S14.E19: The Wall

[MyAimIsTrue]

When a Marine is murdered at an event for the Honor Flight Network, a non-profit that arranges for veterans to visit the World War II, Korea and Vietnam War Memorials for free, the NCIS team must rely on an irritable Vietnam War veteran, Henry Rogers, to provide details on the victim’s whereabouts throughout the day. Also, McGee and Bishop investigate a juicy rumor about Quinn and Torres.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Bumping this since it had fallen toward the bottom of the page.

[AimingforYoko]

I remember Bruce McGill as D-Day. Man, I'm old.

"Speaking of women with names..." Good lord McGee, Worst. Segue. Ever.

[enoughcats]

Dang, I knew I remembered Bruce McGill from somewhere.  (Saw it twice , just didn't leave the theater between shows, when it first came out.) Thanks Aiming.

[betsyboo]

12 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

I remember Bruce McGill as D-Day. Man, I'm old.

I remember watching MacGyver religiously, then finally getting to watch AH with my brothers and yelling - Jack! That's MacGyver's friend Jack!! lolol. 

He was wonderful. This episode broke me in half, which was unfortunate, since I haven't yet recovered from Hal Holbrook and June Squibb in Grey's last week. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

BRUCE McGILL!!!!!!!!!

Now that my joy has been expressed...

I guess Bishop has always been a cold fish all this time, because she sure is chipper for someone who murdered someone a few episodes ago, and suffered no consequences, career-wise or emotionally, if tonight was any indication. What is she, 12? McGee too. It's NONE of THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS if Torres and Quinn are shagging. And the way they were gossiping about it, reminded me of junior high school and I was banging my head, because they're supposed to be adults at work!???

At least we saw how much Killing Hernandez affected Gibbs. Right after and over the years. It haunted him. Even if he came across as a hypocrite after we learned he had killed for personal reasons-he suffered.  Couldn't prove that Bishop has suffered or feels anything over what she did. In contrast, Reeves does act like he's been affected and he only helped her find Chen! Of course, his whining got wearisome, because I love him and his debonair British charm. BUT. At least he's exhibiting emotions of what he put into motion and how it's affecting him.

And the fact that it was Quinn at the karaoke, is totally beside the point. Even when Tony snooped, he made it funny-the way he would get to the bottom of it (Kate winning a wet T-shirt contest after saying she had nothing but contempt for such sexist nonsense), or having it bomb in his face. Man. I miss Michael Weatherly on this show AND Tony.

Edited March 29, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[MyAimIsTrue]

59 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

I remember Bruce McGill as D-Day. Man, I'm old.

He'll always be D-Day to me as well.  Aside from that I love it when McGill shows up on my screen as he's become one of my favorite 'that guy' guest stars.

[enoughcats]

52 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I guess Bishop has always been a cold fish all this time, because she sure is chipper for someone who murdered someone a few episodes ago, and suffered no consequences, career-wise or emotionally, if tonight was any indication. What is she, 12? McGee too. It's NONE of THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS if Torres and Quinn are shagging. And the way they were gossiping about it, reminded me of junior high school and I was banging my head, because they're supposed to be adults at work!

You've only begun to express my dislike of that substory.  McGee didn't used to be like that; I preferred that McGee, this one not so much.  What about his relationship with Delilah?  What about becoming a 'grown up' and working on his skills as an agent?  

Bishop could have been working on an arc that would be a redemption for her character.  

All that time was wasted.  The visit to the wall means so much to many vets.  Friends of mine who went to Nam are still hesitant to visit it.  Three years ago I had a letter from one friend that he had finally visited it.  We had discussed that hypothetical visit over twenty five years ago.  He just wanted me to know. There were related stories that could have been worked in. The showrunner wasted at least a third of that episode, if not more. 

[brgjoe]

About the only thing I liked in this episode was Bruce McGill.   Enjoyed his storyline.  Also for some reason I was giggling as he called Reeves a leprechaun.   Great warm fuzziness at the end of the episode too.  Good stuff.  Btw, it was nice to see Reeves back.  What, has been in even half the episodes this season?  Hope now he has been talked out of suicide missions and stuff and will be featured more w/ the team.

The rest was decidedly uneven for me.  McGee seemed very much out of character.  And I really couldn't care less if Torres and Quinn were doing the nasty or not.   Actually don't care about Quinn or Torres much in general anyway.

Bishop also seemed like she was back in high school as well.  Grow up, people.

I did chuckle though when Ducky remarked he was making progress with Gibbs, since Gibbs actually uttered a 3 syllable word.  Heh.

