The Gold Standard (4×09)
WRITTEN BY: Joseph C. Wilson
DIRECTED BY: Tony Wharmby
Welcome back Joe Wilson! It’s about time! This is Joe’s first script of the new season and we couldn’t be more delighted. Teaming up with Director Tony Wharmby (Lange, H.), this dynamic duo promises more than its share of excitement and explosive moments. The team is off to investigate another terrorist act which can have dire effects on the U.S. Economy. This time we get to explore Sam’s aversion to clowns more closely and watch Kensi as she partners up with Granger! (Oh, no, no!).
The show begins with a violent gold heist and a vintage Joe Wilson boom. The gold was in route from the Federal Reserve to a bank in China for a $70 million dollar interest payment on a loan. Always fun to watch the usually unflappable Sam Hanna dealing with his own shortcomings when they find a dead clown who was part of the robbery. The poor man hates clowns which probably comes from some deep routed childhood fear. Wouldn’t you love to see that one explored in a future episode? This sets the team off in search for other accomplices who may have worked with the criminal.
Meanwhile, Kensi shakes off her temporary partner, Granger and is on her own (seems strange without Deeks, doesn’t it?) trying to get more information from one of the guards who was injured during the attack. The amnesia was a nice touch. Now all the criminals are being picked off one by one leaving only one suspect. The team is hot on his trail as well but finds him dead trying to escape with all the loot! Case solved? This was just too easy! Callen knows there is more here than meets the eye and he’s not buying how the circumstances all played out. The gold was left behind because it was bogus. The felons were melting the real gold down to make fake gold out of tungsten which would multiply their investment on the open market many times over. In light of this new finding, Hetty knows this economic terrorist attack will compromise the American gold reserve and put Chinese/American relations on the line.
The key is the guy behind the gorilla mask. There has got to be one clue that they are missing and our tech geeks, Eric and Nell come to the rescue, finding the location that is manufacturing the fake gold bars. The last of the criminals are apprehended by the team which in the end exposes Iranian Nationalists who were the masterminds behind the terrorist attack all along.
So… a very strange episode, don’t you think? Very subdued, and restrained for the most part. The episode had the feel of a Series One story in terms of balance. Deeks definitely brings a lot of stability to the team and you can feel how the members would totter back and forth on this tenuous balance beam. Very interesting to watch though. We also see a much more confident Kensi from the one we knew three years ago… some of it coming from age and some from experience, for sure. But I also feel it comes from her time spent as Deeks’ partner. She has become a better agent because of Deeks. Although she can obviously perform her job without him, we really don’t want her to. They are just too good together and wonderful to watch on screen.
I also think this was a very pivotal episode which had less to do with the story line and more to do with things to come. The writers and producers are setting up a future story line and asking us to speculate on what may happen in the future which was evident in the scene between Hetty and Granger. I always enjoy the Lange-Granger tête à tête moments… mostly because Hetty always finds a way to one up the Assistant Director. But the small talk was a bit disconcerting, I thought. What has gotten Hetty’s back up regarding Deeks future with the team and what does Granger know that has her so upset? Is Deeks in danger of losing his NCIS liaison job or is it something more sinister? Looks like we will have to wait for a future episode to find out. Damn!
What do you think? Any speculations?
Show Highlights:
- I know there are folks out there who have a hard time with the Nell / Eric pairing, but whether there is a budding love affair looming or not, I enjoy watching the two of them together. It may be too saccharin for some, but they got my vote for most promising couple since it doesn’t look like Densi is going anyplace soon. Young geek love. Don’t ask don’t tell? Ah, come on… let’s get on with it!
- The award for the most awkward moment goes to the scene with the guy in the costume shop. If Deeks had been a fly on the wall, he would have loved it.
- Enjoyed Eric’s psychological profiling by costume choice rambling.
- Kensi giving her definition of a booty call to Sam and Callen was hysterical! “I’m gonna shut up now.”
- Enough with the smelting, Eric!
Best Lines From the Show:
- Granger: You and I could use some quality time. Kensi: Awesome.
- Eric: Do snakes like being petted? This just took a really weird turn, didn’t it?
- Sam: Where’s she hiding the camera? Callen: Where she will have his full attention. Kensi: You know I can hear you, right?
