S12.E04: Choke Hold

[FormerMod-a1]

The Secretary of the Navy assigns the NCIS team to a joint terrorism task force after a Naval research scientist is murdered and the lead suspect is wanted by the Russian government. In order to get a jump on the case, Gibbs has DiNozzo run interference with the leader of the task force.

 

 

[roseha]

The murders were more violent than usual; I had to look away sometimes during this one, but the plot did keep me guessing.  I did figure out the final twist (well, one of them

that the scientist wasn't really dead; I didn't figure out that Tony knew

) right after it happened but it was still good.  Since the guest agent was FBI (right?) I was hoping to see Fornell but he's going to NCIS:NO next week instead.

[LakeGal]

I liked this episode.  It kept my interest.  Nice to be able to say that.

[catray]

I liked this episode! Agreed that the deaths were gruesome, especially for this show, but it was a nice twisty episode. I too figured out that the scientist's death was a fake-out to keep her safe, but that was nicely played by Tony. I am liking the Tony/Tim/Bishop trio-- they've definitely toned down Bishop's specialness.

And omg, we're on a ship next week!!! Looking forward to it.

[buckboard]

Having just seen a rerun of the fake Guantanamo episode this week and given the harshness of turning over the woman to the Russians and a certain death, I wasn't at all surprised the shooting was a phony. 

 

I don't understand the need to show exceptionally gruesome deaths and these were particularly so.  They can make the point by saying the victims were decapitated without going into minute detail and without showing the bloody headless bodies and photos of the headless bodies over and over.  Get reaction shots of the agents, like the SECNAV director's face when she first saw the body in autopsy and we'll get the picture.
 
 

Edited October 16, 2014 by buckboard

[twoods]

I figured the shooting was a fake but thought Tony had no idea about it. The FBI agent looks so familiar that I swear she was a badass on another show- Arrow? At least Tony has a type- made me miss Ziva. The agent calling McGee Gumby cracked me up.

Why does Abby have to be pissy about every new person, especially if they are female? Ugh.

I missed Palmer.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I am liking the Tony/Tim/Bishop trio-- they've definitely toned down Bishop's specialness.

 

I noticed that about Bishop as well as the character seems more mature and less annoyingly (and unnecessarily) quirky.  Nicely done, TPTB.

[FineWashables]

 

Why does Abby have to be pissy about every new person, especially if they are female? Ugh.

I guess for the same reason that they haven't let her change her hairstyle or a single detail of her look for 11 years.  The character is played by a 45-year-old woman, but can only seem to function if she presents herself as an 8-year old.  Zero growth for her character arc in the entire time the show's been on the air.  Annoying, no?  And Ugh, yes.

 

And the actress who's playing the new FBI agent that DiNozzo is flirting with -- her acting skills are almost right up there with Tori Spelling's.  Talk about wooden!

[Ohmo]

I haven't had the chance to watch the episode yet, but here are the ratings:

 

CBS | NCIS (17.1 mil/2.5) shed some eyeballs as well as a tenth on the demo, while NCIS: New Orleans (15.9 mil/2.2) and Person of Interest (9.7 mil/1.5) added viewers but ticked down in the demo.

 

TVLine

[BigBeagle]

 

The FBI agent looks so familiar that I swear she was a badass on another show- Arrow?

twoods, did you ever watch Battlestar Galactica? She was a guest star in the BSG movie "Razor."

[GHScorpiosRule]

I only got to watch the first 45 minutes, then had to stop. But what I did see, I didn't like. That is, the Russian scientist was a godawful actress; her line deliveries were just so flat; and I was thinking...where's her accent?

 

As for FBI Lea? Hated her. She's like a mashup of Kate and Ziva in talking down to Tony. Are we going down that path fucking again?  And isn't she some get because she was on the rebooted Melrose Place or something? And that she's supposed to be Tony's new love interest? NO THANKS if she's going to be busting his balls in every scene. UGH.

[jrgray]

Ok, somebody watched "The Hunt for Red October" and ripped off the plotline.  Russian asset (sub/scientist) escapes from Russia.  Russian government asks US government to recover asset (or destroy it).  American agent (CIA/NCIS) figures out Russian is actually trying to defect.  Russian agent admits his government doesn't always tell him the truth. Americans recover asset but don't tell Russians.  Americans fake destruction of asset to avoid handing over asset to Russians.

[pcta]

Not even Tony deserves the FBI witch

[Julia]

Oh, again with Bishop and the locker room sex talk overshare. You know what, snowflake? Yes, they do need to stop, not on your account, but because it's grossly inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Ever notice that they also stop doing it when Gibbs comes by? That would be why. And you need to stop too, because it's unprofessional and stupid and kind of gross and a disservice to, you know, actual working women. 

 

Do we have any idea why generic russian apparatchik dude is targeting Gibbs?

Edited October 15, 2014 by Julia

[MDL]

 

Do we have any idea why generic russian apparatchik dude is targeting Gibbs?

Didn't Gibbs shoot him, and leave him for dead?...or does he (the Russian) need more of a reason??

Edited October 17, 2014 by MDL

[GHScorpiosRule]

Do we have any idea why generic russian apparatchik dude is targeting Gibbs?

