About NCIS 9x11 - Newborn King
I liked how they went along with the whole Christmas theme and played the story to its fullest, from "no room at the inn" to the baby being quasi-royalty. Side note, though - THIS is the "premiere suite"? Uhm, I think I'll take the stable instead, thanks...
The gratuitous, blatant, sprawling hotness that is Michael Weatherly at his finest:
Seriously, how does anyone around him get any work done...? *happysighs*
Tony: Tiny Jim. To what do we owe this lovely... sweater vest?
Palmer: Thank you, Tony, for noticing.
I loved these two in this episode. Actually, I loved all of them with and around Palmer, big time. They had a lot of great, great scenes in this ep, and some of these got pretty much ignored by fandom. Like this one:
Palmer: Breena wanted us to bond before the wedding. She thinks that his main problem with me is my job.
Tony: Autopsy gremlin.
Palmer: Yeah, if we could keep that kind of talk to a minimum while he's here...?
Tony: I say it with the utmost respect.
Palmer: Oh, I know that. I know that. But Ed doesn't. You guys, he actually thinks that I'm stuck in some government job that pays too little and requires too many hours.
Gibbs: You are. Get off my desk.
And here I giggled like mad because I not only love the whole exchange, no, apparently Ziva really is a very speschuhl snowflake. She's allowed to park her lovely butt on Papa Gibbs's desk! :D
What most people apparently COMPLETELY missed was this exchange:
Palmer: Ah, yes, duty calls. So I better call Ed and cancel!
Gibbs: Hold on, you're not going anywhere, Palmer. Family first.
Family first. I think that's one of the most important lines in the whole episode. This comes from Gibbs, folks, and it tells us a lot about the man who usually lets them pull double and triple hours... because so far, none of them has a family? I think he'd back off hard if they'd want that at one point. He'd be a good man and a good godfather to their kids, and he'd love them just as much if they decided to cut some time from the job and invest it in love and their lives. But so far, ALL of them, with the notable exception of Mr. Palmer, are just as alone as Gibbs is. And that, in the end, is what forges them together.
Ed is a real asshole. He's the kind of person I highly dislike in person - arrogant, too sure of his own opinion, running all over people. Hate how he makes Jimmy shut up all the time and puts him down.
BUT. I think he is also extremely well written, well played and one of the most realistic guest characters we've had in a while. We all know someone who is exactly like that, right? And I loved what he brought out of the rest of the team - compassion, understanding, deep sympathy for Palmer. And support. I *loved* Gibbs's "I can't say enough about his work ethic".
Also loved how Tony seemed almost mellow in this ep. His "good job" to the county cop? So very unlike the Tony we know!
Emma: I'm a Marine first and pregnant second.
Gibbs: Oorah.
Emma: Oo-right.
I love that woman. She has spunk and fire. I really bought her as the tough fighter lady who's suddenly in way over her head with the whole unexpected motherhood thing. I think the chasing and the fighting? That actually gave her back some of what she's used to, some ground rules she could follow.
The line I totally missed during my first viewing:
Gibbs: Things got romantic.
Emma: At least what passes as romantic in that hell hole. Sand can get into pretty inconvenient places.
LOOK AT ZIVA'S FACE WHEN EMMA SAYS THAT! SHE KNOWS WHAT THAT WOMAN IS TALKING ABOUT LOLOLOL!
Random fact - the baby's father died in May. She's gone through most of the pregnancy on her own then. No wonder it's wearing her thin.
LOVED McGee being stubborn with the DoD guy, digging further and further and not letting go like a pitbull. We rarely see that side of him. Me likes.
Other random side note:
Not only did they both get their hot chocolate with the tiny marshmellows, they also got larger cups than the first one he brought. AND they're chatting away quite animatedly, with Emma smiling and Ziva nodding along. THERE'S FANFICTION IN THIS, GUYS, I SWEAR!
I have fierce, mad love for Abby giving Ed a time-out for inappropriate behavior! And Jimmy's shocked look at the statement that "girls with tattoos are easy"! (Remember when Tony said the same to Kate?)
Ducky talking to Palmer and looking downright scared when he thinks Palmer might leave him for another job. Oh my poor heart! I think for the first time Ducky realized that he really likes that young man and that he would miss him if he went away.
