NCIS - TV Fanatic

CBS Announces 2013-2014 Premiere Dates

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:11:27 EST

It's first in the ratings and now it's the first network to reveal its 2013-2014 primetime schedule.

Yes, CBS has come out with the premiere dates for its unscripted fall shows, beginning with Survivor on September 18 and then truly kicking things into high, fresh gear on Monday, September 23.

Set that DVR accordingly, schedule those September vacations and scroll down now...

Wednesday, Sept. 18
8:00-9:30 PM SURVIVOR

Monday, Sept. 23
8:00-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
9:00-9:30 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:30-10:00 PM MOM
10:00-11:00 PM HOSTAGES

Tuesday, Sept. 24
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST

Wednesday, Sept. 25
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI

Thursday, Sept. 26
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM THE MILLERS
9:00-9:30 PM THE CRAZY ONES
9:30-10:00 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY

Friday, Sept. 27
8:00-9:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS
9:00-10:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS

Sunday, Sept. 29
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST

Monday, February 24
10:00-11:00 PM INTELLIGENCE

NCIS Season 10 Report Card: A-

wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe) — Thu, 30 May 2013 17:38:21 EST

Gibbs is about to kill someone; and the rest of his team has resigned. Perhaps this wasn't as dramatic a cliffhanger as the end of NCIS Season 9, but it still rates as fascinating. And at least Ducky isn't out on a beach somewhere dying, so there's that.

DOD Investigator Parsons isn't through with Gibbs yet either. And we have to wait until the fall to see how it all goes down. Looks like the writers have done a brilliant job at keeping us on the hook.

That said, it's time to take a look back at NCIS Season 10. Read on for more in this TV Fanatic Report Card...

Best episode: "Shiva" set the bar for the rest of the season. In it, we got to see a heartbroken and vengeful Ziva, and a strong and very silent and wise Tony. His serious behavior was such a departure from the norm that it stood out as exceptional.

I feel like the joker is a front that he always displays, possibly in an effort to ensure people don't get too close to him. Maybe the writers intended that for him, especially given what we learned about his apartment, how he keeps it, and the fact that he rarely lets anyone into it. With the death of Eli David, Tony seemed to drop all pretense and clownish behaviour and came to Ziva's side like the dependable and strong friend he always was. I think there's a genuine love there - not sure yet how romantic it is, but it seems to have started as a strong friendship that is now something north of "friend."

This, despite the episode Damned If You Do," where he found himself in a sort of friend zone with Ziva.

Anyway, the episode wasn't about romance: it was about him being the stand-up guy who would fight at her side, if need be, and support her in whatever way she needed. His line What can I do? What do you need? said it all.

Even bringing her back to his place, with no overtones of romance, was an excellent move. He instinctively knew she should talk with someone, and that it should be someone she could trust, someone she's known for a long time. And so he surprised her by bringing her friend Shmeil to his apartment as well.

Finally, his parting words to her at the airport completed the episode, when he said, in Hebrew You are not alone.

That was an excellent and moving episode.

Worst episode: This one was difficult to determine. The writing for NCIS all season has been consistently good, so it's hard to pick out one that was bad, never mind "worst". That said, I think maybe the weakest one would be "You Better Watch Out," featuring Tony's father.

We've seen their family dynamic before, so the story was somewhat of a repetition of that, as Tony Senior invaded Tony's space and then made out with the woman across the hall - in Tony's bed. Not only that, he did so while knowing full well his son doesn't bring any dates home, ever. Tony Junior explained to him that he considered his home a sanctuary and Senior just ignored that. I felt Tony's frustration, but as mentioned - it was a repetition of earlier father-son friction. Maybe with this episode over, NCIS can retire the "my dad was the worst guy" meme.

The other thing about this episode was that we were introduced to a fascinating character in the person of Special Agent Ashley Hunter, played so well by Danielle Bisutti. Her character was so curious and provocative - my one complaint was that we didn't see more of her, or learn more about her. I hope the writers bring her back, maybe even as a regular - her mystery would add to the series.

Best character: The team works so well together as an ensemble that it's hard to pick just one. Gibbs has always been Gibbs: silent, powerful, the alpha. Tony is the butt of jokes, but he too is strong, even though he isn't yet seen to be the leader that he is, except by Gibbs, who recognized and acknowledged it in a much earlier episode. Completing the alpha group would be Vance, who has always been somewhat abrasive, but is now more understanding and a heck of a lot more supportive than he ever has been.

Ziva has a strength to her as well, and even McGee has managed to stand up to bullies like Bodnar when needed. Palmer is a great guy who, like Tony, has been somewhat of a lovable clown. And Ducky is consistently dependable: there are very few surprises with him.

This leaves us with Abby.

