S08E05 - “Death's Name is Sam” - Plot

Act One

A man (George Takei) tries to hail a cab from the wrong place at Honolulu International. Across the street, another man (George Oshiro) watches him but the first man steps in front of a car and gets hit! HPD is on the scene in record time as a patrol unit arrives. HPD takes the man's bag as the second mystery man makes a phone call to yet another man (John Colicos) who tells the mystery guy to stick with the bag.

The first man wakes up in the hospital as a nurse (Elissa Dulce) tells Mr. Ambok he's doing fine. Ambok becomes agitated pretty quickly looking for his bag. He finds it but something is missing as he shoves the nurse away. She calls for the orderly leaving the room. Ambok finds his jacket and swallows a capsule from it: the nurse returns to find he's committed suicide via cyanide!

McGarrett wants Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) to stake out four rooming houses for another case, as their suspect should show in the next 24 hours. As Duke walks out, Danno and Chin walk in with "a strange one": a man hit by a car at the airport, kills himself at Honolulu General after looking for something in his suitcase. The metal object was in the hospital safe with his watch and money. Nobody has any idea what the metal cylinder is but it has several markings on it, which McGarrett surmises to be Russian. Danno tells him about a hotel reservation slip in his jacket under the name "Timor Ambok" of Seattle. He's sent a request to Seattle PD for background on Ambok. McGarrett tells Danno to stay on it and sets Chin to get with the hospital for complete media blackout on Ambok until they hear from Five-O.

McGarrett goes to see a buddy in Intelligence, Pete Masters (Lou Frizzell) specializing in Weapons and Explosives. Masters asks when it arrived: 9:17 a.m. yesterday. He identifies it as one-fifth of a missile, a surface to air missile to be exact: it's sometimes referred to as a "Strella". The problem is that these weapons are heat seekers and correct themselves during flight proving to be "nightmares". It's essentially a hand-held SAM! They decide there could be more than one missile being put together and Masters suggests incoming luggage be screened but they'll the cooperation of the FAA. McGarrett leaves saying he'll be in touch.

In McGarrett's office, Doc (Al Eben) briefs on Ambok's cause of death: self-inflicted cyanide poisoning and his age was approximately 40. Danno walks in with Ambok's information: "ran a small camera shop for approximately 15 years and lived on the premises. He arrived in this country in the 1950s as a student from the Malay Peninsula. Quiet man, no family, lived by himself. Never known to have left the state of Washington until now". McGarrett says it sounds like an agent's profile, as they've been known to stay undercover for as long as 20 years. The issue is they have no idea who the part was supposed to be delivered to but McGarrett has an idea. HPD runs its computer to find the answer McGarrett seeks.

McGarrett, Duke and Masters drive out to meet an HPD helicopter and its pilot Nathaniel Blake (also George Takei). McGarrett asks him some questions and Blake is the perfect fit. He shows Blake the Soviet hardware with Masters telling him they believe it goes with four other pieces to make a Strella. Danno and Chin show up saying the hospital is cooperating fully and there has been one guy around asking questions. The man is hanging out in the parking lot but they have him tailed. McGarrett tells them they have to move fast to make Blake into Ambok. Blake goes with Danno and Chin but he asks what the target is: so far 192 flights into Hawaii every day. McGarrett hopes Blake can do better.

In New York City at the United Nations Building, an older man (Albert Harris) introduces Jordan (Robert Hopkins) to Boon Lianuk (John Chung), the president in exile of Camponesia. Lianuk is accompanied by his family. Jordan is in charge of security, as Lianuk will be attempting to return to his country currently under the chokehold of a dictatorship. Jordan has them booked under false names on a commercial flight to draw the least attention. Plainclothes security men will surround them on the flight with a single stop: Honolulu.

