S07.E07: An Unlocked Mind

[MostlyC]

Kensi and Deeks pose as cult members in hopes of rescuing a former Department of Defense employee.

[NYGirl]

And finally Granger actually has become part of the team.  I loved when they all confessed...even Nell.

 

That being said I noticed a blooper!!  When Deeks was with Kensi and David ..right after he wrestled that guy for his gun he said:  C'mon Kensi and Steven.  I'm assuming Steven is the actor's name who played David.

 

Ugh..those cults are scary.  There's no way out.  Kensi does kick ass though doesn't she?

[anna0852]

Kensi being drugged creeped the hell out of me.

 

Also, she and Deeks really need to institute some boundaries at work. It's all funny now but this is going to come back and bite them if they aren't careful. If I was Eric walking into the gym, I would have been seriously annoyed.

 

The "I am Spartacus" routine was hilarious!

[Jillibean]

I think this was my favorite episode so far this season. I really enjoyed it. I always like when the show changes it up a little and has Sam and Callen take a backseat to Kensi and Deeks in a case-centered episode, but it doesn't happen that frequently. I thought they did a good job of weaving the team dynamics into the case, and a frustrating outside person trying to dictate things is always a good device to make our own team more united. I loved Sam being dishonest to ensure they saved Kensi and then everyone confessing that he or she had been responsible. Particularly Nell.

 

I agree that the drugging scenes were horrifying, and introduced some real stakes into this mission. I also really liked seeing scenes of Deeks physically overpowering a room full of guys (I guess David took care of one with the soda bottle) and then overpowering the other man to take his gun. We don't get to see a lot of Deeks' hand-to-hand skills in action, and it's nice to be reminded every once in a while that he's a competent professional in addition to being comic relief. Especially with the Internal Affairs storyline about to kick off in a big way (and I am so ready!). 

 

I also loved the Kensi/Deeks scenes to start and end the episode. But if I have one, nitpicky complaint about the episode, I would have liked to see even a line more about the fact that Kensi was not only drugged, but very nearly sexually assaulted. I know it's heavy material, but the show went there, so I think it could have been discussed. Also, on a completely unrelated and shallow note, I was horribly distracted by Gaea's hugely prominent teeth. 

[sabretooth]

So good to see Sebastian Roche on my TV again. He saved General Hospital for me for awhile.

 

The "I am Spartacus" routine was funny, but I kept waiting for the reveal the DOJ lawyer dude was part of the cult. 

 

[Trey]

 

I kept waiting for the reveal the DOJ lawyer dude was part of the cult.

Me too. 

 

I liked that the FBI guys didn't just blindly follow his orders to arrest our guys.

 

 

I would have liked to see even a line more about the fact that Kensi was not only drugged, but very nearly sexually assaulted.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty bad, especially all the women being involved in it.  A little mention of it later would have been good.  In fact, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a wrap-up of the case. But this show doesn't really do that.

 

Cults scare the crap out of me.  Them and zombies.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Trey

[DeLurker]

I usually have a very low Nell tolerance level, but her saying she threatened Sam was hysterical.

 

Cult leader was duly creepy.

 

I didn't like them holding Deeks underwater for so long.  Not scared of water, but having been caught it a rip current (relatively mild ones) a few times it is a big scary feeling and hard to forget.

Edited November 10, 2015 by DeLurker

[HurricaneVal]

Kensi being drugged creeped the hell out of me.

 

Me too.  And probably most of all, her.  Nice that she was still able to keep it together enough to facilitate her escape, but I liked that she immediately asked for help.

[JessDVD]

I've been kinda tuned out on LA this season in the interest of mothership and NOLA but this one had me all the way through. I've watched a few procedurals that deal with cults but never one that actually had people *in* the (fictional, but still) cult, and what that might be like. So creepy, and yet I feel for all those people that are needy, looking for something, and end up with creeps like that. Ugh.

 

I kept waiting for the guy Deeks rescued to end up being a full-blown cult member, the DOJ guy turning out to be in on it would have been similar. Surprised they didn't go either way. The bit with Callen, Sam, Nell, and Granger all saying it was their fault was gold, I was snickering all the way through. I like Nell in small, minuscule doses, like that. I couldn't stand Granger when he first came on the show, but he's really grown on me and I would be JUST fine if Hetty left the show and he took her role. Related: if Hetty is going to randomly without notice put herself on the screen to see what's going on the boatshed, then she can hardly complain when she sees things that she might prefer not to see, and I thought Deeks and Kensi should have continued making out in front of her.