She lights up every room into which she walks, and manages to coax a smile out of Gibbs on occasion - along with a loving peck on the cheek. The team relies on her high intelligence, curiosity and expertise for every case they take on; she knows this, yet it doesn't go to her head. You would expect such a person to be aloof but instead she is very approachable. I like the fact that she has a hard time even saying rough words of vengeance, even against such loathsome characters as DOD Investigator Richard Parsons. The peek we got into her childhood this season showed us that she was always like this: curious, caring and extremely intelligent. What's not to like? She gets my vote as the best character of the season.

Worst character: This one (unlike "worst episode') was a no-brainer. Richard Parsons is the villain we love to hate. Arrogant, self-important, and an outright hypocrite. He's the one guy that every person on the team had no problem despising. This speaks to the writing and to Colin Hanks' great acting abilities, as he played the guy to perfection: affable and funny at first, yet calculating, intelligent, manipulative and ultimately ruthless - the very characteristics of a successful sociopath.

The way in which he handled Ziva and Tony blew me away: his calculated move to interview her in the interrogation room, knowing full well Tony would watch from the observation room - and even planning it all out so that he'd "run into them" while they were near the rooms, was brilliant. He played Ziva so well too, raising the rhetoric and accusation level until Tony had no choice but to intervene.

And then doing it all as a ruse to distract from his real target - Gibbs. Masterful and repulsive. Watching him was like watching a disaster movie - it was almost impossible to look away. He was the best "worst character" ever, I think, precisely because he was such a snake. I doubt this is the last we'll see of him.

Biggest surprise: I think that would be the shooting of Eli David and Jackie Vance during Shabbat dinner at the Vance household in "Shabbat Shalom." Ziva was so angry at her father for killing a reporter that she was ready to bar him from her life. And that was just about to happen as she phoned Gibbs to let him know that her dad was the murderer, when the shooting went down. The episode was as stark as it was riveting.

Most predictable show feature: The clown brothers: Tony and Palmer.

In earlier seasons, Tony wasn't quite such an easy target yet lately that's all he's been. We know he has a quiet strength and that he would go to the wall for his friends. Yet week after week we rarely see any of it. I doubt the writers will ever have him give up that part of his personality but...maybe they could use the jokes a little less? It's truly enjoyable watching the silent sentinel do his thing.

Palmer's awkward comedic moments are a bit of a drag too. I think the writers need to flesh him out more. We saw more of his caring side in "Detour," as he refused to leave Ducky's side, even when ordered to do so.

The awkward clown moments have seen their day. Time for a new narrative.

Best line for the season: Tony has a lot of great lines. The man is a walking joke book - and I mean that in a good way. However, given the fact that it's so unusual for him to say anything that is acidly hilarious, the honor this time has to go to Ducky. When he received a snide question from Bodnar: And whose grandfather would you be?, he replied with a straight face Well that depends. Who's your grandmother? I literally laughed out loud at that one.

Hopes for Season 11: I really liked the notion of Gibbs being the sniper again. I don't know if it would mess up the show's formula too much but it would great to see him and the team engaging in more black ops scenarios.

The second thing that comes to mind is our need to resolve the Tony and Ziva thing once and for all. This season has resulted in what has to be the world's longest foreplay between them. Word is that the "friend zone" thing at the last episode wasn't the final word on their relationship. So okay - the viewers have tolerated the writers' need to play for a long time now. Time to either open the door right up, or slam it shut. Tony and Ziva need to kiss and make up (out) already.

Since Shabbat Shalom, I wondered if the writers would be able to maintain the high state of anxiety for the team; whether they would be able to meet the bar set by that episode, and they have shown that they not only can, but thrive on doing so. So my hope is that the momentum is maintained, and that they find a way to raise the stakes even higher for NCIS season 11. We have Vance who is single, Palmer and his wife who are adopting a baby, the team which has resigned, and Gibbs playing the sniper. There's a lot of material with which to work: I can't wait to see what happens next.

Now, over to you. What grade would YOU give NCIS Season 10?

NCIS Round Table: "Damned If You Do"

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:20:20 EST

Our NCIS review broke down "Damned If You Do," this week's season finale, in detail.

Now, TV Fanatic staff members Steve Marsi, Douglas Wolfe and Christine Orlando have assembled for our weekly Round Table Q&A discussion of various events and topics from this installment.

Join in as we analyze this season-ending, entertaining hour of TV's #1 show!

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1. How would you describe this week in one word (or two, or three, or four)?

Doug: Together in separation.

Christine: Walk away.

Steve: Unconventional.

2. What was your favorite quote or scene from "Damned If You Do?"

Doug: I actually laughed out loud when Franks started shooting the fish. The grin on Gibbs' face was pretty cool to see too.

Christine: Admiral AJ Chegwidden! As a fan of JAG, the show NCIS spun off from, I was positively giddy when he walked in as Gibbs attorney. These two are kindred spirits. Heck, "AJ" even stands for Albert Jethro! I really hope we get to see more of him next season.

Steve: The JAG callback was great. I also enjoyed the log cabin scenes (was that what he was building throughout NCIS Season 10?) and Gibbs torching Mike's files - another callback to years past. Oh, and Delilah?!

