S11.E19: Fortune Favors the Brave

[thewhiteowl]

While Sam investigates the murder of an Iranian he must also try to save a new agent who accidentally triggers a bomb.

[Gramto6]

If I were Nell, I'd quit too if they kept dressing me in the shit clothes they have been doing!

[KittenPokerCheater]

Everyone is either phoning it in or leaving the show.  I feel like on LL and the new kids are showing any kind of life.  TPTB need to cancel the show.

[preeya]

21 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Everyone is either phoning it in or leaving the show.  I feel like on LL and the new kids are showing any kind of life.  TPTB need to cancel the show.

Nell quits, Hetty returns, Callen takes a vacation, and a new agent is brought in. WTF?

What was Hetty burning in the little incinerator?

I agree with @KittenPokerCheater that TPTB should cancel it.

[Bobbin]

What's with Kensi Bligh and the matronly, no makeup look? It's unusual for adult actors to age out of the franchise, but that may be the case here. The mothership rotated out all but McGee and Gibbs. Maybe that's the plan here.

[LittlePeas3]

That episode was interesting.  What I would have liked to see was a Callen/Anna conversation discussing the fact that Hetty didn't aid Anna's name being cleared.  
I don't mind Roundtree (and I think I predicted a couple of episodes back they were going to make him an NCIS Agent), he seems pretty decent.

On the Nell front, seriously, we've been will she/won't she for ever so long now, and they finish it with Hetty saying take your leave and think about it.  FFS, just make up your mind already!  Knowing our luck, it was supposed to play out in episode 24 and that one didn't get made.  

While I will be sad if the show ends, I really need it sewn up neatly.  I don't think I will cope if it finishes on episode 23 this season when a 24th was written to wrap it up nicely.  

4 hours ago, Bobbin said:

What's with Kensi Bligh and the matronly, no makeup look? It's unusual for adult actors to age out of the franchise, but that may be the case here. The mothership rotated out all but McGee and Gibbs. Maybe that's the plan here.

I have been wondering about Kensi's make up for a while.  I noticed in some shots in this episode she looked quite nice, and in others, old. Maybe lots of things are being tightened, budget wise and the makeup department is one.  

I hope the next episode shows Deeks with his new hair cut!  He again looked beyond scruffy. 

[enoughcats]

Last night's episode seemed to me to be several hours long, not pleasant hours, but just slow moving long.

Two odd observations:  Hetty never stood up.

They are changing Nell into an old school dalek, that's why her hair is sloppy triangle shaped. I started wondering if she'd do a shimmy and nell would fall off.  (Now this would have been a heck of a Face Off challenge.)

But then I got hung up at the beginning of the new guy getting into the building without showing any ID.  Almost expected him to blow the place up.

[SamBeckett]

This is just me, but I've liked most of the episodes this season. Look, the problem with all shows is that they get old. Plus, with a show like this, there really isn't all that much they can do to shake things up. So, having said that, I do like the fact that this show — unlike the momma-ship, NCIS — the people on it are at least admitting that they might be getting old, or tired of it, or would like to do something else. It's natural. Jethro Gibbs IS NOT natural.

But yes, please do something with Hetty. I've been watching the reruns on whatever channel it's on, so I've gone through the seasons in relatively quick order. Based on what I've seen, I'm surprised the name of the show isn't "Where's Hetty?" because that's asked starting in Season 2 (TWO) and running through today. She comes and goes, but god forbid anyone should know where she is. Then with what she said to Callen about Anna last night, I honestly can't come up with a good reason he still likes/respects her. (I know, I know, spare me the reasons.) He asked a question. Answer him!!!!

I did find it odd that Deeks was so hard on himself about the "kid" sitting in the car. How many times have they jumped into the front seat WITHOUT checking for a bomb?

I can see this show transitioning into something where we might see Callen helming an episode with a team of newbies, then Sam, then maybe Deeks and Kensi. Then maybe we'll get one or two episode a year where they're all in it.

To answer someone's question above, I think Hetty was burning her file and passports. 

[Bobbin]

11 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

I hope the next episode shows Deeks with his new hair cut!  He again looked beyond scruffy

Deeks has changed in one way since his introduction as LAPD liaison and perpetually scruffy undercover agent. In the beginning he was risk- and action-averse. Now he is a sharp-shooter who is not afraid to pull the trigger and as willing to go to Eastern European and Middle East hot spots at a moment's notice as any of the agents. That transition kind of snuck up on us under the mop and stubble. 

[JayDub]

Good episode. The Hetty character has run it's course as well as Nell. The rest of the show was good.

[Rambler]

It was awfully nice of the bomber to put blinking red lights on all of his tripwires so Sam could spot them easier. Sort of defeats the purpose of having tripwires though. I imagine his neighbors out walking their dogs at night passing by and going "What's with this dude and all these blinking red lights in his windows."

[Notwisconsin]

Are they preparing to shut down the show?

[CheshireCat]

I enjoyed the episode more than I thought I would. I like that the show isn't taking itself too seriously at times. And while this show has never really been about character development, I did like that they had this small step in there for Callen.

I'm not sure if Renee Felice Smith wants to leave the show but if she doesn't, I'm really not sure what her story is all about. If anyone, I would have expected Kensi or Deeks to quit. They seemed to be going that route for a while.

[Gramto6]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:34 AM, Notwisconsin said:

Are they preparing to shut down the show?

I think a lot of shows are preparing to shut down or have done so already. The times we live in now just don't allow for the closeness of filming. The world has changed in so many ways,,,,,

[ymeagain]

On 3/30/2020 at 3:40 PM, Bobbin said:

Deeks has changed in one way since his introduction as LAPD liaison and perpetually scruffy undercover agent. In the beginning he was risk- and action-averse. Now he is a sharp-shooter who is not afraid to pull the trigger and as willing to go to Eastern European and Middle East hot spots at a moment's notice as any of the agents. That transition kind of snuck up on us under the mop and stubble. 

For me, Deeks is like Beale: one episode he's okay and the next he's a caricature of himself. First, I personally don't care about his "scruffy" look, but it's totally unrealistic for either LAPD or a federal agency. He's not undercover; he's just sloppy looking most of the time. The agents who've gone undercover most recently are Kensi and Sam, and they're anything but sloppy. I never thought of him as "risk adverse," more like a whiner (needing sunscreen, hating the woods, wanting a massage).

Edited April 6, 2020 by ymeagain

[ymeagain]

On 3/30/2020 at 10:21 AM, SamBeckett said:

I can see this show transitioning into something where we might see Callen helming an episode with a team of newbies, then Sam, then maybe Deeks and Kensi. Then maybe we'll get one or two episode a year where they're all in it.

If that's what TPTB have in store--and it might be, I'm outta here. I'm not real interested in the newbies I've seen so far (they're not bad, they just don't interest me).

[ymeagain]

On 3/29/2020 at 8:03 PM, KittenPokerCheater said:

Everyone is either phoning it in or leaving the show.  I feel like on LL and the new kids are showing any kind of life.

Maybe this episode, but I don't agree with some of the other episodes this season. I liked Human Resources, Groundwork, The Circle (I think the writing was real mediocre at the beginning of this season, but it's been better the second half). Maybe LL shows more life because his character is given more to do.

[CheshireCat]

1 hour ago, ymeagain said:

If that's what TPTB have in store--and it might be, I'm outta here. I'm not real interested in the newbies I've seen so far (they're not bad, they just don't interest me).

But they're cheaper. I wouldn't be surprised if episodes like this one are designed to keep the costs down. (That said, I agree. I'm not really watching for newbies).