'Hawaii Five-0' Season 8: How Chin and Kono's Exit Will Be Explained
"Hawaii Five-0" season 8 is expected to begin production in just a few weeks following the drama behind the scenes involving a pay dispute with its Asian actors. Now that Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park have confirmed their departures, how will the show address the exits of their characters, Chin Ho and Kono?
"Hawaii Five-0" will address why Chin and Kono are no longer with the Five-O in the premiere episode of season 8 airing in the fall. Chin will take on a new job in San Francisco and this storyline was hinted at in last season's finale episode. Kono, on the other hand, will travel outside of Hawaii to follow up on a child sex trafficking ring.
Their departure will open the spot for a new cop to join the Five-O team. Tani, a lifeguard and a former cop, will be a series regular, but no actress has been picked to play the part
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an actress has not yet been picked to play the part, as of press time. CBS is expected to make an announcement soon as filming will get underway.
Sources disclosed via Variety that the dispute in pay stemmed from the Asian actors receiving $5,000 less than the show's Caucasian stars, Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. The two also received "backend profits" from the show, which has a syndication deal, but Kim and Park received no such offers.
Reports also stated Kim and Park received less because they were only co-leads and not the "stars" of "Hawaii Five-0." All actors, however, appeared in the same number of episodes since the show started seven years ago. Kim and Park were also part of highly successful shows like "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica" before they joined "Hawaii Five-0," while O'Loughlin and Caan had less than impressive achievements on TV.
Moving forward, Kim will wear his executive producer hat on the upcoming series, "The Good Doctor" on ABC. Park has no projects in line for now, but observers note her TV credentials will surely have her landing a new job in no time.
