Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: When Tony and Ziva escort a witness back from Paris, they discover an assassin may be on the plane with them.
Review: Make way for the return of the Tony/Ziva will-they-won't-they relationship. In hindsight, this episode seems like little more than a setup for some future episode where Tony and Ziva finally have it out (and make out?) and settle all the tension that's been between for their entire relationship. And what a fun setup it was.
There were sort of two stories going on in this episode. Obviously, there's Tony and Ziva, who were just in Paris together and, apparently, shared a room in the hotel. This story is aided by the observations of Nora, the witness they are escorting back to the States, who keeps pointing out what a good team they are and wondering why they aren't together. Then there's the more serious plotline, which is that there's possibly an assassin on board who's goal is to prevent Nora from testifying against the company she was working for.
The first story was better done. The chemistry between Tony and Ziva is always enjoyable, and it was fun to see the spark emerge between them again. It's also always nice to see that, even when they're at odds with each other personally, they are completely in sync professionally. They've worked well together since Ziva joined the team in season 3, and it's nice to see that they don't let their personal relationship affect their professional one.
The second story (some may argue the plot of the episode) wasn't quite as strong. Whether this is because the writers were more focused on the Tony/Ziva interaction because that will have more impact on the future, I don't know. But it was predictable at best. I spoke with two friends both during and after the episode who identified the assassin long before the show ever told us, and we were all fairly confident about the identity of the person who did the hiring.
Even Gibbs and McGee seemed inconsequential through the whole thing. Obviously, they were the only ones who could interview people to figure out who hired an assassin (what with Tony and Ziva being stuck on a plane and all), but none of the conversations they had stand out in my mind as something I remember. And at the end, when Gibbs pushes McGee out of the path of a car and gets hit himself (something that appeared in several promos for the episode), it was the first time I can remember a supposedly dramatic scene just looking silly on NCIS. It also felt superfluous, but I'm holding out hope that there will be some importance in a future episode.
Maybe it's because NCIS: Los Angeles completely blew me away right after this, but this episode won't go on my list of favorites for NCIS. I enjoyed the character interaction as I always do, but the plot was weak and, ultimately, I think I'll forget this episode soon.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
NCIS: Los Angeles - Missing
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Daniela Ruah, Peter Cambor, Barrett Foa, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: When one of their own goes missing, the team races the clock to find him.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE EPISODE. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. IT WILL GIVE THE ENDING AWAY.
Review: I usually like to take a day or two to reflect on an episode before I review it, but this one left me with so much emotion that I needed to get this out right away. It's 10:09pm in New Jersey when I'm writing this, exactly nine minutes after the episode ended.
This is the NCIS: Los Angeles episode I've been waiting for for weeks. Since Abby came to LA back in episode 9, I've been sorely disappointed by the quality of Los Angeles episodes. I feel the show has been too focused on Sam and Callen, and they cases have been confusing and just-this-side-of-boring.
This episode did neither. This episode was, I believe, the proof that CBS was not wrong to renew this show for a second season.
Also, it made me feel pretty stupid for my review of the last new episode, where I complained that they weren't focusing enough on the team, so much so that they left Dominic out of the last scene, where the team goes out together. Just so you know, this episode takes off exactly where that one stopped.
The promos teased an important point in this episode: that Dominic, the LA team's probie, goes missing and that the team has to find him. They even hinted that it is much harder than anyone imagined it would be to find him.
What they don't tell you is (and I'm warning you one more time that there's going to be a spoiler) they won't find him.
In fact, there isn't even a hint. No leakage that Adam Jamal Craig was leaving the show. No teasers that this could be part of a multi-episode arc (hey, a girl can hope). I just assumed that the episode would resolve itself the way most shows do, with Dominic returning home and riding off into the sunset with Kensi (okay, okay, that part is optional).
Instead, we're left without a motive and without Dominic. And the teasers for next week don't seem to imply we're going to get any resolutions.
As I said in my latest White Collar review, I find cliffhangers to be a necessary evil. As far as necessary evils go, this one was the best I've seen in a long time. Perhaps because it truly is a cliffhanger. The audience has no idea if Dom is coming back or not, and either option seems perfectly likely. It's kind of weird, being so in the dark like this. Normally, even if you don't know how exactly the arc of season will go, you know which cast members are coming and going because their contract negotiations are leaked. In this case, I haven't heard anything. Has anyone else?
From promos to cliffhanger, this episode was great. For the first time in awhile, the team was working as a team, and everyone seemed to share the spotlight semi-equally. Nate and Eric, who are often pushed to the side by the more dominating characters of Callen and Sam, were actively involved in almost every scene, and Kensi, who they've been giving more and more on-screen time to, had several starring moments. Hetti struck the perfect balance between worried den mother and compassionate confidante, and the new character they just introduced (Ty, a future Dom replacement? Oh no!) was awesome. The ending, though unresolved, was beautiful and heart-wrenching, even while I was begging the TV to say it wasn't so.
Which leaves me with just a few questions? Who took Dom and why? Is this really all Los Angeles will give us about this case, or is it possible they'll revisit it (and hopefully soon)? Is it just me, or does Claudia Taro not sound like a Colombian name? And why wasn't this aired next week, during the first episode of sweeps? What are your thoughts on these and the episode as a whole?
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Daniela Ruah, Peter Cambor, Barrett Foa, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: When one of their own goes missing, the team races the clock to find him.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE EPISODE. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. IT WILL GIVE THE ENDING AWAY.
Review: I usually like to take a day or two to reflect on an episode before I review it, but this one left me with so much emotion that I needed to get this out right away. It's 10:09pm in New Jersey when I'm writing this, exactly nine minutes after the episode ended.
This is the NCIS: Los Angeles episode I've been waiting for for weeks. Since Abby came to LA back in episode 9, I've been sorely disappointed by the quality of Los Angeles episodes. I feel the show has been too focused on Sam and Callen, and they cases have been confusing and just-this-side-of-boring.
This episode did neither. This episode was, I believe, the proof that CBS was not wrong to renew this show for a second season.
Also, it made me feel pretty stupid for my review of the last new episode, where I complained that they weren't focusing enough on the team, so much so that they left Dominic out of the last scene, where the team goes out together. Just so you know, this episode takes off exactly where that one stopped.
The promos teased an important point in this episode: that Dominic, the LA team's probie, goes missing and that the team has to find him. They even hinted that it is much harder than anyone imagined it would be to find him.
What they don't tell you is (and I'm warning you one more time that there's going to be a spoiler) they won't find him.
In fact, there isn't even a hint. No leakage that Adam Jamal Craig was leaving the show. No teasers that this could be part of a multi-episode arc (hey, a girl can hope). I just assumed that the episode would resolve itself the way most shows do, with Dominic returning home and riding off into the sunset with Kensi (okay, okay, that part is optional).
Instead, we're left without a motive and without Dominic. And the teasers for next week don't seem to imply we're going to get any resolutions.
As I said in my latest White Collar review, I find cliffhangers to be a necessary evil. As far as necessary evils go, this one was the best I've seen in a long time. Perhaps because it truly is a cliffhanger. The audience has no idea if Dom is coming back or not, and either option seems perfectly likely. It's kind of weird, being so in the dark like this. Normally, even if you don't know how exactly the arc of season will go, you know which cast members are coming and going because their contract negotiations are leaked. In this case, I haven't heard anything. Has anyone else?
From promos to cliffhanger, this episode was great. For the first time in awhile, the team was working as a team, and everyone seemed to share the spotlight semi-equally. Nate and Eric, who are often pushed to the side by the more dominating characters of Callen and Sam, were actively involved in almost every scene, and Kensi, who they've been giving more and more on-screen time to, had several starring moments. Hetti struck the perfect balance between worried den mother and compassionate confidante, and the new character they just introduced (Ty, a future Dom replacement? Oh no!) was awesome. The ending, though unresolved, was beautiful and heart-wrenching, even while I was begging the TV to say it wasn't so.
Which leaves me with just a few questions? Who took Dom and why? Is this really all Los Angeles will give us about this case, or is it possible they'll revisit it (and hopefully soon)? Is it just me, or does Claudia Taro not sound like a Colombian name? And why wasn't this aired next week, during the first episode of sweeps? What are your thoughts on these and the episode as a whole?
How I Met Your Mother - Jenkins
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders
Summary: When Marshall finds out he's the "reacher" and Lily's the "settler" in their relationship, he sets out to make her jealous. Meanwhile, Ted finds out his students have a drinking game about Robin.
Review: Usually in a HIMYM episode, there's something that stands out as the best part of the episode for me. Everything else was good, but there's usually one part I can point to and say, "Oh, I really loved blahblahblah."
