All Episodes Talk: NCIS: Los Angeles

[webruce]

I had 2 days ago written up a long talk about episodes, "Goodbye Vietnam" and "Liabilities". I had watched them in a row on my DVR. Then the dreaded blue screen on my computer popped up and deleted all my ramblings. So after a couple days away from it, I am tying again. I have not yet seen "Warriors of Peace".  
The grey Toyota SUV that the team used in the opening shot of Korea looked awfully like the one that they used in "Criminal Minds:Beyond Borders". I know these vehicles are "hired" from people to use in these shows.

  But the saving of Hetty and  Harris Keene was good. Dang got what he deserved. So did the others. Hopefully he won't be back.  I liked the "Golden Girls" talk and the help of Jeff Carol. His flirting with Kensi and in the transport trying to lay his head on Chegwedden's shoulder was cute. Also Hetty saying it was bloody time when the team saved her and the touching way she acted towards Callen. The head on his shoulder was nice. Then ofcourse Deeks falling asleep on Kensi was par for the course, lol.
Not sure of the time lapse between Hetty being saved and her coming back into headquarters? But she really didn't look to worse for wear. Maybe she put on some heavy make up to be seen by the team? I liked her talk to Hidoko. And yes the rug and heel talk to Moseley might have been just feeling her out. But like posted above, Granger was rough on them at first too. I loved that he went to his daughters, Jennifer Kim's to die. I also agree with both ideas listed elsewhere, he should be left to rest under that tree, and his life should be celebrated. Not sure how you do both.

I was surprised that Keith Stiger killed his wife, but I guess she didn't really know about his life? Can't remember. But his business partners, that I at first thought could be in on it, actually had no clue. I was disappointed that "baddie" Chin Woo that came over from Korea to help Keith do his plan, wasn't a little more of a problem. Deeks took him down with only a short knife tussle. Stiger was a little more elusive. Also they talked about using the Polaris vehicles to move the bomb stuff to the tunnels. Are they a sponsor? Also didn't think that Sam's throw of the scanning device "ball" would have been so accurate. It went right in the one missing pane of glass. I would have figured that it would take out another pane, and Callen would say, "that works too!" They would have said it if Deeks threw it. But he probably would bounce it off the frame or wall, and ask Kensi if she had another one, or would retrieve that for him. When the team in Korea broke into that motel room, the lock pickers didn't work, so Sam finessed it with his body.

Talking about Mosley wanting to split up the team. Someone posted about the other NCIS teams being broke up also? Well the Gibbs team has had over the last few years had a few changes, so the team is relatively new. And with Vance right there, he can keep an eye on things. Pride's team has had a couple changes, and almost was broken up when he went rouge to stop Mayor Hamilton. So LA other then loosing Dom and Nate, hasn't changed to much.

Nell and Eric are kind of together too. Also on Blue Bloods, Jamie and Eddie.

Edited March 28, 2018 by webruce
Added thought.

[ymeagain]

On 3/27/2018 at 4:21 PM, threebluestars said:

We had Ziva/Tony

I liked the relationship between Tony and Ziva because it was always under the surface; they never got romantic at work and it wasn't until the end that we really saw the depth of feeling between them (romantic feeling). Their romance was always suggested, never acted upon. That's one thing I don't like about Kensi and Deeks; they remind me of college coeds rather than adults, especially federal agents, Deeks especially (that conversation with Kensi about the grey hair--he's ALREADY well past 30). I don't mind romantic relationships, but they shouldn't drive the stories. I think the original NCIS has done a fairly good job with those by keeping them secondary. That's been the problem with the Kensi-Deeks relationship for me; too many stories have been written FOR that relationship, and this is supposed to be a crime procedural.

Edited March 29, 2018 by ymeagain
revision

[Lacei]

On 3/26/2018 at 10:31 PM, 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. 

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. 

I agree with you. I do not believe Callen will be this open to this person. This man keeps his secrets. Which makes since for the life he has lived,–does not lead to strong family bonds. He keeps his distance, so Callen has no reason to be close to him. Callen also is cautious, I think part of him expected it to all go wrong. Another reason not to believe the closeness. Not even with Alex. 

Alex confused me too. Why be so trusting, allowing strangers into your life? Her mother, herself and her son have been her world. Why let this old man, who is responsible for your Mother's death come stay at your house? So her mini angst of letting them in made no sense to me.

I don't see any of these people being "Sunday family dinners" types. So all those moments felt false.

[ymeagain]

3 hours ago, Lacei said:

I do not believe Callen will be this open to this person.

