Will season 8 of ‘Hawaii Five-0’ be the CBS drama’s final season?

Photo Credit: Hawaii Five-0/CBS Image Acquired from CBS Press Express

Amid a wave of cast shake-ups and the possible looming exit of its leading man, many fans may find themselves questioning whether ‘Hawaii Five-0’ Season 8 will be its final season. Here we discuss those odds.

Let’s be honest, Hawaii Five-0‘s future is looking relatively grim a the moment thanks largely to the unexpected wave of cast departures and the potential for the show to lose its leading man at the conclusion of the upcoming season.

The Season 8 drama began last fall when Alex O’Loughlin revealed in a November interview with TVLine that he was still going into Season 8 with plans to make it his last season on the show due largely to the toll the show has taken on his body over the years.

"More from Hidden RemoteThe story of a French emperor: Here’s where Napoleon will stream after theatersIt’s Thanksgiving Eve! Tune into the SNL Thanksgiving special to get into the spirit of the holidayMamie’s plan is advanced on Thanksgiving (Young and the Restless Nov. 22 recap)ACOTAR on Hulu: Is A Court of Thorns and Roses based on a book?Final season, release date set for La Brea season 3: Everything we know so far“Absolutely,” O’Loughlin responded when asked whether his plan was still to make Season 8 his last. “I’m just trying to make it through the end of [Season] 7! [Five-0] is really, really wonderful, but it is an action show, I’m the main guy, and I defy anybody to do what I’ve done for as long I’ve done it and hold out the way I have. Dude, I was a fit, strong, healthy guy when I started the show, and I still am, but you sustain what you sustain. It’s part of the gig.”"

While the news was disconcerting and troublesome – after all O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett is the show’s leading man and the heart of the show – nothing was set in stone. It was also reassuring to know that the show would have its other series regulars to fall back in wake of McGarrett’s exit. Then came the two cast departures that no fans expected.

After seven seasons on the show, stars Grace Kelly and Daniel Dae Kim were departing Hawaii Five team bringing an end to Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly’s time on the show as part of the Five-0 Task Force. Yikes!

With Kelly and Kim out, O’Loughlin’s time on the show nearing its end and fellow series regular Scott Caan already appearing in a reduced role on the show, the future of CBS’s hit Friday night drama is not looking too promising – despite the fact that the show continues to rank as one of CBS’s most-watched dramas and that Season 7 saw an uptick in total viewers and in the coveted 18-49 age demo.

So will Season 8 be the show’s last?

While it’s hard to imagine the show continuing beyond Season 8 without Kelly, Kim and O’Loughlin on board but before you write the show off or start tuning out, let’s remember that O’Loughlin could very easily extend his contract for a ninth season if the writers agree to cut back on the number of stunts his character must perform. As hard as it is to imagine Hawaii Five-0 without Chin and Kono, McGarrett has always been the heart of the show and it seems safe to assume that the writers would want to do everything they can to keep him on board.

Of course, only time will tell whether Season 8 will prove to the show’s last but as a long-time fan of the show, I too will be hoping that the show can out weather its latest storm!

Next: 15 Television Stars Who Left Their Hit Show

Don’t miss the Hawaii Five-0 Season 8 premiere Friday, September 29 at 9/8c on CBS.

Would you be disappointed if Season 8 turned out to be the final season of Hawaii Five-0 or do you think the writers should design the season as its last? Can you imagine the show living on without McGarrett? Keep the conversation going in the comments section below!