S19.E07: Docked

[thewhiteowl]

NCIS investigates the death of a man on a cruise ship whose body is discovered in the ship's sauna by none other than McGee's mother-in-law, Judy.

[Kleav]

Parker is very patient with Torres. 

[Xeliou66]

I liked this episode - good mystery of the week with some good comedic bits - I didn’t think I would like Parker coming in and taking Gibbs place but he gels well with the team, I like that they didn’t make him a Gibbs clone, he’s so much more relaxed than Gibbs and it’s a nice difference, while Gibbs is a compelling character, I would rather work with Parker.

The case was intriguing and I liked the twists it took and how everyone got a nice role and how it all tied together, it was a good case of the week, although I did suspect the villains.

There were some good comedic bits - I liked the stuff with Parker and his app, another way he’s very different from Gibbs, and the McGee stuff provided a few comedic moments. Torres remains somewhat of a crybaby and is the weak link of the show. 

[12catcrazy]

I'm enjoying this season so much better than the last few years of NCIS.  I'm really liking Parker and it looks like his catch phrase is going to be "I can eat".  He seems to like food.   

The case of the week was good and I could actually buy Judy being Delilah's mom.  There was a similarity in looks and I can see a very free-wheeling mother having a daughter who is more "controlled".  McGee was great in the peacemaker role.   He seems like a "Dad" type of guy in so many ways.  He's not going to come in with guns blazing but if the roof is coming down and the living room is flooding, he's the guy you want there.  

And the writers are still making Torres something of an immature jerk.  The actor seems to be a guy with a sense of humor and when they let that come out in Torres, he can become endearing rather than a PITA.  

[milkyaqua]

Echoing the other  comments.  Good epi.

Enough of Delilah's mom to not go into over the top territory and it was a good showcase for McGee in being able to get the two women to talk to each other.  Also liked Jimmy letting McGee know he'd be fine and Parker telling him he couldn't remain neutral.

I also like Parker and that he seems to be more mellow than Gibbs but I've liked Gary Cole in most things he's done.  And loved the way he pulls Torres' chain when he's acting like a brat.

 

[preeya]

7 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Echoing the other  comments.  Good epi.

Enough of Delilah's mom to not go into over the top territory and it was a good showcase for McGee in being able to get the two women to talk to each other.  Also liked Jimmy letting McGee know he'd be fine and Parker telling him he couldn't remain neutral.

I also like Parker and that he seems to be more mellow than Gibbs but I've liked Gary Cole in most things he's done.  And loved the way he pulls Torres' chain when he's acting like a brat.

 

Delilah's mom - Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement. (I didn't recognize her until I googled it)

Delilah - STFU  To much OTT bantering.

Gary Cole - better than expected. Even gave a shout out to the Brady Bunch.

 

[LuvMyShows]

9 hours ago, 12catcrazy said:

McGee was great in the peacemaker role.   He seems like a "Dad" type of guy in so many ways.  

So speaking of Dad, where on earth were the kids?  I think I may have heard them say something about the kids when they were outside of Judy's condo before it blew up, but even aside from that mention, there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever of little kids at McGee's place.  No toys out, no kid gear, nothing.

[LuvMyShows]

19 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

There were some good comedic bits - I liked the stuff with Parker and his app, another way he’s very different from Gibbs, and the McGee stuff provided a few comedic moments. 

So is it a coincidence that we not only see Delilah for the first time in a long time, but she has a more significant presence, once Mark Harmon is gone?  What I'm getting at, is did he actively not want the focus on the more peripheral characters, or did the writers just not write for them, in favor of all the Gibbsian drama?

[judyri]

I am also enjoying this season, it was getting too intense and always a downer with Gibbs, and even Emily.  These guys get the job done, and still get to go home and have a life.

[secnarf]

31 minutes ago, preeya said:

Delilah's mom - Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement. (I didn't recognize her until I googled it)

I recognized her, and it was driving me mad because I couldn't place her til I googled half way through the episode.

