Hawaii Five-0 season 8: EP releases new statement on Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park exit
Following his first statement (which was released after the news first broke about the actors’ departure), Lenkov released what you can see below on Twitter, explaining further some of the inner workings of the negotiations that ended up falling part. He mentions that CBS offered the two parties “unprecedented” raises, but the two in the end decided to “move on.” He also mentioned that there was a chance for Park to return for several episodes, but that didn’t work out and she may want to spend more time with her family. That is one of the difficulties of shooting this show — Hawaii is a long ways away from home for many people.
The truth of the matter is that even if you’re angry about Park and Kim leaving, which is totally understandable, there’s never been a reason to hold it against Lenkov. He is not the person who is in charge of negotiations, and his job is just helping to write stories and run the massive operation with the help of his team. He collaborated with the writers, Kim, and Park to help these characters be as fantastic as possible, and they were great characters. That’s why they are missed and there is such an outcry at the moment.
The worst part of the announcement is simply the timing, given that Hawaii Five-0 will have its traditional opening blessing tomorrow leading up to the start of filming. It’s a moment that often serves to kick the season off right while honoring the location and the culture.
Is there a further beef with CBS?
The one thing that’s become fairly clear through the statements the past few years is that Kim and Park were likely underpaid for the amount of screen time that they’ve had on the show the past few years; otherwise, would the raises have to be anywhere near as substantial? They would already be closer to leads Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan, who remain on the show with Chi McBride and Jorge Garcia. There were reports about a new female character being added even before the news of Park and Kim’s departure came out, and we imagine that her casting will be announced in the days / weeks to come.
As for the show…
We’re certainly going to continue covering it. Hawaii Five-0 has been one of our favorites on the roster of shows we review, and as hard as these exits are, there are so many other people on the show who work tirelessly. Even in Kim’s recent statement, he offered nothing but support to Lenkov, the producers, and the other members of the cast. As we’ve stated, the negotiations are a CBS issue, and have nothing to do with what happens with the show’s production or with the cast.
Your thoughts
What do you think about Lenkov’s statement? Be sure to share in the comments below! Once there is more to report, we’ll have it for you here at the site. (Photo: CBS.)