Second Thoughts
I didn't notice before how frantically Tony starts to rush off when Cade says that Cobb has taken EJ. But then again, he also stays complacently with Cade when Gibbs tells him to.
So Vance and SecNav were in on Frankenstein all along? Seriously? Seriously? I mean I guess it makes sense that SecNav would have had to know given that they were using naval servicemen, but it just seems illogical that Vance would "need to know" about a CIA wetworks program. And also then it's stupid that Kort had that whole briefing in MTAC, because that wouldn't have happened just for Gibbs's benefit.
Sarah Jane Morris is really great in this shower room scene, the way she rips her hand away to prevent Tony from touching her and the broken, desperate edge to her voice. I also like that Tony's giving her a softer version of the "I'm very uncomfortable with distraught women" look that he was using on Ziva last week. Hee.
Levin was shot with Mike Franks's gun? Ouch.
I really don't like how they're changing P2P's MO. It's not as good for TV if the viewers don't know what to expect and can't follow the clues or anticipate the killer's moves.
Is it just me or does the expression on EJ's face have a hint of puzzlement in it when she finds the microchip in Levin's arm? When I watched the first time I read it as sinister, but not so much on the second time.
I like Tony's concern for Ziva by way of Ray in the brief squadroom scene.
And I think here (when SecNav arrives) is where the episode started to go off the rails for me. The tension of the night that started in "Swan Song" is allowed to completely dissipate" and more and more new story elements keep being brought in.
Abby seems very much older in the scene with her and McGee in the lab, like behaviorally she'd aged 10 years overnight. She's even too tired to be wacky.
I really don't like this scene with Ziva and EJ in the elevator. Way to be condescending, Ziva. Also, way to be an idiot and not wait for backup and be too stuckup to take EJ with you and brag about your boyfriend (who you apparently don't talk to?) all in one go.
Unexplained: how did Ziva get up to Ray's hotel if he hadn't checked in yet? Did Cobb check in pretending to be Ray somehow?
I didn't even notice Rule 16 on the first viewing, but it's awesome. That sounds exactly like Gibbs.
Tony seems to respect Ray.
This is two viewings in a row where I've missed the point where Gibbs gets the order from upstairs to bench EJ. And he's known from day 1 that she's the SecNav's niece?
Why the fuck didn't Cobb bother killing EJ the first time? This really doesn't make any sense.
Once again Tony is quick to pull out his phone and dial as soon as Ziva reveals that Cobb is after EJ. It looks like his protective instincts about her are starting to kick in.
Ziva seems to have miraculously recovered from her head wound.
I like the blocking of how Ziva comes to sit behind Tony's desk and defends EJ and reassures Tony that they'll find her.
Vance conceived of the Frankenstein project? Why on Earth would Vance ever, ever need to be involved in anything like this? The investigative arm of the Navy should not be in on this. And this makes no sense.
I love the look that Cobb gives SecNav as he enters the room. It's pure psycho.
Haha I love how Cade knows that McGee hate him.
I think it's insulting how Vance doesn't actually offer Rota to Tony. Even though he offhandedly tells EJ he wouldn't take it (and the ensuing exchange between him and Gibbs was hilarious), it still would have shown some respect for Tony to have it offered to him again.
I definitely think Tony and EJ will be seeing more of each other. They were standing wayyy too close in that last scene.
I like the Ziva/Ray scene much better on second viewing, but it doesn't make much more sense.
I really don't like that they're bringing in the new SecNav as a player in the next season. We already barely need the director of NCIS as a regular character, let alone SecNav as a recurring character.
Vance obviously doesn't trust Tony, but how does Jarvis seem to know Tony well enough to trust him given that he's been SecNav for all of 10 seconds?
So Vance and SecNav were in on Frankenstein all along? Seriously? Seriously? I mean I guess it makes sense that SecNav would have had to know given that they were using naval servicemen, but it just seems illogical that Vance would "need to know" about a CIA wetworks program. And also then it's stupid that Kort had that whole briefing in MTAC, because that wouldn't have happened just for Gibbs's benefit.
Sarah Jane Morris is really great in this shower room scene, the way she rips her hand away to prevent Tony from touching her and the broken, desperate edge to her voice. I also like that Tony's giving her a softer version of the "I'm very uncomfortable with distraught women" look that he was using on Ziva last week. Hee.
Levin was shot with Mike Franks's gun? Ouch.
I really don't like how they're changing P2P's MO. It's not as good for TV if the viewers don't know what to expect and can't follow the clues or anticipate the killer's moves.
Is it just me or does the expression on EJ's face have a hint of puzzlement in it when she finds the microchip in Levin's arm? When I watched the first time I read it as sinister, but not so much on the second time.
I like Tony's concern for Ziva by way of Ray in the brief squadroom scene.
And I think here (when SecNav arrives) is where the episode started to go off the rails for me. The tension of the night that started in "Swan Song" is allowed to completely dissipate" and more and more new story elements keep being brought in.
Abby seems very much older in the scene with her and McGee in the lab, like behaviorally she'd aged 10 years overnight. She's even too tired to be wacky.
I really don't like this scene with Ziva and EJ in the elevator. Way to be condescending, Ziva. Also, way to be an idiot and not wait for backup and be too stuckup to take EJ with you and brag about your boyfriend (who you apparently don't talk to?) all in one go.
Unexplained: how did Ziva get up to Ray's hotel if he hadn't checked in yet? Did Cobb check in pretending to be Ray somehow?
I didn't even notice Rule 16 on the first viewing, but it's awesome. That sounds exactly like Gibbs.
Tony seems to respect Ray.
This is two viewings in a row where I've missed the point where Gibbs gets the order from upstairs to bench EJ. And he's known from day 1 that she's the SecNav's niece?
Why the fuck didn't Cobb bother killing EJ the first time? This really doesn't make any sense.
Once again Tony is quick to pull out his phone and dial as soon as Ziva reveals that Cobb is after EJ. It looks like his protective instincts about her are starting to kick in.
Ziva seems to have miraculously recovered from her head wound.
I like the blocking of how Ziva comes to sit behind Tony's desk and defends EJ and reassures Tony that they'll find her.
Vance conceived of the Frankenstein project? Why on Earth would Vance ever, ever need to be involved in anything like this? The investigative arm of the Navy should not be in on this. And this makes no sense.
I love the look that Cobb gives SecNav as he enters the room. It's pure psycho.
Haha I love how Cade knows that McGee hate him.
I think it's insulting how Vance doesn't actually offer Rota to Tony. Even though he offhandedly tells EJ he wouldn't take it (and the ensuing exchange between him and Gibbs was hilarious), it still would have shown some respect for Tony to have it offered to him again.
I definitely think Tony and EJ will be seeing more of each other. They were standing wayyy too close in that last scene.
I like the Ziva/Ray scene much better on second viewing, but it doesn't make much more sense.
I really don't like that they're bringing in the new SecNav as a player in the next season. We already barely need the director of NCIS as a regular character, let alone SecNav as a recurring character.
Vance obviously doesn't trust Tony, but how does Jarvis seem to know Tony well enough to trust him given that he's been SecNav for all of 10 seconds?