3. What was the most frustrating unanswered question?

Doug: How the heck does an irradiated severed head, the NCIS troubles with Parsons, and the death of Kazmi all relate to each other? When Tom Morrow gave his explanation to Vance, and Vance nodded as if he understood, all I could think was "the operation was a success; the patient died."

Christine: There were so many, some of which Doug covered but for me it was what happens to Tony, Ziva, and Tim. They said they admitted to their own actions. Will Parsons file charges against them even though they've quit? And even if he didn't, what's next and how do we get them back?

Steve: How does the severed head tie into the case? And how can Ziva, Tim and Tony admit responsibility and resign, then still get their jobs back down the line?

NCIS Season 10 Finale Clip - Files Burned

4. What should Jimmy and Breena name their baby?

Doug: Jimmy has so much love and respect for his mentor that I can see him wanting to name his child Donald. If it's a girl he might want to name her after his mother Eunice.

Christine: Doug took my only thought. I know they're adopting but can't you just picture a little Jimmy running around with glasses? He'll make a sweet father.

Steve: Donald does seem like the obvious choice. But Timothy or Abigail would also be cute ...

5. Tony and Ziva: Forever in the friend zone?

Doug: Certainly seems that way doesn't it? That horrific kiss on the forehead from Tony to Ziva would certainly seems to seal the deal. Expect a lot of hints and innuendo in this coming year. World's worst foreplay.

Christine: Seriously, if I never hear the word Tiva again I would be very happy. What a waste. As a fan of these two characters I feel completely jerked around. Once again the show teased a payoff for this couple and then never followed through. I wish they'd just give them both steady outside love interest and be done with it.

Steve: Maybe naively, I thought they were going to kiss for real there at the end. Then Tony got friend zoned, and I think that window closed. I don't know what lies ahead in NCIS Season 11, but this felt like a turning point to me, and maybe it's for the best.

6. The plot to thwart Parsons: Satisfying or underwhelming?

Doug: Underwhelming. Convenient. Almost lazy. But for all of that - its redemption lies in the fact that it's incomplete: Gibbs is not off of the hook. The investigation into his behavior is postponed, not cancelled. I think that's a good thing too: I want to see the irritating sleaze artist come back to gnaw at the team's underparts in the next season.

Christine: Eh. Kind of underwhelming considering all of the build up. It felt like there should have been more to the fight.

Steve: It was a little of both. Underwhelming for the reasons Doug and Christine said, but satisfying in that it wasn't an easy out. Parsons wasn't undone by a hidden skeleton, and lived to fight another day. He caused the resignation of three NCIS agents, and it took a major hierarchical effort to get Gibbs out of this one - and he isn't even out of it yet. No one can say there weren't consequences or that this scandal was swept under the rug.

NCIS Season 10 Finale Clip - Fornell?!

7. Where is Gibbs and what is he up to?

Doug: Many have suggested that he didn't shoot Tobias. I'm open to the possibility that he did. My guess is that there's a rabid mole within the alphabet soup hierarchy of the various services, and maybe Tobias is one of them. When Tom Morrow ruled out Iran and North Korea, all we were left with was home-grown terrorists or (worse) internal spies. My guess is that someone from high up has recognized his unique black op skills and wanted him to clean up the mess. As for where - I think he's on home soil.

Christine: I'm assuming he shot whoever Tobias was protecting, whomever stepped out of that car. To what end is anyone's guess.

Steve: If the implication was that the CIA took out Kazmi to cause international hysteria and allow the U.S to focus on the real threat, so to speak, then that could well be a mole hunt. Something that would definitely qualify as a black ops mission for Gibbs. He did not look surprised to see Fornell in the crosshairs, yet he did hestitate before taking what would have been a clear shot. If Tobias isn't the target, is he working with Gibbs or in the dark about the fate that awaits whomever is in the car with him? And who is the injured man with Gibbs?! So many questions.

8. There have now been 10 NCIS season finales! Which was your favorite and why?

Doug: So far, I think the NCIS Season 9 finale was the best. Having someone bomb the NCIS building while Ducky had a heart attack on the beach certainly seems to trump any of the other seasons for me. Fans scrambled to see if David McCallum's contract was renewed. And we got to see Ziva and Tony trapped in an elevator - making the fans wonder once again just what activity they would have to do to keep themselves occupied until help arrived. The writers of NCIS are the absolute masters of The Big Tease.

Christine: Nothing has ever beaten the Season 2 finale where Caitlin Todd was killed. It was so shocking and heartbreaking that it's always stood with me.

Steve: Hard to argue with Christine. That one still gives you the chills today if you catch it on USA! But after seeing Mike Franks again this week, I couldn't help but recall his funeral in the NCIS Season 8 finale, when Gibbs' woodworking was unveiled on his coffin. That was pretty awesome.

NCIS Season 8 Finale Clip - Mike Franks' Funeral

What's your take on these issues of the week on NCIS? Discuss below!

