve for answers he knew Steve was clueless about? Steve thought his mom was dead, for the longest time.

It makes sense for Doris McGarrett to have a mausoleum that would be over 20 years old at this point, but this is the first we're hearing about it. We've been told, time and time again, that John pushed his children away after Doris' “death”. (I'm still not sure how old Steve was, because we're told differing ages throughout the show. Ex: Steve says his father sent him away when he was fifteen. He claims in another episode he found out about his mother's death when he was 16). Just when did John ever take Steve and Mary to that mausoleum? They never got to mourn their mom properly, then they emotionally lost a dad too.

I wish the show would remember that Steve has a sister. The episode could have ended with him flying to go meet Mary, because that's another thing that doesn't make sense to me: the ending.

The episode highlights how Danny is the most important person in the world to Steve, and then Steve leaves whilst Danny is still physically recovering. Steve is leaving to “wander the earth”.

In 10 years, the only times Steve has left the island is when it's for a case, to help solve a mystery or help a friend, or a matter of life and death. It should be a relief that Steve can finally leave the island for none of those reasons, but it feels so empty, especially given what Steve is leaving behind.

I know it was left open so the audience can choose, but after 10 years, I really want the characters to move forward, not wander, lost. If he was going to see his sister and his niece, then walk the earth for a bit, I think I'd be less anxious, less lost.

I can understand why Steve needs to leave, especially since the whole John, Doris, Wo Fat situation is so complicated. I understand why Steve doesn't want to stay in the house where his father was murdered. So why wasn't it framed like a good thing?

I remember when Max left. I remember that it was happy/sad. Moving on, moving forward is happy and sad.

Chin left because he got his own task force in San Francisco.

I'm not happy with Kono's departure, but at least she was given a direction, new work to do.

Steve leaving was not framed like that. Danny begged him to stay, and Steve couldn't even give any false assurance that he'd be back, eventually. Even if he didn't come back, I'd have liked to have heard him assure Danny. He could have said it, could have meant it, but if they got a new season they could have had him settled elsewhere, finally finding peace, and the team could be happy for him, even explaining Scott's absences because you know Danny would be visiting Steve all the time.

I can't believe the last canon image we'll get of Danny, is all alone, bruised and broken, having begged Steve to stay, and Steve just walked away. I know that's not the end to the story, but it's the last of canon and that hurts me so much.

I mean, it would hurt less if we saw Danny send that “miss you already” text to Steve, curled up on Eddie's couch. Even more so if he had Charlie and Grace with him.

I'm not going to mention the last scene because I can't see Cathy without thinking of all the times she left him, all the pain she caused him, all the ways she's like Doris. It's an Oedipal complex, that puts potential procreation over found families. I know that's Lenkov's headcanon, not canon, but it's still hard for me to ignore and I'm trying so hard.

I love Hawaii Five-0 because it seemed to be about a traumatized man with a pained family background, who build his own ohana. Honestly, that's why I'm drawn to fandom. So, I hope the Hawaii Five-0 fandom can remain an ohana and that the ending doesn't split up the fandom.

Mahalo.

[five0mcdanno]

I’m happy

Yeah, me too

[cowandcalf]

Thanks again @mayberrycryptid for tagging me! I love that @trickster-archangel created such a great ask! Thank you so much!

I gave that topic a lot of thought and I just want to let you in on my POV. I go with the two separate worlds that are the mind of a civilian and the mind of a SEAL and I'm convinced neither of the guys would ever say 'I love you' in a manipulative way. They really mean it when they say it.

In 7.01 Danny is worried out of his mind for Steve and fears the worst. He has hoped that this terrible accident and the GW to the liver would bring Steve to his senses about how to treat his body with much more care. Instead of saying "I'm so worried about you. I don't want to lose you and when you keep being so reckless, I fear burying you before we have a chance of enjoying life outside Five-0 because I love you" … instead of saying that Danny rants at Steve and tries to make him guilt-ridden by accusing him of being ungrateful. Danny is passive-aggressive, we've experienced this before (the stakeout episode.) And Steve wants to calm Danny but instead of saying "Look, Danny, I'm a SEAL and my body is just another tool. I will never change. I don't want to change because that's who I am. I need to prove myself every day because I'm wired like this. That's who I am. My oath comes first, always. I don't mind dying to protect others. I know it's difficult to understand my world and how it works but as long as I can walk, I'll fight. I don't do rest-ups and stuff like that. It's not how my mind works. It's not what I want" … instead of saying that, he says that he loves Danny and that his love for him has nothing to do with how he treats his body.  

