About NCIS 10x02 - Recovery, or: 5,000 words of gushing, flailing and helpless fannish ecstasy
Quite a while ago, I realized that most of my favorite episodes are most likely not in that list of favorites just because of the writing. Yes, yes, the majority of them was written by Jesse Stern, granted, but there were also some others he hadn't touched. The common factor in them turned out to be the director, Dennis Smith, who just seems to tickle that special kind of performance out of our guys (all of them, not just Michael and Cote) that turns an episode from good and emotional to hits you straight in the gut. He just seems to "get" the characters in a way the others don't - not to that extent, you know?
So yeah, over time his name attached to an episode has always raised the bar of expectation for me to an almost unreasonable level. Just like last night, when he was the one to direct an episode that already sounded promising from the short blurb they gave us... and yeah, Dennis delivered. Boy, did he deliver. He wrapped that package up so neatly and sold it to me hook, line, and sinker, and I am still all emotional and raw and crying uncontrollably at random moments. I am so fucking glad I didn't have to go in for work today, you seriously have no idea...
If you came here for a clear, precise, logical analysis of that episode... uhm, forget about it right now, okay? I can't, as we say on Tumblr. There is no way I can lean back and lay this out neatly and essay-like, because this whole episode just tugged at my heartstrings over and over again, in so many different ways that I don't have the chance to look at much of it in a rational way. All I can do right now is relive all of it and clutch my chest some more and whimper pathetically while I type this. And hope you'll get what I mean because you feel the same.
Oh, right - there'll be an awful lot of this going on *points at gif* and Sammy's gonna sparkle fairy dust out of her ass about the whole Tiva goodness in this one. You have been warned. ;)
And now, as they say, on with the show...
Tony: I've been thinking about your position. How does one get to be a Navy facilities manager anyway?
Judy: Well, same way one gets to be a Very Special Agent, I imagine.
Tony: So, good looks, a nice smile, and a little luck?
Judy: Uh, hard work, determination, and as for the luck, I prefer to make my own.
So, my show starts out with the one thing that had the Tony/Ziva folks in a shizz ever since the spoiler about it leaked... The Judy. And the flirting. And Tony putting the moves on her. And yeah, granted, the timing with the other spoiler about a possible love thingie happening for Tony... wasn't the best, to put it mildly. Did I believe for a second this new love could be Judy? Naw, even if Glasberg himself would have hinted it. Not after a careful buildup spanning almost two seasons. Not after the way they structured this evolution and let Tony and Ziva grow closer and closer with each case. There was so much careful storytelling at work here that there is simply no other way how this can turn out - with Tony and Ziva figuring it out, eventually, and being together.
So, no, I wasn't concerned over this. And the way they actually played this out in the ep - I liked it. A lot. Because it *was* nice to see Tony "in action", so to speak. Someone on Tumblr commented that the flirting felt awkward, but I disagree. I've rarely seen him this smooth, this direct. No stumbling over his words, he was charming and, quite frankly, stunning in his "attack", and yeah, he looked fucking good in that jacket. That was actually a flirty!Tony at his best... and he still didn't get anywhere.
Tony: You are also the best-smelling Navy facilities manager I've ever met.
Highly amusing, imo - as soon as he starts putting the moves on The Judy, the radar of his office wife goes ding ding ding and she zooms in on the action with a death glare that isn't hard to interpret. *snickers*
And the moment it goes from flirty banter to straight attack... someone sure feels the need to cockblock interfere... *cackles*
Confession - yes, I know the McBitchface is supposed to be a direct reaction to a jab from Tony, but you know what? My shipper brains says that expression is also based on the fact that McGee doesn't like it when Tony flirts this blatantly in front of Ziva. *nods firmly*
Tony: Seriously, McGee. Paint?
Ziva: Seriously, best smelling facilities manager?
Seriously, I love my girl when she's possessive and annoyed at other women in her turf. And just like Tony, she seems to be slipping up more and more as the weeks progress. ♥
Ziva: Rent a room already.
Tony: Get. It's 'get a room', and I would have already if I didn't have two player haters chiming in from the cheap seats.
So, yeah, I have to admit it, part of me loves it when a show breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly. It doesn't work for every show, and usually, NCIS is not one of those where it would go over well due to their mostly realistic nature. I still love it when Glasberg does it because it's done so subtly that you could almost miss it if you didn't know what you're looking for. Because yeah, on the outside that conversation is about Tony and The Judy, but seriously, guys... right now, the subtle message (based on the looks, the gestures *and* another, later jab in the same vein) is: yeah, he would have already gotten a room with Ziva, long ago... if certain player haters hadn't constantly chimed in from the cheap seats. :P
Ziva: Just when I think we're finally moving on, we're forced to have our heads examined by "Mr. Happy".
Tony: Be still, warrior. It's not so bad.
Aside from the fact that I *love* the quiet confidence Tony is oozing here and the fact that I could listen to him calling Ziva "warrior" and other pet names for hours... anybody else get the impression that he may be so at ease with the thought because he may have sought counseling on his own over the past few weeks? I dunno, for some reason he seems to be oddly comfortable with the thought. (Aside from that, my mind keeps getting sidetracked now by that sudden, very vivid scenario of Tony having naughty amazon fantasies about his favorite partner, but hey, don't mind me, I'm just rambling over here... *wipes forehead*)
Tony: Besides, we're all perfectly fine, aren't we?
McGee: I'm good.
Ziva: Yeah. I'm perfect.
