Previously on NCIS Los Angeles…
… Granger finally told Hetty about Kensi …
This week’s episode started with this intense, fast-paced, well-written, well-played scene when Nell briefed our guys…
“Where’s Hetty?“
Yeah, good question !!
*exhales*
“…your most important weapon…” Niiice…
“If you need to separate Mr Deeks from the team do so.“
“I need you to bring her home, Sam.“
IMO it was a good call to emphasize to “single-mindedly remain focused on Agent Blye.”
“What the hell is going on?“
“Welcome to Afghanistan, gentlemen.“
These guys look suspicious even to me.
Phew… it was Granger…
“What does this have to do with Kensi?”
Right. Focus guys !!
“This mission is dark. As in ‘black as night’.“
“We’re on our own out here.“
“That’s a direct order.”
Uh-oh… if looks could kill…
Where did they walk in to ??
“I hate horses.“
Thanks FM for the right amount of humor in this otherwise very intense episode.
*tears up*
“I have someone I care about very much. And I’m here looking for information regarding her.“
Trying to get him to talk. Take One.
“I have morals.“
“Jack and I were friends.“
Really ?? If this was a novel (or fanfic for that matter) I’d call it right away ridiculous that Hetty knows *everyone*.
Please don’t get me wrong. I really LOVE Hetty… it’s just a bit too much lately IMO…
And yeah, a little blame should be allowed here… she sent Kensi to Afghanistan and withheld information… intentions good or bad…
“I’m not buying it.“
“Not buying it? Or you’re not accepting it?“
Wait? How does Granger all of a sudden know about Hetty’s affiliation to Jack?
“We should do a quick search of the area. For bodies.”
*gulp*
Trying to get him to talk. Take Two.
“Send me the photo!”
*cringe*
SABATINO !!!
Oh my…
“If she slows us down. You’re trading her life for Kensi’s.“
“She won’t. End of discussion.“
Trying to get him to talk. Take Three. Morals on hold.
Morals back – right on time. Great writing, awesome acting !!
“But in the end the question of war and torture is not what it does to our enemies but what it does to ourselves.“
“They’ll be coming for us now. But I guess that’s what you wanted.“
Wow, what an intense scene. It really felt like out of a movie. Awesome writing, directing & acting !!
“We run out of ammo – we have two hands, we have knives. We keep fighting.“
“Hell, yeah. Let ’em come.“
“They stopped firing. They stopped shooting.“
Phew… *exhales*
Aww…
OMG, Kens !!
Kudos that she said “No.” when asked if OK !!
“Agent Callen. That was a good mission.“
Wow, did Granger just say that ?? 😉
Oh… not what Deeks wanted to see I guess…
Glad the girl got a new home…
“You would never hug me like that, huh?“
Nice touch of humor again…
“I got you. We’re going home.“
*wipes tears*
*Exhales*
Phew… what an intense episode !! I loved Frank Military’s eps before but this one was… just WOW !!
I’m thinking about starting a petition to include the “Director’s Cut” version (it was mentioned they needed to cut 10 – 15 mins) on the S5 DVDs… who’s in ?? 🙂
As good as it is to know that Kensi is saved and will be back home with the guys soon I wonder how this whole Afghanistan detour will influence her (personally and work-wise) and her relationship with Deeks…
As always I like to hear from you all what you think about this episode. Good and bad !! Everyone’s entitled to an opinion as long as it’s expressed in a reasonable way. Please keep your language clean and respect the opinion of others !! Thanks !!
This recap really makes me want to see this episode right now. From the previews and photos posted online of this episode and now your recap sindee, wow! Cannot wait until we get it downunder. Come on Channel ten. Us Aussies want this too. I don’t think there has been a single episode in season 5 that has not been amazing. This unit of cast and crew who work long hours each day (eight days for one episode), kudos to you all. Thanks sindee for your great recaps each week.
Wow.
What an array of feelings; Words would be inadequate.
It was a wonderful epeisode really effect me with many ways.Excellent team work!Nell rocks one more time at first scenes with the way she handle these guys!Great big fights and performance from every one,i loved the scene when deeks see the photo with kensi died!oh tears in my eyes there! And once again production and writter make me one more time dislike kensi,after the punch to deeks face!He standing in front of her like puppy who wait a good word from his boss and she doesnt even look of him !her eyes is on Jack after this the hug doesnt mean anything for me,he deserve something better he can give his life for her. All of us we are crazy DEEKS FUNS we need see our sensitive and beautiful Mr.Deeks with a classy delicate woman ! please!
Whoa…. Kensi is staring off at Jack because she’s thinking about being tortured. Of course she’s not in the moment with Deeks, until she breaks down and he holds her and comforts her. Are you really faulting a woman for being affected and “somewhere else” in her head after being tortured for the first time? I really don’t understand what Kensi did in this episode that would make somebody dislike her. It was the first time we’ve ever seen her this vulnerable, and Deeks was there for her just like Kensi was for him (which, let me remind you, it took weeks for Deeks to return Kensi’s calls or answer his door for her after he was tortured, while she tried over and over again to get in contact with him)… At least Kensi showed Deeks she was damaged right away.
