About NCIS 9x09 - "Engaged, Part 2"
Strong stuff and the things that made me cringe are mixed this time in order of appearance. Rest assured, though, even though there were things I wasn't too fond of, overall I am pretty pleased by this part, too. By far not as strong as the first one, but it still had quite a few good parts.
Chaplain Burke: But by following her instincts... maybe she was following His orders.
I liked Burke a lot in this scene. She seemed more competent and somehow stronger than in the last ep. Yeah, I could get used to her.
Tony's somber face when he barges into the talk between Burke and Flores, followed by the cut to Gibbs bringing home the casket? Oh, dear god. Pure genius. Kicks you right in the gut and tricks you into thinking it's Flores in there, and you find yourself yelling, no, that's not fair!
The arrival scene in Afghanistan had me scratching my head at first because all I noticed was the way Ziva seemed way too relaxed for a war zone like this. Her smiling and all -- whut?
And now, while watching the ep a second time, I find myself staring at the screen with a giant lightbulb over my head. Because it's not just her who's being relaxed.
Quincy: Smooth ride?
Gibbs: 'til somebody started shooting at us.
That's the part where Ziva starts smiling at Gibbs. And you know what? This isn't because Cote slipped up and they kept filming or something like that. This smile pops up on her face because this kind of "anything but smooth" is something they really share. This is what they did for a living. Both of them. They've both been there, a few times, in what must seem like a former life to them by now... and yet, it's a little bit like coming home for them. Just this time they have family right by their side. (In case you're wondering, yes, I have the almost desperate urge to write epic Ziva/Gibbs bonding fic over the 48 hours they spent there. *whimpers* I NEED MORE TIME!)
This is also why Ziva was the perfect choice to accompany Gibbs: putting her language skills aside, she's combat experienced. She knows what to expect and how to behave and when to take cover without him having to tell her. She's a safe choice.
The biggest issue I have is with the very unfortunate naming of the female terrorist -- Saraya -- when barely four episodes ago, we had the "little innocent girl killed in a US bombing" by the same name and her (male) relatives seeking revenge. I'm not sure if this was a serious slip up or if it was intentional. If they meant to mirror that name -- geez, what are you trying to do with that? Show us the girl she could have grown up to be? Turn her from innocent victim into potential suicide bomber? Sorry, that just really rubs me the wrong way. REALLY.
Ducky and Burke! ♥ Don't ask me why, but I adore this scene. For some reason they make me smile like Tony:
(Yes, that was gratuitous eye candy. Just in case you hadn't noticed.)
Tony: I know, shocking, but beneath this incredibly masculine body armor there is a vulnerable do-gooder.
Burke: ... vulnerable to...?
Tony: Yeah. Telling you would be like Superman telling Lex Luthor about his vulnerability to Kryptonite, it's not gonna happen.
Burke: So what is it, Clark Kent?
Did I mention I ADORE Burke? :D ♥ ♥ ♥
Gibbs, to SecNav: Careful. People are gonna think you care.
I love how Gibbs is being a rude SOB while still bonding with the SecNav. I have no idea how he does that, but I adore it. :D
Tony: I used to thrive on all-night stakeouts and sub-zero surveillance. Maybe this is a sign that something's missing from my life.
And just when that slipped out, he looks like this:
Like he's caught himself being unwillingly introspective and not lying to himself for a change and a little closer to the truth than he'd like. I think by now he is well beyond the point of accepting that, yes, something is missing from his life. And I think by now he's seriously trying to find out what would fill that hole. (Yes, I hear you moaning now. Keep in mind that we know. We've been watching them for six years. Admitting to himself that his partner could be a good place to start... that's gonna take a bit longer, and a few more layers of density need to be stripped away before he can even begin to suspect it could be this easy.)
Shallow interlude time:
You're welcome.