(And just for the 'proving always something' stuff: McRaven explains why every SEAL no matter how far he'd come has to prove himself every day of his life. He had a horrible parachute accident and almost got torn in half. When he was able to walk again he mingled with his men on the daily PT course and dragged himself through it, his body not quite fit yet from the accident. One sailor came up to him and said 'Why are you doing this? You don't have to prove anything anymore' and McRaven (Admiral) explains with vehemence why this sailor was wrong. Because every SEAL must prove himself every day of his entire life. Always. No slack. Never. Ever. Not one second. So, there you go and it makes more sense to what Steve is dealing with and why he doesn't want to take a break not even for the people he loves because it's who he is!)

Neither Danny nor Steve express what they really feel and mean. In the end, (7.01) Steve only agrees to take a few days off because he isn't doing well. He always rubs his fist against his heart. He knows that his body needs to rest but he only does it because he needs to, not because Danny has asked him to. He never rests. That's not what SEALs do. And in 10.22 he just can't live the way he did not even for Danny he can stay. He needs to go away. And in both moments his 'I love yous' are meant in the most honest way. From my POV.

Some information to understand SEALs better:

I guess, one needs to understand a SEAL's mind to make sense of what they do to their body. I only can refer to all the articles and books I read, to the podcasts I've been listening to held by former Navy SEALs where they exchange life experiences as a SEAL. I will add all the links to those great podcasts at the bottom of my little meta so you can hear and read for yourself. Resting and taking care of injuries isn't really on the top of their list.

SEALs are a special breed, and they treat their body differently. It's a tool that is used until it breaks and even broken, they use it until they collapse only to recover as fast as possible to jump right back into the game. It's what they do. It's how they are wired. They aren't successful because they treat their body carefully and respectfully, or living healthily. They are successful because they stress the physical laws to the max and even further. And they are trained to do that in every second of every day as long as they live. I don't speak for all of course, and my horizon is limited but what I learned so far fits Steve's behavior.

Just an example of what aspirants in BUD/S need to endure and want to endure because it's voluntary and they could ring the bell anytime, but they have a goal, and no matter what they rather die than give up. They deal with concussions, broken bones, dangerous infections, and near-drownings, many of them suffer from SIPE (Swimming induced pulmonary edema) from surf torture and they just keep going. After BUD/S, especially Hell Week their body is wrecked.

There was this article I posted once: Death in Navy SEAL Training Exposes a Culture of Brutality, Cheating, and Drugs

And here you can listen to the podcast with Jocko Willink and Rich Diviney talking about attributes, drug abuse in BUD/S, and why training must be hell and only hell among so many great other things.

And here you can listen to the podcast with Jocko Willink and Admiral McRaven talking about life in the Navy, being a SEAL, and all the missions they experienced. Wisdom of the Bullfrog. A fantastic podcast I highly recommand.

And as for Danny - he learns to speak his mind and express his deep worries later on in the season when Steve got hit with a portion of radioactivity from the dirty bomb. There he finally could just tell Steve how much he is worried and there Steve admits that he is worried too but he needs to keep going.

It's a completely idiotic thought brought on by my insomnia, but last night I suddenly realised that Steve’s 'I love you' at the end of 10x22, before leaving Danny (thus doing something he knows will hurt and/or disappoint Danny), has absolutely the same meaning, tone, and purpose, as Steve's 'I love you' in 7x01, when Danny is trying (and failing) to make him reason and not throw his life away. It's basically the only method Steve's devised to stop Danny and offer some sort of justification for the shit he's about to pull, despite knowing he's doing something wrong.

Ok I swear in my mind it made sense, but after today and with only a few hours sleep I'm not logical anymore!

ok so! here is my take on it but I would love to have others chime in cuz this fandom has the bestest metas and thinkee thoughts.

sneakily tags: @cowandcalf @stephmcx @ellena-asg @teruel-a-witch

Steve is a SEAL and SEALs get a ton of training. He's also a mess, thanks to shitty parenting, trauma of his mom's death and Freddy's death and his dad's death, and a whole lot of PTSD, on top of a pretty rough re-entry into civilian life.

I think Steve honestly means it when he says it both times, but he is still being emotionally manipulative. He is taking the counseling and doing what he is trained to do--use the tools he has been given to achieve the end goal.

What's really awful, but heartbreakingly accurate, is we're also seeing in both scenes how Steve can so easily fall into Doris' pattern of emotionally manipulating her family.

Thats the problem with abuse and trauma. People are so comfortable with these patterns that form such a huge part of their lives that it's seductively easy to repeat those patterns, even when they fighting tooth and nail not to.