I respect your opinion ,i really do old days i had the same but we see diferent some things for how production present a char it has nothing to do with daniella!
i will sign a petition for S5 director’s cut.
frank military episode for writing and directing was awesome!!!
liking RFS acting and portrayal of nell.it rocks. this episode was like WOW!!intense,gritty & WOW. still think we should of got rid of jack.glad kensi is back but they have long way to go
The acting in this episode was stellar – I was floored with how amazing it was. The actors deserve all the praise they can get for the incredible acting skills they showed. It’s a feature I love about NCIS:LA.
Having said that. Was I the only one that was extremely uncomfortable with Deeks using waterboarding in order to get answers from the guy? I get that he was emotionally distraught but I was not at all impressed with the fact that they had him go to the extremes he did. Deeks has never done that before and it’s always been something I’ve admired about his character. So I was not at all happy with that. He did pull back quickly but the fact remains that he did torture a man. It did certainly not make him seem like a moral character to me. I hoep that this will adressed later on.
And I was not too happy with Hetty either – as much as I enjoy her character she endangered the lives of Kensi, Granger and the rest of the team and the experience has left them distraught, especially Kensi. I really hope that this will be explained later on because at the moment it seems that Hetty’s actions to more bad than they do good.
But the rest of the characters were amazing. Kudos to Callen and Sam for displaying their humanity with the young girl and acting morally – I was very impressed with them.
I am looking forward to seeing how this will all pan out as it seems that there will be some huge repercussions.
we see how easy if someone you care and is in dangerous you can cross at the other side and do things you never do in normal, like torture espesially if you had been in that place like deeks i believe it was more painful for him from the cleric .
I completely understand Deeks breaking down just enough to go to the extremes he did. He just saw a picture of the woman he loves with her throat cut, apparently dead, and he was with the one man who could give him information on where she might be. He was desperate, and heartbroken, and angry, and how he reacted is extremely plausible, and what made the moment the most believable to me was how quickly he stopped and felt remorse, because that’s the Deeks we all know and love. He just lost himself for a while.
I agree that this was an excellent episode, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions in my mind, not the least of which is what was behind Hetty’s decision to send Kensi on the mission. She always has ulterior motives. Now let’s see how she “justifies” all the unintended consequences.
Also as a general comment, there seem to be a lot of things left hanging in all episodes lately. I could pretty much come up with one example per episode over this entire season. Hope the production team aren’t getting sloppy.
When all’s said and done, though, it’s still my favorite TV show.
I completely agree you Ann. Please the writers decide that they togather or not..otherwise rest of the Show Will be like a torture for Densi lovers.
My heart was there for Kensi. Very good episode, with everyone giving very good performences, but Daniela scored highest for me. I was less interested in seeing a romantic reunion with Deeks (ok, I loved the final hug), but I was deeply concerned at how her heart had been once again broken. Kensi never went so far with Deeks as she went with Jack, they had solid (or so she believed) history together, and all this was once again painfully severed by Jack. She needed that closure badly, but the way it came was way too sad. These last 2 episodes explained everything that was difficult for Kensi in relationship with men since season 1. She loved Jack, she let her heart in his hands, she allowed him to touch her soul and he left her behind, not once, but twice. I am sorry for the impact on Densi, but my main concern now is Kensi and how she will manage to recover her self esteem as a woman and a partner for any man.
Thank you for the recap. It is great as always (missing some humor but for obvious reasons).
It was a good episode and hopefully the WG is know history. I wasn’t a fan of it anyways.
But here is my question and I mean it. I don’t want to mess with the fans mind but I would like to know if I missed something.
So the question is:
Does anybody knows if COD is suppose to leave the show?
Why? Because it seems to me that they prepare him (and us) to leave. Why else would the writers downgrade him? Hetty talked to Sam to take care of Deeks and bring Kensi home. Granger said to Callen he should ask his partner what he might think about taking the girl with them?
So the Agent in Charge has no saying in any of these subjects?
Maybe anybody will answer or share his/her thoughts about these scenes. It would be great.
Thank you.
I thought that Hetty talked to Sam instead of Callen because he can better understand the “emotional involvement under different circumstances” that Deeks is facing.
I noticed the same things but I doubt it’s because COD is leaving the show. Taking any of the main characters would leave a huge gap.
hetty talks to sam because he was seal ,he knows better from callen how to react in afganistan he was there before ,so that’s why i believe he had this leader role this time, callen maybe is the leader when fights at streets los angeles but there is diferent!