Oh, god, yes, baby, you are. Pure perfection incarnate, especially in this particular episode. ♥
On a less flaily and overly excited level - I am in mad love with Miles Wolf. I love love love his character, I could listen to his accent for hours, and I think he works so insanely well with our crew that I lack the words to properly describe my level of being pleased with this casting. Love how Gibbs tips him off about Abby's nightmares. Love how Wolf instantly catches on and wants to review Abby's file before he talks to her (a fact that I had missed during my first viewing and thus, was slightly baffled about how he makes the jump to recurring issues). Love how he seems so nice and friendly and harmless that he actually... tickles something out of our guys before they know it happened. Can I already sign a petition to bring him back soon? Yes/yes?
Love Gibbs's glares towards Ducky when he shows up unannounced at the site of the recovered car. You could just see how hard he's trying not to grab Duck by the ear and drag him out of there on his ass, but he's using all his control to not do it in front of his crew. Oh, he was radiating disapproval so loudly!
Tony: Oh, come one. Seriously. They're mostlying me?
I have fierce love for that scene, and I have no idea why. Maybe because it's something shallow like Tony looking so yummy or Ziva's adorable smirk, I dunno. I just... love it, okay? *glomps*
Oh, wait. Maybe it's the way he shimmies up to her close enough to make babies on the way to the elevator...? Guess I'll never know...
Once more, I love Dr. Wolf. I love his careful approach with Abby. Love how he almost, almost gets her to spill the beans. Love the greeting card line. I seriously, seriously want to see more of that guy.
Ducky: Old habits die hard.
Jimmy: So do old doctors, apparently.
And as inappropriate as that joke was, I laughed so hard last night while watching that I ended up coughing my lungs all over the place. (Yeah, having a cold does not help here...) I loved that line fiercely. Very fiercely. ♥
Gibbs (to Ducky): I don't need you happy. I need you healthy.
Yeah. Sometimes, despite all the issues I've had with Gibbs over the past few years, I still love him fiercely, too. This is one of those moments.
Oh, Tony. *clutches chest and swoons* You haven't looked so young and so yummy in quite a while...
Oh, right! Speaking of yummy...
Yeah. Uhm. Wait, I had a brain somewhere, right...? *pauses to lick screen furiously*
McGee: Good news, I'm mentally stable.
Dr. Wolf: Almost disturbingly so.
Again, no idea why I love that line so much, but I do. :D
(gifs not mine)
Dr. Wolf: Who's next?
Tony: Rock, paper, scissors?
Ziva: Mh-hm. (gestures) I always win...
Uhm, Ziva, darling... I hate to burst your bubble, but I think Tony played you there, big time. I think he let you win. Which I didn't even realize until I looked at the gifs, who are a little slower than the actual scene. The way he keeps looking at her afterwards, the way his hand slowly goes away... that's not a guy who just lost, that's a guy who gave her the easy way out, and it's a guy who knew what to do to get the outcome he wants because he just... knows her. He knows his warrior. He knows she'll choose rock, most likely, because it's straightforward and head-through-the-wall and blunt force. And now... flash back to that first bullpen scene, when he calls her warrior and says therapy ain't that bad? Look at the screenshot again. See what he does there, with the gesture and all...? Nope, I don't think that one was accidental.
I love the Abby subplot with a fierce passion. I *love* the conclusion that the bombing made her realize the thing we knew already about pretty much all of them - that she is alone. That she has no one to come home to. That it's one of the reasons she clings to her team family even more. And I love that Gibbs nudges her towards contacting Kyle. I was, at first, wary about this storyline, but in the end I was so, so glad they brought it back up, because they handled it beautifully, and yeah, I think this will be a really, really good thing for Abbs. It'll help her mind to settle, and it'll keep her a bit more stable. (And once Tony and Ziva realize they don't just need their partner at work, but to come home to, as well... yeah. More settling. More stabilization. More happiness and ease.)
Judy: Request was denied, and it seems the "big man" wants to keep the colors the same as they were before.
So, yeah, this is the second moment where they step out of the pure plot for a second and address some meta content in a very, very subtle way, and I have to say, even after mulling this scene over for half a day, I still keep bursting into mad laughter because imo that's the best fucking metaphor EVER for Gary, the constant anti yelling, who thinly disguised their need to "get Ziva off the show!" with cries of "yes, let's have Tony get a new woman as long as it isn't Ziva", and the way the Tony/Ziva relationship will play out. He is, quite literally, saying, "We heard ya, but... uhm, no." XD
Almost two months ago, when the spoiler about the wall color sub plot was first released, I called that one out already. Granted, they didn't go out for drinks at the end of the episode, but yeah, it did mirror the emotional subplot, and I think it *will* mirror the evolution of the Tony/Ziva relationship - Tony, trying to move on... while half of his brain is still stuck in that damn elevator. Unable to distance himself from what he had there, from what he felt there.
But before I delve deeper into the (to me) most beautiful and telling line in this whole episode, let's just wrap up this scene and the way it ends - with Judy telling Tony they were just sportflirting and, for some reason, Tony taking it not all that hard (at least on the outside). Yeah, he would have liked to have the girl who "smells awfully nice", but then again - his brain *is* still stuck in the elevator, and (remember?) despite the air getting somewhat ripe in there... I think he's slowly realizing that he's having a really hard time getting over those sweaty hours with his partner. Side note - can we appreciate for a moment that Ziva, despite her earlier mockery, instantly switches to mother hen mode and asks him if he's okay when Judy blows him off? Because yeah, he's been after that woman for weeks, and that refusal must have stung, and even though Ziva didn't like him flirting like that... she knows his ego, and her concern for his emotional state wins out. ♥
I *love* the camera angle when Wolf gets up in Gibbs's face and corners him about his evaluation talk. I've rarely seen that used with Gibbs, and it shows that it actually stops him in mid-stride. And I *love* that Wolf is all smiles and happyface about this, but still gets Gibbs to cooperate with a defeated little nod. Well... sort of. ;)
Gibbs: I'll be back, I got another question I want to ask you.