In this case, it was Amanda Peet. I've loved her since her starring role on the short-lived but totally awesome Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (go check it out if you've never seen it). She's a great comedic actress, and her chemistry with Jason Segel was spectacular in this episode. From the first introduction to the moment she plants one on him (that's not a spoiler; it was in the promo), it was easy to imagine her as a co-worker who Marshall didn't know was probably flirting with him.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in that episode, the group explains to Marshall that he's the reacher in his relationship with Lily, and she's the settler. In other words, she's too good for him, but she's settling for him. After much (much much much) prodding, Lily agrees with that, and Marshall decides he has to make Lily jealous. But, of course, she doesn't get jealous, because Lily's too cool to get jealous. Mostly. Which just makes Marshall try harder.
That entire storyline was heartwarming on top of being funny. I always enjoy watching Marshall and Lily interact, because there's just so much love between them. It takes Lily forever to admit she even might be settling for Marshall, and, even then, it isn't a big deal in her eyes. Meanwhile, even while Marshall's trying to make Lily jealous, he never wants to hurt her. The writers and actors have really done a great job creating such a lovely couple that you're constantly rooting for.
Then there's the second story, where Ted, who is forever desperate to be liked by his students, discovers that his students all watch Robin's show... and have a drinking game about it. This was yet another opportunity to throw Robin and Ted into an adversarial relationship, with Robin rubbing it in Ted's face and Ted trying not to let it bother him, even though it so obviously does. It's a trick the HIMYM writers do a lot, but it's so much fun every time.
There's no way this episode could have competed against the 100th episode, which was the last new one, but it was definitely fun to watch and it kept me laughing through the whole thing.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders
Summary: When Marshall finds out he's the "reacher" and Lily's the "settler" in their relationship, he sets out to make her jealous. Meanwhile, Ted finds out his students have a drinking game about Robin.
Review: Usually in a HIMYM episode, there's something that stands out as the best part of the episode for me. Everything else was good, but there's usually one part I can point to and say, "Oh, I really loved blahblahblah."
In this case, it was Amanda Peet. I've loved her since her starring role on the short-lived but totally awesome Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (go check it out if you've never seen it). She's a great comedic actress, and her chemistry with Jason Segel was spectacular in this episode. From the first introduction to the moment she plants one on him (that's not a spoiler; it was in the promo), it was easy to imagine her as a co-worker who Marshall didn't know was probably flirting with him.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in that episode, the group explains to Marshall that he's the reacher in his relationship with Lily, and she's the settler. In other words, she's too good for him, but she's settling for him. After much (much much much) prodding, Lily agrees with that, and Marshall decides he has to make Lily jealous. But, of course, she doesn't get jealous, because Lily's too cool to get jealous. Mostly. Which just makes Marshall try harder.
That entire storyline was heartwarming on top of being funny. I always enjoy watching Marshall and Lily interact, because there's just so much love between them. It takes Lily forever to admit she even might be settling for Marshall, and, even then, it isn't a big deal in her eyes. Meanwhile, even while Marshall's trying to make Lily jealous, he never wants to hurt her. The writers and actors have really done a great job creating such a lovely couple that you're constantly rooting for.
Then there's the second story, where Ted, who is forever desperate to be liked by his students, discovers that his students all watch Robin's show... and have a drinking game about it. This was yet another opportunity to throw Robin and Ted into an adversarial relationship, with Robin rubbing it in Ted's face and Ted trying not to let it bother him, even though it so obviously does. It's a trick the HIMYM writers do a lot, but it's so much fun every time.
There's no way this episode could have competed against the 100th episode, which was the last new one, but it was definitely fun to watch and it kept me laughing through the whole thing.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
White Collar - Hard Sell
Network: USA
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Natalie Morales, Tiffani Thiessen, Sharif Atkins, Alexandra Daddario
Summary: Peter and Neal go undercover to take down a corrupt group of Wall Street brokers. If they fail, Neal's deal with the FBI could be negated.
Review: When we last left our heroes, Neal was the suspect in a jewelry heist and he escaped from FBI custody. Also, Peter had a secret meeting with Kate. Now that we've returned, things have patched up somewhat, but the trust that binds Neal and Peter is tenuous at best, and much of the episode is spent watching Neal act like a spoiled twelve-year-old with an attitude problem. Neal's certainly never been the most mature character on cable television (or, you know, in the top 25), but this was a new low of immaturity, especially when he risked exposing Peter in an undercover mission because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. I expected him to cross his arms and stomp his foot and demand Peter tell him the truth.
Luckily for himself, Neal and the audience, Peter is more mature than most, and, when he found out what Neal was whining about, he was honest with him and told him exactly what happened (the details of which are classified; go watch the episode). At least, we're led to assume he's being honest. He could, I suppose, be lying through his teeth. But we got flashbacks, so that makes me assume it's the truth.
Due to the strained relationship, the normally engaging banter between Neal and Peter was lacking for much of the episode, giving it a slightly slow feeling. It wasn't horrible, but it was a far cry from the first half the season, where every character was pithy and clever. Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay acted their parts well, but it's just not as much fun to watch two people who are fighting than it is to watch them affectionately exasperated with each other.
However, I really enjoyed this episode, even with the weird chemistry between Peter and Neal. The Wall Street scam was really interesting. I appreciated the characters they created for the guy in charge, his partner, and the man who "hired" Neal. And I really enjoyed the last few minutes of the case, especially the interaction between Peter and Neal as they started to get their situation untangled (again, I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but, for those who have, think kill switch).
And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, there was a twist in the last minute and a half of the episode. Just when you think everything's resolved, they throw something new in the mix to keep you coming back next week. And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, I hated that last minute and a half. I find cliffhangers to be a necessary evil at the best of times, but the White Collar ones always seem superfluous, like they're only there because they thing they won't be able to retain their audience if they don't do it. Unnecessary plot twists just don't do it for me, and I generally wish they'd just leave them out.
All in all, there were a lot of positives to this episode that I haven't named, and just a few negatives that I did. So, while the review does seem skewed a little towards the negative, the episode was actually a lot of fun, and I'm really glad this show has returned.
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Natalie Morales, Tiffani Thiessen, Sharif Atkins, Alexandra Daddario
Summary: Peter and Neal go undercover to take down a corrupt group of Wall Street brokers. If they fail, Neal's deal with the FBI could be negated.
Review: When we last left our heroes, Neal was the suspect in a jewelry heist and he escaped from FBI custody. Also, Peter had a secret meeting with Kate. Now that we've returned, things have patched up somewhat, but the trust that binds Neal and Peter is tenuous at best, and much of the episode is spent watching Neal act like a spoiled twelve-year-old with an attitude problem. Neal's certainly never been the most mature character on cable television (or, you know, in the top 25), but this was a new low of immaturity, especially when he risked exposing Peter in an undercover mission because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. I expected him to cross his arms and stomp his foot and demand Peter tell him the truth.
Luckily for himself, Neal and the audience, Peter is more mature than most, and, when he found out what Neal was whining about, he was honest with him and told him exactly what happened (the details of which are classified; go watch the episode). At least, we're led to assume he's being honest. He could, I suppose, be lying through his teeth. But we got flashbacks, so that makes me assume it's the truth.
Due to the strained relationship, the normally engaging banter between Neal and Peter was lacking for much of the episode, giving it a slightly slow feeling. It wasn't horrible, but it was a far cry from the first half the season, where every character was pithy and clever. Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay acted their parts well, but it's just not as much fun to watch two people who are fighting than it is to watch them affectionately exasperated with each other.
However, I really enjoyed this episode, even with the weird chemistry between Peter and Neal. The Wall Street scam was really interesting. I appreciated the characters they created for the guy in charge, his partner, and the man who "hired" Neal. And I really enjoyed the last few minutes of the case, especially the interaction between Peter and Neal as they started to get their situation untangled (again, I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but, for those who have, think kill switch).
And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, there was a twist in the last minute and a half of the episode. Just when you think everything's resolved, they throw something new in the mix to keep you coming back next week. And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, I hated that last minute and a half. I find cliffhangers to be a necessary evil at the best of times, but the White Collar ones always seem superfluous, like they're only there because they thing they won't be able to retain their audience if they don't do it. Unnecessary plot twists just don't do it for me, and I generally wish they'd just leave them out.
All in all, there were a lot of positives to this episode that I haven't named, and just a few negatives that I did. So, while the review does seem skewed a little towards the negative, the episode was actually a lot of fun, and I'm really glad this show has returned.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Menalist - Rose-Colored Glasses
Network: CBS
Time: Thursdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman, Amanda Righetti
Summary: Rigsby goes undercover as an alumnus after a double homicide at a high school reunion.
Review: I'm fairly new to The Mentalist, but I've seen every episode and it has quickly become one of my most-anticipated shows each week. There's something about Patrick Jane that, even when you want to smack him for being so obnoxious, you can't help but laugh at him and root for him.
In that vein, any episode where you learn a little more about his past is a good one. In this episode, the audience learns Jane never went to high school (no spoiler there; it's really a minor detail). Everything that happens from that point on, Janesees with a kind of child-like enthusiasm. Everything's a new experience for him, and he seems to relish it all.