NCIS Season 11 Spoilers: A Team Divided?

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:48 EST

In the aftermath of a surprising Season 10 finale, which ended with Gibbs' black ops mission and three agents resigning, we look ahead to NCIS Season 11 and what lies ahead for a team in turmoil.

Executive Producer Gary Glasberg spoke with Entertainment Weekly about a season in which he did a lot of unorthodox things, especially for a show largely considered procedural in nature.

After three episodes that felt like season-enders - Eli and Jackie's death, Tiva's car crash, Bodnar's demise - we were left with a surprising finale Tuesday and many questions for NCIS Season 11.

Excerpts from Glasberg's chat with EW below ...

On how he conceptualized this story arc: "[For 10 years], Gibbs has handled things but maybe crossed some lines in the way that he handled them. And someone had to have noticed that somewhere along the way."

"There are people paying attention and what if someone - an investigator who, for his own reasons, decided that this was his opportunity, the moment to go after him and basically say, ‘You can’t keep doing this.'"

"Ziva going after Bodnar was just sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back... and, ultimately, a case linked to that head of the Navy SEAL that we were dealing with. All those threads will tie up."

"Gibbs' team resigns and puts their badges down on Vance’s desk and Morrow, along with Vance and others, come to him and say, "We can make all of this go away if you help us with this case.'"

"And, ultimately, jumping ahead four months, we don’t see who’s in that town car but we know it’s someone Fornell is protecting, and we’re left with Fornell in Gibbs’ sights."

"It was definitely a different season-ender but it’s been a very different season and in doing that, I wanted to come through with something that wasn’t what people normally would have expected."

On how we pick up next season: "In the season opener, we will see the progression of time leading up to that moment that everyone just experienced."

"In that progression, we’ll see the case that Gibbs is assigned to, the specifics of the case, how it is unfolded, who the players are, and then we get to the exact moment. It will all make sense."

On whether he knows what Tony, Ziva and Tim have been up to: "I’m starting to. There are a bunch of pieces that are floating around in my head and at some point ... I’ll figure it all out."

On McGee's girlfriend and Palmer's baby: "The lovely Delilah. That will likely pay off at some point as well. We may even meet Delilah. It depends on how much I can handle in the opening episode."

"But, yeah, there are some threads and nuggets - there’s Delilah, there’s the Palmer baby. There are all kinds of little cookies in there that hopefully people will pick up on.

On whether Ziva "friend zoned" Tony: "I don’t think so. I think there’s a little more to it than that. I think they’re sort of dancing around each other and trying to get a sense of how to move forward."

"Based on everything that’s happened in the last year ... we’re letting it slowly percolate and build and hopefully get it to a place that’s going to be satisfying for everybody."

"[The forehead kiss] might not satisfy everyone out there, but I think we’re getting there, She even reaches up with her hand and puts it very gently, and in a lovely way, on his shoulder before that."

"I think [we have] definitely advanced from where we were a year ago."

On his final word on NCIS Season 10: "This has been a really fantastic season for us. Best numbers we’ve ever had ... more viewers than we’ve ever had. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the show."

"We’ve hired a couple of new writers; we’re already working on five or six stories for next season. Everybody is energized and ready to go. We’re going to take a few days off, come back and keep going."

"The show’s in a really fantastic place and we’re constantly surprising each other about where we want to go. And as long as we keep feeling that, I don’t really see an end in sight for NCIS."

NCIS Season Finale Review: Clean(ish) Slate

wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe) — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:59:43 EST

This was such a fascinating and frustrating NCIS episode, all at once.

The plot for "Damned If You Do" carried on from last week's tense beginning, with Inspector General investigator Richard Parsons gathering evidence in his efforts to have Gibbs indicted. His motivation was captured by this statement:

Parsons: I believe in upholding the law, Gibbs. And I'm tired of watching you break it. | permalink

Turned out that Parsons wasn't nearly as altruistic about the law as he portrayed himself. Tony told Gibbs about evidence they found, which proved Parsons was a sleazy narcissist who kissed upper management rings while doubling as a blackmail artist.

As the hour went on, Parsons finally put his finger on the one thing that could bring Gibbs down: his revenge murder of Pedro Hernandez, the man who killed Gibbs' wife and daughter. The only problem was the missing forensic report from Abby - which Parsons accurately figured out was conveniently lost in order to cover up Gibbs' involvement.

As more evidence piled up (I knew Parsons didn't believe Ziva's story that Bodnar had "lost his footing") it seemed that the team - and especially Gibbs - were playing that old Star Trek "impossible test" scenario. It truly looked like there was no way out, and I wondered how the writers were going to bring Gibbs and the team back on safer ground in a logical and believable way.

I think they had Gibbs giving us hints throughout. He was going to fight Parsons but not by his nemesis' rules. He even refused to take advantage of Tony's intel regarding Parsons. And the whole way through he seemed pretty confident that he'd never see the inside of a court. Two things come to mind when someone is that confident: either he has information that will make everything crystal clear such that no judge would hear a case against him (and that's not true: he did murder Hernandez)... or he could find another way out.

