History YMMV / HawaiiFiveO

* WTHCastingAgency: "To Hell with Babe Ruth" expects you the viewer to accept Mark Lenard and Will Kuluva as being Japanese - it's especially glaring when Lenard's character is in a scene with ''actual'' Japanese-American Virginia Wing as his daughter (i.e. most of the episode).

* CaptainObviousReveal: In the PilotMovie: tries really hard to make us think Brent (Creator/LeslieNielsen's character) is TheMole working for Wo Fat.[[spoiler: Miller's everpresent pipe]] gives it away long before the climax.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', you can easily picture the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty, as a PoorlyDisguisedPilot for some kind of ''NCIS: Hawai'i'' series. Sure enough, come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]], although it didn't actually take that route via ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' due to ending last year.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Reverend Andy in "The Miracle Man" is from Manchester where he was discovered and he's said to have been in prison [[BlatantLies where he found God]]. Danny rings Wormwood Scrubs where he was indeed detained at Her Majesty's pleasure... but this attempt to avert BritainIsOnlyLondon would be more successful if Five-O had called Strangeways - a prison actually located in Manchester[[note]]Wormwood Scrubs is in ''London''.[[/note]]

** [[Series/{{Quincy}} Lee Potter]] helps [[Series/StElsewhere Dr. Westphall]] in his conning of rich male tourists.

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AepyGm9Me6w theme tune]], considered by many to be one of the best TV themes ever[[note]]when the 2010 remake tried to to an "updated" version with electric guitars and synth drums, the response was so negative that they had to hastily record a shortened version of the original theme with some of the original musicians in the orchestra[[/note]]. The theme song is by composer Morton Stevens. It became a hit single for The Ventures, a famous instrumental rock group.

** Creator/DirkBenedict gives one of the [[VictimOfTheWeek Victims Of The Week]] (there's two) syphilis.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', you can easily picture the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty, as a PoorlyDisguisedPilot for some kind of ''NCIS: Hawai'i'' series. Sure enough, come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]], though it didn't actually take the PoorlyDisguisedPilot route via ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' due to it ending the previous year.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', you can easily picture the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty, as a PoorlyDisguisedPilot for some kind of ''NCIS: Hawai'i'' series. Sure enough, come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]], though it didn't actually take the PoorlyDisguisedPilot route via ''Series/HawaiiFive0''.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', it's not hard to imagine the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty being remade as PoorlyDisguisedPilot for ''another'' spinoff called ''NCIS: Honolulu''. Sure enough, come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]] No PDP in ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' though.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', it's not hard to imagine the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty being remade as PoorlyDisguisedPilot for ''another'' spinoff called ''NCIS: Honolulu''. Sure enough, come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]] No word on an episode of Hawaii Five-0 though.

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', it's not hard to imagine the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty being remade as PoorlyDisguisedPilot for ''another'' spinoff called ''NCIS: Honolulu''. Sure rnough, and come [[Series/NCISHawaii 2021....]]

** When you consider the revival takes place in a SharedUniverse with ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', it's not hard to imagine the season eight premiere "Murder - Eyes Only," a [[BigBad Wo Fat]] episode dealing with the murder of a Naval Intelligence commander during [=McGarrett=]'s Naval Reserve duty being remade as PoorlyDisguisedPilot for ''another'' spinoff called ''NCIS: Honolulu''.

** An early 1970 episode, "Run, Johnny, Run", featured future ''Series/MondayNightFootball'' (and current NBC ''Sunday Night Football'') play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels playing an attorney. [[MemeticMutation Do you believe in cameos? YES!]]
*** The same episode featured a 27-year-old Creator/ChristopherWalken.

** Not-So-Awesome Music: Fred Steiner did fine work on [[Series/TheTwilightZone1959 other]] [[Series/StarTrektheOriginalSeries shows]], but his scores for "My Friend, The Enemy" and "The Bark And The Bite" are embarrassing, with former lathering on the GratuitousItalian with a trowel to illustrate Luciana Paluzzi's character and getting in the way of a pretty good story. The latter is about as subtle as the comic episode it supports, with an over-reliance on "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" guest star Nita Talbot's [[Series/HogansHeroes best-known gig]] had better scoring.

** Watching "A Distant Thunder" suggests it was the most prescient episodes of 1970s TV. With a key character being a young charismatic Hawaiian of colour who's a civil rights attorney running for a seat on the US Senate and tipped as a future President. [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Hmmmm....]]