First off, what makes people think Callen IS this open to "this person"? Nikita doesn't live with him and, as far as we know, he's only met Anna a few times (and Alex has met her only once)., and this is after Callen has known them for months--almost (maybe more than) a year.  Why wouldn't Callen change? Every other character has changed, and he's changed in other ways: he owns a home, he has a girlfriend. Those aren't small steps, and it's likely that he's opened up to Anna much more than he has to his biological family. And why wouldn't Alex be trusting? She finds out that her brother is a federal agent--obviously with very high clearance--and he vouches for Nikita. And as for "Sunday family dinners," there's no indication that that's going on. People seem to be "seeing" a lot more than the writers have actually shown.

[enoughcats]

Does Callen have furniture now?

The problem with these shows is that this is season 9.  That's a lot of time and I'm one of the fans who has followed this from time slot to time slot, because I like the characters, even if I deep down wonder if the writers have a plan or are just verbally treading water.  I have especially liked their older characters, and Grainger's death was so well done, that it may have detracted from other happenings in the scripts. 

[123BP]

53 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

Does Callen have furniture now?

A curious question since we didn't see Callen's house in this episode, but from the earlier episode this season he has a console table, a bed, and some kind of credenza that the TV is sitting on, but not much else from the looks of things. I sure hope the writers have a plan--and that it doesn't involve a mole. XD

[Lacei]

18 hours ago, ymeagain said:

First off, what makes people think Callen IS this open to "this person"? Nikita doesn't live with him and, as far as we know, he's only met Anna a few times (and Alex has met her only once)., and this is after Callen has known them for months--almost (maybe more than) a year.  Why wouldn't Callen change? Every other character has changed, and he's changed in other ways: he owns a home, he has a girlfriend. Those aren't small steps, and it's likely that he's opened up to Anna much more than he has to his biological family. And why wouldn't Alex be trusting? She finds out that her brother is a federal agent--obviously with very high clearance--and he vouches for Nikita. And as for "Sunday family dinners," there's no indication that that's going on. People seem to be "seeing" a lot more than the writers have actually shown.

Having high clearance does not reveal character. Callen to Alex is a stranger. The man with him is too. Besides being the cause of your Mother's poisoning, leading to her death. Alex ought to be guarded with these people especially when her son is highly sensitive. 

Home ownership has never changed Callen. Years in the same place and he is still isn't comfortable enough to put roots down – little furniture. Years of friendship/brotherhood with Sam, Callen keeps a certain distance. 

What the writers have shown is people comfortable enough to have grandpa at home, a little kid playing with him, a daughter kissing her father goodbye, sharing coffee with her brother, and mentions of dinner. Acting as these people have known(open)each other for all their lives instead of months. That is what the writers wanted me to "see". Which is false.

[123BP]

1 hour ago, Lacei said:

Having high clearance does not reveal character. Callen to Alex is a stranger. The man with him is too. Besides being the cause of your Mother's poisoning, leading to her death. Alex ought to be guarded with these people especially when her son is highly sensitive. 

The fact that someone has high clearance is usually indicative that the person is trustworthy on some level. The cause of Katarina's poisoning was her work, not Nikita. There's no reason to think Alex wouldn't consider her mom extremely brave for doing what she did to help others and to keep her family safe by leaving her country and her husband (I don't think it's any different than those who join the military or take positions that are life-threatening to serve others). Also, Alex grew up with a loving mother even though she didn't have a father, so she doesn't have the same childhood scars Callen carries with him. I'm not sure what's happened that makes you think Jake is "highly sensitive." He was emotionally distraught when his grandmother died and he's crying because he might lose his grandfather. That seems normal for a child who's 7 years old. Home ownership HAS changed Callen; for him to set down roots is a huge step for someone who's been rootless his entire life--and even Hetty recognizes this. And we saw in "Sirens" his hesitancy to leave his home, and even though it's been compromised multiple times, he still hasn't abandoned it. Even Sam mentions that Callen's been "domesticated." There's a lot in this morning scene that shows Callen isn't comfortable: he doesn't really open up about what's going on with Anna, he doesn't hug anyone, doesn't give his father a kiss on his cheek. To me, he's trying to fit in with his family, but he's still pretty much an outsider.

[mythoughtis]

4 hours ago, Lacei said:

What the writers have shown is people comfortable enough to have grandpa at home, a little kid playing with him, a daughter kissing her father goodbye, sharing coffee with her brother, and mentions of dinner. Acting as these people have known(open)each other for all their lives instead of months. That is what the writers wanted me to "see". Which is false.

To piggyback on this comment- the writers showed us this exactly once. At the beginning of this episode. We haven’t seen Alex since the day we saw Callan and his father staring at her house wondering whether they should go introduce themselves.  Callan and her father haven’t been shown to have anything except for a cautious visit or two before now,  We saw more of Sams’ boat than that. We see more of Kenzie’s mom than Callan’s family.  Sorry, but I’m not feeling the love. 

I also don’t care if I ever see Anna again.  I’m not feeling any chemistry between Callan and Anna.  I’d love to see Alicia Coppola be paired with him. She’s able to play strong  characters and that would counter Callens calmness. 

