All Episodes Talk: NCIS: Los Angeles

[Kelda Feegle]

Helicopter scene was lovely.

Hope that guy is really dead by tiger and not coming back at any point.

[threebluestars]

"Well, it's about bloody time!" LOL

Oh, Hetty. It took them so long because your breadcrumbs weren't obvious enough lol. Next time leave a note.

[anna0852]

1 hour ago, threebluestars said:

"Well, it's about bloody time!" LOL

Oh, Hetty. It took them so long because your breadcrumbs weren't obvious enough lol. Next time leave a note.

Seriously! How much NCIS time and resources were wasted because the Keeper of Secrets didn't leave a damned note?

Also, I was half expecting her to ask Kensi and Deeks if she missed the wedding.

[ymeagain]

3 hours ago, threebluestars said:

It took them so long because your breadcrumbs weren't obvious enough lol. Next time leave a note.

That would be SO out of character for Hetty. She never operates like that. You can't change a character because you want to "speed up" the story. Besides, having her out of the way allowed for interaction between Mosley and the team--without Hetty running interference. I liked that.

 

1 hour ago, anna0852 said:

I was half expecting her to ask Kensi and Deeks if she missed the wedding.

I think the wedding would be the LAST thing she would be thinking about (I know I haven't been thinking about it--and I'm not in her situation). lol

The scenes between Callen and Hetty were my favorite--no words necessary--but I love his heavy sigh in the helicopter at the end. It's all good.

[Notwisconsin]

When NCIS (original recipe) first came out, it was on Air Force One and had a George W. Bush cameo. I had always assumed that they were using the real president, unlike some other shows, where the west wing is fictional. I noticed that the SecNav was referred to as a SHE. Does this mean that the assumption is that Hillary Clinton was elected president in the NCIS universe? The REAL SecNAV is Richard V. Spencer, who's definitely male. (there's another Richard Spencer out there who's a Nazi and a pal of Steve Bannon, but that's neither here nor there). I guess they gave up on real politics in the background when the Deputy Secretary of Defense was murdered and they never mentioned it again.

[ymeagain]

3 minutes ago, Notwisconsin said:

I noticed that the SecNav was referred to as a SHE.

I don't understand your connection between a female SecNav and Hillary, but I think the SecNav in the show is a woman because the SecNav in NCIS is a woman--and the role has nothing to do with actual politics.

[anna0852]

The NCIS universe as a whole has been using fictional SEC NAVS for a while. There has been a female SEC NAV in office per the original NCIS going back to their season 10 I believe. The two shows don't generally crossover but they have both made reference to a female Sec NAV named Sarah Porter.

[LittlePeas3]

just have to add, classic line of the night: "Wow, Golden Girls go to Saigon". Mind you, there were a lot of good one liners.  It might be I just missed NCIS: Los Angeles a lot!  

[123BP]

My favorite line: You lay a finger on Hetty, I will kill you.

[HurricaneVal]

18 hours ago, 123BP said:

Loved tonight's episode! The team in Vietnam, the team in OPS, the "old guys," Nell's sister, Rio (an unexpected treat), and even Mosley, but most of all loved the scenes between Callen and Hetty, especially the scene in the helicopter. So sweet.

Yes.  This entire episode, from the team finally going in to get Hetty, the investment of the OPS team, Hidako's unexpected squeamishness at the contents of the one box, Nell's sister getting told off by Eric which allowed her to be told off by Nell, Rio's return as the "funky monk," Mosley's development, the "Golden Girls" in Vietnam, the entire rescue/helicopter scene...  Yeah.  This was a jam packed excellent episode. 

Mosley and Hidako (though I was confused: who is Harley?  Oh yeah, Hidako.) as characters are really growing on me as they become more and more complex.  They started off as one note adversaries for the team, though Hidako looked sympathetic at times but there was always that frisson of "is she a spy?" during those scenes.  This show does have some complex female characters with interesting back stories, that's for sure.  Their story kind of mirrors how Granger came in, ostensibly as Hetty's adversary and a "by-the-book" bureaucrat sent to "clean up" and impose discipline on the wild and out of control NCIS Special Operations team, then he turned out not to be so dour and boring as he started out.  Mosley is having the same arc.  I hope they keep her and Hidako on in the LA team.  Mosley as a foil for Hetty to work against, and Hidako as a roaming agent/ops monkey.

