Back on form

NCIS are back, and in more ways than one. Three so-so episodes before Christmas and now another three in January. And they’ve been good. Some even downright exciting. Delilah is back, and she’s on a romantic holiday with McGee, who’s shrunk nicely into his beard.

When I say romantic, I mean romantic for those two. They don’t get their kicks in the ordinary way.

If anyone is reading this, could I respectfully ask that not all British actors are villains? It’s so obvious. Not all villains are British, but the other way round appears to be an unavoidable pattern. We don’t even get to ponder who the ‘unknown’ bad guy might be.

So we had the holiday in the sun, where obviously all the action shifted to McGee and Delilah.

Then at last it was back to the early taster of when Gibbs shoots McGee. We understand why, and that it can’t end entirely badly, but there was some nail biting as to the how on Earth?

Last it was the turn of Torres and Bishop to have their own locked in episode, being in severe danger, some fifteen years after DiNozzo and Ziva spent quality time in that cargo container. Again, we knew, but we didn’t know how.

The priceless look on Gibbs’s face when he arrived at McGee’s with all those computers…

Please keep this up! We need something good after all this time.

Photo © CBS

NCIS – Ready or Not

Babies, bullets and bombs; they all have to come out. Somehow.

OK, I thought I’d have no more NCIS posts until I’d found something else to waffle on about, but after last week’s weird episode, here we had a perfect Thanksgiving. A bit of crime, a bit of family.

They were probably asking themselves how they could avoid a Christmas baby. Or how to manage a Thanksgiving baby instead. The answer to both is make it twins and it/they will be born early. Easy.

So the babies had to be born. And they had to avoid giving them really stupid names. That’s the problem with geeks like McGee and Delilah. But that nice man had a purpose. Well, he had two, and he performed them well. But remind me never to give birth assisted by Abby. (Unlikely at my age. But you never know.)

Bullets. Yes. It hurts when they come out. Or so I understand. Nothing John Wayne about it. And that girl; I saw what she did.

Bombs. How could they send two such twits together, to deal with a potential bomb situation? Torres, and the man from MI6 who actually buys his cranberry sauce. Not even I do that.

But all’s well that ends well.

NCIS – Love Boat

At last, an almost normal episode! Back on a ship, even if it’s called Love Boat. It sort of brought back the N in NCIS.

Glad to see Gibbs must have wrestled his leather jacket off Fornell. Made him look slightly less formal, but not necessarily more Gibbsy. And what’s the matter with all these people? They get seasick! They work for the Navy!

Good to see they actually had a female commander for once. Also that she wasn’t quite as barky as so many of the men have been over the years. And we had a small child, a celebrity, love affairs, as well as general sneakiness.

McGee really needed to get his act together, and I was starting to feel this would drag on all season, but luckily you can use that lift for almost anything. Great to have Delilah back. Much better than just talking about her.

Still not enough of Abby or Ducky, even if Palmer was allowed out on his own. It will be interesting to see if this is a trend, or a one-off. We need to make friends with everyone, and soon.

Facelift? I don’t know. Gibbs looks almost his old craggy self at times. But there is definitely something film star-ish about the man.

(Photos © CBS)

NCIS – Bulletproof

Palmer and I are knocking on wood, while Ducky and the Resident IT Consultant are of the opinion we are being stupid. Though Ducky at least supplies Palmer with some wood when he needs it.

I do find Palmer’s and Mrs Palmer’s planned parenthood very, very odd. What’s wrong with home made babies? That would be nervewracking as well, but not because you are in someone else’s hands. Or womb. (I hasten to add my knocking has a very different reason…)

Letting Abby guard a ‘suspect’ isn’t necessarily a good thing. Just look at her!

At first I was thinking this episode was really a bit dull. But it improved. Bishop’s conversation with DiNozzo at the beginning made almost no sense at all. And I think that’s a first. Lots of talk, which seemed to consist of only words.

As so often happens, it was the stuff on the side which mattered. Delilah coming into ‘the office.’ McGee busy feeling guilt. Injured marine (?) in a wheelchair. And the question of whether McGee will skydive with Delilah.

If the families of serving soldiers do send bulletproof vests to their sons and daughters in real life, I foresee many upset viewers after this. If it was me, even if I knew I’d sent proper equipment, I’d pause and have a small heart attack. Worthy subject, but tricky situation.

(Photos © CBS)

NCIS – Kill Chain

Oh, Delilah! It is to be continued, so fingers crossed.

No sooner had I thought the thought that I’m tired of every case involving someone in the team or someone connected to them, than I retracted it on seeing Hollis Mann again. Yay! And soon after, I became worried they will be doing a Paula Cassidy on her. I hope not!

Where to start? Well, I still don’t feel Bishop is right, but I suppose Agent Lee was also rather different, and not too handy with a gun. She’s in the main credits now, which is as much proof that she’s here to stay as anything. And at the end she’s down on the floor, where she does her best work.

It’s good to have characters return after such a long time that not only do you not expect it, but people like Vance need to be filled in. Like, is Gibbs sure Hollis isn’t an ex-wife? I preferred her in uniform, because it made her different from all the other women around Gibbs.

Abby was busy taking her foot out of her mouth, while also making sure McGee knew what was important.

Talking about ex-wives, they did a good introduction for the forgetful and any newcomers who needed to understand about Hollis. But eight years ago Diane was the second ex-wife, not the first. Picky, I know. But why not get it right?

The case I can’t say much about. It’s more politics than Navy affairs. Rather like most things in life. We’ll see. And fingers crossed for Delilah.

(Photos © CBS)

NCIS – the women have it

So, we’re back to season three mode, with various women being borrowed for a week at a time, to fill the gap Ziva left behind. Whether it’s because they really haven’t found the right replacement, or if they want to give us – and themselves – some time to breathe, and grieve, I have no idea. It’s good that they haven’t rushed into finding just any female to fill the David boots.

Though I almost wondered if Agent Borin was going to be the – surprise – one. That would have been novel, letting an existing character take over. Especially one we like. When she left Gibbs’s basement last week, I thought it could be a double bluff. Or they are waiting to see what viewers’ reactions are.

That old partner of Mike’s who turned up for two weeks before retiring, was so clearly marked that no one would ever fear she’d be ‘the one.’ But Agent Grady? Not that I had realised she was an agent. I thought she just attached equipment to Gibbs’s trousers and was awkward.

Maybe we’ll see – far too much – more of McGee’s Delilah? Anyone who can give DiNozzo a heart attack is halfway there.

And the dear new SecNav. Gibbs had his suspicions about her. Not that she’d demote herself to Agent, but interfering is another thing. It was quite funny when he gave her the elevator treatment. ‘Urban legend!’ Hah.

I wonder how long we’ll have women dangled tantalisingly in front of us? If we are to have a slightly used character, my money is on Abigail Borin. I enjoyed the Gabse/Gabbs pairing, except they are perhaps too alike.

And speaking of women, I hadn’t thought before, but in Mike’s granddaughter, they have given Gibbs a replacement daughter. Might explain why he’s mellowed.

(Photos © CBS)