About NCIS 10x03 - Phoenix
We're gonna do things slightly different this time, since there isn't all that much to analyze in this episode - it was a very good case file, very straight-forward, nicely orchestrated. And it had so many wonderful, hilarious, or moving scenes thrown in that I'm just gonna go and tick off on my list of stuff I liked. And, well, yeah, a bunch of screencaps of our guys looking all gorgeous. Because boy, I don't know what they put in the water over there, but it left Tony and Ziva looking absolutely lickable and extremely yummy throughout the entire episode. I seriously have no idea how they don't do it all the time. I mean, it's like having the tastiest dish ever in front of you, but not eating a bite. I... whut? Uhm, right. Review. Coming right up.
Reminder: please do not link to this at the Tiva proboards forum. Everyone's welcome to check my journal on their own, but I don't want my name to show up there. Thanks.
First off, I liked the case file - not just because it was neatly structured, with layers upon layers that clicked together into a bigger puzzle eventually, but also because it seemed a very fitting case for someone like Ducky. Because he's been in this job for so long, and yeah, basically, he's seen it all, so it would take something special and out of the ordinary to tickle his interest and - for lack of a better word - revive his passion for his job. (Remember last season's "Thirst", where Mary went out of her way to provide him with something interesting, something he hasn't seen before?)
And I liked that, eventually, it did bring his spirits back and him back into the team. I loved how they played that. Loved how they gently nudged the idea of him stepping out of his comfort zone and doing something he felt overwhelmed by at first. Loved how he ended up believing that he *does* have something left to offer to them. That he isn't useless. That, in some ways, they still need him, even though Palmer *did* do a good job in his absence. I still have vague issues with the fact that Ducky got so bored/desperate that he dug up a corpse without clearance, but I'm willing to let that one slide. Yes, I do recognize a plot device when I see it. ;)
Administrator: I like digging 'em up a lot better than putting them down. Funerals are too final. With exhumations, there's excitement.
I dunno why this line resonated quite strongly with me, but it did. It's funny how just one line of text can put a whole lot of character into someone who only shows up for 30 seconds in an episode.
Ziva: Perhaps some moments should not be remembered, huh? Like the last three months.
And just like that, she lets slip that it *was* hard on her, too. That it *did* take its toll on her, too. That it wasn't quite as easy for her to brush it off and look forward as she pretended. That it was bad enough for her that she wants to put it past her. And she just states this, calmly, quietly - not like she usually is when something she doesn't care to admit slips out, rough, angry, stressed out, tense. No, she just says it like it is - it was tough. I like that from her. I'm not used to this Ziva, the open, accessible one, but I do like her.
Tony: I think I'm with Ziva on this one. There are some things I'd rather forget.
Ziva: Really? Like what?
Tony: Like the look on my first girlfriend's face when we broke up. Haunted me for years.
So, uhm... given Tony's track record... who else wants to assume that it wasn't him doing the breaking up? And the look haunted him because it wasn't her who was suffering...?
A completely and utterly lovesick Ziva who admires Tony's maturity. ♥
I am also quite fond of the blushing and utterly lovesick Ziva in this one. ;)
Side note: Yeah, okay, sometimes the headslaps are well-deserved and quite funny. But it's scenes like these where I wonder how on earth the vocal anti-Ziva people can perceive her behavior as constantly emasculating Tony and putting him down when it's actually *Gibbs* who constantly treats him like a stupid, bratty boy who needs a good beating. *shakes head*
Tony, just saying Ziva's name in that voice and snapping that glove... uhm... excuse my while I dissolve into a puddle of goo for a second, okay? Someone on Tumblr commented (very aptly) that this is probably how their sex sessions will start out... *coughs*
That scene, with all of them ganging up on Jimmy, and the boys using Ziva for intimidation purposes? Brilliant! I've watched that one so often now it's not funny anymore. Perfectly orchestrated, hilarious, brilliant, right down to Gibbs's little shake of the head because he totally knows what they've been up to. And holy crap, my gang looks really sharp when they're playing badass like that! ♥ And Ziva keeping up the glare afterwards? Priceless!
Meet my favorite screencap of this episode:
And you know what, Gibbs's smile afterwards makes it all so much sweeter, hee.
Love how Abby calls the terrorist attack "the kaboom". Love how she says Gibbs's outside should match his inside, just this once.