Perhaps make a run for the border (unlikely) or find some other way not to be present when the time for court arrived. I must admit: that latter option had me a little worried. The other thought that crossed my mind has to do with a concept some employ when it looks as though they can't win: you can't lose if you refuse to play.

Gibbs is such a closed-mouth guy at most times and this time he clammed up even tighter than usual. And that not only frustrated the viewers, it frustrated his team as well:

Ziva: Gibbs you cannot do this alone. You have to let us help.
Gibbs: Hey - it is not your job!
Ziva: It is not about my job. This is about my family! | permalink

Meanwhile, the irradiated severed head of a Marine showed up on his wife's doorstep and the team had to leave Gibbs while they investigated it. I immediately thought: "why would the writers introduce another case right now, right when we're all concerned about Parsons' witch-hunt?"

Turns out this case has everything to do with what's going on with the team, as was pointed out to Vance in one of the many NCIS quotes from this episode. We still don't know exactly how the dead Marine figures into it - just that Tom Morrow assured him (us) that it does.

We learned that it was the CIA who took advantage of the execution of Eli David by killing Arash Kazmi - so that they could blame it on Bodnar. So that's one mystery solved. Only 99 more to go.

Among the questions that need answering:

The CIA wanted to distract Iran and Israel from seeing the "real threat, here on home soil" as Morrow put it. Why? What's the real threat?
How does that threat tie into Israel and Iran?
Morrow alluded to a tie between the killing of Kazmi and Eli David, the dead Marine and NCIS' current problems (though he assured Vance that Parsons knew nothing about any of it and was proceeding on his own steam). What exactly is the connection?
How does sending the severed head of the Marine to his wife play into any of it?
Why was the head irradiated? Tony suggested that it sends a strong message to "back off" - by why the radiation? Couldn't the head itself be the message? And who sent it?
What's more threatening than Iran and North Korea? Was Tom Morrow alluding to terrorist cell activities, and that they're more of a threat because of their immediacy?

Near the end, we saw a plan being hatched, offered up by Tom Morrow, that would, as Vance indicated, give them a clean slate. Right before walking into Vance's office, Tony, Ziva and McGee all agreed that if the situation were reversed, Gibbs would do the same for them.

They then offered their resignations to Vance and "took responsibility for the accusations" so that Gibbs would be cleared. Only he isn't cleared, is he? The investigation into his activities is merely postponed. And note the wording from Vance: the team took "responsibility for the accusations," not "took responsibility for the crimes." That's important, as it makes everything grey instead of black and white, as Parsons would prefer. He can't build his career advancement on "grey." He needs a solid win.

Finally we flash-forwarded to four months later with Gibbs working on his assignment for JSOC. He's in a darkened room overlooking a street somewhere, and there's a wounded man in there with him, urging him to "do it." He goes to the window and sets himself up with a sniper rifle and puts Tobias Fornell in his sights. Fade to black and - bang!

Final notes:

Palmer and his wife are adopting!
Tony and Ziva had another "moment" and so for now it looks like Tony has waltzed right back into the friend zone. Later, when McGee told him to stop correcting Ziva, she said it's okay McGee, I can handle him myself and Tony replied yes she can. That sound you hear is the laughter of the writers, having fun with us.
The entire team found another spot to have a group meeting - this time in the elevator, and away from prying bugs. Dangerously hints at claustrophobia if you ask me, even though Abby enjoyed it and wanted to make it a regular occurrence.
Gibbs seems to be struggling with guilt over the death of Vance's wife - for which his subconscious dredged up the ghost of Mike Franks, both in the waking thoughtful world and in his nightmares. Or, more likely, it's guilt over all of the deaths that have happened on his watch. Hence the "damned if you do" speech.
Lots of purging of documents in this episode wasn't there? Vance shredded Abby's damning report on Gibbs (finally!) and Gibbs found reason to burn a bunch of documents having to do with Franks. While unsure about the contents of those files, we need to note that Mike Franks lived for a while in Mexico and was involved with the Payloma Raynosa story. Given Parsons' keen hunting nose, maybe it was better to burn every hint of the Mexico operation.
We still don't know what Gibbs hid in his basement when Tony arrived. Although we do now know that he built a sturdy and warm cabin out in the middle of nowhere. Man that looked inviting, didn't it?
Our Criminal Minds Round Table is up! Come over and let us know what you think about what we talked about.

What are your thoughts on the NCIS Season 10 finale? Do you think Gibbs actually shot and killed Fornell? What do you think Ziva, Tony and McGee will do, now that they're not working for NCIS?

More importantly, what are Morrow's plans for bringing them back? What are your thoughts on the "real threat" that he mentioned?

NCIS Sneak Peek: You Weren't There

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:20:40 EST

At the end of last week's NCIS, we learned who Richard Parsons' real target was.

Now, in a sneak preview of this evening's Season 10 finale, we find out why.