One of the nicest things about The Mentalist is that the characters are used to further the audience's understanding of the cases, not the other way around. In some shows (namely NCIS), the cases fall a distant second to character interaction. As anyone who reads my articles regularly knows, I love NCIS, so clearly I don't find this process detrimental to the overall effect of the show. However, it's nice to watch a show like The Mentalist, where the cases are just as important as character development.
And it really is almost a 50/50 split. Each episode is nicely balanced. Sometimes they focus on the case, sometimes they focus on the characters, but most often the two are intertwined so neatly that you can't have one without the other. In this episode, the case is used to give the audience more about Jane's childhood, to develop Van Pelt more as an agent, and to further explore the Rigsby/Van Pelt relationship. But, in a wonderfully Newtonian twist, those character developments are also used to bring down the killer, because there's no way Rigsby would have posed as an alumnus if it hadn't been for his insecurities about Van Pelt (both as an agent and a partner).
Plus, we got just the tiniest little Jane/Lisbon moment, for those of us who enjoy watching them be really sweet toward each other once in awhile.
In the long run, I don't think this episode will stand out in my mind as a particular favorite, but it was solid and enjoyable. Not every episode needs to be a season finale, nor does each episode need to blow the audience away. If the case is interesting and the characters are fun, the episode is going to be good, and that's what happened with this episode. It was a solid first episode after the winter hiatus, and it makes me highly anticipate the next one.
Time: Thursdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman, Amanda Righetti
Summary: Rigsby goes undercover as an alumnus after a double homicide at a high school reunion.
Review: I'm fairly new to The Mentalist, but I've seen every episode and it has quickly become one of my most-anticipated shows each week. There's something about Patrick Jane that, even when you want to smack him for being so obnoxious, you can't help but laugh at him and root for him.
In that vein, any episode where you learn a little more about his past is a good one. In this episode, the audience learns Jane never went to high school (no spoiler there; it's really a minor detail). Everything that happens from that point on, Janesees with a kind of child-like enthusiasm. Everything's a new experience for him, and he seems to relish it all.
One of the nicest things about The Mentalist is that the characters are used to further the audience's understanding of the cases, not the other way around. In some shows (namely NCIS), the cases fall a distant second to character interaction. As anyone who reads my articles regularly knows, I love NCIS, so clearly I don't find this process detrimental to the overall effect of the show. However, it's nice to watch a show like The Mentalist, where the cases are just as important as character development.
And it really is almost a 50/50 split. Each episode is nicely balanced. Sometimes they focus on the case, sometimes they focus on the characters, but most often the two are intertwined so neatly that you can't have one without the other. In this episode, the case is used to give the audience more about Jane's childhood, to develop Van Pelt more as an agent, and to further explore the Rigsby/Van Pelt relationship. But, in a wonderfully Newtonian twist, those character developments are also used to bring down the killer, because there's no way Rigsby would have posed as an alumnus if it hadn't been for his insecurities about Van Pelt (both as an agent and a partner).
Plus, we got just the tiniest little Jane/Lisbon moment, for those of us who enjoy watching them be really sweet toward each other once in awhile.
In the long run, I don't think this episode will stand out in my mind as a particular favorite, but it was solid and enjoyable. Not every episode needs to be a season finale, nor does each episode need to blow the audience away. If the case is interesting and the characters are fun, the episode is going to be good, and that's what happened with this episode. It was a solid first episode after the winter hiatus, and it makes me highly anticipate the next one.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
NCIS: Los Angeles - Past Lives
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Barrett Foa, Peter Cambor, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: Callen begins to withdraw from the group when he must revert back to an old alias from his past.
Review: This was another episode that required a second watching before I could write a review of it, which really doesn't bode well for what I'm about to write. I've been disappointed lately by the trend that NCIS: Los Angeles is taking. It's focusing too much on the cases and not enough on character development, especially when you consider that the cases are often rather weak.
This was yet another Callen-centric episode. I understand that the writers need to develop Callen and Sam as our main characters, but they've gone to the point of excluded some of the supporting characters completely. For example, they begin the episode with a conversation between Dom and Callen, which led me to believe Dom might have a strong role in this episode. Instead, he completely disappears after that scene, and doesn't even return for the final scene, where the team leaves for what is supposed to be a team outing. Could this be because Adam Jamal Craig had a conflict on the days when they were shooting? Absolutely. And this by itself wouldn't be so bad, except Dom hasn't been really involved in an episode since somewhere around episode 3 or 4.
In that thread, Nate and Eric each got one or two scenes, where their entire purpose was to further the episode for the main characters. Again, their characters were not developed at all, except that Eric loves his job and Nate won't reveal another person's innermost thoughts to anyone else. Hetty came and went as usual, giving us occasional glimpses into her past, but never cementing herself as anything more that the responsible, older stereotype.
The only character that the writers have changed tacks with is Kensi. In the beginning of the season, they seemed to have written her off as a supporting character, somewhere on par with Eric and Nate. As its progressed, however, they've slowly by surely moved her up, so she's closer (though not yet equal to) Callen and Sam. They're giving her her own stories, and they even gave her a potential romance in this episode. And she's developing in a likable way, enough that her successes make me happy and her failures make me sad. I truly enjoy the scenes with her in them, and I like that the writers have started to use her more.
The actual case was, as most NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles cases are, the weakest point of the episode. The purpose was to give the audience more information about Callen's past, including an undercover op where he got involved with a suspect's sister. Now, the people he was investigating, who were all part of some money laundering scheme where the money was never found, are being killed, and Callen is called upon to use his old alias to figure out who's doing it. The ending was predictable, not because it made logical sense for the killer to be who he was, but because many NCIS episodes have contained the same "twist."
Certainly the episode had its positives. Team banter was fun at the beginning and the end. If the writers could begin injecting more of that into the middle of the episode, they'd have a real winner there. And, as I said, they've really developed Callen and Kensi (and Sam to a certain extent) into enjoyable characters with both positive and negative attributes. Now they just need to develop the rest of the cast.
CBS just picked NCIS: Los Angeles for a second season (to no one's surprise), and I think that was a great decision on their part. Sure, the show has some kinks now, but, if it's anything like its parent show, it will get better with age. The weak storylines will become more enjoyable once the characters are fully developed, and the audience will come to appreciate the dialogue as much as, if not more than, the investigative work.
Favorite lines:
Callen: Hetty plus mechanical bull plus tequila equals bar fight. Trust me, I've been there.
Sam: I smell like a cop?
Callen: Actually you smell like baby powder, but that's a whole different conversation.
Eric: Ooh, intrigue, betrayal... this is getting interesting.
Kensi: Sometimes he's so cheerful, I want to punch him. Repeatedly.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Barrett Foa, Peter Cambor, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: Callen begins to withdraw from the group when he must revert back to an old alias from his past.
Review: This was another episode that required a second watching before I could write a review of it, which really doesn't bode well for what I'm about to write. I've been disappointed lately by the trend that NCIS: Los Angeles is taking. It's focusing too much on the cases and not enough on character development, especially when you consider that the cases are often rather weak.
This was yet another Callen-centric episode. I understand that the writers need to develop Callen and Sam as our main characters, but they've gone to the point of excluded some of the supporting characters completely. For example, they begin the episode with a conversation between Dom and Callen, which led me to believe Dom might have a strong role in this episode. Instead, he completely disappears after that scene, and doesn't even return for the final scene, where the team leaves for what is supposed to be a team outing. Could this be because Adam Jamal Craig had a conflict on the days when they were shooting? Absolutely. And this by itself wouldn't be so bad, except Dom hasn't been really involved in an episode since somewhere around episode 3 or 4.
In that thread, Nate and Eric each got one or two scenes, where their entire purpose was to further the episode for the main characters. Again, their characters were not developed at all, except that Eric loves his job and Nate won't reveal another person's innermost thoughts to anyone else. Hetty came and went as usual, giving us occasional glimpses into her past, but never cementing herself as anything more that the responsible, older stereotype.
The only character that the writers have changed tacks with is Kensi. In the beginning of the season, they seemed to have written her off as a supporting character, somewhere on par with Eric and Nate. As its progressed, however, they've slowly by surely moved her up, so she's closer (though not yet equal to) Callen and Sam. They're giving her her own stories, and they even gave her a potential romance in this episode. And she's developing in a likable way, enough that her successes make me happy and her failures make me sad. I truly enjoy the scenes with her in them, and I like that the writers have started to use her more.
The actual case was, as most NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles cases are, the weakest point of the episode. The purpose was to give the audience more information about Callen's past, including an undercover op where he got involved with a suspect's sister. Now, the people he was investigating, who were all part of some money laundering scheme where the money was never found, are being killed, and Callen is called upon to use his old alias to figure out who's doing it. The ending was predictable, not because it made logical sense for the killer to be who he was, but because many NCIS episodes have contained the same "twist."
Certainly the episode had its positives. Team banter was fun at the beginning and the end. If the writers could begin injecting more of that into the middle of the episode, they'd have a real winner there. And, as I said, they've really developed Callen and Kensi (and Sam to a certain extent) into enjoyable characters with both positive and negative attributes. Now they just need to develop the rest of the cast.
