Poohpoohpooh

“Love Lost” – NCIS must investigate the Secretary of the Navy when her husband claims she tried to murder him, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, Nov. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

Indeed, they have to climb each featured flight of stairs (9th, 12th, 15th) multiple times due to the magic of TV needing multiple takes per scene for each coverage angle. For anyone who wants to play, here's my theory on Diane-Kurt this season if Gary Cole wasn't known to be very busy on NCIS while s6 was written: - s6 opens with Diane AND KURT returning together from the vacation they took at the end of s5. lovey dovey as they were out of the loop with US politics while in Italy. - mid season arc: big marital riff due to <insert 1-2 political tension events> - season still ends with D & K staying married, for fan service. - they would have tapped Gary Cole to appear as much as he did in s5. They wouldn't have added the John Slattery character (he is expensive on the budget and they made full use of him for the money's worth) - I wonder if Gary Cole's future unavailability has a small part in TGF ending... Seems like a good place to end their marriage storyline "happily ever after".

It was really up in the air who Diane would choose, and the showrunners made it fan service by having her choose Kurt, even though they still don't know how to make their marriage work ("sex and pasta"). Comedic and sadistic to make poor Gary Cole (66) and John Slattery (60) do so many stairs, that's rough on their knees! They both had superb, subtle comedy together. They were in Desperate Housewives season 4 together, but don't think they had scenes together. Loved Lyle's "wtf!" shrugs to Kurt's abrupt, man-of-one-words demeanor.

Fun, twisty episode. My first time seeing person who discovers body = the killer. Cool twist with the messy morphing into "im sosorry". And the gotcha that bad Italian accent acting was a deliberate bad accent. CSI V puts a lot of time, money, and effort into the cool visual effects. The opening sequence of the reckless bike ride is memorable. Makes me sad that this show is on the bubble (might be cancelled, per spoilerTV predictor) and is clearly not CBS' Golden child. Meanwhile, outdated cheese like the original NCIS still has high viewership, where those characters stomp around the orange squad room talking at the plasma TV. I hate myself for watching NCIS but... Gary Cole! Case was interesting enough that it didn't need Marg. Maybe she wasn't in this ep to save $$$ (stars get paid per episode). "NCIS LA" mandated that each main star NOT appear in 4 episodes this season. I'm assuming for budget reasons, definitely a death keel for "NCIS LA".

I enjoy Kasie (she has hilarious delivery) and the current cast is refreshing, but what a lightweight, popcorn forgettable episode. It smells of a show from 2000's , not a current-day-show. At this point ncis is written as nostalgia sadness. "Ooh look, a caf-pow mug at the water cooler! Lurve Abby and "McGeek"! Thank u show!" I'm glad that early bets (based on the first 5 episodes, not this one) have NCIS predicted as being renewed for next season, because I enjoy seeing Gary Cole in a leading role as the cool agent. His character has many more stories to tell yet. (https://tvline.com/lists/cancelled-renewed-tv-shows-list-2023-scorecard/#more-1234889336)

I wonder if they have retconned Catherine's daughter-relationship story more times, or if they have changed the actress for the daughter Lindsey more times. The daughter actress in this ep/this season was a good actor imo.

Yes, I rewatched and inspected. It's nail polish remover (I checked with google translate) he uses to remove the adhesive on the crime scene seal-off tape. He could have just googled the closest German walgreens himself, but I'm all for any excuse to show Parker's quirky comic side to the viewers/team/VANCE (lol), and also any reminder of his juvie delinquent past!

