Author => Diane

Interview with Jared Hillman

Jared Hillman is a very busy young actor. If he’s not busy working on a procedural drama like NCIS Los Angeles, he is busy writing, directing and producing an award winning short film that is currently making the film festival rounds. We had a chance to ask Jared about his short film Tandem and also his time spend on set with the cast and crew of NCISLA. Let’s find out more about Jared…..

What drew you to a career in acting?

When I was a young kid, I was greatly inspired by children’s stories – from Disney classics to action cartoons. I wanted to immerse myself in those creative, colorful worlds, and that immersion took many forms. I enjoyed drawing, designing costumes out of home goods, shooting short films with my parents’ camcorder, and making stop-motion animation with action figures and Legos. Simple playtime evolved into a real passion, and when I learned it could be the basis of a career, I knew that was for me.

What’s a day in the life like for a working actor like yourself?

It’s a tricky question, because an actual schedule is quite hard to predict. Some days are built around a full shoot (which can start at dawn and finish late at night). Other days are built around an audition, which typically lasts only a few minutes… but there’s a lot of preparation to do beforehand. And many days give an actor no specific task, so it’s important to fill that time with one’s own creative projects – for me, it’s writing, making short films, painting, hiking, and volunteering. If an audition comes up for the next day, it’s time to drop everything and dive in.

You have been in some very popular television series and a widely received movie (The Social Network)…. what other areas of the entertainment industry would you like to spend more time perusing?

I love when I get the opportunity to be a part of any project as an actor. It’s definitely a full-time pursuit. But I also studied film production at the University of Southern California, so I’ve had interests in writing and directing for a long time, too. It all ties into telling stories, inventing new characters or worlds, and by doing so, entertaining people.

How did you enjoy your time spend on the set of NCIS Los Angeles? Can you tell us about your character?….Who did you work with on screen?…Can you share with us any stories about your time on set?

NCIS: Los Angeles was a terrific experience, and the entire team was friendly and welcoming. As far as cast, I worked primarily with Daniela, and I found her to be a very warm, down-to-earth, intelligent actor. In fact, the entire cast seems to get along like old friends and truly enjoy their work together; there’s a lot of laughter between takes. It’s no surprise, considering their great onscreen chemistry every week. Also, the director of this episode was James Whitmore, Jr., who not only directs a lot of the episodes and therefore has a familiar shorthand with the cast, but he’s also an accomplished actor in his own right and creates a trusting, nurturing environment for good work.

How do you prepare for a procedural show like this?

When I first get the material for a new role, I make sure to read it thoroughly and begin finding my own personal similarities with the character and situation. Each role has some element that hooks into my real life, and the rest is extrapolation. For example, on NCIS:LA, my character is an impressionable student looking for guidance, and that’s a foundation I know from experience. So, immediately I start to understand what my character’s daily life looks like, who the key figures are, etc. While the specific events my character experiences are fictional, the underlying emotions parallel my own. A lot of the preparation is figuring out what memories from my own past trigger the strongest and most appropriate responses to the scripted words.

Congratulations on your Hollywood Discovery Award for best short film for Tandem. How did your involvement come about and how did you enjoy being involved in so many different areas of making the short (writer, director, and producer)?

Thank you! I’m really excited about this. Tandem is a short film that I spearheaded with a good friend and partner of mine, Matthew Helfgott. We’ve collaborated on various projects over the years, through screenwriting and commercial directing, and we wanted to go deeper into narrative filmmaking. We sought to make a short that felt like a theatrical feature with high production value, and yet brought a distinct dynamic not before seen. The result is Tandem, which is a buddy comedy set in the world of skydiving. The shared duties of writing, directing, and producing were a lot of work, particularly on an indie scale when bargaining, bartering, and asking for favors are big parts of making it all happen. In the process, we found lots of great collaborators who generously teamed up, and we hope to work with them all again. Of particular interest to your readers: one of the casting directors is Jason Kennedy, who casts NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles with Susan Bluestein. On our film, he and Allen Hooper found a fantastic group of actors to bring our story to life. To read more about the film, see: www.Tandem-theMovie.com

What’s up next for you?

