Da boys go spear fishing at Chinaman's Hat on Oahu's Windward side. Photo: Neil Jacobs/CBS.

First, let me assure everyone in blissful coupledom that Hawaii is, in fact, a very popular destination for romance. We were even voted the #1 destination for romantic escape by Travel + Leisure readers this year (a typical honor). So tuck this plot line of the abducted honeymooners into the "dramatized for television" file — although it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your wallet — and let's fly to the beautiful locations where they filmed tonight's episode:


Alejandro Bárcenas/Creative Commons

The abducted wife runs out of the jungle at Kahana State Park, although it could have been Kualoa Ranch. Fantastic snorkeling over at Kualoa Park next to Chinaman's Hat, where McGarrett and Chin Ho start the episode off with some spear fishing, re-introducing the long-lost storyline of McGarrett's dad's murder during post-fishing beers.

A flight to the Bayer Estate in Aina Haina for more on the mystery of McGarrett's dad, followed by quick shots of Waikiki (Hilton Hawaiian Village), Aloha Tower and the Hawaii Medical Center, where Kono (Grace Park) says "shoots" — an all-purpose pidgin word that basically is a combination of "cool" with "thanks." Made me smile.


3DTravel.com photo.

Quick shot (and close up!) of one of the Mokulua Islands in Lanikai, above, and the Ala Wai canal buildings. We pan the front of the Sheraton Waikiki, then to the Pagoda Hotel on Keeaumoku St. (not in Waikiki as stated in the show, but close).

The rocky outcrop was The Kahala Hotel, as noted by eagle-eye reader Geoff in last week's sneak peek. (And the Kahala returns in an interesting way later in the episode — read on!)

A visit to the "coroner's office" and Masi Oka in the old Advertiser building, followed by quick shots of the Hyatt, and fantastic aerials of Tantalus, Aloha Tower, Waikiki and Aliiolani Hale at night (the city looks fantastic with the lights on).


Creative Commons.

The "Star of Polynesia" wasn't the Star of Honolulu at Honolulu Harbor, but one of the much larger cruise ships that dock there. And the "Port of Kauai," no doubt, is Aloha Tower Marketplace, above.

McDanno is hot on the trail of our honeymooner serial killer on board this cruise ship, but suddenly they're running down the stairs of the Kahala Hotel, next to the orchid wall — it's a beautiful feature of the hotel, I'd recognize it anywhere. The killer tries to make a get away from the Kahala Hotel parking lot, and suddenly we find ourselves on Nuuanu Pali Road in Nuuanu Valley...



... just below the Pali Lookout, above, where the final scene is played out — and not to the killer's advantage. Our boys triumph again, punctuated by rapid-fire close-ups of the King Kamehameha statue in front of Aliiolani Hale (as if he were saying, "Don't mess with Five-0"). But we are left with a taste of more to come: McGarrett's mother's death may have been a homicide.

The Quotable Danno

• "It's not that blind." — To Kono, who explains a woman's love for a homely man with "Love is blind."
• "I meant that we'd get a key from the manager, you Neanderthal criminal." — To McGarrett who took his encouragement to unlawfully enter a hotel room as license to kick down the door.
• "I know you've been trained to endure torture, but this is unbearable." — on McGarrett's poor taste in radio music.
• "Oh yes they do, so they can hang themselves when they're bored." — referring to why people would wear ties on cruise ships.
• "Please don't make me wear flowers."
• This guy is beyond disturbed. I bet he even eats from the buffet line."