NCIS Episode Review: 9.09 Engaged Part II
Nov. 16th, 2011 11:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonheartAnother good episode in an already exceptional season.
For me Part II wasn't as good as Part I - but I don't say that to detract from Part II in anyway because II was a good episode in it's own right and 1 was a very hard act to follow.
I think that's why it is difficult to do a two parter - especially with two different writers. For me there was a slight disconnect between the two episodes. It's hard for me to explain and I am not even going to try because when I do it comes across as picky and trite and I don't want to do that because it was a good episode.
Things I liked:
1. Chaplain Burke
2. The scene with Ducky and Burke. It seems he is recovering from his encounter with psycho stalker love interest. I am glad, I was worried about Ducky.
3. All the scenes with Tony & Burke. Tony needs someone who can handle him, give him guidance and nudge him towards introspection. Someone not personally involved with him, someone who can step back and can offer some unbiased perspective. Chaplain Burke did a great job with that.
4. Gibb's comment to Vance that he was having dinner with Gabby. That touched my heart. It did seem like they connected in Afghanistan and he obviously admires her.
5. We got to see both sides of Ziva in this episode - combat Ziva and soft Ziva. She kicked some bad boy butt and the look on her face when she saw those two girls for the first time and realized that they had been tortured broke my heart. CdP pulled that off in a big way.
6. Tony made a bargain with God. I find that very interesting and I really want to know more about that. Might be in a fic based on that in my future (if I ever start writing again)
7. Tony's fear of children (and what that represents). I have a whole bushel of theories on this one, but that's for another time.
8. I don't think it is a coincidence that the child who hugged Tony was a mini!Ziva. Nope, not at all.
9. The Gibbs/Ziva interaction. Liked it a lot.
Thing I didn't like:
Gibbs walking around a war zone and entering an actual gun battle without a helmet. I know Gibbs is a bad ass, but please, this borders on flippant and insanity.
Flashback moment:
I had a flash back to 7.09 Child's Play when Gibbs had a shot lined up on the older brother who held a cell phone that would detonate the bomb under the bus.
Gibbs: McGee?
McGee: Got it.
Gibbs had that same exchange with Ziva with the kidnapper in Child's Play as he held the child close to his chest with a gun to her head.
Gibbs: Ziva?
Ziva: Got it
and then Ziva dropped him with one shot to the head.
I was thinking "Oh crap, don't make Timmy shoot him"
I was actually holding my breath and when it was revealed that "it" was the cell signal and not a shot lined up to the bomber's head - I was so darn relieved. A signal scrambler is much more in line with McGee. Don't get me wrong - I think McGee can and would shoot a bad guy - it would just bother him a whole lot more than it would Gibbs, Tony or Ziva.
For me Part II wasn't as good as Part I - but I don't say that to detract from Part II in anyway because II was a good episode in it's own right and 1 was a very hard act to follow.
I think that's why it is difficult to do a two parter - especially with two different writers. For me there was a slight disconnect between the two episodes. It's hard for me to explain and I am not even going to try because when I do it comes across as picky and trite and I don't want to do that because it was a good episode.
Things I liked:
1. Chaplain Burke
2. The scene with Ducky and Burke. It seems he is recovering from his encounter with psycho stalker love interest. I am glad, I was worried about Ducky.
3. All the scenes with Tony & Burke. Tony needs someone who can handle him, give him guidance and nudge him towards introspection. Someone not personally involved with him, someone who can step back and can offer some unbiased perspective. Chaplain Burke did a great job with that.
4. Gibb's comment to Vance that he was having dinner with Gabby. That touched my heart. It did seem like they connected in Afghanistan and he obviously admires her.
5. We got to see both sides of Ziva in this episode - combat Ziva and soft Ziva. She kicked some bad boy butt and the look on her face when she saw those two girls for the first time and realized that they had been tortured broke my heart. CdP pulled that off in a big way.
6. Tony made a bargain with God. I find that very interesting and I really want to know more about that. Might be in a fic based on that in my future (if I ever start writing again)
7. Tony's fear of children (and what that represents). I have a whole bushel of theories on this one, but that's for another time.
8. I don't think it is a coincidence that the child who hugged Tony was a mini!Ziva. Nope, not at all.
9. The Gibbs/Ziva interaction. Liked it a lot.
Thing I didn't like:
Gibbs walking around a war zone and entering an actual gun battle without a helmet. I know Gibbs is a bad ass, but please, this borders on flippant and insanity.
Flashback moment:
I had a flash back to 7.09 Child's Play when Gibbs had a shot lined up on the older brother who held a cell phone that would detonate the bomb under the bus.
Gibbs: McGee?
McGee: Got it.
Gibbs had that same exchange with Ziva with the kidnapper in Child's Play as he held the child close to his chest with a gun to her head.
Gibbs: Ziva?
Ziva: Got it
and then Ziva dropped him with one shot to the head.
I was thinking "Oh crap, don't make Timmy shoot him"
I was actually holding my breath and when it was revealed that "it" was the cell signal and not a shot lined up to the bomber's head - I was so darn relieved. A signal scrambler is much more in line with McGee. Don't get me wrong - I think McGee can and would shoot a bad guy - it would just bother him a whole lot more than it would Gibbs, Tony or Ziva.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-16 04:29 pm (UTC)You need to get on that writing thing ... your plot bunnies need to earn their keep!
Gibbs and the hat bugged me a TON.
The bargain w/ God, the sticky child, and the hotel that the parents of the dead marine own are mixing around in my head.