 

Quote

The scenes between Callen and Hetty were my favorite--no words necessary--but I love his heavy sigh in the helicopter at the end. It's all good.

This was the best part of all.  The look on Chris O'Donnell's face when they found Hetty, and the dismay at her condition just broke my heart...then there was the helicopter scene and it broke again.  I confess, I took a heavy sigh as well.

Edited March 12, 2018 by HurricaneVal
To add extra thoughts. Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts...

[Notwisconsin]

3 hours ago, ymeagain said:

I don't understand your connection between a female SecNav and Hillary, but I think the SecNav in the show is a woman because the SecNav in NCIS is a woman--and the role has nothing to do with actual politics.

I remember in '12, they mentioned Hetty and Obama a few times. Trump and "Mad Dog" Mattis aren't all that in favor of women in high level positions, and when they talk about high ranking people in the Defense department, they should have them kind of reflect the current administration. The reaction to the murder of the deputy secretary of Defense, which is on the same level as the Secretary of the Navy, was particularly disappointing.

[123BP]

3 hours ago, Notwisconsin said:

they should have them kind of reflect the current administration.

I'd like the shows to steer clear of domestic politics as much as possible. World events and issues of terrorism and national defense, yes; US politics, no. Hetty's met lots of politicians and heads of state, but that's not bringing politics into it--that's historical and personal IMO.

[mythoughtis]

I like that the fictional NCIS universe doesn’t care what the real USA is doing.  I watch it for enjoyment, not to mirror real politics. 

[Notwisconsin]

On 3/12/2018 at 10:48 PM, mythoughtis said:

I like that the fictional NCIS universe doesn’t care what the real USA is doing.  I watch it for enjoyment, not to mirror real politics. 

But it was a single word and changing "she" to "he" would have changed absolutely nothing in the plot, and speaking of that, the new guys were there to break up a rogue organization. Why haven't they tried?

[ymeagain]

10 hours ago, Notwisconsin said:

But it was a single word and changing "she" to "he" would have changed absolutely nothing in the plot

Exactly! Having Sec Nav be a woman changes nothing in the plot. As for breaking up the rogue organization, they'll probably need to hire (or re-hire) an operations manager first and handle the daily/weekly/regular cases. They did, however, make a dent in the money-laundering organization which will probably be picked up later this season (as the investment manager guest stars in another episode).

[Sake614]

I guess this is a UO but I much prefer the dynamic with Mosley and didn’t miss Heddy at all.

[kassygreene]

If I remember correctly (and I'm not going back to look), the previous SecNav got blown up with many other people, and the replacement was a woman (a fairly familiar actress who nevertheless I will not be looking up).  Oh wtf, I looked it up.  The SecNav gets blown up in the first episode of season 11 (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) and the new female SecNav (a career politician) was introduced in the next episode, Past, Present, and Future.  According to Wikipedia, she's still the show's SecNav.  These episodes aired in 2013, long long long before the 2016 election.

[Notwisconsin]

11 hours ago, kassygreene said:

If I remember correctly (and I'm not going back to look), the previous SecNav got blown up with many other people, and the replacement was a woman (a fairly familiar actress who nevertheless I will not be looking up).  Oh wtf, I looked it up.  The SecNav gets blown up in the first episode of season 11 (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) and the new female SecNav (a career politician) was introduced in the next episode, Past, Present, and Future.  According to Wikipedia, she's still the show's SecNav.  These episodes aired in 2013, long long long before the 2016 election.

yeah, and Hetty mentioned Obama the previous November. Hence, as real presidents were assumed in the series, and they aren't anymore, we should assume that in the show, Hillary won.

[secnarf]

7 hours ago, Notwisconsin said:

yeah, and Hetty mentioned Obama the previous November. Hence, as real presidents were assumed in the series, and they aren't anymore, we should assume that in the show, Hillary won.

Why should we assume that?

I am not following your logic at all.