It makes sense for Hetty to talk to Sam privately about Deeks. If it came down to excluding Deeks from following the Taliban (which it did), it would be easier for Deeks to accept that from Sam than from Callen. Not only do Sam and Deeks have a shared bond since their own torture, but Sam can understand exactly what Deeks is going thru based on his own experiences with Michelle. Plus, Sam has always been the one who keeps the team together from an emotional point of view while Callen is the strategist. To me, this is not downgrading Callen so much as recognizing each team member’s strengths and Sam’s stronger relationship with Deeks.
Right, but what about the Granger scene?
I think the Granger scene that your talking about is because Sam was a Seal, and he knows what it is like on a rescue mission of that kind.
W.O.W.
This was definitely the best episode of NCIS LA and the best start into an episode I’ve ever seen! Right from the first SECOND to the last: action, intensity, drama, angst, I was blown away! Thanks to everybody who was involved making it!
In order for me to not write endlessly about this ep, I congratulate sindee to a great recap, agree with everything and am just gonna say a few extra things:
Even in the first three minutes, so much intensity! Nell was so professional and handling the guys with so much authority. Only when the briefing was over you could see the worry for her friend on her face.
I like how Hetty entrusted Sam with the mission, he seemed more like a team leader than Callen during the mission.
Kensi’s photo: everybody was so devastated to seeing her like that… but Deeks reaction: puh… I have never seen anyone this heartbroken. Kinda makes you forget that this is just a show.
Deeks himself: I get why he did what he did, he must’ve been desperate. When he suddenly broke down, I was surprised and so touched… kudos to Eric Christian Olsen especially (but everybody elso, too) for the acting in this whole episode, it made it look so realistic!
That girl: I didn’t really get where she came from, she seemed to be all alone in the desert. But she had a good purpose later on and was even saved by Callen and Sam, I liked that too.
The fight scene in the desert: cool! Truly like out of a movie.
Then I had the feeling that something had been cut, the exchange came rather quickly. But never mind, Kensi comes into the picture and the world is right again.
Love it that she said „no“ to Sam’s question if she was ok (first time I think?).
The Densi reunion: wow, aww, so sweet! I totally get that she kept looking after Jack, she must be really confused about her feelings and seeing him again I guess. But the fact that she then let Deeks see her this vulnerable and let him comfort and hug her (in a way that definitely tells you they’re more than partners) tells me that it’s going to be alright and nothing has really changed between them and Jack is finally history. Even a Kensi Blye cannot always stay unaffected and strong, and I like that we got to see that side of her, even if it’s Jack who brought it out.
I’m looking forward to the flashbacks in the next episodes about what exactly happened with Kensi being held prisoner!
About the poll for this ep: unfortunately, 5 stars is the most you can give, if I could’ve had my way it would’ve looked more like this: ********** absolutely insanely loved it best episode ever of all times!!!
And that petition to include the uncut version on the DVD, count me in!
Yes!
The vulnerable Kensi and desperate Deeks were by far the best parts of the episode in my opinion (coming from someone who only started watching a show for those two). I LOVED LOVED LOVED the fact that Kensi said “no” when asked if she was ok. It was the first time. In seasons 2 and 3 especially her saying “I’m fine” when she wasn’t fine was a huge thing between her and Deeks. So her saying no, and then later breaking down in front of Deeks, was really what showed me how bad it was for her, and how badly she’ll be affected. Tremendous acting, and definitely my favourite episode of this season.
Yep, you put it right on spot!
The episode was awesome, ECO was terrible, Dani too. They were hearthbreaking !
I really like the soldier who was with Deeks too.
I totally get Kensi’s behavior at the end. And I think, if the situation was reversed, I mean totally reversed ( because yeas Deeks has been tortured but the circumstances were totally differents ) Deeks would have acted like Kensi did. He would have gone into the moutains to find the lost love of his life, he would have done everything to help her, even risking his own life. He would have been caring and tender because it’s who he is. Like Kensi there is no way he would have blamed her for leaving years ago, he would also thought it was his fault, that he wasn’t good enough.
And even if she was staring at Jack, at the end she was in Deeks’s arms, twice ! She could have walk away after the first hug but she didn’t. She let him in, and for her it’s such a big thing. That scene <3
I'm very very exciting for the next episodes
I’m sorry, when you say “ECO was terrible, Dani too”, you mean their acting was terribly good, right? 😉
Wow, I was tearing up again reading the recap. Awesome episode.
I’ve made a point to avoid the previews as much as possible, but knowing this was going to be the one we’ve been waiting for since November I had a pillow handy to hug.
I wasn’t too thrilled that Sam’s interpretation of Hetty’s guidance to cut Deeks out if necessary was to leave him behind, alone, at the first opportunity. I know it turned out for the best, but is Deeks going to read this as Sam still not trusting him and will their relationship backslide because of it?
On board with the petition, can we add a ‘we need outtakes’ in with it? (Y’know, balance out the tear-inducing-ness?)
BEST EP EVER!!!! To be honest I didn’t believe Hetty knew anything but it turned out that she did.