This is also why so many stories about survivors make me do a hard eye roll. Being a survivor is not about suddenly being magically all better. Being a survivor is stepping into the shower and realizing that something you did at work last month was super shitty--and then feeling super guilty it took a full month for you to even grab a clue.

So yeah, you'e right but I believe Steve's not consciously aware of what he is doing. And I have always read Danny's expressions when Steve says it as Danny going into 'dad' mode.

Kids will often go through a 'I love you' phase where they try to wriggle out of consequences and Danny really seems to be like, Uh huh. I didn't buy it when Grace did it when she was three and I am not buying it now. But if you really want to act like a toddler, Steven, I'll humor you and say 'I love you' back.

cuz lets be honest, Danny humors Steve a lot😂😂😂

[h50europe]

Alternate ending for H50 10.22

Danny drops into the seat next to Steve despite his injuries. "What the hell is the matter with you? You really thought you can pull the Houdini?" 

Steve gives him a big smile, "Since when are your bags packed?" 

"Since forever?" Danny deadpans. 

Steve smiles - fade out

[cowandcalf]

The goodbye scene – Steve and Danny 10.22

An explanation

Danny is not the one with the anxiety of abandonment. That's Steve. Danny is the one with the worst-case scenario imagination. Danny always fears for the worst outcome and this means he's already anxious for the moment to get a phone call by an unknown number to be informed Steve had died. That movie runs through his head when they sit at the beach moments away to say goodbye for an uncertain time.

Another thing that's important to remember about Danny and his way to deal with difficult situations in a relationship are these: he has a way to punish his partner due to too much hurt and the lack of coping in a difficult emotional situation. Maybe you remember the time, I guess it was in season 6 when Gaby stood him up. She was supposed to come back from Morocco to be with him and she was a no-show. She called him several times to apologize but Danny didn't answer the phone. Another phone call from Gaby pinged on Danny's phone when Steve entered his office and Danny clicked her away. And Steve smirked and looked knowingly at Danny and asked Danny what's up. Danny explained honestly what he was doing and Steve asked him if he was punishing her. And he said yes that's his way to deal with what she had done to him. So – that's a pattern Danny uses in his defense to cope with very difficult situations.

Another important detail upfront to get Danny's reaction when Steve says goodbye. Danny hates goodbyes. He hates changes. He wishes that everything always stays the same to have control over his beloved ones. He never wanted Charlie to grow up so Danny could always be the father of a five-year-old boy to never face all the changes that happens in a child's life. For example, growing out of the need for their father's intense care. Danny never wanted Grace to grow older, never wanted to deal with her going off to college. He would never want her to lose his beloved girl to another boy because Grace begins to show interest in other boys. That's Danny's nightmare- changes.

Maybe you remember the time where he caught all texts from a guy form Grace's class he sent to Grace's phone when she was twelve. And she lied to Danny about homework and went instead to eat ice-cream with this boy. Danny was upset and furious and disappointed but when he saw them together, he realized how happy Grace looked and he backed off, leaving it up to her to come forward and to be honest about what she had done. And she did. Grace couldn't stand the lie she told her Danno and confessed. And everything was settled again.

So, that's Danny's pattern. Danny hates changes. He can't deal with them because he loses control and he fears for the worst. Meaning everyone dies all the time and he ends up alone and sad.

Then, that's another very important point. Whenever Steve had left in the past it was because of a mission, a dangerous task, to find a bad guy, to bring someone home. Steve was always on duty during those missions either as the head of the Five-0 task force or as a SEAL. Steve never went away as a civilian. He never just went on holiday. Danny had always an important task too, when Steve was gone for a mission. Steve was always his partner, was always somehow connected to Danny and Danny was ready to jump onto the next plane to get Steve back home in case the plan went south.

But this time nothing, nothing at all is remotely the same. Danny has spent the last ten years to have Steve's back, to watch his six, always. Danny was his partner for ten years and suddenly he isn't. Danny knows Steve battles with insomnia, with the experiences of the last year that has been one of the cruelest ones in Steve's life. And the hurtful experiences are not over. Steve just learned that his father knew the whole time that his mother's death was staged. Again, he had been betrayed by the people who should love him the most.

Steve is hurting. Steve feels lost. Steve doesn't know what to do. He needs a break; he needs to roam the earth and he needs to do this alone.

Danny understands this but he can't cope with it. He's so afraid Steve won't be okay. Who's there to look after his boy? And obviously Danny doesn't trust Steve to do this on his own. Danny knows how Steve loves risks and danger and there are still enemies out there who want to see Steve dead. At least, Danny thinks this.