If anything, I think them mentioning Obama is a hint that this show should operate within the real world as much as possible. There is no reason to assume a divergence just because the show hasn't outright mentioned who is president.

[kassygreene]

I think we can assume that they are Not Going There.  Apparently season 11 of The X-Files dealt with the (apparent?) government office requirement of a picture of the current POTUS being displayed (at Skinner's level it would be there and was in seasons gone by) by not setting any scene in Skinner's office.  NCIS: Los Angeles has the bonus advantage of having open and/or glass-walled offices, as well as apparently being a Sooper Secret location which ideally shouldn't get any political appointees trawling through.  Anyway it doesn't surprise me that this show and others are simply avoiding the subject.

Also it makes these shows mini Safe Havens (for me and mine).

[LittlePeas3]

Random musings on episode 15:

I loved the interaction between and Hetty at the beginning of the episode.  Somehow, I think there will be more interactions and loyalties further into this season.  

ECO really needs a hair cut, all that comb over action from the back yells receding hairline to me!  

I found Keith Stiger a bit strange the first time round, but like others, thought NCIS LA would have acted on it before now somehow.

Mosely and Hetty... meaning no disrespect... really?  I foresee fireworks. Stilettos on the floor, rugs. Mosely knows Hetty can interfere with her agenda.  I doubt she expected Hetty to be in contact with the sec nav. Does Mosely still have he agenda to break up the team?

Jennifer Kim, I really like her.  I love her sassiness.  She would really fit well with the team.  

I loved the Grainger closure, it was perfect. 

[threebluestars]

Yeah, it was a nice closeout for Granger ... they all thought he went off on some big mission but he just went to his family for his final days.

[anna0852]

I knew it was coming but it was still sad to have Granger's death confirmed. I'm very glad he spent that time with his daughter.

Mosely does not know who she's tangling with if she thinks she's going to get into it with Hetty and come out smelling like roses. She was definitely not expecting Hetty to have already spoken to SecNav.

[UncleChuck]

4 hours ago, threebluestars said:

Yeah, it was a nice closeout for Granger.

Yeah, nice that he had quality time with his daughter and she gave him a beautiful final resting place.  But Granger deserves a little better.  Callen and Sam need to inform the authorities, so an official death certificate with date, cause of death, etc. all properly documented.  As a federal official, NCIS really does need some paperwork to properly close the books on his life.  Since there was no foul play, and everyone knew he was terminally ill, this should be very simple to accomplish.  Give Hetty, Chegwidden,  the old guys, and the rest a chance to pay their respects and re-bury him with the honors he deserves.  Then, when all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed, bring him back to that meadow and that tree and mark his final resting place with a proper marker.

[123BP]

12 minutes ago, UncleChuck said:

As a federal official, NCIS really does need some paperwork to properly close the books on his life.  Since there was no foul play, and everyone knew he was terminally ill, this should be very simple to accomplish.  Give Hetty, Chegwidden,  the old guys, and the rest a chance to pay their respects and re-bury him with the honors he deserves.  Then, when all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed, bring him back to that meadow and that tree and mark his final resting place with a proper marker.

I totally disagree. Don't disturb Granger and don't worry about telling Hetty and the others; they all know he's gone and they've all said their goodbyes in their hearts. Hetty told Callen back in season 4 that she didn't want ANY remembrance or ceremony or bringing of flowers when she died, and Granger certainly didn't seem the type to stand on ceremony or care about regulations or any honor other than that of getting to know his daughter. Let him rest in peace and stay with his daughter. That ending was perfect!!

4 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

Does Mosely still have he agenda to break up the team?

My gut feeling is that she does, and she seemed to intimate that the very closeness between the team and their loyalty to Hetty and each other were the reasons behind breaking them up.

[HurricaneVal]

I loved the careful conversation between Hidako and Hetty at the top of the episode.  It was a very clear feeling out between the two, Hidako was in awe but holding her own, then overstepped and corrected course at Hetty's gentle rebuke.  I think Hetty was weighing Hidako for potential inclusion to the Hetty Squadron. 