Also, "Tell that to Mr. Ed"? Priceless! For those of you who are too young to know why this was so hilarious...
The scene that made me really love Emma because it rang so very true for her character was at the gas station with Gibbs.
Emma: That's what I like about being a Marine. Procedures, the code. I like having a measurable set of expectations. I could always tell how good I was doing, but with this... how do I know?
And here, my dear friends, we have it spelled out, word for word, why Tony's biggest fear were small children, yes?
I also love the Russian mercenary very, very passionately. I think he's brilliantly cast and really manages to tread the dangerously thin line between bad guy and goofy character. He's a real badass, I love his voice, I love his cranky face... but I also totally and completely love the scene where they "crack" him in interrogation, with his extremely comical expressions going all over the place and the guys working together so, so smoothly. It's such a brilliantly done scene that I could watch it over and over without getting tired of it!
More random blantant hotness:
I just want to licklicklick him all day long. Can I? Puh-leaaaase? *whimpers*
Russian: I will stop eating coockies.
I have no idea if it's his voice or his face that cracks me up more but omg, I'm seriously dying over here. *makes mental note to gif this* Maybe it's just because I grew up with bad, trashy 80s movies, but I love this line so fiercely that I have no words. ^^
Palmer: You might not respect me or what it is we do here, but you have got to respect the fact that these people - MY people - are risking their lives.
Ed: Well, if you gotta put it like that...
Palmer: There's no other way to put it.
Oh, Palmer, my fierce little baby lion! That is such an awesome moment for him that it made my heart flow over with love. He looked so incredibly grown up there, och! ♥ And look at that expression on Ed's face and the tiny smile after Jimmy tells him to sit down and shut up! He's actually, for the very first time, impressed by that young man!
And with that we reach the one scene I have (several) issues with - the end fight while delivering the baby.
Actually, it started earlier, with Ziva just standing around and looking at the broken car sceptically the whole time instead of trying to find a way to get out of this shit while Gibbs has to do the cheerleading.
I also didn't care much for the gun fight itself because it looked so cliché John Woo/Hongkong action movie style that it felt totally out of place for NCIS. I also have no love for the way Ziva has what must be the clearest shot ever for her quite a few times, but still manages to go all A-Team on the Russian and empties two guns at him without hitting him once.
AND it felt completely weird to have this montage with McGee and Tony riding to the rescue... and then suddenly nothing. I suspect for time constraints some stuff ended on the cutting room floor here, but I for one would have actually liked it if, say, Ziva loses the fight and her men get her out of danger just in time.
I also have issues with the fact that Gibbs had to deliver the baby. Yeah, I know she trusts him more as a fellow Marine, and yeah, I know it was done so he could sort of have this instead of the daughter whose birth he was deployed for, but I still would have liked it if Ziva had gotten a moment to think about later instead of going back to what she "does best" - killing people. :( There's even a sad ring to her voice when she tells Gibbs "I got this covered", as if she's unhappy about this, too.
The final squad room scene feels weird, too. I am left guessing that Ziva and possibly Gibbs are with Emma at the hospital, but we don't know, and somehow, that sits weirdly with me. (There's a lot of fanfiction in that one, too, though, so I'll keep that thought in mind for later.)
Random squee: I adore Palmer and Breena together. I really do. I can't wait for the wedding ep. ♥
Which brings me to the basement scene. I have seen a lot of opinions about that online today. Most of the people are apparently uneasy about it, not sure what to make of it, hate the fact that Gibbs told him he should have gone to see Wendy etc.
Except that he didn't. That's not really what this scene is about, but to see that, let me put it down for you in its entirety first:
Tony: "You think I made a mistake?"
Gibbs: "I think you made it twice now."
Tony: "Well, when I joined NCIS, I knew what you expected of me. Everything. Doesn’t exactly leave a lot of room for the Wendys of the world."
Gibbs: "Did you come here to blame me, Dinozzo?"
Tony: "No, boss."
Gibbs: "Good."
Tony: "Family and job. Two different cups."
Gibbs: "That’s right."
Tony: "And if I couldn’t fill both, that was my problem."
Gibbs: "Hmm hmm.."
