S07.E01: Active Measures

[anna0852]

When Callen goes rogue and embarks on a secret mission that leaves Sam and the team in the dark, Hetty demands that his operation be shut down and tasks the team with finding him.

 

Not sure if we're allowed to start the episode threads ourselves and if I'm wrong, I apologize.

 

Just wanted to kick off Season 7!

 

 

[secnarf]

I wasn't fully paying attention and am quite sleep deprived, but I was a bit confused about the plot. What exactly was Callen after? And does the rest of the team know what he was looking for?

[anna0852]

Callen is ultimately looking for Arkady Kolcheck, who was injured in Russia last season and has been presumed imprisoned/dead since (depending on who you ask). Arkady is presumed (by Callen) to have information about his father and his past, hence his rather obsessive behavior.

 

As far as the rest of the team goes, I think Hetty and Granger both have the details while the rest of the crew have a more general idea.

[venturestar]

I wish this had been a midseason episode instead of the opener. Callen splitting from the team should have been a big deal, but the drama never really felt earned. Supposedly, Callen must have been drifting away from the team for Sam to have been following him, but we only get told this. I never buy into the team's suspicion of him. The writers even have Deeks lampshade it by saying they're going overboard with the response, but that doesn't help.

 

I don't understand why Callen feels he has to do this away from the team either. Everybody seems understanding of him wanting to find Arkady.. Hetty gives him intel right away. Callen says they're protecting them. Protecting from whom? The Russian government? They still could have done at least initial work under the radar a bit. I guess he didn't even try.

 

This would have been a neat episode if we had seen buildup. If we had seen Callen's growing frustration trying to find Arkady from within NCIS restrictions and then been officially told to back off. If we had seen his behavior grow more suspicious and erratic.  If there was even some suspense about how far he was willing to go. As it was this was just really, really rushed.

Edited September 22, 2015 by venturestar

[betsyboo]

already best line for the season: "For the record, tasering me was a bit of a bitch move."  HA! I rewound it three times!!!

 

And <shallow pool> hello scruffy Chris O'Donnell!!

 

Did anyone else think Kensi was a bit Beckett-ed up?

[Jillibean]

I love this show, but I'm more than a bit bored of the Callen's family storyline that has dragged on since the beginning, and I couldn't bring myself to care a great deal about it tonight, which made the whole episode a bit "eh" for me. 

 

I wish they had used Sabatino better. He has a lot of history with this show to basically just be employed for exposition. 

 

The "Hetty tasers Callen" scene fell flat for me--it just seemed so ridiculous that she would taser him, have him totally incapacitated for several seconds--and just stand there, several feet away, playing with her taser to get it ready again. Just go zip tie him or something! He's right there!

 

I actually am very interested in the Internal Affairs storyline, but I feel like it's been presented in a disjointed way, and I'm left a bit confused by it. Last season, it definitely seemed like Deeks knew he was lying to Hetty when he told her there was nothing she needed to know. But in this episode, it seemed like he genuinely didn't know what was going on--either that, or he's putting on a calculated show of pretending he doesn't know what's going on to Kensi, which seems out of character. But he has to be involved in that cop's death, right? Otherwise it wouldn't make sense to throw that story in. In which case he very well knows that he was involved. Am I missing something? Is that how I'm meant to interpret that scene?

 

It seems from the promo for next week like the writers forgot that Kensi and Talia were on good terms when she concluded her last appearance, though I hope it was just a misleading commercial. I find it frustrating how frequently the writers seem to go to the "Kensi is jealous of another woman" well to advance the Kensi/Deeks relationship. 

[Samantha84]

Did anyone else think Kensi was a bit Beckett-ed up?

 

Good gracious, no! and thankfully! Daniela has highlights in her hair, change from last season. Still dresses the same and she pulled that hair back, like usual, when she went into the field a.k.a take down of suspect scene. A.k.a realistic so very unlike Beckett.

[pennben]

I love this show, but I'm more than a bit bored of the Callen's family storyline that has dragged on since the beginning, and I couldn't bring myself to care a great deal about it tonight, which made the whole episode a bit "eh" for me. 

 

I agree with that.  I was talking in another thread about how I know I love an episode when I'm surprised it ends.  This episode, I watched for awhile and when I checked my DVR timestamp couldn't believe it was only 22 or so minutes in.  Then I shut it off and watched the rest of the football game, did some stuff around the house, and finally finished up before I went to bed.  It was a rather inauspicious opener in my opinion.  Here's rooting for next week to pick things up!

Edited September 22, 2015 by pennben

[betsyboo]

Good gracious, no! and thankfully! Daniela has highlights in her hair, change from last season. Still dresses the same and she pulled that hair back, like usual, when she went into the field a.k.a take down of suspect scene. A.k.a realistic so very unlike Beckett.

lol. Understood - i didn't mean losing a plaid button down or pony-tailing when appropriate. When down, her hair seemed different to me - much more flowy and flirty than in previous seasons. And looked like more makeup. Maybe i just don't remember from May! ymmv

[Chaos Theory]

Calen goes rogue. Doesn't that happen like once a season? The fact that it happened so early this season is almost a guarantee it will happen again before the season is out.

[Trini]

And <shallow pool> hello scruffy Chris O'Donnell!!