Love how they both hold on to their coffees until the very last moment while they chase the guy. *snorts*
Shallow interlude, part two:
Tony in the interrogation scene. Yes, he was mindblowingly sexy. Yes, he could read me a phone book in that tone of voice and I'd get off, easily. But, uhm... am I the only one thinking that didn't really accomplish anything? He didn't get one word out of the terrorist that the kid didn't plan on saying, and by the end of that scene he was still looking down at Tony arrogantly. This didn't give me anything except the yummy.
And then the scene that stole my breath and made me bawl like a baby because Cote's face... oh dear god. *sobs*
When she tells Gibbs the girls Flores saved are here:
And then, when she sees the wounds and bandages and is brutally reminded that yes, these children may be safe now, but they have been tortured...
On first viewing the long-time movie and TV geek complained because the wounds on the girls looked so fake and not like real burns at all, which pulled me out of the mood severely. But in the meantime I realized that this is, after all, prime time TV, and they have to keep it as tame as possible. By now I think the lack of realism was intentional because tortured little girls are bad enough for most viewers. There's no need to make it worse by adding gruesome detail in this case. Making it visually less realistic allows most viewers to distance themselves from it a little.
For me it's tough to watch Ziva do this -- to be completely shocked and disgusted and yet, to smile at the girls and chat them up to get their information.
I have to admit, I rolled my eyes at making the girls speak English. Yes, I know it's probably because they're American and do not actually speak Pashtu. Yes, I know it's so Cote doesn't have to deliver lines and lines and lines of text in a language she doesn't really speak. But still, that just didn't feel all that right to me, even assuming that the girls picked up a few words from the Marines. (I do realize, however, it's one of the shortcomings I'll have to accept in mainstream TV.)
Shallow interlude, part three -- BE MORE ADORABLE, I DARE YOU! ♥ ♥ ♥
Gibbs kissing the girls and Ziva, watching him with that look of utter adoration on her face. ♥ Oh, my. *sobs* He'll make a wonderful granddad for her kids.
The scene with Tony in the church... oh, my, once more. So very telling on so many levels.
I am in love with the camera perspective when he comes in - like the "big guy upstairs" is really waiting for him there and looking down at the mere mortal.
Tony: We haven't talked much. It's my bad. I'm doing the best I can down here, you know. For a DiNozzo. Hopefully living up to my end of the bargain. You do remember our bargain? Be nice to hear from you. So you have a plan? Anything you wannna share with me? How about you let me know I'm on the right track?
So, at one point Tony made a bargain with God. Now, read that line again and then roll it around in your head. Tony was at a point in his life where he was desperate enough to resort to praying. To making a bargain in exchange for... what? We don't know that yet, but my gut says it will come up again.
Is there any doubt in my mind that this is about Somalia? No. Because that is the only time in the life of Tony DiNozzo we have seen so far where "business as usual lost all meaning". It *is* about that time.
Also notice the last line -- it seems to me as if he's actually trying to (in his own way) honor the bargain now and tries to pay back what he owes. (Makes me wonder what he promised in return...) It also feels to me like he forgot about all of that for quite a while and only now comes back to it, but I can't point my finger on the why yet.
Shallow side note, part four -- can we just take a moment to appreciate the epicness that is badass!Ziva here?
And then Quincy dies, and I'm tearing up hard and thinking, damn. That wasn't necessary. That... no. I liked that guy.
It was tough to see Ziva all shaken up, and at first I wondered why she showed so much of her emotions this time.
I think the reason is simple: correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the first time she is present when a team mate dies, right? Yes, she's lost people she liked before, but I don't recall any instances where she was right there when it happened. (I don't count her Mossad days. These partnerships where quite different in nature.) And especially here, it seems like she really gets into the Marine spirit. "We'll get you home." I think she suddenly understands what true team spirit is. It's not just partners. It's more.
Burke: You intrigue me.
Tony: Oh-oh. Why?
Burke: When something's broken I want to fix it.