I was moved almost to tears by Parker and Vance open up about their profound loneliness (without using those words). Vance saying the interpol conference was the "best part of his year", coming from the high ranking Director. Parker admitting his hobbies as distractions, being the more stoic one. The most dramatic and emotional episode for Parker yet. Almost felt like I was watching him on The Good Fight here seeing the complex man behind the gruff agent. And of course Gary Cole switches easily into sitcom-delivery mode in this too. Cool case. I thought girlfriend would wind up innocent of stealing the diamond money, since the team were so insistent she was guilty. And fresh not to have a cheesy cold open of strangers discovering a dead body. Since this season insists on character-centric eps, it's good they are using the ex-partner (who are one & done, as viewers don't care about) as secondary plot device, and focusing on deepening the intra-agency replationships, like Parker-Kasie, Parker-Fornell.

This was definitely a starring-Folsom episode. Why not? He's the leading man of the show (Cath and Max are for sure above him on the cast list though). I wonder how many minor season arcs the writers will simply drop and forget: Allie's Jeff Bezos stalker? Folsom's meth childhood buddy could be a small arc, or not. Nice touch that Allie told him to value childhood friendships. I enjoyed the COTW. Slightly similar to a CSI episode (season 4?): some Jackass was illegally shooting targets in his backyard, accidentally aims upwards, hits and kills a lady on the street who was with her ex-husband and boyfriend. My main show in NCIS as Gary Cole is as intriguing as early Gil Grissom as a character imo. But cast nonwithstanding, I have to say CSI is the much better show. Fancy shots, and good writing with the suspects/killers. This episode made me feel some way with the guilty teen and his grandma. Maybe this even mirrors Folsom's troubled upbringing (sorry writers, no one will dig that deep for this iteration of CSI). NCIS on the other hand, has... Forgettable squadroom cringey banter.

^heh, I was the one who emailed in the Vivian question as I love all things Parker, and I thought Teri Polo did a phenomenal job in the s20 premiere as "ex-wife with marital baggage". So I got my answer that the next Parker-centric episode (due soon...) will not involve Vivian. Showrunner likely got spooked by the unseasonably low premiere ratings (with the cursed Hawaii croxxover...) and might prefer to bring back fan fave faces for now like more Fornell hopefully. btw, episode 6, airing 10/24, is titled THE GOOD FIGHTer and that has to be a Parker-centric episode. A cheesy play on Cole's role in The Good Fight on Paramount now? http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/ncis/listings/

I am glad this over JessJimmy episode is over and done with, at least for the first half of the season. I'm sure it's a popular pairing among fans as they are both likable characters, but it was so snoozey with so many relationships-chatter scenes. Storyline only got interesting when bad-guy-doctor showed up at the diner to surrender. With this formulaic "character centric" rotation this season, I'm glad at least Parker (who has not had his -centric episode since the Raven premiere) is at least given substantial scenes each episode to show his charisma and eccentricity. And show how he's a good boss, even to ex-boyfriend Gage. I pity McGee fans, the show uses him as set decoration almost. There IS a new episode next Monday, CBS just dropped the ball and neglected to show the new promo at the end of this episode.

I'm really blown away by the fancy camera shots/effects this season. Maybe in s1 too? Can't recall. I mainly watch NCIS for Gary Cole, which has basic and forgettable camera work. Folsom is gorgeous (a la Nick Stokes in the og series but in a different way). Looks like an older Tom Holland in the mouth area. Likable character too, I didn't pay attention to him in s1 but wow. Surprised he's not getting more buzz on social media, but network shows don't get the same viewership anymore, and I get the sense CSIV isn't at the top of CBS' ratings and promotion. Cath's case is way more interesting than s1's Anson Wix/ Hodges framing imo. They're making Allie short-fused and snappy like early Sara Sidle and well, Sara became a fan favorite. I'm neutral on the Sara and Allie explosive type of characters. Imo, the most memorable actors were CSI rookie Beau and Gene (Jeff Bezos stalker).

Torres = dead acting unironically. Parker = deadpan. Parker = also dead acting, when he was interviewed by the media (reminded me of his rigid Veep character Kent Davison).

We have the geniuses on redit wondering how the 3-way crossover will happen since LA airs on Sunday while the other two air on... Monday. That's the quality of discussion there, folks. Not missing anything.