Any NCIS fan knows Gibbs is a man who isn't afraid to bend (or flat-out break) the rules to get the job done, so it's not a huge surprise that his track record has come under scrutiny.

Still, it's interesting to watch Colin Hanks' character, a clearly ambitious DOD investigator, lay his motivations on the table like he does here, and make Gibbs the "offer" that he does.

Jethro's response is typical of the man. But how our fearless leader fight back?

Watch the scene below from "Damned if You Do" and see what you think:

NCIS Season 10 Finale Clip - I Want The Truth

NCIS Round Table: "Double Blind"

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:30:05 EST

Our NCIS review broke down "Double Blind," this week's episode, in detail.

Now, TV Fanatic staff members Steve Marsi, Douglas Wolfe and Christine Orlando have assembled for our weekly Round Table Q&A discussion of various events and topics from this installment.

Join in as we analyze another entertaining hour of TV's #1 show!

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1. How would you describe this week's episode in one word (or two, or three, or four)?

Doug: Circle the wagons.

Christine: Lost in translation.

Steve: Loyalty.

2. What was your favorite quote or scene from "Double Blind?"

Doug: There were so many great scenes. Ziva in her new car. Tony complaining that he told her that she was not alone (subtext: "so why did you sleep with that guy?"). Almost the entire gang meeting in the lab. I think the one scene that stands out, for its subtlety and pure cow patty parade was the one where Parsons tells Vance: Relax director. I'm just here to cross some "t"s and dot some "i"s. I'll be as quick and painless as possible. Vance's face is mostly inscrutable more often than not so I had no idea whether he believed him or not. I think he's likely a wise person who employs the motto "trust but verify." The viewers for sure knew that this guy was a snake, patterned after the sneakiest detective ever: Columbo.

Christine: Definitely that painful conversation between Tony and Ziva. Tony: My Hebrew must not be as good as I thought. Because I could have sworn that when I dropped you off at the airport I told you that you are not alone. Ziva: Yes you did. Tony: Well then. We must have different interpretations. Ouch!

Steve: The "Evil McGee" quote in particular because my wife noted the similarities between Colin Hanks and Sean Murray moments before Abby said it. I also loved Tony ending Parsons' interrogation of Ziva, barging into the room Gibbs-style. Door. The card-playing metaphor and the heartbreaking Tiva scene Christine mentions were also good. It's not that she slept with someone, but her reason for doing it that hurt him.

3. What, if anything, did you not like about the episode?

Doug: There is one thing I disliked, and one thing I just outright did not believe. I didn't enjoy the romantic wrinkle that caused friction between Tony and Ziva. Cote de Pablo warned us that there would be "messy times" ahead for the couple, so I think we've seen that. Like so many, I'm hopeful their story will get somewhat resolved. The one thing I found unbelievable was Ziva's assertion that she didn't kill Bodnar. I didn't buy it for a moment. As Parsons noted, she reported that he lost his footing during their fight. It's plausible but the fact remains: she made sure she got to him before any of the other team members because she intended to kill him. In one of the scenes, when discussing their "questionable tactics" she looked at Vance and said we had our reasons. And Vance agreed.

Christine: I both love and hate the push/pull of Tony and Ziva. I hate that she slept with someone else but I get it. She was thousands of miles away, burying her murdered father. Although there's been plenty of subtext, she and Tony are not a couple. As Ziva said herself, it was a moment of weakness at a highly emotional time. But the writers can't tease this relationship out forever. They're close to going past its expiration date for my attention.

Steve: I have some unanswered questions but these season-ending arcs often dont' "dot the i's and cross the t's," to use Parsons' line, until the finale, or even the following season. So until we know the full extent of the fallout I'm reserving both criticism and praise to a degree.

NCIS 'Double Blind' Clip - ANSWER!

4. Case of the week: Compelling, confusing, or filler?

Doug: It was not that compelling, but it did serve as a prop for the real story with Parsons. The case was a "go to" tool used by the team when they needed to divert Parsons' attention away from themselves and their self-protective sleuthing. Having said that, it was well-written and interesting story.

Christine: I did question whether Ziva intended to kill Bodnar. Was she saying what happened at the conclusion of "Revenge" was an accident because she was covering her tracks or was it the truth? If her only intention was to bring him in, then why not involve the rest of her team?

Steve: It felt like filler only because what was going on with Parsons was so nerve-wracking and complex. On merit, the case was far from terrible ... we can all relate a little bit to the Big Brother aspects.

5. Were you surprised at Parsons' tactics or true objective?

Doug: As much as I loathed the guy, I actually enjoyed his tactics. It was fun to figure some of them out afterwards too. For example: he deliberately chose the interrogation room to interview Ziva - and then he lied about it. I got wondering: why that room and not the conference room? Was it as simple as wanting to make Ziva feel uncomfortable - as she suspected? I think it was because Parsons quickly realized the dynamic between Ziva and Tony and wanted to exploit it, knowing full well Tony would jump into the observation room. The objective was to divert attention from his actual objective by putting everyone back on their heels. And he did this with Abby too. Must admit too that I expected Vance to be on the hot seat - especially given the repeated instructions from DHS to stand down on his hunt for Bodnar. Parsons' pursuit of Gibbs is therefore somewhat of a minor mystery. There are so many things reasons for investigating him - but which one is it?

