Review: NCISLA “The Long Goodbye” (S7E8)
This week’s episode switch was due to an unexpected turn of world events. I wasn’t surprised that CBS pulled “Defectors’ from the Monday night lineup. With mentions of Isis in the sneak preview, the network wanted to show deference to the horror that happened this past weekend in Paris. CBS skipped ahead to a Dave Kalstein script, “The Long Goodbye” which was just recently shot. As a result we have to patiently wait to find out what happens to Deeks and the IA investigation and his apparent arrest by the LAPD. We’re going to have to keep our anxiety contained a little bit longer to find out what happens in the aftermath of those proceedings. I thought skipping ahead would be a bit confusing but since there was no mention of Deeks’ IA problems, it really didn’t make a difference. Kalstein tweeted on social media that it wouldn’t upset the storyline and it looks like it didn’t. But does this mean that after “Defectors” and ”Internal Affairs” that Deeks’ problems are over? Kind of anti-climactic, huh? I guess time will tell, but in the meantime let’s talk about this substitute episode.
Jada returns to the show to haunt Sam and cause a whole new set of problems as the government places her into witness protection. Can someone tell me why it took them four years to get this woman into a federal protection program? I’m surprised she stayed alive as long as she did. What had she been doing all that time other than missing her only friend, Sam? I can understand why she wanted to return home, but deep in her heart she’s got to know it’s a death sentence. After a car bombing attack to abduct her and bring her back to her warlord brother, she gets that chance to return after she turns up missing. The team switches up partners and goes in search to find her and bring her back. Easier said than done.
Kensi may have lamented that she was the only female in the bullpen, but be careful what you wish for Kensi…because your girlfriend is back! Talia returns this time to partner with Kensi on the undercover mission to rescue Jada. Whether you love her or hate her, the powers that be feel the DEA agent spices up the show although her ‘don’t give a damn’ attitude of the past can be an acquired taste. You have to admit she was actually a bit more self-contained this time without using Deeks as the ‘object of inappropriate workspace attention’. (That line cracked me up!) I think Deeks was even missing her attention a little bit this week too. I did enjoy watching Talia and her plus one Kensi, work the pool area in search of information that would lead to Jada’s return, but unfortunately in the end it may not be enough to save her.
This script was a very plain and basic tale from Dave Kalstein. No metaphors or mystical storylines here, just some well written moments around a very simple story. Probably not one of my favorite scripts but I always enjoy how he writes for Deeks’ character. He knows the man well. He also addresses Talia’s inappropriate behavior towards Deeks, what it would be like if Deeks and Callen were BFFs, and of course the serious topic of how we women just want to vent sometimes. One thing to point out is we did find out that Deeks is still part of the LAPD after all of the speculation of whether he would become a federal agent after the IA investigation. If this episode was supposed to air after “Internal Affairs”, I’m a bit disappointed that there was no follow-up to what should have been a pretty traumatic time for Deeks. It looks like he survives the investigation with little to no aftermath. I would think there would be some lingering complications left over from his time in jail, but once again, I guess we will have to wait and see.
Memorable Moments
- Callen had probably the best line of the night: (PSB will be MIA ASAP.)
- Don’t you think we need more Callen/Deeks alone time? It was great to see them working together and sharing some bromance time in the bullpen and in the car. (Deeks: I think we’re social animals, well…most of us anyway.)
- Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall the weekend Deeks and Callen actually get around to having some bro time together? But come to think of it… why not? I think Callen would enjoy spending a guys’ night out with Deeks if he would just give it a chance. I enjoyed Deeks teasing Callen about his lack of social life too but something tells me this guys’ night out is never going to happen. I think Deeks pushes Callen past his comfort zone. Too bad. It’s your loss, Callen.
- Knowing Jada was probably heading to her death once she got on that plane was a sad ending to this story.
- Poor Deeks. I can’t imagine why no one wants to hang out with our lovable detective. (Deeks: Who’s going to sit here and listen to me vent?)
- Deeks complaining about his cold coffee was really very cute. Look at that pout. (You sure this isn’t iced?)
- Deeks: Wow… Hey guy? Can we take a moment of silence to appreciate the awesomeness that’s happening right behind that screen? Callen: Yeah guy, we can.
