S07.E05: "Blame It On Rio"

[MostlyC]

When Dinohzzo's prisoner escapes custody, he turns tot he Los Angeles team for assistance.

[anna0852]

Can we post about the trailer for next week?

[MostlyC]

Go for it Anna0852!  You guys are all grown up now- so the threads are yours to do with as you will.*

 

 

 

 

*within reason of course.  No plotting against Hetty.

[anna0852]

Hetty! Gibbs-slapped DiNozzo! Hetty Gibbs-slapped DiNozzo!

 

That alone make next week a win!

[secnarf]

Just a heads up for anyone in Canada - the episode is airing at 8pm (ET) rather than the usual 10pm on Canadian stations due to election coverage.

If you get the American CBS channel though, it'll be airing there at 10pm

[TWP]

Poor Deeks and his "homeless hair". Never cut your hair, Deeks.

[EtheltoTillie]

This episode was a bit too silly. Silly head butting between manly men Dinozzo and Deeks. Silly renaissance faire talk spiraling down into icky furplay territory. Silly joking while giant shootout is raging around bathrobe-clad fugitive. "Hey, does everyone in the US carry a gun?" How's that for subtle political japery?

Finally, can someone explain why the fugitive was trying so hard to escape if they thought he was going to cooperate and blow away terrorist ring? He's probably wasn't going to be helpful and he certainly won't be now. There was no logic to this plotline.

[betsyboo]

I was surprised at the immediate Deeks jealousy - I wish Kensi and Deeks were able to finish their convo. I appreciated that she and Tony hit it off  - pretty sure he won her over with his "Good to see you, Uma." HEE!

 

As someone who watched LA before the mothership (pls don't judge!), I surprised myself when I realized I was angry at Sam for being a jerk to Tony. C'mon - the guy has been an agent for 15 years. In DC. He has been a part of huge ops - which clearly LA must know about. He may not have been a SEAL or double secret probation spy for the CIA, but he clearly has skills and experience. I didn't like that Sam didn't respect him. And I didn't understand Hetty's animosity...?

 

So are we to take the furplay <shudder> convo as canon that Nell and Eric are officially dating? I wish Granger had called them "meerkats" when he walked up on them.

 

Random TV question - so Tony has this pressing, urgent missing fugitive, and he waits for Deeks and Kensi to shower and change before telling the story in Ops?

[Jillibean]

 

This episode was a bit too silly. Silly head butting between manly men Dinozzo and Deeks. Silly renaissance faire talk spiraling down into icky furplay territory. Silly joking while giant shootout is raging around bathrobe-clad fugitive. "Hey, does everyone in the US carry a gun?" How's that for subtle political japery?

 

I agree. I enjoyed the episode, and laughed out loud at the homeless man comment, but it was not a tightly written episode. The construction also seemed odd--Sam's comments about Callen's relationship with Joelle that ended up never being brought up again, the "fur" conversation that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor, the section spent trying to intimidate an attorney who had no further relevance to the plot, Deeks and DiNozzo's short and ultimately pointless talk about Deeks' relationship with Kensi. It seemed pretty obvious that this episode was both written and filmed out of order, with no continuity from past episodes except the one reference to the IA investigation that seemed to be specifically written for that purpose, and as such, stuck out like a sore thumb. Even knowing this one was shot out of order, it was jarring to see Kensi reassuring Deeks about his insecurities last week and then trying to get under his skin this week with DiNozzo--which was also weird because since when does Kensi have any interest in fashion? She shows up for work most days in a flannel shirt and jeans.

 

Overall, I enjoyed seeing Michael Weatherly, but it seemed like the plotting for this episode was just, "DiNozzo comes! Hijinks ensue!" and it showed. 

Edited October 20, 2015 by Jillibean

[brgjoe]

It's been awhile since I've watch the LA version of this show.  I typically only catch it now on reruns (like on the USA Network).  So I might be a bit out of the loop here.

 

Are Kensi/Deeks a couple yet?  There just seemed to be too much alpha-male head butting between DiNozzo and Deeks.  And are Nell and Eric a couple as well?  Seemed to be a bit too much inFURmation there.  Just seemed to be an odd time and place for that, umm, discussion.  Probably could have lived a full life without hearing that convo between the two of them.

 

The Jersey Boy's thing confused me.  Were they trying to kill Michael Long (ok, that name popping up did make me laugh) or were they just trying to kill the agents so they can free Mr. Long?  He seemed very scared of those armed thugs.  Then again, he seemed pretty frightened of everything. 