There were two things I ”didn’t like”: 1) No scenes with Jack and Kensi, 2) few scenes from LA, 3) the fact that there was no White Ghost and 4) Hetty knew EVERYTHING. She sent Kensi there to kill him and on the same time she knew she wasn’t going to kill him. She also knew Kensi and Jack were engaged and probably Hetty knows why Jack left her.
And there were many, many things I loved: 1) Both hugs, specially the second one, 2) the fact that Callen didn’t believe for a second that Kensi might be dead (neither did I of cource) and 3) Deeks reaction was perfect. Though if I were him, I wouldn’t keep moving to deliver that man, I’d stay with my partner, to make her feel better. I’d like to think that he whispered her something during the first hug, before Callen and Sam interrupted for one more time (Ascension).
Deeks almost cried when Eric sent him the pic. He did believe that his partner is probably dead. But I liked the fact that he didn’t use past tense when he said that his ”partner is the person I care about most in the planet”. He blaimed himself for Kensi being sent to Afghanistan. He is wrong because Hetty sent Kensi there for her own reasons and it’s her fault for Kensi being captured and Kensi’s.
I think there were some things that didn’t ”match”. In the previous episode, Kensi wasn’t wearing those blue pants.
For one more time, Granger pissed me off. He didn’t let Callen handle the case the way he wanted. I understand that he is the boss but what he does and what he says sometimes makes himself seemed so bad and ”evil”. No offence on Miguel Ferrer but I HATE Granger.
I didn’t expect Deeks to turture a man after what he is been through. He regreted it and apologized to him at the end and I liked it. It brough him back memories, bad mempries. And Deeks does have morals and I agree that Afghanistan change people, uasally not good.
The two hugs were the most beautiful part of the episode. He made her feel much, much better with these big hugs. Kensi, like Ziva, are not the kind of women who cry. But Kensi did. She was so scared that she needed someone to make her laugh, and that person is Deeks. He does it on a very good way and it always works perfectly.
I believe Callen was wrong when he said that SAm never gave him a hug like that. But in the ”Livelong day” when he pulled him off the train lines.
P.S.I have one question and if someone can answer me I be grateful: Why do they have to be dressed like locals?
I guess if they looked like Americans, the Taliban were a lot quicker to shoot them. If they stay disguised, they have better chances.
Thank you 🙂
OMG!
What an episode! Prolly one of, if not, the best of S5 so far! And I just have to say, Boo on Dani and ECO for making me cry multiple times with their damn amazing performances 😉
The scene when Hetty told Deeks about Kensi possibly being dead, crushed me! I just wanted to reach out and hug him for dear life! And then at the end when she broke down in his arms…pretty much game over for me. I think I went through a half a box of tissues (i’m a cryer-dont judge me LOL)
Really liking Nell in this ep-esp at the beginning…I would not want to mess with that little lady! She packs a punch which I hope we’ll continue to see. Not a lot of Eric but his expressions really conveyed the story!
Can’t wait to see what happens the rest of the season! Better stock up on tissues 🙂
Such a good episode! I wouldn’t name my favorite moments because you took care of that sindee w/ your picture recaps, thanks!
On a side note (as you also noted in your recap) its nice to see Kensi no longer say she’s fine when she’s really not. She’s come a long way since the beginning of the series. I remember from season 2 episode ‘The Job’ when deeks asked if she was okay, and she said she was fine. And of course, Deeks called her out on it by saying she only says she’s fine when she’s not fine. What progress for the character.
LOVED this episode! Fantastic performances from everyone, even from those with fewer speaking roles – the facial expressions on everyone conveyed so much.
I was disappointed in Hetty’s decisions concerning this mission, now knowing that she knew all along and still sent Kensi. I am disappointed in the character, not the writers. But I think it’s important in terms of character development for Hetty, because for the most part we’ve seen this older woman who guides her team, shares her wisdom and is always in control for the better. No one is perfect, and I think this episode showed the other side to Hetty, that despite what she thought was the best way to proceed, she is not perfect and does make errors in judgement. It will interesting to see if the writers continue with this at all, showing how Hetty deals emotionally and professionally with the fallout of her decision.
The ending between Deeks and Kensi and Jack spoke volumes to me. I was not expecting any big fireworks moment, so I was not let down. I felt it was quite in character considering the circumstances of everything. During the prisoner exchange, I think it would be normal for her to not really acknowledge Deeks or anyone else really. When they passed, she still had a gun at her back and was walking the opposite way as Deeks. She was physically, emotionally and I’m guessing spiritually exhausted. Most likely mentally confused about many things and feeling guilty about putting her team in the position to have to rescue her. It was all she could do to walk across that clearing to get to the safety of her team and the chopper. There were also too many Taliban in the area with weapons, and if anyone did anything sudden or any kind of outburst the Taliban men could have gotten spooked and changed their minds or started shooting.
