S12.E19: Patience

[MyAimIsTrue]

The murder of a petty officer sparks a lead in a 40 year old airport bombing cold case that Gibbs and DiNozzo have been assigned to for the past two years.  Also, McGee is jealous that he was not previously briefed on the cold case.

[MyAimIsTrue]

It was so blatantly obvious to me who the "bad guy" was in this episode but that didn't ruin my overall enjoyment.

[slothgirl]

I really don't like the reversal of McGee back into an insecure"younger sibling" character, all worried about whether "Dad" likes him as much as "big brother" Tony. That's such a tired dynamic; they really need to move past it... which they had been doing up til tonight.

 

Plus the amount of innapropriate whining before superiors was over the top. (McGee AND Abby) Do your job people! Yeah, I get that you don't like being left out of the loop, but time was critical and lives were at stake. Deal with your issues later!

 

And why do they try to pretend EVERYTHING Palmer ever says is lame when both Ducky and Tony have frequently made jokes that were either lame or in bad taste (or both)?

 

This episode felt like it had been written by someone other than whoever has been writing the more recent eps. Too much juvenile behavior and I was hoping we were moving past all that. It's like they were trying to balance the seriousness of the case with some levity, but it all fell flat.

[sinkwriter]

I really am tired of Palmer being treated like he can't do anything. I know he's geeky and his humor is at times inappropriate, but he's still good at his job. I hate that they treat him like crap -- seriously? everybody steals his lunch? -- and he gets kicked out of the room for almost everything so that Gibbs and Ducky can talk privately about the case (any case, not just this one). Is he a trusted member of the team or not? The only one that seems to (usually) treat him better is Tony, because they have a bond. (I did crack up at how Tony was trying to dissuade Jimmy from saying anything else, when it was clear Ducky was offended at being treated as too old and incapable of doing something more 'modern' in regard to technology. And I liked that Abby has an "Abby's Lab for Dummies" job manual. Awesome.)

 

A couple things that amused:

 

Tony and Bishop having to do couples' intimacy techniques with one another (heeee).

 

Vance, who's been on fire with the funny side comments for a couple weeks now. I laughed out loud when he said "This should be interesting" (at the start of the couples' intimacy class) and "He's going to ask for hazard pay" (regarding Tony having to gaze into Bishop's eyes). HA!

 

The look on Gibbs' face and the way his head went back and his eyes rolled up when he heard what the class was made me laugh too.

 

Also amusing, though in kind of a sad way: Tony finally realizing that maybe he's got intimacy issues. I had assumed he'd already realized that, when he started going to a men's support group, but I guess maybe this was the first time he really saw it in himself? Interesting... I'd like to see where the showrunners take that next.

 

Count me in as being annoyed with Abby and McGee being so childish in front of their superiors. Abby, you seriously can't see why McGee would be upset to find out you'd been seeing other guys while you were dating him? McGee, you seriously can't understand why Gibbs would turn to his senior agent first to discuss a very important, highly classified cold case, and why he might not have been able to read the rest of you in at the same time? (Same for Abby, though she gave up being sarcastic and passive aggressive about it faster than McGee.)

I did love that Gibbs has been working with Tony privately on this case. No matter how wacky they've tried to make DiNozzo over the years, one underlying thing has been clear and that's how -- no matter how much exterior joking going on -- he's very good at his job.

 

On a shallow note, Michael Weatherly was looking very good in that leather jacket. So was McGee in his coat. Both very handsome.

 

It was so blatantly obvious to me who the "bad guy" was in this episode but that didn't ruin my overall enjoyment.

 

Yeah, as soon as she first came on vid screen in MTAC, I thought, yeah, she feels like the guilty one to me. LOL. I was hoping they'd prove me wrong. Alas...

Edited April 1, 2015 by sinkwriter

[Mama No Life]

 

I did love that Gibbs has been working with Tony privately on this case. No matter how wacky they've tried to make DiNozzo over the years, one underlying thing has been clear and that's how -- no matter how much exterior joking going on -- he's very good at his job.

 

This is one of my favorite parts of the series.

[slothgirl]

I really am tired of Palmer being treated like he can't do anything

Also amusing, though in kind of a sad way: Tony finally realizing that maybe he's got intimacy issues. I had assumed he'd already realized that, when he started going to a men's support group, but I guess maybe this was the first time he really saw it in himself? Interesting... I'd like to see where the showrunners take that next.

