Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) The Young Assassins (1974) User Reviews

An excellent taut episode...with a nice ending.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 21 June 2011]

Back in the 1970s, there were quite a few groups of anarchists out there, so when you see this particular episode of "Hawaii Five-O" you need to understand that its plot is not too far fetched. Groups like the SLA, the Weathermen and others were similar to the group portrayed here.

The show begins with Larry Wilcox (who later starred in "Chips") killing a tourist brutally. You learn that its part of some initiation to a revolutionary group who deliberately targets innocent folks---and it's the third such killing in recent days! Soon, however, the police get a break and they capture two of these nuts just before they create victim #4. But this is not the end of the group--it's just the beginning. If the police can capture two of them, then they'll take two prisoners as well--and they kidnap both Danny and a professor who specializes in such groups. Considering they already have killed several people with no provocation, the chances of rescuing these two look remote. Can they get them in time? As I said above, the topic was actually pretty timely and seemed to be handled quite effectively. What I really liked best about the show was the ending where you get to see McGarrett lose his temper and pound the crap out of the terrorist leader--and this seemed quite realistic, as they had threatened someone very near and dear to him...as well as to the rest of Five-O. Nicely written and acted--and a nice way to start season seven.

Chilling

[VetteRanger · 8/10 · 14 March 2023]

In the days of SDS and The Weathermen, fears of domestic terrorist groups like this were in the national consciousness ... and the murderous exploits of Palestinian terrorists, particularly at the Munich Olympics in 1972, didn't help.

Here the group isn't so much on a political campaign as a club of thrill killers. When two of them are spotted by an HPD patrol car and are captured, the leader of the group orders Dano and a consulting professor kidnapped to demand an exchange.

McGarrett and the Governor agree that negotiating with terrorists is a big mistake ... a decision which cuts deep when the terrorists murder the professor and dump his body.

Now it's up to the team to find a way to rescue Dano.

The episode is chilling and definitely keeps your attention from start to finish.

Good, and Realistic Example of Hate Groups

[bellevuewa · 7/10 · 28 March 2015]

This was the first episode I watched, without Leonard Freeman, at the helm, and I was concerned that it might not have the same quality.

I think it was good.

Those groups, yes, were common then.

The " Army" character, I must say, was, by far, the one I disliked more than any of the first six seasons. Not the actor, but the character, because they were so full of hate, and violence, toward anyone in the establishment.

It would have been more rewarding, had he got a worse punishment in the end. Also, the first punk on the beach, that kid needed to be dealt with harshly.

A good episode, not in my top 25, but good.

An All-Time Favorite!!

[ellisel · 10/10 · 20 September 2006]

"The Young Assassins" was the title of the first episode to start the 1974-1975 Season. Larry Wilcox played the role of Mike (at first as a beach visitor -- then a vicious member of the People's Attack Group) as placing three fatal slugs in some man's chest with a gun. Mike and his buddies drive off in a 2-Door Ford Falcon after they mortally wounded a tourist on the beach. Scott Marlowe (whom played Army) and David Roessler (whom played Driver) were also involved in three other killings in connection with armed robberies. Professor John Metzger and Detective Dan Williams were leaving a restaurant only to become targets of a kidnapping. Vera became the key link into the kidnapping of the two subjects in question. The service station attendant spotted the driver; then noticed to the cops of her 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 4-Door Sedan. Detective Ben Kokua tried to arrest her on the spot. She ended up firing one round into an occupied car; the car chase led to a construction site where her automobile hitting head on with the side part of an excavator -- catching the car on fire ... then exploding to kingdom come 10 seconds later by the end of Scene 2. Professor Metzger's body ended up being dumped into a field about being shot in the back of the head in some abandoned Army Depot. The Civil Defense spotted the key Army Depot into rescuing Dan Williams and arresting all the remaining members of the People's Attack Group on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. A Must See Episode!! A 10.5 Rating!!

The Young Assassins

[ringfire211 · 10/10 · 27 July 2021]

I remember this one from way back when and it's always been a big favorite of mine. It's my second favorite of the season! Probably saw it when I was in middle school. The beginning always creeped me out - a couple finally made it to Hawaii and just enjoying a perfect day in paradise on the beach in Waikiki when some punk (seemingly friendly) approaches them and blows the husband away. Then we find out it was just a part of some initiation. Totally senseless and random killing. I remember as a kid thinking that this "paradise" is pretty scary - nothing but psychos and gangsters and random killings and people falling out of high rises! LOL! But that was the allure of the show. That's what Leonard Freeman had in mind from the start. He wanted to juxtapose the ugliness of the criminal element against the backdrop of this tropical paradise. And it worked! I think Lenny even said that he wanted the criminals to be particularly nasty. I think that's what gave Five-O that edge at the time. Because it wasn't set in the grimy NYC (like KOJAK was) where you would expect this ugliness. But it was set in paradise and that made it unique. Anyway, I loved the beatdown that McGarrett gave Stanwood/Army at the end. Sweeeet!! :) But wait till you get to season 9. There's a beatdown that McGarrett gives a perp in the surf that has to be seen to be believed! It's very personal. I won't divulge anymore. It's a great episode!

One other thing to note about this episode is the music. I believe it's all stock music from Morton Stevens but what's interesting is that it's pretty much all from season 1. By this point in the series you didn't hear any cues from the very early seasons (1 & 2). So whenever I watch it it really stands out to me. It's all very early Five-O music and it has a lot of that suspense element in it that I love. The drums when Larry Wilcox is running away at the beginning are from season 1. The attempted hit at the shopping mall parking lot and later following Vera is all season 1 suspense music. Love it!