Last week I recorded an episode of Hawaii Five – O to catch a glimpse of one of Maggie’s best friends, and my favorite people, who had landed a part as a villain. Brandon was more than just one of her closest friends when we lived in Mililani. He seemed to always be at our house and was essentially part of our family, our Ohana. And, even though we left Oahu more than twenty years ago, the bonds were formed there remain strong.
So, the opportunity to see my little Brandon take his shot on network TV was something I wasn’t going to miss. He’d let us know that he was only in the last few minutes of the show, so I bypassed the beginning and fast forwarded up to the point when Brandon made his entrance.
There is no question that his character was a dark soul. He lived in a remote cabin in the woods where he was holding a young woman captive. The scene started with a lone female law officer entering the home, gun drawn, looking for the girl. After finding her and beginning their escape, they encountered the villain, played by Brandon in the kitchen. I don’t remember what happened to the officer’s gun, but a scuffle ensued and she began hurling pots and pans at Brandon, several hitting him. I have to admit, it upset me to see my little Brandon being attacked, even if he was the “bad guy”.
After briefly stunning their attacker, the woman retreated to a back bedroom where they attempted to barricade themselves but Brandon got there before the door could be shut and inserted his foot in the door jamb. A close-up of his face revealed sinister intent.
Then, as if the cavalry had been called, Steve MacGarrett and the Five-O crew busted in and in an instant, shot Brandon’s character in the back, killing him as if he were a rabid dog. He crumpled to the floor and the woman were safe.
At first I thought I found this scene disturbing because even though it was a television program, it was my Brandon that was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. But then I began to ask myself if this could have really happened this way with no repercussions to the police officer involved. Would an officer really simply shoot an unarmed person in the back as the first attempt to subdue them? There was no evidence that Brandon’s character was armed and Steve was not alone. Surely the group of them could have taken one bad guy down without taking a kill shot.
I know Hawaii-Five-O is only a television program and the details are probably as factual as most of the other dramas – taking advantage of the poetic license. But I also know that many people who watch these programs believe what they see and when a “good guy” like Steve MacGarrett shoots a bad guy seemingly without taking the time to consider an option, and the crowd cheers, what does that say about us as a people?
I’m glad I got to see Brandon’s debut on network television but in a way I’m also glad he won’t be a recurring character because I don’t think I could stand watching any more.
Love you Brandon!