I’m surprised to discover so many series these days are
hitting that ten season mark or close to it. As people talk about the golden
age of television being years ago it seems to me that solid television series
are still around for people to enjoy. For me the entire NCIS universe has been
an enjoyable one that I look forward to each week. And with those series coming
out on disc it means that long after they are gone (and as long as I remain
alive) I can go back and enjoy them once again. Case in point NCIS LOS ANGELES.
Season 10 had a major battle to fight and it wasn’t a gun
fueled one. Star Linda Hunt, as the office’s leader Hetty Lang, had been in a
car accident the previous year and was still recovering. That left her out for
most of the season. Stepping in at the end of season 8 and here for most of
this season was Nia Long as Assistant Director Shay Mosely. Eventually Hunt
would return and in that case how does a series deal with a character like
Mosely?
Season 9 ended with Mosely’s son kidnapped by his father and
taken to his stronghold in Mexico with the team deciding to go against protocol
and rescue him. Season 10 opened with them fulfilling this mission and
returning home with Mosely and her son. No more was said at first but this
played into several episodes this season that revolved around those actions.
One involved the team being placed on a hit list of the
cartel they’d rescued the boy from. His father was the head of that cartel. It
wasn’t long until Mosely herself was placed in jeopardy when she decided the
only way to deal with the situation was to kill her ex. Only the team could
prevent this from happening and doing so before special prosecutor John Rogers
(Peter Jacobson) could find out. The end result was Mosely leaving the team and
Rogers allowing them to remain together.
The season had Mosely stepping down and in the interim NCIS
Deputy Director Louis Ochoa (Esai Morales) stepping in to fill Hetty’s shoes
until her return late in the season. He was a welcome treat to the show and ended
up being a strong ally of the team. But he wasn’t the only one to make a repeat
performance in the series. Max Martini as Arlo Turk, the man who helped the
team in Mexico, returned as well in an episode. And professional wrestler Bill
Goldberg showed he had some acting skills playing Lance Hamilton who has popped
up again this year.
But the season had its ups and down emotionally as well with
the death of one of the team members. I won’t reveal who here in case you
missed it and need to watch. Another downside was computer expert Nell Jones’
mother being diagnosed with cancer. On the upside Det. Marty Deeks (Eric
Christian Olsen) finally proposed to Agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and she
accepted. Bits and pieces of that upcoming wedding played out throughout the
season as well as Deeks decision to open his own bar. And both up and down was
determining what would happen with Anna Kolcheck (Bar Paly), Agent G. Callen’s
(Chris O’Donnell) long time love interest and last seen in prison.
So here’s the thing about this series, something I’ve noted
for a long time with each season. As you can tell by the ups and downs of the
season this show is not just a police procedural or just about the actions of
the NCIS unit investigating various incidents. While that is all there it
revolves around the characters more so than just the action. You care about
this team. And they care about one another, something not all people in the
work force can claim. You’re thrilled to see Deeks and Blye get married. You’re
concerned when Nell’s mom is taken ill. These are the items beneath the agency
involving the people that make the show work on the level that it does.
I was late in the game when it came to watching the original
NCIS but thanks to the series making its way to disc I’ve been able to catch up
(okay not quite but I’m almost there). I was able to start with this series
from the start. I’ve never been disappointed. Each series has its own focus it
seems with this one aimed more at terrorism than the others. But the writing,
directing and especially the acting seen on this series make it exceptional and
equal to that of its predecessor. Season 10 just bolstered its reputation. Now
it’s on to season 11 with this one on hand to enjoy again and again on disc.
No comments:
Post a Comment