Tony: "What if I can now?"
Gibbs: "Then get out of my basement! Man up and move on."
Tony: "Like you have?"
Gibbs: "Don’t be like me! Learn from it."
Tony: "Good talk... Merry Christmas."
Gibbs: "Hey, are you coming or not? Leyla’s making lamb."
Tony: "You sure it’s all right?"
Gibbs: "Yeah, I told her you were coming."
Tony: "When?"
Gibbs: "I told her last week. You’re not going to find what you’re looking for down here, Dinozzo. Come on."
So many things happen here that I am actually left in awe. It's one of the most revealing scenes about BOTH characters we have ever seen. Please bear with me, though, if I just point out some seemingly random facts about it:
The "mistake" isn't that Tony left Wendy. The real mistake is that he put his job first, again, and not the family. Because I think Gibbs truly believes in what he said earlier - "Family first." And I truly believe he wants his adoptive family to be genuinely happy and have what he couldn't have.
Gibbs's basement, the place where they all go to flee from reality, to deal with things they don't really want to face, the place where they come to hide from the ugly realities of life. And here, in his tiny little refuge from reality, Gibbs tells Tony to "man up and move on". To go out there and do what he needs to do in order to be happy. To stop moping and start getting shit done instead.
Also, do you realize that Tony is actually asking for his permission here to go ahead and get a life of his own? DO YOU? "Back then, I could give you and the job my all. But what happens if I want something else now, boss? Will you be okay with this?"
And Gibbs tells him to get the fuck out and get on with it already. I cannot stress the importance of this: He tells Tony to go out there and have a family and some love in his life and do better than he did.
Which brings me to the (for me) most important and most underrated realization of this whole talk - that Gibbs, in some ways, considers himself a failure. He never really got his shit together, and he knows that. He knows it's one of his few weaknesses. (Side note: Even he started doing better lately. Instead of boats and man toys he now builds kid's toys and touches up bikes. Stuff that makes other people smile. Stuff that makes kids happy. And he's taken care of Mike Franks's family. I think these two girls fill part of the void in him. He's still got a long way to go, but I think right now, this is actually as happy and as content as he's able to get on his own.)
And there's also the small thing of him knowing Tony wouldn't go to lunch with Wendy. Because Wendy isn't what Tony needs anyway.
Just for good measure, once more: Gibbs knows Tony needs more out of life than work and his basement. Gibbs knows Tony needs love and laughter and family. And Gibbs encourages him to go out there and look for it.
There is nothing wrong with this whole scene. Not a single fucking thing.
So what's the Tiva status again? ~
Tony: Single, no family, well-liked. But, according to his unit, the only thing he made time for was his job. Kinda sad, really.
Ziva: Precisely why you should reconsider lunch with Wendy.
Yes, I have to admit that I slept uneasy after that scene, too, and I could have done without it. Or have someone else push Tony to see Wendy again, maybe. I didn't like it, and I can certainly understand why some people see this as sure confirmation that "Tiva is never going to happen".
However. ;)
It's still Tony we're talking about here. He needs pushing. He needs prodding. He has a hunch of what he wants by now, but he has no clue about how to pursue that, and so he still needs a few pointers here and there. Also, remember that he trusts Ziva. Trusts her judgment when it comes to "being who he needs to be". He listens to her advice and thinks she doesn't do half bad with "getting him" these days.
As for why the idea of Wendy was tempting for a minute, that's scarily easy - she was familiar. He knew her, he liked her back then, and she apparently still liked him enough to contact him randomly and let him know in a very un-subtle way that she's single again and wants to see more of him.
He knows her. He knows his way around her. She said yes once, and she apparently still wants him around, so it wouldn't be all that hard to get her back. And she comes with a pre-assembled family, too. He could get it all in one fell swoop.
Except that he doesn't want it like that after all - the easy way. Because it's not really the endgame that feels right to him. He wants all of this... but not with Wendy.
Random side note about Wendy (and it sounds so, so weird to constantly use the name of one of your best friends, lol!): I do not really like her character all that much, even though we have seen little of it yet. Because seriously? Last time they spoke (presumably when he decided to give the NCIS job his all) was nine years ago. She already has a kid that's seven. She really didn't wait all that long to find the next potential breeder, right? And after that ship has sailed... she didn't waste much time to try and get Tony back. And seriously, "family Christmas lunch" after they haven't spoken in nine years?! I think she's... not exactly a player, really. I don't have a good name for it yet, but I have a hunch that she might show a lot of similarities to Jeanne Benoit.
