Category Archives: Season 7

NCIS Los Angeles ‘Defectors’ – Review by A Virtual Scrawl

‘Defectors’ is the episode rescheduled from last week due to the ISIS terror attacks in France. The story centres around a note found after a car crash, which has the phonetic spelling of Luqman Badr Al Din, an elusive yet charismatic key ISIS member, who’s responsible for youth recruitment and propaganda. The team discover the man killed in the crash was an Uber taxi driver, and one of his passengers from the previous day was Iraqi Jahmir Yacoob, who was Special Forces during Saddam Hussein’s regime. The team turn tactical to assault his house and arrest him, only to find that his eldest daughter Zahra has been reported missing to LAPD. The parents confirm the note found at the crash is written in Zahra’s hand, and that she had access to her father’s Uber account. A photo on display from a recent model agency shoot suggests ISIS are using the studios to recruit girls, and Kensi goes undercover to obtain evidence of their involvement, whilst the team seek the girl and the terrorist.

The episode could and should have been a lot heavier on the ISIS story as it is very topical. Certainly UK news has stories of teenage girls, with no history of extremist views, upping and flying to Syria to fight with ISIS. Their roles are unclear, however the likelihood is they will become suicide bombers or as this episode suggests, ISIS brides. In the hands of a different writer such as Frank Military, the tone would have been very dark and intense. But here there is more discussion about what ISIS is doing and how, rather than showing, and the seriousness is somewhat eroded by the humorous aspects between characters.

Read the whole review on avirtualscrawl.wordpress.com and leave a comment if you like…

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NCIS Los Angeles ‘Defectors’ Picture Review by Mogorva

What was that all about? Serously? Stealing gas? That’s all? No guns, no bombs, no death?

Oh, OK, dead guy of the week confirmed, phew. Nice touch with the car accident.

Oooh, look… a message! And a CLUE to the investigators

That is a so lady-like way to peel the orange… What is Callen focusing on?

Is that a hint? „You are way beyond self-help.” Oh, nice jab. So, Callen does have humour?

Nice joke from Deeks. Didn’t see that one coming. Why is Callen and Joelle’s relationship always coming up in a way like it’s not all pink and fluffy anymore?

„That inspires happiness.” Yep, I second that.

Ohh, bad guy of the week. Mugshot is a little sketchy. A terrorist holding a gun gangsta style? WTF?

So, Granger is calling the shots again. Where is Hetty?

I’m sorry, wife? More like daughter. How old is she? 14?

What is an accountant doing with 3 cell phones? Juggling, what else, Sherlock.

The birthday present is even nastier than the book. So, the ice cream licks back…

The recruiter is here! Is that good news or bad news?

14 mins until the first appearance. Is it just me, or Hetty is pretty much lurking in the dark and does not appear a lot in this season?

That was easy… Still no flying bullets. And we’re 15 mins into the ep.

So, _it was_ too easy. Now this whole thing turns into an abduction? #rhetoricalquestion

What. The. Hell? How can she speak so much so fast?

„They’re coming for our children”. Makes sense. At least two birds with one stone. Maybe even more.

Who could possibly be the one to infiltrate a modeling agency? Enthusiastic volunteering.

„Sam, you up for it?” #snort

„Subtle” tailing. As usual.

„Life in solitary.” „I’ll tell you everything.” Is it really that easy or am I just being the only who’s sensing a pattern?

Is that blinder and trashcan supposed to be some kind of camouflage? Really? Or the bad guys are all blind dorks?

Busted. But in this case, that looks like a swing and miss.

„I know what looks good on me.” That may be, but this isn’t the best example to prove that.

Ouch.

Do I want to know, how and where she hid that gun during the photoshooting?

One religious zombie, at your service.

And the bullets start flying around, right on schedule. That’s a lot of lead in a minute…

Surprise! (Not). But at least it’s a happy end.

What the…? Hetty’s reference about not knowing even the closest ones to ourselves coming to life?

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POLL: How did you like NCIS Los Angeles ‘Defectors’ ??

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Share your thoughts about the episode in our >> picture review <<…

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NCIS Los Angeles ‘The Long Goodbye’ – Review by A Virtual Scrawl

The atrocious terror attacks in Paris on Friday meant the scheduled episode of NCISLA (“Defectors” – teenage girls recruited by ISIS), was withheld. The teasers had shown Deeks being arrested by LAPD, which led into the following episode “Internal Affairs”, and the re-jigging means both episodes have been pushed back by a week. Instead is “The Long Goodbye”, written by Dave Kalstein and originally scheduled to air after Internal Affairs at the start of December. The beauty of NCISLA being a procedural is there is a mixture of standalone episodes, two-parters, and those which contribute to an overall season arc. “The Long Goodbye” can be viewed on its own, but may well contribute to the Sam-centric finale (as teased by Shane Brennan).

This episode is reminiscent of one of Kalstein’s early season one episodes, “Past Lives”. Both deal with the aftermath of long term undercover operations. Past Lives dealt with Callen sleeping with (using or falling for?) the sister of one of his marks, to the extent that her four year old child may have been his. Callen felt guilt and confusion around the web of lies he spun, questioning which truth he should reveal, if any. This time, Kalstein has revisited Sam and Jada, a character the audience was briefly reminded of earlier in season seven (Driving Miss Diaz).

Four years ago when Sam was undercover in Sudan with war criminal Tahir Khaled, he convinced Tahir’s sister Jada to fall in love with him. Sam’s cover was blown but he escaped with Jada back to the States, where he destroyed her hopes and dreams; she would have to testify against her brother and enter witness protection or be sent back to Sudan, where her brother would kill her. Either way, she would never see Sam again.

Read the whole review on avirtualscrawl.wordpress.com and leave a comment if you like…

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