Tony: Well, I hate to break it to you, chaplain, but you ain't got enough tools in your woodshed.
So, get this -- he doesn't claim he's fine and everything is hunky-dory and he doesn't laugh at the notion that he's broken. For the very first time Tony admits that he isn't safe and sound. That he has issues.
And as a side note - Burke! Tiny Burke and Tony! With the arm poking and him poking back and her seeing straight through his facade and calling him out on it! *giggles like a schoolgirl*
That short flashback where they tell us that Matteson died? Yeah. *sobs* I was mostly expecting it ever since last week, but it still floored me -- mostly because it was followed by that incredible scene without any words, with Gibbs lost in his memory and his pain, and Ziva catches him at it and smiles at him because she knows. And he gives her that tiny nod, and then he looks like this, and... *sobs some more* Rip my heart out, why dontcha, show!
Also, the scene where they carry the coffin out of the plane. *chokes up*
Daddy Gibbs and his daughter...
And Daddy Flores and his daughter...
One of my issues is with the interrogation of brother and sister. I sort of get what they're trying to say here, but geez -- could they have portrayed Muslims as any more vicious and fanatical? I also realize that this is in large parts a problem of NCIS being an American TV show, but again, "Safe Harbor" comes to mind where they treated the theme in a different way. (One of the few scenes where I actually felt a vibe of honesty from the new SecNav was when he said to make it very clear this isn't because the refugees are Muslim.) Here, it's really unsettling to see not one "sane"/reasonable Afghan in the whole mix - everyone was apparently working against the troops. Sorry, but stereotypes -- regardless of what flavor -- make me feel highly uncomfortable.
Love the scene when Ziva comes back. When she's all somber and tacks Quincy's photo to her wall -- apparently she has picked up Gibbs's habit there. What I don't like about this scene is Tony, actually. Even McGee gets it for a change, that this was tough for her, but Tony makes me want to smack him for his joking around. *sighs* Ah, well, I suppose every now and then he has to relapse a little, despite all the good intentions.
I'm kind of torn about the "Gibbs interrogates the terrorist" scene. On the one hand, it seems to be a brilliant setup between Gibbs and Vance, and yeah, it gets them where they need to be. And yeah, I do realize this is still prime time TV and it is also a show about people being bound by law and by regulations and all that jazz. But just once I would like to see someone actually go through with the promise of torture, of maiming, of beating. Because seriously, does anybody ever fall for this kind of threat, no matter how good they're set up? (Yes, I do realize I might be alone there.)
The final takedown of the terrorist was kinda nice, good show, with *harr harr* the perfect punch line. Still left me vaguely unsatisfied, like... there should have been more.
And that's actually the feeling I've had for the second half of the episode -- there should have been more. More about Afghanistan, more of a struggle there, more ambiguity about her fate and more action until they find and rescue Flores, more focus on that story instead of making the whole second half about something else. That second half actually pulled me out of the mood, which is something I only realized while I am typing this.
Vance trying to send Gibbs on vacation? Priceless! That whole convo was pretty awesome and brought back some of that seamless understanding between these two that I have loved from the very beginning. For some reason this scene leaves me grinning.
And awwww, the end scene... even though there is this tiny gripe of Tony not having kissed a transvestite, but a transsexual. Big difference, but somehow NCIS doesn't seem to get it. I am not quite as emotionally outraged as other folks by that slip, but that's only because I chalk it up to Tony being a sexist, ignorant pig. (And yes, we all know he is that sometimes.)
I've seen a few people express disappointment that "It's kids? His biggest fear are kids?!" but seriously? That makes so much goddamn sense to me it boggles my mind. Because it's not just about tiny humans. It's about responsibility and lives changing and the fear of screwing up and not getting it right. And we all know how easy it is to screw up. I totally understand why Tony is desperately afraid of this.