I think the scene with Kensi hugging Jack as Deeks started walking over was interesting. Jack made it clear a few times that he had moved on, had a wife and child, moved out of the USA, and he was not the man Kensi once knew. He never made any hint that he wanted her back now. Kensi still had so many unanswered questions and emotions going into this, and she needed the closure before presumably never seeing him again. Those two shared a deep, intimate history, so it’s not out of character for the hug and goodbye that they shared. It’s not like they were making out in front of the team.
The most telling piece for me, though, was Kensi allowing herself to break down in front of Deeks, and her allowing him to hold her in front of everyone – twice. It would have been so easy (and typical) of the old Kensi to just stand in front of him and say it was bad but then keep him at arm’s length. She could have just sat down on a bench by herself with Deeks standing slightly away from her, or for her to turn her back while speaking so he couldn’t see her tears or pained face. But she didn’t. She willingly sought comfort in his arms, and she allowed him to see the real her, at least for now. She didn’t try to excuse her actions, she didn’t try to hide what she had done with Jack, she didn’t try to joke or hide how she was really feeling physically. She was finally honest with Deeks, which is something I don’t think we’ve ever seen or seen much of. There was no romance in their reunion, but I think the simple act of her being in his arms and not afraid to show her brokenness shows a very intimate connection between these two. Intimacy that comes from truly knowing and trusting someone else with everything (like she told Monica), and not from feelings of puppy love or sex or anything else like that.
And on Deeks’ part, his reaction to seeing Kensi and Jack hugging was important, too. He may have internally not liked it, but on some level I think he understood that Kensi needed closure with that part of her life before she can really move on with him or anyone. When he approached Kensi, he didn’t ask her about Jack, he didn’t say a word about what happened or what he saw. He just held her and reassured her that he was there for her. I think the “old” Deeks might have made a joke to express his uncomfortable-ness at having the ex around, or he might have flat-out asked Kensi what was going on with her and Jack, but this time he knew better. Again with the intimacy – he really knew what she needed at this time, and it was all about her. Not about him and any feelings of jealousy or disapproval or anything else.
Kensi and Deeks’ embrace at the end with the tears gave me more hope for this couple than anything else has. I know the writers won’t make it an easy, filled with happiness all the time road, but I think there will be more good for these two in the long-term. At least I hope 🙂
Good comment, busymommy. And I totally agree.
Sol
Totally agree !
Kensi could have walk away after the first hug, like she normaly does, following the guys or going to see the others but she didn’t. It’s a big step for her.
I don’t think that she’s still in love with Jack but of course they share strong feelings, he was someone very important for her, and she was in hell, it’s totally normal that she’s kind of lost. Like Dani said in an interview, I think what’s Kensi will have in mind is more “I’m not enough, all of this was because of me, he left me because he wanted to be free from me” than “bouuh he doesn’t love me,I’m sad, I want him”.
I don’t think we can judge Kensi behavior for the days to come, even if she’s not openly showing Deeks her feelings. I read comments about Kensi being bad, distant like she didn’ have a heart because she was makings Deeks sad by not acknowledging him faster but hey, She was in hell, she’s lost and broken. And even if Deeks said that she was her safe place after his torture, he also said that he wanted to walk away from her and he ignored her during two months ! that was very hard for her to handle, she was sad too.
Just wondering, did Kensi send also a time-delayed video message to Deeks? You would think so…
Deeks torturing a blind guy, everything goes these days? Something to keep in mind when back in the boat-shed. There are more important suspects to torture then someone who could have info about the whereabouts of your girlfriend.
The performance of DR was very good, she is imho the best actor of them all by quit a margin. RFS as Nell was imo over the top and not very believable, especially in her opening scene.
In retrospect, the storyline of several months with the white ghost is ended by his non existence, bit of a stretch. That being said, this storyline was just there to cover the pregnancy of DR. I would ask DR to plan her next pregnancy a bit better.
Season 5 had some great episodes but as a sequence it was imo fragmented and incoherent.
In her latest interview she played, between the lines, the “Densi” part down, so we will have to wait for next season to see if there is a feature for them. Tiva v2…
I was wrong, and never happier to admit it! Count me in on petitioning for the directors cut! I hope they can get all the actors to do a commentary on this one.
What a great episopde, every single actor brought their A+ game, starting with bossyboots Nell, Eric after the video, Hetty, yes you should feel responsible!
I think Sam was took point on this because he was a seal, and has expierience with war zone behavior. If Deeks had gone with them the ending would have been different.
His torture of the blind guy had gone on for 48 hours according to to translator, and then they sent the news and pucture of Kensi, it did not surprise me that he snapped, but came back from it so fast. Your perception changes with lack of sleep, not to mention stress.
Why did the take so little supplies (water) when they had no idea how far they would have to go?