*snorts* Yeah, kind of ignoring the point here that Wolf is the one supposed to ask them, but heyyyy, who's counting. ;)
Abby: Which means it's a very old bullet.
Gibbs: From where?
Abby: Well, my first thought is... this assassin... from the past. He... he stumbles through a tear in the space-time-continuum...
Gibbs: Or, from somebody's very old gun.
Abby: That was my second thought.
And one more scene that made me laugh so hard I ended up in a painful coughing fit. Is it just the scifi geek in me who likes her first thought better...? ;)
Abby (about her biological brother): What if he doesn't like me?
Gibbs: Right. Like that's even possible.
Please excuse me while I go and get that massive emotion out of my eye, okay? No, no, nothing serious, it's just that something seems to be stuck there... *bawls*
Ziva: Well, if it's any consolation, your friend Judy did not seem the least bit spoken for to me, either.
Huh. Actually, no, that wouldn't be a consolation for me. My own mind would probably go, "So what, she just lied because she finds me repulsive?!"
Tony: I've lost my focus. It's like half my brain is still stuck in that elevator.
While I am typing this, I am actually eating some of the best chocolate that can be had around here - deliciously sweet, milky, creamy, incredible flavor, melts on my tongue at the slightest touch. And yet? The taste of Tiva is suddenly so much sweeter on my nerve endings. ♥ Because that's it, right there: he can't just "move on" to someone new, and he can't go back to his old playboy ways, either. Because something *did* happen in that elevator - not a massive, obvious, glaring thing, not something he can really put his finger on, but it happened, and it made him think and connect with Ziva on a whole new level, and now he cannot shake that emotion off again. And that, dear friends, is what Gary Glasberg was talking about in his earlier interviews - them, making an emotional connection in that elevator, and things spiraling out of control from here on.
It didn't need to be something big like love confessions or secrets spilled. In the end, it took something really simple, like the fact that if shit goes down, if the world collapses around you, if you have to spend some hours that could possibly be your last on this earth with someone else... she was the best choice to have around for that. She was there, and he cherished that. Because she is the one he wants. And that's something he cannot un-see. He can't un-focus from that. He's zoomed in on her now, and that confuses him a lot because yeah, I disagree with Tony about his phrasing here: he didn't lose his focus. He finally found it.
Shallow side note: tackle!Ziva ftw because maaan, that backside... *wipes forehead*
Uhm, right. Where was I...?
Wilson: Here we go, typical femme-nazi, blindly defending her own.
Ziva: Excuse me?
Wilson: You heard me.
Tony: You may not have noticed, pal, but that's not a swastika hanging around my partner's neck.
I love just about everything in this scene. I love the quiet, dangerous calm in Tony's voice. I love that you get the impression that if the guy had raved on, Tony could have easily lost control (willingly) over that insult. I love that he gets what offends her so deeply about this remark. I love that he doesn't have to defend her, she's more than capable of doing that on her own, but he still chooses to, and he still has her six. I love that he feels the need to tell this asshat that he just dished out a far greater insult than probably intended. And, finally, yes, I LOVE that he calls her his partner, in that gravelly voice. Because he doesn't do that all that often, if memory serves me right. She's his partner. And yes, right there, he sort of claims her. Marks her as his - his partner, his responsibility. (In case you don't have a clear image of what's happening at la casa Sammy at the moment - imagine there is a lot of singing, dancing, clutching of chests, whimpering, and the unabashed smell of fangirling in the air. No, I won't do a video version of this.)
That is, coincidentally, one of the things I loved about the scene before, when Ziva tries to cheer him up - that you get the sense she cares, that she feels a little responsible for his wellbeing, too. And that little bump she gives him when they get out of the car? The kind of bump you usually just give the friends you're physical with? The one that usually means cuddling is an option, too, if it makes you feel better?
I mean... just look at them! Gah! ♥
Fun fact: one thing that irritated me at first about Ziva's outfit on that day is... we know that jacket.
And here's where we've seen it before - at the end of season six, in a certain traumatic line of events...
It's not just a similar cut, it's the exact same jacket. (Not in the actual storyline, of course, because the old one is most likely gone for years - probably blown up with her apartment back in "Aliyah". But apparently, she liked it enough to buy the same one again.) So, yeah, one could argue that this could be seen as alarming and her regressing into the mindless killer she was earlier... but you know what, I think it's more a symptom of what the fans (and Cote herself) have been addressing for a while now: that Ziva lost a bit of her fire, and that we all want more of the kickass ninja back that she was in the earlier seasons. We've grown tired of the tamed "housewife", for lack of a better description. We needed some spunk and action back in our ninja, and yeah, I think with that episode we got a whole lot of that, with the clothing, the curls (love love love them so much!), and the tackle jump... BUT it's also coupled with someone who has evolved beyond her early years. Someone who cares about her partner. Who digs deeper when he's quiet and tries to brighten his mood. This, to me, is also one of the more rewarding messages this episode sends - you don't have to get rid of everything old to be able to move on. Sometimes, you can take the past and merge it with the future and still move forward in your own personal narrative, your evolution. And guess what, I like that message. ♥
Wilson: Wow. Talk about deja vu. I mean, it's like the same interview, right down to the whipped boyfriend.
