Hawaii Five-0 is coming to an end on CBS, and the end is unfortunately in sight. The show has run for ten successful seasons and fans had reason to hope that more seasons were in store, but the series finale is officially on the way, and fans likely will feel that it's coming way too soon. As in, within weeks.
Hawaii Five-0 will end for good with its tenth season finale on Friday, April 3 on CBS. While that is still more than a month away from the date of cancellation, the cancellation is coming a lot sooner than anticipated. In fact, showrunner Peter Lenkov (who is also behind MacGyver and Magnum P.I. on CBS) recently said to TVLine that he was "hoping that this show goes a few more seasons."
There is some good news coming out of the end of Hawaii Five-0. Even though the series finale is coming in a matter of weeks rather than multiple months, it won't be just an average-length installment. The grand finale will be a two-hour TV event, running from 8-10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 3. The end is nigh, but at least it will get to end on a high note. Assuming there are some happily-ever-afters, anyway!
Additionally, the two-hour finale will bring back some recurring cast members. James Marsters will be back as Victor Hesse, William Sadler will be back as John McGarrett, and Mark Dacascos will be back as Wo Fat. It will also presumably include the MacGyver alum who seemed destined for a major role on Hawaii Five-0 before news of the ending.
CBS didn't confirm any other cast members who are returning for the series finale, if any. Any fans holding out hope to see Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park back on Five-0 at some point may want to prepare for disappointment on that front. Donnie Wahlberg may also want to prepare for disappointment, given his hopes for a Blue Bloods/Hawaii Five-0 crossover
The Eye Network also didn't give an official explanation for why the series is ending with the April 3 finale, although CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl shared that "It’s never easy to say goodbye to a hit franchise that carried on the legacy of the original with such distinction while establishing its own signature style."
As for the why, Deadline states that original series stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan's contracts are up at the end of Season 10. O'Loughlin reportedly felt he could not continue on Five-0 due to lingering effects from a back injury years ago on the series, and CBS allegedly considered carrying on with the show with a new partner for Caan before the decision that it was time to wrap.
Considering CBS ended another long-running show by giving it a final, albeit shortened, season to wrap everything up, the end of Hawaii Five-0 coming at the end of the current season without much advance notice has to come as a shock to longtime viewers. Admittedly, Criminal Minds and Hawaii Five-0 don't have a whole lot in common beyond crime and hitting the 10-year mark on CBS.
For now, you can catch new episodes of the final run of Hawaii Five-0 on CBS Fridays at 9 p.m. ET following new episodes of MacGyver at 8 p.m. ET.