Yes, he has claimed that "kids love him" but have we ever seen that? We've just seen him with smart-ass boys so far, and most of the time that didn't go too well. We've never seen him with girls, especially such small ones. And I get the fear for another reason, too. Kids at that age are brutally honest. If they don't like you, they won't just roll their eyes and pop in their headphones. At this age, they'll tell you to your face. They don't hide anything -- and they can't be foolen by fancy clothing and a charmer's smile. I totally get why someone like Tony would be shaking with fear of having someone that tiny and honest say to his face, "I don't like you. Go away."
But seriously, guys. How can you be disappointed when this mini!Ziva gets up and smiles at him and then hugs him? And she likes him? ♥
And not only that, she clings to him and doesn't let go until he eases up and is no longer quite as terrified. (WE NEED TO TEACH GROWN-UP ZIVA THAT TRICK!!!)
Seriously, show! I am trying so very, very hard *not* to go "there" in my "Absence" series, but between my last chapter and this episode? I don't think you'll leave me a real choice here! *whimpers* *wails* *tears hair*
As for the people who will most likely complain because Tony and Ziva weren't together for this... uhm, sorry, but I can't hear you over the sounds of me happydancing. Because if you can't see that with this scene they're setting up the groundwork of Tony the father, Tony the responsible human being, Tony who faces his fears of intimacy... then please go play with the Bones crowd and leave the slow, subtle foundation-building to me and my happiness.
Also, Burke's face! ♥
And the finger paint mini!Ziva leaves on his pants! *snorts*
Did I mention that I love their dynamic? ♥
And yeah, the end scene ripped my heart out a little, with Gibbs saying goodbye to Matteson. The dates on her grave marker shocked me a bit -- she died in 1977? Then again, it put my little shipper heart in a more peaceful state because that was before he was with Shannon, right? (I have to admit that the scenes of attraction/flirtation between her and Gibbs left me a bit uneasy.)
All in all it was a solid episode. It had some really great moments, in some ways it could have been handled better, certainly, but that was nothing to other GG scripts of the horrendous variety like "Mother's Day" or "Pyramid". Not the best episode ever, but certainly worth watching, even though it left me slightly longing for something packing the same punch that part 1 had.
Chaplain Burke: But by following her instincts... maybe she was following His orders.
I liked Burke a lot in this scene. She seemed more competent and somehow stronger than in the last ep. Yeah, I could get used to her.
Tony's somber face when he barges into the talk between Burke and Flores, followed by the cut to Gibbs bringing home the casket? Oh, dear god. Pure genius. Kicks you right in the gut and tricks you into thinking it's Flores in there, and you find yourself yelling, no, that's not fair!
The arrival scene in Afghanistan had me scratching my head at first because all I noticed was the way Ziva seemed way too relaxed for a war zone like this. Her smiling and all -- whut?
And now, while watching the ep a second time, I find myself staring at the screen with a giant lightbulb over my head. Because it's not just her who's being relaxed.
Quincy: Smooth ride?
Gibbs: 'til somebody started shooting at us.
That's the part where Ziva starts smiling at Gibbs. And you know what? This isn't because Cote slipped up and they kept filming or something like that. This smile pops up on her face because this kind of "anything but smooth" is something they really share. This is what they did for a living. Both of them. They've both been there, a few times, in what must seem like a former life to them by now... and yet, it's a little bit like coming home for them. Just this time they have family right by their side. (In case you're wondering, yes, I have the almost desperate urge to write epic Ziva/Gibbs bonding fic over the 48 hours they spent there. *whimpers* I NEED MORE TIME!)
This is also why Ziva was the perfect choice to accompany Gibbs: putting her language skills aside, she's combat experienced. She knows what to expect and how to behave and when to take cover without him having to tell her. She's a safe choice.