 

The plot (if you could call it that) seemed to be a bit disjointed.  Like maybe a team of writers were all writing different scenes and they tried to stitch them all together as best they could.  I still enjoyed it though.  Laughed at the "homeless guy" line.  And geeked out at the KITT/FLAG/Michael Long references.  Always good to see Tony in action as well.  Headslap you could see from a parsec away, but I still enjoyed that too.

 

Just wish everything else flowed a bit better.

[Linderhill]

I stopped watching the LA incarnation back in its first year when I realized that it was as far from the original recipe as CSI: Miami was from CSI: original recipe.  (the Deeks character is just a big NO for me).  I thought I'd give it a look see because of DiNozzo.  I did enjoy Tony's snarky digs about the "secret" location, etc.  The plot of the show left quite a bit to be desired tho'.  Very disjointed and silly. 

 

Sam for being a jerk to Tony. C'mon - the guy has been an agent for 15 years. In DC. He has been a part of huge ops - which clearly LA must know about. He may not have been a SEAL or double secret probation spy for the CIA, but he clearly has skills and experience. I didn't like that Sam didn't respect him.

And I agree with this. 

[Julia]

Is it possible that they showed this episode out of order for some reason, or maybe got the script done early to accommodate Michael Weatherly's schedule (I seem to recall publicity about him being around at the end of last season for filming)? Because it makes no sense that Kensi was over her weird, exaggerated response to inappropriate former partner girl last week and this week she's back to playing games.

Also, Sam has worked with Gibbs before. I think he'd be more professional to one of his associates.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Julia

[betsyboo]

Also, I meant to say that I am disappointed Tony didn't introduce himself as he walked in as VERY Special Agent...

[mommalib]

I thought it was a good episode. Boy do people like to knit pick.

[Julia]

I thought it was a good episode. Boy do people like to knit pick.

 

Well, I think what constitutes a nit is subjective. Yes, people are frequently bothered by things that don't bother me a bit, sometimes in the bosom of my own family. I write it off to them not being me :) 

[MissLucas]

I liked it too - inconsistencies be damned. I'm also one of the few people who like Eric and who have not the least bit of interest to see Nell in the field.

Had a good laugh at DiNozzo greeting the team as West Coast Avengers.

I loved all the movie shout-outs especially between DiNozzo and Deeks. I thought much of Sam's annoyance came from being stuck in the middle of their weird conversations. And they had to crank up his sourness a bit in order for the A-Team joke to really work.

I had a hell of a day and that was exactly what the doctor prescribed (no angsting over missing fathers, over-the-top terrorist plots or master villains): fluffy and fun, no complaints.

[DeLurker]

Disclaimer -- my opinions most likely will not sync with yours, read at your own risk and please don't bash me too hard.

 

For the first time since I began watching this show, I gave up on an episode before it was over. I also watch the Original Recipe NCIS and DiNozzo is my least favorite character, so I was not looking forward to him popping in. As far as this show goes, I think Eric outlived his usefulness a couple of seasons ago, so his weak attempts at flirting with Nell are a waste of airtime. I'd much rather the show add Nell to the field team and find a non-irritating tech guy to take Eric's place. I also think the whole Deeks and Kensi pairing takes from what little believabilty the show has, and reduces their scenes together to jr. high levels of silliness. When I started watching this show, I thought many of their episodes were better than Original Recipe. Now, it seems we have 40% silly relationship dialogue, 40% chases and explosions, and about 20% actual plot. Maybe it's time for me to jump ship.

I'm ok with 40%+ chases, explosions, shooting people with the balance of the show being pretty people being pretty and occassionally witty.  I am not a Nell fan (since her very first appearance) and I liked OR Eric, but whatever makes Show think that there is any real interest in a Nell - Eric relationship is beyond me.  How they handled Kensi and Deeks originally I liked - very nuanced without being overt.  Now?  Painful.  I liked the concept of Jonelle (Jolene?  Callen's gf) when she was in absentia and no one really talked about her.  That's how I liked Sam's wife too.

 

Hmmm...these writers can't do relationships.

[HurricaneVal]

How long is Tony going to have to pay for Madame Director being killed on his watch?  Especially when she specifically ordered him to leave her alone?  Hetty should have known better, she at least should have been privy to the real story, and would admired Madame Director for going out on her own terms.

[anna0852]

I have mixed feeling about this episode, mostly because I was looking forward to it so much that I think I let it get a little too built up in my head.