For Danny it's the most difficult thing to stay behind and to not being able to look after Steve. Especially because he moved in with Steve and he has a watchful eye all the time over Steve and now he can't do that anymore.

So, he tries again to sell Steve the beauty of Hawaii. To make him stay here on this island where Danny can look after him. Steve is a civilian now. The first time in about 25 years Steve's not on duty and that will mess with his mind and his emotional state. Danny can't be there for Steve when it's going to hit him hard.

And Steve knows this. Steve knows what kind of crazy thoughts are running through Danny's head. But Steve also knows he has to go. He won't find peace in Hawaii because only hurtful things had happened concerning his parents. He needs to find a way into this new stage of life he hopes to discover. He needs to mend and he needs to learn to live without being on duty. Steve needs to learn how to be a civilian.

So, when they hug, Danny pouts. Danny is deeply worried. He wants to cry. He wants to beg Steve not to go but at the same time he knows Steve needs this. But Danny hates changes and that's why he punishes Steve with the way he looks away when Steve says to him openly, that he loves him – straight in the face.

And Steve gets it. He hugs Danny as tight as possible, tucks him close to his chest and smiles because he gets his Danno. He takes Danny's emotional, harsh treatment like a champ because Steve loves Danny and he knows how much Danny has to fight to keep it together. Danny will be so sorry the next day but right now, in this very moment he can't escape his pattern.

And Steve knows it. He leaves and turns once more to look down where Danny sits. He sighs and knows both are hurting but it's necessary for Steve to leave. It's like a treatment, a mental cleansing. Steve thinks about going back one more time but there's not comfort because he leaves anyway. And he knows Danny will get over it and they will call each other to be in touch. Danny is just worried sick that Steve won't make the transformation from SEAL and H50 leader to normal tourist and civilian.

Sometimes the only way to get better is to leave and to come back for good. But that's not the time yet. Steve has a lot of work to do to heal. And if you get Steve's character you know this sabbatical is the most important thing for him to do. It will keep him sane. It will make him find peace and to be ready to start a new stage in life with Danny once he's back home again.

And Danny? Danny misses Steve already and sends him a text first thing when he has found his footing again. And when did we ever read such a text from Danny to Steve?? I miss you already.

The boys are good. They love each other and they will get through this time. Love is support and strength when you need it the most. Steve loves his ohana and his ohana loves him. Love will get him through this trip and Danny knows this. And love will bring Steve back home.

The boys love each other deeply.

End of statement.

[five-wow]

the entire finale episode 10 season show: danny is the most important person in steve’s life and steve has a very hard time coping without him. they love each other and envision a future together.

the last minute of the finale: [throws cheap confetti in your eyes so you won’t look too closely] enter catherine! now steve can finally be hetero! wait, shit, happy. i meant happy.

[jamiemarsters]

Pics of the Day: @realjamesmarsters having a different kinda no good, very bad day... in @hawaiifive0cbs #10.22 "Aloha" #JamesMarsters #HawaiiFive0 #H50 #VictorHesse #ToBeFair #JohnMcGarrettProbablyHadAWorseOne #AtLeastHeKeptHisHands? #AWeirdUpside #ButClearlyAnUpside https://www.instagram.com/p/CpWQxBWrB_4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drwolfnichols]

taking fix-it fic requests from now until eternity

[ohsofoxyclocks]

Random musings: This shot (Steve holding Danny’s hand when he finds him) didn’t make the final cut of 10.22 and that haunts me. it looked like there were 2 other times during the episode that Steve took Danny’s hand that we didn’t see in the camera angle on screen (in the car after Danny’s hand kind of flops, and when Danny wakes up and asks why Steve stopped holding his hand). maybe PL/the writers wanted to put a special emphasis on the bedside handholding (I assume the other handholding times were Scott/Alex choices rather than scripted—we know for sure that Steve re-taking Danny’s hand when he wakes up was unscripted.) Or or or...the editors/director/PL didn’t want to “overkill” McDanno’s handholding when there was a different pair holding hands at the end that we’re supposed to garner something out of🤪 Or...they didn’t think about that any of that and simply used the shots they liked best, lol.

*advocates for extended scene/camera angles on the DVD release*

[mahal-5o]

Idea: Steve gets jealous of how close Danny and Cole are getting. Danny mentions him a lot in their calls. And then, it's the very last straw when Danny refers to Cole as "his partner" and Steve NOPES his way back to Hawaii.