NCIS: Los Angeles + Hawaii Five-O x 2

When he found out he couldn’t watch last week’s episode of NCIS: Los Angeles without first sitting through an episode of Hawaii Five-O – something he has never even considered watching – the Resident IT Consultant took it well. I was surprised.

But also grateful that we didn’t try and watch LA without making that trip to Hawaii first. According to Daughter, who did, it just didn’t make sense.

What I really want to know, though, is why they did this to us? I can watch odd programmes if I have to, but there is a limit to the fun you can have when shows cross over to other shows. If you know them, it’s fun. Or can be. If you don’t, it’s just a pointless exercise. It’s like the special charity episode of EastEnders and Coronation Street. I half enjoyed it, because it was well written, but I had absolutely no idea who came from which show, since I watch neither.

I used to love the old Hawaii Five-O. I used to love Danny, especially. James MacArthur was the real Danny. This Caan chap was a disappointment. Chin Ho Kelly was all right. Maybe I’d like the new Hawaii Five-O if I watched regularly, but somehow I doubt it. Maybe this was to rescue a failing series? Is it failing? Was it an attempt at doubling viewing figures?

So, apart from being underwhelmed by the Hawaiians, what did I think? OK, and better once the action moved to the mainland. Not sure why we had to have a Comescu back. It would have worked fine with someone else.

Trying to grasp what, if anything, Kensi’s earlier trip to Hawaii had to do with this. Maybe it was just another attempt at doubling viewers.

I think this kind of experiment works if you watch both shows regularly. It works if you use one show to introduce a new show, like NCIS from JAGS or LA from NCIS. But I suppose if you don’t try crossing shows, you won’t know what it’d be like.

And they did get a trip to Hawaii out of it. Or did they?