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 (from imdb.com): As the NCIS team continues its search for a missing Marine, Gibbs and Ziva travel to her last known whereabouts in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Tony reveals his deepest fears and Gibbs is forced to relive events from his past.
Review: I think this was the first NCIS episode I've ever seen where I liked the criminal story more than I liked the character development. This episode was the second in a two-parter. In the last episode, Marine First Lieutenant Gabriela Flores, originally thought dead when the girls' school she taught in was blown up, was kidnapped by terrorists who don't like places where girls think for themselves. Her heartbroken father was pacing the floors of the Navy Yard waiting for news, while Tony and Gibbs each dealt with some personal issues.
This episode began in the middle, with Tony walking into the chapel where Joseph Flores sat with Chaplain Burke, poised to tell them whether or not Gabriela was dead. But before he could get the words out, we flashed back to 48 hour ago, when Gibbs and Ziva landed in Afghanistan. They were barely off the plane when they found out the girls who had fled with Gabriela had been found alive, though both had been tortured. Hot grease had been splashed in one girl's eyes, and the other had cigarette burns all over her.
While questioning a Staff Sergeant, Gibbs found out that the teacher who was pictured with Gabriela hadn't been in school the day of the explosion. Seemed suspicious to Gibbs (and everyone who's ever watched an episode of NCIS), so immediately suspected that the teacher was involved. Luckily, her little brother was in school in DC, so Tony and McGee had something to do.
They chased down the brother, who immediately started running, essentially screaming, "I did something wrong! Arrest me!" Which McGee and Tony promptly did, discovering he had the same tattoo on his finger that his sister had. They took Asa back to the Navy Yard and proceeded to question him, and he tells them they know nothing about his "way of life."
Meanwhile, Gibbs and Ziva meet the girls. They questioned them (in a kid-friendly way, of course) long enough to find out Gabriela was still alive. One girl tells them they were someplace that smelled bad and had a lot of oil. So they take samples from the girls' feet to send back to Abby in the lab. Then Gibbs kissed them adorably on the heads and sent them on their way.
Abby, of course, is able to determine exactly where the oil is from, narrowing down the region to an area near Kabul.
Meanwhile in DC, Tony was doing some soul-searching. He stood in the chapel having a conversation with God, not knowing that the Chaplain was right outside. Did anyone else start to suspect she was somehow involved?
Gibbs and Ziva find Gabriela being held hostage by her fellow teacher, Saroya, who gives her up with surprisingly little fight, and we cut back to the beginning of the episode, where a grim-faced Tony finds Joseph Flores and Chaplain Burke in the chapel. This time the scene continues, and he tells them that they've got Gabriela, and she's alive. Tears all around.
But the story's not over! Turns out, Saroya and Asa have a plan... and an older brother, who is most assuredly not dead, as they believed he was. Instead, about 300 private school girls are taking a well-publicized trip to the capital, and Osman is there, ready to strap a bomb to the bus. At the last second, with one number left, the team shows up to take him down. But instead of shooting him... they jam the signal of his cell phone. No need to traumatize all those schoolgirls.
I thought the terrorism plot was really interesting in this episode. Usually when NCIS does international stories, they tend to be too complex and I find myself not paying attention. Instead, I was engaged and very curious to see what was next, especially since they appeared to catch the bad guy with 15 minutes left to the episode.
I was even intrigued by Gibbs' flashbacks, remembering a girl he'd known in the Marines who'd been killed. I'm not quite sure what the significance of that was however. Were they showing that he loved someone before Shannon? Just that she was a tough, headstrong woman, like Gabriela Flores? Or is she a character who's going to return at some point (which I wouldn't mind in the least, if it means more of Sean Harmon playing young Gibbs)?
The plot that didn't work for me was Tony's, especially at the end. For two episodes, Tony has been thinking about how short life is. He made a bucket list and talked to God. Yet somehow, the whole thing turned into a joke at the end, when Chaplain Burke took him to "confront his worst fear." Apparently, Tony fears children. While this isn't exactly out of line with Tony's characters (he's had some interesting run-ins with kids in the past), it just seemed like such a waste of the story. I guess this might be showing that Tony is maturing enough to want kids of his own, which might lead to a more serious relationship for him, but overall it just seemed so out of place in this episode. It wasn't tied to the story much, except that there was a Chaplain at the Navy Yard, and it didn't even seem to do anything to further Tony's character. Hopefully that's something that will play out more in the future.
Rating: 3/5
Favorite line:
Gibbs: People died because of that teacher, marines. What do you think should happen to her?
Flores: Sir, that's not my decision.
Gibbs: Yeah, but you've thought about it, right?
Flores: She should be held accountable for her crimes.
Gibbs: Oh.
Flores: She should watch those girls change the world in positive ways she never imagined.
Gibbs: That a punishment?
Flores: That's a gift, sir. Punishment is knowing she could have done the same.
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Showing posts with label show: NCIS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label show: NCIS. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
NCIS - Ships in the Night
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
WARNING: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.
Summary: When a marine is murdered while on a dinner cruise, the team works with the Coast Guard Investigative Service to solve the crime. (from tvguide.com)
Review: Eight seasons in, NCIS has become fairly formulaic. It's a science that clearly works for them, since NCIS is arguably the most-watched scripted show on television, but it means that some episodes will be nothing special.
