Mason Sato is a character who appeared in one episode of Baywatch and the made for TV movie.
He was a dangerous criminal and Mitch Buchannon's arch-enemy.
Appearance[]
Sato is a tall slender Japanese-American with short black hair. However he later shaved most of it off.
Personality[]
Sato had a cruel, sadistic and merciless attitude. An encounter with lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (whom he nicknamed "Beach Boy") who helped him get arrested, gave him an uncontrollable hatred for the lifeguard which included throwing knifes at a picture of him on a newspaper article with the headline of his arrest. He used any means necessary to get his revenge even if it meant killing others to do it.
Early Life[]
Not much is known about Sato except that he was born in Japan and became a drug lord in Los Angeles. He was also married with one son. Mitch found out about his illegal drug deals and helped the Police arrest him. After finding out about his criminal ways, his wife left him and took their son with her. Sato blamed Mitch for losing everything and never forgave him (even though it was really his own fault for turning to crime, instead of making an honest living in the first place). He spent all his time in prison planning how to get his revenge.
Baywatch[]
Season 2[]
After five years in prison, Sato was released on parole. He found his ex-wife and stabbed her. He then immediately met Mitch near the Lifeguard Headquarters swearing that he would take back the years that Mitch took from him.
He began tormenting Mitch by making threats on the phone and stalking him. Mitch told him to back off, but Sato retaliated by breaking into his house and ripping away half of a picture of Mitch and his son Hobie as a sign that his son was not safe.
He found Hobie surfing on the beach and asked him for a lesson. When Mitch found out, he lashed out at him, having to be dragged away by Newmie and another lifeguard making him smile in triumph that he was finally getting to Mitch and sullying his reputation as a lifeguard.
Afterwards Sato tricked Mitch into leaving his house by telling police officer Garner that he was pressing charges for Mitch's assault on him. He then broke into the house again and took Hobie and Mitch's friend Kaye Morgan hostage. He left Mitch a note telling him to meet him at the Sato Shipyard alone.
When Mitch arrived they engaged in a fierce battle to the death resulting in them falling off the pier into the ocean. Mitch emerged victorious and Sato was arrested and imprisoned once more, but not before giving Mitch another warning look that said it wasn't over yet.
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding[]
Sato returned in the reunion movie as the main antagonist. He managed to escape from prison again and hired a con-artist named Judy Radin to reconstruct her face to resemble Mitch's deceased friend Stephanie Holden.
Judy made Mitch fall in love with her and went together with Hobie and a few friends to Hawaii where they would be married, but it was all a plot to lure Mitch to him to get his revenge on him again once more.
After trapping him on an island Sato sent his men to capture Hobie and some of Mitch's other friends Summer, Eddie, Caroline, Cort and Lani. They placed them in different places around the island where they would all drown. With the help of his other friends, Mitch managed to save them all. But a furious Sato began trying to kill him.
His friends couldn't help because they were being held at gunpoint by Judy. Mitch lured him out to the ocean on a motorboat where the two engaged in a final fierce battle.
They both fell off the boat and into the ocean. Sato met his demise when Mitch pushed him into the rotating blades of the motorboat which ripped him to shreds, killing him. Judy meanwhile was subdued and arrested along with Sato's men.
Trivia[]
- Though Sato killed his wife, there is no mention on what became of his son.
- Sato is the only villain from the original series to return in the TV movie.