Loved them finding Sabatino, and even he turned out to be not totally evil. Even though he wanted to kill the girl that was shooting at them. I think he and Granger have spent too much time alone. The firefight in the desert was amazing, it really did feel like a movie. Well done everyone.
About Jack, his timeline confuses me. Hetty knew him before or after he met Kensi? I think it was kind of low and dangerous not to clue Kensi in about that. So his ‘story’ in the cave was cover? Then Hetty said he had a daughter. Need to rewatch.
So Kensi is forgiven for her emotions getting the best of her.
I so loved that The translator figured out the man had a son in the Taliban, and they used him as a prisoner exchange. Deeks to the rescue of the team, all of them!
I think Kensi is really going to need some healing time, but at least she has closure with Jack. Still think he is a selfish jerk, but hey at least he is working for us.
I think right now Deeks is her most trusted friend in her eyes. I see them going back to really close friends, and Deeks moving on. They would have to choose their relationship or the team. Pretty sure agents can’t be involved with team members, I might be wrong.
I would love them to be a couple, but so many obstacles, like Kensis state of mind.
I am kind of ready for a nice quite find the bad guy save the world episode now.
Or to rewatch this one, really amazing telivision.
They dress like locals to stay alive.
Episode was excelent, but…
Hetty played very dirty and dangerous game with Kensi and Jack.
How she want help Jack, without inform kensi, what’s going on?!
Kensi almost kill Jack!
He had just litle bit of luck!
It was just luck, not Hetty’s miracle!
And was really nice, “bring her home”…about Deeks, silence.
Very nice aunty Hetty, very nice….. 🙁
Anyway, writers did excelent job!
No one from us, during last few days, was not been even close, what’ happen today. 😉
This episode was bar-none my favorite. Well..at least a tie between this one and the 100th episode.
A few things kind of confused me.
Hetty knew Jack all along??? I wonder why she didn’t tell Granger given the situation of everything. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Things I didn’t like.
Seeing Deeks go to far and cross the line with the blind cleric. I think that would be where your professional training should kick in, hard to do I understand. Obviously, Deeks has a lot of issues with his own torture. When he came back from that and seeing his face was so heartbreaking. Also, I kind of thought Nell was a little too bossy?
Things I loved.
I loved seeing Sam in “Seal Mode”. This was what he was trained for, what he does. The gun fight with the Taliban was scary good. My husband walked in the room and asked me what movie I was watching. He even got hooked. And the end when Kensi broke down and Deeks caught her so sweet. All the cast did and AMAZING job, and the writers and crew were fantastic as well.
Finally my Densi thoughts.
I have never been a huge Densi shipper. I think they have amazing chemistry as partners, and friends, but I wonder if it was more romantic if it would ruin that. Now Jack is still in the picture, and watching Kensi last night she still has feelings for him. Which I think will through a kink in the whole thing. I just hope she doesn’t sort of string Deeks along if she isn’t interested in him like that anymore.
I am rethinking my Densi shipping. I think I would like Deeks to pair up with that DEA agent, nice and kick ass. I don’t want Kensi to pine eternally for Jack, but I think it will take a while, and I don’t want to see Deeks just waiting. He does need someone that can ‘keep up’, go surfing, camel riding etc.
My spin on Nell being miss bossy boots is that was her way of coping and not breaking down.
Hetty knowing all along that there was no WG and it was Jack they were trying to take down, and not telling people REALLY bothers me. I can’t understand why she did not tell Kensi. I think she crossed the line, and put everyone in danger. Too many secrets, for no good reasons.
amen !that is what talk about densi, production must be stop torture densi funs ,really they believe funs would stay see and for season 6 this repeat?and this is something unfair for other actors we must see storyline with them too.
Just watched the episode and no matter what, the acting was great!
Sure, there are always some confusing things – like how come Sabatino was all alone in there, why Callen never asked any more questions, but hey, I can deal with that!
Loved the way Sam took the lead, the way Callen addressed Granger several times (but in the end, it is Granger who says ‘it was a good mission’…).
I can imagine Deeks doing this, still we don’t have to like it. He should have thought about the money sooner.
Oh, and Sam kissing the picture of Michelle and their daughter: so touching.
The end was teary, even in here. Kensi and Deeks were perfect together!
One of the best episodes i’ve seen so far!
The episode blew me away. In my opinion, it’s the best of the entire series to date.
Kudos to everyone for showing up with their “A” game, and a special shout out for Eric Christian Olsen for an incredibly emotional performance.
One thing we had better see in the next episode: Granger — and everyone else for that matter — apologizing to Deeks. Because in case you all missed it, Deeks and the interpreter saved the day. It would not have ended well for anyone if they had not shown up when they did.
NCISLA at it’s best. A terrific episode. Very tense. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This was a real team effort, and the acting of each and everyone of them was superbe.
Callen and Sam were the epitome of what a good soldier should be – strength, courage and humanity were very much on display.