CBS just picked NCIS: Los Angeles for a second season (to no one's surprise), and I think that was a great decision on their part. Sure, the show has some kinks now, but, if it's anything like its parent show, it will get better with age. The weak storylines will become more enjoyable once the characters are fully developed, and the audience will come to appreciate the dialogue as much as, if not more than, the investigative work.
Favorite lines:
Callen: Hetty plus mechanical bull plus tequila equals bar fight. Trust me, I've been there.
Sam: I smell like a cop?
Callen: Actually you smell like baby powder, but that's a whole different conversation.
Eric: Ooh, intrigue, betrayal... this is getting interesting.
Kensi: Sometimes he's so cheerful, I want to punch him. Repeatedly.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
NCIS - Flesh and Bone
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: After the assassination attempt of a foreign prince, Tony suspects his father, who unexpectedly showed up in DC, may be involved, and Gibbs questions his ability to remain objective.
Review: I feel like I only ever have glowing things to say about this season of NCIS, but I truly believe it's the best one yet, and this episode is kind of like the icing on the cake.
Let's start off by reminding everyone that this is the long-anticipated 150th episode of the series, which is a pretty remarkable milestone. Also, it guest starred Robert Wagner, who is amazing and doesn't deserve Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me to be the film listed next to his name when you do an IMDb search for him.
This episode turned pretty much exactly how I hoped it would be, and I think loyal fans of the show got a lot of resolutions they'd been looking for. As I've said several times before, NCIS isn't really about the cases; it's about the characters, and how they interact with each other. Solving the cases is usually just a bonus (except in certain episodes where they focus heavily on them). This time, instead of seeing the latest banter between Tony, Ziva and McGee, the relationships in question were Tony and Gibbs, Tony and his father, and Gibbs and DiNozzo, Sr.
And they really hit the nail on the head as far as plausibility goes. From the first awkward interaction between Junior and Senior (who, by the way, share many, many personality quirks and mannerisms) to the confrontation between Gibbs and Senior to the final, touching moment between Gibbs and Junior, the writers really went all out with this episode. For men who are not so normally prone to share their feelings (especially about each other), they said a lot in just a few words.
The case had a nifty little twist, but, as I said last week about NCIS: Los Angeles, I wish they wouldn't give everybody names that sounded so similar. Maybe it's my ignorant American ways, but I lost a bit of the story trying to figure out if the prince was dead or if it was his driver. Once I figured it out, I did okay following the rest--and I do admit I was paying more attention to what DiNozzo, Sr. was doing than what was going on with the prince.
I can't think of any more ways to say how much I loved this episode, and how great a job they did casting Robert Wagner and DiNozzo, Sr., and how great a job he did of making Tony's dad exactly the kind of person you'd expect him to be. They even had Tony dredge up some old memories he's mentioned on the show before (such as his father leaving him in a Maui hotel) and throw them back in his dad's face. To see that kind of continuity in a show that's been on so long is a wonderful thing, and it makes me wonder how long the writers have been planning this episode.
I just have one plea for them in the future: I would really, really like to see Gibbs tell Tony he's proud of him. Just once. He certainly came close in this episode, but Tony so clearly craves Gibbs' respect that they could really make a nice scene out of a moment like that. Maybe it's just the sap in me.
Favorite lines:
Abby: Maybe Tony didn't have a mother. Maybe he was cloned!
Ziva: Okay, so how many amendments to the Constitution?
Gibbs: The Bill of Rights is the first ten, prohibition is eighteen. I'm guessing twenty-three.
Ziva: Twenty-seven!
Gibbs: Nobody likes a smart-ass, David.
Ziva: Why do I have to study all this and you don't?
Gibbs: I was born here.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
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Comments? Leave them here.
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: After the assassination attempt of a foreign prince, Tony suspects his father, who unexpectedly showed up in DC, may be involved, and Gibbs questions his ability to remain objective.
Review: I feel like I only ever have glowing things to say about this season of NCIS, but I truly believe it's the best one yet, and this episode is kind of like the icing on the cake.
Let's start off by reminding everyone that this is the long-anticipated 150th episode of the series, which is a pretty remarkable milestone. Also, it guest starred Robert Wagner, who is amazing and doesn't deserve Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me to be the film listed next to his name when you do an IMDb search for him.
This episode turned pretty much exactly how I hoped it would be, and I think loyal fans of the show got a lot of resolutions they'd been looking for. As I've said several times before, NCIS isn't really about the cases; it's about the characters, and how they interact with each other. Solving the cases is usually just a bonus (except in certain episodes where they focus heavily on them). This time, instead of seeing the latest banter between Tony, Ziva and McGee, the relationships in question were Tony and Gibbs, Tony and his father, and Gibbs and DiNozzo, Sr.
And they really hit the nail on the head as far as plausibility goes. From the first awkward interaction between Junior and Senior (who, by the way, share many, many personality quirks and mannerisms) to the confrontation between Gibbs and Senior to the final, touching moment between Gibbs and Junior, the writers really went all out with this episode. For men who are not so normally prone to share their feelings (especially about each other), they said a lot in just a few words.
The case had a nifty little twist, but, as I said last week about NCIS: Los Angeles, I wish they wouldn't give everybody names that sounded so similar. Maybe it's my ignorant American ways, but I lost a bit of the story trying to figure out if the prince was dead or if it was his driver. Once I figured it out, I did okay following the rest--and I do admit I was paying more attention to what DiNozzo, Sr. was doing than what was going on with the prince.
I can't think of any more ways to say how much I loved this episode, and how great a job they did casting Robert Wagner and DiNozzo, Sr., and how great a job he did of making Tony's dad exactly the kind of person you'd expect him to be. They even had Tony dredge up some old memories he's mentioned on the show before (such as his father leaving him in a Maui hotel) and throw them back in his dad's face. To see that kind of continuity in a show that's been on so long is a wonderful thing, and it makes me wonder how long the writers have been planning this episode.
I just have one plea for them in the future: I would really, really like to see Gibbs tell Tony he's proud of him. Just once. He certainly came close in this episode, but Tony so clearly craves Gibbs' respect that they could really make a nice scene out of a moment like that. Maybe it's just the sap in me.
Favorite lines:
Abby: Maybe Tony didn't have a mother. Maybe he was cloned!
Ziva: Okay, so how many amendments to the Constitution?
Gibbs: The Bill of Rights is the first ten, prohibition is eighteen. I'm guessing twenty-three.
Ziva: Twenty-seven!
Gibbs: Nobody likes a smart-ass, David.
Ziva: Why do I have to study all this and you don't?
Gibbs: I was born here.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
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Comments? Leave them here.
Big Bang Theory - The Psychic Vortex
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard and Howard go on a double date with Penny and Bernadette, Leonard is troubled to learn that Penny believes in psychics. Meanwhile, Raj and Sheldon go to a university mixer.
Review: I loved exactly half of this episode. The Raj/Sheldon storyline was great, from Raj's desperate pleas to get Sheldon to do something with him to the bribes that finally worked to the girls they eventually met (Danica McKellar!). Pairing Raj and Sheldon together has been a comedic victory in past episodes (let us never forget when Raj started working for Sheldon), and it doesn't fail this time either. Pegging them as the two "girlfriend-less" members of the group sets them up for future moments together too, which is something I await with eagerness.
I always enjoy Sheldon in episodes of Big Bang Theory, but I do feel he can get over-the-top sometimes. This wasn't one of those cases, though. I thought Jim Parsons played his part perfectly in this episode. Sheldon actually put in some effort to help Raj find a girl at the mixer, even if he wasn't good at it, and he didn't treat the women (or Raj, actually) as inferior to him in intellect, which was a somewhat refreshing change. He actually managed to participate in a group activity without being excessively weird or freaking out, which was really fun to see.
Meanwhile, the double date could have been... better. I think it's the Leonard/Penny relationship that's bothering me. Since the previous season finale, they went from "just friends" to "established, practically married couple" with no middle ground. I mean, there was that one episode where they were really awkward, but they never seemed to have that cute, honeymoon period that most couples (at least fictional couples) have. Maybe it's because they were friends for so long before they dated, but it just seems like there's nowhere for the relationship to go now except down... or into marriage, but I hope the writers agree with me when I say it's far too early for that.
In this episode, Leonard and Penny fight publicly about psychics (Penny believes, Leonard doesn't... in case you weren't sure). Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette are just kind of hanging out. Actually, this was the first time I was really amused by Bernadette, and her honest answers to basically rhetorical questions (an example of which is in my favorite lines at the bottom). While this aspect of the story had a lot of funny lines, I didn't enjoy the premise. I thought Leonard was very clearly a jerk, mocking what Penny believes. It's not like he didn't know that she believed in things like that before he started dating her, so why does it come as a surprise to him now?