As an actor, I recently shot a new digital series called TSA America, which is a workplace comedy set at an airport security checkpoint. It stars Misha Collins of Supernatural and Colin Ferguson of Eureka. On the other side of the camera, I’m prepping a new short film – more of a darkly comic character study – to direct very soon. Simultaneously, Tandem will be continuing its run on the film festival circuit, with its next screening at the upcoming San Luis Obispo Film Festival on the central coast of California, March 6-10^th. So, I plan to accompany the film there. I encourage film fans in the area to come check it out and say hello! More info on that can be found here: http://slofilmfest.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/tandem_jaredhillman_slofilmfest2013

We look forward to watching TSA America and go out and say hi to Jared at the Obispo Film Festival in March. Thanks again to Jared Hillman for stopping by and letting us know about his time spent on the set of NCIS Los Angeles!

You can follow Jared at the following sites:

Twitter: @HillmanJared

web: www.jaredhillman.com

imdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1169053

History (4×15) Review by Phillydi

History (4×15)

Written by: Scott Sullivan

Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.

I bet you never thought you would see terrorists, explosions and a Bigfoot sighting all in one episode? Veteran Director, James Whitmore joins forces this time with Scott Sullivan who has written his first episode for NCIS Los Angeles tonight. This episode focuses on a now defunct terrorist group who has returned to the spotlight after many years. The team is called upon to find out if they are also a viable threat again to national security. I have to say, most of the fun comes from watching Kensi and Deeks take their investigation into the woods for their own version of Once Upon a Time. After stepping in bear poo, you’ll know why Deeks hates leaving the city. It’s not pretty.

The terrorist group in question this week is The Gun Barrel Party and they resurface when one of their founding members (Albertson) is killed and the team has to find out if his death is connected to his former activities. Hetty is concerned if the GBP has returned, they may be returning to continue their former acts of terrorism on American soil which they started back in the 1970s. The only problem is most of them are dead, except for Jim Mullins and he’s in jail. After a visit from Callen and Sam, Mullens is defiant to the end and has no intention of talking…so the team is back to square one. Even Albertson’s girlfriend claims he had left his old life behind and didn’t know who would want to kill the man.

The team finds another lead at a university pep rally for Red Tide, an anarchist group in real life that uses a lot of the former tactics of the GBP. This takes Densi out of the woods and onto a campus to go undercover among the students. During the Red Tide disruption of the rally, Deeks is investigating the office of a prominent professor (Hale) who has been researching the GBP for a book. Only he instead finds a hidden bomb in the office which means someone wants the professor dead before his book about the GBP goes to print. After further investigation, it’s obvious Dr. Hale isn’t who he says he is…there’s no book and he’s been identified by Albertson’s girlfriend by another name. So, who is this guy?

This week’s episode spotlights terrorist groups that use violence to go up against government bureaucracy and Big Brother instead of respecting the laws that allowed this country to live in freedom and peace. I really enjoyed Sam’s use of the Kennedy quote to put a defiant student in his place. Unfortunately, there will always be those who will push the envelope and use force to get their point across and teach others to do the same. Like Callen in the end, I found Hale’s manifesto to be a sobering one making this a thought provoking episode. Nice piece written by Sullivan, I look forward to his next effort.

Show Highlights

Hetty and Bigfoot. No match there….you know I’m talking about Hetty …right? If she can beat a Sherpa to Everest, she can take on Bigfoot with no problem!

You have to enjoy Sam’s enthusiasm in getting to participate in his children’s living history book. But like Callen, I think it would have been more fun to go as Lando Calrissian!

Despite the comics of Deeks and company, the episode’s ending left us with both a serious and hopeful message. Hetty’s history lesson regarding Dietrich Eckart and Kensi reaching out to David was definitely the highlight of the show for me. Hopefully in the end, history doesn’t have to repeat itself.

