I managed to catch this episode on YouTube a few years ago, before it was removed, making me one of the relatively few people who have seen it. It seems a boy died died trying to imitate a dangerous stunt depicted in it, and the episode was never shown again on television and I guess never will be. Before having seen it I was somewhat indignant that it had been taken out of circulation and kept out of the official season 2 release. Having watched it, I don't really care anymore. The plot was in some ways rather familiar: the usual suspects turn out to be innocent and the otherwise respectable citizen is guilty.
A hippy guru practices an usual exercise in which case he hangs himself, but not to the point of death. One supposedly reaches a higher level of consciousness with it. When his girlfriend is found dead hanging at the end of a rope, her father, a psychiatrist and friend of McGarrett's, is convinced the guru is guilty and maneuvers him into confessing to having at least some level of culpability. McGarrett, however, suspects otherwise. Here comes the spoiler you were warned about, if it matters, since most people reading this will, as another reviewer pointed out, never watch the episode: McGarrett and Danno grill the hippy's neighbor, a middle-aged seemingly happily-married man and father and otherwise respectable citizen, into confessing to the murder. It seems he lusted after the girl, and killed her when she spurned his advances. Say hello to the NEW usual suspects! The ending is unbelievably corny, where we see Steve smiling as he watches the hippy jumping up and down along the beach, celebrating his innocence in the murder. Ironically, this was filmed just a few months after a real life gang of crazed hippies led by Charles Manson went on a murder spree, in which case the victims were, yes, respectable citizens.
I still think it's unnecessary to ban the episode, and while I understand the apparent reason for it, there are all kinds of dangerous stunts shown on television that may or may not unintentionally inspire some viewers to try it. Future releases could at least include the episode as a special feature with a warning against imitating the technique in question. But, as I indicated, you're not missing much.
A hippy guru practices an usual exercise in which case he hangs himself, but not to the point of death. One supposedly reaches a higher level of consciousness with it. When his girlfriend is found dead hanging at the end of a rope, her father, a psychiatrist and friend of McGarrett's, is convinced the guru is guilty and maneuvers him into confessing to having at least some level of culpability. McGarrett, however, suspects otherwise. Here comes the spoiler you were warned about, if it matters, since most people reading this will, as another reviewer pointed out, never watch the episode: McGarrett and Danno grill the hippy's neighbor, a middle-aged seemingly happily-married man and father and otherwise respectable citizen, into confessing to the murder. It seems he lusted after the girl, and killed her when she spurned his advances. Say hello to the NEW usual suspects! The ending is unbelievably corny, where we see Steve smiling as he watches the hippy jumping up and down along the beach, celebrating his innocence in the murder. Ironically, this was filmed just a few months after a real life gang of crazed hippies led by Charles Manson went on a murder spree, in which case the victims were, yes, respectable citizens.
I still think it's unnecessary to ban the episode, and while I understand the apparent reason for it, there are all kinds of dangerous stunts shown on television that may or may not unintentionally inspire some viewers to try it. Future releases could at least include the episode as a special feature with a warning against imitating the technique in question. But, as I indicated, you're not missing much.