S01.E06: True Colors

[Italian Ice]

Team Scorpion must pass a mandated psych evaluation or face being disbanded after they're accused of destroying a priceless work of art in an attempt to protect an art exhibit. Meanwhile, Paige enlists the help of the team when Ralph is reluctant to go to his school's Halloween party. NCIS: LOS ANGELES star Linda Hunt guest stars.

 

...and Walter's heart grew three sizes that day.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Lisin
Added episode description and changed title to episode format :)

[Jlina]

Huh, it was a little creepy to realize I was right a few weeks ago and there really is no emotion behind Walter's eyes.  But he's learning?  Not sure it's compelling to watch, though.

 

Total Hettie fail, imo.  Seeing the commercials of Sam and Callen juxtaposed next to this crew made them look like baby teenagers, and not in a good way. Using her to impart a love of art or something in 30 seconds?  And to be a costumer?  Procuring the family is the only thing remotely like what Hetti would do; plus you could never return a wine stained costume to her, omg.

 

Still loving the team dynamics and the shrink's voice was to die for; apparently she was pretty smart, also. 

[memememe76]

I am really, really liking this show. The chemistry amongst the cast is so strong. 

[shapeshifter]

Did Walter really reset the phone cloner to dance longer????

It is highly unlikely that the descendants of the original owner would want the painting for sentimental reasons. They would want it for its market value because they needed the cash--especially since their ancestor was robbed of everything. Now they have a painting with no clear provenance that neither they nor their descendants can sell. And it can never be displayed in public.

Edited October 28, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Italian Ice]

For those of us who don't watch NCIS, what does Hetty do? Was her character supposed to be the same on Scorpion as it is on NCIS?

[Jlina]

 

what does Hetty do?

 

She's the head of the team in LA but she does amazing super unbelievable spy things and just walked out on a congressional hearing - she's bold or arrogant, like that. And she sends one of her local team to Afghanistan, that's why the hearings.  Basically she's ignores protocol and chain of command but is that damn good that it doesn't stick to her.  The main thing she does though, is be their "Walter."  She hand picked the team, is the closest thing to a living relative Callen has and was involved in his past - in which no one even knows his name, only his initial "G."  They all are in awe and slight fear of her.  She has her detractors on the forums, but she is an amazing character on the show.  She does have a complex background of knowing everything, from fine art, to cigars to wine provinances, etc. - and tea, she loves tea.  She's complex and is written that way.  She resigns every time she pisses TPTB off, too, lol and yet always so far has come back.  She shoots people, too, with a small handgun. 

 

Regarding the paintings return for sentimentality, I've seen this played out at least 3 or 4 times in various shows, and they have always wanted it back for sentimentality...ymmv. :)

Edited October 28, 2014 by Jlina

[shapeshifter]

For those of us who don't watch NCIS, what does Hetty do? Was her character supposed to be the same on Scorpion as it is on NCIS?

I've seen a few episodes of NCIS-LA. Hetty is the boss by virtue of having been a secret agent when she was young. She's physically small, but scares her employees with her quiet displeasure when they screw up.

ETA: Or what Jlina said.

Edited October 28, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Trini]

Yeah, Hetty is tiny, but has had lots of adventures, but most of proof is gone/erased/hidden so it seems like legend. I'm glad this "crossover" was just a cameo, because I'm still not feelin' this show, and I don't want its icky cooties touching my NCIS:LA.  :-P

[Actionmage]

I will state, first, that I did enjoy the show as I watched. I talked to the screen as if the team could hear me. I cheered the Big Name Guests. I liked the costumes at the end, mostly. I thought the costuming scene with Hetty was fun. Toby's interrogation was a lovely bit from EKT, as was Toby and Happy  in the wine cellar.

 

Show? You do not use Hetty to help launch a 'ship she has no interest in! Bad Show!  Still, I loved how she seemed to get Sylvester. Her smile after her "your... stupid shirt" comment seemed bemused.  ( Still that line from Hetty didn't sit entirely well with me. If Syl didn't care, then I'm okay enough.)

