News of King Kahekili’s unprovoked attack spreads throughout the islands, forcing other kingdoms to enact contingency plans as unexpected guests shift the war’s dynamics. We also become privy to how the patriarchy impacts the women within the royal lineage.
We open on the shores of Maui, meeting Ka’ahumanu, the daughter of Moku and Chieftess Namahana. Moku brings news of Kahekili’s attack and recommends refuge at Hawai’i. To ensure asylum, he has promised his daughter’s hand in marriage to a high-ranking chief. Distraught, Ka’ahumanu calls upon Taula for guidance. Her insight is dire, foretelling that the young bride will “break this world.”
Elsewhere, after ditching a meeting with Kahekili, Ka’iana escapes O’ahu along with Nahi’, Namake, and Kupuohi. They arrive on Maui with Prince Kupule and Kahekili’s warriors on their heels. Kupule wants Ka’iana brought back alive. Evading his captors, Ka’iana finds Ka’ahumanu. Sharing their common disdain for Kahekili, they ally as Ka’ahumanu promises him and his family safe passage to Hawai’i. This plan is foiled when they stumble upon Paleskins, American settlers.
To protect his family, Ka’iana leads Kupule’s men on a chase as Ka’ahumanu rendezvous with the others. As Ka’ahumanu prepares for their escape, a white settler appears. Separated from his troupe, they bring him along to prevent the others from finding them. Meanwhile, a violent showdown lands Ka’iana and several of Kahekili’s men over a cliff into the ocean below. Assuming the worst, Prince Kupule orders to find Ka’iana’s body. Miraculously, our protagonist awakens aboard the Paleskins’ ship, drifting away from Maui.
The episdoe wastes no time pushing the narrative forward and introducing new vital characters. Ka’ahumanu’s (Lucine Buchanan) presence is a stark contrast from the warrior heart of Te Ao o Hinepehinga’s Kupuohi. We meet her in awe of her people’s ancestral existence, which seems to be reserved exclusively for men to explore. Her character represents a challenge to gender roles in the kingdom; Taula’s premonition about her signals that she is destined to uproot societal norms.
We also had the arrival of colonizers. Referred to as Paleskins, we quickly learn foreigners had trekked the islands before. Namely, Captain James Cook, who was the first European to discover the Hawaiian islands as well as Australia between 1768 and 1779. Cook perished at 50 on the islands. Their presence is reminiscent of Anjin’s arrival in FX’s Shogun. Anyone can eye the strangers as a threat, but a wise man can use their arrival to his advantage.
While the writing isn’t anything extraordinary, the performances remain solid with cinematic action sequences to keep your interest piqued. A few odd editing choices were noticeable if one stares too long, but nothing to deter enjoyment.
Rating: 7.5/10