This was a nothing special episode.
The only thing that made this episode stand out a little from others was the return of CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (aka Other Abbs). Abigail is the Gibbs of the Coast Guard, from the succint statements to the coffee swilling. I've always enjoyed watching Gibbs when he's forced to interact with other agencies, and this was no exception. She's probably the only one he's ever actually seemed to like (since he always pretends to be annoyed when he has to work with Fornell), and I really liked their scenes together. I hope they'll continue to bring her character back.
The rest of the episode was on par for an NCIS episode. They investigated the shooting of a marine who was on a cruise with SA Borin, a marine who also happened to be the prodigal son of a wealthy family. Turns out Junior wanted to take the family business and make it a charitable non-profit. The minute that little tidbit was introduced, I was able to identify the killer, so no surprises there.
Even our regular characters were just average tonight. Coming off a great DiNozzo episode, I was a little disappointed that Tony was back to his usual self, apparently having learned nothing from his joke-free time. McGee was slightly off, two days of overtime turning him into a bit of a slacker (though he still does more in any given episode than everyone else on the team combined). And I can't even remember the scenes in autopsy.
The only character who stood out in this episode was Abby, who seemed to be having a great time with the other Abby. It's rare that Gibbs and Abby like the same woman, but it seems like SA Borin might be the exception. The scenes in the lab were by far my favorite moments, and the dynamic between the three was fun and engaging. Borin's brisk manner complemented Abby's long-windedness well, and Gibbs' brevity fit in well with both.
Were you as apathetic towards this episode as I was? Leave me some comments and let me know.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
Rating: 3/5
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
WARNING: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.
Summary: When a marine is murdered while on a dinner cruise, the team works with the Coast Guard Investigative Service to solve the crime. (from tvguide.com)
Review: Eight seasons in, NCIS has become fairly formulaic. It's a science that clearly works for them, since NCIS is arguably the most-watched scripted show on television, but it means that some episodes will be nothing special.
This was a nothing special episode.
The only thing that made this episode stand out a little from others was the return of CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (aka Other Abbs). Abigail is the Gibbs of the Coast Guard, from the succint statements to the coffee swilling. I've always enjoyed watching Gibbs when he's forced to interact with other agencies, and this was no exception. She's probably the only one he's ever actually seemed to like (since he always pretends to be annoyed when he has to work with Fornell), and I really liked their scenes together. I hope they'll continue to bring her character back.
The rest of the episode was on par for an NCIS episode. They investigated the shooting of a marine who was on a cruise with SA Borin, a marine who also happened to be the prodigal son of a wealthy family. Turns out Junior wanted to take the family business and make it a charitable non-profit. The minute that little tidbit was introduced, I was able to identify the killer, so no surprises there.
Even our regular characters were just average tonight. Coming off a great DiNozzo episode, I was a little disappointed that Tony was back to his usual self, apparently having learned nothing from his joke-free time. McGee was slightly off, two days of overtime turning him into a bit of a slacker (though he still does more in any given episode than everyone else on the team combined). And I can't even remember the scenes in autopsy.
The only character who stood out in this episode was Abby, who seemed to be having a great time with the other Abby. It's rare that Gibbs and Abby like the same woman, but it seems like SA Borin might be the exception. The scenes in the lab were by far my favorite moments, and the dynamic between the three was fun and engaging. Borin's brisk manner complemented Abby's long-windedness well, and Gibbs' brevity fit in well with both.
Were you as apathetic towards this episode as I was? Leave me some comments and let me know.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
Rating: 3/5
Sunday, October 3, 2010
NCIS - Worst Nightmare
Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll, Brian Dietzen
Summary: The team searches for a kidnapped girl, whose grandfather complicates the investigation.
Review: I continuously have the same problem with NCIS. I love the show--it's one of my most highly anticipated of the week--but the case-related plot lines have recently started to fall flat. I started noticing this with the introduction of the Michael Rivkin storyline in season 6, but then it started to pick up again in season 7... until the drug cartel. There was no need to delve further into what Gibbs did after Shannon and Kelly were killed, no reason to humanize the man he murdered. I don't know about the rest of you, but I was perfectly fine with him remaining anonymous, and the act simply being a part of Gibbs' past that no one really knows about.
I know that story was (mostly) resolved in the season 8 premiere, but this week's plot wasn't much stronger. This time, a kidnapped little girl's grandfather turns out to be not what the NCIS team expected, and he gets in the way of their investigation into her disappearance. It wasn't that it was overly complex or overly simple or anything like that. It just wasn't that interesting. Is it possible NCIS is running out of interesting cases, or was this one just a little weak?
But then the cases have never been why I tuned in to NCIS each week. I do that because I'm completely in love with the characters, and I love to watch them interact with each other. And, in that respect, this episode was certainly worth the time. It was intern week at NCIS, and each section of the team had a college student to teach. Most of the focus was on McGee and his intern Conrad (played by Greek's Zack Lively), who really didn't want to be there. It was wonderful to see McGee, who's done a considerable amount of growing up since he first appeared on the show, with a probie of his own... even if it was just for now. Not only did it emphasize the changes in McGee, but it was good to get some fresh blood into the bullpen. Whether Lively will start making regular appearances seems unlikely, but it might be good for them to introduce a new cast member to shake things up a little.