 

I think in some ways the comedy was amazing. Callen and Sam play off each other really well and it was nice to see that continue. Rio cracked me up. Can't say the dude isn't a slick talker. Definitely one of their more memorable perps.

 

I had higher hopes for Tony fitting into this group though. I really thought he and Deeks would get along better, especially since they share very similar personalities and backgrounds. Unfortunately that didn't happen. A lot of the dialogue felt awkward and didn't really fit with the existing relationships. I would have thought Tony would get more on Granger's nerves than Deeks.

 

For example, in the backdoor pilot Callen, Sam and Kensi all worked with Gibbs. They seemed to hold in high regard. They've met McGee, they've met Abby. There is a history and familiarity with the Washing team. Tony's name would have come up. There is no reason to think they'd (especially Sam) would treat Tony as anything other than a fellow agent, especially knowing his link to Gibbs. And there is no reason on this earth Kensi should have been acting the way she did, especially considering that this season has already seen the 'I love you's' and a parental meeting. I've have expected that kind of flirting/mess with my partner sort of thing prior to mid-season 6 but not now.

 

I think the overarching problem is that they shot this episode at the end of last season and out of order. I get that to make the schedules line up, it had to be done then but no one seemed to take the scripts for this season into account or that relationships have evolved since last May. Nor did anyone stop to consider the history established between the 2 teams back in Season 1 or really take the time to maybe review Tony's character with some writers from the mothership.

 

I do like that call back to Jenny's death and I totally buy that she and Hetty would have been friendly, therefore making Tony not one of Hetty's favorite people. Unfortunately you had to have been watching the original series 8 years ago for that to make sense. What we saw last night was Hetty being rude and referencing an event a lot of viewers might have no knowledge of.

 

I'm not touching that Eric and Nell conversation with a 10 foot pole.

 

Overall I think the idea was good but the execution was poor. There just hasn't been enough casual connection between the shows for a long time now and big crossover like this worked poorly because of it. I don't expect to see characters popping up on both all the time but references to Director Vance would be nice. Or maybe have some mention in LA when the Secretary of the Navy gets assassinated on the original series. Just small dialogue references would have made it more believable that the 2 show exist together.

 

I did really like Tony cautioning Deeks about his relationship. Maybe it's wishful thinking but I do think seeing Kensi and Deeks together reminded Tony very much of Ziva and how much he misses her.

Edited October 20, 2015 by anna0852

[Julia]

I'm not touching that Eric and Nell conversation with a 10 foot pole.

 

tu. I think it's way too late in the game for this show to get genre savvy.

[TWP]

I stopped watching the LA incarnation back in its first year when I realized that it was as far from the original recipe as CSI: Miami was from CSI: original recipe.  (the Deeks character is just a big NO for me).  I thought I'd give it a look see because of DiNozzo.  I did enjoy Tony's snarky digs about the "secret" location, etc.  The plot of the show left quite a bit to be desired tho'.  Very disjointed and silly. 

And I agree with this. 

I thought it was more disjointed and silly than typical.  I wonder if "DiNozzo" was a distraction.  They wrote an episode then had to hack it to add him?  I don't know.

 

I expected to like it and didn't like the awkwardness that DiNozzo created.  I typically find the show lightly entertaining and like the Denzi interaction too.  And my contrary opinion is I think Deeks makes the show. ;-).

[anna0852]

 And my contrary opinion is I think Deeks makes the show. ;-).

Not totally contrary. I've always thought that the cast and chemistry didn't truly gel right until Deeks was added to the cast in the second season.

[Shades of Red]

This episode confused me because I thought there was a cross-over episode a few years back with both teams?  It involved vials of biological weapons I think or am I imaging things and have confused this with another show?  I'm pretty sure there was a scene in a market with all the active agents from both shows running around?  Because I believe this, all the scenes with no one knowing each other etc made no sense to me.

 

Thank you to everyone who said this was shot out of order.  It never occurs to me that this happens and then I'm extra ticked off that plot lines don't make sense.

[anna0852]

The crossover you are thinking of was with Hawaii Five-0. And it was much better in its execution.

[kassygreene]

That crossover was with Hawaii Five-0.  The only mothership visits are periodically Vance, once (I seem to remember) Abby on a consult, the original backdoor pilot on NCIS with Gibbs & McGee, and now DiNozzo, who now that I think about it is probably always going to be subdued when in Los Angeles.

