User Reviews

The film begins with one of the most ridiculously improbable plots I can remember for the show. An assassin needs to shoot a man with a handgun at long range and hit him EXACTLY above his heart in such a way as to almost kill him but also to be near enough to be convincing!! Even the best marksmen alive would not be able to get the exact shot down to the very inch like this guy did! Gimme a break! Fortunately, despite this very silly idea, the show was able to survive this problem because the rest of the episode was so well done. The Five-O team began to suspect something was wrong with the supposed assassination attempt on this reporter's life. The fact that the bullet was not made of a soft metal (which assassins would use since it expands and tends to explode outward once it strikes) and the convenience of so many aspects of the man's story, McGarrett starts to wonder if perhaps the attempted assassination was really just a chance to help set up a real assassination of someone else.

As I said above, the initial setup for the show was pretty far-fetched. Fortunately, the rest of the show was exciting and the show ended on a nice ironic note. Worth seeing.

In response to a previous reviewer, the initial assassin's shot was made using a high-powered rifle (30 caliber I reckon) with a scope from a distance of 50-60 meters. A reasonably experience child could have made that shot. This was the perfect device to gain the true target's confidence. I find nothing ridiculous or "wildly improbable" at all.

John Marley is always fun to watch, and Nicholas Georgiade from Untouchables makes a good guest appearance. However, the highlight of the episode's cast has to be Charlene Polite who guest starred in the Star Trek Original Series episode The Cloud Minders.

What is it so improbable about wanting to assassinate a political figure and doing so with an extremely complicated conspiratorial plot? A Secret Service agent will take a bullet for POTUS. It is the nature of political service. In a world where assassinations occur with the same frequency as changes in the weather, is this episode is no less believable than any other real life scenario? No. The assassin is willing to take a bullet in order to accomplish his assignment, one which is intended to allow him to remain covert and live. In addition, he fingers another assassin in order to further shield his cover. This is actually one of the best Five-O episodes in the series, and assuredly the best of Season 3. It is the epitome of a thriller!

A good story from start to finish. It begins with an assassination attempt and keeps you involved throughout. Eric Braeden is always good. He brings a gentle gravitas to all his roles, and I can't remember ever seeing him give a bad performance. John Marley and Charlene Polite are excellent also. All veteran actors who bring their "A" game.

The plot is a bit out there as it seems like a lot of work to get close to the target and Steve refuses to buy into the setup. A lucky break with fingerprints is the clincher and Steve shows up just in time to prevent a murder. A minor point - silencers do not work with revolvers.

An entertaining outing for even the casual fan of the series. I highly recommend it.