As for why Ziva is "pushing him into Wendy's arms"? It feels weird, yes, even out of character if we consider her tendency to become jealous herself, but remember that, essentially, she does want him to be happy. She knows he's troubled by his own needs and wants and he doesn't have it all figured out yet. Also remember that, technically, she is still in a "relationship". And then please recall that the last time they spoke about working relationships and such... he hurt the fuck out of her when he told her that it worked so nicely with EJ because it was all so easy (implying that it wouldn't be with her - which may or may not be true, but with her background and emotional baggage, she has to assume just that). Currently, she is assuming she'll eventually get a home and family with Ray. Because she can't get it with Tony. And since Tony shows signs of lacking something in his life, he might as well try out if a taste of family life is right for him. (I think in some ways she might even consider this a subconscious test for him, too - if he doesn't bail out on this one, if he isn't scared by the emotional baggage and the concept of a kid involved... he might be husband material after all.)
I think neither of them realizes that over the past months they have gotten a lot closer than they think, and they are already neck-deep in a relationship that doesn't really leave room for others. Currently, it feels very "safe" because the respective other is sort of off limits, and that's why they can indulge in the nice-and-easy closeness without thinking twice about it. Of course, that will all come to a screeching halt once Ziva kicks Ray out of her life (and I don't really have any doubts she will do just that, even if there are still a few bumps in the road ahead of us). And just like that, things will be back to being un-safe between Tony and Ziva, and I think they might even realize around that time that they actually want the same thing out of life these days.
Why do I think that T/Z is still the most likely outcome of all of this? The reason is simple - it's only logical to assume that they go for this, IF they let either of them settle down.
All that buildup with Tony wanting his own family, of him wanting to "make life count"... that's leading up to something for sure, they didn't do that just to let it fizzle away again. Will they use it to introduce a new female character to make him settle down, though?
...
...
...
I think you're nuts for even assuming that one second.
Look how badly Jeanne went down. Look how badly EJ went down. And then remember that interview with Mark Harmon where he said that people don't mind Tony having his girlfriends off-screen, as long as it doesn't seriously disturb the T/Z dynamic.
TPTB are aware of the fact that a lot of casual viewers either assume Tony and Ziva are together or will be together at one point. They are aware that a lot of people really like the idea. I also strongly assume they don't go by online reactions most of the time - yes, they have a moderately open ear for suggestions, but they also know the vocal fans aren't the big part of the viewer base they are filming the show for. I would bet my right eye on the fact that they have regular surveys and test screenings with a bunch of "normal people", to gauge reactions and to try out story ideas.
And, as my currently final exhibit, remember MW himself saying in that fairly recent interview that all these things "might make Tony more able to pursue a relationship with Ziva". Roll that around on your tongue for a bit and then think about all that has happened in this and the past few eps - and the things that are about to happen in the future ones. He didn't just say "pursue a serious relationship", which would have left it open to some interpretation and a lot more fretting. He, Michael, the same guy who always said pretty openly that he tought it wouldn't work all that well... suddenly says his character might go for his partner.
And just because I feel like ending this on a really high note, let me share my biggest "Awwwwwww!" moment of the whole evening - the opening scene that apparently nobody cared to take a closer look at.
A collecting bin, with toys for kids in need? AND TONY, CASUALLY TOSSING IN A GIFT OF HIS OWN. FOR KIDS. FOR TINY HUMANS.
Apparently no one seems to have realized what a humongous step that was for our joker. He's not only GIVNG GIFTS GENEROUSLY, without getting anything in return... he's bringing a gift for a kid that's about the same age that not too long ago scared the bejesus out of him.
Anyone else think that kindergarten visit changed A WHOLE FUCKING LOT in him?! (I can only repeat myself - there's so much fucking fanfiction in this episode IT HURTS MA BRAIN!!!)