Best Lines from the Show

Eric: Is that a real space suit?

Sam: Yep.

Eric: Awesome.

Sam: See! Children think it’s cool. Told you!

****

Deeks: Nothing good happens this deep in the woods. Out here it’s nothing but banjo playing red necks and murderers in hockey masks.

Kensi: According to the coroner’s report that Eric sent…the cause of death was a heart attack.

Deeks: So the knife didn’t kill him? Maybe he heard banjo music and died of fright.

****

Kensi: People who are number one with nature…do not step in number two!

****

Deeks: Whatever tickles your pickle? (I have a new catch phrase…thank you Deeks!)

****

Deeks: Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his pumps… (Deeks is on fire this week!)

****

Sam: That’s a nice purse, Deeks.

Callen: Yeah, matches your shoes.

Sam: That kick must have been worse than we thought.

Deeks: Cute…. Hetty, can I please have a tool belt or something to wear with this, like a belt sander?

Bromance Moments

A lot of bromance moments between Sam and Deeks this week. But Sam gets to pull Deeks’ chain one too many times. It seems thought, it’s all part of Deeks’ master plan. But at least I’m glad to see Deeks finally won out in the end. I think….

Densi Moments

Deeks: I cannot wait to retire.

Sam: You know you actually got to do some work before you retire from something Deeks.

Deeks: I’m just going to sit on that beach with dog Monty jr, jr, checking out the lady birds and their bikinis.

Kensi: See, you are only young once but you can be immature forever.

****

I can just see Kensi becoming President one day….wouldn’t surprise me at all.

****

So let’s see….Deeks hates going to the dessert and now the woods…hmmm you have to wonder about his childhood, don’t you?

****

Kensi and Deeks talking about the Kama Sutra. Wouldn’t you like to be a member of that book club?

****

Another Kensi nickname: Pocahontas! Add that to the list!

****

Kensi: How you feeling buddy? Looks like she tickled your pickle.

****

Deeks: We’re at this stage in our relationship now?

Kensi: What stage might that be, Deeks?

Deeks: Stage where I stand around holding your purse.

Kensi: Does that treaten your manhood?

Deeks: No, not unless the purse matches my shoes. (Ah, will we ever get to see that stage, Densi lovers?)

Check out our interview this week with Jared Hillman who plays David Thompson. Jared gave a wonderful performance of the troubled student looking to find meaning in his life. Find out what his experience was like on set working with the team…. only in NCISLA Magazine.

We will return next week with a new episode review, an interview with Cas Anvar and a lot more. So join us right back here again on NCISLA Magazine!

Interview with Corin Nemec

In January, Corin Nemec found himself in the biggest real-life drama and perhaps the scariest unscripted role he could have ever played in his lifetime. “I thought I was going to die,” Nemec told NCISLA Magazine when the coast guard vessel he was on ran into a partially submerged barge, seriously injuring Nemec and some of his co-stars on the way to shooting a SyFy movie in Belize. Nemec was rushed to a hospital where he underwent an emergency procedure to save his shattered leg and received several blood transfusions to restore the huge amount of blood he lost during the accident. “It was a life altering moment and it absolutely changed my perception of life.”

NCISLA Magazine was able to sit down with a Corin during this recovery time and talk about his career, his guest star role as Anwar in the NCISLA episode The Chosen One and his future projects.

You came from a very creative family. Did they inspire and encourage you to also get into the business or was this a vocation that you decided to pursue on your own?

I was totally self-motivated with respect to wanting to become an actor at a very young age. I was 11 years old when I realized that’s what I wanted to do and I was 12 years old when I started working in a children’s theater company in Los Angeles called Center Stage LA which had a creative director named Kevin McDermott who was an exceptional teacher. His classes had so much talent and it was amazing how many young actors went through his workshops. He would have showcases for agents and managers every six months or so and after studying there for a couple of months I had a showcase and agents and managers showed up and I signed up with my first agency and then started auditioning. So it wasn’t some bizarre Hollywood success story where I was spotted on the streets. But I definitely was inspired by being around a creative environment that was fostered by both my mom and dad separately because they were divorced at when I was a very young age.

