Review: NCISLA “Zero Days” (S5E18)

We have been focused so much this season on Deeks and his relationship with Kensi that a few of the other characters in the series have had to take a step back for most of year, playing minor and more supportive roles. So it’s great to see Eric Beale (Barrett Foa) featured prominently and taking center stage in this new episode written by one of the newest members of the writing team, Andrew Bartels. We all know of Eric’s love of video games and this time the Ops tech is witness to the brutal attack of one of his online buddies. The team suspects the perpetrators are looking for information that would help them gain control of Russia’s missile systems. In today’s political climate, this story could well play out in the real world as we get closer to revisiting former Cold War tactics. We also get to see why Deeks calls Kensi ‘the bravest’ as she intentionally allows herself to be captured to seek out the White Ghost. Truthfully, that was either the bravest or the dumbest move we’ve ever seen the agent make but we all know how Kensi can be driven by her raw emotions so it’s no surprise the tense situation she finds herself in at the end of last week’s episode.

Do you know where your Partner is?

Deeks was so concerned about Kensi’s whereabouts last week and it seems strange that her lack of contact is not even mentioned this week. Deeks thinks he knows where his partner is but he is blissfully unaware of how much trouble she has gotten herself into half a world away. As Kensi calls out to Jack we finally have a positive ID on the White Ghost…or do we? Is he working for the enemy or not? When Kensi spied Jack through her scope on that hill she probably thought she was seeing a ghost as she assumed her ex-fiancé was dead all those years ago. So what happen?

Beale, your lawyer’s here!

Eric finds himself in a different kind of trouble at the crime scene as he messes with a LAPD cop in search of his missing friend. Deeks really enjoyed bailing Eric out of jail a little bit too much, me thinks! But it was such an enjoyable scene to watch, I couldn’t help but replay it over and over again! Deeks had so much fun at Eric’s expense. Poor Eric, he’s just not use to being at the center of an investigation and worries at how angry Hetty may be with him.

As Callen and Sam investigate the scene, they find Eric’s very scared friend, Ira, trying to high tail it out of town before more government agents track him down.   He’s pretty sure that the US government is trying to kill him and he’s not giving up Zero Day without a fight. Enter Nell Jones as she gets to use her womanly wiles to trick the reticent techie into revealing the information they desperately need. You don’t get to see too many people boss Sam Hanna around, so it was a kick to watch this Hetty-in-waiting performance as Nell gets Ira to trust in her undercover persona. (Sam: she’s scary good.) Ira reveals he has found a weakness in the Russian navigational system which allows access to a base code which assigns coordinates to the system that can then be accessed by hackers to take control of the Russian missile systems. The team agrees this is something American intelligence would love to get their hands on but the only rub is the DOD has never heard of Ira Wells.! This brings a new pawn to the game board.

But Ira’s not playing straight with our agents either and completes his deal with the government contractor who may be supplying the information to a third party buyer and it’s not the US government. The team races to get the information in hand before it gets sold to the wrong party.

I was sent to Kill You!

Kensi comes clean and tells Jack why she is in Afghanistan. He denies he’s been helping the militants and is not the White Ghost! He’s been living and working with the locals for the past 9 years after he mysteriously walked out on Kensi. It’s amazing she can even wrap her head around the sistuation. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kensi so emotional! I can only imagine what this man meant to her at one time. Now he belongs to another world and it breaks Kensi’s heart even more when she finds out he was married and had a child. So the question is: If Jack isn’t the White Ghost, who is? Is suspicion back on Sabatino?

Diversion is My Middle Name!

Meanwhile, the team goes undercover to infiltrate the security tech firm and id the possible mole inside the company who may be selling the information to the wrong party. Sam and Deeks work together like a well-oiled team to catch the bad guys but they are too late as the information exchanges hands before they can stop it. Chechen terrorists may be behind this latest attack and they enlist Ira’s help to fix Zero Days but it’s too late. There’s a missile headed straight for San Francisco which will start a new world war between the super powers and there is no way to intercept it. But it’s Eric Beale to the rescue! The tech op comes alive as he goes into the field to find a way to stop the destruction. Have you ever seen Beale so forceful? There is some heavy firepower up there on the roof top as the team tries to prevent the Chechen terrorists from stopping them in dismantling the system. It was an exciting ending to the episode with some last second magic by Eric who I think really needs to stay out of the field since he always finds his life in danger whenever he steps out of Ops.

This is another ‘we saved the world’ episodes, which after a while gets a bit tiring and sorry but a bit unbelievable. Yet, Bartels did an admirable job more with furthering many of the characters’ story line than the actual time worn plot: It is fun to see Sam and Deeks giggling like school girls over Callen’s new love interest.  The fact that they work so well together is really gratifying to watch after all the animosity in the past. How about Callen? He finally gets a life…good for him!

It was also great to see Eric grab the bull by the horns and prove what a valuable asset he is to the team without all the self-doubts and fear he usually carries around. Nell’s confidence keeps growing day by day and there is no doubt she could someday be the perfect replacement for her mentor. And then there is Kensi….. as we watch such raw emotions threaten to overcome her, where will this mission take her next?  Will her old love collide with her new love? It seems Hetty may hold the key to her future and it looks like she is going to be sending the team on a rescue mission next time to bring back one of their own. Stay tuned.

Special Moments

• I really enjoy how everybody butts into each other’s lives as they endorse, strategize and manipulate each other all for the greater good! Actually it’s quite sweet to see how much Sam cares about his co-workers and no surprise that Hetty has a hand in the matchmaking as well.
• I couldn’t help playing the scene where Deeks’ rescues Eric from jail over and over because I couldn’t stop laughing at ECO’s loud, long giggle. I don’t know if I ever heard Deeks so joyful.
• Does Callen look like a Dexter to you? That just hit me laugh uncontrollably!
• While Sam and Callen try to figure out who was willing to buy the information, Deeks just cuts to the hase: So we’re looking for the world’s cheapest terrorists? Always telling it the way it is Deeks!

Classic Densi Moments

Deeks: Lasers, man. I hate frick’n lasers. (I bet you do, Mr. Deeks!)

Classic Deeks Moments

Sam: G had a date with Joelle last night and now he is late for work this morning. You get the picture.
Deeks: Oh I get the picture. Downloading now. Delete… delete… save…. clear history.

—- 

Sam: Deeks we need a diversion.
Deeks: Diversion is my middle name!

—- 

Sam: Shut up!
Deeks: I didn’t say anything. Seven o’clock in the evening. Do you know where you partner is?
Sam: Nope, but I know who he’s with and I have a good idea what they’re doing. You get the picture?
Deeks: Downloading, downloading.
Sam: Delete.
Deeks: Save.
Sam: Whoa!

Join us next week for our next review with a new episode, Windfall as the team races to save Kensi’s life! The fireworks are just beginning. In the meantime, there will be new additions to Deeks’ Surf Log, and Destination Deeks. Kensi’s Journal will still be silent as we wait for word of Kensi’s fate. Join us for all the fun at wikiDeeks!

 

---

EPISODE INFO
Title: “Zero Days”
Writer: Andrew Bartels
Director: Tony Wharmby
Original Air Date: March 25, 2014

---

Diane Volpe is a Contributing Editor at wikiDeeks.com. Follow her on Twitter: @phillydi