Tony: Whipped?
Ziva: Boyfriend?
Can I just say that it deeply amuses me that Tony only objects to the "whipped" part of that statement...? *snickers* Nope, I really don't think his mind would struggle too long with the concept of calling Ziva his girlfriend. ;P
Also, from here on, they start to massively roll out the beautiful, beautiful parallels between the case and our two, much like they did on previous occasions - the most poignant that comes to mind is "A Desperate Man", where several things about the case (and the people involved) mirrored Tony and Ziva. Back then, it was done a lot more subtle, yes, but here? Yeah, it's supposed to be glaringly, blindingly obvious.
Admittedly, at first that parallel starts out a little rocky, when Jon admits that they had a fling, years ago, but "Midge deserved someone special. We knew we were better as friends." Foreshadowing, as some viewers claimed? Naw, not really. More like back-shadowing. Because for some reason, I suddenly keep thinking about Paris and the thing Tony, according to his bucket list, wants to discuss that happened there and him pushing it all aside since then because she... deserves better? Remember, this was around the time where he was stuck in self-doubt and insecurity and completely knocked out of his groove!
And then... we suddenly get to the juicy part of this analogy, when Jon admits that he may have slipped up after the bombing, telling his girlfriend about how he really felt for Midge...
Gibbs: What did you say?
Jon: Just stuff about me... and Midge. How... the bombing might have made me realize how much she meant to me.
And there we are, right back on track, right on to the next stop... foreshadowing. Because that's mirroring Tony, right there. That's him and half of his brain still stuck in that elevator. That's him not getting over how much his partner (his friend) means to him. That him wanting her to be more than a friend, after all. And that, dear friends, is why he will never be able to settle for another girlfriend. Not with his heart, anyway, because that... is already spoken for. ♥
Judy: Do you know what it's like to love someone who talks about someone else constantly?
Yeaaaah, he kinda does. And so does Ziva. But not for much longer, because soon enough they'll figure it out and then they can talk to each other and won't need to do it to others and... uhm, here, have some happy Tiva fairy dust in the meantime, yes? ;D
Extremely shallow moment of the night: me, getting the biggest of kicks out of the way Tony says, "Turn around"... Yeah, I swear, that voice? Sends my libido straight into overdrive. And with that pretty mouth of his and the way he's jiggling the cuffs... do you even blame me? No? Okay.
Side note: I want that clipboard! ♥
Ducky: Stop making it so bloody difficult for me to be angry with you!
I *loved* that scene. It was extremely unexpected because I was under the impression that they had already started the journey of easing Ducky back into the team, but the second after he waltzed out of autopsy, my mind went into overdrive, and I thought, yes. This is brilliant. This feels real. He *does* have to find his footing again, and he *does* have to feel useful and needed again. I think it was already hard for him during the last episode to realize he couldn't help his team, so he had to send Palmer instead. Ad now, weeks after, he suddenly has to realize that he actually did a good job in educating that young man, and yes, even though Ducky *would* have been missed if he had died that day on the beach... they would have muddled through without him, somehow. I get it. And I am thrilled for the journey that is still ahead of us for that particular character.
Vance: I parked that car in my driveway. I drove my kids to school in it that morning. So when I think what being that vulnerable could have caused... I...
Wolf: It's all right, Leon. Everyone is safe.
And this is when Vance, of all people, broke my fricking heart. Seeing that man, that tough nut, that hardass bastard, who is usually even more distanced and closed off than Gibbs and Mike Franks were together - seeing him start to cry... it killed something inside me. That scene just ripped out a big fat chunk of my heart right there, and never in a million years would I have expected that. I love Rocky Carroll fiercely for that performance. It got right under my skin, and it made me appreciate this character even more than I already do. And it suddenly, just like that, made him... human.
And then there's the other subplot that left me sobbing like a baby, with my arms wrapped around my knees. No matter how often I watch these scenes, I always break down crying, because for some reason, they just get to me. They are, indeed, one of the most important things that make this show (and this cast) so very, very precious to me.
Kyle: I don't mean this in a creepy way, but ever since you came in, I... I can't shake this feeling that we had a connection or something. And I... I don't know why.
Abby: I do. I know why.
I had to pause the episode last night when I watched this, because that scene made me cry so hard I couldn't see the keyboard anymore. And yeah, it still makes me cry the next day, apparently. This just hits me right in the gut. I *love* how they played this out. I love that they made this so easy for Abby. I love love love the feeling that yes, he could be her brother, easily. He just feels right. And I think he's going to help her be a happier person - not just on the outside, like she was before, but on the inside as well. He'll help her find peace and solace, and he'll give her the (real) family and stability she needs. And he'll complement her life.
This... just works for me, okay? *rubs eyes furiously*
Abby: Who knew hugs were in my blood?
I certainly didn't. But trust me, girl, I'm crying hard over here. Again. (Bad quality, due to the lighting of that scene. But that smile on Gibbs's face? I mean seriously, this makes this so much more precious! ♥ )
Gibbs: To family.
I have no other words left except that yes, this is what it's all about. And yes, this was one of the most perfect episodes they've thrown into my path in a long while. And yeah, last night I had some tiny fleeting issue with it, about it tying up just a liiittle too neatly with Judy being the killer, but you know what? In the bright light of morning, I don't give a fuck. On second watching, nothing feels off, nothing hurts, everything is brilliant and perfect and I can't wait to see where else this goes.
