S19.E05: Face the Strange

[thewhiteowl]

The NCIS team investigates the death of a Navy commander whose body suddenly explodes before Jimmy can examine it.

[Grizzly]

Gary Cole did a decent job. 

[threebluestars]

There were a couple times I did a double take because he sounded just like Gibbs for a split second here and there.

[preeya]

Not usually a fan of his, but it was an entertaining entry into the Gary Cole era. 

"Gibbs was a lucky man"

Edited October 19, 2021 by preeya

[HurricaneVal]

1 hour ago, threebluestars said:

There were a couple times I did a double take because he sounded just like Gibbs for a split second here and there.

OMG.  Me too!

And also?  Never in my life did I think a shout of "Bonesaw!" would be so poignant.

[Namcot]

Is Gibbs gone or not? He is still shown as the lead cast member in the opening credit montage.

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, Namcot said:

Is Gibbs gone or not? He is still shown as the lead cast member in the opening credit montage.

Harmon didn't say he was leaving this season. He agreed to return for limited episodes. So we may see him again around the holidays, or maybe the last few of the episodes of the season. But most likely, we won't see him for the bulk of this season. 

[Daff]

That was better than expected. My favorite moment was discovering that Kasie has some chops; that, and Ducky’s epiphany that Gibbs’ head is in a better place. I thought the plot was different and pretty involved, too. I can’t even remember in all the profile photos, did we ever see the face of the actual perp?

[12catcrazy]

This was a good episode and Gary Cole is fitting into his role nicely.  It was great seeing so much of Ducky and I'm finding that I like the new female agent as well.  My only complaint is that they need to dial it back with Torres.  His anger (especially at the Director) borders on insubordination.  

[milkyaqua]

Agree with the comments.  Nice segue into the Gary Cole character and it was nice to see Ducky.  I also didn't mind Kasie this epi.

At some point people have to accept that things don't stay the same.

And yes, Torres needs to dial it down.  There are people who've talked to their bosses in a less respectful manner and been penalized for it.  He's not owed any explanation.

[kimaken]

6 minutes ago, milkyaqua said:

And yes, Torres needs to dial it down.  There are people who've talked to their bosses in a less respectful manner and been penalized for it.  He's not owed any explanation.

I think Torres is angry because there was no goodbye with Gibbs. McGee came back alone and all Torres and Knight were told was that Gibbs wasn't coming back. Knight didn't work with Gibbs/the team so she doesn't feel the loss. McGee got the goodbye from Gibbs, and while I don't think Torres is mad about that, I think he feels lost/abandoned and is mad that he didn't get to have some last minutes to talk with Gibbs before he left.

I like Gary Cole, and I agree with the postes above who said at times he (as Parker) sounded just like Gibbs. I appreciated that he didn't come in with the "FBI is better than NCIS" attitude--instead he seemed to like differences working with NCIS. Also, he's not a technophobe like Gibbs was, so it was great to see that he has some computer chops, too--and when it was pointed out that McGee is the team computer expert, Parker readily stepped away to let McGee take over.

I was also glad to hear that McGee was offered the team leader position but turned it down. As he told Torres, he has a family and doesn't want all the extra hassle/work involved with being team leader--time with family is very important to him.

Jimmy brought tears to my eyes when he was practically begging Ducky to stay and continue helping him for awhile longer--recounting all his losses from Breana, Bishop, and now Gibbs made him teary-eyed.

One thing I didn't like in this episode was Kasie's hair.

[crazycatlady58]

Can someone please tell me how to watch the show? CBS is not on Dish anymore. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

58 minutes ago, kimaken said:

while I don't think Torres is mad about that, I think he feels lost/abandoned and is mad that he didn't get to have some last minutes to talk with Gibbs before he left.

But he did get one. When Torres and Leon were talking last week, they flashed back to Gibbs and Torres in the car, where Gibbs told him not to make the job his life or whatever; THAT was Gibbs' goodbye to Torres. We also got to see him say good bye to Leon and Ducky in the flash backs.

I really can't stand him and his sense of entitlement.

[kimaken]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But he did get one. When Torres and Leon were talking last week, they flashed back to Gibbs and Torres in the car, where Gibbs told him not to make the job his life or whatever; THAT was Gibbs' goodbye to Torres. We also got to see him say good bye to Leon and Ducky in the flash backs.

I really can't stand him and his sense of entitlement.

