Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) See How She Runs (1977) User Reviews

Rather weak.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 23 August 2012]

I noticed that Alpha 128 really disliked this episode. While I didn't dislike it nearly as much, I must admit it was a weak episode. And, I also agree that season 9 was very inconsistent--with a huge number of duds compared to previous seasons. I hate to say it, but perhaps the series should have ended after season 8, as 9 was not especially good (despite a great opener).

The show is built around a seriously far-fetched idea--that an ex-con would go to all the trouble of setting up a cop's daughter for murder as a twisted sort of revenge. But that is what occurs. However, the plan doesn't work perfectly and the girl runs--right into the hands of a strange but nice cult who protect her.

Aside from seeing a Hawaiian guy who looks a LOT like Joey Ramone, I can't see a lot to recommend this one. The plot isn't that interesting and Jessica Harper is a decade too old to be playing a 17 year-old. But, I must at least point out that I loved the voyeur and his wife! Kwan Hi Lim in a very different role from his usual sleaze-bag roles on the show. Overall, not terrible but not all that good either.

Filmed at my house

[jkursonis · 7 December 2007]

I used to live in the grand old house this episode was filmed at. We called it the Lighthouse and a wonderful old man we called Uncle Bob had the lease and rented out the rooms to University of Hawaii students that were Christians. It was also well known in the area for his Friday night film nights, where he literally got out a big movie projector and showed actual films from gospel film companies, then afterwords there would be a discussion and pupus. What a long way from our DVD's today! Originally it was one of the only houses on Mt. Tantalus overlooking Waikiki, built by the descendants of one of the Missionary families - possibly the Beckwith family, because it was on Beckwith St. Boy, it had an amazing view of Waikiki. You could sit out on the front lawn and just see this great view of all of Waikiki with the blue Pacific and off to the left Diamond Head. I feel privileged to have lived there.

If you watched the episode you can see it's basically a small mansion with the wonderful drive up entrance, I think that's called a port cochere, or maybe I'm confused on that one. But the inside was huge with multiple floors and lots of little cubby holes. My bedroom was actually the room they threw that guy out the window of.

This was from the 1977 season, and I lived there in 1983, so I didn't actually see the filming - too bad! Sadly, when I visited Hawaii in 2003 the house had been torn down - it looked like it had been fairly recent. It was already very old and falling apart twenty years earlier when I lived there, so I'm sure whoever ended up owning it just decided it wasn't worth renovating and tore it down. I think they might have wanted to divide up the large very valuable property and build a few homes. I guess the next time I visit I'll see what they did with it.

Feel free to email with any questions.

An interesting time period with interesting characters

[addnos · 10/10 · 17 October 2023]

In "See How She Runs" (1977), the narrative follows the gripping journey of Sunny Mandell, a teenage runaway in search of refuge in the vibrant streets of Honolulu. Her initial sanctuary is provided by a man with prior ties to her in Los Angeles, an unexpected ally whose hidden vendetta against her father, an LAPD officer, adds a layer of complexity to the plot. It becomes clear that this "helpful" figure is, in reality, a vengeful gangster who once found himself incarcerated in a California penitentiary due to Sunny's father.

The story takes a sinister turn when the gangster manipulates Sunny into becoming an unwitting accomplice to a murder, deliberately leaving her fingerprints on the murder weapon. With her father's concerns mounting, he makes his way to Honolulu, seeking answers and partnering with McGarrett to unravel the perplexing connection between his daughter and this criminal.

A surprising twist emerges when a Peeping Tom, who had observed the murder through his telescope, becomes a pivotal figure in exonerating Sunny from the grave accusation. Despite this fortunate turn of events, Sunny eludes both her pursuers and her father's determined search, opting for a precarious life as a panhandler on the bustling streets of the city.

During her vulnerable sojourn as a homeless youth, Sunny encounters the enigmatic leader of an unconventional cult. This enigmatic figure extends a lifeline, offering her refuge within the cult's communal haven, albeit with a heavy dose of indoctrination. What ensues is a high-stakes race against time, where McGarrett, the cult leader, and the murderer engage in a suspenseful battle of wills, each vying for control over Sunny's destiny. The narrative weaves together intrigue, suspense, and the complexities of human nature, making "See How She Runs" a captivating episode that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

"See How She Sits/Stands Around"

[alpha128 · 2/10 · 5 September 2010]

The "She" in "See How She Runs" is one Sunny Mandell, a seventeen year old girl framed for murder by a Todd Daniels. Daniels wants revenge on Sunny's father - an L.A. police captain who busted him and killed his brother.

Sunny escapes from Daniels and then meets up with a cult called "The Reborn", lead by the Christ-like Osiris. She moves in with them, hoping to evade both Daniels and the police.

Unfortunately, Sunny does all her running at the beginning of the episode. The rest is basically Osiris talking and The Reborn chanting. It's not far-fetched, but it is incredibly boring! Even the act breaks in this snoozer are anticlimactic. A better title for this episode would be "See How She Sits/Stands Around"!

However, I will say that the scenes set in the Five-O office seem to come from a different, and better, episode. For example, the scene where a voyeuristic witness is interviewed by McGarrett is a highlight. The office scenes saved the episode from a one star rating - but this is still a major disappointment from writer Anne Collins, who contributed an excellent episode, "A Touch of Guilt", in Season 8.

At this writing I have seen the first nine seasons of Hawaii Five-O, and concluded that Season 9 is a mixed bag. The ninth season has many excellent episodes, several that are pretty good, but far too many stinkers. "See How She Runs" gets my vote for the worst Season 9 episode. I couldn't even watch it in one sitting, which was a first for me with Five-O.

2/10

Back to the 60s

[max843 · 10/10 · 5 December 2021]

The commune where all the young people hung out is very authentic - in the late 60s I was around several groups like this. Took me back - captured the felling and spirit very well.

Jessica Harper did well, very believable as a 17yo of that era. Also liked the leader of the group and the young man who first encountered Jessica and took her to the grouup's home.