S03E08 - “The Reunion” - Plot

(Prepared by Bobbi Baker)


Teaser

A tour bus makes a stop at an overlook of the ocean and of Diamond Head. Various tourists take several pictures in including one fixated on an older Japanese man (Teru Shimada). As the pictures develop and are hung to dry, the photographer readies a rifle.

Act One

McGarrett meets Danno at a residence where there are a couple of HPD units. Danno briefs, "Hatsuo Shigato. Japanese ancestry. Filipino citizen. Millionaire. Governor wants us to handle it, Steve. VIP treatment". They go inside meeting Che Fong (Harry Endo) who looks over the photos. No fingerprints, self-processed with a scratched enlarger. Shigato tells McGarrett he was on a tour with "Trade Wind Tours" and the pictures were probably yesterday because they went to all the places photographed. Shigato didn't recognize anyone, doesn't know who wants to kill him and the only enemies he can think of are "business competitors". Shigato explains he heads a computer research company and is in Hawaii on business. As a matter of fact, he's supposed to be at the Ilikai Hotel in 20 minutes for a business meeting. Insisting on going, McGarrett puts Danno on Shigato for protection. McGarrett tells Danno to have Kono check with the tour company to see who was on the tour.

Outside, Shigato prepares to leave, getting into his car as Danno climbs into his Five-O car. When Shigato inserts the key, the hoods pops up with a lot of smoke but he can't unlatch his seatbelt! Danno tries first and McGarrett's efforts finally give way. They run from the car before a small explosion occurs. In the aftermath, Danno finds a spring that would only loosen after some many seconds. Chin reports Kono found out the tour company sold 34 tickets but they have no names. McGarrett and Danno discuss the timing on the car, which Danno think "was screwed up" but McGarrett doesn't think so, "another scare, like the photographs, only the terror has been escalated. Whoever it is wants to put Shigato through a wringer". McGarrett is sure they don't have anyone with this M.O. but wants Chin to look anyway picking the most likely suspects then showing the pictures to the tour bus driver.

Shigato is still insistent on going to the Ilikai but McGarrett warns him he's a moving target and they can't protect him well. Shigato is prepared to take the chance because his company needs a large loan and the meeting will decide if he gets it.

The Ilikai is hosting a reunion of '15th Airborne': World War II veterans. Two buddies sit at the bar laughing and joking. Frank (Simon Oakland) keeps drinking as his buddy Mitch (Joe Maross) asks for a glass of water. Mitch says the bus is leaving in ten minutes but Frank doesn't really care, reminded by the palm trees of the Philippines. Frank refuses to forget about "Lo Tang" while Mitch wants to forget. Mitch becomes upset and Frank angers at the memories. Changing the subject, they talk about Mitch's photography hobby. Frank bristles at the camera, "Made in Japan". Mitch starts for the bus as Frank grabs his crutches because of an permanently injured leg. As they make it down the stairs, they're stop by another buddy Mike (Barry Atwater). Mitch is happy to see him but Frank is far colder, saying he's heard Mike has done well. Mike says he was "lucky" and Frank reminds him, "I bet. Like at Lo Tang". Mike walks away as Mitch tries to smooth things over and thanks Mike for helping him with acquiring the gas station. Mike feigns ignorance with Frank prodding if he did it out charity or guilt.

Shigato arrives with Danno beside him with Frank staring at Shigato as he walks past. Frank freaks out recognizing "Rashiri" attacking Shigato with his crutches. Danno forces Frank to the railing before checking on Shigato.

Act Two

McGarrett arrives at the Ilikai sirens blaring. Meeting Kono on the steps, he immediately asks where Danno is but Kono doesn't know because he just got there from the tour company and no one recognized any of the mug shots. Danno meets them just inside the revolving door telling them Shigato was shook up and with the hotel doctor now. Danno gives a rundown on the attacker: "man from L.A. named Epstein. He's here for a reunion of the 15th Airborne. World War II outfit". Shigato claims to have never seen him before. Danno tells McGarrett Frank says Shigato is really "Kim Rashiri" who commanded the Lo Tang POW prison in the Philippines where Frank was held. McGarrett says that's impossible because they've checked Shigato's background. The first thought McGarrett has: was Frank responsible but Danno says Frank was at the hotel all day yesterday. Danno also tells McGarrett there are two others at the reunion who were held at the camp: "Michael Holt and Mitch Bradley".