Torres is a bit thick, I think--he may not have realized that was his "goodbye" from Gibbs. But I do know what you mean about Torres' sense of entitlement. I haven't watched as faithfully last year or the beginning of this year because I was getting tired of Gibbs, and I never was into Bishop or Torres all that much. Don't get me wrong, I do like Mark Harmon, but I think he was getting tired of the grind for at least the last season and was ready to retire. If he comes back periodically like Ducky does, he might find he likes playing Gibbs again.

Edited October 19, 2021 by kimaken

[MissLucas]

That was some good writing: the plot was intriguing and the transition to Parker as team leader was cleverly handled. Making him tech-savvy was a nice touch. With the exception of Torres' pouting nothing felt forced. Since he had had a goodbye scene with Gibbs it seemed OOC unless he's really not that bright. And It was  not necessary since the scene with Ducky and Palmer carried a lot more emotional heft. I also think McGee's reasons for not wanting the position made sense. And I loved Kasie giving the lay of the land to Parker.

I can't believe I did not catch Parker's 'Simon & Garfunkel' bluff! 

Edited October 19, 2021 by MissLucas

[Terrafamilia]

Hey, Palmer, Ducky, and notGibbs, how about some protection while taking that x-ray. Those things are cumulative, ya'know.

yeah, yeah, time was of the essence and all...

[GHScorpiosRule]

A good episode. The only thing that prevented me from loving it was Torres’ acting like a whiny petulant man-child.

Just who the hell does he think he is, that he can TELL Vance what to do or failed to do? His ass should have been fired on the spot.

Wnd look! It’s Matoni from JAG!! Except he said as a Marine General instead of the sleazy Navy JAG lawyer he was! Always good to see Rif Hutton.

There aren’t enough STFUs for Torres.

Edited October 21, 2021 by GHScorpiosRule

[Rambler]

What are the odds that the van carrying those juvenile delinquents would stop right at the spot in the middle of a deserted forest where a body was buried, just as the victim was digging himself out? Must be several billion to one, however since I laughed at the tough drill sergeant screaming and running away like a scared rabbit, I will overlook it this time.

I’ve never noticed how small Torres was until the end of this episode when McGee puthis arm around him. It almost looked like McGee about to give his little kid brother a noogy.

[secnarf]

21 hours ago, threebluestars said:

There were a couple times I did a double take because he sounded just like Gibbs for a split second here and there.

Yes!!! It was driving me insane because I kept thinking it was Gibbs (I tend to listen more than actually have eyes on the screen).

5 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I can't believe I did not catch Parker's 'Simon & Garfunkel' bluff! 

I am a *huge* Simon and Garfunkel fan, and one of my big regrets is not going to their last reunion tour. When Parker said he had tickets to a reunion concert my reaction was basically, "what is this alternate universe and how can I be a part of it?!?!" and I kept wanting him to blow off the case to go to the concert. So I did laugh at the end, when Parker admitted the bluff. Kind of surprised none of the characters questioned it, though.

I did enjoy the case and the episode overall, but Torres can go away any time. I did laugh at how he kept being so aggressive and then shut down by everyone, and kept getting the same look on his face afterwards.

[Stats Queen]

8 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Can someone please tell me how to watch the show? CBS is not on Dish anymore. 

We don’t have NBC on Dish right now in our area. They are in a carrier dispute with Tegna. 
 

You can watch it on the Paramount+ App, the free version.

[Xeliou66]

So this was interesting - it doesn’t sit right with me that Parker is apparently taking over the team, it should be McGee’s job, I don’t like having a brand new character as a team lead when McGee’s been there for 18 years and has shown that he is more than competent as a team leader. It would be more interesting if Parker was joining the team but McGee was in charge. The thing is, I actually like Parker so far, he’s more laid back than Gibbs ever was and has a different style which I like. But it just doesn’t sit right with me to bring in an outsider as the boss.

The case was, as Vance said, one for the books. I liked it, it had nice twists.

Loved seeing Jimmy and Ducky working together again, and I really liked Ducky’s words of wisdom to Jimmy when Jimmy was frustrated by all the changes, Ducky’s always been my favorite. And I liked that it was Ducky/Jimmy who saved the day at the end.

Torres got on my nerves, he was whiny for most of the episode. Knight is still better than Bishop ever was though IMO.