Edited March 31, 2018 by mythoughtis

[ymeagain]

3 minutes ago, mythoughtis said:

Sorry, but I’m not feeling the love.

Then I guess the writer did a good job. It was an awkward scene like it was supposed to be. I think Callen looked pretty uncomfortable, but Callen's quiet, so it's not always easy to know what he's thinking or feeling--nothing like Deeks who's really demonstrative. When Callen and Nikita were at Alex's earlier, they went in for dinner with her and her son. We haven't seen Alex or Nikita since then (I don't think), but Callen's mentioned them, and just cuz we don't see them doesn't mean nothing's going on with the characters. It's not like lots of time can be spent on personal stuff when they also have to solve a case. We don't see a lot that happens in the personal lives of any of the characters. We see more of Densi than any (I'd like to see Sam with his kids), but they're actors and might not always be available.  I think there's way more chemistry between Callen and Anna than between Kensi and Deeks, so I like to see her on.

[Lacei]

19 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

To piggyback on this comment- the writers showed us this exactly once. At the beginning of this episode. We haven’t seen Alex since the day we saw Callan and his father staring at her house wondering whether they should go introduce themselves.  Callan and her father haven’t been shown to have anything except for a cautious visit or two before now,  We saw more of Sams’ boat than that. We see more of Kenzie’s mom than Callan’s family.  Sorry, but I’m not feeling the love. 

I also don’t care if I ever see Anna again.  I’m not feeling any chemistry between Callan and Anna.  I’d love to see Alicia Coppola be paired with him. She’s able to play strong  characters and that would counter Callens calmness. 

Oh, I agree but TPTB wanted me to believe(see) they were a typical family. Everybody is close, and comfortable with each other. Especially Alex. To me this scene makes no sense.

Agree about your feelings on AK. Have her  transfered, far far away.

[Lacei]

21 hours ago, 123BP said:

The fact that someone has high clearance is usually indicative that the person is trustworthy on some level. The cause of Katarina's poisoning was her work, not Nikita. There's no reason to think Alex wouldn't consider her mom extremely brave for doing what she did to help others and to keep her family safe by leaving her country and her husband (I don't think it's any different than those who join the military or take positions that are life-threatening to serve others). Also, Alex grew up with a loving mother even though she didn't have a father, so she doesn't have the same childhood scars Callen carries with him. I'm not sure what's happened that makes you think Jake is "highly sensitive." He was emotionally distraught when his grandmother died and he's crying because he might lose his grandfather. That seems normal for a child who's 7 years old. Home ownership HAS changed Callen; for him to set down roots is a huge step for someone who's been rootless his entire life--and even Hetty recognizes this. And we saw in "Sirens" his hesitancy to leave his home, and even though it's been compromised multiple times, he still hasn't abandoned it. Even Sam mentions that Callen's been "domesticated." There's a lot in this morning scene that shows Callen isn't comfortable: he doesn't really open up about what's going on with Anna, he doesn't hug anyone, doesn't give his father a kiss on his cheek. To me, he's trying to fit in with his family, but he's still pretty much an outsider.

21 hours ago, 123BP said:

The fact that someone has high clearance is usually indicative that the person is trustworthy on some level. The cause of Katarina's poisoning was her work, not Nikita. There's no reason to think Alex wouldn't consider her mom extremely brave for doing what she did to help others and to keep her family safe by leaving her country and her husband (I don't think it's any different than those who join the military or take positions that are life-threatening to serve others). Also, Alex grew up with a loving mother even though she didn't have a father, so she doesn't have the same childhood scars Callen carries with him. I'm not sure what's happened that makes you think Jake is "highly sensitive." He was emotionally distraught when his grandmother died and he's crying because he might lose his grandfather. That seems normal for a child who's 7 years old. Home ownership HAS changed Callen; for him to set down roots is a huge step for someone who's been rootless his entire life--and even Hetty recognizes this. And we saw in "Sirens" his hesitancy to leave his home, and even though it's been compromised multiple times, he still hasn't abandoned it. Even Sam mentions that Callen's been "domesticated." There's a lot in this morning scene that shows Callen isn't comfortable: he doesn't really open up about what's going on with Anna, he doesn't hug anyone, doesn't give his father a kiss on his cheek. To me, he's trying to fit in with his family, but he's still pretty much an outsider.

Katrina was poisoned to get to NR. That is why he showed up. Her death was because of him. Even at the funeral he regrets that he can't protect those he loves. 

She did not leave her husband. She left because it wasn't safe. She was a recruit.

Alex asked the question of who stops talking,eating, as child. She showed how concerned of Jake's behavior. Something she felt unusual. So why do you bring strangers in your home.

No high clearance does not show trustworthiness. Many people are duplicitous. I mean is that not the essence of spies?

House is not a home.

[123BP]

1 hour ago, Lacei said:

She did not leave her husband. She left because it wasn't safe. She was a recruit.