- Deeks on the challenges of working undercover: The truth is if I’m undercover by the time we meet chances are no one is going to get that fairytale ending.
- Deeks: What? Kensi nooooooo!!! The whole Parking Spot Bitch scene was fun to watch with Callen and Deeks trying to give Kensi advice/solution to her PSB problem. Yep, been there, done that. Sometimes it’s just about the talk.
Episode: “The Long Goodbye”
Writer: Dave Kalstein
Director: John P. Kousakis
Original Air Date: November 16, 2015
Diane Volpe is a Contributing Editor at wikiDeeks.com
Follow her on Twitter: @phillydi
wikiDeeks | Marty Deeks | NCISLA 
Thank you for the wonderful review. I always look forward to these on Tuesdays.
I didn’t like this episode. There, I said it. I know I’m in the minority, but I just don’t like Talia and I hate the on again/off again that she and Kensi have. In one of the Deep Trouble episodes, tthey attacked each other and then end the day acting like BFFs. Then, the Citadel episode, Talia was downright annoying and inappropriate and seemed to love to annoy Kensi. Now, they’re bonding again. To me it was just a way to get a little eye candy – get them in their bikinis. I hope Talia doesn’t become a permanent addition to the show and is paired with Callen.
I also don’t like the way Callen blew Deeks off. Callen admitted that they don’t hang out. He’s the team leader. Shouldn’t he try to bond with his teammate every once in a while? They don’t have to be BFF’s but Deeks was trying and he was once again the butt of the joke. (I’m 100% Team Deeks!).
Also, I know this show is a police procedural, but why is it that Kensi and Deeks’ relationship is shown to be hot and cold. For every sweet Densi moment, we are given scenes where you can’t even tell their in a relationship. They seem more like a couple before they were a couple.
In this episode, Deeks identified himself as LAPD, while the episodes before, he announced himself as a federal agent. I’m confused.
thanks for letting me vent. Last night was the first time since I started watching the show that I didn’t watch it live. I wanted to be able to fast forward the Talia scenes.
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Just to be clear, I liked the episode itself. But I am 100% with you on Talia. They could have eliminated every scene with her and just had Kensi do that op on its own and it the storyline would have been just as good. The scene in the car where they were bonding felt forced – I was just waiting for her to mock Kensi. Seriously, the last time they were together, Talia was kissing Deeks with Kensi right there. And that is just forgotten and now they’re friends in bikinis? Not realistic at all. And the whole “girl bonding,” “guys versus girls” thing – I’m just going to reference our new Canadian Prime Minister “…it’s 2015” (Google it) and take my annoyance at the gender stereotypes out in my dissertation writing.
Biggest beef, though – she’s like a different character every time she comes on – same face/actor, but different behavior, interactions with Densi, etc. It’s like the cast/crew/writers like her and seem to get that part of the fanbase doesn’t and keep trying to do something with the character to fit her in the show, but lose any semblance of consistency in the writing/portrayal of the character. My response to the many faces and versions of Talia is stolen from Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham “I do not like her here or there, I do not like her anywhere…” or any way – although I hesitate to even use that example because in the end Sam does like the green eggs and ham and I don’t want to lead to the impression that I just need more Talia to like her!
I also really, really hated the final scene with “loser Deeks” alone, begging for friends and people to listen to him. So sad and pathetic. Why do that with our beloved Deeks?
I found these aspects so annoying because the overall storyline was otherwise so powerful and well-written. So many things to think about: What happens to people after the case is over? What is the impact of undercover work and deception, not just on those deceived but on the agents? What is there in the world for Jada – loneliness in a place she was deceived to move to, or possible death in a place she is being returned to for a slim home of family reunification? It was such a sad ending, and yet so entirely realistic for women who have been manipulated, abused and controlled by men in their lives. I have been in those shoes of watching women go back to abusers and they played that so well. You can’t force people to do what you think is best for them, even when they can’t believe the consequences you foresee. And I especially loved Deeks’ line of “…by the time we meet, chances are no one is going to get a happy ending.” A variation of that was my standard response when people asked me how I could tolerate caring for the dying. It can easily sound flip or callous, when it is just the plain reality with which some of us must approach our work. I thought ECO had the perfect tone in delivering it, neither flip nor callous, but very somber about the reality of their work. With all this depth, richness and goodness, why ruin it with Talia and end with loser Deeks?!?