[LadyIrony]

I didn't like Katrina Law on Hawaii five 0 but she seems to be acting well here. The team never really recovered after Weatherly left then Paulie so good to see it might improve. 

[crazycatlady58]

10 hours ago, Stats Queen said:

We don’t have NBC on Dish right now in our area. They are in a carrier dispute with Tegna. 
 

You can watch it on the Paramount+ App, the free version.

Thank you. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

it doesn’t sit right with me that Parker is apparently taking over the team, it should be McGee’s job, I don’t like having a brand new character as a team lead when McGee’s been there for 18 years and has shown that he is more than competent as a team leader. It would be more interesting if Parker was joining the team but McGee was in charge.

Well, McGee turned it down. And as much as I like Sean Murray, he can't carry the show. And the reasons he gave for turning it down, well, okay, understandable, but the only reason the job consumed Gibbs was because he joined shortly after the murders of Shannon and Kelly and needed something to consume him to bury his grief, which killing Hernandez didn't ease. Being team leader wasn't something that would consume the person, unless they wanted it to do so. There have been other team leaders who have come and gone (though we didn't see them all) who have retired.  But I get why the show made it seem like anyone who took over, wouldn't have a life of their own. It's not either/or.

And Gary Cole is a stronger actor. One who has carried other shows on his own before.

[deemac]

12 hours ago, Stats Queen said:

20 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Can someone please tell me how to watch the show? CBS is not on Dish anymore. 

We don’t have NBC on Dish right now in our area. They are in a carrier dispute with Tegna. 
 

You can watch it on the Paramount+ App, the free version.

Here Dish has removed ABC.  Must be disputing with someone everywhere!

[LadyIrony]

10 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well, McGee turned it down. And as much as I like Sean Murray, he can't carry the show.

Murray/McGee would work well with the right partner. Someone quirky and a misfit within their field. McGee and Abby always had good scenes as did him and Weatherly. They would just need another investigator, possibly a new "Probie" that is a geek and he gets to guide. The show lost a lot of personality and chemistry when Weatherly and then Abby left. Even Harmon was struggling to carry it with all the bland replacement actors they were bringing in.

[CheshireCat]

On 10/19/2021 at 11:15 PM, Xeliou66 said:

So this was interesting - it doesn’t sit right with me that Parker is apparently taking over the team, it should be McGee’s job, I don’t like having a brand new character as a team lead when McGee’s been there for 18 years and has shown that he is more than competent as a team leader. It would be more interesting if Parker was joining the team but McGee was in charge.

Agreed. I like the idea of a seasoned agent who's suddenly the "Probie" and answers to someone much younger.

I also don't like that Parker all of a sudden has the skills to be team leader - Kate, a Secret Service agent who was on the presidential detail started out as a probie, Ziva, the highly trained Mossad agent who had been a liason for 7 years/seasons (so, plenty of time to gain experience) was a probie, Bishop, the NSA agent, was a probie. But an FBI agent can just take over a team and does not need a probationary period? Doesn't make sense to me.

I don't like McGee's reasoning either and I think they're wrong. You don't have to be like Gibbs to be team leader and the job does not have to consume you. If that were the case, none of the team leaders would ever have a life but the blonde woman from S8 whose name I forgot (and I'm too lazy to look up) who had taken the job Tony was offered in Spain did have a life and I'm sure most everyone else does, too. I believe this was Gibbs' choice, in part probably due to the loss of his wife and daughter.
McGee would be his own team leader; he'd lead the team as he saw fit and who knows, with him as team leader, they might never have been in a situation where someone had to shoot a member of the team because he would have used a different approach to get the guys. I don't think anyone would want him to be like Gibbs or would expect him to be like Gibbs either.

I feel robbed, too. McGee may have been team leader for four months but we never got to see it, so for us viewers, it's as if he never was team leader.

On that note, I would have loved if they had connected the team lacking a team leader to what the guy said at the beginning, about learning to become a team. It would have been great if McGee had declined but would have eased into the role over a few episodes; if the team had somehow rebuilt itself around him and if Parker had helped doing so, maybe even at Vance's request.

On 10/19/2021 at 11:15 PM, Xeliou66 said:

The thing is, I actually like Parker so far, he’s more laid back than Gibbs ever was and has a different style which I like. But it just doesn’t sit right with me to bring in an outsider as the boss.

We're in complete agreement here. I like how different he is and I like that the show always brings in new characters that are different. (I'm still regetting that they didn't let Bishop be the different agent that she was but that they made her more like everyone else).

