Even for a series directed and created by Jason Momoa, there might be too much of him in the first episode of Apple TV's Chief of War. It wouldn't have stood out in an otherwise decisive and solid plot, which has its essence in the right place: keeping Hawaii's history close to its roots. But the problem is that almost every anecdote that acquaints us with Hawaiian culture and traditions of the late 18th century has Momoa at the center. That takes away from the spontaneity, nothing more. But other than that, Chief of War does a promising job of laying the groundwork for a radical change in the political and spiritual landscape of the Hawaiian Islands at the end of the 18th century. We still don't know all the key players. But the story remembers Ka'iana as the center of change. And so does Chief of War.
The part of Hawaii's history that the narrator reveals to us owes many of its significant movements and positive changes to a very real Hawaiian warrior, Ka'iana. He was an exceptional chief who saw the world beyond his home islands and learned about people and politics beyond his comfort zone. The Ka'iana we meet in Chief of War has isolated himself from what he's best known for: winning battles for the King of Maui. It's almost as if he's disillusioned. He's learned to keep silent about his dream of a Hawaii where the four islands aren't always at odds. Now he prefers to use his strength where it truly matters: braving the sea and capturing sharks to feed his family.
Creators: Jason Momoa, Thomas Pa'a Sibbett
Stars: Jason Momoa, Luciane Buchanan, Te Ao o Hinepehinga
The awa root, native to Hawaii, imbues the water with its sedative properties, but that can only be of much help when dealing with a relatively large shark. Considering the spiritual burden attributed to sharks in Hawaiian culture, it stands to reason that Ka'iana's sister-in-law, Heke, would consider it a good omen that Ka'iana managed to capture a big one. But the prayer Ka'iana whispers to the shark has less to do with spiritual respect and more with its essence. By appreciating the shark's sacrifice for his livelihood, Ka'iana shows that he doesn't take life, animal or human, for granted. That can't be a quality he shares with most of the powerful people around him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to leave his home island of Maui with his wife, Kupuohi, his two brothers, Namake and Nahi, and Namake's wife, Heke. It couldn't have been easy for them to reject the privileges of belonging to King Kahekili's war chief's family and live far less dignified lives on Kauai's shore. But Ka'iana isn't that far from his origin. He still has the cloak and headdress that speak to his stature. But his ali'i lineage isn't something he likes to cling to. In fact, he'd rather people see him as an outcast than as the son of the former Kahekili War Chief. And only when Kahekili, the king of Maui, sends his men to bring his most skilled warrior back home do we understand why Ka'iana left. As a weapon at Kahekili's disposal, Ka'iana claimed more lives than she saved. She has transcended the greed of her fellow men for the pride that comes from invading and killing. She may not yet know how she can fulfill her part as a bringer of unity and peace, but she knows that she no longer wants to kill in the name of power.
The king's reputation seems to precede him. Even before we meet Kahekili, we can get a pretty good idea about him simply from the nature of his "request" to Ka'iana. His men haven't invaded Kaua'i's shores with a respectful request. Instead, they're here to threaten Ka'iana and force her to bend to the king's will. The way Kaua'i's nobles feel so inferior to the men Maui's king has sent makes it clear that Kaua'i can't match Maui's hostility. Revered as the voice of the gods the people worship, kings and queens define the very identity of their islands. Thus, Maui's tendency to dominate and intimidate can be attributed to the way King Kahekili prefers to rule. That's what led Ka'iana to abandon the king's army in the first place.
Being a killing machine who strived to bring her king the pride he so craves ate away at Ka'iana's soul until she couldn't stand it anymore. But at the same time, she knows the price she'll have to pay for disobeying the king's orders. So, when it comes down to it, as much as it bothers Ka'iana, she has no choice but to respect the king's summons. His strength is only bolstered by the support of his family. But a couple of things are made clear by the way the king's council hounds him at every opportunity. They're envious of his grandiose strength. And they hate him for taking it from his arsenal. So, really, it's only Ka'iana that interests the king and his people. And when you see him defeat Nui, the boastful Maui warrior who's been trying to get a reaction out of him, you understand why the king wants him back.
There's an ancient prophecy at the heart of it all. Something foretold generations before Ka'iana and Kahekili existed. A blazing star wrapped in a cloak of feathers would herald the arrival of a king who would unite the four islands of Hawaii. Ka'iana's longing for peace has been synonymous with her wait for the prophesied king. So the mention of Prince Kupule's prophecy will undoubtedly capture her hopeful attention. But something is wrong with Ka'iana's narrative. She claims that her seers have had visions of a brutal attack against them from the kingdom of O'ahu. But judging by the peaceful dynamic between the political powers of Maui and O'ahu, it makes no sense that O'ahu would want to disturb the harmony.