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Hey Diane. I liked the episode. It was a solid story, I thought. I have a thought – when I listened to the episode again I kind of confirmed what I originally thought – I think they dubbed the “LAPD” line into the theater scene. It just sounds like a different timbre than the rest of the dialog and you can’t see him “say” it at all. I’ll bet if this had been aired “in correct order” that he says NCIS and all our “new job” wishes would have come true LOL!. I didn’t mind Talia this time. She and Kensi working the party was good. I have to admit I was fooled for a bit – I was pretty sure they were led astray but I thought that Alex (?) was the kid on the computer . . . it took a bit before I realized it was the guy they already had. (I like Monty). I loved the Deeks/Callen scenes.
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I completely agree with you about the LAPD line! could be wishful thinking on all our parts, but it just didn’t sound like it was originally in there, and we couldn’t see Deeks saying it at all. my initial reaction was “and there is the quick editing that had to be done because they played this out of order”
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I thought that too about the dubbing but then I thought I was just imagining it! You could be right!!
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I actually really liked this episode. It was pretty tame, there may not have been as many metaphors as we are used to from Dave Kalstein, but he brought up so many deep emotions about undercover work and how it affects everyone involved emotionally, and the best way to do that was with Jada. Deeks and Callen’s conversation about the aftermath of their Ops for everyone involved was spot on. They sounded so defensive and yet they both understood sometimes they have to hurt innocent people in order to get the bad guy/save the world. The conversation being about Jada made this aspect of their jobs even more real to the viewers, because we all suffered WITH her at the end of Betrayal.
This negative emotional reveal of their jobs was highlighted yet again with Kensi and Talia’s discussion about how they move past whatever they’ve done undercover during Ops. Kensi’s comment about scrubbing herself raw afterwards is so revealing to how dirty she feels after using/misleading suspects and using her sexuality to get the job done. I think this gives the viewers a huge opening into the psyche of Kensi, she’s so closed off and yet she was able to connect to someone who she has had plenty of bad history with because essentially they both hate some of the things they have to do and understand the effect it has on the other. I was really happy this conversation took place, as most episodes gloss over the emotions pertaining to this. I find that they tend to not show Kensi using her sexuality as often during cases now that her and Deeks are ‘all in’, but we know it happens, as evidenced in the beginning scene of ‘command and control.’ And that must be one difficult thing to get past, as a woman and as a couple. (I’ve seen a lot of fanfictions trying to deal with this issue, and it’s a tough one.) I think Kalstein did a great job bringing up this issue with Kensi while also giving her someone to relate to about it, and simultaneously making Talia much more like-able.
So i’ve been seeing a lot of complaints on tumblr that there was essentially no densi in this ep, and how upsetting that would have actually been had this episode taken place after defectors and IA. It’s hard to think of it as separate from that issue, because we know it was initially meant to succeed that storyline. I honestly didn’t mind the lack of boundary crossing here. -don’t get me wrong i love fluffy densi scenes and wish they were in every episode, but i get why they can’t be. In the end this isn’t a show just about them, it’s about the team and after having a heavy densi episode (which clearly IA will be) it would make sense to not focus on their relationship so much in the following episodes. Honestly I thought they were acting normal and that it was a good thing. We’ve been seeing bits and pieces of them struggling to keep the personal away from work and they look like they finally figured it out. I thought it was sweet that Deeks tried to cover for her and convince Callen she wasn’t late and then he kept offering to fix Kensi’s PSB problem for her, he wanted to take care of his girl. I thought it was a great scene to showcase how comfortable they are in their relationship and yet still professional at work.
But most importantly, I liked that they didn’t feel the need to flaunt their relationship in front of Talia because she just didn’t pose a threat. i think they’re both comfortable in their relationship and confident she wont get between them and i think that would have been based off of their relationship being on such solid ground after going through a scary arrest.
