Back in October I visited Walmart because they had a deal on mattress toppers. As it turned out, they also had the first season of Hawaii 5-0 (1968-69) -- for $10!
Hawaii 5-0 was part of the media atmosphere in our house growing up, and I have a memory of my parents fighting while behind them McGarrett (Jack Lord) punched Big Chicken (Gavin MacLeod).
Turns out there were many things I recognized but never remembered from that first season. Even more than that, the degree of indigenous content, from the casting of local actors (of Indigenous and Asian descent) to the inclusion of local myths, legends and histories.
In the season finale ("The Big Kahuna", March 19, 1969), we begin with Sam Kalakua (John Marley), a descendent of the Hawaiian kings who is haunted by the ghost of Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire, Lightning, Dance, Wind, Volcanoes and Violence. Turns out what he thinks he sees is in fact a staged haunting.
Here is imbd.com's Bill Koenig's description:
At the request of the Governor, McGarrett investigates recent odd behavior by Sam Kalakua. Sam, a friend of the Governor's and a distant relative of Kono's, is also among the last of descendants of Hawaiian kings. Sam says he saw the Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele coming for him and fired a gun in defense. McGarrett ("I'm a man of this century") doesn't believe in Hawaiian gods but also thinks that Sam is not senile or imagining things. Sam's closest relative is his nephew George, who is married to Eleanor [played by Sally Kellerman, pictured above], who yearns for a jet set life. The couple are aligned with a real estate developer who has designs on Sam's estate and a film maker who's an expert in special effects. When she can't get Sam committed to a mental institution, Eleanor decides it's time to kill Sam.
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