NCIS Episode Review: 9.01 Nature of the Beast

[dragonheart]

It took me a couple of days to get my brain around this episode – there was plenty that was awesome, but there was plenty of meh! to go around too.

I won’t rehash the actual happenings; I am assuming that you all watched the episode and my excerpts will make perfect sense.

 Points of awesome:

·         Michael Weatherly blew my socks off with his range.  He really is a good actor and it’s a shame he doesn’t get recognized for his abilities outside of the fandom.

·         Dr. Cranston – really liked her in this episode.  Did not like her at all in 8.14 A Man Walks Into a Bar.  She was a little too self-righteous for my taste in that episode.  In this episode she struck the right chord – good doctor, not taking any BS or deflecting from Tony and standing up to Gibbs when needed.

·          That little Tiva pencil kiss tap *squee*

·          New rule - #36 if you feel like you are being played, your probley are (more on that later)

·         Vance sides with Gibbs when he realized that SecNav was stonewalling.  I love it when Vance plays with the team instead of against them.

 

Points of not so awesome:

·         Plot holes I could drive my car through (more on that later)

·         Too little Ducky, Palmer, McGee, and Abby

·         Too little “team” period

·         McGee, Abby and Ziva spying on Tony – a secret assignment is just that – secret.  They know better.  At least McGee and Abby had the good graces to feel bad about it – Ziva not so much.

·         Ziva over all – who is this woman?  I want Ziva back.  I don’t know who this imposter is.

·         Love emails to Ray? Meh! Not only is it so high school – but she knew she could be putting him in danger and she did it anyway?  Again, who are you?

·         SecNav Jarvis telling Tony he owned him – got my hackles up.  He may work for you – but you don’t own him.  Blech!

·         Tony doesn’t seem the least bit disturbed that EJ was shot and is possibly dead.  I know it’s over between them and he doesn’t trust her anymore – but shouldn’t he feel a little remorse that she’s hurt or even dead? 

·         The only innocent person in all this - Cade – got killed.  Does Abby know?  They did date and were friends.  He called her when he knew he was in trouble. I am hoping we get to see her reaction to his death – I don’t want Cade to be swept under the rug, never to be mentioned again.

 

Plot holes: (sometimes I think TPTB think the viewers are stupid)

·         Bloody badge - #1 isn’t that evidence? Why isn’t it being treated as evidence?

·         Bloody badge - #2 don’t those things have serial numbers on them – couldn’t you just run the number and find out who it belonged to?

·         EJ – either she is dirty or stupid

o   The man who works for you comes to you and says “oh, by the way – if something happens to me, there is this super secret microchip implanted in my left wrist, take it out and give it to a guy named Wright.”

o   Do you as his boss and a NCIS agent not want to know more?  I mean your agent obviously has something else going on other than being a NCIS agent – aren’t you curious? Aren’t you suspicious of where his loyalties may lay? You are just going to accept that and not ask questions? Aren't you an investigator?

o   Something does happen to said agent – you get the super secret microchip and are heading off to parts unknown – Wright is in DC – why are you leaving town?

o   Aren’t you a little nervous you might be betraying your country by handing over a chip you know nothing about (and aren’t even curious about) to a man you know nothing about?  Do you trust Levin that much, even though he obviously had a duplicitous life and he didn’t trust you enough to tell you what was what.

o   IMO EJ knew Wright was dead – that’s why she gave his name to Tony.  It was a throw away – a way to make her appear trustworthy – saying I am telling you something you don’t know.  A trick used by deceivers everywhere – give them something of little value to make your self appear innocent and trustworthy.

o   She did eventually hand over the chip – she really had no other choice – they knew she had it and if she was going to keep up the innocent facade – she had to turn it over.

o   Why does Phantom 8 still want EJ?  They have Levin’s chip, she supposedly knows nothing, why look for her?  Because she does know something! Not innocent! EJ is up to her eyeballs in this or she is one stupid woman. Frankly with this storyline - it could go either way.

·         Why did Stratton feel the need to shoot Cade postmortem with Tony’s gun and plant his badge in Tony’s pocket?  Doesn’t he know any ME worth his salt is gonna know that the kill shot didn’t come from those bullets and that they were fired into the body postmortem?

·         If Stratton came to the hospital to kill Tony why did the presence of Dr Cranston stop him?  He had already killed Wright, Cade, EJ (?) and shot Tony once.  Would the idea of killing a doctor stop him?  I don’t think so.  He’s supposed to be a cold blooded killer.

·         If Phantom 8 manufactured the microchips – why not manufacture more?  Why do you need to kill to get back the 8 chips?

·         Isn’t it interesting that Mike Frank’s insurance policy (ie the box he left with Gibbs) just happens to have a file on Phantom 8 – complete with pictures of the ONI operatives?  How convenient.

 

Rule #36 – If you feel you’re being played – you probley are

GG told us this rule would be important in this episode and for once he told it straight.  Lots of people got played:

• Lantham played Jarvis
• Jarvis played Tony
• Tony played EJ
• EJ played Tony and Gibbs
• Ray is still playing Ziva
• GG played us all with this episode - gave us just enough to keep us interested, but didn't blow us away with it's goodness either.

 

Just my opinion?  I hope TPTB give us a break from these long reaching arcs.  They don’t do them very well and I grow weary of the inconsistencies and the character assassinations.  I am ready for good old fashioned stand alone episodes.

 

Dead Marine in Rock Creek Park – anyone?

Comments

[toomuchfandom.livejournal.com]

As I told meekosan, Ziva was probably cringe worthy because DiNozzo was telling things from memory and he'd like to see Ziva that way. *shrugs*

I wasn't impressed with the episode. I loved, absolutely LOVED, the NCIS LA premiere though.

[direwolfdragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was incredibly disappointed. So much so, I think it won't be long before NCIS goes the way of House for me- great if I catch an episode, but am not all that interested in the show anymore.

I hope not, and I'll give them the first half of this season, but this is a horrible start.

I hate what they did to Ziva. With Tony, I'll give them a little leeway given the fact he was injured. Honestly, the Party of Five dude that played Stratton...nah, just doesn't work.

[tv-fan-girl.livejournal.com]

I finally watched it last night and I have to say that it didn't impress me much. I saw a lot of the same stuff that you did.

Now NCIS LA was an awesome season premiere. LOL!! Maybe it's because I'm in love with Deeks. :)

[alidiabin]

Yeah. Sigh. I really want some stand alone team episodes.

Thankfully, the Criminal Minds premiere saved me from hating all TV.