Review: NCISLA “Shame” (S14E14)

This week’s NCIS: Los Angeles episode, “Shame,” was penned by Sam Block & Jamil Akim O’Quinn, two production assistants writing their first-ever episode of network television. Congrats to them on the achievement. They, along with director Daniela Ruah, gave us some strong moments of humor and a thought-provoking story.

Deeks still freaks me out

A fair amount of humor was sprinkled through the episode, and for me, almost everyone was in character. The teasing throughout showed us people who are family, who love to give one another a hard time. I loved Rountree, happily learning from his “boss,” wise Sam, while still giving him a hard time too: “Here it comes. A Sam Hanna lesson.” Sam is a great mentor, throwing out pearls like “No comfort in greatness.” In a subsequent scene, we saw a similar dynamic, but with the elder agent Kensi teasing the younger Fatima about her apparently nicely developing relationship with Akhil. The episode ended on a similar note, with Rountree taking a page from Deeks’ cut-the-tension-with-humor playbook and giving Deeks a hard time. It feels like a trait that Rountree has actually learned from Deeks, which somehow makes me happy to think about.

The funniest scene, one that made me laugh out loud at times, was seeing Callen and Anna at the wedding planner’s office. My favorite line was Callen’s “Saying no to champagne is like saying no to life… It’s from The Deer Hunter.” (If you haven’t seen it, The Deer Hunter is a dark movie about Vietnam vets whose most famous scene is of characters playing Russian roulette. It is not a frothy romance.) Also hilarious was his rejoinder when Anna criticized his desire for a venue with good security: “You weren’t at Kensi and Deeks’ wedding.” I think a touché was actually in order there, Anna. 

However, the whole scene also somehow felt vaguely disturbing because of the fanciness of the setting and the tension between the two. It did make sense that the setting would be high-end since Fatima had referred them, but it didn’t really feel like it suited either of them. I could see why there was tension in that Anna did at least want to make some progress with the planning, while Callen just looked like he wanted to run away as quickly as possible. By the time the two were rolling around on the furniture, the scene had acquired what I can only describe as a Gemmillesque tone, as if character had definitely been ignored in favor of humor. 

Sometimes the hardest people to talk to are family

The episode also tackled a far heavier topic, that of LGBTQ servicepeople who had come of age during a time when their identity was considered, as the episode’s title suggested, shameful. The aftereffects of that time – and their continuing relevance even today – did give me something to think about, although it all had just a tiny flavor of “after school special” to it. The most successful part of this storyline was Sam and Kam’s scenes. I could just feel Sam’s sadness that Michelle wasn’t there to help him navigate such a sensitive topic with his little girl, but he did great all on his own. 

The season so far

The episode continued several patterns that have really affected the show over time. First, the  characters appeared mostly isolated in pairs in settings with relatively few people. It was also incredibly light on the action. We saw some impressive running from Rountree, but nothing more. As has become a frequent occurrence, no one was ever in real jeopardy. We also had people popping out and back in at random, with Sam taking time off but then covering for Deeks and a last-minute deposition. Whether COVID- or budget-induced (or maybe both), all these trends have sadly affected the show’s overall energy level.

It also feels like the showrunners had no ambitious plans this season to add new story arcs for these characters. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great scenes, for Deeks especially. But no new obstacles or challenges have popped up for anyone. Sam navigated one small challenge in this episode, but otherwise is just continuing to deal with his dad. Callen and Anna are continuing to plan their wedding. (Spoiler alert: Callen will be looping back to confront Pembroke, based on a scene I watched being filmed in San Pedro (or as Shyla would say, “San Pedro, California”).) Deeks and Kensi are continuing to work through the challenges of parenthood. Fatima is continuing to date a man she met last season. And Rountree… I’m not sure what he’s got going on, actually. It feels like the showrunners might have had some inkling about the season being the last one, so purposely set out not to introduce new plot lines they wouldn’t be able to resolve. It’s totally understandable, but also has contributed to a feeling of sameness throughout the season’s episodes.

Memorable moments

• Another hilarious moment was the idea of Sam’s dad playing pickleball with Arkady. It’s a fabulous image. And can we all vote now to endorse the idea of Arkady performing the wedding ceremony?
• It is always interesting to see just how grumpy each new writer decides to write Kilbride. But it would be nice if he could at least be mature enough to acknowledge when he’s in the wrong for yelling at someone. This time, Kensi was the recipient of unnecessary grumpage. (Also, I’m finding it harder and harder to picture him without that raincoat!)
• Kensi’s overreaction to Adebayo confused me, but I was happy to see her feel secure enough to apologize. Kilbride could learn a thing or two from her.
• Oh, Deeks. Or should I say ECO. That “Then this just became a murder investigation,” line to close out an act was classic Eric Christian Olsen. 
• I know we’re getting an MMA/Sam-focused storyline in a few weeks, one where we’re all hoping they’ll give us some sort of mention/throwback to Deeks’ first appearance on the show in “Hand-to-hand.” But in this week’s episode, I found myself insulted on Deeks’ (and Rountree’s) behalf at the idea that the two of them couldn’t handle talking to an MMA fighter without big, strong Sam to come back them up. This problem could have been averted by introducing Deeks’ last-minute deposition as the reason Sam was needed. Instead, we got another instance of his skills being belittled, and I hate the idea that he (and Rountree) were told they needed to wait for Sam to come protect them.
• The heartwarming scene with Sam and Kam was sweet, but I always think of that background music as belonging to Densi.

That’s it for now. Come back later this week for new editions of Deeks’ Surf Log and Kensi’s Journal, plus the Drabble of the Week.

In the meantime, what did you think of “Shame”? How about the season so far? And most importantly, what “theme” do you think works for Callanna? I’m picturing an Avengers theme- not the comic book characters, but the old British spy show featuring a debonair John Steed and super hot badass Emma Peel (she was amazing).