#I winged it with the tac vest and I’m honestly a little proud

[wispscribbles]

“Welcome home, Simon.”

[cowandcalf]

Who are your top ten favorite H50 characters and why?

Hi, anon! This is such a great ask! I love it and I apologize for letting you wait. I want to answer this thoroughly and I’ve taken my time. And I have to admit my answer is so long. But I wanted to explain why I love the characters. So, I hope you like my response. Your ask really has kept me pondering a lot.

It’s freaking long, so I put it under the cut.

1.Steve McGarrett

I get drawn to Steve like a moth to a flame. My soul sings an unknown song since the moment I've met Lieutenant Commander Steve J. McGarrett.

Steve combines a lot of personality traits which I admire full-on. He's a great, outstanding leader. He's a person you instantly trust a hundred percent. He's focused, determined, he has stunning, overwhelming stamina, incredible endurance and the wish to always push everything to the edge just for a challenge or because he just knows he can do it.

His terrible emotional childhood trauma (mother killed, getting shipped off by his own father, separated from his family for almost two decades) didn't cripple his character or his soul. Or let me rephrase this. It crippled him but he never let anybody see his wounds and his scars. And that's also one of Steve's weakness and strength and this hits me straight to the core.

Steve has a soft, sensitive heart. Although he has no idea how to deal with emotions other than to bottle them up and pile them in a far hidden corner of his mind and heart. He's selfless and a true friend who always finds time if you need him. He's reliable and he's hundred percent involved once he's in.

He never asks of anything in return. He's too humble, too shy and behind that steely armor of tac vests, strapped weapons, and thigh holsters, of barked orders, of leading his team, of being in charge, of taking the biggest blow to protect always the others – there's an insecure, needy man with a scarred heart who never really has outgrown the abandoned teenager. He fears loss and his 'emotional hands' are always empty. I'm convinced that in the darkest hour of the night Steve is lost, lonely and afraid to never find the exit from the maze he has been trapped in since his father sent him off to the mainland.

2.Danny Williams

Danny, Danny, Danny. This guy – man, this guy. Danny is cocky with freaking huge self-esteem, a swagger, and a puffed-out chest. Nobody ever could daunt him – only when someone tries to hurt his little girl then he's terrified and he endures everything for his kids, everything. He loves animals and treats them kindly and knows how to handle them in a stressed situation. This speaks for his kind-hearted, sensitive soul.

He's not afraid to show emotions. He's a tad insecure (like terrified actually) to ask someone out on a date. That's so cute because it's such a different behavior compared to his dashing personality as a detective.

He headbutts everyone who steps in his way being a hindrance when he searches for answers to protect one of his own. Danny has a rich character. He admits his fears (claustrophobia, afraid of losing his little girl, admitting he always expects the worst).

Danny has been a cop before he has even been born. It runs in his genes. He's fearless… and honestly, when he switches into his deadly determined cop-mode I always lose my shit. Danny doesn't need to prove what an outstanding cop his he. He knows it and that's enough. Whenever he unleashed this fearless, tensed-up, fiercely focused and a bit crazy-eyed side of his persona it's a beauty to watch. He just transforms right in front of my eyes into an Avenger with no mercy.

And that's why he's the only one who understands Steve. Danny isn't afraid to breach Steve's personal space when Steve's emotions are ablaze, making him feel like a trapped animal who wants to run, blindly, driven by a terrible panic Steve never knew how to deal with.

3.Kawika

He follows a code of honor just like Danny and Steve. He carries the wisdom of his ancestors in his heart. Kawika's soul listens to the water, to the land and to the animals of Hawaii. He's the head of the Kapu, meaning he’s earned all the respect from his men by being an outstanding leader. I LOVE how Steve, Kono, and Chin respect him. Except for Danny, of course. And Kawika headbutts him in return just as hard and Steve steps aside a bit lost what to do.