The biggest issue I have is with the very unfortunate naming of the female terrorist -- Saraya -- when barely four episodes ago, we had the "little innocent girl killed in a US bombing" by the same name and her (male) relatives seeking revenge. I'm not sure if this was a serious slip up or if it was intentional. If they meant to mirror that name -- geez, what are you trying to do with that? Show us the girl she could have grown up to be? Turn her from innocent victim into potential suicide bomber? Sorry, that just really rubs me the wrong way. REALLY.
Ducky and Burke! ♥ Don't ask me why, but I adore this scene. For some reason they make me smile like Tony:
(Yes, that was gratuitous eye candy. Just in case you hadn't noticed.)
Tony: I know, shocking, but beneath this incredibly masculine body armor there is a vulnerable do-gooder.
Burke: ... vulnerable to...?
Tony: Yeah. Telling you would be like Superman telling Lex Luthor about his vulnerability to Kryptonite, it's not gonna happen.
Burke: So what is it, Clark Kent?
Did I mention I ADORE Burke? :D ♥ ♥ ♥
Gibbs, to SecNav: Careful. People are gonna think you care.
I love how Gibbs is being a rude SOB while still bonding with the SecNav. I have no idea how he does that, but I adore it. :D
Tony: I used to thrive on all-night stakeouts and sub-zero surveillance. Maybe this is a sign that something's missing from my life.
And just when that slipped out, he looks like this:
Like he's caught himself being unwillingly introspective and not lying to himself for a change and a little closer to the truth than he'd like. I think by now he is well beyond the point of accepting that, yes, something is missing from his life. And I think by now he's seriously trying to find out what would fill that hole. (Yes, I hear you moaning now. Keep in mind that we know. We've been watching them for six years. Admitting to himself that his partner could be a good place to start... that's gonna take a bit longer, and a few more layers of density need to be stripped away before he can even begin to suspect it could be this easy.)
Shallow interlude time:
You're welcome.
Love how they both hold on to their coffees until the very last moment while they chase the guy. *snorts*
Shallow interlude, part two:
Tony in the interrogation scene. Yes, he was mindblowingly sexy. Yes, he could read me a phone book in that tone of voice and I'd get off, easily. But, uhm... am I the only one thinking that didn't really accomplish anything? He didn't get one word out of the terrorist that the kid didn't plan on saying, and by the end of that scene he was still looking down at Tony arrogantly. This didn't give me anything except the yummy.
And then the scene that stole my breath and made me bawl like a baby because Cote's face... oh dear god. *sobs*
When she tells Gibbs the girls Flores saved are here:
And then, when she sees the wounds and bandages and is brutally reminded that yes, these children may be safe now, but they have been tortured...
On first viewing the long-time movie and TV geek complained because the wounds on the girls looked so fake and not like real burns at all, which pulled me out of the mood severely. But in the meantime I realized that this is, after all, prime time TV, and they have to keep it as tame as possible. By now I think the lack of realism was intentional because tortured little girls are bad enough for most viewers. There's no need to make it worse by adding gruesome detail in this case. Making it visually less realistic allows most viewers to distance themselves from it a little.
For me it's tough to watch Ziva do this -- to be completely shocked and disgusted and yet, to smile at the girls and chat them up to get their information.
I have to admit, I rolled my eyes at making the girls speak English. Yes, I know it's probably because they're American and do not actually speak Pashtu. Yes, I know it's so Cote doesn't have to deliver lines and lines and lines of text in a language she doesn't really speak. But still, that just didn't feel all that right to me, even assuming that the girls picked up a few words from the Marines. (I do realize, however, it's one of the shortcomings I'll have to accept in mainstream TV.)
Shallow interlude, part three -- BE MORE ADORABLE, I DARE YOU! ♥ ♥ ♥
Gibbs kissing the girls and Ziva, watching him with that look of utter adoration on her face. ♥ Oh, my. *sobs* He'll make a wonderful granddad for her kids.
The scene with Tony in the church... oh, my, once more. So very telling on so many levels.
I am in love with the camera perspective when he comes in - like the "big guy upstairs" is really waiting for him there and looking down at the mere mortal.