So, essentially, I am a lot happier now that I finished writing this review than I was last night. Because yeah, there are some issues I have, but it's easy to cope with them. And I sure as fuck still have my rose-colored glasses firmly in place. Rock on.
The gratuitous, blatant, sprawling hotness that is Michael Weatherly at his finest:
Seriously, how does anyone around him get any work done...? *happysighs*
Tony: Tiny Jim. To what do we owe this lovely... sweater vest?
Palmer: Thank you, Tony, for noticing.
I loved these two in this episode. Actually, I loved all of them with and around Palmer, big time. They had a lot of great, great scenes in this ep, and some of these got pretty much ignored by fandom. Like this one:
Palmer: Breena wanted us to bond before the wedding. She thinks that his main problem with me is my job.
Tony: Autopsy gremlin.
Palmer: Yeah, if we could keep that kind of talk to a minimum while he's here...?
Tony: I say it with the utmost respect.
Palmer: Oh, I know that. I know that. But Ed doesn't. You guys, he actually thinks that I'm stuck in some government job that pays too little and requires too many hours.
Gibbs: You are. Get off my desk.
And here I giggled like mad because I not only love the whole exchange, no, apparently Ziva really is a very speschuhl snowflake. She's allowed to park her lovely butt on Papa Gibbs's desk! :D
What most people apparently COMPLETELY missed was this exchange:
Palmer: Ah, yes, duty calls. So I better call Ed and cancel!
Gibbs: Hold on, you're not going anywhere, Palmer. Family first.
Family first. I think that's one of the most important lines in the whole episode. This comes from Gibbs, folks, and it tells us a lot about the man who usually lets them pull double and triple hours... because so far, none of them has a family? I think he'd back off hard if they'd want that at one point. He'd be a good man and a good godfather to their kids, and he'd love them just as much if they decided to cut some time from the job and invest it in love and their lives. But so far, ALL of them, with the notable exception of Mr. Palmer, are just as alone as Gibbs is. And that, in the end, is what forges them together.
Ed is a real asshole. He's the kind of person I highly dislike in person - arrogant, too sure of his own opinion, running all over people. Hate how he makes Jimmy shut up all the time and puts him down.
BUT. I think he is also extremely well written, well played and one of the most realistic guest characters we've had in a while. We all know someone who is exactly like that, right? And I loved what he brought out of the rest of the team - compassion, understanding, deep sympathy for Palmer. And support. I *loved* Gibbs's "I can't say enough about his work ethic".
Also loved how Tony seemed almost mellow in this ep. His "good job" to the county cop? So very unlike the Tony we know!
Emma: I'm a Marine first and pregnant second.
Gibbs: Oorah.
Emma: Oo-right.
I love that woman. She has spunk and fire. I really bought her as the tough fighter lady who's suddenly in way over her head with the whole unexpected motherhood thing. I think the chasing and the fighting? That actually gave her back some of what she's used to, some ground rules she could follow.
The line I totally missed during my first viewing:
Gibbs: Things got romantic.
Emma: At least what passes as romantic in that hell hole. Sand can get into pretty inconvenient places.
LOOK AT ZIVA'S FACE WHEN EMMA SAYS THAT! SHE KNOWS WHAT THAT WOMAN IS TALKING ABOUT LOLOLOL!
Random fact - the baby's father died in May. She's gone through most of the pregnancy on her own then. No wonder it's wearing her thin.
LOVED McGee being stubborn with the DoD guy, digging further and further and not letting go like a pitbull. We rarely see that side of him. Me likes.
Other random side note:
Not only did they both get their hot chocolate with the tiny marshmellows, they also got larger cups than the first one he brought. AND they're chatting away quite animatedly, with Emma smiling and Ziva nodding along. THERE'S FANFICTION IN THIS, GUYS, I SWEAR!
I have fierce, mad love for Abby giving Ed a time-out for inappropriate behavior! And Jimmy's shocked look at the statement that "girls with tattoos are easy"! (Remember when Tony said the same to Kate?)
Ducky talking to Palmer and looking downright scared when he thinks Palmer might leave him for another job. Oh my poor heart! I think for the first time Ducky realized that he really likes that young man and that he would miss him if he went away.
Also, "Tell that to Mr. Ed"? Priceless! For those of you who are too young to know why this was so hilarious...