 

On 10/19/2021 at 11:15 PM, Xeliou66 said:

Loved seeing Jimmy and Ducky working together again, and I really liked Ducky’s words of wisdom to Jimmy when Jimmy was frustrated by all the changes, Ducky’s always been my favorite.

I felt Ducky's words were a bit insensitive. Yes, he's right. At the same time, Jimmy's issues are real and valid. The man has experienced some serious loss; the death of hs wife and two friends who, while not dead, are still gone. Gibbs may have earned his right to live life again but with all the loss he experienced within a year, Jimmy has earned his right to grieve and try and hold on to something familiar.

Jimmy experienced first-hand that change is part of life, he also knows what it's like to lose a wife unexpectedly and I wasn't under the impression that he is angry with Gibbs for leaving or that any of what he's feeling was even about Gibbs. And yet, Ducky made it about Gibbs when it should have been about Jimmy. As right as he may be that change is part of life, I don't think this was the time for pointing it out as he didn't come across as very supportive or considerate of what Jimmy was feeling in that moment.

As far as the episode is concerned, I liked it. I liked the twists, the writing was great for every character and Parker had some great lines. I hope they can keep that up.

 

[Grrarrggh]

This programme has been way to obviously fictional for too long. Hiring yet another old, White man to be team leader was the last scoop of dirt on the decomposing body of NCIS. End it. 

[kassygreene]

On 10/19/2021 at 8:28 PM, secnarf said:

...

I am a *huge* Simon and Garfunkel fan, and one of my big regrets is not going to their last reunion tour. When Parker said he had tickets to a reunion concert my reaction was basically, "what is this alternate universe and how can I be a part of it?!?!" and I kept wanting him to blow off the case to go to the concert. So I did laugh at the end, when Parker admitted the bluff. Kind of surprised none of the characters questioned it, though.

...

The S&G reunion tour was about 20 years ago (I saw it in DC).  I hand-waved that the agents were all too young to know or care about S&G (millennials have such a stunted 😇 cultural life).

As for missing network shows, most primetime in the U.S. is available for a few weeks free after broadcast.  NBC.com, ABC.com, CBS.com, PBS.org, the CW, and if memory serves, FOX.

I thought it was a well-written reset.  

[secnarf]

16 hours ago, kassygreene said:

The S&G reunion tour was about 20 years ago (I saw it in DC).  I hand-waved that the agents were all too young to know or care about S&G (millennials have such a stunted 😇 cultural life).

I am a millenial, and younger than all of the agents there - or at least, younger than the actors. I'm not sure what age their characters are supposed to be. Can't say I disagree, though.

I had hoped to go to the S&G reunion concert in Toronto for my 13th birthday. Yes, I am still salty about missing it. It was a long, slow realization that we are never going to get another one, which I definitely didn't appreciate at 13.

[Sake614]

On 10/19/2021 at 8:05 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

A good episode. The only thing that prevented me from loving it was Torres’ acting like a whiny petulant man-child.

It’s how he’s always been written and I can’t stand it. Why couldn’t he have left with Bishop? I was so happy when she decided to leave (albeit not with the reason) and wanted nothing more than for him to go with her. They could’ve played spy games together off screen. But I guess I can’t have nice things. 😝

[enoughcats]

On 10/19/2021 at 1:06 PM, kimaken said:

I think Torres is angry because there was no goodbye with Gibbs.

Going back to when Torres was brought into the team, at that time Torres had been undercover for , was it ?, a decade.  Of all the people he was exposed to, Gibbs had the similar totally-wrapped-up-in-the-job kind of background. NOTHING but the job. And both of them just didn't have anything else of the living breathing persuasion (Wooden boats don't count unless they have termites.) (And from experience I can tell you that wooden boats don't love you back.) 

Torres knew that he had more to learn from Gibbs, but that Gibbs didn't treat him as a team member.

[maggiemae]

Torres is never going to measure up to DiNozzo or McGee...or Ziva.

To the viewers or the writers, imo.

[LadyIrony]

On 11/2/2021 at 2:38 PM, maggiemae said:

Torres is never going to measure up to DiNozzo or McGee...or Ziva.

To the viewers or the writers, imo.

Not just Torres. Every character they have brought in since DiNozzo left has been duller than watching paint dry. They haven't been able to rekindle the spark the original team had or even with Ziva.