The intern in the morgue created an interesting kind of story for Palmer, who didn't appear until midway through the episode to find his place at Ducky's side may have been usurped. The new girl shared Ducky's love for long, rambling stories and Scottish music, and poor Palmer wasn't sure what to do with that. I was mildly amused by his quest to find a new place at NCIS, but I mostly just felt bad for him. For awhile I really thought they were grooming him to take Ducky's place, but now I'm not so sure. Hopefully this episode was an anomaly, and Palmer will go back to being the autospsy gremlin we all know and love next episode.
The final intern was in Abby's lab. Abby, it must be said, has had some bad experiences with people in her lab, and she was not happy about having an intern... especially one with a little crush on her. I do love seeing Abby flustered. She takes her normal level of over-caffeinated and doubles it, and it's always fun to watch the reactions of the people she's talking to, especially Gibbs, who just takes it all in stride and fixes it with a word or two.
The secret to NCIS's success is focusing on personality stories instead of case ones. When the plot is more centered on what the team is doing, they're engaging, humorous and sometimes dramatic. When it's more about solving a murder, they tend to come off as a little dry and sometimes trite. NCIS certainly hasn't lasted for eight seasons by exclusively sticking to one of those methods, but the episodes are definitely more enjoyable when they don't spend a lot of time worrying about creating and solving a complex crime.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
My Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll, Brian Dietzen
Summary: The team searches for a kidnapped girl, whose grandfather complicates the investigation.
Review: I continuously have the same problem with NCIS. I love the show--it's one of my most highly anticipated of the week--but the case-related plot lines have recently started to fall flat. I started noticing this with the introduction of the Michael Rivkin storyline in season 6, but then it started to pick up again in season 7... until the drug cartel. There was no need to delve further into what Gibbs did after Shannon and Kelly were killed, no reason to humanize the man he murdered. I don't know about the rest of you, but I was perfectly fine with him remaining anonymous, and the act simply being a part of Gibbs' past that no one really knows about.
I know that story was (mostly) resolved in the season 8 premiere, but this week's plot wasn't much stronger. This time, a kidnapped little girl's grandfather turns out to be not what the NCIS team expected, and he gets in the way of their investigation into her disappearance. It wasn't that it was overly complex or overly simple or anything like that. It just wasn't that interesting. Is it possible NCIS is running out of interesting cases, or was this one just a little weak?
But then the cases have never been why I tuned in to NCIS each week. I do that because I'm completely in love with the characters, and I love to watch them interact with each other. And, in that respect, this episode was certainly worth the time. It was intern week at NCIS, and each section of the team had a college student to teach. Most of the focus was on McGee and his intern Conrad (played by Greek's Zack Lively), who really didn't want to be there. It was wonderful to see McGee, who's done a considerable amount of growing up since he first appeared on the show, with a probie of his own... even if it was just for now. Not only did it emphasize the changes in McGee, but it was good to get some fresh blood into the bullpen. Whether Lively will start making regular appearances seems unlikely, but it might be good for them to introduce a new cast member to shake things up a little.
The intern in the morgue created an interesting kind of story for Palmer, who didn't appear until midway through the episode to find his place at Ducky's side may have been usurped. The new girl shared Ducky's love for long, rambling stories and Scottish music, and poor Palmer wasn't sure what to do with that. I was mildly amused by his quest to find a new place at NCIS, but I mostly just felt bad for him. For awhile I really thought they were grooming him to take Ducky's place, but now I'm not so sure. Hopefully this episode was an anomaly, and Palmer will go back to being the autospsy gremlin we all know and love next episode.
The final intern was in Abby's lab. Abby, it must be said, has had some bad experiences with people in her lab, and she was not happy about having an intern... especially one with a little crush on her. I do love seeing Abby flustered. She takes her normal level of over-caffeinated and doubles it, and it's always fun to watch the reactions of the people she's talking to, especially Gibbs, who just takes it all in stride and fixes it with a word or two.
The secret to NCIS's success is focusing on personality stories instead of case ones. When the plot is more centered on what the team is doing, they're engaging, humorous and sometimes dramatic. When it's more about solving a murder, they tend to come off as a little dry and sometimes trite. NCIS certainly hasn't lasted for eight seasons by exclusively sticking to one of those methods, but the episodes are definitely more enjoyable when they don't spend a lot of time worrying about creating and solving a complex crime.
For more crime TV news, follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Email me at NewarkCrimeTV@gmail.com.
My Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Thursday, April 29, 2010
NCIS - Moonlighting
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: Gibbs and Fornell work together when an NCIS polygraph specialist's night job is connected to murder.
Review: This was probably my favorite NCIS episode in a long time, and not just because loyal fans of the McGee and Abby relationship were finally thrown a bone.
It seems like the pieces are finally starting to click back into place for NCIS. I'm not sure what happened between the season premiere (which some may remember I declared to be the best episode of the series) and now, but it's been rough going for awhile. The episodes have felt forced, the cases have been boring and unnecessarily complicated, and everything's just been a little... off.