Tony: We haven't talked much. It's my bad. I'm doing the best I can down here, you know. For a DiNozzo. Hopefully living up to my end of the bargain. You do remember our bargain? Be nice to hear from you. So you have a plan? Anything you wannna share with me? How about you let me know I'm on the right track?
So, at one point Tony made a bargain with God. Now, read that line again and then roll it around in your head. Tony was at a point in his life where he was desperate enough to resort to praying. To making a bargain in exchange for... what? We don't know that yet, but my gut says it will come up again.
Is there any doubt in my mind that this is about Somalia? No. Because that is the only time in the life of Tony DiNozzo we have seen so far where "business as usual lost all meaning". It *is* about that time.
Also notice the last line -- it seems to me as if he's actually trying to (in his own way) honor the bargain now and tries to pay back what he owes. (Makes me wonder what he promised in return...) It also feels to me like he forgot about all of that for quite a while and only now comes back to it, but I can't point my finger on the why yet.
Shallow side note, part four -- can we just take a moment to appreciate the epicness that is badass!Ziva here?
And then Quincy dies, and I'm tearing up hard and thinking, damn. That wasn't necessary. That... no. I liked that guy.
It was tough to see Ziva all shaken up, and at first I wondered why she showed so much of her emotions this time.
I think the reason is simple: correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the first time she is present when a team mate dies, right? Yes, she's lost people she liked before, but I don't recall any instances where she was right there when it happened. (I don't count her Mossad days. These partnerships where quite different in nature.) And especially here, it seems like she really gets into the Marine spirit. "We'll get you home." I think she suddenly understands what true team spirit is. It's not just partners. It's more.
Burke: You intrigue me.
Tony: Oh-oh. Why?
Burke: When something's broken I want to fix it.
Tony: Well, I hate to break it to you, chaplain, but you ain't got enough tools in your woodshed.
So, get this -- he doesn't claim he's fine and everything is hunky-dory and he doesn't laugh at the notion that he's broken. For the very first time Tony admits that he isn't safe and sound. That he has issues.
And as a side note - Burke! Tiny Burke and Tony! With the arm poking and him poking back and her seeing straight through his facade and calling him out on it! *giggles like a schoolgirl*
That short flashback where they tell us that Matteson died? Yeah. *sobs* I was mostly expecting it ever since last week, but it still floored me -- mostly because it was followed by that incredible scene without any words, with Gibbs lost in his memory and his pain, and Ziva catches him at it and smiles at him because she knows. And he gives her that tiny nod, and then he looks like this, and... *sobs some more* Rip my heart out, why dontcha, show!
Also, the scene where they carry the coffin out of the plane. *chokes up*
Daddy Gibbs and his daughter...
And Daddy Flores and his daughter...
One of my issues is with the interrogation of brother and sister. I sort of get what they're trying to say here, but geez -- could they have portrayed Muslims as any more vicious and fanatical? I also realize that this is in large parts a problem of NCIS being an American TV show, but again, "Safe Harbor" comes to mind where they treated the theme in a different way. (One of the few scenes where I actually felt a vibe of honesty from the new SecNav was when he said to make it very clear this isn't because the refugees are Muslim.) Here, it's really unsettling to see not one "sane"/reasonable Afghan in the whole mix - everyone was apparently working against the troops. Sorry, but stereotypes -- regardless of what flavor -- make me feel highly uncomfortable.
Love the scene when Ziva comes back. When she's all somber and tacks Quincy's photo to her wall -- apparently she has picked up Gibbs's habit there. What I don't like about this scene is Tony, actually. Even McGee gets it for a change, that this was tough for her, but Tony makes me want to smack him for his joking around. *sighs* Ah, well, I suppose every now and then he has to relapse a little, despite all the good intentions.