Except that I was freaking lucky to have today off. If they keep going like that... I think I'll have a big fat problem on Wednesdays from now on. And my co-workers will suffer mightily. =_=
So yeah, over time his name attached to an episode has always raised the bar of expectation for me to an almost unreasonable level. Just like last night, when he was the one to direct an episode that already sounded promising from the short blurb they gave us... and yeah, Dennis delivered. Boy, did he deliver. He wrapped that package up so neatly and sold it to me hook, line, and sinker, and I am still all emotional and raw and crying uncontrollably at random moments. I am so fucking glad I didn't have to go in for work today, you seriously have no idea...
If you came here for a clear, precise, logical analysis of that episode... uhm, forget about it right now, okay? I can't, as we say on Tumblr. There is no way I can lean back and lay this out neatly and essay-like, because this whole episode just tugged at my heartstrings over and over again, in so many different ways that I don't have the chance to look at much of it in a rational way. All I can do right now is relive all of it and clutch my chest some more and whimper pathetically while I type this. And hope you'll get what I mean because you feel the same.
Oh, right - there'll be an awful lot of this going on *points at gif* and Sammy's gonna sparkle fairy dust out of her ass about the whole Tiva goodness in this one. You have been warned. ;)
And now, as they say, on with the show...
Tony: I've been thinking about your position. How does one get to be a Navy facilities manager anyway?
Judy: Well, same way one gets to be a Very Special Agent, I imagine.
Tony: So, good looks, a nice smile, and a little luck?
Judy: Uh, hard work, determination, and as for the luck, I prefer to make my own.
So, my show starts out with the one thing that had the Tony/Ziva folks in a shizz ever since the spoiler about it leaked... The Judy. And the flirting. And Tony putting the moves on her. And yeah, granted, the timing with the other spoiler about a possible love thingie happening for Tony... wasn't the best, to put it mildly. Did I believe for a second this new love could be Judy? Naw, even if Glasberg himself would have hinted it. Not after a careful buildup spanning almost two seasons. Not after the way they structured this evolution and let Tony and Ziva grow closer and closer with each case. There was so much careful storytelling at work here that there is simply no other way how this can turn out - with Tony and Ziva figuring it out, eventually, and being together.
So, no, I wasn't concerned over this. And the way they actually played this out in the ep - I liked it. A lot. Because it *was* nice to see Tony "in action", so to speak. Someone on Tumblr commented that the flirting felt awkward, but I disagree. I've rarely seen him this smooth, this direct. No stumbling over his words, he was charming and, quite frankly, stunning in his "attack", and yeah, he looked fucking good in that jacket. That was actually a flirty!Tony at his best... and he still didn't get anywhere.
Tony: You are also the best-smelling Navy facilities manager I've ever met.
Highly amusing, imo - as soon as he starts putting the moves on The Judy, the radar of his office wife goes ding ding ding and she zooms in on the action with a death glare that isn't hard to interpret. *snickers*
And the moment it goes from flirty banter to straight attack... someone sure feels the need to cockblock interfere... *cackles*
Confession - yes, I know the McBitchface is supposed to be a direct reaction to a jab from Tony, but you know what? My shipper brains says that expression is also based on the fact that McGee doesn't like it when Tony flirts this blatantly in front of Ziva. *nods firmly*
Tony: Seriously, McGee. Paint?
Ziva: Seriously, best smelling facilities manager?
Seriously, I love my girl when she's possessive and annoyed at other women in her turf. And just like Tony, she seems to be slipping up more and more as the weeks progress. ♥
Ziva: Rent a room already.
Tony: Get. It's 'get a room', and I would have already if I didn't have two player haters chiming in from the cheap seats.
So, yeah, I have to admit it, part of me loves it when a show breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly. It doesn't work for every show, and usually, NCIS is not one of those where it would go over well due to their mostly realistic nature. I still love it when Glasberg does it because it's done so subtly that you could almost miss it if you didn't know what you're looking for. Because yeah, on the outside that conversation is about Tony and The Judy, but seriously, guys... right now, the subtle message (based on the looks, the gestures *and* another, later jab in the same vein) is: yeah, he would have already gotten a room with Ziva, long ago... if certain player haters hadn't constantly chimed in from the cheap seats. :P
Ziva: Just when I think we're finally moving on, we're forced to have our heads examined by "Mr. Happy".
Tony: Be still, warrior. It's not so bad.
Aside from the fact that I *love* the quiet confidence Tony is oozing here and the fact that I could listen to him calling Ziva "warrior" and other pet names for hours... anybody else get the impression that he may be so at ease with the thought because he may have sought counseling on his own over the past few weeks? I dunno, for some reason he seems to be oddly comfortable with the thought. (Aside from that, my mind keeps getting sidetracked now by that sudden, very vivid scenario of Tony having naughty amazon fantasies about his favorite partner, but hey, don't mind me, I'm just rambling over here... *wipes forehead*)
Tony: Besides, we're all perfectly fine, aren't we?
McGee: I'm good.
Ziva: Yeah. I'm perfect.