I remarked that the last new episode felt like NCIS was on an upswing, getting back some of the mojo it had lost, and, after seeing this episode, I think it's back on top. This episode made me remember why I loved this show. The banter was light-hearted and funny, the case was a pleasant sidenote, and Gibbs had his sense of humor back! I don't know about you guys, but I sorely missed the dry wit that it Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And Gibbs bantering with FBI Agent Tobias Fornell is just ten times better.
I used to have a sort of love/hate relationship with Fornell, but somewhere along the way I realized he makes the episodes he's really awesome. His relationship with Gibbs has evolved throughout the seasons, and it's nice to see Gibbs just be someone's friend. I know he and Ducky have been friends forever too, but their relationship is somehow different, in a way I haven't been able to put into words (I know, and they pay me to write?).
This episode also saw the return of McGee-stalker/polygraph technician Susan Grady. If you remember, she's the one who told McGee he had to retake his polygraph test so she could ask him if he had a girlfriend. In this episode, it was her second job that was possibly involved in the murder of a petty officer... which meant Gibbs wanted McGee to interview her.
Susan is... a weird character. She's kind of a mess. She's emotionally all over the map, and she has the people skills of a slightly moldy block of cheese. Yet she's an oddly pathetic character, and I found myself feeling bad for her and growing to (almost) like her by the end.
Also, please let me take a moment to let the fangirl part of me give a squeal about how jealous Abby got over Susan. I liked this episode for a number of reasons, but definitely my favorite scene was the one where Tony, Ziva and Ducky are giving Abby a hard time about McGee and Susan. And then the subsequent scene where she goes back to her lab and finds the two of them there. For those of us who've been waiting for Abby to realize she's been crazy about McGee since season 1, this was a good episode.
OK, I promise that's all about that for now. I anticipate plenty of opportunities to do that again in the next few episodes.
I'm also pleased with the way they've been using Palmer lately. I love the little autopsy gremlin, and I love that he has a hot girlfriend. Of course, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with her, because no one on NCIS ever has a girlfriend (or boyfriend) who's not going to die or trying to kill them. With the exception of Lt. Col. Mann. And that one that Ducky wore different ties for, but we never met her so she doesn't count.
Of course, having Palmer show up more and (especially) interact with Gibbs more, only reinforces my theory that Ducky's on his way out. I've had a gut feeling for about half the season that Ducky was thinking about resigning at the end of it, but I've not proof to back it up. So I guess we'll find out about that in a few weeks.
This episode didn't have a whole lot of negatives, and it made me really anticipate the next few weeks. I think all the episodes are new from now until the season finale (finally), so I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing what happens next.
What'd you guys think? Was it worth wait of all the reruns that have been on lately? Are you as excited about the season finale as I am? Leave a comment and let me know.
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: Gibbs and Fornell work together when an NCIS polygraph specialist's night job is connected to murder.
Review: This was probably my favorite NCIS episode in a long time, and not just because loyal fans of the McGee and Abby relationship were finally thrown a bone.
It seems like the pieces are finally starting to click back into place for NCIS. I'm not sure what happened between the season premiere (which some may remember I declared to be the best episode of the series) and now, but it's been rough going for awhile. The episodes have felt forced, the cases have been boring and unnecessarily complicated, and everything's just been a little... off.
I remarked that the last new episode felt like NCIS was on an upswing, getting back some of the mojo it had lost, and, after seeing this episode, I think it's back on top. This episode made me remember why I loved this show. The banter was light-hearted and funny, the case was a pleasant sidenote, and Gibbs had his sense of humor back! I don't know about you guys, but I sorely missed the dry wit that it Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And Gibbs bantering with FBI Agent Tobias Fornell is just ten times better.
I used to have a sort of love/hate relationship with Fornell, but somewhere along the way I realized he makes the episodes he's really awesome. His relationship with Gibbs has evolved throughout the seasons, and it's nice to see Gibbs just be someone's friend. I know he and Ducky have been friends forever too, but their relationship is somehow different, in a way I haven't been able to put into words (I know, and they pay me to write?).
This episode also saw the return of McGee-stalker/polygraph technician Susan Grady. If you remember, she's the one who told McGee he had to retake his polygraph test so she could ask him if he had a girlfriend. In this episode, it was her second job that was possibly involved in the murder of a petty officer... which meant Gibbs wanted McGee to interview her.
Susan is... a weird character. She's kind of a mess. She's emotionally all over the map, and she has the people skills of a slightly moldy block of cheese. Yet she's an oddly pathetic character, and I found myself feeling bad for her and growing to (almost) like her by the end.
Also, please let me take a moment to let the fangirl part of me give a squeal about how jealous Abby got over Susan. I liked this episode for a number of reasons, but definitely my favorite scene was the one where Tony, Ziva and Ducky are giving Abby a hard time about McGee and Susan. And then the subsequent scene where she goes back to her lab and finds the two of them there. For those of us who've been waiting for Abby to realize she's been crazy about McGee since season 1, this was a good episode.
OK, I promise that's all about that for now. I anticipate plenty of opportunities to do that again in the next few episodes.