I happen to love Mercedes Mason as an actress, but hated her as Talia.This episode changed that. I’d be happy to see her in future episodes now that she’s not being used as a tool to highlight Kensi and Deeks’ relationship.
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Daisy, you aren’t alone. I have tried to like this episode, but it left me cold. Why? Inconsistency.
Negatives:
-Another undercover case with using their real names. And there are no repercussions for them kicking Manny’s butt at a party surrounded by drug dealers?
-Kensi and Talia discussing how they resent being treated like meat, but then we have Deeks (with Callen agreeing with him) doing the same thing with the undressing bit. Seriously?
-Deeks being dumped on by everyone. I enjoyed his banter with Callen, but then everyone dumps on him at the end. I get Callen waiving off by saying he’s going to check on Sam, but he just bails.
-Talia and Kensi becoming BFFs again. We saw a glimmer at the end of Deep Trouble P. 2, then they went adversarial again Citadel, and now are back to getting along?
-No Densi at all. I don’t need kissing every episode but no affection of any kind. If Kensi would have said something like, “I’ll wake you when I get in” or something to allude to togetherness, I would have been happy.
Positives:
– LL had an outstanding performance, showing the torment and emotion Sam felt.
-Talia didn’t hit on Deeks.
-Callen and Deeks banter was great (until the aforementioned dumping on Deeks).
Twice is enough for this episode.
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Yes! All your negatives are my negatives. I’m not as eloquent as you in stating them. I really don’t understand going undercover and using your own name. Yes, I agree that all Kensi had to say something like “I’ll wake you when I get in” or even a “You’re gonna be fine for one night” would have sufficed.
*snark alert* What is up with Talia and those low cut t-shirts? You’re at work, woman! *end of snark*
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I’m with Daisy’s World on this! I read this review earlier but didn’t want to be the first to comment (yep, I admit it, coward). Everything she stated is exactly what I would have written, thank you Daisy’s World. You’re (IMO) spot on in your analysis.
I will state again, that TPTB should have just put on a re-run last night; the audience would completely understand. What I saw on Twitter was a lot of confusion (East Coast feed); turned everything off when the show aired here in CA. And, deleted this episode immediately after watching.
PS — I very much appreciate the reviews; the time and effort put into this site is great — thank you!!!
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Not a fan of this episode either. I like the character of Jada and the actress. I thought she got really screwed before and I felt for her, but this episode bored me. It felt season 6 boring to me. Also, no to Callen and Talia. And I always find Kensi to be cold, whiny, and aloof when written by Kalstein.
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I haven’t seen this episode (no new ones aired in Australia yet). They seem to be inconsistent with the Densi scenes/relationship which is annoying. As pointed out we don’t have to have love and kisses in every episode (although I wouldn’t complain!!) but they need to consistent! This is one thing that irritates me about this show. I assume they are going back to the original episodes for Defectors and Internal Affairs next week. Will be glad when this IA story is over. At least we will finally get a Deeks centered episode and looking forward to seeing his mother back on the show. Hopefully she will become a regular. Looking forward reading about the Christmas episode which is usually a good one. Hopefully some romance for Deeks & Kensi! I look forward to reading your reviews every week because I haven’t seen any new episodes yet (apart from short clips on You Tube). A wonderful site, I love it!!
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Count me in with those on the disappointment list!
Just for the record,I like the annoying fun Talia is and I enjoy seeing them work together with Kensi,but-seriously-make up your minds on their relationship!
And speaking of relationships,is this the Densi(no Densi)we should expect after the whole Deeks’ investigation story?If it is,well,let’s say I am not exactly looking forward to it!
Procedural or no procedural,I wish a drama would just have some kind of continuity/consistency and character depth and development to at least make it more believable.
I know being a writer and producing the occasional script week in week out must be one hell of a task but I just hate filler episodes(and this felt like one).They’re a waste of time to say the least..
There,venting.
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In response to Chris and the “Densi” relationship after the IA investigation I did read a comment/quote on another site from Eric Christian Olsen” that when Deeks and Kensi overcome the obstacles “ you have the best moments of that relationship,” he said, promising that the couple will experience some “amazing moments” as well. Lets hope so!