Palmer... ditto. They seem to have forgetten ("they" meaning both the writers and the characters) that Palmer did quite well in Ducky's absence for what would have been months, right? He's no slackey-lackey

 

Tony's intimacy issues... after all the relationship stuff over the years, and the men's group, and his father, he figures out he has intimacy issues when he is uncomfortable doing a couples connection class with a junior co-worker who is married, somewhat naive, and that he has been mentoring? Who WOULDN"T be uncomfortable?

 

Speaking of the whole undercover op... it gave me an uneasy feeling about where they are going with this. It brought to mind all of Bishop's concerns about what she might have to do if she went undercover (her big worry being the obvious implication being that she might have to have sex with someone). So now they have her go "undercover" (albeit in a small way) with Tony in a situation where intimacy is an issue. What are they leading up to with this? Please don't let it be an actual undercover case where she ends up having to do something she might regret (or alternatively blow her cover if she doesn't resulting in her or someone else's injury)

 

We finally have a character who doesn't have some horrible life changing pain or event that creates "depth" for the character along with relationship drama or demise. Please show... don't ruin it!

Edited April 1, 2015 by slothgirl

[catray]

Vance has had some great lines the past few episodes. Gibbs and Vance watching Tony and Bishop in the intimacy group was great-- actually, that sequence was great. I also enjoyed Tony and McGee in the tattoo parlor, the underlying theme of Tony being Gibbs's right hand man, and Palmer. I don't understand why Ducky and Palmer were fighting over who got to do the DNA work-- extracting DNA and running a PCR is a fairly menial task and, so why not have Palmer do it? It just seems silly-- at least to me. Oh well.
 

Plus the amount of innapropriate whining before superiors was over the top. (McGee AND Abby) Do your job people! Yeah, I get that you don't like being left out of the loop, but time was critical and lives were at stake. Deal with your issues later!

 

Gah, yes to this! I wanted slap Abby and McGee for their behavior in the beginning. McGee has really come into his own in the last few years, so I too hate it when he reverts to the insecure little brother trope, because certainly agents are always working on some kind of case/op and it's not like McGee hasn't done things that Tony didn't know about. Abby... argh. There's no possible way she could have be the *only* forensic scientist for the entire NCIS agency anyway, so good lord, stop it.

 

Because the actor who played Orlando is a villain on Longmire, I figured he would be the villain here, so they got me there.

 

Wait, Senior's back next week? Ugh, no. I'm tired of him.

[itsmeyousee]

I quite liked this ep. It was kinda different.

 

I didn't mind McGee, to me it would have been odd if he didn't act like that.. He is still in competition with Tony as far as i can tell, just lately he is the go to guy . I thought the whole Abby maybe cheating on McGee thing really weird, i mean how far removed was the guy form it anyway and yet he remembers 11 years later what was that all about ?

 

And didn't we already do the joke about Abby book and Palmer and Tony worked out the DNA test, another what the ????

 

Enjoyed Gibbs and Vance and Tony and Bishop snapping their fingers at the end

[brgjoe]

Hey Tony, if you need to snap your fingers to work out your intimacy issues, I think you're doing it wrong.  ;)

 

I generally liked this episode.  Agreed with those who think they were going a bit overboard with McGee whining about not being read in.  I can see him being a bit disapointed at first.  And maybe saying something to Tony about it at some point.  But not going on and on and on about it.  But I do like it that Gibbs did involve Tony in that classified mission to begin with.  I think it shows yet again how much respect he truly does have for him.

 

I also thought that DNA lab thing with Ducky and Palmer was a bit silly.  Why not let Palmer go ahead and do the testing?  Though perhaps it was Ducky's way of saying, "I may be older than all of you, but I'm not quite ready to be put out to pasture just yet." 

 

Also enjoyed the scene with Vance/Gibbs looking in on that intimacy session.  Vance with that line about hazard pay and Gibbs saying, "I just can't watch any more of this.."  I felt the same way -- poor DiNozzo/Bishop.  Aside from I'm sure it being awkward, I thought that group scene was also borderline creepy too.  The leader almost seemed like some sort of cult figure or something.

 

Guess I'm a bit daft, but I didn't see the ambassador lady being the baddie until the very end.  I thought perhaps it was someone in her office that tipped the guy off -- but not her directly.  And I thought the ending was a bit rushed.  Or at least someone unsatisfying with just a drone hit taking out the real bad dude.  Was hoping that guy leading the Navy Seal team would be the ones to nab him.