They've done this "background character is killer" trope before. S18 I think? (Gibbs, Bishop, Jack Sloane were in the episode). Serial killer goes dormant, resurfaces after many years. This killer keeps teeth of the victims. Ncis has teeth mailed anonymously to them, they suspect a guy. Turns of killer is his wife who was a "background silent character". Showrunner Steve Binder said this season will focus on characters. Ep 1 (Raven conclusion): Parker acting dramatic like his The Good Fight character lol. Ep2 (cheese) = this is definitely a McGes ep (he deserves it). Ep 3 (no spoilers) looks to be a Torrezzz " continuation of his issues" episode. Ep 4 (no spoilers), reportedly Knight and Jimmy's turn. I'm not a fan of this formulaic rotation as I'm here for Parker.

Wow that was a good episode. Interesting enough case (victim being killed had nothing to do with her being a dominatrix). The "yapper" shrink was so suspicious. Intriguing reason to bring Catherine back with the "Grace Wong" mystery. Much more interesting than I imagined from what tv guide said about "Catherine's dad casino". New CSI Beau (clearly the smart comic relief) is interesting and funny, imo. CSI has always had a much more expensive and fancy " production value"/ cinematography than NCIS. This episode was fancily shot.

I was very impressed with this episode. Fun fact: the director for this ep is James Whitmore Jr (a longtime TV director) who is also a regular director on NCIS, and he has directed Gary Cole at least once on NCIS last season (he's plays the new lead agent). Really cool as I consider NCIS a forgettable popcorn procedural, but the same director delivers this unforgettable TGF episode.

Oh yeah, good fakeout with Peter Porte who's the most famous guest star (from Hallmark and soap opera). Nice to mix in this literally cheesy episode amidst the more dramatic character-angst ones. Something small is bugging me. The pre-season hype trailer had Parker saying "they're not just my team, they're my family". But in this episode, Parker simply told chatty Carter "if my SUV got blown up, I'd be thinking more about MY FAMILY". It's definitely the same scene, based on Parker's grey suit and hair parting style. Why did the trailer deceive us and have Gary Cole record a separate line about "they're not just my team, they're my family"? (Timestamped video here: 1min 19seconds)

“A Family Matter” – Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) is still on the run with his ex-wife Vivian (Teri Polo), so the team investigates who from his past might have a personal vendetta against him in hopes of clearing Parker’s name. Enlisting the help of NCIS: Hawai’i’s Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and Computer Specialist Ernie Malick (Jason Antoon), who are in town meeting with Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) in preparation for a global military exercise, the group tracks down their prime suspect, The Raven, on the CBS Original Series NCIS, Monday, Sept. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope I'm not stepping on toes setting up this episode thread, as this is the best and only forum for detailed discourse. So happy that Gary Cole & Teri Polo's chemistry shined today (they didn't have much chemistry in the s19 finale imo, but they are both strong actors!) So we find out the reason that Vivian divorced Parker is because he used to be hot-headed(?) and overprotective of her. But she still cares for him? And now Agent Parker is a much more chilled out boss (mostly). I had the headcanon they lost a young son together. The s19 finale said they had a happy marriage, and the loss of a young child has to be the absolute worst thing to a relationship. Also retconned that Fornell now knows Parker and Vivian much more closely than Parker & Fornell appeared to know each other in s19. Generic Mr. Baddie: once again, no continuity. Would have been awesome if the Raven was someone introduced/teased in s19 previously. But cool enough twists about Raven guy's plot and his jail breakout, and the Hawaii episode fleshed out Raven guy's backstory well enough.

First glimpse of Kurt this season on "zoom"! Gary Cole was still busy filming the previous season of NCIS in the spring when TGF s6 started filming, so I didn't expect to see Kurt in the early episodes. The old ploy of put the actor on " facetime"/"zoom" if they're unavailable to be in the same room. Calling it now: dear Kurt will only appear in 2 episodes in-person this season, one of which should be the series finale. Diane will stay married to Kurt to sendoff the series on a happy note in that regard, which will make the McHart pairing fans happy.