Kensi and Deeks are both going to need all the love, and understanding that they can get from their team. How will Jack affect Kensi? I don’t know, but she will need time to sort it out.
What to say about Hetty? There are too many secrets. This one almost cost the lives of her team.
War is terrible and it can change people. We got that message last night, but we won’t know the true cost here until the episodes to come.
Thanks for a great picture recap.
How does Deeks know who Jack is?
Also was it just some random Taliban member that beheaded Sabatinos partner?
In season 2, episode 11 “Disorder”, Kensi talks to a victim/suspect who supposedly has PTSD. During his questioning in the boatshed, Kensi shares about her ex-fiance and his PTSD and him leaving her on Christmas Day. I believe the guys were all there in the boatshed overhearing her talk, so Deeks would have found out about Jack then. He was part of the team and partnered with Kensi by this point in the show.
Not to be too picky, but there were a couple of things about this episode that are still bothering me. Questions that didn’t get answered. First, WHY would Hetty send Kensi to “not kill” Jack in order to give Jack a head’s up/running start when Jack was the one who told Hetty he was in trouble in the first place? Why wouldn’t he just take off as soon as he suspected or knew? And Hetty could have arranged for him to get help in disappearing if she wanted; she seems to have connections everywhere. At the end of this episode, he has to disappear anyway, so what was the point of sending Kensi? Also, what exactly did Hetty think that Kensi would do when she realized who the person was that she was supposed to kill? Didn’t she think that Kensi would go after him to find out what was going on for herself? I mean, this just seems like a really poor choice from a really brilliant woman who doesn’t make poor choices.
My second issue was with the scene with Deeks and the translator. First the translator says the cleric loves the Taliban like his son. Then later, he remembers what the guy said and realized he actually said he loves his son who is in the Taliban. Wouldn’t the language the cleric was speaking be the translator’s native language? Because it seems like there’s a pretty big difference between the two concepts. I find it slightly implausible that he mistranslates, then later – at a more convenient moment – suddenly remembers what the cleric said and what it really means. The translator said that he thought the cleric meant one thing, but he actually meant something else. It almost seems as if he was confused by the language of the village where he lives, rather than by the English language. I mean, sure, it’s possible that he was from another village where another dialect is spoken; but that was certainly not indicated anywhere in the dialog.
Lastly, at what point did Deeks find out that Jack was Kensi’s former fiance? I mean, maybe the team was briefed on that fact during their flight to Afghanistan or maybe Hetty shared that with Granger on the walking when he chewed her out for not telling him about her affiliation with Jack. But I’d really like to have seen his reaction to this information and to the fact that Kensi deliberately defied orders and gave herself up to the Taliban to try to find him again.
I know the writers want to drag the relationship obstacles out, and Daniela teased in a TV Guide interview that Densi would probably resemble the Ross-Rachel pairing of Friends. But I’d much rather see a Pam-Jim dynamic between the two of them. That couple that everybody loves, and we (the audience) are happy because they’re happy. They have such great chemistry; why wreck it with fighting and foot dragging? They’ve always worked together so well as partners. I would love to see them working well together as partners off the job as well. I don’t see why that fun, flirty dynamic can’t carry over into their personal relationship.
Okay, well I’m done venting. Break over. Back to work!
walking = walkie talkie
This episode was an emotional rollercoaster. Loved every second. EVERYONE nailed it this episode. I truly felt what the characters were going through.
Hands down the best performances by Daniela and Eric EVER. They had me crying more than a few times.. Renee and Barett perfect down to facial expressions..Chris and Todd gave us hope and leadership. Linda and Miguel as always showing your strength and wisdom.
All the guest stars were fantastic as well. Also a shoutout to all the crew to make this show possible. You are all amazing.
There are so many directions the story lines can go from here. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
#teamworkmakesthedreamwork
Laura,
Deeks didn’t know about Jack on the plane ride cuz he thought he was why she was there when he was at the cleric house. He wasn’t there when Granger was talking to heyyt on the radio so i do’t know when did he find out. maybe sam calln told him when the second helicopter came get them out of the dessert? I agree with u that would have been so great to see deeks’ face when he knows what went down!! Maybe that was some the film got cut but might be in season comes out on bueray. i wonder how tall jack is. kenis so tall and he was way taller then her, must be 6’8 or maybe more. wow, nice
Sorry for all the follow ups, but things keep occuring to me.
Like how in the heck is Kensi EVER gojng to trust Hetty again?
She could have told her the game plan and this would not have panned out this way. Just wondering..
Best episode so far! Really looking forward to the next one, to see how’s everybody doing after all that happened, but a bit sad too, cause the next episode isn’t gonna be as good as this one.
Okay.
After digesting 5×19 – The Spoils of War, it goes without saying it was an intense & emotional episode.
Was pleased that Jack was not the bad guy here. (Motives, choices and attitude aside.)
Said all along that no way Sabatino was going to be the ‘bad guy.’