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Fingers crossed huh!😊
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I am with Daisy on this . I did not like the episode for all the reasons everyone has already stated. I do not like the Talia character and I really dislike the lack of consistency in her behavior with Kensi. In one episode Kensi cannot stand her now they are BFF’s.I felt that the writer decided that the way to bond Talia and Kensi was by having them once again dump on Deeks. They are not teenagers, they are 35 year old women and I find the behavior of bonding against the boyfriend juvenile. Of course, in this episode it was hard to tell Deeks was the boyfriend. I also greatly disliked how the writer portrayed Deeks at the end of this episode . He was left alone , talking to himself . Deeks is a good guy, he works hard, he is a team player, his character deserves better treatment than what he got.
On the positive side, LL was awesome, and his part was well written.
Again, thanks for offering a site where we can voice alternative opinions without reprisal.
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Wow, I really enjoyed your review, Diane, as well as all the comments from everyone else. I liked the episode and once again, for me it comes down to expectations. I’m afraid my expectations for Dave Kalstein episodes have dropped quite a bit, so I was pleasantly surprised by quite a few things. One was the Sam (and Granger and Hetty) parts of the story. I admit to having a few negative flashbacks to Three Hearts, what with the mysterious stranger sitting at the interrogation table spouting half truths. The difference was that here, the conversation was metaphor free and, I thought, really well written. I didn’t even anticipate his real identity, so I enjoyed that twist quite a bit. LL Cool J and Manny Montana were both very strong. I think they set up Alex Molina as a scary villain who is going to come back later to haunt Sam. He seemed smart and dangerous, which is just what you want in a recurring villain.
I totally get everyone who is annoyed by Talia, and I completely agree with their assessments of her ever-changing personality (Brenda your comments cracked me up!). What I did like here was that Kalstein seemed to be trying to address some of these concerns. Deeks’ line about inappropriate workspace attention at least acknowledged that her previous behavior was ridiculous. And even if it didn’t quite ring true given their history, the conversation in the car at least showed some of the repercussions from their job, as denship described so well. And hey, as long as I can see ECO in a swimsuit every once in a while, I’m OK with Kensi doing the same. (Maybe it would even help ratings if they included these shots in the promos!)
I loved the “guy” references from Deeks and Callen, and enjoyed their scenes a lot. ECO really does have great chemistry with every single team member. Yes, this episode could have taken place at any point in Season 6, but I tend to agree with denship that the Densi doesn’t need to be there every episode (not that I don’t want it, but I get it).
Two quibbles… Talia and Callen? I know Callen and Joelle were having issues, but is she gone? I would say that I’d pick Talia over Anna!… And Starbucks every morning? WTH Kensi? I wanted Sam to be there in the bullpen to lecture her about not falling into a routine. And with a PSB blocking her in every morning, she’s really a sitting duck for anyone who wants to target her.
What I disliked the most was that there really seemed to be no repercussions from Internal Affairs. After all that build-up, for so very long, we’re apparently going to see a very fast-moving single episode case, and then everything will be back to normal right after. I’m not happy about that.
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Karen,
Glad to be amusing in my ranting 😉
Excellent point – would have been a perfect place for Sam to caution Kensi on her tradecraft. PSB could be someone watching her and she should not be at the same place every day! Good catch!
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Let me start by saying that I enjoyed your review and for the most part enjoyed the episode. That being said, I have never liked the Jada storyline. Period. I can’t touch on the reason but it probably has something to do with my inner makeup. So, I sort of let that part of the episode slide by me but I did enjoy the rest of it, especially the Callan/Deeks dynamic and of course, the PSB. Haven’t we all just been there and experienced that? For me, the best thing about this episode was knowing that Deeks has come through the IA investigation/arrest/murder charge etc. with flying colors. That makes me very happy. Whether he is an agent or a detective, just knowing that he’s back at work at OSP makes my day. I am eagerly awaiting the next two episodes.
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I enjoyed your review, thanks for it.
And I enjoyed all the comments here, I share most of them (I hope I won’t repeat what others have said too much).
To start my own comment I borrow Deeks’s quote from a past beloved Densi scene: “I don’t love it as much as I should love it”. Yes, that’s true for me, I didn’t like this episode as much as I thought I could potentially love it.