 

And the scene in the market with everybody running around?  They did it in both episodes, first in Honolulu, and then in LA.  Also, to complete my geekiness, both series used the same episode title (H50's was in Hawaiian).

[UncleChuck]

Last night I was watching this week's episode of NCIS: NO, and at one point the agents were approaching a suspect's home for questioning, and they went in full armor with weapons drawn and covering front and back exits.

As I watched, it occurred to me that when such a scene plays out on NCIS:LA either Kensi/Deeks or Sam/Callen would saunter up to the suspect's front door, chatting or arguing  amiably about some inane thing until...SURPRISE!!!...the suspect opens fire or bolts out the back door.  Whoops!  How'd that happen.  Guess we'll just have to shoot them all.

Then, never learning from past mistakes, they will do it exactly the same way the next time. 

Apparently, when your team has super powers and guns that NEVER miss or run out of ammo, you don't need to be prepared.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

This episode was a bit too silly. Silly head butting between manly men Dinozzo and Deeks. Silly renaissance faire talk spiraling down into icky furplay territory. Silly joking while giant shootout is raging around bathrobe-clad fugitive. "Hey, does everyone in the US carry a gun?" How's that for subtle political japery?

Finally, can someone explain why the fugitive was trying so hard to escape if they thought he was going to cooperate and blow away terrorist ring? He's probably wasn't going to be helpful and he certainly won't be now. There was no logic to this plotline.

I think they expected him to "cooperate" because he is obviously not someone who can survive in prison with "hard time" and I think everyone else was trying to kill him.  He was trying to escape and hoping the Hasselhoff surgery would allow him to disappear from everyone (and maybe move the Germany and be treated like a god).

 

I think Sam treats anyone that is not special forces of any country with general contempt and distrust.

 

I don't think Hetty treated DiNozzo badly, she is just odd that way.  If she is holding things against DiNozzo for Jenny's death, she should look in her own house first.

[anna0852]

I think Sam treats anyone that is not special forces of any country with general contempt and distrust.

 

I don't think Hetty treated DiNozzo badly, she is just odd that way.  If she is holding things against DiNozzo for Jenny's death, she should look in her own house first.

No Sam doesn't. He was perfectly polite to both Chin Ho and Danny during the Hawaii Five-0 crossover and neither of them are anything close to special forces. There is no reason for him to be acting like that for a member of his own agency.

 

I do agree that Hetty should not be judging anyone until she faces her own failings first. 

[Shades of Red]

The crossover you are thinking of was with Hawaii Five-0. And it was much better in its execution.

 

That crossover was with Hawaii Five-0.  The only mothership visits are periodically Vance, once (I seem to remember) Abby on a consult, the original backdoor pilot on NCIS with Gibbs & McGee, and now DiNozzo, who now that I think about it is probably always going to be subdued when in Los Angeles.

 

And the scene in the market with everybody running around?  They did it in both episodes, first in Honolulu, and then in LA.  Also, to complete my geekiness, both series used the same episode title (H50's was in Hawaiian).

Thank you for clearing that up.  I stopped watching H5O several years ago so it's small wonder I didn't remember that was the show it crossed with.

[jtb34]

Once they caught Rio (or whatever), I kept getting such a Joe Pesci-Lethal Weapon vibe.  I think that makes DiNozzo Murtaugh.

[Samantha84]

This episode was shot the end of last season. Was the last episode shot before the cast and crew went on summer hiatus. Densi were together but the writer hadn't made them as open and loving and couple-y as they are this season. 

[Chaos Theory]

I like Kensei and Deeks as long as the episode isn't KenseiandDeeks if you know what I am saying. I like their banter. When I watched Castle and Bones the banter was what I enjoyed most.

The one character on LA I don't see a point to is Eric. His scenes with Nell aren't cute on banterish they seem more awkward and creepy.

Tony is my least favorite character on Original Recipe but I was curious how he would hell with the LA crowed and he didn't at all. There was NO CHEMISTRy at all. The only secene with him I liked was when Hetty Gibb slapped him.

The episode was ok on itself though.

[Raja]

No Sam doesn't. He was perfectly polite to both Chin Ho and Danny during the Hawaii Five-0 crossover and neither of them are anything close to special forces. There is no reason for him to be acting like that for a member of his own agency.

 

I do agree that Hetty should not be judging anyone until she faces her own failings first. 

They probably just didn't have time to make a total rewrite from super SEAL Mc Garrett to account for Alex o'Loughlin's medical leave