REVIEW: "ONE LAST SCORE"
Okay, so a few things first:
1) I liked this episode. Well-written, well-directed and well-plotted.
THE WRITING:
The stand-out for me on the writing was Tony being open about yeah, he stayed because he wants to be team lead in DC. He was doing a good job for those four months and he was getting his sea-legs. Jenny cared about his welfare. And from the beach-drinking reference? He's angry at Gibbs. He's suppressed it and never dealt with it. Hence his ignoring Gibbs' yell from the elevator, and his willingness to break Gibbs' arbitrary rules. The second stand-out was McGee being outspoken about the scuzzy bankfraudette. Excellent acting on Sean's part and it leads me to wonder: did she take Tim's navy dad's pension?
THE DIRECTING:
Oh, Michael. I am so proud of you. Excellent work. The three yeahs! for me were the transition from the desk pushing to interrogation (that was *sexy*), the money shot of Gibbs' silhouette against the car, dust in the background, perp on his knees and a burning sunset in the background; and the seamless flow in autopsy over the second dead body. It was seamless and had flow we rarely see on NCIS and I loved it.
THE PLOT:
It was normal. It was realistic. It was fun. It was dramatic. It was funny. It was great. That being said: one boo-boo:
This episode proved what I thought: DELIVERANCE must have been shot after ONE LAST SCORE. The comment from McGee makes sense if Tony tells Ziva about Rota, then Ziva tells McGee off-screen. Then McGee references it in DELIVERANCE.
2) CHARACTER:
I am so glad to see the real Tony back. He's laidback. He's cool. He's confident. He's self-aware. He's comfortable going after what (or who) he wants. The grin in the last scene? I *missed* that grin.
4) EJ Barrett: I like her. I really like her. I like the quirky, I like the meh-ness to Gibbs. I like her. I especially like that she seems to be as into Tony as he is to her.
5) Plot points to ponder:
- clearly, cutbacks. BUT I think this is a red herring. Why? Too obvious, the threat that someone may be going. My money is on Vance getting sectioned-8'ed and Gibbs getting bumped up to director, DiNozzo to team lead. I think Rocky's leaving. I really do. It makes sense.
- Vance was clearly briefing EJ on the serial killer case he's put her on. Interesting. Why not Gibbs? What is going on there?
- Ziva's taking extreme offence makes me wonder: it's less jealousy and a *lot* more territoriality. Ziva's used to being the female agent.
- Timmy getting so all fired up against the bankfraudette. That was unusual and significant.
- Gibbs seemed really grrrrrr! towards Tony in that last scene re: EJ.
1) I liked this episode. Well-written, well-directed and well-plotted.
THE WRITING:
The stand-out for me on the writing was Tony being open about yeah, he stayed because he wants to be team lead in DC. He was doing a good job for those four months and he was getting his sea-legs. Jenny cared about his welfare. And from the beach-drinking reference? He's angry at Gibbs. He's suppressed it and never dealt with it. Hence his ignoring Gibbs' yell from the elevator, and his willingness to break Gibbs' arbitrary rules. The second stand-out was McGee being outspoken about the scuzzy bankfraudette. Excellent acting on Sean's part and it leads me to wonder: did she take Tim's navy dad's pension?
THE DIRECTING:
Oh, Michael. I am so proud of you. Excellent work. The three yeahs! for me were the transition from the desk pushing to interrogation (that was *sexy*), the money shot of Gibbs' silhouette against the car, dust in the background, perp on his knees and a burning sunset in the background; and the seamless flow in autopsy over the second dead body. It was seamless and had flow we rarely see on NCIS and I loved it.
THE PLOT:
It was normal. It was realistic. It was fun. It was dramatic. It was funny. It was great. That being said: one boo-boo:
This episode proved what I thought: DELIVERANCE must have been shot after ONE LAST SCORE. The comment from McGee makes sense if Tony tells Ziva about Rota, then Ziva tells McGee off-screen. Then McGee references it in DELIVERANCE.
2) CHARACTER:
I am so glad to see the real Tony back. He's laidback. He's cool. He's confident. He's self-aware. He's comfortable going after what (or who) he wants. The grin in the last scene? I *missed* that grin.
4) EJ Barrett: I like her. I really like her. I like the quirky, I like the meh-ness to Gibbs. I like her. I especially like that she seems to be as into Tony as he is to her.
5) Plot points to ponder:
- clearly, cutbacks. BUT I think this is a red herring. Why? Too obvious, the threat that someone may be going. My money is on Vance getting sectioned-8'ed and Gibbs getting bumped up to director, DiNozzo to team lead. I think Rocky's leaving. I really do. It makes sense.
- Vance was clearly briefing EJ on the serial killer case he's put her on. Interesting. Why not Gibbs? What is going on there?
- Ziva's taking extreme offence makes me wonder: it's less jealousy and a *lot* more territoriality. Ziva's used to being the female agent.
- Timmy getting so all fired up against the bankfraudette. That was unusual and significant.
- Gibbs seemed really grrrrrr! towards Tony in that last scene re: EJ.