Everything seemed perfect for a great episode, recurrent characters, handsome men, gorgeous women undercover almost undressed, jokes, banter, action, etc… But it was not and I am still trying to understand why exactly, even if I have some ideas.
The first is that a lot of scenes and interactions seemed off and weird.
These were not the characters we know and it’s annoying how much a different writer can influence their behavior and onscreen chemistry. A lot of situations seemed forced – I can’t even remember precisely which, but what matters is that I was left with this impression.
The second is that the authors still haven’t decided what to do with Talia and that’s irritating at the most.
Personally I have never liked Talia’s character much, it’s my limit.
Rationally I consider Mercedes a nice actress but I can’t get myself to like the character she’s playing in NCIS LA at all. If she had just come once, in “Fish out of water”, I would have considered her like any other one-episode character, functional to the plot, but nothing more. In that first episode she was competent and clever even if already flirty and a little annoying, but it didn’t bother me much. Then she was called again and again to play Talia but her character was ruined forever. And I understand for me it doesn’t depend on her hitting on Deeks because this time she didn’t and I found her obnoxious all the same!
I don’t even buy her sudden frienship and bonding with Kensi and to be honest, the scenes they had together left me quite uninterested, not scenes to watch over and over again, milestones of this show, so to speak. The only positive thing this time was that Kensi and Talia’s moments didn’t lead to a catfight as in “Deep Trouble”.
If they had to make Talia come back again (I hope not but I fear so) from now on I expect her at least to be this one and not the “Citadel” hateful person.
The third thing that seemed off was the relationship between Deeks and Kensi. And this episode wasn’t even filmed last season!
We understand that this author wants to make them go as slowly as possible, but once again we were given no proof that they are together, or, better said, we were given a lot of evidence that they might be not anymore! They arrive separately. She’s late, again, and alone. They don’t seem to like each other so much. Deeks has more reaction to Talia undressing than Kensi doing the same. They end, again, separately (“Expiration date”?). No traces of sharing a house, no breakfast together, no mums, nothing.
Densi were in full regression-mode. I don’t want to have pessimistic thoughts, but I am wondering: Have they taken a step back because of the IA investigation after which “The long goodbye” was supposed to air?
After the sweet “An unlocked mind” ending, this episode was quite shocking. And I am not saying this because as a fan I would like to see Densi lovey dovey all the time, it wouldn’t be realistic, but what I would like is to always be able, since “Humbug”, whatever the episode, whatever the season, to tell they are a couple. Am I asking too much?
I finish my long comment with the two highlights (for me) of the episode, two quotes:
“Women sometimes just wanna talk about something. They are not looking for advice or a solution” (great Kensi here!)
– Talia: “You can be my plus one any time”
Kensi: “No, you can be mine”
So Maverick and Iceman here! (Iceman: “You can be my wingman any time” Maverick: “Bullshit, you can be mine!”).
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Glad I wasn’t the only one relating the Kensi/Talia lines to Top Gun!
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Great review and equally great comments from everyone. I enjoyed the episode. I too, could not understand Jada’s desire to return home to certain death. I really enjoyed Sam and Callen this episode. I found it powerful that Callen wants to save Jada, yet his principles would not allow him to hold her against her will. Callen faced Jada twice and both times he folded. And Sam, the guilt was palpable and knowing that Jada is returning to certain death was so sad.
I really enjoyed Deeks partnering with Callen. Deeks was hilarious. Kalstein gets Deeks.
As for Talia, throughout the episode, I felt that I would have liked her character if this was her 1st appearance. I think the changes in character made her likeable but the prior episodes made the inconsistency in character glaring. Good try on Kalstein’s part to change public opinion on Talia.
And last but not least, if this episode cane after the IA investigation…it seems anticlimactic and the aftermath on Densi is not making me happy. I agree that we don’t need excessive PDAs but the Kensi and Deeks in this episode left me afraid of what’s ahead.
Thanks for the great review, Diane😄
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I felt this episod very inconsistent. i did not get it.
I am already thinking about for the next one.
