Mark Lawton

NCIS Hawaii is not a show that should have the NCIS label on it. It does not feel like an NCIS show, it does not deliver characters that are memorable, and it hurts the NCIS brand. The writing is horrible, and the acting is even worse. A typical NCIS show puts the case at the forefront, with one or two small side stories about the main characters that helps you get to know them a little better (and makes you want to know them better) with each episode. For NCIS Hawaii, the case is the secondary story, and the writers are insistent on making sure you know everything about the characters' personal lives. By Tuesday morning, I couldn't even tell you what the case was about. And I still can't tell you the characters' names because I stopped caring about them mid-way through the episode. There was also a lot of ridiculousness going on in Episode One, such as having a helicopter land in the middle of a youth soccer game to pick up the lead character because she is apparently "so important" that this would be necessary. It usually takes a show a few seasons to jump the shark, but NCIS Hawaii went ahead and got that out of the way early. I could say that NCIS Hawaii looked more like something you might see put on by a high school drama club, but that would be an insult to high school drama clubs. Hopefully the show will get better and find its legs because in its current form it is not destined to last very long.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, turn on an episode of the new Fantasy Island. After 5-10 minutes watching this poorly written/acted show, you will be off to dreamland. I gave it a chance, watching the first three episodes. But I reached my limit for boredom and couldn’t bring myself to watch more episodes.

I wanted to like this show before I watched it. The promos looked good, and I’m generally a fan of Ron Howard’s work. But after the first 15 minutes, it was apparent this show was not going to be worth my time. The premise for the show is good, but the writing and the acting leave much to be desired. Everything about this show is unrealistic, and when the show tried to be funny, it fell flat on its face. I stopped watching after 15 minutes and deleted the series from my DVR.