My mom and I do the TV Guide crossword every week, and this week one of the clues was "mom on Home Improvement". My sister and parents and I used to watch the show when we were younger, and although we went through every single character's name, it took forever for one of us to eventually remember "Jill". Had this episode aired last week, I would have got it no problem!

[Xeliou66]

45 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

So is it a coincidence that we not only see Delilah for the first time in a long time, but she has a more significant presence, once Mark Harmon is gone?  What I'm getting at, is did he actively not want the focus on the more peripheral characters, or did the writers just not write for them, in favor of all the Gibbsian drama?

I don’t know how much influence Mark Harmon had over the show’s direction, Gibbs was always the main character whereas now the show is more of an ensemble, so I’m not sure if he had a prominent role in the show being centered around Gibbs. I have to say I am kind of enjoying the show more without Gibbs, Gibbs got to where he was so miserable a lot of the time that the show seemed like a downer all the time. Now things seem more relaxed. As I’ve said before, while I found Gibbs compelling, he’s not someone I would want to work with given his demeanor. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

13 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

So is it a coincidence that we not only see Delilah for the first time in a long time, but she has a more significant presence, once Mark Harmon is gone?  What I'm getting at, is did he actively not want the focus on the more peripheral characters, or did the writers just not write for them, in favor of all the Gibbsian drama?

 

12 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

I don’t know how much influence Mark Harmon had over the show’s direction, Gibbs was always the main character whereas now the show is more of an ensemble, so I’m not sure if he had a prominent role in the show being centered around Gibbs. I have to say I am kind of enjoying the show more without Gibbs, Gibbs got to where he was so miserable a lot of the time that the show seemed like a downer all the time. Now things seem more relaxed. As I’ve said before, while I found Gibbs compelling, he’s not someone I would want to work with given his demeanor. 

Personally, I don’t think it’s fair to blame Mark Harmon; or rather say he has any responsibility for how the show is written. He’s not the show runner.

Plus, this isn’t a family drama. It’s a crime procedural, that in its early to mid years, also had character-based stories. We got Gibbs’s past; Ducky’s Mum and his past; Tony’s past and his dad; Soooo much of Ziva’s family and Daddy issues.

Delilah isn’t a regular cast member. Except for when Sarah was on, I don’t really care about McGee’s family issues, and especially hated how he also suddenly had Daddy issues.

Edited November 10, 2021 by GHScorpiosRule

[HurricaneVal]

I liked this episode!  Palmer had a nice moment too.  It was nice to see Delilah again, and Patricia Richardson was perfect as her mom.  I did think it was odd that there's zero evidence of the twins at their place.  I can understand not having actual children in the scenes, having child actors on the set with all the extra regulations associated with that is an expensive hassle, but a little set decoration with a Melissa and Doug play kitchen over in the corner, or a Mickey Mouse fleece blanket flung over the couch would have had them there, without having them there. 

Speaking of their place, it was nice that they showed how it had been modified to be fully accessible for Delilah, you don't see that a lot on TV.  And maybe that's why there's not any kid stuff around, with her wheelchair, everyone in the household has to be very disciplined not to leave stuff laying around to make it difficult for her to navigate.  But it leads to a very sterile looking home.  And is it just me, or has Tony's apartment magically expanded?

I don't know why I had this dislike for Gary Cole, because once his character expanded past the single-minded pursuer of Gibbs, I quite like Parker.  Then I looked him up on IMDB, and holy cow he's a prolific actor with a LOT of credits.  Steady work  in Hollywood without actually headlining a major network show means that not only does he have a good agent, he's got a reputation as good to work with.  So I looked through his various roles, and realized that the reason I didn't like him was because he did such a great job playing the odiously slimy Bingo Bob vice president on The West Wing.

[NYGirl]

I'm liking Gary Cole more than I thought I would.

I had to stop halfway through the episode because I cannot stand Patricia Richardson.  She annoyed me so much that I couldn't go on.  

I like Torres but I'm not happy with the way they are writing. him

[GHScorpiosRule]

50 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

steady work  in Hollywood without actually headlining a major network show means that not only does he have a good agent, he's got a reputation as good to work with.

