S07.E18: Exchange Rate

[MostlyC]

 A Cuban spy escapes custody before a scheduled prisoner exchange with his country.

 

¡Ay, caramba!

 

 

[Lebanna]

Considering that there's supposed to be a thaw in relations happening, this seems like interesting timing for this storyline.

[Maverick]

We get it.  You're going to add Anya to team.  I'm not thrilled about it but would you just rip the band aid off already.

[anna0852]

Frikin Anna Kolchek gets an apology from Hetty about placing her in danger, when we still haven't seen Kensi get one for the Afghanistan debacle?!

 

I sincerely hope they are setting up to bring Anna in, only to have her killed. Because the team is not going to work with a 5th member. The double-partnerships are working best and I don't want to see that disrupted.

[torqy]

Frikin Anna Kolchek gets an apology from Hetty about placing her in danger, when we still haven't seen Kensi get one for the Afghanistan debacle?!

 

I sincerely hope they are setting up to bring Anna in, only to have her killed. Because the team is not going to work with a 5th member. The double-partnerships are working best and I don't want to see that disrupted.

I hope I'm wrong, but I had the odd feeling that Nell is going to be part of this equation.

[betsyboo]

We get it.  You're going to add Anya to team.  I'm not thrilled about it but would you just rip the band aid off already.

Understanding the hand waving aspect, how on EARTH is Hetty going to finagle a Russian operative hire who's father is former KGB!?!??! At least Ziva came to the mothership with current and valid Mossad credentials - and a legit father. How much leeway does Hetty have anyway??

 

I am surprised that Kensi is *still* surprised that Deeks thinks she is a slob.

 

Is that our confirmation that the meerkats (tm Granger) are officially dating?

 

I did enjoy Sam's unbridled joy at the prospect of father-in-law Arkady. snort.

[Jaybird]

I get the feeling that the next time Daniela Ruah goes on a maternity leave, Anna is going to be brought in to partner up with Callen, and Deeks will partner up with Sam (I do like that part). Why are TPTB forcing Anna on us when the reaction to her has been almost universally negative?

[Zahdii]

Is that our confirmation that the meerkats (tm Granger) are officially dating?

 

I took it that way. 

 

I also thought that Granger thought it was pretty funny, which surprised me.  I like him a lot more now than I used to.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Zahdii

[Jillibean]

Well, that was a lot of Anna in just a few episodes. It's hard for her to be enigmatic when she's everywhere. I also feel like the writers are trying way too hard to sell Anna, and as a result are doing that thing where they have everyone talk about her and her awesomeness instead of letting viewers decide to like her for themselves. The Hetty apology was almost insulting--when is the last time she apologized to one of her team members for the many legitimate things she has done that are worthy of an apology? We get it, show. Anna is the bestest. Now please take her away.

 

If they are gearing up for another Ruah maternity leave, I'd much rather see Callen paired up with Nell as a field agent, putting Deeks with Sam. But only temporarily. The issue continues to be what you do with the fifth team member when Ruah returns, as the team really does work best in its two person dyads. All that being said, I'm not seeing any movement on bump watch 2016 at the moment, and I think they only have a few episodes left to film for the season, so this would all presumably be for next season. 

 

Was there a Kensi and Deeks scene left on the cutting room floor? I love pretty much any scene of them I can get, but starting with the shower scene and hints of Kensi being annoyed and then going 180 degrees into a scene about them talking about their sex lives mid-mission--um, what now? I think I literally gaped at my TV. Not that I'm not interested, per se; it just seemed very out of character, especially for Kensi, to talk about that on coms during a mission. But in other news, hello ECO's rippling abdominal muscles! Please come back any time you like. Whoa. He had that shower curtain LOW, you guys. I also was excited to get another "Deeks is a lawyer" reference. Two in one season!

[Julia]

I'm genuinely not being sarcastic (and I don't know how to sell that, since it's pretty much exactly what I'd be saying if I were being sarcastic), but aside from looking like one of those sad women who had herself turned into Barbie, what actually is awesome about Anna? Have they shown us something other than being saved, letting daddy get it done and Having Sass?

 

For real, can someone make the case for this? I know I tend to zone a bit when someone who annoys me is onscreen. What did I miss?

[anna0852]

No, there is no case for Anna being awesome. The show went where they have never had to go before which is to show the hot chick with a gun. Until now they have been fantastic about developing characters that are unique and don't particularly fall into a lot of tropes. I am very not pleased that Anna is being shoved down our throats.

[MissLucas]

I'm still trying to understand the plot here. Cuban spy was not a Cuban spy and since Hetty insisted that he was Russian the DOJ was forced by some sinister entities to put him away as a Cuban spy?

 

I also thought I was getting a headache from all the Anna-anvils they were dropping this episode. Never mind how Hetty could ever justify bringing someone with such a shoddy past into the team what's far worse is the forced 'chemistry' with Callen and her supposed badassery. No offense to the actress but she fails on both accounts - granted the lines they give her when flirting with Callen would make Merryl Streep weep.

 

Well at least I enjoyed Sam's joy at all the Arkady jokes.

[mommalib]

Am I the only one here that doesn't care for Nell? I don't  like the way she treats Eric.

[MostlyC]

I am hoping Anna will be a guest star who shows up once or twice a season.  Adding her to the cast would be a travesty, I think.  

 

Anyway, she is far too tan to be Russian.  Those cold winters in St. Petersburg.  ;)

[Trey]

Am I the only one here that doesn't care for Nell? I don't  like the way she treats Eric.

She certainly thinks she's the brains of the outfit.  I am glad they finally let us know that Eric and Nell are in a relationship.

 

I don't like the way Kensi treats Deeks - I advised him last night to dump her but I doubt he heard me or is going to listen to me.

 

I agree Anna - and her father too - should be guest stars only.

[Jaybird]

I've been advising Deeks to dump Kensi for a while now. If he doesn't listen to me, I don't think he'll listen to you either. ;-)

[Trini]

We get it.  You're going to add Anya to team.  I'm not thrilled about it but would you just rip the band aid off already.

 

Nope. DO NOT WANT.

Yeesh. If Callen/Anna is like Kensi/Deeks I may bow out because of too many annoying couples.

 

But speaking of Deeks; his haircut still grates, but I can tolerate if Abs are present.  :)

[betsyboo]

Nope. DO NOT WANT.

Yeesh. If Callen/Anna is like Kensi/Deeks I may bow out because of too many annoying couples.

 

I agree - except Callen would NEVER discuss their outside life at work - if for no other reason than Sam would give him holy hell!!

[MissLucas]

No idea what the plan is with Anna but it sure has lead to lot of weird writing already. Yes, Callen does have a tendency to go lone wolf on occasion but in general he IS a team-player - poor Sam must have felt like chopped liver throughout this episode.