O'ahu's young king, Hahana, is supposed to harbor no desire to invade Maui unless Maui is the first to shed blood. So Ka'iana has reason to question the king's claims. He is killed because of Ka'ahu's greed. So she knows how far Kahekili needs to extend his domain to slake his thirst for power. But when the prophecy comes to light, and Kahekili seems confident in his ability to be the king who will unify the islands, Ka'iana is too optimistic to turn a deaf ear. Kahekili knows that to bring O'ahu to its knees, he'll need Ka'iana on his side. She once let him get away. But she's since learned her lesson. Now she knows the only way he'll have Ka'iana's support is if he convinces him that, paradoxically, this war will lead to peace. And by bringing the prophecy into the conversation, he's essentially trying to manipulate Ka'iana into giving him the Kingdom of O'ahu. If it weren't for Nahi's naive faith in the King, Ka'iana probably would have followed her gut and stayed out of the whole ordeal. But hope wins. She can't trust her own knowledge of the king's true priorities. So, despite knowing full well that Kahekili has never been a standard-bearer for peace, Ka'iana questions her own instincts in favor of her faith in the prophecy.
Ever since meeting Kahekili, Ka'iana has been hesitant, no doubt. But he was still inclined to follow his instincts until Kahekili decided to use the most effective tool against him. Ka'iana didn't quite believe his story about the high priest of O'ahu plotting to take over Maui and instigating the young king. But that only made Kahekili take his mind games to another level and hit Ka'iana where it hurt the most. From the moment Ka'iana returned to Maui, Kahekili has flaunted how much he misses his father, his former warchief. You know how little Kahekili values the memories of the man who claims to be his best friend when he uses his death to manipulate his son. Ka'iana's father died in the service of Kahekili's greed. Kahekili believes that is the reason Ka'iana abandoned his army in the first place. That's why he came up with the idea of controlling Ka'iana through her grief. He brings out his most powerful weapon when he realizes Ka'iana isn't taking the bait. He has set up an entire traumatic experience for Ka'iana to go through.
Ka'iana's first mistake is to completely trust Kahekili. He has found a way to invade O'ahu and minimize the bloodshed. Since their fight is against the High Priest, Ka'iana wants to capture him and spare the young King Hahana's life. If King Kahekili's fleet waits off the coast of Waikiki and distracts the O'ahu army, Ka'iana can conquer the Temple of Refuge and force King Hahana to surrender. This would be the solution if Kahekili wanted to control the violence and death. And since Ka'iana wants to know if Kahekili is the king who will work for peace, and has already agreed to do his part, she doesn't want doubts to cloud him at this moment. But it doesn't feel right for Ka'iana, his wife, and his brothers to raid the O'ahu coastline that leads to the temple.
Killing out of necessity is easy for warriors like them. But as they go deeper into the forest, Ka'iana has a vision of the prophetess Taula, now with sinister black eyes, and he looks visibly dazed. The club his father held in his hand is an indomitable weapon. But when he sees that those doing the killing are defenseless farmers, the blood on his father's club doesn't inspire him to think of a better future. The vision of Taula was likely his conscience reflecting and reminding him that what he's doing isn't the right path. But it's too late when Ka'iana realizes that Kahekili has manipulated him. It was never Kahekili's plan to conquer O'ahu in a relatively quiet and less tragic way.
He never intended to wait on the shore of Waikiki. He has always taken up his weapons for one purpose: glory. He is cruel enough to beat a harmless child to death in front of his father as soon as he steps foot on the island of O'ahu. The repulsive glee on Kahekili's face terrifies even his son, Prince Kupule. Honor isn't a high priority when it comes to Kahekili's accomplishments. He's so disrespectful that he stains the hallowed grounds of the Temple of Refuge, a sanctuary for the people of O'ahu, with the blood of innocents. And, if I may say so, it even gives him a troubling arousal. Ka'iana has been manipulated into backing a king whose sole purpose in waging this war was to expand the reach of his authority. Kahekili wants to rule through fear. Peace is the last thing on his mind when it comes to the plan he has for the islands.
To Ka'iana's horror, Kahekili slashes the young king's throat open with the weapon Ka'iana gave him. In the finale of Episode 1 of Chief of War, King Hahana suffers a gruesome death at the hands of someone he trusted, someone he even admired and idolized. The basis of Kahekili's power lies in the people's faith in their connection to the gods. Christened Kane-hekili, the Hawaiian god of thunder, King Kahekili wanted to be seen as a god. He tattooed half his body with traditional ink to resemble the god of thunder. But all he understands about being hailed as the voice of God is power. Ka'iana's tears for the people she has killed in yet another senseless war make one thing clear: Kahekili is not the prophesied king.
Ka'iana will soon discover that the sign that the prophecy was about to be fulfilled—most likely a comet in the sky he had seen as a child—was not false. There exists a king who will unite the four islands under one rule and end the age of brutality forever. In the pages of Hawaiian history, King Kamehameha's name shines as the courageous unifier of the warring islands. No doubt he'll soon emerge as Warchief and put an end to Ka'iana's waning faith in the prophecy. Until then, Ka'iana will have to figure out how to contain Kahekili. Prince Kupule may have a kind face, but I don't think he has Ka'iana's interests at heart.
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