For someone who waited so long for the Leonard/Penny relationship to pan out, I've been very disappointed with how they've been handling it over the course of the season. I don't really know what I want from them, but it's not what they've been doing. I'm afraid that they're setting them up on a path to implode by the end of the season, and that would be terribly sad, especially since Big Bang's high ratings have pretty much guaranteed it as many future episodes as it would like. I would like them to revisit the idea of Howard and Leonard double dating again, though, because I think it raises some interesting potentials. Plus, the idea of them dating together just amuses me.
Favorite lines:
Leonard: Look at us, getting ready for a double date with actual women who publicly acknowledge they're our girlfriends.
Leonard: Howard, Bernadette, you're both scientists. Help me out here.
Howard: What do you think? Want to jump right into the middle of another couple's argument?
Bernadette: No, thank you.
Howard: Sorry.
Waiter: How is everything tonight?
Bernadette: Really uncomfortable.
Penny: That's all you've got after you were the most obnoxious person on a double date that included Howard Wolowitz?
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 9:30-10:00pm
Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar
Summary: When Leonard and Howard go on a double date with Penny and Bernadette, Leonard is troubled to learn that Penny believes in psychics. Meanwhile, Raj and Sheldon go to a university mixer.
Review: I loved exactly half of this episode. The Raj/Sheldon storyline was great, from Raj's desperate pleas to get Sheldon to do something with him to the bribes that finally worked to the girls they eventually met (Danica McKellar!). Pairing Raj and Sheldon together has been a comedic victory in past episodes (let us never forget when Raj started working for Sheldon), and it doesn't fail this time either. Pegging them as the two "girlfriend-less" members of the group sets them up for future moments together too, which is something I await with eagerness.
I always enjoy Sheldon in episodes of Big Bang Theory, but I do feel he can get over-the-top sometimes. This wasn't one of those cases, though. I thought Jim Parsons played his part perfectly in this episode. Sheldon actually put in some effort to help Raj find a girl at the mixer, even if he wasn't good at it, and he didn't treat the women (or Raj, actually) as inferior to him in intellect, which was a somewhat refreshing change. He actually managed to participate in a group activity without being excessively weird or freaking out, which was really fun to see.
Meanwhile, the double date could have been... better. I think it's the Leonard/Penny relationship that's bothering me. Since the previous season finale, they went from "just friends" to "established, practically married couple" with no middle ground. I mean, there was that one episode where they were really awkward, but they never seemed to have that cute, honeymoon period that most couples (at least fictional couples) have. Maybe it's because they were friends for so long before they dated, but it just seems like there's nowhere for the relationship to go now except down... or into marriage, but I hope the writers agree with me when I say it's far too early for that.
In this episode, Leonard and Penny fight publicly about psychics (Penny believes, Leonard doesn't... in case you weren't sure). Meanwhile, Howard and Bernadette are just kind of hanging out. Actually, this was the first time I was really amused by Bernadette, and her honest answers to basically rhetorical questions (an example of which is in my favorite lines at the bottom). While this aspect of the story had a lot of funny lines, I didn't enjoy the premise. I thought Leonard was very clearly a jerk, mocking what Penny believes. It's not like he didn't know that she believed in things like that before he started dating her, so why does it come as a surprise to him now?
For someone who waited so long for the Leonard/Penny relationship to pan out, I've been very disappointed with how they've been handling it over the course of the season. I don't really know what I want from them, but it's not what they've been doing. I'm afraid that they're setting them up on a path to implode by the end of the season, and that would be terribly sad, especially since Big Bang's high ratings have pretty much guaranteed it as many future episodes as it would like. I would like them to revisit the idea of Howard and Leonard double dating again, though, because I think it raises some interesting potentials. Plus, the idea of them dating together just amuses me.
Favorite lines:
Leonard: Look at us, getting ready for a double date with actual women who publicly acknowledge they're our girlfriends.
Leonard: Howard, Bernadette, you're both scientists. Help me out here.
Howard: What do you think? Want to jump right into the middle of another couple's argument?
Bernadette: No, thank you.
Howard: Sorry.
Waiter: How is everything tonight?
Bernadette: Really uncomfortable.
Penny: That's all you've got after you were the most obnoxious person on a double date that included Howard Wolowitz?
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Accidentally on Purpose - The Odd Couples
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 8:30-9:00pm
Cast: Jenna Elfman, Jon Foster, Ashley Jensen, Lennon Parham, Nicolas Wright, Grant Show
Summary: In an effort to find out how they are as a couple, Billie and Zack go out on double dates with first Abby and Nick, then Davis and his new girlfriend. But both dates backfire and leave everyone mad at them.
Review: To my embarrassment, I'd completely forgotten that we ended before the break with a marriage proposal from Zack and a declaration of mutual love between them. So I definitely had a shocked moment when the first scene in the episode was Zack walking in and making out with Billie.
Once I had my bearings, my thoughts went from, "WHAT?!?" to "Aww..." Zack and Billie have always have had a fun relationship, and they managed to become a couple without losing the back-and-forth that I've enjoyed so far this season.
Billie has decided that, before she will accept Zack's marriage proposal, they should first see how they are as a couple when dealing with other people. Which means Zack has to bond with Abby's weird husband Nick. Nick, who likes hospitals and engineering and finding out all the different ways he can get sick doing something, is a little odd for Zack, who likes to surf, drive a van and be spontaneous. But the interaction between them is funny, and it leads to a very sweet moment between Abby and Nick, where he admits that he knows he's weird and that he loves that she loves him for it. It's the first time I've had any real positive emotions directed at Nick, but that scene really endeared me to him. And to Abby, who I've really only liked because she's Billie's sister.
Then Billie and Zack try their hand with Davis and his new girlfriend. Did I mention that Davis has been lying to her and telling her he's Dave Grohl's younger brother? And that the only reason she likes Davis at all is because she thinks he'll help her meet Dave Grohl? Yeah, Billie doesn't do so well with that part.
The Davis/girlfriend storyline does give us another wonderful Abby and Davis moment, however. Abby, it turns out, is way cooler than Billie is when it comes to lying to a woman to get her into bed, and she definitely steps up and has Davis's back on this one. The Abby/Davis relationship is something that the writers have only just played with a little, but the unlikely combination is always good for a laugh. I like a show that's not afraid to play all its characters off each other. So often, a show sticks to the pairings it establishes early on (Billie and her friends, Zack and his friends, Billie and Zack). I like that this show is not only willing to mingle the groups, but seemingly eager to do it.
My favorite thing about Accidentally on Purpose however, is that it never ceases to surprise me. Just when I expect them to go for one joke, they turn around and smack you with something else. Billie is established early on as a self-confident woman who isn't afraid to tell people how she feels, and that trait is often called on for its comedic value. Zack is more mature than most guys his age, but sometimes he's just a 22-year-old. I love that this show doesn't take the easy route with its comedy. It's rarely physical, relying on wit and character interaction to be the humor.
The only downside to this episode was the conspicuous absence of Olivia. I know this episode was focused on the relationship between the sisters, but it was also about friendship, and Olivia should have been there (I'm sure her absence had nothing to do with the show and was probably the result of a conflict with the shooting schedule or another project she was working on). Plus, I enjoy watching Olivia's interaction with Abby.
All in all, another winner for Accidentally on Purpose, which is moving to Wednesday nights sometime in March. I know CBS is worrying about its ratings, but I hope they decide to keep it on, because I think this show could only be made better by the addition of a baby.
Favorite line:
Davis: Yes, people, my new girlfriend has a credit card.
Billie: Girlfriend?
Zack: Credit card? When did this happen?
Davis: While you two were shacked up grossing out your baby. Yeah, I stumbled upon a new method to pick up chicks. [flashes back to lying to this girl about being Dave Grohl's little brother]
Zack: You dog. That's awesome.
Billie: If your new method is lying to chicks in bars, I hate to tell you, but every man in history has beat you to it.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 8:30-9:00pm
Cast: Jenna Elfman, Jon Foster, Ashley Jensen, Lennon Parham, Nicolas Wright, Grant Show
Summary: In an effort to find out how they are as a couple, Billie and Zack go out on double dates with first Abby and Nick, then Davis and his new girlfriend. But both dates backfire and leave everyone mad at them.
Review: To my embarrassment, I'd completely forgotten that we ended before the break with a marriage proposal from Zack and a declaration of mutual love between them. So I definitely had a shocked moment when the first scene in the episode was Zack walking in and making out with Billie.
Once I had my bearings, my thoughts went from, "WHAT?!?" to "Aww..." Zack and Billie have always have had a fun relationship, and they managed to become a couple without losing the back-and-forth that I've enjoyed so far this season.
Billie has decided that, before she will accept Zack's marriage proposal, they should first see how they are as a couple when dealing with other people. Which means Zack has to bond with Abby's weird husband Nick. Nick, who likes hospitals and engineering and finding out all the different ways he can get sick doing something, is a little odd for Zack, who likes to surf, drive a van and be spontaneous. But the interaction between them is funny, and it leads to a very sweet moment between Abby and Nick, where he admits that he knows he's weird and that he loves that she loves him for it. It's the first time I've had any real positive emotions directed at Nick, but that scene really endeared me to him. And to Abby, who I've really only liked because she's Billie's sister.
