"Now, have we the XYZs here? Where are the XYZs?"
On Tuesday evening, I attended my first meeting of the women's group our temple. I was a little blown away by how much work these women put into running the temple, fundraising, planning dinners and events, organizing the religious classes, sending food to members who sick or grieving, etc. They are a force to be reckoned with! I was so impressed.
I have to say, maybe because it was my first meeting, but I felt very out-of-place. First of all, the meeting was held at one lady's house in Swanky Subdivision Land. Honestly, it was probably one of the nicest houses I've ever been in. I kept wanting to say, "No, you don't understand! I love junk food and collect cans and shop at Goodwill!" Also, every other woman there was old enough to be my mother (or grandmother) and I had nothing to contribute when they talked about their husbands, kids, grandkids, and gardens. But they were all so sweet to me that I feel I have to go back for the next meeting. Mrs. Cohen, who sat next to me, said she was "adopting" me and appointing herself as my "meddling Jewish mother." (Haha! Cohen, just what my last name always gets misheard as!)
Still, it was hard. How can just visiting a house in the town where I've lived for so long feel more foreign going to than France?
The other downside is that the meetings seem to be held on Tuesday evenings, so I missed seeing NCIS "live." I watched this week's episode (Two-Faced - my notes are at the bottom, and they're long as heck!) online twice, and it just blew my mind. You can find excellent (better) summaries here by kew121 and here by littlesammy.
On Wednesday and Friday mornings, I had two job interviews. The interesting thing is that they were both positions I didn't apply for; the employers had seen my resume online and called me in. This has never happened before, and I'd like to think it's a good sign, but I also don't want to get my hopes up. Today I went straight to temple from work, and from there, straight to Grandma's house for a dinner of sloppy joes and cake. Yum.
I'm typing up some fanficiton in another window right now. Strange that in 2010, I wrote twelve stories in six months, while this is only my fourth story of 2011. I suppose I must have more of a life this year than I did then. Who'd have thought?
Super-long notes on episode 8x20 Two-Faced
Second appearance of EJ Barrett, last seen in One Last Score. First appearance of CIA Agent Ray Cruz, Ziva's boyfriend.
Writers: Nicole Mirante-Matthews (Freedom) & Reed Steiner (Out of the Frying Pan).
+ Wow, that opening! Balfour fumbling around and trying to make amends in the bar was both funny and kinda sweet, and the scene with the doll was SO creepy, dark, and well-done. (I read David McCallum provided the doll's voice. God loves a duck!) I think with such a disturbing little doll in the scene, we all expected something bad to happen, but I still jumped when Balfour got murdered in such a sudden, brutal way.
+ I wasn't expecting to like the bullpen scene, but I did. All season Tony acted jealous when he asked about Ray, which has annoyed me so much, but in this scene, he didn't. Hallelujah! I guess because Tony is seeing EJ now, he can't be jealous of Ziva for seeing Ray. I liked how genuinely happy Ziva seems with Ray, and how open and honest she was about their relationship (saying "I miss you" to him in front of the guys!). I liked Ziva asking Tony about "his special new someone" (does she know about him and EJ? suspect?) and Tony saying that Ziva should really be worried about Gibbs, not him (awww).
- Of course, given how happy Ziva seemed with Ray in this scene, I should've known something would go wrong with them soon. Also, Tony's "Does his boyfriend know about you?" kinda irked me.
+ How Ducky rolled his R's when he said "spring crop!" God loves you, Ducky!
+ I got such an ominous feeling at the crime scene when the team realized that Balfour's body had been relocated, redressed, and his gaze altered to look towards DC (or in other words, at NCIS, Gibbs, and his team). The camera panning over to the city, and the freeze-frame on Gibbs, Ducky, and McGee's faces as they stared in that direction were really good shots.
+ And at last, we finally meet Ray in person. I liked how he surprised Ziva by showing up unannounced in the bullpen. It was definitely a little weird seeing Ziva so happy and giggly, but for the most part, I thought she stayed in-character. You could tell she was nervous about having Ray meet her team.
- Given the team's awful history with significant others, I can't shake the that Ray is secretly evil. Tony seemed wary and suspicious of him, but I can't tell if he has a good reason (the team was pretty caught off-guard when they found out Ray was a CIA agent) or if it's just his jealousy rearing its ugly head again. It probably did irk him (it certainly irked me) when she introduced everyone except Tony by their titles.
+ Gibbs, Ducky, and Palmer realizing in autopsy that their killer was a very meticulous, thorough, professional guy. The team is going to have a tough time catching this one, and it makes me hopeful for an intense season finale arc... as long as the killer doesn't turn out to be Ray!
- Vance butting his head into autopsy and asking for a rundown on Balfour's body. Last week's fun, Vance-free episode ( Tell-All) was such a treat, but now he and Gibbs are locking horns again. I'm getting more than a little tired of this, writers.
+ The restroom scene with Tony and Ray; it was a good scene for both of them. Ray wasn't fazed when Tony called him CI-Ray, but Tony was definitely caught off-guard when Ray told him that he was in love with Ziva and that Ziva thought of him as a brother. I don't ship Tiva, but he had a very interesting reaction. I think it made Ray more human that he can't tell Ziva he loves her yet.
+ Vance hanging up his phone after Gibb barged into his office was interesting, and I lol'ed at how drily he said, "I'll have to call you back." I wonder who he was talking to.