 

Poor McGee.   This wasn't his best day (or days).  First not being read into the classifed mission.  And then getting teased about his missed chance with Abby all those years ago.  I can see why he was a bit grumpy at times in this episode.  :)

 

Sure there were some issues with this week's show.  But all in all, I thought it was a decent enough episode. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

Vance, who's been on fire with the funny side comments for a couple weeks now. I laughed out loud when he said "This should be interesting" (at the start of the couples' intimacy class) and "He's going to ask for hazard pay" (regarding Tony having to gaze into Bishop's eyes). HA!

 

Rocky Carroll is so good with a deadpan delivery!

 

Count me in as another who is tired of Palmer's treatment.  I've always liked the character, goofiness and all, and it's getting tiresome for him to be the punching bag most of the time.

 

Because the actor who played Orlando is a villain on Longmire, I figured he would be the villain here, so they got me there.

 

Anyone else think Orlando somewhat resembled Charles Manson??

[Julia]

This week felt a little off to me, like a writer who didn't know the show very well took a generic procedural script and put in character moments they'd seen in reruns. It's not that I'm not grateful for a little less angst, but this went a little sitcommy, maybe?

[Linderhill]

Unlike some of the other posters, I don't have a problem with how Palmer is treated.  I simply don't care about him at all.  He''s a periphral character who is only there for occasional comedic momments.  Sorry, he's not that important.  I don't care if the character is marginalized, he's a marginal character.

 

I was one of the viewers that got annoyed with McGee's whining.  Dude, you're a special agent in an agency that deals with the military, there will be things that you are not need-to-know, be an adult.  I did like how Abby realized that Gibbs having another forensic scientist work the case was the most practical way to handle it afterall. 

 

Overall, I enjoyed the show.  Some great moments with most of the characters. 

 

On another note, thank goodness that the incessant "The Dovekeepers" commercials will be over with.

[sinkwriter]

Actually, one thing I'd love to see before this series ends someday is a Gibbs and Palmer episode where they have to work together, just the two of them. Maybe Ducky's on vacation, or laid up from some injury, maybe Gibbs and Palmer end up stranded somewhere, whatever, doesn't matter. All I want is for Gibbs and Palmer to work together. They don't have to change the dynamic enormously, Palmer can still be somewhat intimidated and in awe of Gibbs, but I'd love to see them work together, where Gibbs can see that Palmer really does know his stuff and will be an excellent replacement for Ducky in the ME's lab some day. Let Palmer show his stuff like he did in that one episode where he sent his car plowing into the suspect's truck, in order to stop him from getting away. Plus, having one episode with the two of them together could also be funny.

 

It's like the Tony effect, really. I don't mind Tony being a comedic vessel on the show, but I really love when the showrunners/writers remember to show that Tony is also a highly competent agent. Same with Palmer - I don't mind that he's a minor character in comparison to the team, I don't mind that he's generally used for comic relief, but I do mind when they go over the top with making him the butt of jokes or making him seem ridiculous (just like they have done annoyingly with Tony over the years). Palmer wouldn't be working with Ducky or Gibbs or any of them if he didn't have the right stuff to be on the team. There's no way Ducky or Gibbs would work with him otherwise. They'd request (nay, they'd demand) a new team member. So once in a while I'd love for Palmer to be able to show his talents.

Edited April 1, 2015 by sinkwriter

[Shanna Marie]

It was rather refreshing to see the standard "co-workers have to go under cover as a married couple" scenario played out with zero sexual tension or animosity. They weren't bickering, and there wasn't even the slightest suggestion that any discomfort they might feel had anything to do with attraction or feelings, even when it got amped up by it turning out to be an intimacy seminar. Instead, it was the perfectly reasonable discomfort of being forced into that situation with a co-worker when they're both in relationships with other people and one of them is actually married, and when they mostly seem to have a sibling-like relationship.

 

You almost never see that on TV. If two people have to pretend to be husband and wife, it's almost always to generate sexual tension or make them see each other in a new light, or else they bicker non-stop (which may or may not have something to do with sexual tension).

 

On another note, I really don't see how someone could have worked in that kind of environment for so long and not get that it's not at all personal if they're not being told about a particular operation. I could see maybe being a little irked about a boss not bringing you in on it, but being mad at the co-worker who has been read in on something classified for not spilling the beans to you is ridiculous.

