S12.E11: Russia, Russia, Russia

[thewhiteowl]

When Callen goes to the National Counterterrorism Center on the pretext of interrogating a Russian asset from the crashed plane case he investigated months earlier, the tables are turned and he is detained, accused of being a Russian agent.

[Sweet Tooth]

Can someone please tell me what the heck just happened?

[Aliconehead]

3 hours ago, Sweet Tooth said:

Can someone please tell me what the heck just happened?

I came here for the same.  My workings theory is that Callen is deep undercover trying to rout out a high level operative.  This was set up by Hetty.  There is no way Callen is bad, I refuse to believe it. That or Callen has an evil twin/clone/surgically enhanced double. 

[HurricaneVal]

There's Deeks hair.  Then there's Deeks hair cleaned up to present as a lawyer.  The first is bad.  The second is really bad.  OMG.

 

But I've got to say, he had the best line:  "Russia, Russia, Russia."

[Linda956]

It is driving me nuts that no one on this show is wearing a mask indoors and especially outdoors.  It is constantly distracting me as I'm trying to figure out why.  Are they in an alternate reality or what?  I can't focus on anything when every character is walking around outdoors without a mask and not social distancing.  What gives?  Even the mothership (NCIS) had the characters wearing masks in the last first run episode.

[HurricaneVal]

I think each show is dealing with portraying the pandemic in different ways, even though they are supposedly in the same universe.   How each show is dealing with it seems to be a production decision.

I believe NCIS: LA has chosen to be set in a perfect, post-COVID universe with no residual viral mutations necessitating the continuance of constant protections like masks, shields, and sanitizer on every desk and at every doorway.  This makes the staging and plotting of the scenes quite awkward as they try to maintain small bubbles of production and social distancing in order to film using safe COVID practices required by the non-perfect, mid-COVID real world.  I've noticed a lot of "talking heads" scenes where two people are in discussion, but you only see one person talking at a time, with an "over the shoulder" camera shot of the other participant in the conversation where you only see a slice of the back of their head and their ear.  I was actually wondering last night if maybe that was really a dummy and not the actor, since it never moves.  If it is a dummy, then they must have a dummy for each major cast member, because when I had that question, I noted that the dummy had LL Cool J's shaved head and distinctive ear shape.

The mothership NCIS seems to have chosen to be set in a hybrid COVID universe which may be a bit post-vaccine, post-pandemic, but still with some cautions in place.  So (in my speculation only) it is OK to go maskless in the NCIS offices because everyone is vaccinated and tested at regular intervals, but when out and about in public, masks are necessary.  But then, they're inconsistent with that, so who knows?  I sometimes wonder if the on and off mask wearing is for production purposes and not necessarily trying to show COVID in the context of the universe of the show.  Like if the scene requires more actors, or actors and/or production from different bubbles to interact, then masks are necessary.

NCIS: New Orleans wholeheartedly threw themselves into the COVID universe and have embraced the virus as an ongoing background for the show.  I kind of admire that, but they don't do such a good job with it, and make odd choices that are for dramatic purposes--taking masks off to deliver emotional dialogue for instance--that are very inconsistent with proper COVID protections.

I think it is safe to say all three shows are not on the same timeline or universe anymore, so I'd be very surprised to have any crossover episodes, or even characters appearances across the franchise.  It would be a little to strange, I think

[LittlePeas3]

Well, that was interesting and a little unexpected in terms of the ending, here I was hoping to see a cameo of Arkady with a little bit of Arkady crazy and some random explanation of where Anna was, not that.  Having watched 12 years of NCIS LA, I hate to say it, but this seems to be shouting one of Hetty's schemes more than ever. 

Deeks, his hair looks ridiculous, however, it still looks infinitely better than it did when it was longer.  I still think he is covering up the beginnings of going bald.  That outfit Kirkin had him wear at the end was worse than his hair.  I can not believe they "trust" Kirkin.  This is the same guy who double crossed Callen over a painting worth millions and just about ruined Kensi and Deeks' wedding. 

I miss Nell and Eric in ops.  Not recent Nell and Eric, Nell and Eric of at least 5 seasons ago, if not earlier.  Fatima is in and out, I found the ops 2 kept everything well linked, now things always seem disjointed.  I get the Covid current world and the fact that both actors are pursuing other creative outlets right now too, but the show is suffering, I know that poor writing/lack of decent storylines isn't helping either.  Everything seems slow-motioned of late. 