Oh, god, yes, baby, you are. Pure perfection incarnate, especially in this particular episode. ♥
On a less flaily and overly excited level - I am in mad love with Miles Wolf. I love love love his character, I could listen to his accent for hours, and I think he works so insanely well with our crew that I lack the words to properly describe my level of being pleased with this casting. Love how Gibbs tips him off about Abby's nightmares. Love how Wolf instantly catches on and wants to review Abby's file before he talks to her (a fact that I had missed during my first viewing and thus, was slightly baffled about how he makes the jump to recurring issues). Love how he seems so nice and friendly and harmless that he actually... tickles something out of our guys before they know it happened. Can I already sign a petition to bring him back soon? Yes/yes?
Love Gibbs's glares towards Ducky when he shows up unannounced at the site of the recovered car. You could just see how hard he's trying not to grab Duck by the ear and drag him out of there on his ass, but he's using all his control to not do it in front of his crew. Oh, he was radiating disapproval so loudly!
Tony: Oh, come one. Seriously. They're mostlying me?
I have fierce love for that scene, and I have no idea why. Maybe because it's something shallow like Tony looking so yummy or Ziva's adorable smirk, I dunno. I just... love it, okay? *glomps*
Oh, wait. Maybe it's the way he shimmies up to her close enough to make babies on the way to the elevator...? Guess I'll never know...
Once more, I love Dr. Wolf. I love his careful approach with Abby. Love how he almost, almost gets her to spill the beans. Love the greeting card line. I seriously, seriously want to see more of that guy.
Ducky: Old habits die hard.
Jimmy: So do old doctors, apparently.
And as inappropriate as that joke was, I laughed so hard last night while watching that I ended up coughing my lungs all over the place. (Yeah, having a cold does not help here...) I loved that line fiercely. Very fiercely. ♥
Gibbs (to Ducky): I don't need you happy. I need you healthy.
Yeah. Sometimes, despite all the issues I've had with Gibbs over the past few years, I still love him fiercely, too. This is one of those moments.
Oh, Tony. *clutches chest and swoons* You haven't looked so young and so yummy in quite a while...
Oh, right! Speaking of yummy...
Yeah. Uhm. Wait, I had a brain somewhere, right...? *pauses to lick screen furiously*
McGee: Good news, I'm mentally stable.
Dr. Wolf: Almost disturbingly so.
Again, no idea why I love that line so much, but I do. :D
(gifs not mine)
Dr. Wolf: Who's next?
Tony: Rock, paper, scissors?
Ziva: Mh-hm. (gestures) I always win...
Uhm, Ziva, darling... I hate to burst your bubble, but I think Tony played you there, big time. I think he let you win. Which I didn't even realize until I looked at the gifs, who are a little slower than the actual scene. The way he keeps looking at her afterwards, the way his hand slowly goes away... that's not a guy who just lost, that's a guy who gave her the easy way out, and it's a guy who knew what to do to get the outcome he wants because he just... knows her. He knows his warrior. He knows she'll choose rock, most likely, because it's straightforward and head-through-the-wall and blunt force. And now... flash back to that first bullpen scene, when he calls her warrior and says therapy ain't that bad? Look at the screenshot again. See what he does there, with the gesture and all...? Nope, I don't think that one was accidental.
I love the Abby subplot with a fierce passion. I *love* the conclusion that the bombing made her realize the thing we knew already about pretty much all of them - that she is alone. That she has no one to come home to. That it's one of the reasons she clings to her team family even more. And I love that Gibbs nudges her towards contacting Kyle. I was, at first, wary about this storyline, but in the end I was so, so glad they brought it back up, because they handled it beautifully, and yeah, I think this will be a really, really good thing for Abbs. It'll help her mind to settle, and it'll keep her a bit more stable. (And once Tony and Ziva realize they don't just need their partner at work, but to come home to, as well... yeah. More settling. More stabilization. More happiness and ease.)
Judy: Request was denied, and it seems the "big man" wants to keep the colors the same as they were before.
So, yeah, this is the second moment where they step out of the pure plot for a second and address some meta content in a very, very subtle way, and I have to say, even after mulling this scene over for half a day, I still keep bursting into mad laughter because imo that's the best fucking metaphor EVER for Gary, the constant anti yelling, who thinly disguised their need to "get Ziva off the show!" with cries of "yes, let's have Tony get a new woman as long as it isn't Ziva", and the way the Tony/Ziva relationship will play out. He is, quite literally, saying, "We heard ya, but... uhm, no." XD
Almost two months ago, when the spoiler about the wall color sub plot was first released, I called that one out already. Granted, they didn't go out for drinks at the end of the episode, but yeah, it did mirror the emotional subplot, and I think it *will* mirror the evolution of the Tony/Ziva relationship - Tony, trying to move on... while half of his brain is still stuck in that damn elevator. Unable to distance himself from what he had there, from what he felt there.
But before I delve deeper into the (to me) most beautiful and telling line in this whole episode, let's just wrap up this scene and the way it ends - with Judy telling Tony they were just sportflirting and, for some reason, Tony taking it not all that hard (at least on the outside). Yeah, he would have liked to have the girl who "smells awfully nice", but then again - his brain *is* still stuck in the elevator, and (remember?) despite the air getting somewhat ripe in there... I think he's slowly realizing that he's having a really hard time getting over those sweaty hours with his partner. Side note - can we appreciate for a moment that Ziva, despite her earlier mockery, instantly switches to mother hen mode and asks him if he's okay when Judy blows him off? Because yeah, he's been after that woman for weeks, and that refusal must have stung, and even though Ziva didn't like him flirting like that... she knows his ego, and her concern for his emotional state wins out. ♥
I *love* the camera angle when Wolf gets up in Gibbs's face and corners him about his evaluation talk. I've rarely seen that used with Gibbs, and it shows that it actually stops him in mid-stride. And I *love* that Wolf is all smiles and happyface about this, but still gets Gibbs to cooperate with a defeated little nod. Well... sort of. ;)
Gibbs: I'll be back, I got another question I want to ask you.