Click to viewThe scene that made me really love Emma because it rang so very true for her character was at the gas station with Gibbs.
Emma: That's what I like about being a Marine. Procedures, the code. I like having a measurable set of expectations. I could always tell how good I was doing, but with this... how do I know?
And here, my dear friends, we have it spelled out, word for word, why Tony's biggest fear were small children, yes?
I also love the Russian mercenary very, very passionately. I think he's brilliantly cast and really manages to tread the dangerously thin line between bad guy and goofy character. He's a real badass, I love his voice, I love his cranky face... but I also totally and completely love the scene where they "crack" him in interrogation, with his extremely comical expressions going all over the place and the guys working together so, so smoothly. It's such a brilliantly done scene that I could watch it over and over without getting tired of it!
More random blantant hotness:
I just want to licklicklick him all day long. Can I? Puh-leaaaase? *whimpers*
Russian: I will stop eating coockies.
I have no idea if it's his voice or his face that cracks me up more but omg, I'm seriously dying over here. *makes mental note to gif this* Maybe it's just because I grew up with bad, trashy 80s movies, but I love this line so fiercely that I have no words. ^^
Palmer: You might not respect me or what it is we do here, but you have got to respect the fact that these people - MY people - are risking their lives.
Ed: Well, if you gotta put it like that...
Palmer: There's no other way to put it.
Oh, Palmer, my fierce little baby lion! That is such an awesome moment for him that it made my heart flow over with love. He looked so incredibly grown up there, och! ♥ And look at that expression on Ed's face and the tiny smile after Jimmy tells him to sit down and shut up! He's actually, for the very first time, impressed by that young man!
And with that we reach the one scene I have (several) issues with - the end fight while delivering the baby.
Actually, it started earlier, with Ziva just standing around and looking at the broken car sceptically the whole time instead of trying to find a way to get out of this shit while Gibbs has to do the cheerleading.
I also didn't care much for the gun fight itself because it looked so cliché John Woo/Hongkong action movie style that it felt totally out of place for NCIS. I also have no love for the way Ziva has what must be the clearest shot ever for her quite a few times, but still manages to go all A-Team on the Russian and empties two guns at him without hitting him once.
AND it felt completely weird to have this montage with McGee and Tony riding to the rescue... and then suddenly nothing. I suspect for time constraints some stuff ended on the cutting room floor here, but I for one would have actually liked it if, say, Ziva loses the fight and her men get her out of danger just in time.
I also have issues with the fact that Gibbs had to deliver the baby. Yeah, I know she trusts him more as a fellow Marine, and yeah, I know it was done so he could sort of have this instead of the daughter whose birth he was deployed for, but I still would have liked it if Ziva had gotten a moment to think about later instead of going back to what she "does best" - killing people. :( There's even a sad ring to her voice when she tells Gibbs "I got this covered", as if she's unhappy about this, too.
The final squad room scene feels weird, too. I am left guessing that Ziva and possibly Gibbs are with Emma at the hospital, but we don't know, and somehow, that sits weirdly with me. (There's a lot of fanfiction in that one, too, though, so I'll keep that thought in mind for later.)
Random squee: I adore Palmer and Breena together. I really do. I can't wait for the wedding ep. ♥
Which brings me to the basement scene. I have seen a lot of opinions about that online today. Most of the people are apparently uneasy about it, not sure what to make of it, hate the fact that Gibbs told him he should have gone to see Wendy etc.
Except that he didn't. That's not really what this scene is about, but to see that, let me put it down for you in its entirety first:
Tony: "You think I made a mistake?"
Gibbs: "I think you made it twice now."
Tony: "Well, when I joined NCIS, I knew what you expected of me. Everything. Doesn’t exactly leave a lot of room for the Wendys of the world."
Gibbs: "Did you come here to blame me, Dinozzo?"
Tony: "No, boss."
Gibbs: "Good."
Tony: "Family and job. Two different cups."
Gibbs: "That’s right."
Tony: "And if I couldn’t fill both, that was my problem."
Gibbs: "Hmm hmm.."
Tony: "What if I can now?"
Gibbs: "Then get out of my basement! Man up and move on."
Tony: "Like you have?"