[pally]

Gibbs does just fine with Jimmy. I think he is much more secretly amused by his awkwardness than he is irritated by it.  He worked well with Jimmy during the months that Ducky was on medical leave.

 

Abby's Lab for Dummies first made its appearance in Season 6's Toxic episode.

[sinkwriter]

Oh, I know. I like the amused but hiding it Gibbs expression. And you just know that he plays up the intimidation factor to mess with Jimmy. 

 

I just really enjoyed that Palmer episode from long ago, and would love to see Jimmy get another episode someday, one that isn't set around him being comic relief. It's just a wish list item for me regarding this show.

[St. Claire]

One of the best throwaway lines from the episode was when Tony said he had intimacy issues, and Bishop said "And thank God you do," or something to that effect. It just cracked me up.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Catching up...

 

OH.EM.GEE!!!!! Clayton Webb's* Mother was a baddie!!!!!

 

Really, show? You're going to give me Cruz Castillo A. Martinez and then only show him in like two scenes and with that FUGLY goatee????

 

*JAG character.

[betsyboo]

....... The only one that seems to (usually) treat him better is Tony, because they have a bond. (I did crack up at how Tony was trying to dissuade Jimmy from saying anything else, when it was clear Ducky was offended at being treated as too old and incapable of doing something more 'modern' in regard to technology. 

<snip>

Count me in as being annoyed with Abby and McGee being so childish in front of their superiors. Abby, you seriously can't see why McGee would be upset to find out you'd been seeing other guys while you were dating him? McGee, you seriously can't understand why Gibbs would turn to his senior agent first to discuss a very important, highly classified cold case, and why he might not have been able to read the rest of you in at the same time? (Same for Abby, though she gave up being sarcastic and passive aggressive about it faster than McGee.)

 

I BUSTED out laughing at the Palmer/Ducky/Tony scene. MW does that back and forth delivery so effortlessly - I'm wondering how much of it is him or the writers and if they just do take after take of him throwing out ad libs. "Pull up, Jimbo." HEE almost as good as "HONEY." to McGee in the last ep.

 

And McGee - GET OVER YOURSELF. Abby - I'm so tired of her whiny baby talk to Gibbs. He may be your family, but he's not your father. GAH. (will now take my anger to the Abby thread.)

Actually, one thing I'd love to see before this series ends someday is a Gibbs and Palmer episode where they have to work together, just the two of them. Maybe Ducky's on vacation, or laid up from some injury, maybe Gibbs and Palmer end up stranded somewhere, whatever, doesn't matter. All I want is for Gibbs and Palmer to work together. They don't have to change the dynamic enormously, Palmer can still be somewhat intimidated and in awe of Gibbs, but I'd love to see them work together, where Gibbs can see that Palmer really does know his stuff and will be an excellent replacement for Ducky in the ME's lab some day. Let Palmer show his stuff like he did in that one episode where he sent his car plowing into the suspect's truck, in order to stop him from getting away. Plus, having one episode with the two of them together could also be funny.

 

I have basically watched all 12 seasons (well, up to this one) over the past two years, and not in order. Do we know if Palmer is an actual medical doctor? Or just an assistant? (I mean no disrespect with "just" - but if he has been going to medical school this whole time while getting married and having a baby, wouldn't we know?) Plus, Ducky calls him "MR." Palmer. 

[Ceindreadh]

I have basically watched all 12 seasons (well, up to this one) over the past two years, and not in order. Do we know if Palmer is an actual medical doctor? Or just an assistant? (I mean no disrespect with "just" - but if he has been going to medical school this whole time while getting married and having a baby, wouldn't we know?) Plus, Ducky calls him "MR." Palmer. 

 

AFAIK, we've never been told explicitly what stage Palmer's medical training is at - there used to be the occasional reference to his studies/exams, but I haven't noticed anything like that recently.  Given that he seems to be working pretty much full time as Ducky's assistant, I suppose it could take him considerably longer to train than a full time student. 

I think that Ducky would definitely have switched to calling him 'Doctor' Palmer if Jimmy was entitled to the title.

[Driad]

Maybe unless Palmer specialized in surgery. Ducky comes from where surgeons are addressed as "Mr."

[susannah]

No mention of it here yet, and even though I haven't watched the show since Ziva left, except for season 14 with Jennifer Esposito, i really like her too, one of my most characters is dear Ducky.  RIP. Your character was wonderfully done!