You have been a regular on various TV series and have done a lot of guest star roles. Which do you prefer doing at this stage in your career?

To be honest, I have kids and there is nothing better than stability and the ideal scene for myself as an actor and an artist is to be a regular on an on-going show for preferably an extended period of time. It’s a much more stable kind of life style. It’s always a roller coaster ride in the film and television industry never knowing quite when that next role is going to come from and you know that can become somewhat tiring and stressful at times but for myself personally I love what I do more than I dislike the stress. It’s kind of a win-win situation for me as long as everything comes through and I’m not afraid to continuing auditioning if it’s pre-reads or whatever. I don’t have an ego about that and even the auditioning process is good practice in the rehearsal process as an actor. I don’t have any issues there and that has helped me continue working instead of having an ego and expecting that they will offer me roles. And that does happen, I do get offered a role at times without auditioning but that’s not something that I rely on.

You are a multi-talented performer…actor, producer, writer, and director. If you had to choose only one hat to wear, which would that be?

I enjoy acting probably the most at this point but I have had the opportunity to do some directing and I really do enjoy that process, I just haven’t been really afforded that opportunity to director something like a feature film or something of that complexity because I would really like to challenge myself in that respect. I enjoy that creative process, figuring out what my shot is going to be, what my transitions are going to be like and how I’m going to approach the story and tell it through the camera…all those artistic challenges are certainly exciting to me.

You were really convincing as a Chechen terrorist and we enjoyed your performance as Anwar. His discussion with Kensi regarding human rights was chilling. How do you prepare for a scene like that?

For me, I have to ask what does the script dictate first and foremost and what does the dialogue dictate? It was very well written so within the context of the dialogue it was very easy to figure out what this character’s spine was and where he was coming from. I do innately kind of understand, as an actor anyway, that kind of radical self believe that it would take for an individual to reach that type of level of willingness to go to any means to achieve the goal they have set for themselves. I really felt that the character in his own mind was very justified in his position and also when you look at world politics it is easy to see from the other side of the tracks because I do a lot of traveling around the world and when you live inside the bubble of America it’s very difficult to see how other people perceive us if you have never traveled outside of the United States.

Fortunately for me I have spent a great deal of time outside of the United States and there is a very different point of view about our politics and specially our international politics and our militarism around the world…so it was easy for me to grasp on to that type of idealism from that point of view. Interesting enough I have worked over in Bulgaria about five times and I had just literally gotten back from Bulgaria just several weeks before the audition…having worked on another project over there and there are some pretty close similarities in a Bulgaria accent and the Balkan accent because regionally it’s very close. Although I have never done any formal training in doing those types of accents I kind of had that sound in my head at the time of the audition and they put me in touch with an incredible dialogue coach who worked with all of the other actors and myself. He really helped me to soften it and chip away the more kind of Russian sounding words that I was using and it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed embracing that character with the accent, and figuring out his point of view. It was really wonderful couple of scenes to get to do.

Can you tell about your experience working on set and with this group of actors? How different was it working with the NCIS crew as opposed to the NCISLA team? Any special stories you can share with us?

For the most part the shows that I have had the opportunity to guest star on, NCIS, NCISLA and CSI Miami, CSI New York… the majority of these shows who have been on the air for a significant amount of times have pretty much worked out all of the kinks. Generally speaking they are all a very well done, oiled machine and my job is to know my lines, know my character and be open and willing to take direction from whoever is directing or from any producers who happen to be on set and take those suggestions and incorporate them successfully into the scene work. That’s really what my job is and walking into those environments where things are pretty much running seamlessly, well it makes it a very easy task for me to perform my duties because there isn’t that kind of arbitrary chaos that can occur, especially on the smaller films I do or features, where there is still a lot of rust in the system and there can be a lot more stress on set due to time constraints and issues of that nature. So it was a great pleasure to work on that show and it had a similar feel in terms of working on NCIS in the way the set operated…and the courtesy and niceness of the actors that were working on both of those shows. I found that the actors were very kind and courteous and that is always very appreciative when you come in as a guest star.

