Rescue: HI-Surf – Season 1 Episode 9 Recap & Review

Aftermath 

Episode 9 of Rescue: HI-Surf starts with most people on the island getting into the Christmas spirit. However, I am not sure we can say that about Kainalu, who accidentally drops his towel and Hina sees something Santa probably won’t want her to see! Of course, Hina is not mad about it and spends the day teasing Kainalu. 

At the station, Will and Emily try hard not to flirt, but even a blind man can notice their chemistry. It is very naughty for them to cheat on their respective partners. At the same time, the lifeguards work on their holiday toy drive to help struggling families. Kenji quickly visits to get the lay of the land, but Sonny informs him that he is backing Emily for the Captain spot. Kenji later runs into Laka and informs him about Sonny’s plans. 

Two kids arrive with their grandfather and pick up their gifts. Their grandfather ends up having a heart attack, and the team rushes in to save him. While he is at the hospital, the two kids remain at the tower under the watch of the lifeguards. While watching the kids, Hina relates to them since she has been there before. The kids ask for lunch and Kainalu offers his packed lunch. However, the kids don’t like it, so Kainalu offers to buy them something else. Hina refuses and offers to buy the kids lunch after they collect trash on the beach. 

On the other hand, Sonny calls in a favour with the mayor to get Emily a commendation of valour and some media time. Sonny believes Emily is ready for the challenge. She tells him that she is ready to be captain and handle her intrapersonal relationships with her colleagues. The truth is, she and Will have been sneaking around the island, and someone catches them.  

At the same time, Laka confronts Sonny and asks for his opinion about applying for a lieutenant’s job. Sonny unapologetically tells him he is not ready. Laka has been partying heavily and sleeping around. Sonny doesn’t think he is focused enough to handle the new responsibilities. After Emily gets her press conference and medal, the mayor sends his assistant to tell Sonny they are done. 

As the day drags by, Kainalu and Hina realise the kids have been gone for too long. They search the beach and find the boy stuck in one of the sewer lines. They save him and return them to the tower.  

After his shift, Laka tries to find solace at the bottom of a bottle and the arms of two women. Unfortunately, they rob him blind and run off with his car. He is forced to call Will, who cautions him to change his lifestyle. However, Laka brings up Will’s affair with Emily and they agree they aren’t in any position to judge each other. 

At home, Sonny gets a visit from the chief. He is not pleased with being backed into a corner and being forced to make Emily the next captain. He tells Sonny to make sure Emily has a squeaky-clean background or else this will blow up on her. Speaking of Emily, she gets confronted by her friend Kimmy. She spotted the two kissing and warns Emily not to mess with a man about to get married in a month. Emily says that it just sort of happened, but we all know that is not an excuse. The episode ends with Kainalu and Hina hooking up after getting home and sharing a few beers.  

The Episode Review

I expected more from Will and Emily. It is annoying how happy they look while cheating. Will shouldn’t be ignoring Julie’s calls. If anything, he needs to be calling her and telling her the truth. Julie is out there planning a wedding that might never happen! A future with a man who is roaming the island, sneaking around like a teenager with his ex! Does Emily even remember Sean? Then there is Laka. The truth drove him straight to the bottle. He needs to reflect on his recent actions and try to do better. However, he is not ready for that conversation, and so be it. 

The highlight of the episode was Kainalu and Hina getting together. I guess the Christmas Spirit is giving, and our ship is sailing. We have been dying for these two to be an item. Hopefully, they will have a better relationship than Will and Emily. Do you think they will make it official soon?