Then Billie and Zack try their hand with Davis and his new girlfriend. Did I mention that Davis has been lying to her and telling her he's Dave Grohl's younger brother? And that the only reason she likes Davis at all is because she thinks he'll help her meet Dave Grohl? Yeah, Billie doesn't do so well with that part.
The Davis/girlfriend storyline does give us another wonderful Abby and Davis moment, however. Abby, it turns out, is way cooler than Billie is when it comes to lying to a woman to get her into bed, and she definitely steps up and has Davis's back on this one. The Abby/Davis relationship is something that the writers have only just played with a little, but the unlikely combination is always good for a laugh. I like a show that's not afraid to play all its characters off each other. So often, a show sticks to the pairings it establishes early on (Billie and her friends, Zack and his friends, Billie and Zack). I like that this show is not only willing to mingle the groups, but seemingly eager to do it.
My favorite thing about Accidentally on Purpose however, is that it never ceases to surprise me. Just when I expect them to go for one joke, they turn around and smack you with something else. Billie is established early on as a self-confident woman who isn't afraid to tell people how she feels, and that trait is often called on for its comedic value. Zack is more mature than most guys his age, but sometimes he's just a 22-year-old. I love that this show doesn't take the easy route with its comedy. It's rarely physical, relying on wit and character interaction to be the humor.
The only downside to this episode was the conspicuous absence of Olivia. I know this episode was focused on the relationship between the sisters, but it was also about friendship, and Olivia should have been there (I'm sure her absence had nothing to do with the show and was probably the result of a conflict with the shooting schedule or another project she was working on). Plus, I enjoy watching Olivia's interaction with Abby.
All in all, another winner for Accidentally on Purpose, which is moving to Wednesday nights sometime in March. I know CBS is worrying about its ratings, but I hope they decide to keep it on, because I think this show could only be made better by the addition of a baby.
Favorite line:
Davis: Yes, people, my new girlfriend has a credit card.
Billie: Girlfriend?
Zack: Credit card? When did this happen?
Davis: While you two were shacked up grossing out your baby. Yeah, I stumbled upon a new method to pick up chicks. [flashes back to lying to this girl about being Dave Grohl's little brother]
Zack: You dog. That's awesome.
Billie: If your new method is lying to chicks in bars, I hate to tell you, but every man in history has beat you to it.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
How I Met Your Mother - Girls vs. Suits
Network: CBS
Time: Mondays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris
Summary: Barney must choose between his suits or a hot new bartender. Ted gets closer to meeting "the mother."
Review: Now, I admit I came a little late to the How I Met Your Mother game. So when I say this is the best episode I've seen, you have to take it with a grain of salt. It'd be more accurate to say this is the best episode I've seen this season, I suppose.
So I'll say it: this is the best episode I've seen this season.
That said, I think HIMYM is on its way to winding down. We're so close to meeting the mother now that I can't imagine how many more ways they can tease the audience. I'll be sad to see it go, and I certainly think it can last at least another year or two, but the hard truth is that they're going to run out of ways to drag it out soon enough.
OK, on to this episode. So many things to love about it, and they don't all center around Neil Patrick Harris and his awesomeness. Though he is awesome. And I guess I have to start by saying any episode where he sings and dances automatically ranks higher than an episode without it.
The episode focused on two things: Barney's obsession with a hot bartender who won't date a guy who wears a suit, and Ted's date with his future wife's roommate. Both stories were strong, funny, and ultimately very sweet. I'll start with the Barney story, since I've already been talking about it.
Seeing Barney dress in something other than a suit was worth watching the episode for, even if nothing else had been good about it, but watching Marshall and Lily argue about the bartender was actually sweeter than it was funny. Marshall refuses to say that the bartender is hotter than Lily, no matter how much she tries to convince him. You can tell in the way he says it that he truly believes Lily is the hotter one, and something about that was so sweet that even I fell a little in love with Marshall.
Of course, the nice moment is ruined by Barney's escapades. He is so devastated by not wearing his precious suits that he runs into the bathroom to wear one for just a few minutes and accidentally rips it. In horror, he runs to his personal tailor (whose identity I refuse to reveal because every show deserves some secrets). The scene that follows is so hysterical that it is easily in my top three favorite scenes of the episode.
Of course, the bartender ultimately finds out that Barney's really a suit-whore, and she tells him he has to make a decision. Which he does. With song. And dance.
Then there's Ted's story. He goes out on a date with a PhD student he meets on campus, Cindy, who turns out to be the roommate of the future mother of his children (which young Ted obviously doesn't know, but older Bob-Saget-acted Ted makes abundantly clear). Cindy clearly has roommate issues, and she spends most of the date trying to keep Ted from liking her roommate, though older Ted keeps pointing out that everything she mentions is something he loves about his wife. As much as Ted tries to convince her that he doesn't want to date her roommate, he ruins the effect later, when he tries to tell Cindy how much they have in common and instead points out the only things in her room that are really her roommate's.
Like Modern Family, I find the real draw of HIMYM to be the interaction between the characters, not the jokes, despite its sitcom status. This episode had the perfect combination of funny moments and sweet moments. I feel like they got rid of some of the awkwardness that always seemed to be around when Barney and Robin were dating (sorry, 'shippers, but that relationship never really worked for me... not in the canon sense, at least), and the characters have settled into a fun, relaxed state. Like I said before, my fear is that, as Ted draws nearer to finally meeting the mother, the show is going to run out of places to go.
But for the time being, the show seems to be thriving, and I look forward to seeing what antics the group will get up to every week.
Favorite line:
Ted (to Cindy): "I promise I will not fall in love with your roommate."
Older Ted (VO): "Oops."
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Mondays, 8:00-8:30pm
Cast: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris
Summary: Barney must choose between his suits or a hot new bartender. Ted gets closer to meeting "the mother."
Review: Now, I admit I came a little late to the How I Met Your Mother game. So when I say this is the best episode I've seen, you have to take it with a grain of salt. It'd be more accurate to say this is the best episode I've seen this season, I suppose.
So I'll say it: this is the best episode I've seen this season.
That said, I think HIMYM is on its way to winding down. We're so close to meeting the mother now that I can't imagine how many more ways they can tease the audience. I'll be sad to see it go, and I certainly think it can last at least another year or two, but the hard truth is that they're going to run out of ways to drag it out soon enough.
OK, on to this episode. So many things to love about it, and they don't all center around Neil Patrick Harris and his awesomeness. Though he is awesome. And I guess I have to start by saying any episode where he sings and dances automatically ranks higher than an episode without it.
The episode focused on two things: Barney's obsession with a hot bartender who won't date a guy who wears a suit, and Ted's date with his future wife's roommate. Both stories were strong, funny, and ultimately very sweet. I'll start with the Barney story, since I've already been talking about it.
Seeing Barney dress in something other than a suit was worth watching the episode for, even if nothing else had been good about it, but watching Marshall and Lily argue about the bartender was actually sweeter than it was funny. Marshall refuses to say that the bartender is hotter than Lily, no matter how much she tries to convince him. You can tell in the way he says it that he truly believes Lily is the hotter one, and something about that was so sweet that even I fell a little in love with Marshall.
Of course, the nice moment is ruined by Barney's escapades. He is so devastated by not wearing his precious suits that he runs into the bathroom to wear one for just a few minutes and accidentally rips it. In horror, he runs to his personal tailor (whose identity I refuse to reveal because every show deserves some secrets). The scene that follows is so hysterical that it is easily in my top three favorite scenes of the episode.
Of course, the bartender ultimately finds out that Barney's really a suit-whore, and she tells him he has to make a decision. Which he does. With song. And dance.
Then there's Ted's story. He goes out on a date with a PhD student he meets on campus, Cindy, who turns out to be the roommate of the future mother of his children (which young Ted obviously doesn't know, but older Bob-Saget-acted Ted makes abundantly clear). Cindy clearly has roommate issues, and she spends most of the date trying to keep Ted from liking her roommate, though older Ted keeps pointing out that everything she mentions is something he loves about his wife. As much as Ted tries to convince her that he doesn't want to date her roommate, he ruins the effect later, when he tries to tell Cindy how much they have in common and instead points out the only things in her room that are really her roommate's.
Like Modern Family, I find the real draw of HIMYM to be the interaction between the characters, not the jokes, despite its sitcom status. This episode had the perfect combination of funny moments and sweet moments. I feel like they got rid of some of the awkwardness that always seemed to be around when Barney and Robin were dating (sorry, 'shippers, but that relationship never really worked for me... not in the canon sense, at least), and the characters have settled into a fun, relaxed state. Like I said before, my fear is that, as Ted draws nearer to finally meeting the mother, the show is going to run out of places to go.
But for the time being, the show seems to be thriving, and I look forward to seeing what antics the group will get up to every week.