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The vast majority of those of us who are on this site naturally see things from Deeks’ perspective…not surprising of course. I usually do the same…and agree with most of the comments posted here. However, this time, what was glaring to me was the lack of interaction between Callen and Sam. I know this show tends to try and lighten things up at the end of a trying case…at least most of the time, which I completely understand. However it’s the ones that don’t that stand out and give us some of our most memorable scenes. That boatshed scene between Kensi and Deeks where she makes him promise not to get killed…the scene where Deeks is told Kensi has been reassigned…the last scene in Impact…it’s a love story…and many more we all remember.
Callen had to know how much Jada going home had to affect Sam, yet we get no scene where Callen is there for him. To me, Callen was the lonely one in this episode and Deeks seemed to know it. Even without the interaction between the two main partners, why not at least address it in the final scene? Deeks and Callen had a serious conversation about the consequences of their work earlier in the episode. Why not end with a continuation of that conversation instead of taking the easy way out with a stale joke at Deeks’ expense? I think they missed an opportunity that would have kept with the underlying seriousness of this episode.
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I too wondered about the Callen/Sam partnership this ep. Sure guys tend to be “different” about support and such. I chalked it up to Callen responding as if he were in Sam’s situation – of wanting alone time to deal with the situation. Yet, I’m torn as to whether that fits Sam or not. He does tend to be the more feeling one, but on the flip side may fallback on his SEAL training/mindset. When Callen left we don’t know where he went, so he could very well have checked-in with Sam. This is back to the viewers having to fill in a few too many gaps for my comfort level.
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After seeing such agreat episode last week, it was kind a hard for me to watch the episode this week…
I dont mind Talia, but the bonding in the car suprised me, if they would have been nice ro each other after fighting this guy together this would have made sense to me, every girl needs girls only from time to time so I can go woth ice cream for the girls. If they wouldnt have written such a stupid scen in the end, I think I would have liked the epi a lot more… but why does he have to leave Deeks like that? Totally #teamdeeks …
And yes I although thought that the LAPD announciation was not what he said originally.
But the biggest problem I think is that I read all the spoilers before and knew that this was supposed to be after Internal Affairs and I dont like that they planned on picking on Deeks afterwards… maybe they read all our negative comments now and have the abilitiy to do sth at this point… I still think Deeks is their key to higher ratings…
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Totally Agree with you Sandra, Deeks (Densi) are the key to ratings and the inconsistencies with their relationship every episode is ridiculous. Don’t they think we notice? Sometimes I think Kensi dosent deserve Deeks (Sorry I hope I haven’t offended any fans with that comment). Talia has always had the hots for Deeks and now she is on to Callen? I did read that last weeks ratings when the show focused on Densi that it won the time slot. I will say it again, the show dosent get it how popular Deeks and Eric Christian Olsen is to the show. Thanks for letting me rant , again!!
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I totally agree with everyone on this one. This episode was definitely NOT one of my favorites. It actually wasn’t even one of my LIKES. i thought it was a bit disjointed. the pool scene with all those drug dealers – and no one goes after kensi and talia as they beat them up? not a normal scene. was too quick to be believable. It was over in a instant and i think they could have had alot of fun with that scene. I also agree with you Sandra and Donna Marie that at this point in time the show’s popularity is based on DENSI. their relationship was slow to go but now since its an actual ‘thing” we don’t see it. I miss the banter between them. I could have done without Talia. I don’t like her and don’t feel her character is necessary. I feel like she is always in heat and goes after whatever male is available at the time. If Eric Christian Olsen and Daniela Ruah leave the show or their characters relationship dissolves to be honest it will be the end of the show for me. Come on guys. the previous writings were better. last season was great but this season is off to a VERY VERY slow start. Hoping next week will pick up the pace.
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Thanks for great review. I appreciate all of the hard work every one puts in. I agree with many of the comments, too. However, I did find a lot to think about with this episode with the cost of missions on agents and civilians. There has been a lot of accumulating stress for Sam so wonder if they will do more with this. Having worked with abused women, it does not surprise me that she wanted to go back. I liked seeing Callen and Deeks working together. Didn’t like Deeks being left alone at the end. It would have been have been great to see them go out. I guess that is what fanfiction is for. It seemed a bit off and I thought it was because I was distracted with other things or it had been edited to fit here without giving too much away.
