Well, it's about time.

The storyline about Katya ruining Callen's life concluded on NCIS: Los Angeles Season 13 Episode 21.

Hopefully. You would think Joelle shooting holes in Katya and her accomplice on a city street should settle things. 

Then again, after a season-long storyline built on deep fakes, maybe that Katya was a well-rehearsed body double. Or a clone. NCIS: Los Angeles is due for a jumping-the-shark moment.

But first came this Callen-in-peril episode, where he drove right into Katya's trap by thinking that he knew more than he did about what she was up to.

And, even though they've been several steps behind Katya all season, Sam went along with Callen's hair-brained scheme for him to go alone to spring her trap rather than, I don't know, waiting for backup.

Shocker of shockers, this allowed Katya to proceed with the plan she had been assembling for months: To torture Callen by hurting all those that he held dear.

What the episode illustrated was the difference between an obsession and a hobby.

Katya had been working to ruin Callen's life full time. On the other hand, Callen had been fitting in his Katya hunt between cases, at least until Kilbride was forced to suspend him for his off-the-book activities.

Joelle did things right. Katya caused Joelle to lose a leg on NCIS: Los Angeles Season 12 Episode 13. So Joelle got CIA official sanction to hunt Katya and her creator, Pembroke.

You can't blame Joelle for not recruiting Callen to stalk Katya with her. Up until he researched his past this season, G wasn't in the right frame of mind to take on what was essentially wet work.

Besides, Joelle hasn't forgiven Callen for leaving her on that whole lying-about-who-she-was thing. Or was that the other way around?

It was much cleaner for Joelle to pursue Katya on her own while Katya was distracted by abusing Callen.

This storyline could have been wrapped up sooner if the two agencies had worked together. But instead, we got recycled Big Bad in the form of Katya all season. 

Honestly, this whole storyline was Anna's fault. She led her old Noble Maidens buddy Katya on during their prison stint and Katya now plotted revenge on Callen, who stole Anna away from her.

Callen handled badly being in the crosshairs of a psychotic, rogue intelligence agent. He could have been out front about it and gotten his agency's resources behind him. Instead, he begged for scraps from his coworkers on the sly.

Is it any wonder that he ended up trussed up in a shipping container while psycho Katya messed with his head?

This whole episode was a lesson in not believing what you see unless you see it in person with your own eyes. 

Any video had to be considered suspect, which left the OSP team chasing their tails for a good chunk of the episode until Kensi came up with the solid suggestion of looking back for the last substantial evidence they had.

When Joelle was trapped, she grudgingly gave Sam as little help as she could get away with. Then she efficiently took care of the Katya problem on her own, gaining revenge for her lost career as a field agent.

I wonder if she'll get invited to the wedding or if that's the last we'll see of Joelle this season?

For a time, it seemed like Callen might get through to Katya, painting the pair as kindred souls whose lives were ruined by Pembroke.

While that's true, Katya held too much hate for Callen and had put too much work into her revenge to change directions at that point.

It did seem like Katya had captured Anna as well. But once she had shot "Anna," who she had convinced to run away with her, this was clearly another attempt to mess with Callen's head.

She kept dropping breadcrumbs, a stolen vehicle here, another one there, until she had the team at the booby-trapped container holding Callen.

Fortunately, Sam was quick enough to stop a desperate Anna from setting off the bomb. And his bomb-defusing skills were working this episode, so there was a relatively happy ending.

Except for Katya, of course. She shouldn't have sat around waiting for the boom.

Expect another case that receives short shrift in next Sunday's season finale as there's a lot of personal drama to cover.

A wedding is one finale favorite, so let's bet on Callen and Anna to find some way to tie the knot.

It's too much to ask to expect Hetty to show up to officiate, though, especially considering how conflicted Callen feels about her now.

And please, please, please, let's tie up the Kensi-Deeks adoption drama. Let them adopt Rosa and/or Pilar then Deeks can make dad jokes for the remainder of the series. 

There likely won't be room for Callen to gain closure when it comes to Pembroke.

Sadly, that story probably will carry over until next season since CBS has renewed NCIS: Los Angeles for a 14th season.

To follow Katya's journey, watch NCIS: Los Angeles online.

Is that the end of Katya?

Did Callen put himself in danger by pursuing Katya on his own?

Will Callen and Anna finally get married?

Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.