S11.E01: Let Fate Decide

[thewhiteowl]

Sam and Callen continue to search for spies aboard the Allegiance. Deeks and Kensi are under fire and Hetty works with Sarah Mackenzie. 

David James Elliot and Catherine Bell resume their guest appearances.

[Raja]

Why did I come back?

[Gramto6]

Noooo They didn't do it again!! The coin flip was bad enough but now this?? Either they get together or walk away... just let us know!

[GHScorpiosRule]

That was the biggest bunch of bullshit last night.🤬🤬🤬🤬

No, Writers! Harm was not scared or afraid of commitment. He was scared back in seasons 5,6,7, and 8. By season nine, he’d grown and wanted that commitment and was waiting for Mac to come around. Fuck You, Grimmell or whatever his name is. Nothing but a fucking bait and switch to get JAG viewers, and especially Harm and Mac fans, to watch.

[JayDub]

For me except for the Harm Mac BS I enjoyed this show. IMHO, other than bringing some JAG fans in it serves no use purpose to NCIA LA.

[dirtydi]

Was not interested in last night's episode.  No more JAG, been there done that.

[anna0852]

Decent enough. Not their best premiere but not their worst. Really liking Fatima. 

[HurricaneVal]

Are we done with the JAG re-boot backdoor pilot now?  When does the real NCIS: Los Angeles show have its season 11 premiere?

[Kelda Feegle]

19 hours ago, Raja said:

Why did I come back?

Because it is slightly better than the mothership?

[123BP]

4 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

Because it is slightly better than the mothership?

Not last night's epsidoe. OMG, if Deeks doesn't stop acting like a whining child--especially when he's "in country" on a mission--I'm gonna scream! He's supposed to be a seasoned LAPD detective who's worked with NCIS for 10+ years AND an attorney, and that's how he acts? It's like Kensi is his babysitter instead of his wife. Grow up! And what happened to Callen, you know the guy Sam said, "You're very damaged" about just two episodes ago? Not anymore, it seems. I mean, his dad recently died, his girlfriend (?) is a fugitive and an exile, he just found out his dad raised another boy from the family that murdered his mom, AND his sister isn't speaking to him. But is he bothered? Nope, instead he's going to joke around while his "serious" partner drills a hole through metal to rescue several sailor hostages. Oh, and maybe start up a fling with an old flame (since when did Callen have so many casual relationships?) And the WORST line ever from him: "You know who's always emotionally available? This guy." Who the HELL is that guy? It's not Callen. While the plot made sense (Harimoto's usually do), there was no life, no emotion to any of the characters. And Hetty? I get that she's impressive, but she's just becoming a caricature. Flying a jet? Getting ALL the credit for creating the family? She's anything but a saint. I liked it much better in earlier seasons when she had definite flaws, made mistakes, fought it out with Granger-that was far more interesting. Also, the team needs some conflict, tension within to be interesting. I don't know any family that doesn't have fights and arguments. These shouldn't always come from the "bad guys." I was just really disappointed in this episode, and it doesn't look good for the season if Gemmill can't get his act together.

[Kelda Feegle]

2 hours ago, 123BP said:

Not last night's epsidoe. OMG, if Deeks doesn't stop acting like a whining child--especially when he's "in country" on a mission--I'm gonna scream! He's supposed to be a seasoned LAPD detective who's worked with NCIS for 10+ years AND an attorney, and that's how he acts? It's like Kensi is his babysitter instead of his wife. Grow up! And what happened to Callen, you know the guy Sam said, "You're very damaged" about just two episodes ago? Not anymore, it seems. I mean, his dad recently died, his girlfriend (?) is a fugitive and an exile, he just found out his dad raised another boy from the family that murdered his mom, AND his sister isn't speaking to him. But is he bothered? Nope, instead he's going to joke around while his "serious" partner drills a hole through metal to rescue several sailor hostages. Oh, and maybe start up a fling with an old flame (since when did Callen have so many casual relationships?) And the WORST line ever from him: "You know who's always emotionally available? This guy." Who the HELL is that guy? It's not Callen. While the plot made sense (Harimoto's usually do), there was no life, no emotion to any of the characters. And Hetty? I get that she's impressive, but she's just becoming a caricature. Flying a jet? Getting ALL the credit for creating the family? She's anything but a saint. I liked it much better in earlier seasons when she had definite flaws, made mistakes, fought it out with Granger-that was far more interesting. Also, the team needs some conflict, tension within to be interesting. I don't know any family that doesn't have fights and arguments. These shouldn't always come from the "bad guys." I was just really disappointed in this episode, and it doesn't look good for the season if Gemmill can't get his act together.

I agree with almost all you say - except I thought ep 1 of mothership was worse, tired, old, boring, with added Zivacrap. Of course YMMV.

[JayDub]

One other thing I didn't miss was the Eric Nell adolescent relationship. I could go all season without that.

[secnarf]

17 hours ago, 123BP said:

And the WORST line ever from him: "You know who's always emotionally available? This guy." Who the HELL is that guy? It's not Callen.

I took this as a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't think Callen genuinely thinks this about himself.

Edited October 1, 2019 by secnarf

[ymeagain]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

I took this as a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't think Callen genuinely thinks this about himself.

Maybe. It seemed a weird thing to say given that his girlfriend (ex-girlfriend?) had just risked her life and been left behind in Cuba without anything more than a verbal "thank you."  And he definitely hadn't been there for her "emotionally" ever since she shot Sokolov. It also seemed weird to say it to Rabb who doesn't know him at all.

TBH, I wasn't impressed with the episode. Like some others, I thought Deeks behaved like a real baby. I'd have thought he or Kensi would have been embarrassed by the comments of Sabatino and Wallace. With all the missiles flying and the insurgents on the ship and the hunt for the journalist, I didn't feel any suspense (compared to other shows). And can anyone explain what happened between Mac and Harm? Did they get together, did they break up, or is it still up in the air? I still don't get why they were even IN the two episodes.

Question: Does Callen--the "lone wolf""--have women all over the world? He's worked in Russia, India, Georgia (the country) and other places. Are his old flames gonna pop up this season, or is Joelle coming back? The "old flame" thing seems out of whack for him imo.

19 hours ago, 123BP said:

And Hetty? I get that she's impressive, but she's just becoming a caricature. Flying a jet? Getting ALL the credit for creating the family? She's anything but a saint. I liked it much better in earlier seasons when she had definite flaws, made mistakes, fought it out with Granger-that was far more interesting. Also, the team needs some conflict, tension within to be interesting. I don't know any family that doesn't have fights and arguments.

Agree. Hetty isn't out of the Marvel Universe. She wasn't even there most of S9 or S10 and the team survived. I miss Granger; he added a lot to the show. Miss his verbal battles with Hetty; she needs to be knocked down every once in awhile like anyone. The show needs that. Their job is incredibly stressful--everyday life is stressful, but none of them seem to have any problems dealing with it. That's boring. I like teams where the members get up in each other's face once in awhile (FBI, Seal Team, Chicago PD). These guys were too relaxed. Yea, they make jokes when their own lives are in danger (like Deep Trouble), but when sailors have already been killed or when the journalist might be killed by ISIS? Don't see it.

Edited October 2, 2019 by ymeagain

[LittlePeas3]

I found this episode fine.  It wasn't the spectacular season opening, but it was fine.  Yes, there were plenty of holes with little things in the plot line, like the Callen comments about being emotionally available being strange, but it just seemed like an episode part-way into the season. 

Did anyone else find the way Hetty was sitting on the plane awkward looking?  I can't decide if it was something bizarre or if it is because we always seem to see her sitting behind a desk.  Is it just me?