Poor Ducky's frustration when he thinks they'll take away his case! I sat here going "awwwwww!" very, very loudly when Gibbs gave him hint after hint and Ducky didn't get it that his friend didn't want to take the case away from him. Love how Gibbs ended up bringing Rule 38 into the mix. How Ducky doesn't know that one either and McGee has to nudge the boss so he spells it out. And oh, Ducky's sweet smile when he realizes he'll be allowed to keep working on this one after all! Mwaaah! ♥
McGee: Rule 38.
Tony: Yeah, but he's not a -- you can't do it --oww, got it.
For some reason I find Tony's "the fuck is going on?" babbling utterly endearing. ;)
Uhm, Tony, darling... why are you sniffing the clicker...? O_o (Ziva is wondering the same thing, apparently...)
Love how Ziva seems to take this easiest. Love how supportive she is of Ducky, how she tries to have his (emotional) six. It was wonderful to see a glimpse of what connects these two. *happysighs*
"Much better!" Abby turning on the music full blast after the radiation alarm - hee. Hee hee.
The mad scientist interview was genius on so many, many levels, I don't have the words, and my inner nerd is doing the Macarena in my head every time I watch this, I swear. The way Tony plays with the space shuttle replica in the background, the nutty science joke (which, admittedly, I didn't get, but I don't think we were intended to), and, of course, the brilliant guest appearance by René Auberjonois, best known for his role on "Star Trek: Deep Space 9"... is it just me or does this make McGee's later mention of the Star Trek convention he attended in 2002 so much sweeter...? ;)
Ziva: I'm sorry, which one is Roberts?
Ducky: The one with the deviated septum.
I have lots and lots of love for how this scene played out in its entirety. Brilliant, amusing... and, uhm... extremely hot on the side. Because yeah, I'm sorry, Ducky, but I can't concentrate on your ramblings while Tony and Ziva look hot like that, because this is just ridiculous:
And most definitely not while Tony inches close enough to his favorite partner to make her really happy, right there on Gibbs's desk... *coughs*
Love how McGee shows both some real skill and swag to impress the officer. Nice scene. Well played, show!
Also mucho love for the scene in Gibbs's basement - first Palmer coming to complain about Ducky, and then Ducky spilling his heart. Love it. Love how all of this brings them closer and closer together.
And do we even need to talk about the "You gotta have a life to get a life recorder" scene? And Tony being all yummy again and unnerving Gibbs with his giddiness and blaming it on "a lot of sugar"?
McGee: You enjoy doing that?
Ziva: A little. Yes.
And yet another scene where they gave us a bit of sassy!Ziva back - the Ziva who has a little more spunk and spark to her, the one who is sneaky and unpredictable and thoroughly unnerves the guys. I see what you did there, Mr. Glasberg! And I like it a lot. ;D
Tony's attempt of pronouncing Del Finney's actual name. *snorts* Ducky pronouncing it flawlessly. And Ducky leading the fucking interrogation and GETTING somewhere! Love him singing to Finney and making a connection. Brilliant.
McGee: ... and I only know this because I was at a Star Trek convention in 2002...
I'm sorry, no matter how often I hear this line, it always, always cracks me up and I can't stop laughing. Well done, Mr. Binder. I love it when your inner geek shows. ♥
Love that Ducky gets to deliver closure... and gets some of his own in return. Love how he's hesitant to go back, though, because it means stripping Palmer of his rank. Love how he doesn't really want to deliver that message and Jimmy's at first slightly sad, but then he's just so happy to have his mentor back... aw, man. Show, you made me cry again! *shakes fist*
And yeah, one of my favorite scenes includes Ziva's throwaway line - "We are finally whole again." So much in one line, covering so many layers between them - the team, the Yard, their replacement family, their psyche... oh, so much love here!
And Gibbs's look when her words sink in - staring at her in that weird, adoring mix of love and surprise. Because our girl has come so far, from "Aliyah", when she proclaimed this wasn't her home, to this - to needing all of them to feel "whole". I think up to this point he had no idea that she feels like this. That she needs this as much as he needs his peeps. And I think he recognizes that right there, she mirrors his feelings during the end scene of the premiere.