Nikita was her husband (or lover), and yes, he recruited her (just as Clara--Callen's mother--recruited him). And she was poisoned because Pavel had put his stolen money under her name when she was a CIA agent, so Pavel thought Nikita (as her handler) would be able to retrieve it for him. They both knew the risks doing this work the same way people who become firefighters or police officers understand the risks.

1 hour ago, Lacei said:

Alex asked the question of who stops talking,eating, as child. She showed how concerned of Jake's behavior. Something she felt unusual. So why do you bring strangers in your home.

This was when his grandmother died. She was no stranger; Jake grew up with her. It's not unusual to have this kind of reaction--even as adult--when someone close to you dies, especially unexpectedly. And Jake loved his grandpa. Why wouldn't Alex bring him into her home?

1 hour ago, Lacei said:

No high clearance does not show trustworthiness. Many people are duplicitous. I mean is that not the essence of spies?

In their work, yes, but with their families? No, I don't think so. Michelle worked as a CIA agent (a spy), but she certainly wasn't duplicitous around Sam, her children, or their friends.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. IMO the writer did an excellent job of indicating Callen's distance and awkwardness to his biological family, and his determination to save his father--and his sadness at not being able to. He failed Alex and Jake. I like subtlety; drama isn't always loud and obvious. For me, quiet moments are often more powerful than melodramatic ones, but that's a personal preference.

Edited April 1, 2018 by 123BP
clarification, revision

[ymeagain]

23 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

To piggyback on this comment- the writers showed us this exactly once. At the beginning of this episode. We haven’t seen Alex since the day we saw Callan and his father staring at her house wondering whether they should go introduce themselves.  Callan and her father haven’t been shown to have anything except for a cautious visit or two before now,  We saw more of Sams’ boat than that. We see more of Kenzie’s mom than Callan’s family.  Sorry, but I’m not feeling the love. 

Maybe if the writers didn't focus so much on Densi, we could see more of what's going on in the personal lives of the other characters. I'm glad Densi scenes haven't been the focus this season; they became boring last season.

Edited April 1, 2018 by ymeagain
added comment

[anna0852]

Okay, they had to have borrowed some writers and/or a full-on script from the Criminal Minds crew. That was creepy!

[123BP]

This episode seemed less a case episode and more about characters. I liked the pairings (even Callen with Mosley), and the conversation between Sam and Kensi about driving was a hoot. I also liked Hidoko's "immunity" to Deeks' charm. The ending was a surprise, and makes me worry about where this case may end.

[anna0852]

On further reflection, I could see that storyline with Mosley coming from a mile off. And I'd really like to know how her career didn't get completely derailed once it was known she got involved with an arms dealer and had a child by him. There is no way she's any sort of assistant director without having started her career good 20 years ago. And she somehow misses that the guy she's involved with is a criminal? I'm not saying it should have cost her her job but definitely I would think it would derail her career advancement.

I liked Deek's conversation with Harley. It was nice to hear him reflect on the fact that he was not immediately accepted and it took time to become part of the team. I also liked the comment that holding his own against Sam in a full-on fight was nothing to sneeze at. I know both of them were pulling their punches at the time but Sam's a massive dude and holding up against him in a fight is something to be proud of!

Edited April 2, 2018 by anna0852

[LittlePeas3]

These are my rambling thoughts....I watched the episode while my little people had Dora the Explorer on in the background, so I may have missed some of the key aspects of the plot and I will have to review the episode in peace at a later date. 

While not a lot happened in terms of a one-off story/plot line in this episode, boy did it set up a few episodes to come.  I too liked the switching of the partners, they all have such trust for one another.  Deeks, although in his goofy way, tried to get some of that trust happening with Hidoko, Sam and Kensi seem to have discovered she will have their backs when working in previous episodes, however, with Hidoko making a statement saying that she had Mosley's back, I don't know if Deeks is going to feel the same way. (Way off topic but seriously ECO needs a hair cut, he looks so shaggy and it is beginning to look ridiculous - I think he may be covering up a receding hair line now)  

I loved how at the beginning Hetty and Mosley looked like they were going at it tooth and nail and Hetty was really trying to convince Mosley that Callen would have her back if she told him everything.  There is a lot more trust between the two of them than we first thought, imo.  By the end, you could guess Mosley was going to tell Callen and knowing Callen's personal background, you just knew Callen would pledge that he would help find her son.  The fact we (as an audience) has known that something was amiss with her son and his whereabouts (although not totally knowing the history of it) led me to believe that when it all came out, the team would help, without a doubt.  Especially as Mosley took the heat (albeit off screen), for saving Hetty in Vietnam.  

The people in the auto shop (or what ever it was) kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies, which was justified at the end of the episode, but while I expected the tow truck driver to be involved, I didn't expect them all. While I have never watched Criminal Minds, I did watch early episodes of Bones and it kind of gave me a Gormagon serial killer feel. Since the FBI are keeping it on the hush-hush, I am guessing NCIS are going to be called in to help, especially since Kensi and Sam have seen the faces of 4 of the chief suspects.  

