S12.E02: War Crimes

[thewhiteowl]

As the trial begins of a Chief Petty Officer who Callen and Sam arrested for war crimes last year, the NCIS team is called to help find the missing star witness.

[LittlePeas3]

For a trial that has a LOT of press interest, it is strange that there were only 3 other people in the courthouse.  

[DavidWeis1]

I know TPTB was still trying to figure out how to deal with COVID restrictions when this episode was filmed. But c’mon ... we can do better than this, can’t we? It was almost funny to watch two people walking toward one another, then of a sudden they start looking around, asking, “Is this six feet?”

 

[anna0852]

Has the show confirmed the covid exists in their universe?

 Quite frankly it would make so much more sense if it did. I don't mind losing the escapism factor. And it would make this seem so much less choppy.

[LittlePeas3]

8 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

Has the show confirmed the covid exists in their universe?

 Quite frankly it would make so much more sense if it did. I don't mind losing the escapism factor. And it would make this seem so much less choppy.

nope, but they need to, it is just so bizarre the way it is.  

Where is Barrett Foa?  Did I miss them explaining his absence?  

Surely, they could have given us another Hetty update? 

[UncleChuck]

Was this episode shown out of its original order?  Last week Nell came back to NCIS as a favor to Hetty to supervise just the one very special mission with the Russian plane.  Now this week she appears again, at one point siting in Hetty's desk, with absolutely no explanation as to why she is still there.  I don't mind because I like Nell, but what the heck is going on?

[HurricaneVal]

I was kept on my toes last night with the plotting.  At first, with the extended "reveille" montage, I was thinking at first this was another "Callen under deep cover, this time as a military prisoner" thing.  And all the little reveille messages were some sort of code letting him know what was going on with the case.  Then, of course, I saw it wasn't Callen when the beard came off, and we got the whole back story.  Had we seen this back story before?  I was a spotty viewer late last season.  Anyways, then when the first witness recanted his prior testimony and confessed, I thought maybe this was still a deep cover sting operation, only this time with the SEAL team members, to expose upper brass.  But no.  Then I thought maybe it was some other kind of (non-NCIS) op, what with the low-rent Mailbox Etc. employee being so deliberately unhelpful.  But no.

So it turned out to be straight-up witness tampering.  Just what it said on the tin.  But kudos to the writers for working all that misdirection.  Or maybe that was just me....

Also kudos to the actor who was playing the defendant.  He kept just the right edge of menace accompanied with quiet keen observation which left me wondering if he was a psychotic jerk, or a noble Navy SEAL sacrificing himself on this undercover op.  I also really liked the actress playing the JAG lawyer.  I liked how she had such a nice, kind, face but was totally badass.

And I think Kensi looks great with shorter hair!  And I know the name of the bar now:  Squid and Dagger!  (Apparently my viewership has been more than spotty....)

[CheshireCat]

5 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

Where is Barrett Foa?  Did I miss them explaining his absence? 

They said in the previous episode that the software (or whatever computer technology it was 😉 ) that Eric developed while undercover last? season was real and that they needed him for that again. Or something along those lines anyway.

I wonder if he wasn't available for filming at the beginning of the season due to Covid exposure?

 

5 hours ago, UncleChuck said:

Was this episode shown out of its original order?  Last week Nell came back to NCIS as a favor to Hetty to supervise just the one very special mission with the Russian plane. 

I thought that Nell was supposed to take over until Hetty's mission is over. Hetty's mission was unrelated to the Russia thing though, or at least, as far as we know it was unrelated.

 

40 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I was kept on my toes last night with the plotting.  At first, with the extended "reveille" montage, I was thinking at first this was another "Callen under deep cover, this time as a military prisoner" thing.  And all the little reveille messages were some sort of code letting him know what was going on with the case.  Then, of course, I saw it wasn't Callen when the beard came off, and we got the whole back story.  Had we seen this back story before? 

Yup, it was an episode last season. And since it was, I felt the opposite about the episode. From the moment the NYC lawyer showed up with that attitude and mentioned a Senator, I kind of knew that some sort of bribery or intimidation would be involved to get the criminal off the hook. I just hoped that they wouldn't let the guy get off the hook because I don't like "recycled" villains. Glad they didn't go that route.

I also thought the opening statement went on too long as they had just reminded us via "previously on NCIS:LA" of what had happened. I think they should have chosen one or the other and didn't need both.

I watched the episode via CBS streaming and thought my computer had an issue at the beginning until I realize that when the guard stands in front of the cell, he did/said something different.

 

40 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

 Then I thought maybe it was some other kind of (non-NCIS) op, what with the low-rent Mailbox Etc. employee being so deliberately unhelpful.  But no.

I wondered if he'd turn out to be involved. At first, he seemed genuine but after Kensi and Deeks had identified the father of one of the witnesses, he watche them a bit suspiciously and I wondered if it was all an act.

 

5 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Has the show confirmed the covid exists in their universe?

 Quite frankly it would make so much more sense if it did. I don't mind losing the escapism factor. And it would make this seem so much less choppy.

When the witness started fleeing, I wondered how they'd resolve the chase since I doubted that Roundtree would end up tackling him and when he fell into the pool, I thought to myself: I guess they found a Covid-friendly solution to how to end a footchase.