That's one of the things I truly admire about Gary's style of storytelling - he realizes that their true strength lies in them being together, being close, being strong for each other. In love. Compare that to Bellisario and Brennan, who got a kick out of sowing mistrust and antagonism, who both loved to rip the team apart whenever they had settled into some semblance of peace... nope, I'll take Gary anytime.
So, yeah, Michael told us that season ten would be the best ever. And you know what? I'm inclined to believe him. I can't wait to see the rest of this. ♥
Reminder: please do not link to this at the Tiva proboards forum. Everyone's welcome to check my journal on their own, but I don't want my name to show up there. Thanks.
First off, I liked the case file - not just because it was neatly structured, with layers upon layers that clicked together into a bigger puzzle eventually, but also because it seemed a very fitting case for someone like Ducky. Because he's been in this job for so long, and yeah, basically, he's seen it all, so it would take something special and out of the ordinary to tickle his interest and - for lack of a better word - revive his passion for his job. (Remember last season's "Thirst", where Mary went out of her way to provide him with something interesting, something he hasn't seen before?)
And I liked that, eventually, it did bring his spirits back and him back into the team. I loved how they played that. Loved how they gently nudged the idea of him stepping out of his comfort zone and doing something he felt overwhelmed by at first. Loved how he ended up believing that he *does* have something left to offer to them. That he isn't useless. That, in some ways, they still need him, even though Palmer *did* do a good job in his absence. I still have vague issues with the fact that Ducky got so bored/desperate that he dug up a corpse without clearance, but I'm willing to let that one slide. Yes, I do recognize a plot device when I see it. ;)
Administrator: I like digging 'em up a lot better than putting them down. Funerals are too final. With exhumations, there's excitement.
I dunno why this line resonated quite strongly with me, but it did. It's funny how just one line of text can put a whole lot of character into someone who only shows up for 30 seconds in an episode.
Ziva: Perhaps some moments should not be remembered, huh? Like the last three months.
And just like that, she lets slip that it *was* hard on her, too. That it *did* take its toll on her, too. That it wasn't quite as easy for her to brush it off and look forward as she pretended. That it was bad enough for her that she wants to put it past her. And she just states this, calmly, quietly - not like she usually is when something she doesn't care to admit slips out, rough, angry, stressed out, tense. No, she just says it like it is - it was tough. I like that from her. I'm not used to this Ziva, the open, accessible one, but I do like her.
Tony: I think I'm with Ziva on this one. There are some things I'd rather forget.
Ziva: Really? Like what?
Tony: Like the look on my first girlfriend's face when we broke up. Haunted me for years.
So, uhm... given Tony's track record... who else wants to assume that it wasn't him doing the breaking up? And the look haunted him because it wasn't her who was suffering...?
A completely and utterly lovesick Ziva who admires Tony's maturity. ♥
I am also quite fond of the blushing and utterly lovesick Ziva in this one. ;)
Side note: Yeah, okay, sometimes the headslaps are well-deserved and quite funny. But it's scenes like these where I wonder how on earth the vocal anti-Ziva people can perceive her behavior as constantly emasculating Tony and putting him down when it's actually *Gibbs* who constantly treats him like a stupid, bratty boy who needs a good beating. *shakes head*
Tony, just saying Ziva's name in that voice and snapping that glove... uhm... excuse my while I dissolve into a puddle of goo for a second, okay? Someone on Tumblr commented (very aptly) that this is probably how their sex sessions will start out... *coughs*
That scene, with all of them ganging up on Jimmy, and the boys using Ziva for intimidation purposes? Brilliant! I've watched that one so often now it's not funny anymore. Perfectly orchestrated, hilarious, brilliant, right down to Gibbs's little shake of the head because he totally knows what they've been up to. And holy crap, my gang looks really sharp when they're playing badass like that! ♥ And Ziva keeping up the glare afterwards? Priceless!
Meet my favorite screencap of this episode:
And you know what, Gibbs's smile afterwards makes it all so much sweeter, hee.
Love how Abby calls the terrorist attack "the kaboom". Love how she says Gibbs's outside should match his inside, just this once.
Poor Ducky's frustration when he thinks they'll take away his case! I sat here going "awwwwww!" very, very loudly when Gibbs gave him hint after hint and Ducky didn't get it that his friend didn't want to take the case away from him. Love how Gibbs ended up bringing Rule 38 into the mix. How Ducky doesn't know that one either and McGee has to nudge the boss so he spells it out. And oh, Ducky's sweet smile when he realizes he'll be allowed to keep working on this one after all! Mwaaah! ♥
McGee: Rule 38.