 

I'm glad they let him keep the scruff; at least for a little bit. Now if only we could convince them to give Deeks a haircut!

[CountryCrazy]

I like the scruffy look for Callen too and agree about Deeks needing a haircut but all in all really enjoyed the season primers and Callen story arc has always fascinated me so always appreciate it when they show the Callen looking for his Father !

[anna0852]

Nooooo!  Leave Deek's hair alone.

 

Loving scruffy Callen though. I wonder what prompted him to grow the hair out again. Last time it was for being undercover in prison but that clearly isn't the case this time.

 

Overall I thought it was a pretty solid episode. Would have liked some more build up to Callen going that far off the rails. I liked that Hetty gave Sam props for sticking by his partner and that she dressed Callen down pretty good for pulling this stunt. He is very lucky she didn't fire him on the spot.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Deeks needs a haircut.  The fact that I am typing that phrase means that it MUST be super shaggy.  I usually adore Deeks' locks, but it looks like the actor let it grow out of its haircut over the summer.

 

I hope Callen gets to keep his hair.

 

I had my expectations low, so I was pleasantly surprised by the episode.  Glad they didn't drop the Internal Affairs plotline (but I think the writers are still figuring out what the "crime" was and what triggered the investigation).  It was great to see Deeks/Kensi's banter at the top of the show, and the more serious talk on their stake out.  They seem like a great couple.

 

Hee on the whole call-back of Deeks and the Russian bathhouse.  Loved Callen's banter with the Russian gangster.

 

The bromance between Callen and Sam is still strong.  I liked that scene between them in the parking lot, and their loyalty.   And liked Sam/Hetty's standoff, and how everyone reacted to it.  Go Grainger being the voice of reason.  The actor looks healthier than he did last season.  Whew!

 

I was okay with the tasering scene.  I agree though, that Hetty pretty much did nothing to prevent from leaving after said taser.  Her character is supposed to be such a bad-ass, I find it hard to believe her taser would jam.

[Lebanna]

I think Callen probably just has long hair because Chris O'Donnell's head gets cold, or he hates shaving and wants a vacation from it or something. I doubt there is a deeper meaning, but it would be nice if there were.

[gibasi]

I thought it was a good episode-it hit the ground running.  I had not thought of it until venturestar brought it up but it would have made for a good midseason episode as  well.

 

I wish Callen would shave though.  I think it makes his no real neck/head division very obvious.  It's like his chin just goes right down to his neck.  

 

My favorite parts were Kensi and Deeks (I cannot believe she just had a baby not too long ago-- She looked insanely good!) and that they brought up the IA investigation.  I think it's going to deal with the case Deeks was talking about-his first partner who died.  And I always love Sam.  So all in all I was very pleased with the episode.

Edited September 23, 2015 by gibasi

[venturestar]



I think it's going to deal with the case Deeks was talking about-his first partner who died.  And I always love Sam.  So all in all I was very pleased with the episode.

 

I think it almost has to deal with his first partner. Otherwise, that was a really random moment to bring up. I really hope Deeks is telling the truth about not knowing what the investigation is about. After telling Kensi he didn't know multiple times complete with puppy eyes, he's going to look like a real jerk if he is lying.

[misstwpherecool]

I just don't get spit ball grade school humor combined with sociopathic uber assassins & spies.

 

Deeks and Kensi banter, grade school pervert jokes and reactions. Jogging scene seemed customized to show Kensi's new body. The pink shoes too much. Botox in cheeks? Lost too much weight?

 

The slapstick in the weapons room jr high school.

 

Granger's use the marshal service plan would've been enacted much sooner. An agent with that much clearance and intelligence would've been reigned in much earlier.

 

The Jason Bourne stuff, eh,

 

Internal affairs arc, time filler, don't think

[Bishop]

I wish this had been a midseason episode instead of the opener. Callen splitting from the team should have been a big deal, but the drama never really felt earned. Supposedly, Callen must have been drifting away from the team for Sam to have been following him, but we only get told this. I never buy into the team's suspicion of him. The writers even have Deeks lampshade it by saying they're going overboard with the response, but that doesn't help.

 

This would have been a neat episode if we had seen buildup. If we had seen Callen's growing frustration trying to find Arkady from within NCIS restrictions and then been officially told to back off. If we had seen his behavior grow more suspicious and erratic.  If there was even some suspense about how far he was willing to go. As it was this was just really, really rushed.

The writers since last season have not really felt the need to write the character of Callen like it use to write the character in early season 1 through 3.  Callen was written to be a loner and a man who couldn't let people get close to him due to his upbringing.  Then last year, out of the blue, he gets a girlfriend, and ALL of it happens off screen.  He has been alone for five years, and a big deal was made of him not being able to let anyone in, and yet VOILA!  "Oh yeah, he met a woman on a blind date, and now they are a hot item."  WTF?  

 

I have not been happy with the neglect of the Callen character, which is what got me hooked on the show in the first place.  I feel like ever since the Kensi dynamic was introduced, they dropped the other serious aspects of the drama in favor of the high school antics of Kensi and Deeks, and the show has been on a down-turn as a result.  I agree that the opener didn't seem to make sense and that there were loose threads everywhere, and I also agree that this should have been a mid-season episode that had built up over the first half, but why do that?  It would make complete sense.  

Edited October 6, 2015 by Bishop