Visible crew/equipment: Several times in this episode, the side of McGarrett's shiny black Mercury sedan mirrors an entire bank of big square studio light reflectors. (00:35:00)
Audio problem: Probably due to poor sound pick-up outdoors so near the ocean, much of the dialogue on the beach house patio is noticeably overdubbed. The sound is often out of sync with the actors' lips. (00:39:00)
Answer: He was fired. He never really appreciated his character. He felt Kono was portrayed as a big dumb Hawaiian and that the stereotype was racist. He also felt underutilized. He was fired after a heated argument with the show's publicist regarding his character. It seems there's not much details given regarding the incident or the firing, so it's seems possible he upset the show's producers as well.
Bishop73
No he said something derogatory about one of the Jewish producers that's why he was fired.