With the little chat between Kensi and Deeks about tablecloths, I wonder if the season will end with a wedding? I know not everyone are Densi fans, unfortunately I am a sucker for a beat all odds relationship, I am over it being drawn out.  Just get it over and done with.  

Random musings over for now, but I may add more later :)  

Edited April 3, 2018 by LittlePeas3
spelling errors...

[ymeagain]

The episode wasn't at all what I expected, and I agree it was less a case and more about the characters and preparation for a continuing case (I guess). Those garage guys were really creepy before we knew they were the killers. I think the death of the Lieutenant and the attache will pull NCIS into the case now (I just hope this isn't going to be the two-hour season finale; I really don't want to spend two hours with this group of killers).

I liked switching the partners (liked it when Hunter did it, too). The banter between Sam and Kensi was good (especially her wanting to drive--the Challenger? No way). Deeks made an effort to get to know Hidoko, but I liked her rebuff and her loyalty to Mosley (some folks are unfazed by the Deeks charm, I guess). Callen and Mosley were an interesting pair, and I liked Mosley in this episode. You just know Callen will do everything to get her son back; I just hope he doesn't put himself in harm's way to do it.

As for Mosley's career being derailed, maybe her higher ups don't know about it yet. It's been fewer than 10 years, and in real life members of the armed forces or law enforcement or government sometimes have affairs lasting years before anything's known. Maybe this will come back to bite her in the butt.

I really like the way the writers are handling Densi this season--putting it on the back burner where it belongs IMO. I got so tired of the two of them last season (for several seasons), I almost called it quits. I'm still hoping they run off and elope and just come back hitched so we can skip the whole wedding fiasco, but I doubt that will happen. If the wedding takes the last 5 minutes and no more, okay--anymore, and it'll be a waste of valuable screen time.

[MissLucas]

Zero surprise on the Mosley plot *yawn* And yes, how come she still has her career after all that went down and how come none of all the agencies involved in this case had any idea about her connection to the case?

Urgh, there's a reason I'm not watching Criminal Minds. I'd appreciate they kept that sort of thing out of this show.

That said I enjoyed the different pairings - this is normally the best aspect of those plots where an 'evil' new boss is supposedly trying to break up the team. Deeks/Hidoko was especially great although I'm not impressed by the fact that DETECTIVE Deeks never thought about the possibility that her name might be the result of marriage.

[anna0852]

11 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Urgh, there's a reason I'm not watching Criminal Minds. I'd appreciate they kept that sort of thing out of this show.

I thought it was a nice touch when Kensi commented how glad she was that they weren't responsible for investigating. It's little things like that that set them apart from other crime shows. Well they may certainly deal with bombs and terrorism and all sorts of National Security issues, this team generally does not have to deal with serial killers and the day-to-day grossness that humans are capable inflicting upon each other.

10 hours ago, anna0852 said:

 

10 hours ago, anna0852 said:

 

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by anna0852

[enoughcats]

There is no way in Hell that Mosley could have had an affair, a long term relationship, produced a baby (pregnancy is hard to hide) and hung out with that studly a guy without it being noticed.  To have risen to the Assistant Director job niche, her security clearances would have been evaluated repeatedly.  Her physicals would reflect childbirth.  Hetty knew, so did all the other powers also know?  Did they keep her, to use her as a Pawn to attract a more important player (and Pawn's exist to move and then be sacrificed in many, many games.)

[ymeagain]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

There is no way in Hell that Mosley could have had an affair, a long term relationship, produced a baby (pregnancy is hard to hide) and hung out with that studly a guy without it being noticed.

Mosley's affair and pregnancy would have definitely been noticed, but she also has the ways and means to cover up the name of the father (she has access to all the technology that's needed to create a convincing backstop). Just because Hetty knows that Mosley's child is missing doesn't mean that Hetty knows who the actual father is--and it's not very likely that she's going to do any serious digging into the father's background. Again, in real life, lots of folks in sensitive positions--including the military--have had affairs that haven't been discovered for years. In most cases, it's men, so they have no worry about getting pregnant.

[ymeagain]

12 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I know both of them were pulling their punches at the time but Sam's a massive dude and holding up against him in a fight is something to be proud of!

Sam would have put Deeks down in about 10 minutes if he hadn't been pulling his punches, but Deeks was game.

Edited April 2, 2018 by ymeagain
revised

[MissLucas]

1 hour ago, ymeagain said:

Just because Hetty knows that Mosley's child is missing doesn't mean that Hetty knows who the actual father is--and it's not very likely that she's going to do any serious digging into the father's background. Again, in real life, lots of folks in sensitive positions--including the military--have had affairs that haven't been discovered for years. In most cases, it's men, so they have no worry about getting pregnant.