McGarrett talks to Frank in a conference room making sure he hadn't seen Shigato before the incident. Frank answers Shigato "he'd be dead if I did". McGarrett moves to Mitch asking him what he did yesterday. Mitch is shakier answering McGarrett that he went on a sight seeing on a tour by "Trade Wind Tours". Mitch also tells McGarrett he owns a gas station and he has a telephoto lens. McGarrett then asks Mike where he was yesterday when Mike says Los Angeles Frank freaks out. "I fingered a Japanese war criminal, all you can do is play twenty questions". McGarrett tries to calm Frank down with limited success because Frank tells him exactly when he last saw Rashiri: "February 17, 1945" and giving the details of that evening. McGarrett knows this is at least 25 years ago and old memories tend to trick people. Franks screams he's not mistaken but Mike contradicts him telling McGarrett while there is a slight resemblance Rashiri committed suicide at the end of the war. Frank says Rashiri rigged it somehow and it degenerates into a screaming match between Frank and Mike with McGarrett in the middle.

Finally Mike explains to McGarrett in 1943, the three were behind the Japanese lines each with a coded piece of information and Rashiri was ordered to gain all three pieces. Mike goes to call Rashiri a "sadist" eventually finding their strengths and weaknesses. Mike broke giving up his piece of information but the other two weren't so lucky: Frank was crippled because he wanted to play pro football and Mitch was forced into a medial life because of his "brilliant mind". Mike says Rashiri failed to break the other two and thus failed, "suicide was his only way out". Frank is sure and tries to get Mitch to say the man was Rashiri but Mitch becomes a mess. Frank backs off asking if he has another look and McGarrett agrees stepping out to tell Chin to bring Shigato to the conference room.

Shigato tells Frank he has "made a great mistake" but Frank is sure. He tries to get Mitch to confirm it but Mitch is in no shape to help. The more Franks pushes, the worse Mitch gets no helping in reminding him what they used to talk about at night. Mitch confirms Shigato is Rashiri much to Shigato's protests. Mitch breaks down after identifying Rashiri. McGarrett tells them he'll "check out your charges" making Frank scream at McGarrett. Having enough of Frank's obnoxiousness, McGarrett orders Chin to take him to HPD and book him for assault. Frank still swears Shigato is Rashiri. The phone rings, the other end confirms Mike arrive that morning from Los Angeles, at least someone named Michael Holt was on the flight. Mike asks Mitch is he's okay but Mitch is exhausted and wants to go to his room. He walks out zombie-like with McGarrett following; he tells Kono to stay with him. McGarrett isn't completely sure what's going on but he's going to find out.

Back in the conference room, Mike asks if he can go as Shigato sits at the table. McGarrett allows him to leave and Mike tells him he'll be at the hotel for the next few days. Shigato is anxious to salvage what he can of the meeting but McGarrett wants his fingerprints first. They plan to compare them to Japanese government records and once they prove he isn't Rashiri, the sooner they can put this part behind them. Danno has the fingerprint kit with him and puts it on the table as McGarrett leaves.

Downstairs, Chin picks up a magazine as Shigato is on the phone. Hanging up, it seems the phone call did not go as well as he had hoped. Mike stops Shigato in the lobby apologizing for what happened with Frank and Mitch. Chin follows the pair stopping at the double doors as they continue on a walkway. A hotel guard brings Kono a cup of coffee asking about Mitch. Shigato and Mike keep walking to a spot overlooking the marina. Mike is straight, "Okay, let's drop the charade, Rashiri". Mike comes clean, "I own you and your Teletex Corporation. I don't want you dead. I wanna see you bleed. I wanna see you broken and crawling in the gutter". A sniper from above aims for Mike, putting him square in the crosshairs.

Act Three

The sniper takes his shot, wounding Mike. As soon as the shots are fired, Kono and Chin make their moves: Kono breaks into Mitch's room with Mitch sitting at the table and Chin runs to Mike. McGarrett arrives back at the hotel as Mike is being loaded into the ambulance. Chin tells McGarrett if they get him to surgery, Mike has a chance. Mitch is in shock and won't be able to answer questions for "several hours". Shigato is okay and downstairs. McGarrett tells Chin to stay with Mike and keep them informed.

McGarrett walks in, making his way to Mitch's hotel room. Danno has everything they found in Mitch's closet including a scratched enlarger and the rifle. They walk to the balcony where there was a clear shot of both Mike and Shigato. Something doesnŐt sit right with McGarrett because he hit the wrong guy while Danno explains Mitch is farsighted and has "an involuntary twitch in his hand". McGarrett wants Mitch booked for "attempted homicide".

In the conference room, Shigato tells McGarrett Mike thought he was Rashiri too. Going on, Shigato says over the years Mike carefully cornered him into bankruptcy eventually owning Teletex Company. Shigato knows what McGarrett is thinking: all three couldn't be wrong about him being Rashiri but he insists they are. McGarrett asks where he lived in the Philippines during the war and Shigato answers, "OIongapo". He claims all his family and friends are dead, especially when the village was wiped out during the war. Shigato was a guerilla fighter and away when the village was attacked. While they're talking, Danno calls in with the news Mike has died. McGarrett orders the attempted charge be dropped and to charge Mitch with "murder one".