I'm also pleased with the way they've been using Palmer lately. I love the little autopsy gremlin, and I love that he has a hot girlfriend. Of course, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with her, because no one on NCIS ever has a girlfriend (or boyfriend) who's not going to die or trying to kill them. With the exception of Lt. Col. Mann. And that one that Ducky wore different ties for, but we never met her so she doesn't count.
Of course, having Palmer show up more and (especially) interact with Gibbs more, only reinforces my theory that Ducky's on his way out. I've had a gut feeling for about half the season that Ducky was thinking about resigning at the end of it, but I've not proof to back it up. So I guess we'll find out about that in a few weeks.
This episode didn't have a whole lot of negatives, and it made me really anticipate the next few weeks. I think all the episodes are new from now until the season finale (finally), so I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing what happens next.
What'd you guys think? Was it worth wait of all the reruns that have been on lately? Are you as excited about the season finale as I am? Leave a comment and let me know.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
NCIS - Guilty Pleasure
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: The death of a Navy officer is linked to a prostitute, and the team asks for help from a D.C. Madam, Holly Snow. Guest starring Dina Meyer.
Review: Aw, this was a fun episode.
I mean, sure, it started with a guy getting hit by a car after being stabbed multiple times, but it pretty quickly devolved into the character banter it's so good at. From the get-go, McGee and Tony are the middle of a little spat--the "seven year bitch," as Ziva says. It lasts for the whole episode.
It is probably the funniest thing I've seen on this show in a long, long time.
McGee gets jealous because Tony's hanging out with Detective McCadden. And Tony's mad because McGee wouldn't be his wingman and help him pick up a girl at a museum. So they spend the entire episode sniping at each other like teenage girls, while Ziva watches and laughs at them (as well she should).
It was fun to see tension on the show that wasn't between Tony and Ziva. Or Gibbs and Allison Hart. Or Gibbs and a CGIS agent. Or Gibbs and... any woman who walks onto the show (really, how many almost-romances does he need to be in?).
Speaking of almost-romances, this episode marked the return of the DC Madam Holly Snow. Did anyone else completely forget the previous episode she was in until midway through this one? And did anyone else think she was way cooler this time than she was last time? She was kind of a really sweet character. I actually felt pretty bad for her through the whole thing.
I also really appreciated that Tony was more serious in this episode than he's been in awhile, almost on par with the Tony of the first couple seasons. Tony's always been the comic relief of the show, but he used to work hard behind-the-scenes, surprising his co-workers by behind a step ahead of them. Recently, he's been all funny and not enough seriousness. McGee usually does all the real work, and Tony and Ziva go pick up potential suspects. It was nice to see Tony doing some of the work this time.
There were a couple other really funny moments. Like when Tony went undercover as a John to trap a prostitute and was hopelessly out of his element that it was actually kind of surprising. Or Abby realized McGee was jealous of Tony's "man-mance" with McCadden and tried to get Gibbs to give him a hug.
But there were a couple off moments as well. Like when Abby tried to confront Holly about her prostitution, but only managed to stand there awkwardly while Holly did most of the talking. Or Gibbs charged in like a white knight, gun a-blazing at the end of the episode.
It seems like NCIS is on a bit of an upswing again, with this episode and the last being generally pretty good. I still don't feel like I'm anticipating it quite the same way I was at the beginning of the series, but there are still a few episodes left for them to win me back, and the episodes are certainly enjoyable to watch.
Do you feel the same way too, or is it just me? What'd you think of this episode? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Want more NCIS news? Follow NewarkCrimeTV on Twitter.
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: The death of a Navy officer is linked to a prostitute, and the team asks for help from a D.C. Madam, Holly Snow. Guest starring Dina Meyer.
Review: Aw, this was a fun episode.
I mean, sure, it started with a guy getting hit by a car after being stabbed multiple times, but it pretty quickly devolved into the character banter it's so good at. From the get-go, McGee and Tony are the middle of a little spat--the "seven year bitch," as Ziva says. It lasts for the whole episode.
It is probably the funniest thing I've seen on this show in a long, long time.
McGee gets jealous because Tony's hanging out with Detective McCadden. And Tony's mad because McGee wouldn't be his wingman and help him pick up a girl at a museum. So they spend the entire episode sniping at each other like teenage girls, while Ziva watches and laughs at them (as well she should).
It was fun to see tension on the show that wasn't between Tony and Ziva. Or Gibbs and Allison Hart. Or Gibbs and a CGIS agent. Or Gibbs and... any woman who walks onto the show (really, how many almost-romances does he need to be in?).
Speaking of almost-romances, this episode marked the return of the DC Madam Holly Snow. Did anyone else completely forget the previous episode she was in until midway through this one? And did anyone else think she was way cooler this time than she was last time? She was kind of a really sweet character. I actually felt pretty bad for her through the whole thing.
I also really appreciated that Tony was more serious in this episode than he's been in awhile, almost on par with the Tony of the first couple seasons. Tony's always been the comic relief of the show, but he used to work hard behind-the-scenes, surprising his co-workers by behind a step ahead of them. Recently, he's been all funny and not enough seriousness. McGee usually does all the real work, and Tony and Ziva go pick up potential suspects. It was nice to see Tony doing some of the work this time.