It bugged me that Hetty told Granger that she, “Knew this day would come.” Hetty in the past has kept her peeps in the dark on things trusting that it was best. So I’m okay with that. Most understand that it was real life that sorta gave us the WG in the 1st place…
Goofy as it may sound now, if there are any that might recall how I didn’t care for the whole WG story arch–and wanted over– taking nothing away from how cool this thing turned out–The Spoils of War should have been part I and part II.
It’s easy to arm chair quarterback…but it’s also easy to believe that there actually could have been lots of edit tape on the floor here– or scenes that were time impacted– easy to imagine how some of the many loose ends could have been tightened up.
Am hopeful that there will be better lighting the rest of season 5. Seems this year has been really dark. With the exception of all the Afghanistan scenes that were shot funny to almost look like Afghanistan was the moon or something; Bright sunshine and green grass would be welcomed.
Please no more torture. Lots of fans were terribly turned off by all the torture at the end of season 4. Enough! Lets just not go there, anymore.
It would also be a mistake to damage the Densi fan base. There is a large & measurable percentage of viewers that would acknowledge that their fav part of NCIS-LA is Kensi and Deeks.
With NCIS-NOLA a distinct possibility for fall ’14 and the additional action/drama it will provide— it would be a major tactical mistake to toss away two really good card that the franchise holds with Densi.
Such a FANTASTIC episode. Each and every character were incredible, and everyone had a chance to shine in this episode. Great balance with everyone playing an important role in Kensi’s role. That scene literally felt like a movie, perfectly well done.
I thought Hetty talking to Sam was very appropriate and glad Sam being a SEAL was addressed, added a certain weight to an already tense situation and was fitting for his character. I think he was more the team leader this week because he has more experience specifically with these situations. And it ended up being a good call that Deeks was stood down because he had the solution for everything and saved the rest of the team, that wouldn’t have happened if Sam hadn’t stood him down. ECO was outstanding in his scenes and with portraying the right emotions, especially when they shifted so much in a scene. Best performance by him we’ve seen on this show. Loved how Callen felt for the girl and how him and
Sam protected/saved her. They both were truly leaders this week and their plan worked, proving Granger wrong once again. Loved their dedication in the shootout, showing what any one of them would do for another team member without hesitation.
Also, it was a nice touch to add personal things for our four team members. Deeks was reminded of and affected by his torture and his experiences, Callen was affected by the orphaned girl and saved her because he saw himself in her, Sam portrayed his inner SEAL and his promise to Hetty just screamed ‘no man left behind’ for me, and Kensi’s rescue and behavior and encounter with Jack demonstrated her abandonment issues and regrets and how much it all affects her still, adding to it even more than before.
Also everyone’s reactions to the photo were so real and spot on.
Loved Nell’s ‘take charge’ opening, she’s such a future Hetty. I agree her behavior was her way of coping, inside she was probably freaking out
“I hate horses” lol, I love Callen 🙂
“How come you never hug me like that,huh?” The two moments that made me laugh in this intense, nail-biting episode.
“Are you okay?” “No” Such a great little exchange, speaks volumes about what Kensi went through.
The whole closing scene was perfect, Kensi’s reactions because of what she went through not only with the Taliban but seeing the person she was once going to marry (after thinking he was dead) leave a second time, her staring after Jack probably in shock about everything and her issues with men coming up once again, Deeks being gentle with her because of the state she’s in and his only concern being to comfort her, not really questioning anything with Jack because he wants her to feel better, and that last part was just so spot on, amazing ending.
I’m a little confused about what Granger knew and Hetty’s involvement (who I don’t think we should be angry with because she may be the master of the universe but she makes mistakes and she can’t predict everything, she’s not always right and she obviously blamed herself)and the WG mission and how all the details fit together, like who killed Sabatino’s partner and what he was doing in the desert by himself. I might need to go back to figure it out, maybe it’ll be addressed later.
Overall, this episode goes straight to my top all time favorites, with Reznikov, N, Tuhon, and Familia/Lange, H. All of the cast and crew did an exceptional job, and we all have Frank Military to thank for bringing this outstanding hour of television to life.
Hetty is fully responsible for that mess.
In this episode, really missing one sentence.
From Jack to Deeks.
Something like….
“Take care about her, and never broke her heart, like I did it, good luck for you two.”
This episode was abnormal.
5×02: Martin does not sleep. Nothing psychology, psychiatry. No cure, no help. Kensi arrives … he heals and he is sleeping, probably for two consecutive months!
5×19: Martin is a good person … but he goes crazy and uses torture a poor blind man. He becomes a torturer like Sayid Jarrah.
5×25: we will discover that in fact, Martin does not exist … he is a hologram and lives on the thirteenth floor.
I saw a fake Martin. Martin is not Martin.
If the episode 5×19 was a fanfiction, Martin would ooooc.
I want back the original Martin.
Hi from Roma (22.58)
Monty