You have contributed to the Sci-Fi genre with your involvement on Stargate SG-1, among other titles and now you are entering into the world of Star Trek for a new TV movie next year. Will this turn into a series?

I don’t know where Star Trek Renegades is at this point in terms of getting it’s green light or securing all of its financing but my role at this point is attachment along with the rest of the cast that has been put together for it but I have not received a time frame for when it is going into production. My hope is that time frame is not too soon because if it is then they would have to recast because of my physical condition. I won’t be on my feet again for some months to come. There are a number of things I have had to back out of and cancel a number of appearances in the convention world and I have had to turn down several projects to date and it has definitely affected the speed at which this year had started out which was really good…so my accident has definitely brought things to a grinding halt. It might be closer to the middle of the year before I can start working again, but I plan on doing everything in my power to try to shorten the length of time for the rehabilitative process and get on my feet again.

Corin says he’s lucky to be alive and is looking forward to getting out of rehab and back on track with his career. “I’m in a physical rehabilitation hospital learning how to use the leg again. But my spirits are pretty high.” We wish Corin the best of luck as he goes through the rehab process and hope to see him back at work real soon! If you want to send some get well wishes to Corin, please do so below in the comment section and we’ll make sure he gets them. You can follow Corin on Twitter at @imcorinnemec and on his website at www.corinnemec.com.

An Interview with Evan Gamble

From Vampires to Divas, Evan Gamble has had guest roles in a number of very popular TV shows and now he lends his talents playing Chad Parish in this week’s episode of Kill House. NCISLA Magazine was fortunate enough to catch up with Evan before his appearance on NCIS Los Angeles and he was able to fill us in on his time on set. Welcome to the NCISLA family, Evan!

Without giving anything away in term of spoilers, can you tell us a little bit about your character, Chad Parish in Kill House?
Chad Parish is a guy who loves guns, NASCAR, a good Kodiak dip, and the glory of victory in his line of work. He’s also a bit of a hothead, letting his emotions run high at times. This has gotten him into trouble with his superiors and has led to some unexpected career changes…ha ha ha…that’s about all I really feel comfortable divulging about Chad at this point. You’re going to have to watch the show to know the rest about me.

What was your experience like on the NCISLA set? Which cast member in particular did you work with? And can you share any stories with us?
I had an amazing time on set. The whole cast and crew were very welcoming to me. There was definitely a sense of family there, and you can tell that everyone loves the subject matter and that they enjoy working with each other. I got to work with Chris, LL, Daniela, and Eric. In one scene, as I’m leaving the conference “area” where the team is sitting, Eric Christian Olsen is talking smack to me as I walk away. Each take, he said something different. My favorite was when he told me that my hair looked like Johnny (the bad guy) from the Karate Kid. I think there was a Cobra Kai reference as well, and he told me to “sweep the leg” at one point. That’s the type of improv that you just can’t teach.

How did you get started in the industry?
I lived in Austin, Texas originally, and was playing music in clubs all around town. All of that time on stage was sort of an intro into acting in itself. At the time I was dating a girl who was studying theater at the University of Cincinnati….she has since developed a great career on Broadway. I decided to give acting a shot myself so I enrolled in acting classes, got an agent, and booked projects like Vampire Diaries and the feature Brotherhood which got a lot of buzz and brought me out to Los Angeles.

You have done a lot of television work…what type of roles do you gravitate towards and what other areas would you like to explore?
I think with every role you play, there is the chance for fun and exploration. It’s less about the “type” of role and more about trying to find something relatable to myself in every character. I find that each role is a new and unique challenge and I gravitate towards roles and projects with great writing, and great people involved. That is the only pre-requisite I have.

Can you tell us a little about Meanwhile and Wild Cards? You seem to be very active in a lot of the behind the scenes activities as a writer, producer and director.