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Your wish is our command. Stay tuned as SweetLu gives her alternative fanfic ending to this episode.
Thanks for all the great comments!
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Thank you for your review.
I actually liked this episode for many reasons. Some of the complaints in the comments I can understand, others not so much.
This episode was just an easy going episode with humor, sadness, suspense and less action. I always thought that Sam is doing wrong in helping other with what he believes is the best for them (Moe, the guy from Lohkay, Jada, finding Joelle for Callen), he should not intervene in personal lives if not asked for.
Deeks was great this episode funny, annoying others as I like him the most. Clearly Callen is the opposite of Deeks so why should he go out with Deeks? Some of you thought it was rude. But Callen didn’t choose Deeks for the team but he was the first to welcome him on board (not Kensi and Sam); Callen trusts Deeks etc. But I totally get why he doesn’t want to spend an evening with the non-stop babbling Deeks. In this episode the writer did good with the Deeks and Callen scenes cause there was no exposure in the lack of acting skills for both of them (humor for COD and serious acting for ECO) like it was in Citadel.
Talia was like this all the episodes before, pretty redundant IMO. I don’t know why she has such big part in this show but we can’t change it so deal with it. I don’t like her but I don’t hate her either. It is just the more characters are in this show the less time we have for our favorites. I hope they get rid of her fast but I doubt it since DEA together with LADP have cases for the NCIS team (there is a lack recently in NCIS related cases IMO).
The fight scene with these two ladies was a funny slapstick like the Deeks fight with the magazine in last episode. It was so over the top and so funny. But the best was the lipstick camera. James Bond had these kind of gadgets in the 70s, last century!
Most people complained about the inconsistency. Was there ever one in this show? E.g. Dom went missing and in between (7 episodes) this was only mentioned once (chinatown), Callen searched for Arkady in 7_01 but that was it, Arkady is still missing and nobody searches for him, the mole probably died already due to infirmity because it was a long time ago he was mentioned.
We would love to have a better storyline and arch in the seasons but I lost hope a long time ago. I just watch each episode as a stand-alone and they are okay most times. I have learned it the hard way as a crazy fan of this show.
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Thanks for the review, Diane. My only complaint with it would be that you included Deeks leering at the girls changing behind the screen as a good Deeks moment, when to me it just seemed a little bit like Kalstein living through Deeks. 😀 The forced emphasis on bonding throughout the episode would have been more natural if it had just happened and wasn’t thrown in our face as bonding.
I disagree with one other thing, but will be in the minority here – I don’t always like Kalstein’s characterization of Deeks (or Kensi). He really seems to have a thing for Deeks ending episodes alone, which just reminds me that even after all of these years, he is still a little bit of an outsider. Hopefully Callen only ditched Deeks this time because he knew his partner had a bad day and wanted to be there for him instead.
Sam and Alex were great, though. Would love to see him come back and cause more trouble. Talia was the character I originally liked in Fish Out of Water here. If she could be this cool every time, I don’t think people would hate the character. And I think Callen and Talia are a pretty good match, actually. Sassy with don’t give a shit attitudes. I ship it.
Overall, not a bad episode by any means, though the apparent lack of IA ramifications and the resurgence of season 6 Densi was a little disappointing. By Kalstein standards though, this could have been a lot worse.
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Actually I guess that should have gone under a Callen moment instead of Deeks because I just found Callen’s response so funny and so not Callen. Like it was off the cuff. But Deeks throws out stupid stuff like that all the time when he’s babbling and I didn’t see it as leering so it really didn’t bother me.
Kalstein once said if Deeks was real they would be BFFs so it doesn’t surprise me if he is living a bit through Deeks. But I love his dialogue/writing and will always be a fan. I feel he knows the character really well and I really enjoy for the most part how he writes for Deeks. And maybe Deeks will always be an outsider…a little bit. I just wish it had been a more team centered ending and that Callen or Kensi came back to get him instead of opting to leave him there alone making him the joke at the end of the scene. When you love these characters it’s not always funny. But cutesy endings are not always life either. Like I said it wasn’t my favorite Kalstein script but I can still enjoy many aspects of it.
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