The way they were arguing at the beginning of this episode strongly implies that Hetty knows who the father is. Otherwise that scene makes little sense. Hetty knew what was at stake for Mosley and therefore urged her to tell Callen the truth. 

[threebluestars]

I really liked this episode. I liked the serial killer case too, because I liked the reactions from the characters. I'm used to these cops that are so tough they aren't thrown by this creepy stuff, but I loved seeing that Kensi didn't want anything to do with it, Deeks was freaked out ... a nice change from stoic cop.

I feel like they'll be called in at some point - I actually wish Alicia Coppola had a show, because I love her, she's so good in everything. I could almost have seen this as a backdoor pilot for some reason.

I liked the partner switch up. I think it's a good way to keep the show fresh - different pairings bring out new writing, and I think it makes it more interesting.

I really love Hidoko. I like that she has loyalty to Mosely in the same way they all have loyalty to Hetty.

[123BP]

2 hours ago, MissLucas said:

The way they were arguing at the beginning of this episode strongly implies that Hetty knows who the father is. Otherwise that scene makes little sense. Hetty knew what was at stake for Mosley and therefore urged her to tell Callen the truth. 

Not to me. Hetty knows her child is missing and thinks Mosley should be honest with the team. That doesn't imply that Hetty knows who the father is. I think the conversation was about Mosley needing to learn to trust Callen and his team.

2 hours ago, threebluestars said:

I actually wish Alicia Coppola had a show, because I love her, she's so good in everything. I could almost have seen this as a backdoor pilot for some reason.

I like her too and like this idea.

8 hours ago, ymeagain said:

The episode wasn't at all what I expected, and I agree it was less a case and more about the characters and preparation for a continuing case (I guess). Those garage guys were really creepy before we knew they were the killers. I think the death of the Lieutenant and the attache will pull NCIS into the case now (I just hope this isn't going to be the two-hour season finale; I really don't want to spend two hours with this group of killers).

It wasn't what I was expecting, either. I didn't think the Callen-Mosley story would have as much screen time. I HOPE this group isn't going to be part of the finale. They give me the creeps.

[threebluestars]

Rob Nagle, who played Albert the owner of the tow place, played a serial killer on Criminal Minds. It was bothering me where I'd seen him before, and I knew he was a bad guy. His voice is very distinctive.

[secnarf]

5 hours ago, threebluestars said:

I feel like they'll be called in at some point - I actually wish Alicia Coppola had a show, because I love her, she's so good in everything. I could almost have seen this as a backdoor pilot for some reason.

The first time I ever saw Alicia Coppola, it was years ago on a season 1 episode of CSI in which she played an incredibly creepy serial killer who was killing men and then blending their organs into nutritional smoothies to combat some sort of skin condition. The episode ended on an image of her consuming this concoction. I've seen her in at least a dozen different shows, and I still always think of that last image whenever she comes onscreen. It was a very memorable role.

[Jaded]

1 minute ago, secnarf said:

The first time I ever saw Alicia Coppola, it was years ago on a season 1 episode of CSI in which she played an incredibly creepy serial killer who was killing men and then blending their organs into nutritional smoothies to combat some sort of skin condition. The episode ended on an image of her consuming this concoction. I've seen her in at least a dozen different shows, and I still always think of that last image whenever she comes onscreen. It was a very memorable role.

I remember her being in that episode of CSI too. The first time I ever saw her was when she was playing Lorna Devon on Another World.

[anna0852]

Alicia Coppola participated in a documentary I saw on Amazon, called 'That gal in that thing.' It was about female actresses who are working steadily but who aren't superstars. And she said in the interview that the CSI role is to this day what she does get recognized for.

[threebluestars]

4 hours ago, secnarf said:

The first time I ever saw Alicia Coppola, it was years ago on a season 1 episode of CSI in which she played an incredibly creepy serial killer who was killing men and then blending their organs into nutritional smoothies to combat some sort of skin condition. The episode ended on an image of her consuming this concoction. I've seen her in at least a dozen different shows, and I still always think of that last image whenever she comes onscreen. It was a very memorable role.

My mom saw her name in the credits: "Is she the blood drinking one?" lol.

That episode was so good and it stays with you!

[HurricaneVal]

Wow.  They really went there, didn't they?

[betsyboo]

So forgive my stupidity - who was the frankenwoman (sorry...) at the end? The ATF agent? the Chinese-diplomat-but-really-NSA-agent woman? someone else?

I, too, love Alicia C. However, I am never able to separate her in my head from Christina Chang. That's a failing on my part. (CC played a REACT agent on the mothership and was also on CSI Miami and was a fave recurring character on 24.)

