Why Some Hawaii Five-0 Fans Can't Stand Junior
Before the "NCIS Universe" decided to visit the islands of Hawaii with its latest spin-off, "NCIS: Hawai'i," CBS had another police procedural show set in the gorgeous location. In 2010, the network debuted "Hawaii Five-0," a reboot of the original series that aired from 1968-1980. Featuring Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan as Steve McGarrett and Danny "Danno" Williams, the modern take on the classic cop series was a hit with fans, lasting for ten seasons. In fact, by the time the finale aired, many fans weren't quite ready to say goodbye to "Hawaii Five-0." The show's wild cases and fun crossovers with its other rebooted TV cousins "MacGyver" and "Magnum P.I." helped its popularity. But it's arguable that fans really kept coming back for each episode thanks to its charming cast.
This may have been especially true for late addition characters Junior Reigns (Beulah Koale) and Tani Rey (Meaghan Rath). The pair joined the "Hawaii Five-0" team during Season 8 and displayed some undeniable chemistry with each other. It set off a romantic storyline that unfortunately never got resolved when the series ended — and that's truly a shame for Junior, as some fans feel he doesn't have much going for him on his own. During a Reddit thread focused on the character, "Hawaii Five-0" fans didn't mince words as they explained why they can't stand Junior.
Some fans thought Junior was too boring
Like Steve McGarrett, Junior Reigns is a former Navy SEAL. It's their shared background that pretty much bonds the two. Out of the entire cast of characters, Junior is perhaps the most loyal to Steve, as he hardly questions any of his orders. Some of the other characters even occasionally point out the similarities between Steve and Junior throughout the series, almost to the point that Junior could be considered another version of Steve. Apparently, the similarities aren't lost on fans of "Hawaii Five-0," as it has actually led to criticism for Junior. As u/CaseyRC wrote, "I just found him dull. [H]e was such a lazy 'oh look, baby Steve, he's an ex-SEAL with daddy issues because why bother giving him a personality when even his name is Junior and he's a junior Steve.'"
Other fans, such as u/CutieMargo, agreed, adding that Junior also seemed to clingy to his fearless leader. Honestly, that's a fair point. For instance, when Steve first turns him down from joining the Hawaii Five-0 Task Force, Junior is immediately found sticking to him like glue and doing nearly anything to make him reconsider.
Junior's relationship with Tani did give him a chance to shine on "Hawaii Five-0" beyond a Steve clone or follower. But as u/Zaiah_black noted, that's entirely thanks to Tani. They wrote, "I wouldn't say he's annoying he's just a dull character. His relationship with Tani makes him more interesting but that's mostly due to Tani." That's just brutal.