MEANWHILE is a sketch comedy web series that I helped start with a crew of my close friends. We release a sketch every Wednesday at noon on YouTube, and we shoot and have a “writer’s table” every week as well. Everyone writes, produces, acts, and directs on the show, and it is a lot like running our own web version of Saturday Night Live. The experience I’ve gotten both in front and behind the camera on MEANWHILE has been invaluable. Plus, I get to make comedy with my best friends. What’s better than that?

WILD CARDS started out a lot more casually, but has been equally as rewarding as far what I have gotten out of it. One of my good friends, Aaron Christian Howles (a very talented actor and musician in his own right), and I decided to film something. It’s as simple as that. Six episodes and two years later, we are finally about to wrap up the mini-series. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done. It’s important for actors these days to know and appreciate the ins and outs of what goes into a show. Aaron and I did all the editing, sound design, music, SAG paperwork, etc. I have the utmost respect for anyone who works in production.

Musician or actor…which area of the industry to you enjoy more?
Why should one have to choose? Being an artistic person, both feed the creative part of my soul in different ways. The challenging aspect of acting is very cathartic. As a musician, I have released all of my music and music videos on my own, and I will continue to write, perform, and release music in this fashion indefinitely. It’s a love-passion for me, and has been for most of my life.

What’s up next for you that we can look forward to?
Hmmmm…I have something very cool that is coming out in the near future but I am not liberty to reveal what it is at the moment. As far as music, I recently released a new video for the song “Deep Heart,” my band Smoking Sons (with Aaron Christian Howles) has just released its debut album, and I will continue to work on my own double album which should be done by the fall. In the meantime, keep watching MEANWHILE on YouTube…and NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS, of course!

Thanks go out to Evan for taking the time to answer our questions. You can follow Evan on Twitter @EvanGamble23 and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/evangamble23. You can also find out more about his future projects on IMDB.

Kill House (4×12) Review by Phillydi

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Kill House

Written by: Dave Kalstein

Directed by: Larry Teng

The dynamic duo of Kalstein and Teng are at the helm of this week’s NCIS Los Angeles episode and there is excitement in the air if for no other reason to find out if there was a reason behind the out of sequenced shows…oh…and yes, Kensi’s mysterious box. Whether there was a method to all the madness or no reason at all, diehard fans were still expecting another stellar offering from this extremely talented team. I’m happy to say they didn’t let us down! Although Teng is a regular directing such hit shows as Hawaii Five O and Criminal Minds, this is his first time behind the camera for NCIS Los Angeles and if his tweets were any indication, it looks like he had a great time with his first NCISLA assignment.

The theme of tonight’s episode is team work and why teams succeed or fail despite all odds. Hence the amusing opening scene with Sam’s come to Jesus lecture on getting back to basics… no more secrets… no more hidden agendas….just acceptance. The Musketeers’ motto lives on as the NCISLA team learns what it takes to make a good team into a really exceptional team.

The episode begins as Special Ops Command sends an elite group to take out the Molina Cartel. But they are ambushed and NCIS is called into pinpoint where the breach took place. The team goes up against a group of tactical role players (TRPs) who mimic the bad guys within their own theater or ‘kill house’. Callen and the team are going to go undercover as a new spec ops unit. Although it’s a game of simulation, this group can be pretty nasty. Even Sam is sweating bullets. The team is all nervous because there is no room for error. (When Hetty shows them the Heckler & Koch 416 assault rifle, there was only one production crew up to that point that was allowed access to the gun that took out Osama bin Laden.)

The actual kill house scene was one of the most suspenseful scenes filmed to date and Teng does a great job creating that tension inside the building. By the end, the team realizes they are not the best of the best and it’s a shock. According to the TRPs, NCIS was dead the moment they split up. Was the drill fair, or was the team set up to learn? The operation brings the team to question how well they have worked together throughout the years. Are they really a team or four separate units?