* JustHereForGodzilla: Much like ''Film/{{Shaft}}'', a pretty standard cop show became a legend on the strength of its theme song.

* {{Narm}}:
** Any time he usually in-control Steve [=McGarrett=] has to be overcome with emotion, beware.... witness his becoming all weepy and relieved when he realises he won't be paralyzed after a car crash in "The Ninety-Second War, Part 1" ("I can move them! I can move them!").
** Although it's a serious situation, James [=MacArthur=]'s overacting in "Beautiful Screamer" [[spoiler: when his girlfriend, played by [[RetroactiveRecognition Anne Archer]], becomes one of the victims of a serial killer]] helps in no way, shape or form.
** The two-part episode "Once Upon A Time," the only instalment other than the pilot with a script solely credited to Leonard Freeman (he has "story by" credit on several episodes) suffers from some really terrible dialogue and a particularly embarrassing scene in a courtroom towards the end of part 1... if they want to bring across how adored Dr. Fremont is then fair enough, but ''the crowd giving her a standing ovation'' while she stands there and graciously waves? Seriously?
** Viewers risk [[{{Anvilicious}} being hit by falling anvils]] throughout the finale of "When Does A War End?" and for the entirety of "A Distant Thunder."
** Some episodes reach ''Series/{{Quincy}}'' levels of [[{{Anvilicious}} Anvilicousness]]. Coincidentally ''Series/{{Quincy}}'' story editor Irving Pearlberg would actually write some episodes...
** In "Woe To Wo Fat," Jack Lord plays Steve [=McGarrett=] and a scientist targeted by Wo Fat. The ludicrous old age makeup in the role of the scientist really works against the episode (already not one of the show's best).
** And the face Soon-Tek Oh's Chiang pulls at the end of the first act of "The Defector" is ''supposed'' to register horror at nearly being killed by a assassin working with the government of the Asian country he wants to defect from. He just looks like someone pooted. Not the best way to maintain a serious mood going into commercial. [[spoiler: Although given [[DeadPersonImpersonation Chiang isn't actually Chiang]], this could be BadBadActing.]]

** "Death's Name Is [[FunWithAcronyms Sam]]" suffers from several - the really silly fake moustache Creator/GeorgeTakei has to wear as Patrolman Blake who's drafted by Five-O to help the unit find out who's smuggling in parts of a surface-to-air missile into Honolulu. Then the mismatch of stock footage when [[spoiler: Patrolman Blake is blown out of the sky (the helicopter turns into a plane...) by the villain, played by John Colicos. That's right - [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Kor kills Sulu]]!]] And there's ''another'' awful plane-related superimposition in the climax..
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Officer Sandi Well(e)s, who works with the team in four episodes, would have been a much better case of TheSmurfettePrinciple than Lori Wilson (who didn't get placed on the squad through merit and didn't do much of note during her episodes).

** Viewers risk [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped being hit by falling anvils]] throughout the finale of "When Does A War End?" and for the entirety of "A Distant Thunder." Given the theme of the episode (the villains are Neo-Nazis), the {{Anvilicious}} tone can be justified.

Also applies to frequent guest stars. If Creator/NehemiahPersoff turns up, you have your villain[[spoiler: (except in "Will the Real Mr. Winkler Please Die?")]].

** Watching "A Distant Thunder" suggests it was the most prescient episodes of 1970s TV. With a key character being a young charismatic Hawaiian of colour who's a civil rights attorney running for a seat on the US Senate and tipped as a future President.
[[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Hmmmm....]]

88

* NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize: It's likely adults watching "Horoscope For Murder" in its first run will have suspected [[spoiler: Tab Hunter's]] character knows something about a series of fatal stabbings around Honolulu.
Similarly: with [[AndStarring special guest star]][[spoiler: Creator/CydCharisse]] in "Death Mask".

** Watching "A Distant Thunder" suggests it was the most prescient episodes of 1970s TV. With a key character being a young charismatic Hawaiian of colour who's a civil rights attorney running for a seat on the US Senate and tipped as a future President.[[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Hmmmm....]]

* NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize: It's likely adults watching "Horoscope For Murder" in its first run will have suspected [[spoiler: Tab Hunter's]] character knows something about a series of fatal stabbings around Honolulu. Also applies to frequent guest stars. If Creator/NehemiahPersoff turns up, you have your villain[[spoiler: (except in "Will the Real Mr. Winkler Please Die?")]].