Edited April 3, 2018 by betsyboo

[MissLucas]

I'm so glad I missed that CSI episode. To me Alicia Coppola is always the JAG officer whose OCD freaked out even Gibbs. I loved how all her pencils were sharpened to the t. And I always wanted to see her return but not as a member of the BAU *shudders*

Edited April 3, 2018 by MissLucas

[LittlePeas3]

1 hour ago, betsyboo said:

So forgive my stupidity - who was the frankenwoman (sorry...) at the end? The ATF agent? the Chinese-diplomat-but-really-NSA-agent woman? someone else?

 

I think she was the original female owner of the workshop

[secnarf]

6 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

I think she was the original female owner of the workshop

Really? I thought it was the Chinese not-diplomat?

[mythoughtis]

I thought it was one of the serial killers - the woman receptionist. But it could be parts of the  original owners since they already found some of them in the theatre. 

I mentioned on a post prior to this episode that Alicia Coppola needed to play a love interest for Callen - and here she is. How about that?  She played on Jericho and recently on Designated Survivor.  I just love to watch her.  

How does NCIS not know that Mosely has a child who is missing? Surely they have birth records, life insurance beneficiary papers, health insurance papers, and all of a sudden the child is gone? That’s a security risk there as Moseley could be used against the USA by Williams.  

[Lacei]

On 4/2/2018 at 8:15 PM, Jaded said:

I remember her being in that episode of CSI too. The first time I ever saw her was when she was playing Lorna Devon on Another World.

There's where I know her too. If you ever watched GH her husband played Father Coates.

[ymeagain]

22 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

How does NCIS not know that Mosely has a child who is missing? Surely they have birth records, life insurance beneficiary papers, health insurance papers, and all of a sudden the child is gone? That’s a security risk there as Moseley could be used against the USA by Williams.

Agree that it's a security risk, but hey--they're in the espionage business. Would it really be that difficult to make a child disappear if both parents wanted that? It might be a security risk for Mosley, but if the government knew that he had the child of someone in NCIS, wouldn't that make him the subject of an intense search, something he doesn't want? Just a thought . . .

[LittlePeas3]

Episode 18:  Vendetta Random musings

I could not believe Mosley gave in so quickly.  I thought she would have told Arkady to take a running jump.  Perhaps she is listening to Hetty and beginning to trust the teams instincts?

I though Anna and Callen's relationship was just travelling along nicely in the background, not that she hadn't told him that her new partner was a bubbly, enthusiastic, hot, young man.  that awkwardness was disappointing, I was so hopeful for a real relationship for him, for once.  Even Sam was surprised about their tension.  I thought there would be more made of Anna shooting an unarmed man. According to IMBD she is in episode 20, so I guess it will be dealt with. 

I love Arkady, he is so funny.  

Eric undercover was interesting, he was not as smooth as the others, but for one of his first assignments, he did well.  I was surprised when he picked up the gun and shot at the bad guys, it will be interesting to see if there is fallout from him shooting someone as he was quite traumatised when he shot the van last season when he was undercover with Nell at that retreat.  I wonder if that is why Sam finished the guy off, as he had had the conversation with Eric a couple of episodes later about how Sam dealt with killing people.  

I am really liking how Hidoko fits in with the team.  She is cool, even if her allegiance lies firstly with Mosley.  The others respect her for it.

[roamyn]

5 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

Episode 18:  Vendetta Random musings

I could not believe Mosley gave in so quickly.  I thought she would have told Arkady to take a running jump.  Perhaps she is listening to Hetty and beginning to trust the teams instincts?

I though Anna and Callen's relationship was just travelling along nicely in the background, not that she hadn't told him that her new partner was a bubbly, enthusiastic, hot, young man.  that awkwardness was disappointing, I was so hopeful for a real relationship for him, for once.  Even Sam was surprised about their tension.  I thought there would be more made of Anna shooting an unarmed man. According to IMBD she is in episode 20, so I guess it will be dealt with. 

I love Arkady, he is so funny.  

Eric undercover was interesting, he was not as smooth as the others, but for one of his first assignments, he did well.  I was surprised when he picked up the gun and shot at the bad guys, it will be interesting to see if there is fallout from him shooting someone as he was quite traumatised when he shot the van last season when he was undercover with Nell at that retreat.  I wonder if that is why Sam finished the guy off, as he had had the conversation with Eric a couple of episodes later about how Sam dealt with killing people.  

I am really liking how Hidoko fits in with the team.  She is cool, even if her allegiance lies firstly with Mosley.  The others respect her for it.

I really like Hidoko, too.   She's cool, confident, smart & sassy.   In fact, Kensi & Deeks can just go away to be married and never come back.

Eric is okay in the field, but he's better in the office running logistics and tech stuff.  I like him with Nell, they're cute, but she is really much better in the field.  So maybe he only goes out with her, like with last year's couples retreat.

Edited April 9, 2018 by roamyn

[MissLucas]

I'm disappointed there was no grenade involved in Eric's plot (I thought that was a hilarious running gag).