In Mitch's cell, McGarrett tries to piece together what happened from his perspective. Mitch says he had a headache and went to the balcony for fresh air but blacked out until Kono burst through the door. Asking about the rifle and enlarger, Mitch claims to have never seen them before. Danno comes down to the cell informing McGarrett Frank has been released on bail and he would like to see Mitch. The phone rings with the officer picking it up. Mitch asks McGarrett if he can see Frank McGarrett agrees, sending Danno to get him. Before he leaves, Danno tells McGarrett it's Chin on the phone informing him that Rashiri's information is coming over the wire including a photo. McGarrett wants it in his office and he hangs up as Frank walks around the corner followed by Danno. McGarrett wants to see Frank in his office after he's through with his visit with Mitch.

Frank walks to the cell door telling Mitch he could have helped and "gotten them both". Mitch is floored claiming his innocence. Mitch tries to talk Frank out of going after Shigato for several reasons: Mitch didn't fire the shot, Shigato could be the wrong man and what Mike told him. Frank goes ballistic screaming all Mike knew to do was talk to save himself. Mitch corrects him: Mike talked to save them because Rashiri was pressured from his superiors to make progress. He threatened to execute Frank and Mitch if Mike "didn't break" and so he talked. Mitch tells him it was his leg injuries that crippled him but his hate. Mitch tells him, "you've got my regrets, Frank, you've earned my pity".

At the lab, McGarrett picks up the ballistics report: the rifle fired the shots. Something still isn't sitting right "call it cop instinct". Danno points out Mitch took the pictures but McGarrett finds an interesting piece in the photographs asking for the magnifying glass. It's Mitch! There's no way he could have taken the pictures of Shigato but maybe he took a picture of the person who did! Che already has the film being processed.

In his office, McGarrett looks over Rashiri's information with Chin, Shigato and Frank. While there is a resemblance in the photo, the fingerprints don't match and those don't change. Frank angrily admits he could have made a mistake and storms out the best he can after being berated by Shigato. Shigato asks if he can leave and McGarrett agrees. McGarrett intercoms Kono to follow Frank as Che walks in with the photos Mitch took. McGarrett looks through them finding one: "it's Charlie Llacuna (Daws Dawson). He's a paid killer".

Llacuna calls Frank at the Ilikai telling him he has information on who really killed Mike. He gives him an address to be at in an hour.

Act Four

A package arrives at Llacuna's place via courier. Llacuna makes another phone call as Frank makes his way to the front of the hotel under Kono's watchful eyes. Meanwhile, McGarrett and Danno arrive at Llacuna's place. Llacuna tells the other end on the phone Frank is on his way to "your house" and confirms he received the package. He goes to open the package he tossed onto his couch earlier and as McGarrett and Danno approach, the package explodes!

Frank is in a cab followed by Kono who promptly loses him near a Texaco station. As Kono searches the area, Frank walks a bit once he shakes Kono. Meanwhile, McGarrett and Danno go through what's left of Llacuna's place. After calling for the coroner, McGarrett tells Danno he's certain Shigato completed the entire scheme: the photos, the rigged car, the hit on Mike and the arrest of Mitch. Danno points to one problem, "the prints don't match" but McGarrett is certain he figured that out too, "somehow".

At Shigato's house, he calls for help, which causes Chin to run into the house. Shigato hits Chin from behind, knocking him out. As McGarrett and Danno get to the car, Dispatch calls with patch from Kono. He reports Frank "gave me the slip" about ten minutes before. McGarrett puts an urgent call to Chin but Chin doesn't answer. After trying several times, McGarrett and Danno leave for Shigato's house, racing to get there. Frank arrives making his way inside through the unlocked front doors. Shigato reveals himself with a gun pointed at Frank. He is Rashiri! Considering how predictable everyone was he planned his revenge. Thanks to Llacuna's help, he was able to kill Holt and made it look like Mitch did it. Frank only wants to know why: Mike found out Rashiri years before and was making Rashiri's life a pure hell forcing him into bankruptcy. His revenge against his former prisoners: they made him see himself for what he truly was, a coward and everything he believed in was a lie. Rashiri knocks one of Frank's crutches out from under him but Frank fights back, knocking Rashiri to the ground. Frank retrieves Rashiri's gun, aiming it at Rashiri. McGarrett and Danno rush in to find the two men screaming their cases to McGarrett. Frank makes them drop their weapons and McGarrett tries to talk Frank to giving up the gun. Rashiri reminds Frank what happened in the prison camp and how Frank has dreamed of killing him for the last 25 years. McGarrett pleads, "if you kill him, it's cold-blooded murder". Frank eventually lowers the gun and McGarrett takes it. Rashiri realizes in the end, he has ultimately failed, "I have misjudged you. Both of you". Frank walks away, head held high.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2019. No reproduction of any kind without permission.


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