Friday, September 14, 2018

NCIS LOS ANGELES SEASON 9: THE THREATS GET PERSONAL

 

What I’ve noticed about the various NCIS series is that each one has a personality of its own. Each one not only has a difference in the characters on screen but in the topics that they tackle as well. For the original it was the basics, murders and crimes committed against military personnel. NCIS NEW ORLEANS does the same but with a focus on the city at the same time. And NCIS LOS ANGELES offers a surrogate family situation with a lead who’s known no real family while growing up. At the same time this series tends to focus less on individual crimes, even when they begin that way, and more on terrorism.

For those who’ve never seen the show (or read me write about it in the past) the team is led by G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell) whose past is unknown as the series started with more coming out over time. His partner is Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) a senior field agent, former Navy SEAL and family man. Working alongside them is Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) the daughter of a Marine, former Marine herself and expert marksman. Her partner is Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) a veteran LAPD detective and liaison to NCIS. On the tech side are Eric Beale (Barrett Foa) and Nell Jones (Renee Felice Smith), two computer savvy characters used mainly for their technical skills but who in subsequent seasons began getting out in the field. Rounding out the main cast of characters is Henrietta “Hetty” Lange (Linda Hunt), an old school spy in the game for longer than most know and who knows the ins and outs not just of the criminal mind but the minds of those in Washington as well. That puts our players on the board.

Past seasons have seen some truly serious shake ups in the team. Last season Sam watched as his wife was killed by terrorists. Kensi and Deeks finally came out in the open and admitted their affection for one another. And Hetty disappeared without leaving a trace to the team while viewers saw her captured by an old foe in Vietnam as she tried to rescue someone she unknowingly left behind. That introduced us to new head of the LA branch Assistant Director Shay Mosley (Nia Long). Her ways were quite different from Hetty, more by the book, and she rustles the feathers of the entire team. Their thought is she is there to dismantle them. For her it’s about making things run as she sees fit.

The season opens with a threat from North Korea and Callen doing his best to bring Sam back into the fold. Claiming he’s now retired and having bought a boat in need of major repair, he insist Callen find a new partner. When the threat becomes more intense he comes back on board, insisting just this case. We know that won’t be what happens. Sam has too instill a sense of duty.

As the season goes on the team investigates the usual crimes that they’re prone to do. Counterfeiters, gun runners, murder victims, border patrol issues, potential nuclear missile launches and of course threats from terrorists. Characters from the past return including Joelle the woman G was in love with only to learn she was an agent planted to watch him. Russian freelancer Arkady returns to add some comedic relief and assistance. Bar Paly as Anastasia "Anna" Kolcheck, Arkady’s daughter and an agent in her own right, remains on hand as potential love interest for Callen. And the team members still alive from Hetty’s time in Vietnam are on hand as well.

That comes to the forefront when several episodes revolve around the rescue of Hetty. While the government can offer no help for her Callen and the team discover clues leading them to her location. They go off book on their own to rescue her, risking dismissal from NCIS. But this team cares about one another and to even consider leaving her alone to suffer is beyond them. It is here that Mosley begins to understand the team better and to mold her way and theirs together.

From the way things run this season it makes you wonder if Hunt hasn’t decided to step down from the show. Her roles in this season was sparse and less involved on the episodes she was in. It appears that her character is grooming that of Mosely to take her place. Different in styles they have the same goals in mind, protecting the country. And a situation where Mosely purposely makes wrong calls in order to retrieve her son shows that she can bend the rules as well. Rather than toss her under the bus, the team shows her what a family they are and can be.

The show continues to offer more action that the original and focus more on the global threats than the other two shows. That makes it different while the same. It also shows why it’s important that we have a military as strong as we do and gives credit for the service that those who choose to wear the uniform deserve our respect.

NCIS LOS ANGLES remains an action fueled show that offers great entertainment. It offers a surrogate family of characters that truly care about one another and will go to any lengths to protect one another. One hopes that there are teams like that out there, protecting the country and protecting each other. And when the threats get personal, like kidnapping a member of the team or holding the child of another hostage, the good Lord help you if they come looking for you.

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