The new season of NCIS begins Monday 9/19, so they have finally released the promo teaser today. It is 1.5 minutes and combined with NCIS Hawaii. Footage is very skewed towards Hawaii folks. At the 1 minute mark, we see Parker say "take down that son of a b-". He looks to be in a bland hospital hallway backdrop. My bet is that his ex-wife Vivian (Teri Polo) was injured helping Parker. Can't wait!

TV guide has a small piece on Catherine's (Marg Helgenberger) return. The storyline is a "mystery at her dad's casino". Zzz. Didn't her dad Sam Braun die on the show? I was never a fan of his character, boring and calls her " Mugs" (sounded too much like Marg). Imo it was a boring storyline on the original series they kept rehashing (and now, again), and a lame portrayal of "Old Mob Vegas". Image and info from gsrsaragrissom on Instagram. Oh um, bonus pic of my fave Gary Cole just because, and because Grissom is gone now.

It's me the Parker fanatic, posting in this thread on occasion only. Hope more people will join the predictions fun when s20 starts! Prediction for Teri Polo's role (as Parker's ex-wife Vivian): she signed on to recur in s20, that's a known fact. I bet her character will eventually be good, and they will have a Gibbs/Fornell dynamic. I foresee her appearing in 4-5 episodes in s20, like Fornell did previously. So ultimately a funny duo who care for each other. Gary Cole and Polo can do really LOL comic deliveries without being try-hard. Maybe Vivian will be the straight foil (like Gibbs) while Parker is the kooky one (Fornell-ish) in that relationship. I might eat my words if Viv ends up bad. Predictions on s20e1: - they will have some flashback scenes that were unseen in the s19 finale. Parker was acting a bit cagey in the finale. Hope they show us scenes of Parker finding Vivian or discussing crucial Raven case things with her. - who planted the listening devices (bugs) in Parker's apartment that the FBI has a flimsy legal warrant for? I'm betting Vivian, as she's the only one with access to his home (being close friends still). Somehow I still think (hope) Vivian turns out good so these exes can have a fun (occasional) tv relationship. Waddaya think?

I hope he lasts at least 2 seasons. I will never understand it. Lots of actors never make it. To land a primetime network show is big money (even if it's "only" $25k per episode or whatever) and huge to any actor, why walk away so soon even if the creative environment is less-than-ideal? I meant to post this last week: I will miss Ortiz. He was low-key, calm, competent (as an actor & character), eye candy, and sorta a gym motivation (why a sniper gotta be so buff?) NCIS' new season is still saddled with Agent Wilmer Valderrama (zzz) despite rumors of his leaving much of last season. And boom, Ortiz leaves FBI:MW without any warning.

Heehee, I love discussing Gary Cole in any way or form! It will be fun for many to see Kurt shirtless again. The last time Gary Cole filmed an mmf threesome, iirc, was in an 80's movie "Kiss The Sky" with a young CSI's William Petersen and the lass was Sheryl Lee I believe. Cole and John Slattery were both recurring characters too in S4 of Desperate Housewives (I might rewatch on hulu). It's so funny how Slattery looks mostly the same, but Cole evolved from his "Office Space" look then into this silver fox now. To stay on topic, the EW interview I posted tells us the timeline for s6 starting. CHRISTINE BARANSKI: ... The wonderful thing is that the season starts with Diane coming back from an Italian vacation. When season 9 ended, she was going off [on vacation], having willfully demoted herself and stepping down from being a name partner. She agreed to step down and take an office downstairs. And she said, "I need a vacation." We see her come back from this vacation feeling like she really, for the first time, was not happy about getting on an airplane and having to come back into the fray. PS: in TGF s6, Kurt has a beard (Cole's same look he has on NCIS now).