Other than that, this was pretty much a "Meh" episode for me.

[Katy M]

I love Bruce McGill, but even he couldn't save this episode for me.  I think I'm officially done.  I don't care if Torres and Quinn had sex a million years ago.  For two reasons.  One, I don't care about them in general.  And two, who cares what happened that long ago, unless of course murder or something else horrific was involved.  I'm usually a sucker for sob stories involving parents dying when someone is young.  Even that did nothing for me other than think "get over it."  Please, understand, I don't usually think that.  That and kids dying are my two sympathy getters.  But, geeze, it just came off as an excuse for Gibbs to father someone again.  And, yes, McGee and Ellie were acting like they were in high school.  I might have expected that from Tony, but not McGee.  Don't destroy my fave character, peoples.

[threebluestars]

Always love seeing Bruce McGill, but this episode was killed by how crappy everyone else was. I don't care about Torres or Quinn or Reeves. I am getting really sick of these orphaned characters that are self destructive and only the NCIS family can save them. New Orleans has mostly escaped it, but Los Angeles had Hetty basically collecting damaged people for her team too. Someone at NCIS has a fetish for this trope and it's old and dusty. Even when Ellie was introduced as married and stable, I knew it wouldn't last.

I feel sad because most of the shows I love are in this weird space with old characters gone and new ones just not working or they fundamentally messed with the premise and wrote themselves into shitty corners. Criminal Minds, New Orleans, Grimm ... I want my good TV back.

[basiltherat]

I think (or Show wants me to think) it ironic that Loner Gibbs is now the mender of broken people and assembling his own 'family'  At least HE has character growth!  McGee most blatantly has regressed.

[MissLucas]

Bruce McGill is always great (I mostly remember him from McGiver and Rizzoli & Isles) and he worked his magic here. Pairing his character with Reeves was an interesting choice and it ultimately paid off. I agree about the writing for McGee and Bishop, it was atrocious - however it gave us that one bit of dialogue that all halfway tech-savvy people watching crime shows over the last two decades have secretly (and not so secretly) been longing for:

"Enhance that, Tim."
"I can't, it's a, it's a tiny file, it'll pixilate."

Thank you!!!

That and Ducky's glee about Gibbs using a three syllable adverb were this episode's grace notes.

Edited March 29, 2017 by MissLucas

[GHScorpiosRule]

15 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

(I mostly remember him from McGiver

I hate to be nitpicky, but it's McGyver.

[MissLucas]

Nah, that's alright - it looked odd to me, but I couldn't figure out why. That's what I get for posting past midnight.

[betsyboo]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I hate to be nitpicky, but it's McGyver.

 

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

Nah, that's alright - it looked odd to me, but I couldn't figure out why. That's what I get for posting past midnight.

To be fair, Richard Dean Anderson and his mullet *were* givers. I will accept McGiver. :-))

[JessDVD]

It got a little dusty in my living room at the end, even as I knew they were trying to make it dusty in my living room.

I could find the Torres/Quinn rumor juicy and interesting if I had the slightest care in the world for either of them but still nothing. They could both go away to a karaoke bar and we'll take Reeves on the team along with McGee & Bishop and call it a day.

[stonehaven]

The first half of this episode bored me so I surfed the web...and then got drawn in the last half..I was hating the whole Torres/Quin plot and the Mcgee's goofy reaction that I actually thought of dumping this show on the spot...

...but my weekly fix of Mark Harmon must be met...and Bruce McGill will always be AL from Quantum Leap's FIRST and LAST episode....

[Aliconehead]

He was also the sheriff in My Cousin Vinny,  Watched it last night and had forgotten he was in it

[Clanstarling]

On 3/29/2017 at 3:06 PM, MissLucas said:

Bruce McGill is always great (I mostly remember him from McGiver and Rizzoli & Isles) and he worked his magic here. Pairing his character with Reeves was an interesting choice and it ultimately paid off. I agree about the writing for McGee and Bishop, it was atrocious - however it gave us that one bit of dialogue that all halfway tech-savvy people watching crime shows over the last two decades have secretly (and not so secretly) been longing for:

"Enhance that, Tim."
"I can't, it's a, it's a tiny file, it'll pixilate."

Thank you!!!

That and Ducky's glee about Gibbs using a three syllable adverb were this episode's grace notes.

I loved him on Rizzoli & Isles. I remember him from Animal House and Quantum Leap, but R&I is where I spent the most time with him. As always, he nails his role.

Ah, pixilation. Finally a tip of the hat to the reality of image processing. It's not just a technique to cover naughty bits.