 

Sylvester was MVP, even with the unfortunate reaction of his on comms this time out. His sheer glee and joy, then disappointment, then silly fib  about the toy company was fun to watch. I feel like Sylvester comes from a very honest emotional place. His concern for the therapist was sweet and I sort of wanted to see her scoot the chair. It was only a couple of inches. *g*  I do not need it all the time, but periodic Super Fun Guy mentions ( hopefully to Walter!) and merchandise would be fun. I love that Sylvester dressed up in that.

 

Nitpick:  Special Agent Cabe Gallo dresses in sharp suits, not too removed from the party tux, Walter. Not your usual day-to-day. Throwing shades on your face and making your voice change some doesn't quite work. Try again.

 

Toby and the Doctor was fun.  I understand why Happy was protective in her session.  It's Walter's belief that anything is okay as long as enough of the right people agree with him, as far as jobs go, that I am starting to have problems with.  I don't mind them being geniuses. I don't mind them even being right the better part of the episodes. 

 

Walter has been told by several people- including his team- that the way he does or doesn't interact with people is keeping them from getting more than just the government gig. ( And that'son a gossamer thread, as shown in this episode as well.) He sidesteps/avoids that by making Paige carry that load, when that is not her job. "Translating" the world into whatever they understand is her job; Walter says so at the top of each episode to date. I want to unreservedly like Walter. I can't, at least not right now. I triple especially do not want a Paige/Walter ship  because he hasn't even started to earn it.  Trying to dance a little longer with Paige and being a decent human being (returning a stolen painting to it's correct owners), while somewhat new for Walter, do not a romance make. Not yet. 

 

As much as I like this show, when is someone going to tell Walter/ the team that just saying "We're geniuses" isn't a magic 'Get Out of Hell Free' card ( to quote the magnificent Jonas from The Unit)?  I like Happy, but when she threw that out  to the sublime Shohreh Aghdashloo(! squeeee!), I rolled my eyes.  Of course Walter spews  that line, but I was disappointed that Happy fell to using it.  The prison system is surely has some geniuses, to some degree or another. It did not keep their asses from ending up incarcerated. They seem to disregard how others see them- counter to what Paige is supposedly helping them learn!

 

I did like Gallo at the end of the episode. The barely concealed grin was nice.

[Italian Ice]

So it was Hetty's idea to return the painting to the original owners? She slipped Walter that piece of paper, which I assume had their address on it.

[thuganomics85]

I kind of thought that Hetty wasn't necessary for this episode.  Besides maybe her involvement with getting the painting back to the original owners, I think the team could have found other ways to solve their problems.  But, I suspect it wasn't all that important, but just a way to get this show in the NCIS universe, and, at the time, a ratings boost (although, ironically, this show is actually doing better then NCIS: LA is right now.)

 

I figured out the case early on, because I knew Raphael Sbarge (Hopper from Once Upon a Time), wasn't going to be some mere curator.  But, the chases and undercover stuff was fun enough.

 

I did laugh when Gallo snapped at the team over the one guy not talking, because he was freaked out over being chased by a bunch of weirdos.  If anything, I think he was probably more freaked out over almost getting decapitated by Gallo's clothesline.  I always like it when the show lets Robert Patrick be a badass.

 

Looks like the show is going forward with Walt being slightly more human, and having feeling for Paige too.  Not sure I'm happy about the latter part.

 

Always great seeing Shorheh Aghdasloo, but I knew that her therapist would spare the team, because she was going to look past Walt's words, and see what's good about him.  I don't think this kind of scenario ever works for me, because there never is any suspense.

[Maverick]

And to be a costumer?  Procuring the family is the only thing remotely like what Hetti would do; plus you could never return a wine stained costume to her, omg.

 

 This seemed much more like early Season 1 Hetty, where her role was more about picking outfits for the team and penny pinching.

[HurricaneVal]

Jlina, I had exactly that same thought when all that wine spilled over Toby's loaned wardrobe.  "Holy crap!  Hetty's gonna kill him!"

[DrLar]

I didn't think they could crossover this show with NCIS: LA, but oh well, next up we see McGee or Abby from NCIS?

