Jim Belushi's Court Appearance

OK, was I right about the coolest secret scene in the premiere of the new Hawaii Five-O? For those who missed it, I can now reveal all (spoiler alert!).  New McGarrett went to his father's house, looking for clues to his dad's murder: in the garage, he lifted just the corner of a tarp to reveal the original series' McGarrett-mobile of choice; Jack Lord's black, four-door Mercury Marquis. They didn't linger on the shot; and newbies wouldn't get it, but wouldn't miss anything, either. It was just.... cool. The car was one of three models used in the original series: and apparently we'll see it again as Alex O'Loughlin's McGarrett restores it.

Now, on to Wednesday's big premiere: The Defenders. The story of  two defense lawyers, played by Jerry O'Connell and Jim Belushi takes place in Las Vegas; but some of the interiors are shot right here on our CBS lot. Meteorologist Henry DiCarlo says he's run into O'Connell on the lot's gym.  Like Five-O, here's another show that takes advantage of the stars' chemistry. Both leads are smart a**es; and I just get the vibe that some of their riffs aren't fully scripted. The show is a drama with humor. Don't call it quirky, Belushi would disagree. He mops up his courtroom scenes, and keeps his performance justthisclose to going over the top. My favorite scene:  his cross-examination of a bullet trajectory expert. Watch Belushi's expression as he walks away from the guy.

The Defenders, 10 pm, Wednesdays on CBS2.