Christine: Abby was right. The guy really is the Evil McGee. He was smart and cunning and his tactics were fun to watch. I did think he was after Ziva until the end so his strategy was certainly well played.

Steve: Definitely not surprised at his manipulations and skills at keeping people guessing and off-balance. You knew that's what he was coming there to do in some capacity. But I did not see him building a case against Gibbs, with Ziva being the one responsible for Bodnar's death and Vance, at the top of the "Pyramid" as far as NCIS is concerned, essentially complicit with her actions.

NCIS 'Double Blind' Clip - The Wrong Target

6. Investigating NCIS team members: Intriguing or overdone?

Doug: I think everyone can relate to job loss or uncertainty, so this particular story will draw us in completely. Parsons is a threat to their existence. I vote for "intriguing."

Christine: We've certainly been down this road before yet somehow I still found it intriguing. Not so much for what they found but how the characters reacted to it. This NCIS family bands together whenever they feel one of them is threatened and that's always entertaining, intriguing, and heart warming in its own way.

Steve: It does seem to be a recurring theme, but then again that's kind of the point. Ruffling feathers, going against the grain and taking matters into his own hands ... these things remain true to Gibbs' nature, no? A reprisal of similar past storylines doesn't feel tired to me if given fresh context, and given the sheer number of ways this arc can still go, I'm certainly intrigued.

7. Gibbs says in the promo that he's going to "fight." How?

Doug: It takes a manipulator to fight a manipulator - and as we've seen during the many interrogations, Gibbs excels at it. Parsons is the new shining star of his organization: I expect Gibbs to go on offense and put Parsons under intense scrutiny now. We didn't learn all that many details about him in this episode - that's about to change. If the man has a skeleton anywhere, Gibbs will find it. Gibbs will find the man's Achilles' heel as well. He'll find his weakness and exploit it. At the end of the day (which might not happen until the next season), I expect Parsons' career to come to a screeching halt.

Christine: He'll have to figure out why he's become the target. It's certainly not random. Someone wants him gone. If it was a chain of command issue then Vance would be equally called on the carpet. But Gibbs is smart and he understands people in a way most don't. What he needs more than anything right now is information to fight with and I'm sure his team will be working furiously to get it for him.

Steve: Christine makes a great point. The question is why Gibbs has become the focal point and how he'll respond in the face of this adversity. Maybe Mike can show him the way ...

NCIS Season 10 Finale Promo

What's your take on these issues of the week on NCIS? Discuss below!

NCIS Season Finale Promo: Will Gibbs Go Down?

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:39 EST

Next week, on the Season 10 finale of NCIS, loyalty will be on trial.

The hunt for Eli David and Jackie Vance's killer turns into a witch hunt against Gibbs and the team, whose unconventional methods may threaten their entire future at the agency they've given so much too.

If DOD investigator Richard Parsons (Colin Hanks) has his way, Leroy Jethro Gibbs' time at NCIS may come to an end. But we all know Gibbs, and know he does not intend to go down without a fight.

His late mentor Mike Franks (Muse Watson) even returns to guide him.

As we discussed in our NCIS review, the writers, through Parsons' complex "Evil McGee" character, played fans like a tune last night, with Ziva, Vance and ultimately Gibbs in the proverbial crosshairs.

Next Tuesday, we'll see how it plays out, as the family aspect of the team and the show will be put to the ultimate test in the face of this unfamiliar and formidable foe. How do you think it will play out?

Watch the promo for "Damned If You Do" and comment below:

NCIS Season 10 Finale Promo

NCIS Review: The Evil McGee

wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe) — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:34:23 EST

"Double Blind" can be summed up in one word: loyalty. Or, if you like, four words: "I've got your back.'

Never has the family aspect of the NCIS team ever been more evident and on display, particularly in the face of a common enemy.

The team was called in response to a Petty Officer's frantic concern that he's being followed. At first, Gibbs and McGee seemed to think he was just being paranoid, until McGee found a GPS tracker under the man's fender.

It turned out that the man had signed up for an experiment to examine the psychological aspects of subjects who were placed under surveillance. Right after agreeing to this, he was mugged and - as a result of being hit in the head a crowbar - suffered a concussion... which removed all memory of the experiment.

So his fears of being followed, while real, were not criminal. Upon realizing that his surveillance - while suffering from amnesia - lead to the cameras getting pictures of his UA wife (UA stands for Unauthorized Absence, which is similar to being AWOL), he burnt down the testing center in order to destroy the data.