Gibbs: "Don’t be like me! Learn from it."
Tony: "Good talk... Merry Christmas."
Gibbs: "Hey, are you coming or not? Leyla’s making lamb."
Tony: "You sure it’s all right?"
Gibbs: "Yeah, I told her you were coming."
Tony: "When?"
Gibbs: "I told her last week. You’re not going to find what you’re looking for down here, Dinozzo. Come on."
So many things happen here that I am actually left in awe. It's one of the most revealing scenes about BOTH characters we have ever seen. Please bear with me, though, if I just point out some seemingly random facts about it:
The "mistake" isn't that Tony left Wendy. The real mistake is that he put his job first, again, and not the family. Because I think Gibbs truly believes in what he said earlier - "Family first." And I truly believe he wants his adoptive family to be genuinely happy and have what he couldn't have.
Gibbs's basement, the place where they all go to flee from reality, to deal with things they don't really want to face, the place where they come to hide from the ugly realities of life. And here, in his tiny little refuge from reality, Gibbs tells Tony to "man up and move on". To go out there and do what he needs to do in order to be happy. To stop moping and start getting shit done instead.
Also, do you realize that Tony is actually asking for his permission here to go ahead and get a life of his own? DO YOU? "Back then, I could give you and the job my all. But what happens if I want something else now, boss? Will you be okay with this?"
And Gibbs tells him to get the fuck out and get on with it already. I cannot stress the importance of this: He tells Tony to go out there and have a family and some love in his life and do better than he did.
Which brings me to the (for me) most important and most underrated realization of this whole talk - that Gibbs, in some ways, considers himself a failure. He never really got his shit together, and he knows that. He knows it's one of his few weaknesses. (Side note: Even he started doing better lately. Instead of boats and man toys he now builds kid's toys and touches up bikes. Stuff that makes other people smile. Stuff that makes kids happy. And he's taken care of Mike Franks's family. I think these two girls fill part of the void in him. He's still got a long way to go, but I think right now, this is actually as happy and as content as he's able to get on his own.)
And there's also the small thing of him knowing Tony wouldn't go to lunch with Wendy. Because Wendy isn't what Tony needs anyway.
Just for good measure, once more: Gibbs knows Tony needs more out of life than work and his basement. Gibbs knows Tony needs love and laughter and family. And Gibbs encourages him to go out there and look for it.
There is nothing wrong with this whole scene. Not a single fucking thing.
So what's the Tiva status again? ~
Tony: Single, no family, well-liked. But, according to his unit, the only thing he made time for was his job. Kinda sad, really.
Ziva: Precisely why you should reconsider lunch with Wendy.
Yes, I have to admit that I slept uneasy after that scene, too, and I could have done without it. Or have someone else push Tony to see Wendy again, maybe. I didn't like it, and I can certainly understand why some people see this as sure confirmation that "Tiva is never going to happen".
However. ;)
It's still Tony we're talking about here. He needs pushing. He needs prodding. He has a hunch of what he wants by now, but he has no clue about how to pursue that, and so he still needs a few pointers here and there. Also, remember that he trusts Ziva. Trusts her judgment when it comes to "being who he needs to be". He listens to her advice and thinks she doesn't do half bad with "getting him" these days.
As for why the idea of Wendy was tempting for a minute, that's scarily easy - she was familiar. He knew her, he liked her back then, and she apparently still liked him enough to contact him randomly and let him know in a very un-subtle way that she's single again and wants to see more of him.
He knows her. He knows his way around her. She said yes once, and she apparently still wants him around, so it wouldn't be all that hard to get her back. And she comes with a pre-assembled family, too. He could get it all in one fell swoop.
Except that he doesn't want it like that after all - the easy way. Because it's not really the endgame that feels right to him. He wants all of this... but not with Wendy.
Random side note about Wendy (and it sounds so, so weird to constantly use the name of one of your best friends, lol!): I do not really like her character all that much, even though we have seen little of it yet. Because seriously? Last time they spoke (presumably when he decided to give the NCIS job his all) was nine years ago. She already has a kid that's seven. She really didn't wait all that long to find the next potential breeder, right? And after that ship has sailed... she didn't waste much time to try and get Tony back. And seriously, "family Christmas lunch" after they haven't spoken in nine years?! I think she's... not exactly a player, really. I don't have a good name for it yet, but I have a hunch that she might show a lot of similarities to Jeanne Benoit.