[anna0852]

 Eric really needs to learn to say 'Federal Agent' a lot more sternly!

[Lambsilencer]

13 hours ago, LittlePeas3 said:

 I thought there would be more made of Anna shooting an unarmed man. According to IMBD she is in episode 20, so I guess it will be dealt with. 

(...)

I am really liking how Hidoko fits in with the team.  She is cool, even if her allegiance lies firstly with Mosley.  The others respect her for it.

Oh, I'm sure there will be repercussions. When Callen ran off after Anna during the gunfight, it was pretty clear he not only went for backup, but also to prevent Anna from doing something she might regret. He was too late, though, and the way the episode ended, with that horrified look on Anna's face, along with Callen, they both know that this shooting will probably have serious consequences. We still don't know why Anna shot him - if it was out of revenge for taking her father, or if there was something else going on. If it was for the former, there will be a rude awakening coming.

Yes, Hidoko is a great fit, and I'm almost certain that Andrea Bordeaux will be added as a regular next season.

Greets
Lambsilencer

[Lacei]

Arkady is a treat! He was used smartly here. 

Eric was nice in the fields. He is growing but his expertise is in OPs.

Tired of Mosely, sure her willingness was to get what she wants. 

I do hope the character leaves, and takes her assistant(who is never doing her job) goes with her!

[secnarf]

3 hours ago, Lacei said:

Arkady is a treat! He was used smartly here. 

Eric was nice in the fields. He is growing but his expertise is in OPs.

Tired of Mosely, sure her willingness was to get what she wants. 

I do hope the character leaves, and takes her assistant(who is never doing her job) goes with her!

If you are referring to Hidoko, she is not Mosley's assistant. She is an agent and as far as I can tell, does her job as much as anybody else on that team.

If you're not referring to Hidoko, then I can't imagine who you might mean. Mosley doesn't have an assistant.

[ymeagain]

On 4/9/2018 at 4:35 PM, Lambsilencer said:

When Callen ran off after Anna during the gunfight, it was pretty clear he not only went for backup, but also to prevent Anna from doing something she might regret.

I don't think Callen had any thoughts about Anna doing something she might regret; I think he ran after her to make sure she was okay. When he said her name before he got outside, I thought that was more out of worry that she might have been shot. I thought this episode was really good. The scenes between Callen and Arkady were so much better than the scenes in Mountebank between Arkady and Kensi and Deeks. In Mountebank, Arkady was ridiculous; in this episode he was charming and funny--but not ridiculous. And he was dressed better. I also like the tension between Callen and Anna; the stress of their jobs (and things in their personal lives) are getting in the way of their romance. This fits their characters although Callen seems more interested in being involved than Anna does.

 

On 4/9/2018 at 8:44 AM, roamyn said:

I really like Hidoko, too.   She's cool, confident, smart & sassy.   In fact, Kensi & Deeks can just go away to be married and never come back.

I really like Hidoko, too. I think she fits in with the team well, and I don't mind seeing less of Kensi and Deeks (they're too cutesy). And seriously, why doesn't Deeks wash his hair?

I think the second "half" of this season has been really strong, starting with "Goodbye, Vietnam." Only 6 episodes left. I hope they end strong.

[betsyboo]

On 4/9/2018 at 2:50 AM, LittlePeas3 said:

I though Anna and Callen's relationship was just travelling along nicely in the background, not that she hadn't told him that her new partner was a bubbly, enthusiastic, hot, young man.  that awkwardness was disappointing, I was so hopeful for a real relationship for him, for once.  Even Sam was surprised about their tension. 

I love Arkady, he is so funny.   

I am really liking how Hidoko fits in with the team.  She is cool, even if her allegiance lies firstly with Mosley.  The others respect her for it.

 

On 4/9/2018 at 4:35 PM, Lambsilencer said:

Yes, Hidoko is a great fit, and I'm almost certain that Andrea Bordeaux will be added as a regular next season.

On 4/10/2018 at 5:04 PM, Lacei said:

Arkady is a treat! He was used smartly here. 

Agree on all these counts. When Callen walked in it was played like he caught her cheating. which, whatever then, play it for a gag and move on. But it was soooo awkward. Although i very much enjoyed eager ATF boy going all hero-worship. Not gonna lie - thought he was dead for sure.

Arkady has always amused me. I know he can be polarizing for some fans, but he cracks me up. I'm easy.

LOVE Hidoko. Am ready to learn more about her backstory.

But - am i the only one who thought there would be a continuation of last week's serial killer frankenstein?? I was so confused by the previouslies when it started that I thought i was watching the wrong episode!

[secnarf]

38 minutes ago, betsyboo said:

But - am i the only one who thought there would be a continuation of last week's serial killer frankenstein?? I was so confused by the previouslies when it started that I thought i was watching the wrong episode!

I thought this week would be a continuation also! Was there even a mention?