 

13 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

For a trial that has a LOT of press interest, it is strange that there were only 3 other people in the courthouse.  

They should have given an explanation for that. Since we don't know if Covid exists in this universe, we can't say it was due to that, so they should have come up with a different explanation, at least.

[123BP]

7 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Has the show confirmed the covid exists in their universe?

 Quite frankly it would make so much more sense if it did. I don't mind losing the escapism factor. And it would make this seem so much less choppy.

According to a recent interview with Gemmill, the episodes are taking place after COVID.

[CheshireCat]

1 minute ago, 123BP said:

According to a recent interview with Gemmill, the episodes are taking place after COVID.

Consider me confused.

[123BP]

2 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

Consider me confused.

Gemmill said they had to decide whether to set the episodes in the current time frame or later, and they opted to set episodes in the days after COVID.

[123BP]

I thought the episode was not nearly as strong dramatically as it should have been given the scenario. It's not often that a SEAL is on trial for war crimes. A simple case of witness intimidation--and against SEALs--was not much of a case, and I couldn't figure out what Callen was doing since he seemed to spend the entire episode at the courthouse.

[CheshireCat]

20 minutes ago, 123BP said:

Gemmill said they had to decide whether to set the episodes in the current time frame or later, and they opted to set episodes in the days after COVID.

I still don't think it makes sense. If it's the days after Covid, we'd have a vaccine, so why do they stay six feet apart? If it's so soon into the vaccine that we still have to maintain distance, we'd also still have to wear masks. Doesn't sound like TPTB thought this through.

[DavidWeis1]

11 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

I still don't think it makes sense. If it's the days after Covid, we'd have a vaccine, so why do they stay six feet apart? If it's so soon into the vaccine that we still have to maintain distance, we'd also still have to wear masks. Doesn't sound like TPTB thought this through.

The problem is that the audience knows about COVID. We’re living with it. So, to me, it feels like a cheat to see a show, in essence, ducking something that is big in the world. Plus, and maybe I can’t fault them for this, how do they know how and when COVID will be over? (Yes, thankfully, we seem to be heading that way.) I also understand there will be a delay between the now of the real world and the now of TV due to production schedules, but I think this was the wrong way to go. I prefer the way NCIS NO is handling COVID. But NCIS LA was always the less serious show (IMO).

[Bobbin]

On Monday, November 16, 2020 at 10:29 AM, LittlePeas3 said:

Where is Barrett Foa?  Did I miss them explaining his absence?  

IRL Barrett Foa said he wanted a break from the series and to go back to stage performances and spend more time with his charity work. There is so much more to his range than playing a quirky tech geek. His guest spot on "The Closer" as a young man whose boyfriend was murdered was heart-wrenching from beginning to end.

For a series with 12 seasons on the shelf, COVID-19 is just a blip. The eps are mostly interchangeable in syndication, where the money is in residuals. Scheduling is always easier if nothing is "dated." Although years from now new viewers will wonder why this season's eps were staged the way they are. 

[nittany cougar]

This show is so repetitive.  At this point, I only watch for the snark.  

Every week is the same.   The characters stand and stare at a screen and banter about suspects.  Then the agents walk or drive around Los Angeles and banter about their personal business.  Then Callen runs into some Russian that he fucked, forcing him to ponder his moral dilemma. 

Eric Christian Olsen acts like a teen star in a 90's sitcom and never brushes his damn hair.  Get a fucking haircut, please.

This show just sucks.

Edited April 14, 2021 by nittany cougar

[ymeagain]

On 4/14/2021 at 4:52 AM, nittany cougar said:

Every week is the same.   The characters stand and stare at a screen and banter about suspects.  Then the agents walk or drive around Los Angeles and banter about their personal business. 

Show me a procedural that DOESN'T do this. I mean, it's what happens on SWAT, NCIS, NCISNOLA, The Rookie, SVU, CPD, etc. That's the basic formula. The writing used to be a lot better imo. It's obvious when I watch some of the earlier seasons. So many viewers b*tch about "the Russians" and Callen when there have probably been, maybe, 20 episodes out of 250+ that have an actual "Russian" storyline. The most recent three did, but I was ready for some Callen stories because I'm over the Densi angst about starting a family/hormone treatments, selling the bar, buying a house. I just wish these last episodes had been better.

[nittany cougar]

12 hours ago, ymeagain said:

Show me a procedural that DOESN'T do this. I mean, it's what happens on SWAT, NCIS, NCISNOLA, The Rookie, SVU, CPD, etc. That's the basic formula. The writing used to be a lot better imo. It's obvious when I watch some of the earlier seasons. So many viewers b*tch about "the Russians" and Callen when there have probably been, maybe, 20 episodes out of 250+ that have an actual "Russian" storyline. The most recent three did, but I was ready for some Callen stories because I'm over the Densi angst about starting a family/hormone treatments, selling the bar, buying a house. I just wish these last episodes had been better.

You are right. 

Most shows become more routine over time. Maybe if I watched it in the earlier seasons I would like it better.  I only started watching in the last 2 years.  

Edited April 19, 2021 by nittany cougar