*snorts* Yeah, kind of ignoring the point here that Wolf is the one supposed to ask them, but heyyyy, who's counting. ;)
Abby: Which means it's a very old bullet.
Gibbs: From where?
Abby: Well, my first thought is... this assassin... from the past. He... he stumbles through a tear in the space-time-continuum...
Gibbs: Or, from somebody's very old gun.
Abby: That was my second thought.
And one more scene that made me laugh so hard I ended up in a painful coughing fit. Is it just the scifi geek in me who likes her first thought better...? ;)
Abby (about her biological brother): What if he doesn't like me?
Gibbs: Right. Like that's even possible.
Please excuse me while I go and get that massive emotion out of my eye, okay? No, no, nothing serious, it's just that something seems to be stuck there... *bawls*
Ziva: Well, if it's any consolation, your friend Judy did not seem the least bit spoken for to me, either.
Huh. Actually, no, that wouldn't be a consolation for me. My own mind would probably go, "So what, she just lied because she finds me repulsive?!"
Tony: I've lost my focus. It's like half my brain is still stuck in that elevator.
While I am typing this, I am actually eating some of the best chocolate that can be had around here - deliciously sweet, milky, creamy, incredible flavor, melts on my tongue at the slightest touch. And yet? The taste of Tiva is suddenly so much sweeter on my nerve endings. ♥ Because that's it, right there: he can't just "move on" to someone new, and he can't go back to his old playboy ways, either. Because something *did* happen in that elevator - not a massive, obvious, glaring thing, not something he can really put his finger on, but it happened, and it made him think and connect with Ziva on a whole new level, and now he cannot shake that emotion off again. And that, dear friends, is what Gary Glasberg was talking about in his earlier interviews - them, making an emotional connection in that elevator, and things spiraling out of control from here on.
It didn't need to be something big like love confessions or secrets spilled. In the end, it took something really simple, like the fact that if shit goes down, if the world collapses around you, if you have to spend some hours that could possibly be your last on this earth with someone else... she was the best choice to have around for that. She was there, and he cherished that. Because she is the one he wants. And that's something he cannot un-see. He can't un-focus from that. He's zoomed in on her now, and that confuses him a lot because yeah, I disagree with Tony about his phrasing here: he didn't lose his focus. He finally found it.
Shallow side note: tackle!Ziva ftw because maaan, that backside... *wipes forehead*
Uhm, right. Where was I...?
Wilson: Here we go, typical femme-nazi, blindly defending her own.
Ziva: Excuse me?
Wilson: You heard me.
Tony: You may not have noticed, pal, but that's not a swastika hanging around my partner's neck.
I love just about everything in this scene. I love the quiet, dangerous calm in Tony's voice. I love that you get the impression that if the guy had raved on, Tony could have easily lost control (willingly) over that insult. I love that he gets what offends her so deeply about this remark. I love that he doesn't have to defend her, she's more than capable of doing that on her own, but he still chooses to, and he still has her six. I love that he feels the need to tell this asshat that he just dished out a far greater insult than probably intended. And, finally, yes, I LOVE that he calls her his partner, in that gravelly voice. Because he doesn't do that all that often, if memory serves me right. She's his partner. And yes, right there, he sort of claims her. Marks her as his - his partner, his responsibility. (In case you don't have a clear image of what's happening at la casa Sammy at the moment - imagine there is a lot of singing, dancing, clutching of chests, whimpering, and the unabashed smell of fangirling in the air. No, I won't do a video version of this.)
That is, coincidentally, one of the things I loved about the scene before, when Ziva tries to cheer him up - that you get the sense she cares, that she feels a little responsible for his wellbeing, too. And that little bump she gives him when they get out of the car? The kind of bump you usually just give the friends you're physical with? The one that usually means cuddling is an option, too, if it makes you feel better?
I mean... just look at them! Gah! ♥
Fun fact: one thing that irritated me at first about Ziva's outfit on that day is... we know that jacket.
And here's where we've seen it before - at the end of season six, in a certain traumatic line of events...
It's not just a similar cut, it's the exact same jacket. (Not in the actual storyline, of course, because the old one is most likely gone for years - probably blown up with her apartment back in "Aliyah". But apparently, she liked it enough to buy the same one again.) So, yeah, one could argue that this could be seen as alarming and her regressing into the mindless killer she was earlier... but you know what, I think it's more a symptom of what the fans (and Cote herself) have been addressing for a while now: that Ziva lost a bit of her fire, and that we all want more of the kickass ninja back that she was in the earlier seasons. We've grown tired of the tamed "housewife", for lack of a better description. We needed some spunk and action back in our ninja, and yeah, I think with that episode we got a whole lot of that, with the clothing, the curls (love love love them so much!), and the tackle jump... BUT it's also coupled with someone who has evolved beyond her early years. Someone who cares about her partner. Who digs deeper when he's quiet and tries to brighten his mood. This, to me, is also one of the more rewarding messages this episode sends - you don't have to get rid of everything old to be able to move on. Sometimes, you can take the past and merge it with the future and still move forward in your own personal narrative, your evolution. And guess what, I like that message. ♥
Wilson: Wow. Talk about deja vu. I mean, it's like the same interview, right down to the whipped boyfriend.
Tony: Whipped?
Ziva: Boyfriend?