- Remo: Look, honey. Callen: Shouldn’t have said that. Sam: Big mistake. Kensi: Excuse me!?
- Sam: I had him. Callen: Of course you did. Kensi: Obviously. Sam: Whatever!
Bromance Moments:
- How much did you enjoy Sam and Callen gesturing behind Granger’s back when he was talking to Kensi. Priceless!
- Sam: I hate clowns. Callen: Yep, not nearly as funny when they’re dead?
- Callen: You know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to buy you a yacht so you can come visit me.
- Sam: Make it a private jet and I just might.
- Callen: You would buy a jet?
- Sam: No, I’m gonna make you buy me a jet… and open up an auto body shop.
- Callen: 70 million dollars and you’re gonna become a mechanic?
- Sam: Auto-science specialist. It’s a calling. Open a place where people can go without being ripped off.
- Callen: No need for cars on the island.
- Sam: What, you and Gillian going to build a bike out of coconuts?
Non-Densi Moments:
- Poor Kensi! It’s bad enough that Deeks stiffed her and didn’t pick her up for work but now she is teaming up with Granger on a mission! “I would love to learn the ropes from a grizzled veteran like yourself.” Kensi’s looking a bit pale around the gills!
- What was that strange conversation with Granger and Kensi in terms of her future all about? That was creepy! Please don’t tell me he’s trying to step into Deeks’ shoes because I think I will throw up!
Next week we get to have some holiday fun when we watch the team spend Christmas away from home. Come back again to NCISLA Magazine for all the fun!
I found the episode subdued and sad. Without Deeks there are no funny parts.
I kept waiting for him to make an appearance and pick up the pace but it wasn’t to be. It was like watching something die right before your eyes and at the end of the show I knew there is to be no Densi ever! I couldn’t get it off of my DVR quick enough and I save every episode. I can’t remember the last time that a star actor was not included in an episode unless they were in rehab. So unless ECO had some personal reasons to be off, it looks like Deeks is toast.
I’ve watched a lot of TV in my 65 years and never has there been a show with two actors like ECO & DR that have the chemistry and the great writing that progressively brought them closer together every week for 56 weeks, and to see that end without a conclusion is very sad. I’m sure the show runner has a plan but I don’t see it.
The show was great for me because of the 40 hours or so of character development compared to a movie that only has 90 minutes or so. So once a week I got to suspend disbelief for 42 minutes and watch good triumph over evil and the guy gets the girl or the girl gets the guy. And for those 42 minutes a week I didn’t worry about whatever was going on in the real world. I will miss it. I will just end the show in my mind on a happy note with the Neighborhood Watch episode and thank the cast and crew for the great show.
I really was stunned that Deeks wasn’t on the show at all. Was ECO off on some other project or was it just Brennan’s way of pissing off all the Deeks’ fans? I thought the episode was okay, but without ECO it lost some of its luster for me. The set up for the future was apparent, but what kind of future is scaring me. Granger’s comments to Kensi were just weird. He said he won’t be an Assistant Director for long and then told Kensi to consider her future. Does he think she will follow him to a new job? Just weird, but a definite set up for a future episode. How that relates to Deeks I’m not sure. I was wondering if he thinks that if he gets rid of Deeks Kensi will be more willing to follow or what. Hopefully, there is a future two-parter for Deeks like they did with Kensi last season. Maybe Granger is going to use Deeks in an operation minus the rest of the team, because Hetty seems to be warning Granger to be careful that nothing happens to him or she will take it personally. So whatever it is sounds dangerous.
The conversation between Hetty & Granger has me worried. Something tells me Granger is looking to get rid of Deeks. Now would be the time for Deeks to pull that folder out of his desk that contains the paperwork that Hetty gave him at the end of season 2, asking him to leave the LAPD to become a NCIS agent. And I wonder what Hetty wanted to talk to Kensi about? Did she tell Kensi about the conversation with Granger?
Maybe that freaky conversation Granger and Kensi had was to set up the storyline for the new spin-off? Maybe he wants to recruit her for the new ‘Red Team’ that’s going to start soon. Or the Hetty-Granger-talk about Deeks is about that team, maybe they’ll try to recruit him for it and Hetty doesn’t agree? Dunno, but I always dread the episodes with Granger in them, because there’s always bad stuff for the team following that guy. Wish he’d just vanish to DC already.