Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 1 Recap: Pilot

Welcome to the North Shore! Grab your swimsuits and get ready for waves of drama.

On Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” the fast-paced storyline kicks off right from the start, setting the tone for the rest of the season on the North Shore.

As we meet the main lifesaving crew: Emily Wright (Arielle Kebbel), Captain Sonny Jennings (Robbie Magasiva), Will Ready (Adam Demos), and Laka Hanohano (Kekoa Kekumano), they are immediately thrown into action when a newbie surfer, Reef, tries to tame the crazy waves of this beach.

What begins as a strong surf turns bad when Reef falls off of his board, gets caught in the current, and is tussled underwater, causing him to fall unconscious. The team of highly trained lifeguards jumps into rescue mode.

Emily swims out to find the surfer, and another team member brings the jetski to retrieve him.

Back on land, Emily performs CPR, while the rest of the team gets Reef onto the spinal board and calls an ambulance for support. Reef regains consciousness and is taken to the hospital for further monitoring, meaning a job well done for the North Shore team.

However, half the team’s mood isn’t as celebratory as expected. Will is upset because he’s soon leaving his beloved position to become a firefighter. Not by his own choice, though, but because his fiancée is uncomfortable with him working alongside Emily since the pair share a steamy past.

Captain Jennings also struggles as rescues bring back painful memories. A flashback shows two kids swimming happily until one grows tired and calls for help but is never saved, tragically drowning.

Jennings wakes up from the nightmare, haunted by the memory of his nephew Zion, who drowned a month ago in the waters Jennings is supposed to protect.

But despite the shame and grief he feels about losing a family member, he pushes forward and attends the recruit certification test to see who will be the newest addition to his team.

Certification day is the final challenge recruits must pass to become part of the local lifeguard teams. Hina Alexander (Zoe Cipres), the only female recruit of her year, is determined not only to pass but also to secure a spot on the North Shore team.

The only problem she has in her way is Kainalu Emerson (Alex Aiono), another recruit who also has his sights set on getting the spot at North Shore.

From their first encounter to Hina beating him in the test for the first place spot and North Shore position, the chemistry and sparks between these two are very noticeable.

Despite Hina winning her spot fairly, Kainalu is unwilling to give up on what he wants. So, instead, he calls in his father, Clayton (Shawn Hatosy), who is running for mayor and has a strong chance of winning.

Clayton visits Captain Jennings congratulates him on his successful years at the North Shore, and offers to donate new equipment and increase funding for the team when he becomes mayor. The only catch is that Kainalu has to receive the open spot on their team instead of Hina.

Desperate for the new equipment, Jennings agrees to the deal, bringing Kainalu onto the team despite his second-place finish.

Of course, when a person doesn’t have to work hard for their spot, that attitude can transfer into their work. This is obvious to the rest of the team when Kainalu walks in late and without care on his first day.

Noticing that Hina isn’t in attendance, Emily confronts Jennings to try and figure out what has changed since the test. Jennings explains the deal he made with Clayton that resulted in Hina being moved to another location.

Although this is an understandable decision for the new equipment, it also diminishes all the rules the team put in place for the certification test and throws all of Hina’s hard work and determination in the trash.

As the episode continues, the team rushes to save two swimmers, one of whom hit his head and lost feeling in his legs after being caught in a wave.

Kainalu doesn’t know what equipment to bring or where to go, and then he gives the ambulance the wrong location number. This forces the team to carry the injured swimmer, strapped to a backboard, over 100 meters to the awaiting ambulance.

Although the rescue is successful, social media explodes with videos of the mistake, demanding an explanation. Jennings takes the blame for Kainalu, using the excuse of his stress from losing his nephew and family issues to protect the future mayor’s son.

Surprisingly, Jennings’ excuse works, and the board of directors calls with good news. Jennings is told that their funding has been increased, so they are now able to bring on another team member.

They’ve chosen Hina to fill the position since she was the one who earned it in the first place.

Understandably, tension arises between Kainalu and Hina once she joins the team, as he had stolen her position. With all the drama packed into the first episode, it promises to be an exciting season ahead.

What did you think of this episode of Rescue: HI-Surf? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Rescue: HI-Surf airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.

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