There were a couple other really funny moments. Like when Tony went undercover as a John to trap a prostitute and was hopelessly out of his element that it was actually kind of surprising. Or Abby realized McGee was jealous of Tony's "man-mance" with McCadden and tried to get Gibbs to give him a hug.
But there were a couple off moments as well. Like when Abby tried to confront Holly about her prostitution, but only managed to stand there awkwardly while Holly did most of the talking. Or Gibbs charged in like a white knight, gun a-blazing at the end of the episode.
It seems like NCIS is on a bit of an upswing again, with this episode and the last being generally pretty good. I still don't feel like I'm anticipating it quite the same way I was at the beginning of the series, but there are still a few episodes left for them to win me back, and the episodes are certainly enjoyable to watch.
Do you feel the same way too, or is it just me? What'd you think of this episode? Leave me a comment and let me know.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010
NCIS - Jurisdiction
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: The team investigates the murder of a Navy diver, and they work with their Coast Guard equivalent (CGIS), with whom they find some striking similarities.
Review: I have mixed feelings about this episode of NCIS. On the one hand, it was funny and engaging in a way that the last few episodes haven't been. On the other hand, it was an old gag and, overall, not a particularly strong episode.
This season has hit both the highs and lows of NCIS. The first few episodes were amazing, even if they lacked the witty banter that has become a staple of the show. But recently it seems to be struggling a little. The cases, which were never the strongest part of an episode, are lackluster, and even the characters seem to be off just enough to leave me wanting more from each episodes.
On the positive side of this episode, Gibbs' character seemed to settle back a little closer to the way he used to be (pre-season 6 finale). He's still a man of few words, but the wicked sense of humor he had in the first couple seasons was back (throwing the keys into the middle of the bullpen to let the agents fight over them, his little verbal sparring session with Tony, etc.). Even his possibly-romantically-charged interaction with CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (played by Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal) was reminiscent of the Gibbs of old (and could it mean that he's done fooling around with Rena Sofer? Please?).
Other positives: a frustrated Abby = a funny Abby. Abby, for all her eccentricities, is usually confident, capable and completely in control (to be unnecessarily alliterative). When she breaks, it always makes for a good laugh. On the slight negative, however, where was Mortimer? You don't train a seeing eye dog in a week. And he was so cute! I know it's expensive (and troublesome) to have a puppy on the set, but I was kind of hoping he'd be back.
Positive (mostly): Tony and Ziva. Aside from a completely really blatant "oh, we might be in a relationship, but if not, we're just going lay on the sexual tension extra thick" moments, it was fun to watch the two of them together again. The scene where they checked out Lt. Jensen's storage locker was my favorite of the episode, and the last scene had a sweet feeling that's been seriously lacking since Jeanne showed up a few seasons ago.
Negative: Ducky. The bow ties were back, and with them was a melancholy attitude that only serves to reinforce my theory that something big is going to happen to Ducky (like potentially a retirement) by the end of the season. Now, Ducky fans, don't get all excited yet. I have absolutely no proof to back this up, just a Gibbs-style gut feeling. So we'll see.
Positive: Palmer. This little dude has been growing on me since he came on the show, and now he's pretty much cemented a place as one of my favorite characters. Especially now that he's got a hot new girlfriend, he's gained so much confidence. He can hold his own in a verbal battle against Tony. Plus he makes completely inappropriate comments at completely inappropriate times. He's really kind of wonderful.
Slight positive: The case. It was actually pretty good for once, even if it was a little predictable.
Negative: The gag. This is the second NCIS episode in a row that I feel like I've seen before. In this case, there was an episode in season 1 or 2 where they met a local PD that seemed to basically be their clones. In this episode, it's just the CGIS agent in charge who's a Gibbs-clone. It had some funny moments, but it felt tired. (For those who are curious, the other episode was the guy with two wives, which I'm pretty sure they did before, but I can't remember which episode.)
Overall, not a bad episode, but not an amazing one either. I feel like I'm watching so many crime shows that have the same gimmick (the cowboy-ish lead agent and his witty band of absurdly loyal followers) that NCIS needs to do something to stand out from a crowd that includes The Mentalist, White Collar and Lie to Me. The season's starting to wind down now, so I'm eagerly anticipating the next few episode, and I hope they don't disappoint.
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: The team investigates the murder of a Navy diver, and they work with their Coast Guard equivalent (CGIS), with whom they find some striking similarities.
Review: I have mixed feelings about this episode of NCIS. On the one hand, it was funny and engaging in a way that the last few episodes haven't been. On the other hand, it was an old gag and, overall, not a particularly strong episode.
This season has hit both the highs and lows of NCIS. The first few episodes were amazing, even if they lacked the witty banter that has become a staple of the show. But recently it seems to be struggling a little. The cases, which were never the strongest part of an episode, are lackluster, and even the characters seem to be off just enough to leave me wanting more from each episodes.
On the positive side of this episode, Gibbs' character seemed to settle back a little closer to the way he used to be (pre-season 6 finale). He's still a man of few words, but the wicked sense of humor he had in the first couple seasons was back (throwing the keys into the middle of the bullpen to let the agents fight over them, his little verbal sparring session with Tony, etc.). Even his possibly-romantically-charged interaction with CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (played by Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal) was reminiscent of the Gibbs of old (and could it mean that he's done fooling around with Rena Sofer? Please?).
