CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" broke some hearts with the exit of Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park, who played Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, respectively. Their characters have been beloved and their presence will be missed. Nevertheless, producers have announced that a new character will be introduced for season 8.
The new addition to the cast won't be a human, but a drug-sniffing dog. This information was revealed to Entertainment Weekly by the show's executive producer, Peter Lenkov.
He said that the idea came from Alex O'Loughlin, who plays Steve McGarrett, the main protagonist of the show.
The dog will be adopted by McGarrett after a tragic incident befalls its former master. A furry little companion with a sensitive nose may just prove to be invaluable to an already excellent task force.
Another addition to the cast is Meaghan Rath, who will be playing Tani Rey, who was kicked from the police academy due to her problem with authority.
A Navy Seal will also be added to the force, who goes by the name of Junior Reigns, who has returned from his service in the army overseas. The character will be played by Beulah Koale.
Even with Park's exit from the show, her character's husband, Adam Noshimura (Ian Anthony Dale), has been assured a permanent status on the show.
It will be interesting to see how the dynamics of the show will change going into the upcoming season. Due to Kim and Park's exit, it could be possible that the already solidified bond between McGarrett and Daniel Williams (Scott Caan) could even go deeper. Or perhaps the show will try to fit the new actors in with the pre-existing cast members to ease the audience with the inevitable change in chemistry between characters.
"Hawaii Five-0" season 8 will premiere on Friday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.
