A PAIN IN THE ASNER, PART TWO

When the news broke late last year that Ed Asner would not only be guest-starring on the remake (NOT a continuation!) of 'Hawaii Five-O', but also appearing as the character he played in the original series, "we" at Toobworld Central jumped on the story.

But despite our best efforts at jumping on it, it refused to die.

Last Monday, that episode finally aired on CBS. (Why they didn't use it in February Sweeps or save it for the Sweeps in May was a surprise to me.) And as I expected, Asner's character of August March was not the same man as the one seen in "Wooden Model Of A Rat" from the earlier series.

AUGUST MARCH WITH TWO DANN-OS

First off, none of the original stars of 'Hawaii Five-O' were seen in the flashbacks, so that removes any need to splain how so many people in the department had the same names. (The only other person seen in those flashbacks was a Japanese professor and neitsuke expert. Like Asner's August March, he would just be the doppelganger to the one seen in Earth Prime-Time.)

But there came a moment near the end where I thought we'd have to scramble and find someway to make the inclusion of this new 'Hawaii Five-O' into the main Toobworld work.

August March turned to Steve McGarrett and said that he knew a McGarrett on the Force in the old days. "Here it comes," I said to myself as I watched. But then he described that McGarrett as being a young cop who transferred him to prison. (That turned out to be Steve's late father, played by William Sadler in the pilot episode.)

That definitely confirmed this version of August March to be in an alternate TV dimension. The McGarrett who met Asner's character 36 years ago was the "real" deal - the wooden model of a middle-aged man who looked like the actor Jack Lord.

So with this new 'Hawaii Five-O' definitely in an alternate TV dimension, that means the upcoming crossover with 'NCIS: LA' (which they MUST be saving for May Sweeps!) has to have both episodes firmly planted in that same dimension and not in the main Toobworld.

If that crossover is ever mentioned again on 'NCIS: LA', we'll deal with it then.
I will say this for the episode, however.  There was a fear I had that August March would be rendered this cuddly old codger after thirty years in the stir.  But the coda to "Kalele" took care of that doubt for me, and in no uncertain terms........

BCnU!