Analysis of Hawaii Five O.
- How does the programme show the crime drama genre?
Hawaii five O shows that it is a crime drama TV through the use of typical features such as props. some props used on the show are very widely used in other TV crime dramas such as police badges. Another typical feature is the setting they use not necessarily Hawaii but more along the lines of the prison and the police headquarters and the labs. We can also see props being used in other TV shows such as in new tricks where they use the police cars to show how it is a crime drama with the use of crime tackling teams such as the police which makes the audience think that if the police officers are involved in a show your first idea is that this show could be a crime drama sort of show.
Another way that it is shown to be a crime drama is through the use of its characters as the 'Heroes' being the group of police officers and the 'villain' being a criminal in the episode we watched the villain was the brother of a corrupt ex cop who wanted revenge on the officer who killed his brother. there are other villains but he was more the master mind behind the operation. In the episode watched there are also a few ambiguous characters who's loyalty is unclear such as the man who helps Chin in the prison and Chins cousins boyfriend who is very ambiguous receiving phone calls from a hidden number. Also we have a few experts in the show who help to find out who has been using Chin's phone to try and keep his fellow officers away from him. Another show which uses 'Heroes and Villains' are in the SIFI show Doctor Who where the heroes is the doctor and his companion who are very humanistic looking characters which makes the audience feel close to them and more relatable to them where as the villains are very different looking and alien like which plays on the audience's built in nature of don't trust something that isn't human.
A final way in which the crime drama is shown is with the use of the camera work. some of the camera work shows how action packed a crime drama is by having a mid body shot looking at one of the officers in Chin's house looking straight along the muzzle of the gun to connote violence and justice. Editing was also used to try and make the show look like a crime drama by editing the flash bangs and the flash of the gun when shot as the team make their way through the prison.
- Does the episode follow a recognisable narrative structure? (Todorov or McKee)
Yes this episode does follow a narrative structure but McKee's narrative theory of it starting with the inciting incident, which would be the 'flash forward' into seeing what is going to happen then it goes into progressive complications where we learn why Chin is missing and where he is, then the crisis hits where Chin is in prison with an ex corrupt cop who wants him dead, at this point the rest of the team find the main villain and take him down to learn Chin's location. The climax occurs and Chin gets captured by the ex cop and stabbed and the team are coming to rescue him. Finally the resolution where Chin is safe and the main villain is captured and locked away. Also we see this 'flash forward' imagery in the second episode of the new Doctor Who series where we see the doctor go back in time at the beginning the try and kill Davoros but we haven't yet found out his specific motive.
- How does the programme use enigmas?
They have created an enigma by making the audience think why have they locked Chin in prison what is the motive and who is it who has put Chin in there. Also they have created an parallel enigma for the rest of the team which is as to where Chin is who has taken him and why have they taken him away. All of the enigmas are answered by the end of the show because it was a dead cops brother who wanted revenge and they all rescued Chin and saved the day.
- What evidence is there of both a series and a serial? (series tell a different story each episode, serials have on going stories[like soap operas])
The evidence of a series is that there is a new story of Chin being drugged and locked in a prison whist he is out cold and his teammates have to go find him before he dies at the hands of a bitter ex cop who was sent to prison due to his corruption. However there are also features of a serials about Chin's dead wife and the villains motive links into an ongoing story of Chin killing his brother because he killed his wife and the bitter ex cop was sent to prison there is a very high chance that he was part of an old story line which may have been forgotten. Chins story of being kidnapped and put into a prison is classed as a simple narrative where as with the new story of chins cousin and her boyfriend would be a more complicated narrative because this story will be show over the course of multiple episodes. this keeps the audience intrigued and try to get them to watch it next week to help develop there knowledge on the new story line which is now being developed throughout then next few episodes.
