Has anybody but me noticed how quickly the lab rats of Hawaii Five-0 scurry away?

First, there was the eccentric Dr. Max Bergman (played by Masi Oka), who, in his debut as Chief Medical Examiner in Episode 19 of Season One [“Ne Me’e Laua Na Paio” (Heroes and Villains)], showed off his skill as a musical prodigy on the piano and his penchant for avoiding eye contact.  Bergman had quite an interesting character arc, with a thing for Keanu Reeves movies, that caused him to dress as Neo one Halloween [“Ka lwi Kapu” (Sacred Bones), Season Two Episode 7].  Despite his quirks, though, viewers felt his pain when a backstory revealed the murder of his biological mother [“Ha’alele” (Abandoned), Season Two, Episode 20] and cheered for him when a girlfriend [played by Rumer Willis in “Ha’awe Make Loa,” (Death Wish), Season Three, Episode 9] appeared on the horizon.  Then, all of a sudden, Bergman seemed to fall by the wayside, only occasionally being seen on camera.

Also making a Season One debut was HPD Forensic Lab Tech Scientist Dr. Charles “Charlie” Fong (played by Brian Yang), making his first appearance in Episode 22 [“Ho’ohuli Na’au” (Close to Heart)] as a mysterious presence from Kono’s (Grace Park) past.  (It turns out he and Kono were on opposite sides of spin-the-bottle at a mutual friend’s ten-year birthday party).  Viewers watched Fong weave his Crime Lab expertise through Five-0 episodes until the Season Three Finale “Aloha, Malama Pono” (Farewell and Take Care), when he was stabbed by Michael Noshimuri (Daniel Henney) and never heard from again.  Fong was hospitalized, but word was never given on his condition or possible recovery.

Apparently the present king of the lab is Danny Williams’ (Scott Caan) trouble-clad nephew Eric Russo (played by Andrew Lawrence), who seems to have replaced his trek down criminal lane for a career in the Crime Lab.  Entering the series in Season Three, Episode 12 [“Kapu” (Forbidden)], by Season Six, Episode 3 [“Ua ‘o’oloku kea nu I na mauna” (The Chilling Storm is on the Mountains)], he’s landed a job in the Crime Lab, compliments of Officer Williams.  How long he sticks around remains to be seen, though he’s had somewhat of a stable appearance through Season Six.

In real life, these talented actors appear to have moved on to bigger and better gigs.  Oka and Yang have found success as Producers in their own right (Yang with his own production company), and Lawrence landed the starring role in the 2015 project Big Baby and in Ted Carney’s Better Than Love, currently in post-production.

Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 9 P.M. on CBS.