Hawaii Five-0 made some big changes when it returned for its tenth season on CBS. Katrina Law of Arrow and Training Day fame joined the cast as a new series regular, and longtime Five-0 cast member Jorge Garcia departed. Garcia played Jerry Ortega starting all the way back in the fourth season, and he was a beloved member of the Five-0 family by the time the Season 9 finale rolled around and left his fate in question. Fortunately, Jerry didn't die, but he did depart, and Katrina Law's Quinn Liu's stepped in.
Now, Jerry and Quinn aren't even close to being the same character, and their entries into the Five-0 team couldn't have been much more different, but she still felt like she was filling the void left by Jerry. Katrina Law spoke to CinemaBlend about joining such a long-running show in its tenth season, and when I asked what it was like to step into Jorge Garcia's shoes, she said this:
Well, I think Jorge has a much larger shoe size than I have. [laughs] So he has some pretty big shoes to fill. It's so interesting coming into a show that's already ten seasons in, when the fanbase is already hugely set up and it's a rabid fanbase, and rightly so. That's exactly what you want. So it was intimidating wondering if they were gonna accept me into the crew, or if they were gonna hate my character, but they welcomed me with open arms into the ohana and seem to be nothing but supportive of my character and how she has been included in the show, and without their support, this would be a very difficult process. So I just want to say a personal thank you to all the fans out there of Hawaii Five-0 for allowing me to join their family, and it means the world to me.
While the departure of such a key character as Jerry and such a beloved actor as Jorge Garcia could have meant a difficult transition for Katrina Law and the existing Hawaii Five-0 team in the eyes of the fans, she was evidently welcomed "with open arms" even as she stepped in for Garcia.
The show is already exploring some new directions with Quinn Liu in the mix and now officially part of the team, and viewers have clearly responded positively to those directions so far. Of course, Hawaii Five-0 also gave Jerry a pretty great sendoff, so surely nobody could complain that his character was mistreated as he made his exit.
When the Season 10 premiere revealed that Jerry was the one shot in the Season 9 finale cliffhanger, it fortunately didn't waste any time in reassuring viewers that Jerry survived the injury. That said, being shot made him think of all the things he hasn't done, and he made the decision to leave the team, work on a book, and presumably not get shot again. He pulled everybody in for a group hug at the end, including "new girl" Quinn Liu! It felt more like a changing of the guard than a replacement, and it made for an engaging way to start a season.
Although Quinn Liu quickly proved she was bold and badass enough to fit right in with Five-0, Katrina Law went on to explain that she was dealing with some serious nerves when the time came to begin her first day of filming for Hawaii Five-0. Here's how she put it:
On the first day, I was sweating profusely. It was, like, extra juicy that day, it was pretty gross. I just remember, I had to do a rehearsal and Ian [Anthony Dale], who plays Adam on the show, and he's the guy that I had the scene with. And all I had to do was walk up and say, 'Hey, my name is Quinn Liu,' and flash my badge at him. And of course, I walk up and I mess up my name and I go to flash my badge and I end up throwing it at him. I had to take myself to the corner and give myself a little pep talk. 'Girl, you got this, you are a professional actor. You can do this, settle down, calm down, be professional.' I had to give myself quite a few of those pep talks on the first day because I was really nervous.
Who can't relate to feeling nervous and needing pep talks on the first day of trying something new? Fortunately, Katrina Law clearly pulled it off, because it wasn't long before Quinn was chasing down bad guys, bantering with McGarrett, eating croissants, and even powering through a gunshot wound. When a character on Hawaii Five-0 complains that McGarrett is driving too slowly, you know she has what it takes to keep up with the team.
See Katrina Law as Quinn Liu when new episodes of Hawaii Five-0 air Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Next week's venture will see the return of a past Hawaii Five-0 character for what promises to be an exciting Halloween episode, so be sure to tune in! Only time will tell if Katrina Law gets her wish to work with Hawaii Five-0 alum Grace Park, but fans can always cross their fingers and hope.
