S12.E06: If the Fates Allow

[thewhiteowl]

Before Christmas, Hetty assigns Callen the case of his former foster brother and his wife who, upon reentry into the U.S., are framed for smuggling drugs across the border in her oxygen tanks. Also, Deeks is struggling with losing his job.

[CheshireCat]

I think that was the best episode to date and the one where I least noticed the changes.

That said, since it's Christmas 2020, I guess, they didn't set it after Corona but after the first wave? Either way, since they set it at Christmas 2020 it really made me nervous and uneasy that no one at that hospital was wearing a mask.

What was up with Eric and the facial hair and those glasses? I thought he looked like he'd escaped from the 70s. And why did he have to act so weird? He's always been slightly eccentric but that wasn't eccentric that was... well, weird. Is he having a mid-life crisis?

So, Eric comes back, announces a multi-billion dollar contract and the first thing Kensi does is think about the money and that she wants some of it? I get that she saw an opportunity but she wasn't the least bit hesitant about it or torn or had sleepless night over it or talked it through with Deeks. She acted like Deeks had a right to the money and that it was all that mattered. To me, it came across as, if she'd learn that a distant relative who she hasn't talked to in years, won the lottery, she'd suddenly be their best friend or if the relative she hadn't talked to in years died, she'd be first in line to get some of the estate.

I liked the story about Callen and his foster brother.

 

[DavidWeis1]

Admittedly, I haven’t been glued to the screen for each episode, but what I’ve seen so far is a show in which everything seems ... distant. Rarely is there more than two people on screen at once. The teams seems to be a team in name only. I contrast this with NCIS NO. I had always preferred the LA show. I liked the characters, and action, and repartee. But now LA seems to be going through the paces until the end of season (or show). But over on NCIS NO, you feel the tension in the air. I realize each show (like the mother ship) made their own decision how to handle the pandemic. But what LA is doing, I just don’t get, no matter the universe we’re in. And what we’re supposed to make of Hetty’s two minutes on if last night? I couldn’t tell if Deeks and Kensi were deliberately overplaying their reaction when Hetty appeared. So, when the show starts back up (whenever that’ll be), Deeks will be the 40-year-old at Police (er, NCIS) Academy? I’m NOT looking forward to that. I like Deeks, but it’s time he grows up.

[anna0852]

I wish they had just included Covid. All the separation and distance would make sense. This way is just weird and off-putting. 

Kensi did have a point though. If Eric borrowed money from Deeks, he needs to pay it back.

[DavidWeis1]

1 hour ago, anna0852 said:

I wish they had just included Covid. All the separation and distance would make sense. This way is just weird and off-putting. 

Kensi did have a point though. If Eric borrowed money from Deeks, he needs to pay it back.

I know. They made such an issue out of Eric having borrowed money, yet when Deeks has him on the spot — and Eric admits he has a ton of money had has even given some of it away — Deeks just sits there like a bump on the log. Apparently, Kensi is the one with a pair in their relationship, not Deeks. Then he decides to sell the bar which was a dream of his. What was Deeks thinking?

[wlk68]

Quote

What was Deeks thinking?

Deeks obviously didn't feel right about holding out his hand to Eric once Eric announced he was helping the homeless on such a massive scale. Deeks was probably thinking that there a lot of people out there who are in a hell of a lot worse shape than him and Kensi and that it would look greedy if he said anything at that point. 

I'm predicting that while Deeks is away at FLETC, the psycho shows up and tries to grab Kensi. 

[CheshireCat]

4 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Kensi did have a point though. If Eric borrowed money from Deeks, he needs to pay it back.

Did Eric borrow money or was it money that was invested? If he truly borrowed money, he should pay it back and he should not need a reminder to do it.

I think they should have put more thought into the entire thing because we have very little information (like the above, for example). Based on the information we have, I'd say Eric and Deeks have an agreement and the money Deeks put in was more of an investment than borrowed money because Eric strikes me as the character who'd have remembered to pay the money back. But we really know next to nothing about all that.

That reminds me: if the house is so little and run-down, why was it decorated for Christmas and looked to be in pretty good shape?

[Rambler]

Eric should use his newfound wealth to hire a bunch of security guards. Knowing how this goes, it's just a matter of time before the Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, Iranians, drug cartels, white supremacists, disgruntled ex-CIA agents and/or Microsoft kidnap him in order to gain access to his new technology.

[12catcrazy]

Every time Eric came on screen (yeah, the 70s do NOT look good on this guy.  Next he'll take over the Doug part on the Limu Emu commercials), all I could do is roll my eyes.   Why do the people who write these NCIS shows always try and make the techie people such freaks?   I'm glad that Abby is gone from the original (I like her replacement Kasey, who seems more like a real person).   Sabastian on NCIS NO has become almost charming - but this Eric - annoying as all hell and weird to the point of being plain ugh.   If you worked with a person like this IRL, you'd run the hell in the other direction whenever they walked into a room.   I'm not a big fan of Nell and her really ugly dresses but she doesn't totally suck the air out of the show the way Eric does.  