Kawika pays that respect back. He's a man of his word. His devotion to what he's doing matches Danny's and Steve's. Other than that, he's the founder of a surf organization who supports kids with cystic fibrosis. He surfs like a god and looks like the sexiest guy. I love him and I always need him close in my stories.

There's this energy wafting around him that draws me close without knowing why. Kawika feels like a rock in a wild storm. He feels the heartbeat of Hawaii in his bones. And this wisdom shows in his eyes. Being there where he is, makes me somehow feel the reason why I'm in this word. (Jesus Christ! Where does this all come from? I mean he's a fictional character… damn, this show really messes with my heart and my sanity. Hahaha, damnit!) I don't want to sound greedy – but surf lessons with this guy? Call me anytime!

 4.Mary Ann McGarrett

She went through severe emotional trauma and she struggled a fair bit. I admire Mary for her enthusiasm, for her strength to just move on. Her heart and her soul are wounded. She loves Steve. She was so hurt about the fact that somehow her brother never reached out to her. She has lost contact for ten long years. I guess at one point her older brother morphed into a distant memory until Mary has to return home to Hawaii. She finds out how much she's missed Steve and how deeply she cares for him and how much she loves him. She's not afraid to face the problem head-on.

She's stubborn too, and curious and she follows a lead once her attention is caught. Mary always finds a solution to a problem. She never bothers Steve in a way that he has to pull her out from a problem she can't solve on her own. Only when she's back on the island she gets caught in the crossfire.

Mary has brains, she's clever, she's lippy and talks straight forward to Steve. She has some drinking problems in the beginning, maybe even some drug problems but she deals with it. She's impressed with Steve's achievement in the Navy, but she has some healthy self-confidence. She lacks nothing in cleverness, the ability to put details together, helping Steve to see the bigger picture. And Steve's impressed.

By adopting Joanie Mary gives Steve back this piece of a family that both have been missing for so long. And I love to know Aunt Deb took her under her wings when they went back to the mainland those years ago. And with Mary back in Steve's life there is also Aunt Deb around. I love how Mary is the glue to keep Steve together on a totally different level. She's the past, she's the present and she's the future. She belongs to a bond, the only one that is left from Steve's family and Mary is just there. She's strong and fearless, even if she always ends up in shitty situations, in the beginning, she meets life head-on, walking tall and with her eyes open.

 5.Junior Reigns

Junior is a great buddy. He acts somehow as Steve's younger brother. He's Steve's SEAL brother, his ally and Steve's brain twin in tactics and how to carry out an operation, even in the way to see life and to deal with difficult situations. Junior matches Steve's character on so many levels. There is this humbleness, this wish to serve (even though not that devoted as Steve but still it's there), this fierce determination and this thinking of never giving up. Junior is a team buddy. He has a big, soft heart and he loves Steve so much (just as Beulah expressed his love to Alex on SOTB 2018 – this moved me to tears because it was so honest, soul-deep honest).

Junior would take a bullet for Steve at any moment, no matter what. The respect he has for Steve can't be put into words. He worships him in a healthy, glorious way. Junior's soul is pure and full of light and love. I'm convinced that Junior senses a lot what's going on with Steve, but he keeps his distance out of respect. But he always stays somehow close in case Steve needs him in difficult times of emotional duress. Steve trusts Junior with his life.

I love Junior's smile and his wit. I love how he fits into the team and how well he gets along with Tani. He's highly trained and skilled. Junior is a great, outstanding SEAL and a great cop.

 6. Aunt Deb

She's love. She's sunshine. She's a pure balm for Steve's sore, hurt heart. She's brim-full of energy and when she appears the sun rises with her. She brings a light mood to every moment. If she's around everything feels kind of safe. And Steve still has a lot of respect for her and listens closely when Aunt Deb has to say something. She's fun and I love her for giving Mary a home when everything fell apart. I wished she would have been more around for Steve. She's good for him. It broke my heart when she died with Steve sitting at her bed.