The character of Richard Parsons was well written. Colin Hanks played the part very well too, coming off at first as a sort of harmless mild-mannered Columbo:

Parsons: Relax director. I'm just here to cross some "t"s and dot some "i"s. I'll be as quick and painless as possible. | permalink

I truly expected him to walk away from questioning one of the team, only to then turn back with the standard oh just one more thing....

The writers - through Parsons' activities - played NCIS fans like a flute in this episode: at first putting the spotlight on Ziva, with Parson's intense questioning regarding the nature of her friendship with an Israeli operative. Then this exchange happened when Tony attempted to defend Ziva during an elevator ride with Parsons:

Parson: What makes you think I'm going after Ziva? | permalink

Which I think was meant to make us believe that Tony was the real target. Then after examining his files, the team was sure he was investigating Vance. Then, after bugging Parsons' phone, McGee finally discovered the true target, which was Gibbs himself.

While all of this was going on, it was great to see the entire team trying to look out for each other. Parsons played Abby so well by criticizing her lab technique such that she was angry at him at the exact moment that he asked her a key question. I don't think he needed to go to that effort with her, as she is generally an innocent and open book anyway. Her opinion of him was formed after she blurted out the fact that Ziva had discovered that Eli was a murderer and had told Gibbs about it:

Abby: I knew that guy was trouble. He's like an evil McGee. | permalink

I had the same thought while watching him make the team dance on his puppet strings.

When they thought Vance was his target, the team gathered in his office and inadvertently destroyed his plausible deniability by telling him how they were going to find out what he was up to, including placing an electronic bug on his phone. Vance saw it for what it was: they wanted to "have his back.'

I think the most compelling scene though was when all of them (minus Vance) gathered in the lab to discuss Parsons. I don't know if we've ever seen all of them gathered like that, including Palmer - who in this episode had nothing to say. It was a true family moment for them. Interesting to see Tony complete Gibbs' thought, too, regarding the "playing cards" metaphor.

In fact, I think Tony resembled Gibbs in another scene as well when he barged in on Parsons during the interview with Ziva and announced that the interview was over. When Parsons objected with you don't have the authority, Tony barked back: It was over two seconds ago. Door! And I thought it was perfect: Tony protecting Ziva like the stand-up guy that he is, using as few words as possible. Just like Gibbs.

Tony's exchange with Ziva about her sleeping with someone in Israel because, as she put it, I felt alone was touching and a little sad. It looks like the writers are intent on teasing us with these two, to keep us tuning in just to have us try to figure out which direction this particular love boat will sail next. (The complete dialogue of that scene - as well as many other exchanges - are on our NCIS quotes for this episode).

I think that while Vance may be the NCIS director, Jethro Leroy Gibbs is the father of that unit - and so the final scene focused the tension on him, once we learned that he is the actual subject of Parsons' investigation. Great ending to this episode... and you can be sure next week's finale will be fairly amazing.

Some final thoughts:

The episode title "Double Blind" refers to a phrase commonly used in experiments, and refers to the fact that neither the subjects nor the ones administering the test are aware of who is getting treatment and who (in the case of drug testing) are getting placebos. I'm not sure the title fits, for either the case they investigated or the investigation of NCIS itself.
Parsons' lab knowledge and tech savvy (as evidenced by his knowledge that his own phone was bugged) really put the exclamation point on Abby's assertion of him being an "evil McGee." Makes you wonder if he was aware that the team was sorting through his files too, and hacking into all kinds of places where they had no business being.
The writers gave us some misdirection with the promo for this episode. When we saw Parsons barking at Ziva Did you sleep with him? we had no idea that the question had nothing to do with Tony.
That was an awesome new Camaro that Ziva was driving at the beginning of the episode. You have to wonder if she'll be questioned about it, and about whether she can afford it. It would be neat if she had accidentally kept one or two of those diamonds for herself. Unrealistic and unlikely, but pretty cool. (By the way, I tried to track down the title to the song that was playing on her stereo but couldn't manage to get it.)
Our NCIS Round Table discussion is up! Come over and take a look and then chime in with your thoughts.

NCIS Season 10 Finale Promo

What are your thoughts on the episode? How do you see the final episode of NCIS Season 10 playing out next week?

NCIS Sneak Peek: This is Fun!

steve@iscribelimited.com (Steve Marsi) — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:46:12 EST

In tonight's NCIS episode, "Double Blind," Department of Defense investigator Richard Parsons (guest star Colin Hanks) is called in to scrutinize the NCIS team's response to the Bodnar case.

He seems to be having a good time doing it in the sneak peek below.

Accompanying Tony and Tim on a stakeout as they investigate the case of a Petty Officer who says he is being followed, Parsons jokes around like he's the duo's best friend ... while fishing.

Check out the scene below and see what we mean ...

NCIS 'Double Blind' Clip - Stakeout

What will he learn as he investigates the team's response to the murders of Ziva's father and Vance's wife? And what will the fallout be? How will the final two NCIS Season 10 episodes play out?

Hit the comments below to share your thoughts!