 

Yes. In the "Klicks" episode, we were told that Ari was a good friend of this Russian Sergei and as far as everyone knows, apparently, Gibbs is the one who killed Ari. So, you know, REVENGE.  Even though it was Ziva who killed Ari. And don't get me started on how/why that particular arc was retconned.

[itsmeyousee]

I liked certain aspects of the ep, some things were just strange and i wasn't fussed by the FBI chick. I mean she seems fine, the banter with her and Tony was fine but it was all just fine really. I can't see long term with her, short term yes but not much else.

 

I liked the Team and how they worked together. I especially liked Tony and McGee in the car park and loved the end with McGee saying to Tony that Gibbs wouldn't leave him out of something like this, happy dance with that. Especially since in the past they have had Gibbs leave the Team in the dark, sucky part of Domino LOL. I'll go along with Gibbs "lone wolfing" but not telling half the Team and telling the others , no.

 

Vance was strange, does this guy have no idea when important people are in the building , let alone his office. And i guess Tony guarding the toilets was meant to be funny but it just made Vance seem like a twat really. Like he dragged Tony there for his own amusement or something.

[Starfish35]

The FBI agent looks so familiar that I swear she was a badass on another show- Arrow?

She played Jesse on The Sarah Connor Chronicles, 2nd season.

[Julia]

Didn't Gibbs shoot him, and leave him for dead?...or does he (the Russian) need more of a reason??

 

Gibbs shot random russian hit man guy, who was trying to kill him before that happened. He did not shoot government official dude (or apparatchik) who pretty clearly set him up to be killed by random russian hit man guy.

Yes. In the "Klicks" episode, we were told that Ari was a good friend of this Russian Sergei and as far as everyone knows, apparently, Gibbs is the one who killed Ari. So, you know, REVENGE.  Even though it was Ziva who killed Ari. And don't get me started on how/why that particular arc was retconned.

And the bonded over what, general antisemitism? This plot confuses me.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Julia

[Ohmo]

And the bonded over what, general antisemitism? This plot confuses me.

 

 

I never got the sense that Ari was anti-Semetic (because he was in fact half-Jewish).  I think he was definitely anti-Eli, and he had a hatred of things Israeli as they related to his father's position as Mossad Director, but I think that's different from anti-Semitism.

 

As to the episode itself, i liked elements of it.  I think it's very topical and timely.  I actually didn't mind the whole thing with Bishop, tony, McGee, and the magazine.  IRL, yes, that would be ragingly inappropriate, but for Tony, that's what he does, particularly during times of transition.  He and Ziva flirted almost right out of the gate when Kate died.  Now Ziva's gone, and we're seeing some of that behavior again.  Even though it's not a very admirable behavior, it's consistent for Tony.  I also don't think it's permanent.  It would have been more obvious to me if Tony had behaved that way with McGee, but not Bishop.  Seeing that behavior with Kate, Ziva, and Bishop says to me that Tony feels comfortable the women that he's worked with---that Bishop isn't any different from Kate or Ziva in that regard.  At times, Tony will display that to everyone, but overall I still think he is light-years different from when the series began (in a good way.)  I think we'll always see an element of this behavior as part of Tony's character, but that's not all to whom Tony is.

 

As to the FBI agent, I just don't think he'll find happiness there.  I sure as heck don't think that he'll find happiness with Ziva either, but I want him off the LEO train, no matter who it is.  I can't remember what Wendy did back in the day, and Jeanne was a nurse.  I know she was Tony's asset/target or whatever, but she didn't know that.  She related to him as a nurse, and I'll always believe that he did genuinely love her just like I believe the same when he was engaged to Wendy.  I think Tony needs someone who's a teacher, an accountant, a chef, etc.  I want to see the Tony who was with Wendy and Jeanne, not just board the LEO train again but change the LEO he's doing this endlessly fruitless circle with.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Ohmo

[Julia]

Pretty sure Jeanne was a doctor. And if there are any fans of the actress around, she starts a guest starring arc in The Blacklist this week.

[Ohmo]

Yes, you're right.  Jeanne was indeed a doctor.  I stand corrected.

[kassygreene]

Jeanne was a doctor.  And also a spoiled rich kid.

 

Wendy (if this is the character Perry Reeves played) was one of Tony's high school teachers.  

 

Really.

 

She later switched to journalism.

[Ohmo]

Wendy (if this is the character Perry Reeves played) was one of Tony's high school teachers.

 

Now that you've said that, I remember that Wendy was a teacher who switched to journalism, but I don't remember her being one of his teachers.  There's not a lot of character bio about Wendy, but I thought Tony made a comment to Wendy about moving on from the rugrats, which would seem to refer to younger children.

[St. Claire]

The FBI agent looks so familiar that I swear she was a badass on another show- Arrow?

 

She was on Revenge as Niko Takeda. 

[Betweenthisandthat]

I didn't mind the FBI agent, but looks like that relationship fizzled pretty quickly, so not bothered by it.

 

I like the team banter with the magazine.  Inappropriate for the work place irl?  Definitely.  But for this show based on what it used to do?  With the hardcore flirting Tony and Ziva used to do?  One of my favorite scenes is Ziva rating Tony and McGee's asses.  This in comparison was child's play.  In the early seasons, the team was more sexual and I don't mind that returning in small doses.  I prefer that to them acting like children, which was something this show used to do too.