[mythoughtis]

I thought the first conversation between Hetty and Moseley seemed off.  Maybe Hetty was deliberately trying to hold her cards close to her vest, or maybe she just didn't want to overstep with a superior she didn't know well.  But, that's not usually the case, Hetty seems to know everything about everybody.   She was just weird, sort of half dancing her way into the room and talking with a weird cadence.  Meanwhile, Moseley is trying and failing to get the upper hand. 

Funny thing.  the other NCIS teams have been together for a while - are they meant to be broken apart too?

Is this the first mention of Harley being a widow?

[anna0852]

I think Hetty was just playing dumb in order to lull Mosely into complacency.

[enoughcats]

What do we know of Mosely's backstory?  With the misery of the show being Sunday nights and starting at any old time, the problem is compounded by Directv recording by stated hours rather than recordings being triggered by the beginning of a show.  Recording three hours to get one gets tedious.

The past two episodes have been interesting enough that I make an effort, but my memory is only so good.  

For Mosely to have risen so high in NCIS, how did it happen?  What's her relation with Leon?  

Hetty has her own kind of Gravitas.  We know the Hetty is a whole lot more than her physical appearances.  Do we know Mosely (now) to be anything more than a politician (who Nell had to ask for additional help). 

[HurricaneVal]

The actress playing Mosely plays her with great constraint.  I always feel like there's something juuuuust about to bust out of there, but she keeps herself on a tight rein.  We saw a bit of Mosely's "under" character pop out with her delight of shocking Callen and Sam with her beautifully match, personal set of pistols at the shooting party.  Watch the actresses physicality and blocking, she is very measured and aware in her movements, as well as very measured with her diction and conversation. 

All that constraint keeps me intrigued.  Hidako is more open on the outside with a tightly controlled core deep inside.  Mosely is tightly controlled on the outside, so you have no idea what sort of seething core lies below, or how thin/thick her shields are. 

[ymeagain]

52 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

Mosely is tightly controlled on the outside, so you have no idea what sort of seething core lies below, or how thin/thick her shields are. 

Agree; I think there's a lot underneath. I actually liked Mosley this episode; she doesn't ooze awe when she meets Hetty. In keeping her emotions under control she reminds me a little of Hetty and Callen (although she's more aloof in an unfriendly/condescending manner and nowhere near as interesting or charismatic).

 

16 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Funny thing.  the other NCIS teams have been together for a while - are they meant to be broken apart too?

As for the team, I'm wondering if what Mosley means is the team not having partners--there are teams but no "partners" in the actual NCIS--and if team members didn't have regular partners, then they would switch out who they work with as opposed to "breaking" the team up. That way, Hidoko and the other new character I read they're introducing, could be worked into the "team."

Edited March 20, 2018 by ymeagain
added comments

[betsyboo]

2 hours ago, enoughcats said:

What do we know of Mosely's backstory?  With the misery of the show being Sunday nights and starting at any old time, the problem is compounded by Directv recording by stated hours rather than recordings being triggered by the beginning of a show.  Recording three hours to get one gets tedious.

we know that she has a son. that does not live with her and whose whereabouts are unknown. They throw in little clues each ep about her looking for him. This ep included her calling a school asking about enrollment. I don't recall if it was made clear if he was kidnapped, is missing, or was taken by a custodial guardian.

[LittlePeas3]

36 minutes ago, betsyboo said:

we know that she has a son. that does not live with her and whose whereabouts are unknown. They throw in little clues each ep about her looking for him. This ep included her calling a school asking about enrollment. I don't recall if it was made clear if he was kidnapped, is missing, or was taken by a custodial guardian.

If I remember correctly, I think he is with his father and she doesn't know where they are.  So I summise he was taken without her consent.  

[123BP]

2 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

If I remember correctly, I think he is with his father and she doesn't know where they are. 

That's what I thought, but I liked the touch this week--her call to find out if he was enrolled somewhere.

The new sneak peeks are out for episode 16.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gm7pf

[callie lee 29]

I actually really like Moseley,  far more than Hetty. I hope they do keep her around,  i think Hetty works better when she isn't surrounded by people who never challenge her or call her on her shit. 

[mythoughtis]

21 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

I think he is with his father and she doesn't know where they are.  So I summise he was taken without her consent.  