[Maverick]

I didn't think they could crossover this show with NCIS: LA, but oh well, next up we see McGee or Abby from NCIS?

 

 NCIS: LA has been pretty disconnected from the mothership.  I think Vance's appearance earlier this season was the first in a logn, long time.  LA seems like a better fit for the more--fanciful--Hawaii 5-0 and Scorpion.

[thuganomics85]

From what I've seen, it feels like original NCIS is mainly focusing on crossing over with NCIS: New Orleans, this season.  NCIS: LA seems to to cross with the more wacky, action-type shows like this, and as mentioned above, Hawaii 5-0.

 

Of course, for all I know, CBS might be planning the biggest crossover event of all time, when every freaking CBS procedural ends up teaming up to stop a threat.  Although, I would pay money (OK, not really, but close), to see the Scorpion crew meet the Person of Interest gang.  Sly and FInch interacting alone, would be must see TV.  Walt though, would have to watch his mouth around Reese and especially Shaw!

[A.Ham]

"Of course, for all I know, CBS might be planning the biggest crossover event of all time, when every freaking CBS procedural ends up teaming up to stop a threat. Although, I would pay money (OK, not really, but close), to see the Scorpion crew meet the Person of Interest gang. Sly and FInch interacting alone, would be must see TV. Walt though, would have to watch his mouth around Reese and especially Shaw!"

Ok, the quote function does not work for me on the tablet, but this is made of pure win. This must happen now, all of it. Seriously.

[Xantar]

So I just saw this episode because the show isn't exactly appointment TV for me. And I was happy to see that it actually resolved what I thought was one of the major weaknesses of the series thus far.

 

We're told that Walter and the crew don't interact well with the rest of the world, but we just didn't see very much evidence of that. Sly obviously has OCD issues, but up until now the others simply came across as misfits rather than people who would really be dysfunctional among normal people. At worst, Happy is kind of anti-social but still otherwise able to hold a normal conversation just fine. Toby psychoanalyzes people inappropriately and has a bit of a gambling problem but is otherwise able to function normally. And Walter is downright charming when he wants to be. At worst, he's a little arrogant. This isn't the guy who broke up with his girlfriend at a job site in order to multitask, and the crew didn't really seem to be so alienated that they would end up living in a communal warehouse. What's more, it made Paige seem useless.

 

But this episode brought us back to the Walter who had genuine difficulty communicating with other people and relating to emotions. It gave more dimensions to the team dynamic and allowed Paige to actually do something besides act like the audience surrogate. The science was ridiculous, but I actually enjoyed this episode for once.

[marketdoctor]

 

Always great seeing Shorheh Aghdasloo, but I knew that her therapist would spare the team, because she was going to look past Walt's words, and see what's good about him.  I don't think this kind of scenario ever works for me, because there never is any suspense.

 

Sometime, I want to see a show take this trope and go a new way with it.  For a new show, they should film two endings, so the Breaking Up the Band threat is REAL (and they use it for the last episode, give each team member a happy ending, and sell the DVD as a mini-series.)  That, or do it as a suprise cliffhanger, and have the next episode be how they got back together.

 

The first one wouldn't have worked in this case (ratings are too good, and it doesn't fit the True Facts the show is Actually Based On), but it would raise the suspense factor the next few times it's tried.

[Big Mother]

I'm late to the party - I just started watching this show thank to the CBS all access app. I'm confused on how the crew got the painting out of the car - was that under the guise of the smoke pouring from the car? Or did they produce their own forgery using computer software? I'm confused.

[Actionmage]

Just thought I'd comment, as this was reran over the weekend.

 

I liked it better this time, even with my gripes. Sly wanting to go with Cabe will never not get an empathy grin me.

 

Oh, I am still waiting for the CBS Procedural Extravaganza! With Limitless added to the mix, Walter would be experiencing all sorts of new things, emotions included!  Plus Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio, Linda Hunt, Tom Selleck, Mark Harmon, among the group? ::fans self:: The star power would be amazing.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Actionmage