As for why Ziva is "pushing him into Wendy's arms"? It feels weird, yes, even out of character if we consider her tendency to become jealous herself, but remember that, essentially, she does want him to be happy. She knows he's troubled by his own needs and wants and he doesn't have it all figured out yet. Also remember that, technically, she is still in a "relationship". And then please recall that the last time they spoke about working relationships and such... he hurt the fuck out of her when he told her that it worked so nicely with EJ because it was all so easy (implying that it wouldn't be with her - which may or may not be true, but with her background and emotional baggage, she has to assume just that). Currently, she is assuming she'll eventually get a home and family with Ray. Because she can't get it with Tony. And since Tony shows signs of lacking something in his life, he might as well try out if a taste of family life is right for him. (I think in some ways she might even consider this a subconscious test for him, too - if he doesn't bail out on this one, if he isn't scared by the emotional baggage and the concept of a kid involved... he might be husband material after all.)
I think neither of them realizes that over the past months they have gotten a lot closer than they think, and they are already neck-deep in a relationship that doesn't really leave room for others. Currently, it feels very "safe" because the respective other is sort of off limits, and that's why they can indulge in the nice-and-easy closeness without thinking twice about it. Of course, that will all come to a screeching halt once Ziva kicks Ray out of her life (and I don't really have any doubts she will do just that, even if there are still a few bumps in the road ahead of us). And just like that, things will be back to being un-safe between Tony and Ziva, and I think they might even realize around that time that they actually want the same thing out of life these days.
Why do I think that T/Z is still the most likely outcome of all of this? The reason is simple - it's only logical to assume that they go for this, IF they let either of them settle down.
All that buildup with Tony wanting his own family, of him wanting to "make life count"... that's leading up to something for sure, they didn't do that just to let it fizzle away again. Will they use it to introduce a new female character to make him settle down, though?
...
...
...
I think you're nuts for even assuming that one second.
Look how badly Jeanne went down. Look how badly EJ went down. And then remember that interview with Mark Harmon where he said that people don't mind Tony having his girlfriends off-screen, as long as it doesn't seriously disturb the T/Z dynamic.
TPTB are aware of the fact that a lot of casual viewers either assume Tony and Ziva are together or will be together at one point. They are aware that a lot of people really like the idea. I also strongly assume they don't go by online reactions most of the time - yes, they have a moderately open ear for suggestions, but they also know the vocal fans aren't the big part of the viewer base they are filming the show for. I would bet my right eye on the fact that they have regular surveys and test screenings with a bunch of "normal people", to gauge reactions and to try out story ideas.
And, as my currently final exhibit, remember MW himself saying in that fairly recent interview that all these things "might make Tony more able to pursue a relationship with Ziva". Roll that around on your tongue for a bit and then think about all that has happened in this and the past few eps - and the things that are about to happen in the future ones. He didn't just say "pursue a serious relationship", which would have left it open to some interpretation and a lot more fretting. He, Michael, the same guy who always said pretty openly that he tought it wouldn't work all that well... suddenly says his character might go for his partner.
And just because I feel like ending this on a really high note, let me share my biggest "Awwwwwww!" moment of the whole evening - the opening scene that apparently nobody cared to take a closer look at.
A collecting bin, with toys for kids in need? AND TONY, CASUALLY TOSSING IN A GIFT OF HIS OWN. FOR KIDS. FOR TINY HUMANS.
Apparently no one seems to have realized what a humongous step that was for our joker. He's not only GIVNG GIFTS GENEROUSLY, without getting anything in return... he's bringing a gift for a kid that's about the same age that not too long ago scared the bejesus out of him.
Anyone else think that kindergarten visit changed A WHOLE FUCKING LOT in him?! (I can only repeat myself - there's so much fucking fanfiction in this episode IT HURTS MA BRAIN!!!)
So, essentially, I am a lot happier now that I finished writing this review than I was last night. Because yeah, there are some issues I have, but it's easy to cope with them. And I sure as fuck still have my rose-colored glasses firmly in place. Rock on.