I'm kind of torn about the "Gibbs interrogates the terrorist" scene. On the one hand, it seems to be a brilliant setup between Gibbs and Vance, and yeah, it gets them where they need to be. And yeah, I do realize this is still prime time TV and it is also a show about people being bound by law and by regulations and all that jazz. But just once I would like to see someone actually go through with the promise of torture, of maiming, of beating. Because seriously, does anybody ever fall for this kind of threat, no matter how good they're set up? (Yes, I do realize I might be alone there.)
The final takedown of the terrorist was kinda nice, good show, with *harr harr* the perfect punch line. Still left me vaguely unsatisfied, like... there should have been more.
And that's actually the feeling I've had for the second half of the episode -- there should have been more. More about Afghanistan, more of a struggle there, more ambiguity about her fate and more action until they find and rescue Flores, more focus on that story instead of making the whole second half about something else. That second half actually pulled me out of the mood, which is something I only realized while I am typing this.
Vance trying to send Gibbs on vacation? Priceless! That whole convo was pretty awesome and brought back some of that seamless understanding between these two that I have loved from the very beginning. For some reason this scene leaves me grinning.
And awwww, the end scene... even though there is this tiny gripe of Tony not having kissed a transvestite, but a transsexual. Big difference, but somehow NCIS doesn't seem to get it. I am not quite as emotionally outraged as other folks by that slip, but that's only because I chalk it up to Tony being a sexist, ignorant pig. (And yes, we all know he is that sometimes.)
I've seen a few people express disappointment that "It's kids? His biggest fear are kids?!" but seriously? That makes so much goddamn sense to me it boggles my mind. Because it's not just about tiny humans. It's about responsibility and lives changing and the fear of screwing up and not getting it right. And we all know how easy it is to screw up. I totally understand why Tony is desperately afraid of this.
Yes, he has claimed that "kids love him" but have we ever seen that? We've just seen him with smart-ass boys so far, and most of the time that didn't go too well. We've never seen him with girls, especially such small ones. And I get the fear for another reason, too. Kids at that age are brutally honest. If they don't like you, they won't just roll their eyes and pop in their headphones. At this age, they'll tell you to your face. They don't hide anything -- and they can't be foolen by fancy clothing and a charmer's smile. I totally get why someone like Tony would be shaking with fear of having someone that tiny and honest say to his face, "I don't like you. Go away."
But seriously, guys. How can you be disappointed when this mini!Ziva gets up and smiles at him and then hugs him? And she likes him? ♥
And not only that, she clings to him and doesn't let go until he eases up and is no longer quite as terrified. (WE NEED TO TEACH GROWN-UP ZIVA THAT TRICK!!!)
Seriously, show! I am trying so very, very hard *not* to go "there" in my "Absence" series, but between my last chapter and this episode? I don't think you'll leave me a real choice here! *whimpers* *wails* *tears hair*
As for the people who will most likely complain because Tony and Ziva weren't together for this... uhm, sorry, but I can't hear you over the sounds of me happydancing. Because if you can't see that with this scene they're setting up the groundwork of Tony the father, Tony the responsible human being, Tony who faces his fears of intimacy... then please go play with the Bones crowd and leave the slow, subtle foundation-building to me and my happiness.
Also, Burke's face! ♥
And the finger paint mini!Ziva leaves on his pants! *snorts*
Did I mention that I love their dynamic? ♥
And yeah, the end scene ripped my heart out a little, with Gibbs saying goodbye to Matteson. The dates on her grave marker shocked me a bit -- she died in 1977? Then again, it put my little shipper heart in a more peaceful state because that was before he was with Shannon, right? (I have to admit that the scenes of attraction/flirtation between her and Gibbs left me a bit uneasy.)
All in all it was a solid episode. It had some really great moments, in some ways it could have been handled better, certainly, but that was nothing to other GG scripts of the horrendous variety like "Mother's Day" or "Pyramid". Not the best episode ever, but certainly worth watching, even though it left me slightly longing for something packing the same punch that part 1 had.