Other positives: a frustrated Abby = a funny Abby. Abby, for all her eccentricities, is usually confident, capable and completely in control (to be unnecessarily alliterative). When she breaks, it always makes for a good laugh. On the slight negative, however, where was Mortimer? You don't train a seeing eye dog in a week. And he was so cute! I know it's expensive (and troublesome) to have a puppy on the set, but I was kind of hoping he'd be back.
Positive (mostly): Tony and Ziva. Aside from a completely really blatant "oh, we might be in a relationship, but if not, we're just going lay on the sexual tension extra thick" moments, it was fun to watch the two of them together again. The scene where they checked out Lt. Jensen's storage locker was my favorite of the episode, and the last scene had a sweet feeling that's been seriously lacking since Jeanne showed up a few seasons ago.
Negative: Ducky. The bow ties were back, and with them was a melancholy attitude that only serves to reinforce my theory that something big is going to happen to Ducky (like potentially a retirement) by the end of the season. Now, Ducky fans, don't get all excited yet. I have absolutely no proof to back this up, just a Gibbs-style gut feeling. So we'll see.
Positive: Palmer. This little dude has been growing on me since he came on the show, and now he's pretty much cemented a place as one of my favorite characters. Especially now that he's got a hot new girlfriend, he's gained so much confidence. He can hold his own in a verbal battle against Tony. Plus he makes completely inappropriate comments at completely inappropriate times. He's really kind of wonderful.
Slight positive: The case. It was actually pretty good for once, even if it was a little predictable.
Negative: The gag. This is the second NCIS episode in a row that I feel like I've seen before. In this case, there was an episode in season 1 or 2 where they met a local PD that seemed to basically be their clones. In this episode, it's just the CGIS agent in charge who's a Gibbs-clone. It had some funny moments, but it felt tired. (For those who are curious, the other episode was the guy with two wives, which I'm pretty sure they did before, but I can't remember which episode.)
Overall, not a bad episode, but not an amazing one either. I feel like I'm watching so many crime shows that have the same gimmick (the cowboy-ish lead agent and his witty band of absurdly loyal followers) that NCIS needs to do something to stand out from a crowd that includes The Mentalist, White Collar and Lie to Me. The season's starting to wind down now, so I'm eagerly anticipating the next few episode, and I hope they don't disappoint.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
NCIS - Jack Knife
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 a Marine is found dead, the team hits the road to bust an illegal trucking operation.
Review: This was an odd episode. Start to finish, it was quite unlike any NCIS episode I've seen before. For one thing, while there was a murder of a Marine, the bulk of this episode had very little to do with murder or Marines. It was about a possibly illegal trucking operation that possibly employed a few Marines.
Remember Corporal Damon Werth? The super-soldier from a couple seasons ago who came back a few episodes ago to save the team's collective butts? The one Ziva had a thing for? Well, he's back. And our favorite FBI agent, Tobias Fornell? He's back too (with facial hair). I have to admit, just having Fornell there made Gibbs a more likable character again. I don't know what's been up with him lately, but he's been even surlier than normal.
Also, McGee has taken to being Gibbs' personal slave. He feels bad about Gibbs getting hurt while saving his life, so he's running around doing anything and everything Gibbs could possibly need. Which means getting very little sleep. Which means a way over-caffeinated McGee. Which was hilarious.
Also also, if Tony and Ziva aren't sleeping together, I'll be shocked. There are just way too many inside jokes and secret looks for them to be teetering on the brink still. The tension is no longer unresolved; it's a different kind of tension now. The kind that TV couples have when they're in a relationship that no one else can know about (see The Mentalist's Rigsby and Van Pelt for a good example).
This was a fun little episode. Not much in the way of substance, but it seemed like the writers were stepping back and making sure all the characters were still likable. For the last few episodes, there's always been at least one character who was acting unnecessarily obnoxious or snarky. It was nice to see everyone get back to where they should be. They've also set up a nice story with Gibbs and McGee that I feel could be leading up to a good moment between the two. Not quite a 5-star episode, but definitely enjoyable to watch.
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Summary: When a Marine is found dead, the team hits the road to bust an illegal trucking operation.
Review: This was an odd episode. Start to finish, it was quite unlike any NCIS episode I've seen before. For one thing, while there was a murder of a Marine, the bulk of this episode had very little to do with murder or Marines. It was about a possibly illegal trucking operation that possibly employed a few Marines.
Remember Corporal Damon Werth? The super-soldier from a couple seasons ago who came back a few episodes ago to save the team's collective butts? The one Ziva had a thing for? Well, he's back. And our favorite FBI agent, Tobias Fornell? He's back too (with facial hair). I have to admit, just having Fornell there made Gibbs a more likable character again. I don't know what's been up with him lately, but he's been even surlier than normal.
Also, McGee has taken to being Gibbs' personal slave. He feels bad about Gibbs getting hurt while saving his life, so he's running around doing anything and everything Gibbs could possibly need. Which means getting very little sleep. Which means a way over-caffeinated McGee. Which was hilarious.