Act Two

Five-O is at HPD transforming Blake into Ambok. Duke has everything Ambok had in his pockets including a jigsaw puzzle piece and he couldn't see without looking through "the wrong end of the milk bottle". The only identifying mark was a gold tooth on the left side of his mouth. Blake sees the dentist (Winston Char) who takes care of that. Later, Danno and Chin run through his background making sure Blake knows everything possible about Ambok in order to pass. Danno tells him there was a picture of a woman found in the apartment but they "have no make on her". Later in McGarrett's office, he briefs Blake about checking into the Ilikai and to expect someone to arrive looking for the part. McGarrett tells Blake he'll take his cue from whoever arrives but to play it straight. The place will be staked out.

An ambulance arrives at Honolulu General with the mystery man watching from the parking lot. The patient is covered as the attendants take him in. It's Blake made to look like Ambok! A short time later, a cab picks up Blake taking him to the Ilikai. Meantime, the mystery man calls his contact who double-checks everything such as what he's wearing and the suitcase. The man at the house wants to know when he checks into the hotel. As the cab pulls out, the mystery man follows with Duke following him!

The cab arrives at the Ilikai dropping off Blake with Danno parking across the street. At the front desk, the clerk (Lani Kim) gives Blake room 455 as Chin sits in the lobby. Once in the room, Blake tips badly but also sees a welcome gift for Ambok with a note 'Welcome to Hawaii'.

At the airport, incoming luggage is screened as a young man (Eric Landstrom) tries to bypass the searches but a guard (Kimo Hugho) stops him. The man is carrying drugs! The guards take him away as the mystery man hangs out in the terminal. He calls the man at the house telling him the screening is for narcotics as Duke is still on the mystery man's tail.

At the Ilikai, a woman (Constance Towers) shows up to see Blake. Evelyn calls from a courtesy phone to the room and she wants to see him. Blake gives her the room number and she makes her way there. Chin sits by the fountain noticing her and answers a page for "Mr. Iolani". Blake tells Chin about Evelyn, which confirms Chin spotted her and he informs Danno of Evelyn. Evelyn tells Blake he's going with her to her and her husband's place for the weekend. All he will need is an overnight bag. As Blake retrieves the bag, Evelyn calls room 456 where a couple looking like Evelyn and Blake/Ambok leave! The doubles enter a limousine with Danno right on their tail. Shortly after, Evelyn and Blake leave as Danno reports what he has. Chin will head back to the office. McGarrett tell Danno if he needs backup to yell.

As Danno continues his wild goose chase, Evelyn drives Blake out to their estate where a cocktail party is being held. Evelyn introduces Timor/Blake to Harold, her husband and the man taking the calls from the mystery man. Harold tells Timor/Blake to make himself comfortable and enjoy what's offered. Blake looks around finding the jigsaw puzzle on the table. He takes the piece he has to complete it with all the other action creepily stopping! Harold walks to Blake, shaking his hand, "welcome to the CLF".

Danno finally realizes he's been had and radios McGarrett with the bad news. Meanwhile at the estate, Harold takes Blake downstairs where various radio stations are calling out to one another. The estate's call sign is "Pilgrim 1" and receives a report "Wild Turkey passing over Grand Canyon at 2214 hours Greenwich Time". Harold explains they are entering the "nerve center of Operation Turkey Shoot". Harold takes the bag and puts together at least one missile!

Act Three

The commercial airliner carrying Lianuk and his family flies toward Hawaii. They're right on schedule according to Jordan and they're currently over Los Angeles. At the same time, the radio operator (Bart Fredo) receives an updated position on the airplane. As Harold updates the map, Blake backtracks to a New York City takeoff of 1800 hours.

At the airport, one woman (Darcy Hinton Cook) grabs her bag off the carousel ready to leave the airport. She becomes antsy trying to find a way out bypassing the screening. She finally leaves her main suitcase making a run for it only to find the doors locked! The security guard takes her into custody. The mystery man watches all go down and goes out to make his phone call only to be arrested by Chin and Duke!