 

[Sweet Tooth]

7 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

I came here for the same.  My workings theory is that Callen is deep undercover trying to rout out a high level operative.  This was set up by Hetty.  There is no way Callen is bad, I refuse to believe it. That or Callen has an evil twin/clone/surgically enhanced double. 

I have to agree with this, because I can't believe Hetty would be this off the mark. But Callen telling her he would kill her was pretty heavy-duty. He really sold it.

NCIS: LA has chosen an idyllic post-Covid world. I'm assuming this was to avoid having the actors wear masks. 

FBI: Most Wanted is living in a Covid world where sometimes they wear masks and sometimes not, while their mothership isn't dealing with it at all. I don't think I've seen anyone wearing a mask. 

So, I think this is why NCIS: LA went in the other direction. It would be clear they were being inconsistent, and they just didn't want to deal with it.

Deeks' hair in each scene is distracting. I really wish that when he came there as a lawyer, he had his hair in something resembling what a man in a suit would look like, but alas, no.

 

 

[123BP]

Good golly, I freakin' LOVED this episode!!! It seems like ages since there's been an episode with a fairly coherent storyline and with such as edge to it. That final scene with Callen; if I were Sasha, I'd be looking over my shoulder all the time! This was a terrific Callen episode with everybody pitching in, and Dani did a heck of a job directing. Kudos to her! That opening scene at the beach--OMG, that was beautiful and that song. I'm sure Callen is deep undercover--so deep that not even his team or the admiral know it. There's no way he's a double agent. I didn't even mind the Deeks-Kirkin scenes because they weren't as ridiculous as usual but still funny. And I always like the admiral. Chris did a phenomenal job!

It was good to finally get a clue about Hetty's mission, and it made sense--something special. lol

2 hours ago, Linda956 said:

It is driving me nuts that no one on this show is wearing a mask indoors and especially outdoors.

Gemmill mentioned BEFORE the season began that the episodes are post-COVID (Anna also mentioned the end of quarantine in "Cash Flow"). Outside of putting some sort of disclaimer on every episode, the viewers will just have to pay attention.

2 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

There's Deeks hair.  Then there's Deeks hair cleaned up to present as a lawyer.  The first is bad.  The second is really bad.

I've never understood why some viewers have an issue with Deeks' hair. It's been basically the same forever--just the length changes (I do understand the comments about Nell's wardrobe more because HER outfit has changed drastically over the seasons,).

I am REALLY excited about next Sunday's episode!!!

[secnarf]

I completely cracked up at "Keeping up with the Kremlin".

[mythoughtis]

I totally agree that Callan is not  a double agent... but I do not think Hetty had anything to do with that convoluted mess of a undercover second act of a play.  I got totally lost by the end of it.  
I did like the scene in ops  where  they tried to think of an outside  agent they could  trust ... Arcady and Anna definitely not!  
Yes, can we have early Eric and Nell back please? Roundtree can disappear. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by mythoughtis

[CheshireCat]

Since the episodes are part of an arc, I saved a bunch... Is the counterterrorism agent the one who was so uncooperative a few episodes back or is she someone else? And what was up with her being biased because of someone's name? Not only was she weird about Callen's full name, she was weird about Sam's, too. Last time I checked, we don't choose our name and we don't choose our parents either. Wouldn't Callen's history be well-documented, including that he didn't know who either his father or his given name were until recently? Is he supposed to have decided to work for the Russians upon learning that or what was the logic behind the DOJ person's suspicion?

For once, I actually liked Deeks' weirdness when he went to see Callen as his lawyer.

Do people in LA actually have their car windows open more than they do in other parts of the US or do they just conveniently have the windows open when they're supposed to get shot in the car? This was a ruse, so the admiral was probably prepared for that, so it makes sense that it was open but it struck me that that's often the case.

That said, I'm glad he wasn't actually killed. I really like him and I like that he's someone with clout and an ally for a change and would have been sad to see him leave the show.

I didn't even notice that Roundtree wasn't in the episode. And I have to admit, I didn't really notice that Nell and Eric were missing either.