+ "You just saw me last night." - "Yes, in my apartment, wearing my Elvis Costello t-shirt, which was extremely gratifying." I loved Tony and EJ's conversation in the bullpen, especially this exchange. It was really refreshing to hear them only, honestly talk about their relationship like this. I'm not crazy about EJ, but I think I'm going to like Tony/EJ while they last.
- Gibbs and Tony getting pissed that they weren't told about the Port-to-Port killer sooner felt pretty stupid. It wasn't their case until Balfour was murdered, and even then, it still wasn't their case but EJ's. What reason was there for them to be told sooner?
+ Abby running down how rare how the P2P killer's clues and weapons are. Again, it sounds like this dude will be a hard one to catch.
- Abby acting so petulant and just plain whiny over EJ. Ugh! She actually came right out and admitted that she hated change (kinda like the showrunners) and didn't like EJ for no other reason than that she was new. I mean, how childish can you get?
+/- And now we have Ziva distrusting EJ for similar non-existent reasons. I'm not saying I'm a fan of EJ, but I just don't get the team's behavior here. Oh, well. Ziva and Ray setting up a romantic dinner in the break room was a sweet idea... but geez, I imagine it made it awfully awkward for any other employees who wanted to use the break room.
+ Okay, I might be a fan of how much the team is against EJ, but it sure made for an memorable episode. EJ's presentation on the P2P killer to Gibbs's team was where things really got good. There were so many interesting little moments in that scene!
Tony started to cross over to EJ's side of the wall, but stopped and went back when Gibbs said that they could hear her fine from their side. Did you notice how he was the only one of their team who started to go? Ziva and McGee were both waiting for Gibbs's okay before they made a move. I get the feeling Tony is going to find myself pulled between EJ and his team for a while.
Ziva kept glancing between Tony and EJ, as if trying to confirm her suspicious about them.
The power play between EJ and Gibbs, which kinda dominated the second half of the episode. What Tony said in the first bullpen scene was true: several characters on the show have cowered before Gibbs, so it felt really good and satisfying when EJ stood up to him and threw "Is that a hunch?" right back at him. And did you notice Tony and Ziva's expressions when EJ charged ver to Gibbs? Ziva looked at her like she was nuts, and Tony kinda looked afraid for her.
+ Damn, Gibbs was an asshole in this episode! Even for him, it set a new low level to barge into interrogation and demand EJ get out of "his chair" in front of a suspect. And once in "his chair," he ignored her, refused to work with her, and flat-out told her that he didn't like how she did her job. Again, I really loved how EJ stood up to him and followed him down to Abby's lab. A few fans whined about her tattling on him to Vance, but really, what else was she supposed to do? And shouldn't these fans be complaining about what an obtuse, unprofessional jerk Gibbs is?
+ Things continued getting good in Abby's lab. I liked how EJ answered yes when Abby asked if they'd had a fight (although she lost points for her bitchy talking down to Abby) and how Abby asked Gibbs if he wanted to talk about it. Gibbs want to talk? Hahaha! The shot of EJ and Abby side-by-side made me chuckle, too. Abby has always been on the tall side, especially in her platform shoes, and that made her look even taller.
+ The elevator scene between Tony and EJ was interesting, especially their initial positions. Again, I feel bad for Tony, who is really being put in the middle. But him warning her against "messing with" Gibbs seemed out-of-line; she hasn't "messed with" Gibbs beyond trying to act as leader on her own case. But again, I really like how openly they talked about their relationship, how EJ admired him for being such a good agent, and Tony's "It's all about the people." I'm convinced that there won't be any permanent changes to the team or the show, as much as EJ might drop hints otherwise.
+ "There's only one Anthony DiNozzo." "Actually, there's two."
+ How Ziva raised her eyebrows and smiled when the elevator doors opened on Tony and EJ -- priceless! I watched that shot a few times.
- And here comes Ziva and Ray's break-up scene. Didn't we all see this coming? Yeah, Ziva's behavior was kinda irrational and out-of-character, but I can understand how her past has left her with trust issues. And geez, Ray, you have to choose right now to finally tell her you love her? Ugh.
- On a purely shallow note, I have to rant here about the outfit Ziva wore in the second half of this episode. You know, the purple blouse and camouflage cargo pants? She still looked good in it, because Cote de Pablo looks good in anything, but what were you thinking, wardrobe department?
Cote, fire the person who put you in that!
+ What does Ziva do with the information Ray gives her about Leitner? She goes straight to Gibbs with it. And what does Gibbs do? He believes her, no questions asked, walks right into the bullpen, and announces it. I loved that. You could really see here how completely those two trust each other. I think this is the real reason why Ziva doesn't like EJ: she knows that Gibbs doesn't like her, and even though she doesn't know why, she's following his lead.
- EJ constantly harping "I already did that! And I already did this!" in the final bullpen scene. I think the writers were purposely trying to make her annoying here.
+ "Autopsy is indeed topsy-turvy today, Mr. Palmer."
- "We're confident we're closing in." Oh, are you really, EJ? Didn't you love the way she nodded when she said that, as if she was trying to convince herself?
+ Gibbs asking EJ if she was sleeping with Tony and her reaction.
+/- The final bar scene between Tony and Ziva was too Tiva for my taste, but I did love Tony actually defending Ray to her! Hallelujah, he seems to finally be over his jealousy! And she was concerned for what would happen when Gibbs found out about him and EJ. I really love it when they can get along like this. Too often they're snippy or mean to each other.
+ And... the twist ending!
FF: I wrote a tag to this episode in From What I Hear.