Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 16 Review: Pono

Kainalu looks to make an investment, while Em and her mother bond, and Laka has a difficult shift during Rescue: HI-Sirf Season 1 Episode 16.

The post Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 16 Review: Pono appeared first on TV Fanatic.

This one was a slog until the last third of the hour.

It often felt like they were going through the motions, but then a flip was switched, and Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 16 suddenly became much more enjoyable.

And they found a way to involve all the main characters in the action.

Em started her day off making a rescue, which we’ve learned is totally an Em thing to do, but she found herself getting sucked back into her mother’s spell. And you could see Em’s defenses lowering as the day went on, which was interesting.

I lamented the lack of information about the estranged pairs’ relationship after Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 15. I still stand by that, but there was a concentrated effort here to allow us to see their dynamic play out and come to our own conclusion about what their past may have looked like and what their future could be.

Cindy was in awe of Em after seeing her make the rescue while the two were out swimming, and you could see how that meant something to her.

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Em is an accomplished lifeguard who has dedicated her adult life to the job, and it’s not as if she doesn’t often feel that praise and genuine appreciation, but it will always feel different when a parent bestows it upon you.

Even a parent with whom you don’t particularly have a good relationship.

As the day unfolded, Cindy kept making overtures, and at the very least, she seemed insistent on the two spending time together. That could be one of the major issues from their past.

Cindy comes across as a touch self-absorbed and a little aloof at times, so it’s plausible that she historically let Em down by not being physically present enough.

Now, Cindy wanted nothing more than to grab a meal with her dear old daughter, a hotshot lifeguard in a beautiful location.

Every time the two talked, it felt like the other shoe was poised to drop because we’ve all seen this storyline play out on television before, right?

An absentee parent rolls into town promising they’ve changed, and things go well for a while before they inevitably come crashing down yet again, leaving hurt feelings and even further fractured relationships in their wake.

That seemed like it was coming all hour. Still, when the two were at Em’s and Cindy took an interest in Em beyond apologizing or offering surface-level commentary, I thought I was wrong. The series was going to take things in a different direction.

But alas, my extensive television-watching prepared me for when a random man would come to Em’s house and crash her dinner just when Em was ready to finally break down a wall and tell her mother something personal.

Cindy inviting her boyfriend and his son to Em’s house without telling her shaded in much of who Cindy was and who she continues to be. While her focus should be on spending time and rebuilding her relationship with her daughter, instead, she felt the need to ambush her and make it about herself.

And just like that, it’s pretty damn clear why Em was so scared to let her mother back in.

Cindy doesn’t seem like a bad person, but her obliviousness and sense of entitlement will get in her way—and already have, as far as Em is concerned.

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It was frustrating that after fifteen episodes, we were finally about to get Em really diving into her relationship with Will, only for RON to cut her off.

That felt like a personal attack on me.

Speaking of Will, he and Vince went from awkward fights in public bathrooms while on the clock to becoming best bros overnight.

Vince is a bit too abrasive for my liking, and there’s something under the surface there, which Sonny alluded to when he told him that what happened in Kauai wouldn’t happen there.

Judging by what we saw here with Vince’s little backyard sparring hustle, one could assume that Vince had a past with fighting. And maybe he’s a changed man or something, but Sonny’s warning felt like major foreshadowing.

For Will, we still don’t know enough about the man, and while it hasn’t seemed like he had any anger issues (in fact, he has presented as almost TOO calm half the time), at least the hour decides to give Will something to do outside of being a cheater and poor communicator.

They’ve needed to find something to define Will outside of Em and the love triangle, and while backyard fighting may not have been my first choice, it’s something.

It will also give Will a separate storyline, allowing us to get to know him better.

The show could stand to do that for everyone, and to their credit, they have started to do that more. However, we’re closer to the end of Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 than the beginning, which makes you wonder if it’s too little or too late.

Elsewhere during the hour, Kainalu wasn’t just tipsy and waxing poetic when he saw that land for sale when he and Hina were walking home from the bar during the last hour.

No, he was formulating a plan, and it was a genuinely good one.

I love Hina, but she is programmed to be a bit of a hater almost immediately, which is relatable. However, this is in direct contrast to Kainalu, who often sees things more positively.

And hell, it’s much easier to be positive when you have the kind of life Kainalu has. But the beauty of Kainalu is that he is a problem-solver, hardworking, and intelligent.

He had his whole plan for the land and trying to help other lifeguards mapped out, and he wasn’t wasting time or second-guessing himself. He was out making moves and utilizing his connections to do something for the greater good.

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Forrest was looking to trip Kainalu up at every turn during their impromptu beach meeting, but Kainalu had an answer for everything, and it was pretty damn impressive.

I couldn’t blame Rosie for falling for him just a little bit more.

Rosie returned after being MIA since Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 12, and on the surface, there is nothing wrong with her. She is smart, funny, and good at beach volleyball, and she and Kainalu have some chemistry.

And while both Kainalu and Hina swear up and down there’s nothing between them, everyone knows it’s a lie, except for themselves at this point.

Rosie will end up getting hurt somehow, either by Kainalu realizing he shouldn’t be dating the friend of his crush or Hina realizing that she’s been denying herself happiness by not admitting that she has a thing for her roomie.

Maybe it will take them no longer living together to finally cross the emotional line they’ve erected, but either way, it will be a shame if Rosie gets caught in the crosshairs because she won’t deserve it.

The last plotlines were sad, as Laka had the difficult task of retrieving a kid who drowned while out fishing and trying to provide for his family, but there’s so much more to Laka than the man who doesn’t know how to mind his business.

He’s a damn good lifeguard, and he does have a good head on his shoulders, even if the immaturity does leap out of him at the worst possible moments.

He is a compassionate guy and committed to serving as a lifeguard. All of this was on full display here when he did everything he could to bring closure to a family about to have their world rocked forever.

One of the nice things about the back half of the season is how Sonny has witnessed Laka’s growth. Both were dealing with personal pain, but the shot of them fixing the net was lovely.

The hour may have started slowly, but it didn’t end that way.

Extra Rescue Notes

• Sonny and Ocean can not seem to get on the same page. On the one hand, she’s a teenager, and Sonny is a father, but their failure to meet in the middle and see the other’s perspective is outstanding. But Ocean clearly gets her stubbornness from her father.

• I always enjoy it when Hina’s Auntie shows up because she always tells it like it is.

Now it’s your turn to let me know what you thought about the hour!

What do you make of Vince?

What’s next for Em and Cindy?

When will Hina and Kainalu stop pretending they don’t like each other?

Drop all your thoughts below!

You can watch Rescue: HI-Surf on FOX at 9/8c on Mondays.

Watch Rescue HI: Surf Online

The post Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 16 Review: Pono appeared first on TV Fanatic.