In McGarrett's office, he pulls the piece she's carrying from her handbag asking who she is. She sits in silence as McGarrett tells her they know it's a part of a hand-held missile and her contact was picked up carrying his own weapon: "a .38 caliber Colt". Duke walks in with her information: "Carmen Hewitt, San Francisco. Arrest record for bombing, arson, gunrunning. All for radical causes. Most recent known affiliations: CLF, Camponesian Liberation Front". When they confront with this fact, she asks for her jacket but to her horror, they've already found the capsule as McGarrett holds it front of her!

At the estate, position reports continue to come through. Blake comes up with a story that he needs a nap and Harold directs him upstairs to a room on the left. Blake leaves faking entering the room. He goes to the balcony trying to figure a way out but the car and boat have men next to them. A helicopter flies in landing on the grounds. Blake waits until the pilot goes inside to deliver yet another piece of another missile. Blake makes his move to steal the helicopter and get a message to McGarrett. At the same time, a position report puts the commercial airliner one hour out of Honolulu and to put Hilo on standby. Blake starts the engine getting everyone's attention with Harold getting an idea. Blake takes off radioing McGarrett about the target: it's called Wild Turkey and left New York at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time. He gives his position as Harold takes him out with one of the Strellas.

Act Four

In McGarrett's office, he writes a question mark on a map as the search for Blake continues. Masters gets off the phone telling McGarrett there is no sign of the helicopter. Chin walks in saying his call to Jonathan Kaye (Bill Edwards) is on radio scramble and McGarrett wants it on speaker. McGarrett tells Jonathan that he has an assassination plot and Jonathan says they've stumbled onto "something" telling them about a UN operation that is "highly classified". Jonathan then shares the details: "they departed Trans-Pacific Flight 906 for Honolulu. They were supposed to refuel and then head for the Asian continent". He goes on telling them it's the exiled president of Camponesia and his family. This immediately makes sense to McGarrett because the group they're running against is the CLF. The immediate issue is that the plane is past it's point of no return so turning it back is too late. As well, the missile range is two to three miles so there is a corridor that has to be protected. Masters picks up the phone to talk to the control tower at Honolulu International.

As HPD arrives at the airport, Harold packs the missile they have into a guitar case. He tells the radio operator to signal Hilo in exactly 20 minutes before leaving. Meanwhile in the control tower, the watch supervisor (Tom Nishimura) contacts Trans-Pacific 906 to redirect them to Hilo. However, just as McGarrett tells them to go to Hilo, the runway blows up! Masters tells McGarrett in short order about the fuel truck explosion and they know it's not an accident. They have no choice but to bring Trans-Pacific 906 into Honolulu and there no way they can put them into a holding pattern because the issue of minimum fuel. McGarrett radios the pilots to revert to their original flight plan.

On board the flight, Jordan inform Lianuk about a security issue on the ground but countermeasures are being taken. Lianuk appreciates the update and wants to stay informed. Lianuk's wife sits up but he assures her not to worry.

On the ground, McGarrett and Masters devise a plan to try to trick the missile to hit something beside the plane. Masters leave to set up a task group to shoot flares along the approach. The flight is starting its final approach to Runway 08 and McGarrett wants the entire airport shut down. Meanwhile, the task forces and HPD units scramble to get into position in order to deploy the flares.

Chin reports all clear for Post 1 as Duke reports the same for Post 2. A blue van drives to a point with Harold scouting the area for the best shot. He tells the driver to "go" as he holds the Strella gun. As the airplane is ten miles out, McGarrett orders the task force and HPD officers to take up their positions. Chin spots the van first with Duke radioing Danno and giving chase. Danno is in the tower as McGarrett tells him to go stop them. The van is evasive to about six other cars as the airplane is within two and a-half miles. McGarrett gives the order to standby as the chase continues with Danno closing with the airplane one mile out. McGarrett orders the flares fired as Harold takes aim but Danno scrambles in the car to try to stop him! The flares fall back to Earth as the airplane continues its approach and Danno jumps into the van just as Harold fires! The Strella hits a flare with the airplane landing on schedule as Danno and Harold scramble on the tarmac with Duke arresting him right away! At the same time, HPD busts the nerve center. McGarrett drives out to the plane meeting the president in person who says his flight was very smooth.