Favorite line:
Ted (to Cindy): "I promise I will not fall in love with your roommate."
Older Ted (VO): "Oops."
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Monday, January 11, 2010
Modern Family - Up All Night
Network: ABC
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30pm
Cast: Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter
Summary: When Gloria encourages Jay to get along with Javier, Manny's father, he gets a little carried about with his male bonding. Phil has a kidney stone and proceeds to milk it it for all it's worth. Mitchell wants to use the Ferber method to get Lily to sleep, but Cameron has a lot more trouble with it than he expected. Guest starring Benjamin Bratt.
Review: In the last few months, this has easily become one of my favorite shows on television. It's one of the few sitcoms I've ever watched where I've really grown attached to the characters, enough so that I truly care about what happens to them.
I'd like to say this episode was the best so far, or that it wasn't quite up to par, but the truth is, there hasn't been a single episode I haven't loved, and there hasn't been one that I thought really rose above the rest. Modern Family is consistently great, and this episode was no exception.
We've heard talk about Manny's father in several episodes, and I certainly had an impression of him going into this episode. I imagined he was a smooth-talker, deadbeat dad who showed up just enough to keep his son's hopes up. And... I was pretty much right. Benjamin Bratt, who I adore, did an excellent job portraying Javier--and showing Jay exactly how easy it was for Gloria to be seduced by him. The downside to this was that they didn't have time to show much of the relationship between Manny, his father, and his stepfather. I would have liked to see more tension there, maybe a little possessiveness on their parts. Instead, the episode focused on developing the relationship between Jay and Javier. It was probably my least favorite of the three storylines (which makes it sound much more negative than it was).
Next up was the Dunphy family drama. Phil had a kidney stone and, being Phil, acted like he was dying from it, leaving the family no choice but to call in the hot firemen to take him to the hospital. I'm not really sure why firemen came to take him to the hospital, but we can ignore that minor plot hole in favor of the far funnier idea that Claire paused in caring for her ill husband (and a kidney stone is something he could legitimately get worked up about, even if he wasn't Phil) to put on a nice shirt and heels to impress them. The family dynamic was great in this story, from Luke's fear that he would have to be the man of the house, to Phil's overdramatic line, "If I never wake up, I'd hate for the last thing you ever said to me to be a lie," to all the ways Phil thought Claire could pay him back for lying to him.
And then there was my favorite story: the Ferberization of Lily. Mitchell wanted to use the Ferber method to get Lily to get herself to sleep (which basically consists of letting her cry herself out instead of cuddling her every time she fusses, obviously within reason). Cam has... difficulties with this. Most of the episode deals in short spurts with Mitchell trying to stop Cam from picking Lily up every time she cries. But the best part came when Mitchell finally confronts Cam and tells him he's tired of always being the bad cop. There's such a realism to Mitchell and Cam's relationship; it's always funny, but, in the end, it's usually the sweetest part of the show. I appreciate a sitcom that takes a gay relationship and doesn't overdo it. So many shows make the characters overly flamboyant and the relationship really tacky. And Modern Family certainly has its flamboyant moments. But the relationship is always real, and it's much more like you'd expect a committed relationship to be than most sitcoms offer.
The only thing this episode was lacking was the part where the whole family comes together in the end. It wasn't necessary, and it wasn't something I missed until I looked back and thought about it, but it's something I've enjoyed about the other episodes, the big, happy family bit.
What this episode did have that most of the others don't, however, were interviews with the kids. In fact, most of it was dominated by them. The theme of the day was, "What do my parents tell me to do that annoys me the most?" I think we can all, no matter how old, relate to that.
Favorite line:
Cam (after a small scuffle causes Mitch to hurt his ankle): "I'm sorry I hurt you."
Mitch: "No, no, don't be. I could just have easily have hurt you."
Cam: "Well, it's cute that you think that."
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30pm
Cast: Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter
Summary: When Gloria encourages Jay to get along with Javier, Manny's father, he gets a little carried about with his male bonding. Phil has a kidney stone and proceeds to milk it it for all it's worth. Mitchell wants to use the Ferber method to get Lily to sleep, but Cameron has a lot more trouble with it than he expected. Guest starring Benjamin Bratt.
Review: In the last few months, this has easily become one of my favorite shows on television. It's one of the few sitcoms I've ever watched where I've really grown attached to the characters, enough so that I truly care about what happens to them.
I'd like to say this episode was the best so far, or that it wasn't quite up to par, but the truth is, there hasn't been a single episode I haven't loved, and there hasn't been one that I thought really rose above the rest. Modern Family is consistently great, and this episode was no exception.
We've heard talk about Manny's father in several episodes, and I certainly had an impression of him going into this episode. I imagined he was a smooth-talker, deadbeat dad who showed up just enough to keep his son's hopes up. And... I was pretty much right. Benjamin Bratt, who I adore, did an excellent job portraying Javier--and showing Jay exactly how easy it was for Gloria to be seduced by him. The downside to this was that they didn't have time to show much of the relationship between Manny, his father, and his stepfather. I would have liked to see more tension there, maybe a little possessiveness on their parts. Instead, the episode focused on developing the relationship between Jay and Javier. It was probably my least favorite of the three storylines (which makes it sound much more negative than it was).
Next up was the Dunphy family drama. Phil had a kidney stone and, being Phil, acted like he was dying from it, leaving the family no choice but to call in the hot firemen to take him to the hospital. I'm not really sure why firemen came to take him to the hospital, but we can ignore that minor plot hole in favor of the far funnier idea that Claire paused in caring for her ill husband (and a kidney stone is something he could legitimately get worked up about, even if he wasn't Phil) to put on a nice shirt and heels to impress them. The family dynamic was great in this story, from Luke's fear that he would have to be the man of the house, to Phil's overdramatic line, "If I never wake up, I'd hate for the last thing you ever said to me to be a lie," to all the ways Phil thought Claire could pay him back for lying to him.
And then there was my favorite story: the Ferberization of Lily. Mitchell wanted to use the Ferber method to get Lily to get herself to sleep (which basically consists of letting her cry herself out instead of cuddling her every time she fusses, obviously within reason). Cam has... difficulties with this. Most of the episode deals in short spurts with Mitchell trying to stop Cam from picking Lily up every time she cries. But the best part came when Mitchell finally confronts Cam and tells him he's tired of always being the bad cop. There's such a realism to Mitchell and Cam's relationship; it's always funny, but, in the end, it's usually the sweetest part of the show. I appreciate a sitcom that takes a gay relationship and doesn't overdo it. So many shows make the characters overly flamboyant and the relationship really tacky. And Modern Family certainly has its flamboyant moments. But the relationship is always real, and it's much more like you'd expect a committed relationship to be than most sitcoms offer.
The only thing this episode was lacking was the part where the whole family comes together in the end. It wasn't necessary, and it wasn't something I missed until I looked back and thought about it, but it's something I've enjoyed about the other episodes, the big, happy family bit.
What this episode did have that most of the others don't, however, were interviews with the kids. In fact, most of it was dominated by them. The theme of the day was, "What do my parents tell me to do that annoys me the most?" I think we can all, no matter how old, relate to that.
Favorite line:
Cam (after a small scuffle causes Mitch to hurt his ankle): "I'm sorry I hurt you."
Mitch: "No, no, don't be. I could just have easily have hurt you."
Cam: "Well, it's cute that you think that."
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Sunday, January 10, 2010
NCIS: Los Angeles - Breach
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Peter Cambor, Barrett Foa, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: When a petty officer is murdered, the team finds a link to Sam's past. Meanwhile, Hetty examines how her agents are coping with the stress of the job.
Review: NCIS: Los Angeles has the unfortunate tendency to have one really great episode and follow it with a mediocre episode. It's one of the hazards of a new drama--it's still testing the waters, seeing what it can get away with and what is just out of its reach.
This was an out of its reach day.
I don't know which part was the worst. Perhaps it was the unnecessarily complicated storyline. Perhaps it was the three or four names that sounded exactly the same, making it nearly impossible to tell who was responsible for what. Perhaps it was watching the normally wonderful dialogue between the characters degenerate into something forced and uncomfortable. Whatever it was, NCIS: LA was just not on its game this week. I watched the episode twice before I wrote this review to try to understand the case, and I never quite got there.
That's not to say this episode was without its merits. I enjoyed the interaction between Callen and Hetty in the last five minutes of the episode more than almost any other moment on the show, even if it was a little corny. And Sam had a nice storyline involving a Sudanese boy who he'd helped (even if that part didn't end exactly the way I'd have hoped).
I missed my characters. Sure, they were still there, but this episode focused almost exclusively on the case, and not enough on the characters. We're not at a point yet with the Los Angeles team where the writers can focus solely on a case. Character development is important, especially in the first season. If the characters aren't being affected by the case, why should I care about it? And, in this episode, only Sam (if anybody) was affected at all, and even that was minimal. I want them to develop the team more, especially the supporting characters (Eric, Kensi, Dom, and Nate). I know enough about Callen and Sam right now, but I haven't really formed attachments to anyone else for reasons other than the ones I've created by having an overactive imagination and a lot of free time to think about them.