Also also, if Tony and Ziva aren't sleeping together, I'll be shocked. There are just way too many inside jokes and secret looks for them to be teetering on the brink still. The tension is no longer unresolved; it's a different kind of tension now. The kind that TV couples have when they're in a relationship that no one else can know about (see The Mentalist's Rigsby and Van Pelt for a good example).
This was a fun little episode. Not much in the way of substance, but it seemed like the writers were stepping back and making sure all the characters were still likable. For the last few episodes, there's always been at least one character who was acting unnecessarily obnoxious or snarky. It was nice to see everyone get back to where they should be. They've also set up a nice story with Gibbs and McGee that I feel could be leading up to a good moment between the two. Not quite a 5-star episode, but definitely enjoyable to watch.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
NCIS - Jetlag
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.
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 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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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.
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.
Friday, October 23, 2009
NCIS - Truth or Consequences
Network: CBS
Where should I start? Let's start with Tony. Michael Weatherly gave one of his best performances in this one. We got to see NCIS through Tony's eyes through a series of monologues and, let's face it, monologuing is hard. Actors feed off each other; that's why good dialogue works so well. Without having someone else's emotions and words to play off, Weatherly was forced to do it all himself. Not only did he have to keep his character recognizably Tony (after seven years, fans would be able to sense if he was out of character), but he had to act like all this information was being squeezed out of him by truth serum. And it worked, on all levels (especially when he was talking to Ziva towards the end and his voice got really high and tight like he was trying so hard to keep the words in).
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll
Creator: Donald Bellisario
Summary: When we last left our heroes, the team was in disarray. After finding out that Tony killed her boyfriend, a fellow Mossad operative, Ziva was called back to Israel to deal with the fallout. Gibbs, Tony and Director Vance followed. After several different confrontations, Ziva told Gibbs she could no longer work with Tony, and he had to choose which one of them to transfer. Gibbs looked very apologetic as he said goodbye to Ziva, and they returned to the States without her. Just when we thought it couldn't get worse than that, with moments left to the season finale, we found out Ziva was captured (somehow, somewhere, doing something), and she is now being tortured for information about NCIS.
Review: I'm going to start off with this: best NCIS episode ever. Having seen every episode at least twice, I can offer my expert opinion on this subject. Without a doubt, hands down, best episode.
Where should I start? Let's start with Tony. Michael Weatherly gave one of his best performances in this one. We got to see NCIS through Tony's eyes through a series of monologues and, let's face it, monologuing is hard. Actors feed off each other; that's why good dialogue works so well. Without having someone else's emotions and words to play off, Weatherly was forced to do it all himself. Not only did he have to keep his character recognizably Tony (after seven years, fans would be able to sense if he was out of character), but he had to act like all this information was being squeezed out of him by truth serum. And it worked, on all levels (especially when he was talking to Ziva towards the end and his voice got really high and tight like he was trying so hard to keep the words in).
P.S. Major props to Don Bellisario and the writing staff for recapping everything we already know and making it fresh with a first person point of view instead of our usual omniscient third person. It had the dual benefits of keeping it interesting (and entertaining!) and drawing us deeper into the story than we usually are when we're objective observers.
Let's talk about the McGee/DiNozzo relationship for a few minutes, shall we? Being down a team member has clearly been good to McGee. Sometime over the summer, he grew a pair and became a much better developed character than we've ever seen before. Fans of the show are used to the nervous, stuttering McGee, who still--five/six years later--gets easily duped by Tony. And, yes, he's been growing up steadily since he first became a member of the team all those years ago. But this first episode showed a brand new side to him. He's not Tony's probie anymore, despite was DiNozzo still calls him. They're much more like equals, and it's a welcome change. Not only does it open the door to some funny situations, but the chemistry between them is better than ever before. Weatherly and Sean Murray have always worked well together, but it seemed like they were their best yet in this episode.
And, for once, an episode with great character interaction and dialogue was not lacking in plot. There's a whole terrorist thing going on in this one, and I actually managed to follow it! One of my long-time problems with NCIS has been that they have two settings: super-easy and way-too-complicated. Either I figure out the cases in the first fifteen minutes, or I can't figure them out after having watched them two or three times. It's okay, because I didn't fall in love with this show because of the plots; I fell in love with the characters and their interaction with each other. As long as that is working, everything else is gravy. But this was one of the few episodes that kept me interested in both the plot and the characters, and that's why I think it was the best episode yet.
NCIS is one of the few shows I've seen that has gotten better with age. Most shows start dying out around or slightly before season 7 (if they make it this far). If they last much past this, their audience usually shrinks. But the NCIS audience is growing, and it's for good reason. This show was too complicated in the first couple seasons, trying to explain all these complex characters and their relationships while still maintaining crime-solving plot lines. Persistence paid off though, because eventually we fell in love with the characters. After that, the rest started to click into place.
This is my most highly anticipated show of the season. I like the other things I'm watching, but I don't feel the same compulsion to watch any of them as I do NCIS. In fact, I haven't felt this way since 2005, when Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip aired its lone season (and talk about a show that got canceled prematurely! But that's a conversation for a different time and place). I'm excited to see where this season will take us.
Rating (this episode):
[1] Run in the other direction
[2] Don't bother
[3] Worth a watch if you've got nothing better to do
[4] Definitely try it out
[5] A total keeper
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