‘Hawaii Five-0’ Season 8 News: Alex O’Loughlin’s Exit Addressed By Showrunner – Is This Goodbye?

Hawaii Five-0 will be debuting Season 8 in just a couple of weeks despite the most recent controversy surrounding its cast members. There have also been talks that the CBS drama might lose yet another major actor, Alex O’Loughlin, following his statements about his future on the show. What does showrunner Peter M. Lenkov have to say about O’Loughlin’s potential departure?

Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 will be moving forward without two key cast members, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park, following a controversy on their pay. Prior to Kim and Park’s exit from the CBS series, Alex O’Loughlin, who plays the role of Steve McGarrett, expressed his decision to leave the show after its eighth season in an earlier interview with Collider.

O’Loughlin shared the difficulties that came with playing his role on Hawaii Five-0 Season 8, especially on doing stunts that posed risks on his health. Back then, the actor seemed to have already made up his mind that he will be leaving the show after Season 8.

“I’ve decided. Beyond anything else, I don’t want to do any more because I don’t want to kill it.”

However, in a recent interview with TV Line, executive producer Peter Lenkov teased that H50 Season 8 will focus a lot more on the characters’ legacies, including that of Steve’s. McGarrett and his best buddy, Danny, will reportedly be opening a restaurant next season.

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While talks on the characters’ legacies might be a hint that Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 is definitely the last, Lenkov reassured viewers that this would be “a longterm thing.” Lenkov further emphasized that Steve and Danny’s restaurant may be something that they’d be working on until their retirement, but this would happen “many years down the road.”

Many fans were able to let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the showrunner’s statement regarding O’Loughlin’s potential exit from the CBS drama. There have been a lot of reports online that O’Loughlin will definitely leave the show, especially after examining the events that took place during the Season 7 finale.

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As most viewers can recall, O’Loughlin’s character revealed during the Hawaii Five-0 Season 7 finale that he is suffering from radiation poisoning. Many fans were led to believe that this was how the CBS drama was paving the way for the character’s exit, but it looks like O’Loughlin may have changed his mind and has decided to play the role for more seasons.

Do you think Hawaii Five-0 will be able to survive if Alex O’Loughlin decides to leave the show beyond Season 8?

[Featured Image by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images]