Can I just say that it deeply amuses me that Tony only objects to the "whipped" part of that statement...? *snickers* Nope, I really don't think his mind would struggle too long with the concept of calling Ziva his girlfriend. ;P
Also, from here on, they start to massively roll out the beautiful, beautiful parallels between the case and our two, much like they did on previous occasions - the most poignant that comes to mind is "A Desperate Man", where several things about the case (and the people involved) mirrored Tony and Ziva. Back then, it was done a lot more subtle, yes, but here? Yeah, it's supposed to be glaringly, blindingly obvious.
Admittedly, at first that parallel starts out a little rocky, when Jon admits that they had a fling, years ago, but "Midge deserved someone special. We knew we were better as friends." Foreshadowing, as some viewers claimed? Naw, not really. More like back-shadowing. Because for some reason, I suddenly keep thinking about Paris and the thing Tony, according to his bucket list, wants to discuss that happened there and him pushing it all aside since then because she... deserves better? Remember, this was around the time where he was stuck in self-doubt and insecurity and completely knocked out of his groove!
And then... we suddenly get to the juicy part of this analogy, when Jon admits that he may have slipped up after the bombing, telling his girlfriend about how he really felt for Midge...
Gibbs: What did you say?
Jon: Just stuff about me... and Midge. How... the bombing might have made me realize how much she meant to me.
And there we are, right back on track, right on to the next stop... foreshadowing. Because that's mirroring Tony, right there. That's him and half of his brain still stuck in that elevator. That's him not getting over how much his partner (his friend) means to him. That him wanting her to be more than a friend, after all. And that, dear friends, is why he will never be able to settle for another girlfriend. Not with his heart, anyway, because that... is already spoken for. ♥
Judy: Do you know what it's like to love someone who talks about someone else constantly?
Yeaaaah, he kinda does. And so does Ziva. But not for much longer, because soon enough they'll figure it out and then they can talk to each other and won't need to do it to others and... uhm, here, have some happy Tiva fairy dust in the meantime, yes? ;D
Extremely shallow moment of the night: me, getting the biggest of kicks out of the way Tony says, "Turn around"... Yeah, I swear, that voice? Sends my libido straight into overdrive. And with that pretty mouth of his and the way he's jiggling the cuffs... do you even blame me? No? Okay.
Side note: I want that clipboard! ♥
Ducky: Stop making it so bloody difficult for me to be angry with you!
I *loved* that scene. It was extremely unexpected because I was under the impression that they had already started the journey of easing Ducky back into the team, but the second after he waltzed out of autopsy, my mind went into overdrive, and I thought, yes. This is brilliant. This feels real. He *does* have to find his footing again, and he *does* have to feel useful and needed again. I think it was already hard for him during the last episode to realize he couldn't help his team, so he had to send Palmer instead. Ad now, weeks after, he suddenly has to realize that he actually did a good job in educating that young man, and yes, even though Ducky *would* have been missed if he had died that day on the beach... they would have muddled through without him, somehow. I get it. And I am thrilled for the journey that is still ahead of us for that particular character.
Vance: I parked that car in my driveway. I drove my kids to school in it that morning. So when I think what being that vulnerable could have caused... I...
Wolf: It's all right, Leon. Everyone is safe.
And this is when Vance, of all people, broke my fricking heart. Seeing that man, that tough nut, that hardass bastard, who is usually even more distanced and closed off than Gibbs and Mike Franks were together - seeing him start to cry... it killed something inside me. That scene just ripped out a big fat chunk of my heart right there, and never in a million years would I have expected that. I love Rocky Carroll fiercely for that performance. It got right under my skin, and it made me appreciate this character even more than I already do. And it suddenly, just like that, made him... human.
And then there's the other subplot that left me sobbing like a baby, with my arms wrapped around my knees. No matter how often I watch these scenes, I always break down crying, because for some reason, they just get to me. They are, indeed, one of the most important things that make this show (and this cast) so very, very precious to me.
Kyle: I don't mean this in a creepy way, but ever since you came in, I... I can't shake this feeling that we had a connection or something. And I... I don't know why.
Abby: I do. I know why.
I had to pause the episode last night when I watched this, because that scene made me cry so hard I couldn't see the keyboard anymore. And yeah, it still makes me cry the next day, apparently. This just hits me right in the gut. I *love* how they played this out. I love that they made this so easy for Abby. I love love love the feeling that yes, he could be her brother, easily. He just feels right. And I think he's going to help her be a happier person - not just on the outside, like she was before, but on the inside as well. He'll help her find peace and solace, and he'll give her the (real) family and stability she needs. And he'll complement her life.
This... just works for me, okay? *rubs eyes furiously*
Abby: Who knew hugs were in my blood?
I certainly didn't. But trust me, girl, I'm crying hard over here. Again. (Bad quality, due to the lighting of that scene. But that smile on Gibbs's face? I mean seriously, this makes this so much more precious! ♥ )
Gibbs: To family.
I have no other words left except that yes, this is what it's all about. And yes, this was one of the most perfect episodes they've thrown into my path in a long while. And yeah, last night I had some tiny fleeting issue with it, about it tying up just a liiittle too neatly with Judy being the killer, but you know what? In the bright light of morning, I don't give a fuck. On second watching, nothing feels off, nothing hurts, everything is brilliant and perfect and I can't wait to see where else this goes.
Except that I was freaking lucky to have today off. If they keep going like that... I think I'll have a big fat problem on Wednesdays from now on. And my co-workers will suffer mightily. =_=