He had one network show where he was the lead: Midnight Caller on NBC. During the mid-80s. There was another show on TNT, about S.W.A.T., I think, but that didn't last very long. He was the squad commander. I think that was in the early 2000s.

[preeya]

2 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Then I looked him up on IMDB, and holy cow he's a prolific actor with a LOT of credits.

Not only acting credits, but he has at least 35 voice-over credits on his resume.

He has one of the most extensive IMDB profiles that I've seen.

 

[MissLucas]

I remember Midnight Caller - it's the reason I always liked Cole.

Delilah was OOC for me, she's normally more in control and sensible. The mother-daughter drama was over the top but a bit of comedy does not hurt this show. And it was another instance of showing the different leading style of Parker. Imagine Gibbs in that scenario.

The writing for Torres is stuck in a rut. No wonder Valderrama is looking for new projects.

[TheWalkinDude]

17 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

So speaking of Dad, where on earth were the kids?  I think I may have heard them say something about the kids when they were outside of Judy's condo before it blew up, but even aside from that mention, there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever of little kids at McGee's place.  No toys out, no kid gear, nothing.

Delilah told her mother when they arrived at the apartment that “the twins are staying with Tim’s sister” until things are safe.

[mythoughtis]

4 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Delilah was OOC for me, she's normally more in control and sensible.

Delilah had no personality in this episode.  Normally she’s smart, funny, self confident.  Did the writers forget about her personality? She was an intelligence analyst.  

Edited November 10, 2021 by mythoughtis

[HurricaneVal]

1 hour ago, mythoughtis said:

5 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Delilah was OOC for me, she's normally more in control and sensible.

Delilah had no personality in this episode.  Normally she’s smart, funny, self confident.  Did the writers forget about her personality? She was an intelligence analyst.  

Oh....but her mother was around.  I think it is perfectly in character for someone to act differently around a parent who drives you crazy.  As Delilah's mother clearly does to Delilah.   But I doubt the writers thought that hard about it.  Maybe the actress made that choice.

[Magnumfangirl]

How does Mark Harmon still get to be first in the credits when he's not even on the show anymore?  

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, Magnumfangirl said:

How does Mark Harmon still get to be first in the credits when he's not even on the show anymore?  

He hasn’t left the show. Just reduced his appearances. We’ll see Gibbs again. That’s what the show runner or someone said after his “last” appearance-that we haven’t seen the last of Gibbs.

[Magnumfangirl]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

He hasn’t left the show. Just reduced his appearances. We’ll see Gibbs again. That’s what the show runner or someone said after his “last” appearance-that we haven’t seen the last of Gibbs.

I totally expect to see him again, I just think it's odd that he still gets top billing.

[MDL]

IIRC  Some actors have where they are "billed' in their contracts ($$$).

 

[laredhead]

I think next season will have a different opening, and Mark Harmon will not be listed.  I also understood from some previous press statements, that he will probably make at least one more appearance before the season ends.

 

[Packerbrewerbadger]

So they’re protecting Judy at her daughter’s house ( who would think to look there? …. but no matter- just ask her neighbor🙄). 
Then they open the door to a “ delivery person”, don’t check his id or look in his bags and just leave the door open and walk away….. 

And it was a lot smaller when Tony lived there, and didn’t the bad guy get in easily another time  when they were protecting someone else in that apt? 
 

Gary Cole is definitely an improvement in my book over Gibs who had become insufferable the last few seasons. And I love that they made him tech savvy.  It annoyed me that Gibs was so stubborn over learning new technology.

Speaking of annoying - Torres

[CheshireCat]

I, too, enjoyed this episode. I like Parker and how the character is written and how he interacts with the team. I also like the team without him.

I thought Delilah's mom was fun and that the three of them (McGee, Delilah and Judy) worked well together. Did they get new writers? I feel like they're really grasping the characters and their personalities this season). What I also really liked is that it was the daughter who was overly protective instead of the mother. Even more so because Delilah's in a wheelchair and it would have been very easy to go the overdone "mother-in-law is overly protective of her disabled daughter" route.