Tony: Yeah, but he's not a -- you can't do it --oww, got it.
For some reason I find Tony's "the fuck is going on?" babbling utterly endearing. ;)
Uhm, Tony, darling... why are you sniffing the clicker...? O_o (Ziva is wondering the same thing, apparently...)
Love how Ziva seems to take this easiest. Love how supportive she is of Ducky, how she tries to have his (emotional) six. It was wonderful to see a glimpse of what connects these two. *happysighs*
"Much better!" Abby turning on the music full blast after the radiation alarm - hee. Hee hee.
The mad scientist interview was genius on so many, many levels, I don't have the words, and my inner nerd is doing the Macarena in my head every time I watch this, I swear. The way Tony plays with the space shuttle replica in the background, the nutty science joke (which, admittedly, I didn't get, but I don't think we were intended to), and, of course, the brilliant guest appearance by René Auberjonois, best known for his role on "Star Trek: Deep Space 9"... is it just me or does this make McGee's later mention of the Star Trek convention he attended in 2002 so much sweeter...? ;)
Ziva: I'm sorry, which one is Roberts?
Ducky: The one with the deviated septum.
I have lots and lots of love for how this scene played out in its entirety. Brilliant, amusing... and, uhm... extremely hot on the side. Because yeah, I'm sorry, Ducky, but I can't concentrate on your ramblings while Tony and Ziva look hot like that, because this is just ridiculous:
And most definitely not while Tony inches close enough to his favorite partner to make her really happy, right there on Gibbs's desk... *coughs*
Love how McGee shows both some real skill and swag to impress the officer. Nice scene. Well played, show!
Also mucho love for the scene in Gibbs's basement - first Palmer coming to complain about Ducky, and then Ducky spilling his heart. Love it. Love how all of this brings them closer and closer together.
And do we even need to talk about the "You gotta have a life to get a life recorder" scene? And Tony being all yummy again and unnerving Gibbs with his giddiness and blaming it on "a lot of sugar"?
McGee: You enjoy doing that?
Ziva: A little. Yes.
And yet another scene where they gave us a bit of sassy!Ziva back - the Ziva who has a little more spunk and spark to her, the one who is sneaky and unpredictable and thoroughly unnerves the guys. I see what you did there, Mr. Glasberg! And I like it a lot. ;D
Tony's attempt of pronouncing Del Finney's actual name. *snorts* Ducky pronouncing it flawlessly. And Ducky leading the fucking interrogation and GETTING somewhere! Love him singing to Finney and making a connection. Brilliant.
McGee: ... and I only know this because I was at a Star Trek convention in 2002...
I'm sorry, no matter how often I hear this line, it always, always cracks me up and I can't stop laughing. Well done, Mr. Binder. I love it when your inner geek shows. ♥
Love that Ducky gets to deliver closure... and gets some of his own in return. Love how he's hesitant to go back, though, because it means stripping Palmer of his rank. Love how he doesn't really want to deliver that message and Jimmy's at first slightly sad, but then he's just so happy to have his mentor back... aw, man. Show, you made me cry again! *shakes fist*
And yeah, one of my favorite scenes includes Ziva's throwaway line - "We are finally whole again." So much in one line, covering so many layers between them - the team, the Yard, their replacement family, their psyche... oh, so much love here!
And Gibbs's look when her words sink in - staring at her in that weird, adoring mix of love and surprise. Because our girl has come so far, from "Aliyah", when she proclaimed this wasn't her home, to this - to needing all of them to feel "whole". I think up to this point he had no idea that she feels like this. That she needs this as much as he needs his peeps. And I think he recognizes that right there, she mirrors his feelings during the end scene of the premiere.
That's one of the things I truly admire about Gary's style of storytelling - he realizes that their true strength lies in them being together, being close, being strong for each other. In love. Compare that to Bellisario and Brennan, who got a kick out of sowing mistrust and antagonism, who both loved to rip the team apart whenever they had settled into some semblance of peace... nope, I'll take Gary anytime.
So, yeah, Michael told us that season ten would be the best ever. And you know what? I'm inclined to believe him. I can't wait to see the rest of this. ♥