 

Deeks taking a whole room full of cult members: Awesome. Kensi managing to escape whatever that room is called while drugged: Awesome. Every cult member: CREEEEEEEPY.

[secnarf]

I actually though they were going to have them rape (or at the very least sexually assault) Kensi, to set up a storyline for her. I'm glad they didn't, but I would have liked to see some acknowledgment of how close she came, though - as well as that she was unconscious and has no idea what happened to her during that time. As soon as they pushed her to drink the alcohol though, I knew it would be drugged :(

 

Then they went and said it was a neuromuscular blocking agent - those stop you from breathing (lung muscles and diaphragm are paralyzed) so you need to be on a ventilator if you're given a NMBA. And, they don't actually affect your level of consciousness so you should also be given a sedative so you're not conscious and paralyzed. Of course, I could easily assume that Kensi was drugged with a mix of an NMBA and sedative, but I don't see why they had to go and say it was a NMBA.

[UncleChuck]

Interesting growth with Granger and Nell...

Granger is no longer just an irritant that the team wishes would go away.  The man has skills.  And while he used to fuss about Nell and Eric as the lab meerkats, he showed not one instant of hesitancy in assigning Nell as his field partner. 

[betsyboo]

Kensi being drugged creeped the hell out of me.

 

 

 

 

I agree that the drugging scenes were horrifying, and introduced some real stakes into this mission. 

---

I also loved the Kensi/Deeks scenes to start and end the episode. But if I have one, nitpicky complaint about the episode, I would have liked to see even a line more about the fact that Kensi was not only drugged, but very nearly sexually assaulted. I know it's heavy material, but the show went there, so I think it could have been discussed. 

 

 

 

Yeah, I thought that was pretty bad, especially all the women being involved in it.  A little mention of it later would have been good.  In fact, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a wrap-up of the case. But this show doesn't really do that.

 

 

I actually though they were going to have them rape (or at the very least sexually assault) Kensi, to set up a storyline for her. I'm glad they didn't, but I would have liked to see some acknowledgment of how close she came, though - as well as that she was unconscious and has no idea what happened to her during that time. As soon as they pushed her to drink the alcohol though, I knew it would be drugged :(

 

 

I'm so glad all of you had the same reaction I did. When Kensi walked in the boatshed, I was holding my breath as she walked in, waiting for her to acknowledge it. Annnnnd: nothing. Not only NOTHING, but then she and Deeks kissed! and flirted! and made plans to have sex! ACCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. What an opportunity to show that badass girls get taken advantage of too. And while Jerry Jacks and the creepy women were stopped just short of rape, everything that happened up until that point was assault, in my opinion. Intentionally drugged to facilitate consent, undressed, redressed, kissed, touched... Jeesh, Even if they could have acknowledged that she went to the hospital not only for the drug but to ensure she DIDN'T get raped - we the viewer knew but none of the guys knew! I liked the entire episode up until then and that completely ruined it for me. Kensi is smarter than that! I am giving Deeks a minor pass, if only because she may not have told him. But my guess is he had to see that the lingerie she was wearing under that robe was not what she left the house in that morning.

 

Olivia Benson needs to do a cross-network-cross-over and I mean, STAT.

 

I know I'm asking a lot of the writers of a popcorn action show that brings the pretty, but come ON.

 

/endrant

[secnarf]

My initial thought was that she was undressed and redressed, but then I realized that she must have been wearing something under her bathroom and maybe it was that lingerie. So, I'm not 100% sure she was actually undressed/redressed, but my immediate thought was that she had been, and I was very creeped out.

[betsyboo]

My initial thought was that she was undressed and redressed, but then I realized that she must have been wearing something under her bathroom and maybe it was that lingerie. So, I'm not 100% sure she was actually undressed/redressed, but my immediate thought was that she had been, and I was very creeped out.