Overall, I had trouble focusing on this one because it was too complicated, and I didn't have a reason to care because the characters didn't seem to be personally affected by anything that was happening. I've really liked NCIS: LA so far, but there are times when it's really hit or miss... and this week was a miss for me.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
Time: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Peter Cambor, Barrett Foa, Adam Jamal Craig, Linda Hunt
Summary: When a petty officer is murdered, the team finds a link to Sam's past. Meanwhile, Hetty examines how her agents are coping with the stress of the job.
Review: NCIS: Los Angeles has the unfortunate tendency to have one really great episode and follow it with a mediocre episode. It's one of the hazards of a new drama--it's still testing the waters, seeing what it can get away with and what is just out of its reach.
This was an out of its reach day.
I don't know which part was the worst. Perhaps it was the unnecessarily complicated storyline. Perhaps it was the three or four names that sounded exactly the same, making it nearly impossible to tell who was responsible for what. Perhaps it was watching the normally wonderful dialogue between the characters degenerate into something forced and uncomfortable. Whatever it was, NCIS: LA was just not on its game this week. I watched the episode twice before I wrote this review to try to understand the case, and I never quite got there.
That's not to say this episode was without its merits. I enjoyed the interaction between Callen and Hetty in the last five minutes of the episode more than almost any other moment on the show, even if it was a little corny. And Sam had a nice storyline involving a Sudanese boy who he'd helped (even if that part didn't end exactly the way I'd have hoped).
I missed my characters. Sure, they were still there, but this episode focused almost exclusively on the case, and not enough on the characters. We're not at a point yet with the Los Angeles team where the writers can focus solely on a case. Character development is important, especially in the first season. If the characters aren't being affected by the case, why should I care about it? And, in this episode, only Sam (if anybody) was affected at all, and even that was minimal. I want them to develop the team more, especially the supporting characters (Eric, Kensi, Dom, and Nate). I know enough about Callen and Sam right now, but I haven't really formed attachments to anyone else for reasons other than the ones I've created by having an overactive imagination and a lot of free time to think about them.
Overall, I had trouble focusing on this one because it was too complicated, and I didn't have a reason to care because the characters didn't seem to be personally affected by anything that was happening. I've really liked NCIS: LA so far, but there are times when it's really hit or miss... and this week was a miss for me.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
NCIS - Ignition
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesday, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: When a Navy lieutenant is found dead in a bizarre manner, Gibbs lets McGee take lead on the case. But when a stubborn attorney shows up, Gibbs steps up to butt heads with her. Guest starring Rena Sofer.
Review: I truly believe NCIS is one of the few shows that is getting better and better with age. From the very first episode of season seven, I've been hooked harder and stronger than any other season before it.
This episode was no exception. It's been a long time since we've had a McGee-centric episode. There was a lot of Ziva in the beginning of the season, and Gibbs in the last few episodes, and the big Tony episode has been teased for months (next week, for the 150th episode, when his dad comes to DC), but McGee has been relegated to a strong supporter character for awhile, so it was nice to see Sean Murray step into the starring role for a little while.
Another person who got a much bigger role than we've seen him in lately is Palmer. He's been basically absent for most of this season, and he's had just tiny parts in the episodes he's been in. But not in this one. Palmer got to channel Ducky for awhile while performing his first solo autopsy and telling an only tangentially related story in such a perfect Ducky imitation that I couldn't stop laughing. They really need to use Palmer more often; he's such a fun little guy.
The banter between the characters was strong in this episode too. From the back-and-forth about all the useless things on the Internet to Tony and Ziva's good-natured complaining as McGee got geekier and geekier, the timing was spot on through the whole thing. It's good to see that they've truly gotten rid of the awkwardness that was left over from the end of the season 6. Yeah, there's always going to be a little sexual tension between Tony and Ziva. Yeah, McGee and Tony are always going to be stuck in this big brother/little brother relationship. But it's nice to see that those things are just part of the relationships between the characters, not the whole thing anymore.
The story, which focused on a man who died while flying a jet pack, was interesting, but definitely went so far into geek-ville it was difficult to understand. And McGee, with his love of all things technology and his knowledge of all specifications, didn't help. I had a little trouble following the complexities of the technology, and who would want to kill the guy flying it. It sort of sorted itself out in the end, but it definitely could have been a little easier to understand through most of it. Maybe a second watch will help me understand it better.
The other big twist in this episode was the introduction of attorney Margaret Allison Hart, played by Rena Sofer. She comes in as the attorney of a jet pack creator, but she immediately establishes herself as someone who knows all about our favorite NCIS team, and she's looking for a fight with Gibbs. Despite himself, he's intrigued by her and, as we know from spoilers, she'll be back.
The chemistry between Gibbs and Hart was a little weird, and I've had more than one friend tell me they didn't like her, but I'm kind of interested in any attorney that is causing Gibbs to break his personal rule about attorneys (Never involve lawyers). And it's about time someone called Gibbs out on his unorthodox crime-solving style. Not that it's going to change anything. But it's nice to see someone challenge him on it. Plus, it's been so long since Gibbs has had a relationship outside of NCIS (not counting his father), and certainly longer since it's been a possible romantic one. So I'm eager to see how this will play out.
Favorite lines of the night:
Gibbs (to Hart): Did you used to be a redhead because I feel like I know you?
Ziva: Slow drivers.
Tony: Bad drivers.
Ziva: What is so hard? You go as fast as possible, and when something gets in your way, you turn.
Ziva: There's nothing good on the Internet anymore.
McGee: Yeah, I think that whole Internet thing has run its course.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
Time: Tuesday, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: When a Navy lieutenant is found dead in a bizarre manner, Gibbs lets McGee take lead on the case. But when a stubborn attorney shows up, Gibbs steps up to butt heads with her. Guest starring Rena Sofer.
Review: I truly believe NCIS is one of the few shows that is getting better and better with age. From the very first episode of season seven, I've been hooked harder and stronger than any other season before it.
This episode was no exception. It's been a long time since we've had a McGee-centric episode. There was a lot of Ziva in the beginning of the season, and Gibbs in the last few episodes, and the big Tony episode has been teased for months (next week, for the 150th episode, when his dad comes to DC), but McGee has been relegated to a strong supporter character for awhile, so it was nice to see Sean Murray step into the starring role for a little while.
Another person who got a much bigger role than we've seen him in lately is Palmer. He's been basically absent for most of this season, and he's had just tiny parts in the episodes he's been in. But not in this one. Palmer got to channel Ducky for awhile while performing his first solo autopsy and telling an only tangentially related story in such a perfect Ducky imitation that I couldn't stop laughing. They really need to use Palmer more often; he's such a fun little guy.
The banter between the characters was strong in this episode too. From the back-and-forth about all the useless things on the Internet to Tony and Ziva's good-natured complaining as McGee got geekier and geekier, the timing was spot on through the whole thing. It's good to see that they've truly gotten rid of the awkwardness that was left over from the end of the season 6. Yeah, there's always going to be a little sexual tension between Tony and Ziva. Yeah, McGee and Tony are always going to be stuck in this big brother/little brother relationship. But it's nice to see that those things are just part of the relationships between the characters, not the whole thing anymore.
The story, which focused on a man who died while flying a jet pack, was interesting, but definitely went so far into geek-ville it was difficult to understand. And McGee, with his love of all things technology and his knowledge of all specifications, didn't help. I had a little trouble following the complexities of the technology, and who would want to kill the guy flying it. It sort of sorted itself out in the end, but it definitely could have been a little easier to understand through most of it. Maybe a second watch will help me understand it better.
The other big twist in this episode was the introduction of attorney Margaret Allison Hart, played by Rena Sofer. She comes in as the attorney of a jet pack creator, but she immediately establishes herself as someone who knows all about our favorite NCIS team, and she's looking for a fight with Gibbs. Despite himself, he's intrigued by her and, as we know from spoilers, she'll be back.
The chemistry between Gibbs and Hart was a little weird, and I've had more than one friend tell me they didn't like her, but I'm kind of interested in any attorney that is causing Gibbs to break his personal rule about attorneys (Never involve lawyers). And it's about time someone called Gibbs out on his unorthodox crime-solving style. Not that it's going to change anything. But it's nice to see someone challenge him on it. Plus, it's been so long since Gibbs has had a relationship outside of NCIS (not counting his father), and certainly longer since it's been a possible romantic one. So I'm eager to see how this will play out.
Favorite lines of the night:
Gibbs (to Hart): Did you used to be a redhead because I feel like I know you?
Ziva: Slow drivers.
Tony: Bad drivers.
Ziva: What is so hard? You go as fast as possible, and when something gets in your way, you turn.
Ziva: There's nothing good on the Internet anymore.
McGee: Yeah, I think that whole Internet thing has run its course.
Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Comments? Leave them here.
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