On 11/10/2021 at 10:35 AM, HurricaneVal said:

Speaking of their place, it was nice that they showed how it had been modified to be fully accessible for Delilah, you don't see that a lot on TV.  And maybe that's why there's not any kid stuff around, with her wheelchair, everyone in the household has to be very disciplined not to leave stuff laying around to make it difficult for her to navigate.  But it leads to a very sterile looking home. 

Maybe they used the opportunity of a kids-free home to clean up?

 

26 minutes ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

So they’re protecting Judy at her daughter’s house ( who would think to look there? …. but no matter- just ask her neighbor🙄). 
Then they open the door to a “ delivery person”, don’t check his id or look in his bags and just leave the door open and walk away….. 

McGee was contacted over his phone and not an intercom, so I assumed it was another agent who was stationed downstairs and also assumed that they would check the delivery guy out.

 

[immortalfrieza]

On 11/13/2021 at 10:06 PM, Packerbrewerbadger said:

Gary Cole is definitely an improvement in my book over Gibs who had become insufferable the last few seasons. And I love that they made him tech savvy.  It annoyed me that Gibs was so stubborn over learning new technology.

The fact that Gibbs was chronically incapable of using any modern tech except a flip phone because "LOL old people are terrible at technology! LOL" thing went way past funny into irritating not long after they introduced the fact. The fact that it jeopardized a case last season was the last straw. The fact that Parker seems to actually have a clue about modern life was just one of the things that made me not miss Gibbs.

That, and Parker has consistently avoided the mistake that the writers make with so many replacement characters on these NCIS shows: Parker is not a dick. In fact, he's consistently shown that he is anything but, he's a nice jovial guy that actually puts in a bit of effort to get people to like him. So many replacements are these "rough on the edges" characters who are consistently dicks to everyone they encounter for little to no reason for at least a dozen episodes before they eventually get a bit of character development and stop, but by then they've been soured, like nearly everybody they ever replaced old characters with on New Orleans. It's nice to see a character who is just nice out of the gate and we don't have to go through that painful nonsense.

Edited November 15, 2021 by immortalfrieza

[GHScorpiosRule]

21 minutes ago, immortalfrieza said:

The fact that Gibbs was chronically incapable of using any modern tech except a flip phone because "LOL old people are terrible at technology! LOL" thing went way past funny into irritating not long after they introduced the fact.

This pissed me off from the beginning, because in the backdoor pilot (yeah, yeah, not the official, but it set it up!) on JAG, he was computer literate; down to knowing how to use that palm pilot or whatever it was that Blackadder was typing in, telling Gibbs to read Harm his rights.

[CeeBeeGee]

8 hours ago, immortalfrieza said:

So many replacements are these "rough on the edges" characters who are consistently dicks to everyone they encounter for little to no reason for at least a dozen episodes before they eventually get a bit of character development and stop,

See: Carter, NCIS: NOLA. I've never hated a character so instantly.

[kassygreene]

Damm, Harriet's passed.  She was The online fan liaison for NCIS & JAG back in the early 00s.  If she was 94 when she passed, then she was in her late sixties / early seventies back then.  Lovely woman.

[eel21788]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:35 AM, HurricaneVal said:

  And is it just me, or has Tony's apartment magically expanded?

Were they still living at DiNozzo's? I really couldn't tell.

[maggiemae]

I doubt it...Tony's condo had 1 bedroom.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Finally got around to seeing this and the best and funniest line that had me 😂😂😂😂was Parker’s “I come from a big family; Brady Bunch big.” Because it was totally a *wink*wink* to Cole playing Mike Brady in the movies!

Delilah just freakin annoyed me.

I had no trouble recognizing Patricia Richardson. Though the white hair was jarring.

Torres continues to annoy.

[eel21788]

On 11/23/2021 at 9:28 PM, maggiemae said:

I doubt it...Tony's condo had 1 bedroom.

So, once again, we need to worry about what happened to Kate and Ziva!

[UnikornRainbowz]

The Brady Bunch reference fueled my soul tonight!!