Aunt Deb is one of the persons who absolutely understood how Steve and Mary suffered. She knows how much they need each other, and she has brought them back together. That's why Mary is a great mother to Joanie and Steve is a proud uncle. Both have back some family. That's so precious.

Aunt Deb is the mother Steve would have needed. From my point of view, she's a key character in Steve's life. I love her way to talk, her way to dress and how she made this bucket list with all the crazy things she wanted to experience before she has to walk over the rainbow bridge.

But most of all, I love the shy, bright smile, this smirk that appears on Steve's face whenever Aunt Deb is around and asks him some serious questions about his tattoo or other topics that make Steve squirm a little.

 7. Kono Kalakaua

She's my heroine. She's good-looking but never uses this knowledge unless she works undercover. She surfs like a goddess and she is a close friend to Kawika. She fights like a she-samurai. She has some serious backbone. She clenches her teeth and just gets the job done. She knows what she's capable of and she doesn't want to impress anyone. She's a fully respected member of the team. She loves Steve. He's ohana and Kono respects him deeply, but she also knows that she's equal and she learns a lot from him. She's the rookie only to end up as a damn good, excellent sniper (taught by Steve) and skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

Ohana means everything to Kono and she respects her roots and Hawaii. She empathizes with young girls; victims of violent crimes and she always cares deeply and honestly for other persons. She's passionate. She has brains and I still miss her like a torn off limb.

 8.Chin Ho Kelly

He's the embodiment of Zen. I appreciate him even more in the re-watch of the show. His humor is well hidden but bobs on the surface every now and then and he always makes me laugh.

Chin is a rock in a calm sea and he's a rock in a rough sea and he never cares about the sea; he just is the rock. He looks so hot on his motorbike. I love how he knows his way around the island. He's a man of his word and doesn't back down. He lives the tradition of Hawaii and ohana like no one else of the team. He's old-school where a handshake means something. He also lives a code of honor.

I love that he worked with Steve's father, that he was also a quarterback and that Steve shot all his records to hell. They knew each other from Kukui Highschool, and this warms my heart. Chin is a man of his word, absolutely reliable. He grounds Steve and he understands him very well, but he also always knows when to back off. He's a hell of a Five-0 member, a great teammate, and I love to see how he holds his shotgun. Chin doesn't know fear. He's always available. He's a fighter, a warrior and no battle is too nasty for him. Steve trusts him with his life and Chin trusts everyone just as much.

 9.Kamekona

I just love this guy! First, he's made one hell of a career. He was a former criminal, got busted and when he was out, he's made a name for himself as a very useful informant for Five-0. He learns to trust the haoles (Steve and Danny) and he got his shit together and became such an incredible entrepreneur for Hawaiian outstanding shrimps. He has built his business step by step from shaved ice to a hot spot for tasty shrimp dishes. I'm impressed. Second, he's loyal, he's ohana and he's Hawaiian.

Steve respects him and Kamekona is always the 'to-got-to' person when they need inside information. He's the connecting element between police and the criminal underworld. Kamekona has eyes and ears everywhere, always. And he looks out for his friends and he's so self-assured in the way he comes up with new ideas for his business no matter how outrageous they are. He believes in himself!

He's cute, funny and so often I would love to sit down on one of those benches and I want him to rant about prices and economics and how it's hard to stay on top in the business. I always start smiling when he's in the picture. And besides, he can take a hard beating with hardly batting an eyelid. Kamekona is tough as nails with a soft heart.

 10. Sang Min

He was such a bad guy in the beginning. I loathed the way he was involved in human trafficking. I don't know how he did it, but it's impossible not to like him! He's so devoted to his family and besides this guy cracks me up! He's terrible lippy and daring and the way he pronounces 'spicy' is just legendary. Yeah, Sang Min spices up every scene he's in. He's like a trash show. You start to love him!

Okay, anon, that’s my essay for you. Thank you so much for asking me this question. Of course, there are many more I love so much. But these ten characters do something to my heart when I see them on screen. Mahalo for your interest and have a great one.