Rescue: HI-Surf Review 2024 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
There’s a plethora of first-responder television shows out there. From paramedics to firefighters to cop procedurals, the land of network television is littered with these types of shows. Normally, the series follows a ragtag gang made up of a mix of veterans and rookies who tackle day-to-day emergencies and save the lives of the locals around them. In that manner, Rescue HI-Surf follows the typical procedural formula: A group of open-water lifeguards patrol the perilous waters on the North Shore of Oahu. Created by Matt Kester, who is probably best known for his work on Animal Kingdom, the freshman season of Rescue HI-Surf offers a perspective on an often forgotten group of first responders, but as far as TV shows go, Rescue HI-Surf doesn’t live up to the potential of some of its contemporaries.
Spanning 11 seasons, the last notable lifeguard TV series was Baywatch, a show populated by beautiful people who run slowly on the beach. Sure, sometimes they saved lives, but that’s not exactly what Baywatch was known for. As times have changed, so have these types of procedural shows. Rescue HI-Surf is now a far cry from a show made famous by the likes of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. While the show digs into the personal lives of the lifeguards, it also depicts just how challenging and physically demanding the job is.
From running through soft sand to paddling out and back through choppy waters, we witness what it takes to keep up with the standards required to be an open-water lifeguard. The intense training pushed the cast to the limit, but it pays off when watching the episodes; these aren’t just beautiful people on a beach. They are people ready to jump into one of the most unpredictable environments on earth to save lives. Filmed in Hawai’i, the show has a definite feeling of authenticity, and the fact that it is set in Oahu helps add to that authenticity. The waves in Oahu are famously massive (which can be as tall as 30 feet) and can be dangerous even for the most experienced surfers. So, it makes sense that the first responders have to be the best of the best.
Despite the authenticity of the series regarding being a lifeguard, where it fumbles is where the show is meant to build the most heart: its leading characters. Rescue HI-Surf primarily centers around the team’s captain, Sonny, played by Robbie Magasiva, and his fellow lifeguards. Arielle Kebbel plays Em, an experienced veteran who is a natural leader and often acts as Sonny’s right hand. Adam Demos plays Will, an Australian who had a previous relationship with Em and is currently trying to leave the beach to become a firefighter. Kekoa Kekumano plays Laka, a seasoned guard who is also a carefree partier, with a wild lifestyle that may become a problem. Joining the lifeguards are two rookies, Alex Aiono as Kainalu, the son of an influential politician on the island who has to prove he’s far from just a nepo baby to his fellow co-workers, and Zoe Cipres as Hina, one of the few female guards coming in who has shown a lot of promise and graduated at the top of her class.
The series has potential when it comes to the drama. Sonny is struggling with the death of a family member, one who he failed to save, and he spends much of the first part of the season dealing with that immense grief. Magasiva’s more serious moments shine as one of the highlights of the season. However, the issues arise from the general chemistry of the group at large. Em and Will are obviously caught in a sort of will-they-won’t-they relationship. Even though Will is engaged to someone else, something is still between them — except Kebbel and Demos struggle to find the spark. In the moments when you are meant to feel the wanting between Em and Will, the chemistry just isn’t there, so the scene doesn’t land. The show spends a good portion of time on the relationship, and you can’t help but feel like there are better storylines it could focus on.
Another stumble comes with Hina and Kainalu, who are initially set up as rivals. Both are the best of their class (though Hina is a bit better), but their differences blatantly pit them against each other. Kainalu was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, while Hina grew up not far from the North Shore. She reveals that her family struggled with money when she was growing up. The setup creates the perfect romantic opposites-attract plot, which seems to be what Rescue HI-Surf is setting up. But, the show needs to give Aiono and Cipres more time to marinate in their characters before throwing them into a romantic relationship. Focusing not just on their romance with each other, but their individual relationships with the rest of the team, is where the show can find cohesion.
Although it is one of the few lifeguard shows currently on the air, Rescue HI-Surf doesn’t feel like it’s breaking new ground. While most shows like 9-1-1 or Chicago P.D. tend to have more ridiculous and seemingly impossible emergencies — it’s hard to forget about a newborn baby stuck in bathroom plumbing — Rescue: HI-Surf’s emergencies feel dire but are ultimately forgettable. This might be just a growing pains issue, something the show will iron out as it gets deeper into the season (four episodes were provided for review), but the fact that there aren’t as many memorable rescues could become a prevailing issue for the series.
What Rescue HI-Surf needs is to find a better balance between the rescues that play out each episode on the beach and the character drama it is trying to create on land with its leads. Having complimented Magasiva for his scenes as Sonny, one of the issues with the show is that, oftentimes, Sonny’s grief and the scenes of him mourning feel almost jarring to cut to in each episode. We barely have any emotional investment in Sonny’s life. We don’t know him very well. His plotline following a lost family member feels like a better fit for later episodes or seasons, where we have become invested in him as a character. Similarly, starting the show after Em and Will have already had a failed relationship might not be an awful idea, but in this case, we need to be convinced that they were actually a good couple whose relationship is worth rooting for.
For those who love procedurals, this is more of what you expect. The series follows the classic television format pretty closely and seems to be adopting season-long arcs for all the characters. However, the show still lacks a spark that immediately grabs the audience’s attention and keeps them coming back for more. It’s unfortunate because the show fully embraces Hawai’i and Hawaiian culture and has an impressive roster of Asian and Pacific Islander actors on the cast. Aside from the more recent Hawaii Five-0, few shows have been set in Hawai’i, and even fewer depict the lives of locals. It doesn’t hurt that filming on location helps boost the local economy in Oahu. It is possible that Rescue HI-Surf is still trying to find its footing, and the show might feel more cohesive as the season continues. Oftentimes, shows like this need some time to become fully formed, especially when it has to balance the “emergency of the week” alongside deeper character development. Time will tell if the show will sink or swim.