And I'd bet that both wlk68 and Rambler are totally correct in their show predictions.  

[UncleChuck]

So Deeks is going to attend FLETC?  The training center for federal agents surely has a pretty strict discipline, dress and grooming code of standards.  Will Shaggy's stupid  hair survive the academy? 

 

 

[HurricaneVal]

I thought Eric's odd choice of eyewear was kind of a Tony Stark wannabe move.  Which I could totally see Eric pulling.  Now he's got money, lots of it, who are his role models?  Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne.  Eric can't pull off the intense angst of Bruce Wayne, so he went in the flashy snarky direction of Tony Stark.

[ymeagain]

On 12/14/2020 at 12:46 PM, CheshireCat said:

Did Eric borrow money or was it money that was invested? If he truly borrowed money, he should pay it back and he should not need a reminder to do it.

Deeks loaned Beale money; it wasn't an "investment." The writer took a cheap shot at Beale; Beale would have repaid the money considering all the money he has now. It's just one more time folks can feel that Deeks got the short end or was the "good" guy. Yea, Deeks has gotten everything he's ever wanted, so I'm not patting him on the back. Guess he cares more about looking good to Beale than following Kensi's advice.

Liked the episode overall. Nice to see something from Callen's past. Too bad nobody from his work past has surfaced in 8-9 years.

All the "so glad Hetty came through for Deeks" is weird. Can't think of a time she hasn't come through for Deeks, so that last scene was a no brainer.

Beale is back on Jan. 3 but why? If he thinks Ops is in better shape than it's ever been, if he has a company that has a multi-billion dollar contract with DoD, and he's doing what he can to end homelessness, why would be come back to NCIS? Is he being rehired (he wore a visitor's badge in this episode)? Hell, has Nell been rehired? Guess so. I hate that the writers don't slip these bits of info in somehow.

Liked seeing Kam, but nobody who knows LA harbors would swim through them without a full on wet suit, including something on your head. Her hair would be filled with trash. Her scenes with Sam were good but too short (see she's back on 1/3 too).

On 12/14/2020 at 9:18 AM, DavidWeis1 said:

Then he decides to sell the bar which was a dream of his. What was Deeks thinking?

My question was what was he thinking when he BOUGHT the bar? That was a stupid move. His dad was a mean drunk, so his son buys a bar?

 

[RobertDeSneero]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:35 PM, ymeagain said:

Deeks loaned Beale money; it wasn't an "investment." The writer took a cheap shot at Beale; Beale would have repaid the money considering all the money he has now.

What if it's a set-up for Beale secretly paying for their house as a surprise?

[LittlePeas3]

Finally got to watch this episode.

Sam telling Callen he needs to ask for permission to come aboard was priceless and I loved seeing Otis.  It was good to see Cam.  I miss the Callen and Sam banter. 

I used to love Kensi and Deeks, but they are all doom and gloom these days. The continual slightly witty banter is missing. It did pick up a little at the end, but they are quite flat.  With Deeks going to FLETC, please make them cut his hair and shave!  This will mean that Deeks will be out of the picture more (evidently for ECO to spend more time with his family), but that will mean that there is more opportunity for the bad guy (can't remember his name) from episode 5 to hunt Kensi down when she is more vulnerable. 

Nell had a surprisingly decent dress on and I loved the touch of the Christmas tree brooch a la Hetty. However, Beale looked bloody ridiculous! That mustache looked absolutely stupid. Even his clothes were wrong for Eric. Pants, shoes, no flip flops or casual shoes?  The riding in on the uni-cycle thing was typical Eric.  I kept expecting him to fall off though.  Deeks was very restrained talking to Beale when he was talking about his ending homelessness. 

The no masks at the hospital, or anywhere, really was strange, considering they admitted it was still 2020.  Not being in the US (Australia here, where no COVID has reached, thankfully). so the reality in my area is extremely different to the pandemic in the US.  We are only encouraged to socially distance and be hygienically aware.  After watching Grey's Anatomy, and seeing how they kit out in the hospital, the hospital and the clinic they all visited were so 2019.  It was very novel the bad guys had masks on.  Loved that Callen's foster brother took the 3rd bad guy down with the oxygen tank, it was good 🙂 

I really liked seeing Callen with his foster brother Ray.  I love Callen back stories. 

I still maintain I want Sam with De Champs.  I don't like Catherine that much. 

[catsitter]

Sebastian on NCIS New Orleans seemed to get through the academy training in about 2 weeks to become a fully-fledged NCIS agent, so I wonder whether it will be the same for Deeks? (We are a few weeks behind in the UK and so this episode has only just been shown.)