NCISLA Classified Preview: “Internal Affairs” (S7E10)

Title:  “Internal Affairs”

Airing:  Monday, November 23^rd

Filming:    September 24^th to October 5^th

What CBS is telling us:  “Internal Affairs” – While Deeks is under arrest and interrogated for the murder of his former partner, the team races to try and prove his innocence, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES.

What we think is happening:  The Internal Affairs investigation takes a really ugly turn.  Plus, there is one person in the guest cast that is worrisome.

Since CBS aired “SEAL Hunter” a few Saturdays ago, a few concepts were introduced when a member of the team is charged with murder – “protecting your assets”, investigating despite orders not to interfere with another agency’s case, both Hetty and Granger in the field to guarantee their charged staffer’s safety and rights.  How much of that happens again or does Deeks’s status as LAPD, compared to Sam with NCIS, make this case different?

The other thing that is probably happening here as it did in “SEAL Hunter” – this is a one episode and done investigation with the murder charges wrapped up at the hour’s end.  With “The Long Goodbye” moved up in show’s timeline, Deeks’s status with both the team and with Kensi is normal in that episode so everything that happens in “Internal Affairs” doesn’t change things.  There was a slightly more serious Deeks in that episode when talking about the job, however.

 

Be on the lookout:  

GUEST CAST:

Patrick St. Esprit as LAPD Lieutenant Roger Bates

The Lieutenant is back, his first appearance since “The Debt” in season three.  Rocking the pornstache too, according to one of the sneak peeks.

Pamela Reed as Roberta Deeks

Back from the second episode of the season.  Not nearly as happy an appearance as say making lasagna for Deeks and Kensi.  Also, wouldn’t have pegged her as a Roberta.

Jamie Mann as Monica Lee

Hmmmm……also back from “The Debt” where she was Clarence Fisk’s attorney.

Nick Chinlund as LAPD Detective Bruce Steadman

Run, Deeks run.  Kensi too.  Nell, Eric, Hetty – you’re probably not safe either.  Callen with his season seven hair probably needs to be careful too.  The only man to take on Donnie Pfaster, whoops, Bruce Steadman may be Sam Hanna with some help from Owen Granger.

Over twenty years ago, Nick Chinlund played one of the most frightening villains in The X Files nine seasons, two movies and now the upcoming miniseries – Donnie Pfaster.  Pfaster, in the original  “Irresistible” Chris Carter script, was supposed to be a necrophiliac.  FOX’s Standards and Practices Department rejected the idea so Carter changed Pfaster to a death fetishist who collected nail and hair from women – live or dead.  When he lost his job at a funeral home, Pfaster started killing women for their hair and fingernails.  And kudos FOX because that’s far less disturbing than necrophilia.  The type of crime did not matter – Chinlund’s performance was terrifying.

Chinlund has appeared regular on television over the years.  He was a series regular on Third Watch (Officer Trancredi), Desperate Housewives (Det. Sullivan) and 666 Park Avenue (Victor Shaw).  He had guest star roles on Unforgettable, Hostages, Perception, Golden Boy, Made in Jersey, Grimm, both Criminal Minds (mothership and Suspect Behavior), all three New York based Law & Orders, The Whole Truth, Human Target, CSI, House, The Mentalist, CSI: NY, The Philanthropist, Castle, ER, 24, Cane, Smith, Ghost Whisperer, Without a Trace, Sleeper Cell, MDs, The Sopranos, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Fugitive, Diagnosis Murder, The Gilmore Girls and NYPD Blue.

Chinlund also played Det. Steve Rosetti in the “Recoil” episode of NCIS – Ziva leads the investigation for a serial killer who is murdering the wives of deployed sailors.

Karina Logue as LAPD Detective Ellen Whiting, Internal Affairs

It seems Det. Rivera is off the case.  Logue plays Dana Klass on The Affair and was Steph in FX’s Terriers (which starred her brother Donal).

Guest roles include appearances on How to Get Away With Murder, Ray Donovan, The Mentalist, Mob Doctor, Sons of Anarchy, Vegas, CSI: NY, Longmire, The Finder, Southland, Shameless, Army Wives, the Whole Truth, Bones, In Plain Sight, Lie to Me, Saving Grace, Criminal Minds, 90210, True Blood, Swingtown, Big Love, Without A Trace, Touched by an Angel, CSI, The Guardian, Strong Medicine and Brimstone.

Logue was the angry Mrs. Johnson in the “Playing with Fire” episode of NCIS in season nine, exhausted single mom Jenny Wilson in the “Defending His Honor” season seven episode of JAG.

