by John Chergi » Thu Jul 07, 2016 5:02 pm
Watched The Defector a few weeks ago. It was 1 of the 12 to 15 episodes of Classic HFO that I never viewed. The Grant Ormsbee character was an intelligent and arrogant scientist type. I was pleasantly surprised by The Defector. It definitely moves in my Top 20 episodes of the series. Action starts early when The Defector paddles in on a raft with the crashing waves bringing him ashore. He is met by another agent type but The Defector suddenly shoots the greeting agent dead and then grazes himself with a bullet. The Defector is impersonating an important scientist Chaing who has a friendly relationship with Dr. Grant Ormsbee. McGarrett and Ormsbee wage in a war of words throughout the episode but they join forces to test The Defector's true identity and his motivations. The Defector shines brightly with an interesting story and excellent acting from Dr. Ormsbee. Plenty of exciting action including a motorcyclist hitman shooting at The Defector and a final shootout at the conspirators place. I give The Defector an enthusiastic 5 1/2 stars out of 6 stars. What did you like about The Defector? Did you become a Dr. Ormsbee fan by episode's conclusion? Did you enjoy the sea lion's scene going underwater on the mission?
by H50 1.0 FOREVER* » Tue Jul 19, 2016 4:30 amJohn, I'm a Pat Hingle fan of proportions not far removed from being a Jack Lord fan. I like his work and how he portrayed his characters. His Grant Ormsbee is A-1. But what I really like about the three Ormsbee episodes is the interplay between Ormsbee and McGarrett. They bear a certain resemblance to one another, something director Elia Kazan no doubt noticed when he cast Hingle and Lord as brothers in the Broadway production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (No, I haven't forgotten that Ben Gazarra originally portrayed Jack's character). The sparring and the love/hate between them in the H50 episodes seem almost to be a reprise of their roles as Gooper and Brick Pollitt. If you liked "The Defector," you will like "Man on Fire" and "To Kill a Mind," both in Season 9. "The Defector" is the best of the three, however.
by ringfire211 » Fri Jul 22, 2016 10:39 amDo you honestly see a resemblance between Pat Hingle and Jack Lord? Because I see none whatsoever. One is short and stocky with a bulldog face and the other is tall and slender with a long chiseled face.
But yes Pat was a fine actor!