#208 - A Capitol Crime

(Summary prepared by Reg Jones)

Jimmy Borges (as himself) is putting on a great audience participation show at the Ilikai Hotel, when an old man in the audience comes up, handcuffs himself to Jimmy points out that he is wired up to a bomb, and demands that he be allowed to talk to the Governor. He then orders everybody out except those people on the stage, whom he holds as hostages.

The Five-0 team arrives and McGarrett patiently draws out of the old man what his grievance is. It seems that he has tried countless times to talk to the Governor about the place he lives in with other senior citizens. It's a place that is scheduled to be razed to make way for a new youth center complex. His name is Clinton Palmer (Barnard Hughes), and he feels like no one cares about people who are over 60 years old. Palmer becomes increasingly agitated and McGarrett urges him to be patient until the Governor gets back from the other side of the island.

While Hawley, a homicidal hood, is being transported from the Judiciary Building to jail, his girl friend, Mary Beth (Sharon Farrell), is trying to figure out a way to free him. The fracas at the Ilikai provides a perfect opportunity. While the Governor (Richard Denning) is negotiating with Palmer to end the hostage situation, Mary Beth latches onto a neighbor of Palmer's who has arrived to bring him a tureen of soup. Mary Beth pretends to be Paimer's daughter and is allowed into the hotel.

Danny escorts the pair into the ballroom. Once she is within range, Mary Beth pushes the old lady aside, grabs the detonator from Palmer and, wildly waving a pistol around, demands that Hawley be freed. Whereas Palmer never intended to hurt anyone (he only wanted a fair deal for himself and the other old timers), Mary Beth is as nuts as her boy friend and will do anything to free him.

When all seems lost, Palmer keels over with a heart attack. Mary Beth is distracted long enough for Danny to kick the gun out of her hand. But she still has the detonator, which she pushes again and again, crying "Die! Die! Die"' But the bomb doesn't go off. Palmer has faked the heart attack and defused the bomb while lying face down on the floor. When things settle down, the Governor happily announces to Palmer that the builders of the new complex have agreed to move the old folks home to a new lot at no cost to them.

NOTE: This was a taut story, well told and featuring superb performances by Barnard Hughes and Sharon Farrell. But I enjoyed it most of all because after countless bit parts as minor characters (good and bad), Jimmy Borges finally got to play himself. In 1990, my wife and I enjoyed his singing and commentary at the Sunday afternoon tea dance held at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. He was just as good looking and charming as he appeared in this 1977 episode.