When their main suspect, Parrish, dies after the second kill house training mission, the team now has to find another suspect. Parrish may have known where the leak was coming from making his death a murder. But wait…the plot thickens! Inman and Granger are colleagues and have worked together before in the past. Callen is not a happy camper but Granger shows them he still has a few tricks up his sleeve even if it’s not always to the team’s liking. Ferrer is brilliant in his role as Granger, and if he’s not making me laugh, then he’s making me roll my hands into a fist. Callen is right. Granger is a son of a bitch!

The whole mission turns on a dime when Cisneros arrives in LA and the team realizes that Nell is captured by Innes and his men. It’s not a game anymore. The team has got to use everything they learned up to this point to save Nell. When all odds are against them this team does what it does best….they trusted their training.

Tonight’s episode came from Dave Kalstein’s real life experience training against real TRPs and in a real kill house setting used by Navy Seals. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride and I’m glad I went along for the ride. Thanks Dave. It was a great episode.

Highlights from the Show:

Got a kick out of Sam taking over the work space and claiming Deeks’ desk. (Getting a fresh perspective!)
Interesting that Callen is worried about Deeks being invited to the big boy table. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so worried about a mission.
Sam’s story about Hetty bring in a Kalinga Head Hunter to train the team was brilliant. It was Nell’s grasshopper moment (Ok…look it up if you never watched Kung Fu with David Carradine!)
I’m not sure who the bigger drama queen was here but the whole Eric and Nell interlude at the end was sweet….come on …you got to admit it! Although the verdict is out on whether Nell will make a good NCIS agent. Who knows…we may have another Hetty in the making. She’s got the Gorgan stare!
We get some great insight into Granger’s personality by Hetty at the end. Even Callen has to think about that one.

Best Lines from the Show:

Deeks: What the hell is that?

Sam: It looks like a box full of mind your own damn business.

Deeks: That’s clever…know what else is clever? Me…Googling the return address… Watch and learn.

Callen: Isn’t that against the law, Deeks?

Deeks: We are the law….besides we’re a team. All for one…one for all.

Granger: Maybe one day I won’t be the rain on your parade, but today’s not it.

Deeks: Rain on our parade? More like a frickin’ tsunami.

Deeks: If you hear me yell noodles, I’m in trouble.

Callen: If I hear you yell noodles, I’m going to shoot you myself.

Deeks: Conan the Barbarian? What? The three of you don’t have a monopoly on kicking ass. (ECO did his German/Jamaican accent again!)

Granger: Are you going ask or are you just going to wait for me to melt under your Gorgon stare? (Granger is on a role this week!)

Callen: It’s hard to find good friends in our line of work.

Hetty: It’s hard to find them anywhere. (Amen!)

Bromance Moments

This was one big bromance episode with the girls included….but I enjoyed Callen’s pep talk to the team and Sam’s reaction: Seriously? I thought you were going to go all Vince Lombardi and that’s all we get?

Densi Moments

Loved how Deeks comes to Kensi’s defense after being grilled by Parrish. What part are you roll playing now? Team super douche? How’s that working out for ya?

Despite coming to her defense, we still get Kensi punching Deeks! All the guy wanted was a little tender love care. Was that too much to ask?

Deeks is still curious as to what’s in the box….And what does he mean it’s not going to change anything….not even Kensi’s sure. Will we ever find out what’s in that damn box! Jeez!

Deeks: Ok, you guys couldn’t see it from up there but she definitely had a twinkle in her eye when she said that. (I think there was a bit of twinkle in Deeks eye when he was staring back at Kensi in admiration.)

Bravo Zulu also goes out to Rafael Kayanan, combat choreographer, for his invaluable work on this episode. It’s not easy making those fight scenes look so easy. Also, check out our interview with Evan Gamble (Chad Parrish) this week and find out all about his experience working on set.

Looks like we’re going to be on hiatus for a little bit while the team goes off radar for a few weeks but we’ll be back again for the review of the next episode, History. See you then! And don’t forget to go to Ebay and bid on the Dave Kalstein NCISLA Magazine cover…signed by Dave himself! The ASPCA will thank you for your winning bid!