I think the first sentence is true. However I got the impression that she didnt get custody due to the necessities/realities of her job in the past. Another reason she may have accepted the move out west. More stability. And she may think her son is there.  The subject was only discussed once with either Sam or Callen I think. 

Edited March 21, 2018 by mythoughtis

[Notwisconsin]

Hidako just changed sides. I'm not sure if Mosley will too....

[anna0852]

36 minutes ago, Notwisconsin said:

Hidako just changed sides. I'm not sure if Mosley will too....

It will not end well for Mosley if she tries to mess with Hetty's people. It's interesting to watch. Hetty is a woman who *knows* she has power while Mosley comes across as someone *thinks* she has power.

Also, Hetty feeds people to tigers and Mosley would do well to remember that.

[123BP]

44 minutes ago, Notwisconsin said:

Hidako just changed sides. I'm not sure if Mosley will too...

I don't understand this. Hidoko didn't "change sides," and Mosley isn't the enemy. In this episode she did as much as she could for the team. I loved this episode, and what a fantastic job of acting by Chris! The story was succinct and well-thought out, the dialogue was good, there was humor--but not ridiculous--and it had amazing emotional scenes. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of the season. NCISLA is a crime procedural, a drama--and it feels as if TPTB are getting back to dramatic basics. Kudos to the entire crew!!

[HurricaneVal]

Hidako might have changed sides, but Mosley reminded her who brought her to the party.  That was an interesting scene...

 

11 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

Also, Hetty feeds people to tigers and Mosley would do well to remember that.

Yup.  And not euphemistically either...

[threebluestars]

That end scene with Callan and his dad was really powerful. I really hope we see him again - alive, untortured - because I feel like Callan has been through way more than enough with his family.

Anyone get the feeling they're sort of testing out Sam/Hidoko?

[secnarf]

I quite like Hidoko. They did a really good job of introducing her character. The mothership could learn from that.

[mythoughtis]

I have a hard time believing Callan has grown that close to his father in this short amount of time. Same for his half sisters’ relationship with dear old dad.  I do hope they get him back in one piece though. 

Moseley let the team do their thing because she still wants to break them up. More ammunition for her to use. Hidalgo is her handpicked associate and Moseley won’t let her forget it. 

[LittlePeas3]

6 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

I have a hard time believing Callan has grown that close to his father in this short amount of time. Same for his half sisters’ relationship with dear old dad.  I do hope they get him back in one piece though. . 

I see what you mean, about Callan getting close to his father, but I also think he has had this deep seeded desire his whole life to have a family, to belong to a group of people not only through a common thing, like the LA crowd from NCIS, but by blood too.  Alex isn't in the spy game, she doesn't know a lot about all the things Callan and his Dad have done.  She lost her Mother and then her real Father turned up, she felt the need to bond with him and he filled some of the need she lost when her Mother passed.  On top of that, it looks like their Father is living with her, so their relationship would have formed faster than if he was living somewhere else and visiting.

 

I loved the episode. Hidoko is becoming part of the team.  She feels it, but Mosely wants to keep her separate.  Hetty definitely knows what is going on in Mosely's personal life and her son.  I think it is a shame Callan had to lose his Dad in this episode though. Hopefully he turns back up before the end of the season.  Fingers crossed anyway.  Chris was amazing this episode.  It would have been nice to have him call on Anna through this, but we have to wait a couple more episodes.  

[MissLucas]

I think this episode did a very good job at muddling the waters with regards to Mosley's motives. Hetty mentioned that Mosley was more sympathetic to Callen's situation than she was willing to let on. I suppose that ties back to the little we know about her son. I'm wondering now if Mosley is not carefully testing the team and its loyalties because she wants to know if they could help her getting back her son. She might be willing to crash and burn her career in doing so (which would clear the path for Hetty's return). Whatever it is she's planning I hope it's a tad more complicated than what we've become accustomed to from characters like her on this show and the mothership (and many other shows) . The new boss who wants to dissolve a well-working team has become a rather tired cliché.

I'm also wondering if they're about to set sails on the USS Hidoko/Sam.  Unless of course Hidoko's dead husband is still alive. There's got to be a reason why they made her a widow.