Right?! The reason I assumed she had been undressed and redressed is that I thought creepy tooth lady caught her at the locker before she could change out of the wet bathing suit. She went into the lady-waiting-to-drug-you-room from the locker room. So I assumed (perhaps incorrectly!) that she was still wearing the bathing suit when she passed out. (Plus the lingerie all seemed to match the other girls. Also, I would imagine Kensi wears a nice sturdy sports bra to work when she can potentially be chasing bad guys. :-|   )

Edited November 12, 2015 by betsyboo

[anna0852]

This is definitely on the list of episodes I plan to never re-watch. Which is a shame, because some of the funny was great. I loved that whole "I am Spartacus" routine. 

 

But one of the reasons I watch this show and Hawaii Five-0 and the Mothership (before I lost interest) is that they don't deal with sexually-based crimes. If I wanted to see that, I'd watch Criminal Minds or SVU. For it it was too real and too gut-wrenching. I like this for the escapist, almost fantasy vibe it puts out. I'm not looking for painful reality.

[MDL]

Regarding Kensi's possible rape/sexual assault: IIRC (?) the show didn't go into specifics after she was held captive for days when she was on the undercover assignment (really to deal with DR real life pregnancy). If the show didn't address that issue then, I'm not surprised that they didn't raise the issue here.

[DeLurker]

But for a Show that has not made a habit of displaying Kensi/DR's body parts, they certainly went all in this ep.  Yes. DR just had a baby in the past year and yes, she is back in pre-baby shape.  I'm happy for her, but gratuitous body parts I do not need to see.  Gratuitous violence - I totally expect from Show.

[roomtorome]

My guess is this was a way to slap Scientology without naming them and also not using famous actors as cult leaders but using members for information about powerful, wealthy people.

Why is the guy from Madam Secretay in this episode? Did I miss reference to that somehow?

And how anyone could spend 30 seconds there and not run screaming from the place is beyond me. I know they prey on those who have been abused and have low self esteem, etc but man, in just one day they were doing all this creepy stuff?

[torqy]

Why is the guy from Madam Secretay in this episode? Did I miss reference to that somehow?

 

And he plays a creep in both shows.

[anna0852]

Regarding Kensi's possible rape/sexual assault: IIRC (?) the show didn't go into specifics after she was held captive for days when she was on the undercover assignment (really to deal with DR real life pregnancy). If the show didn't address that issue then, I'm not surprised that they didn't raise the issue here.

I actually thought of that at the time, given what's been revealed regarding the extremist beliefs of some of the groups operating in that area. I was glad they didn't go there.

[anna0852]

Regarding Kensi's possible rape/sexual assault: IIRC (?) the show didn't go into specifics after she was held captive for days when she was on the undercover assignment (really to deal with DR real life pregnancy). If the show didn't address that issue then, I'm not surprised that they didn't raise the issue here.

I actually thought of that at the time, given what's been revealed regarding the extremist beliefs of some of the groups operating in that area. I was glad they didn't go there.

[UncleChuck]

 

...but gratuitous body parts I do not need to see.

Well, speaking as a straight male, those gratuitous body parts are the reason for owning a DVR.

[pennben]

Right?! The reason I assumed she had been undressed and redressed is that I thought creepy tooth lady caught her at the locker before she could change out of the wet bathing suit. She went into the lady-waiting-to-drug-you-room from the locker room. So I assumed (perhaps incorrectly!) that she was still wearing the bathing suit when she passed out. (Plus the lingerie all seemed to match the other girls. Also, I would imagine Kensi wears a nice sturdy sports bra to work when she can potentially be chasing bad guys. :-|   )

 

I think you assumed right.  Maybe it was me watching a couple of episodes to catch up tonight, but wow, I'm incredibly unimpressed.  It's almost become that Kensi is a toy for them to play with.  This episode, her being some part of a sick male fantasy with women in supporting roles.  The next episode to air, her "catfighting" with another women when her undercover skills were primarily being her in a bikini.

 

I've always thought that they had in the past calibrated her character correctly.  Perhaps not?

Edited November 18, 2015 by pennben

[betsyboo]

I just re-watched this repeat and I found it as offensive as I did the first time for not addressing the assault. Because regardless if she was raped or not, she was drugged and kissed without consent, and there was clearly an intent to rape. Assault. If you're going to obviously take the audience there to fret and worry that Kensi will be raped, then you have to address it. Grr.

[anna0852]

I hate this episode. It's on my very short list of ones to *never* watch again.