Paulina Olszynski as Julie Sanders/Tiffany Williams

Olsynski has appeared in episodes of Sirens, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire (different characters in the two Chicago series), The Mob Doctor, Gary Unmarried, Two and a Half Men, Wizards of Waverly Place, CSI: Miami, Aliens in America, Lincoln Heights and Grey’s Anatomy.

Joe Thornton Jr. as LAPD Officer Northam

Seems to play mostly law enforcement officials in series like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rake, Raising Hope, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Mentalist, Big Time Rush, How I Met Your Mother, Mind of Mencia and 8 Simple Rules.

 

Masterminds:

WRITTEN BY: Chad Mazero and R. Scott Gemmill

Mazero was the assistant to the producer/producers for 121 episode from the first one through “Active Measures” this season.  He worked as an assistant to the writers on King and Maxwell  (from executive producer Shane Brennan) for a number of episodes.   Was a production assistant on a few feature films (including “Taken”).

Scott Gemmill, who wrote or co-wrote “The Only Easy Day”, “Brimstone”, “Breach”, “LD50”, “Found”, “Borderline”, “Absolution”, “Archangel”, “Tin Soldiers”, “Impostors”, “Cyberthreat”, “Honor”, “The Watchers” and both sides of the NCIS Los: Angeles/Hawaii Five-0 “Touch of Death” episodes, “Recruit”, “Free Ride”, “Wanted”, “Ravens and The Swans”, “Impact”, “War Cries”, both ends of the “Deep Trouble” season five finale/season six premiere, “Inelegant Heart”, “Praesidium”, “Traitor”, “Active Measures” and “Blame It On Rio”.  There are a lot of Gemmill episode where Deeks is shown as smart and capable.

DIRECTED BY: Eric Pot

Pot directed “Resurrection”, “Windfall” and “Traitor”.  Pot is the First Assistant Director for all the odd numbered episodes according to the Eric Christian Olsen/Daniela Ruah “Traitor” commentary for the season six DVDs.

 

Insider Intel:

While it hasn’t been on the air or online yet, look Monday for a Yahoo!Insider segment on the episode.

E! Online had an article when the final scene from “Defectors” aired:

http://www.eonline.com/news/718623/uh-oh-ncis-la-s-big-couple-is-in-big-trouble-stars-dish-on-that-arresting-serial-twist

CBS provided a Deeks Dossier – a helpful recap of all things liaison:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis_los_angeles/photos/1005121/everything-we-know-so-far-about-deeks-past/

With the big storyline coming to a head in this episode, I expect a big media push (social, online, entertainment news programs) for “Internal Affairs” so anything new will show up in the comments.

 

Official Photographic Evidence:

http://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis_los_angeles/photos/1005246/first-look-deeks-behind-bars/

Those are not happy photos.

 

Unofficial Surveillance:

A snapshot from the very end of “Defectors” since it starts everything that will be in “Internal Affairs”:

Eric Christian Olsen put up this photo while the episode was being filmed:

And he doesn’t sound very positive about Deeks’s future (LL Cool J did the same with “Expiration Date” last  year):

Daniela Ruah, in what looks to be what Kensi was wearing when Deeks was arrested, with Miguel Ferrer and a number of fellows in orange jumpsuits (not good for Deeks!):

John Scott Mills sent out a photo of Eric Christian Olsen with a suspect sketch:

https://www.instagram.com/p/-46z0HAmxQ/

There is a photo of Kensi and Granger with their guns drawn in a marina that popped up online when the episode was filmed but was taken down by the photographer.

 

Video Surveillance:

Preview:

Hetty seems to be in full “protecting your asset” mode.

 

Sneak Peek #1:

NCIS had Sam’s DNA on file (the Navy probably had it too).  Since Deeks is part of the NCIS Office of Special Projects as a liaison, performing identical duties to Sam, wouldn’t they have his DNA “in the system”?  The cheek swab for Deeks seems odd to me.

 

Sneak Peek #2:

If this is a witch-hunt, is Rivera off the case because she couldn’t find enough to charge Deeks?

 

Sneak Peek #3:

http://www.eonline.com/videos/embed/243491

For a man in a good deal of trouble, Deeks is awfully cocky.

 

The seeds of this episode were planted in “Fighting Shadows” last season with mentions in both late season six and some of season seven’s episodes.  “Internal Affairs” is the highly anticipated conclusion of this storyline.  So looking forward to it!

 

---

---

Tess DiCorsi is a wikiDeeks contributor. You can read more by Tess HERE.