I loved how Deeks was questioning the team's ethics in this episode. It was important that someone pointed that out even if there really was no better solution at hand.

Edited March 27, 2018 by MissLucas

[Notwisconsin]

Thinking about it. The legal situation of arresting an individual legally in the United States and not currently in custody after being convicted of a crime, and deporting him/her in exchange for another person or group of people, is a blatant  violation of that person's constitutional rights. Previous switches have necessarily included presidential pardons or judicial permission. The State Department CANNOT just have someone arrested and give them to a hostile power where they might be tortured or murdered.

Deeks, being a lawyer, should have gone to a judge and gotten a writ of habius corpus.

[ymeagain]

10 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

I have a hard time believing Callan has grown that close to his father in this short amount of time. Same for his half sisters’ relationship with dear old dad.  I do hope they get him back in one piece though. 

I don't. And it hasn't been such a short time; they connected in season 8. I also think Alex's situation helped--losing her mother, an estranged ex-felon as her child's father, and no in-laws. Why wouldn't she become close to her father? As for Callen, his relationship with Anna has helped him loosen up a bit, and the fact that she's working through the same things with Arkady may have helped him work through his issues with his own dad.

 

33 minutes ago, Notwisconsin said:

The legal situation of arresting an individual legally in the United States and not currently in custody after being convicted of a crime, and deporting him/her in exchange for another person or group of people, is a blatant  violation of that person's constitutional rights.

Nobody arrested Nikita. If you pay close attention, Nikita was in the U.S. on a special visa; the government simply revoked his visa. Nikita is a Russian citizen, so if Russia gives the okay for him to be exchanged for the Americans--which is probably what happened--and if Nikita does not object or file for asylum (which he apparently didn't in order to protect his own family from enemy action or retribution) then the U.S. government would do it.

37 minutes ago, Notwisconsin said:

Deeks, being a lawyer, should have gone to a judge and gotten a writ of habius corpus.

As for Deeks' legal skills, he didn't know enough to get himself out of jail in season 8.

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

She might be willing to crash and burn her career in doing so (which would clear the path for Hetty's return).

Hetty HAS returned; she and Mosley are not in the same position, so Mosley will continue just as Granger was in his position while Hetty served as Operations Manager. I don't know why people keep confusing Hetty's position with Mosley's position.

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

I loved how Deeks was questioning the team's ethics in this episode. It was important that someone pointed that out even if there really was no better solution at hand.

Talk about a hypocrite. Deeks--the person who murdered his partner, tortured a cleric, and beat a man who was handcuffed--is serving as the "conscience" of the team, especailly Callen? Give me a break!

[ymeagain]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

I'm also wondering if they're about to set sails on the USS Hidoko/Sam.  Unless of course Hidoko's dead husband is still alive. There's got to be a reason why they made her a widow.

Why does everyone have to be paired up? This isn't Days of Our Lives.

[threebluestars]

All the NCIS recipes seem to want a romance. We had Ziva/Tony, LaSalle/Percy (although she's leaving so that's a goner), and we had Deeks/Kenzie here ... and I am just wary that they're trying Sam/Hidoko. Just a vibe that they're testing the waters. I don't think it's needed at all, we have enough relationship stuff with Deeks and Kenzie. I'd love to see more male/female friendships that stay friendships (a la Bosco/Yokas on Third Watch, who were like the ultimate in never getting together lol).

[123BP]

11 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

Chris was amazing this episode.  It would have been nice to have him call on Anna through this, but we have to wait a couple more episodes. 

Agree on both counts, but I'm hoping there will be some mention of what happened when Anna next appears.

 

8 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I loved how Deeks was questioning the team's ethics in this episode.

I felt he was questioning Callen, and that's something I don't think Deeks is in any position to do considering some of the things he's done. I did love how Sam and Kensi didn't hesitate about the plan of swapping Kirkin for Nikita.

 

7 minutes ago, threebluestars said:

we have enough relationship stuff with Deeks and Kenzie

Personally, I think we have too much with Kensi and Deeks (I find the couple boring now), and when the story focuses on them, I think it drags the show down.