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the_navy_yard Episode Title: NCIS Season Premiere (S10E01) "Extreme Prejudice"
Caf-Pow rating: 2... barely
Review: As there are spoilers in this... the review is hidden behind the cut.
Well.... I knew going into this episode I wasn't going to be happy with at least the opening sequences detailing the immediate aftermath of the explosion. I couldn't be any more let down then I was... I could have tolerated a hell of a lot of "Hollywood explosion" if they'd explained anything of what occurred. Explanations go a very long way.
They didn't... it somehow made all the logic fails worse that they didn't even try to explain what they did or how things happened... so, not only did we have the logic fail of Abby and Gibbs surviving an explosion right outside Abby's lab with barely scratch on them, but we have a building which withstands a bomb that in all logic should have at least partially collapsed it. (For reference, one full block of military grade C4 such as was used to build the bomb in Vance's car is used by the Army Corps of Engineers to destroy structural steel I-beams. A bomb with 8 of them, on top of an at least partially full gas tank? Yeah... you do the math!)
So, we start off with a logic fail... though we do have set up for Vance developing a severe case of survivor's guilt. There was no reason for him harping on it being his car so much otherwise. Also, several cases of PTSD - Abby, Gibbs... and, much more likely based on spoilers slipping out for the season, McGee. Speaking of McGee, at least they did something right. Even if his sole injury is also a bit of a logic fail, as a rewatch of the season nine finale clearly shows none of the exploding glass blew back far enough to reach him, they at least portrayed someone in a deep state of shock well. Kudos to Sean Murray for the acting in that scene. It was, in fact, one of two parts of the episode that I actually liked!
Another thing I liked that I doubt few people would have picked up on was how Ziva handled the explosion and the aftermath. Someone in the writers finally did something right with her. She grew up in a war torn country with regular terrorist type attacks, even lost her sister to one, so her talk with Abby in Abby's lab made complete sense. Ziva is thinking of the future, of the fact that they'd all survived relatively intact and safe, of the good of things... That attitude makes good sense and is one that is often seen in those who grow up in those types of situations.
Much of the rest of the episode dragged. It almost felt like a "what I did on my summer hiatus" thing rather than an investigation/capture of a domestic terrorist. I was often bored by the episode to the point of actively watching it in fast forward in places just to get through it. I do have to admit there were the occasional good moments - few and far between that they were - and those make up for the total boredom of the rest of it.
In addition to how well they portrayed McGee's initial deep traumatic shock in the aftermath of the bombing, I liked the reference back to earlier seasons with Abby - her fear of autopsy hasn't been mentioned in a while but it was nice to see the reference back to the past - even if Abby's behavior was driving the already nervous Palmer completely around the bed. I also liked that Jimmy has Ducky's habit of talking to himself - or the corpse - in autopsy. It's a neat little quirk that I can see him picking up after so much time around Ducky. While Gibbs measuring his basement made no sense - though I do have to wonder since he measured the height too if he's going to jack the house up to get the bigger basement - it was interesting to see Vance in said basement. I think that's the first time Vance has been in Gibbs house, at least as I can recall.
The end of Dearing - a given because they really couldn't drag that storyline out much further - was also tedious, predictable, and rather boring. We had the obligatory reference to Mexico, the 'try to rile up Gibbs by mentioning his daughter', and Gibbs killing someone for revenge. At least this time he has Presidential sanction and Dearing went for a weapon. Yes, it was suicide by cop... Yes, it was something we all knew - even the team knew - would happen... but... could they have made it more dull?
For me, strangely, the best scene in the episode was Gibbs walking up to the monument at the end... standing there and watching 'his family' arrive at 'his home'... I think it would have been a much more powerful sequence without the voice over by Dearing. If it had only been Gibbs watching his family arrive at work, watching like the patriarch they so often portray him as in recent seasons, it would have been emotional. As it was, I felt like... "Yeah! It's over!"
So, all in all, I'm a bit disappointed in the episode but am glad to see the series back again. It's going to take a lot of work for them to pull my enthusiasm back after this. Hopeful, they will explain all the dangling threads they've left us with... not ignore things or gloss them over as they have so often before.
And now, I believe I need to apologize for the rambling nature of this review - written as soon as I finished watching the episode - I just had to let everything out while it was fresh in my mind. This isn't an episode I'll rewatch accept for occasions when I need to quick check a detail or reference.
Sig Tag:
Caf-Pow rating: 2... barely
Review: As there are spoilers in this... the review is hidden behind the cut.
Well.... I knew going into this episode I wasn't going to be happy with at least the opening sequences detailing the immediate aftermath of the explosion. I couldn't be any more let down then I was... I could have tolerated a hell of a lot of "Hollywood explosion" if they'd explained anything of what occurred. Explanations go a very long way.
They didn't... it somehow made all the logic fails worse that they didn't even try to explain what they did or how things happened... so, not only did we have the logic fail of Abby and Gibbs surviving an explosion right outside Abby's lab with barely scratch on them, but we have a building which withstands a bomb that in all logic should have at least partially collapsed it. (For reference, one full block of military grade C4 such as was used to build the bomb in Vance's car is used by the Army Corps of Engineers to destroy structural steel I-beams. A bomb with 8 of them, on top of an at least partially full gas tank? Yeah... you do the math!)
So, we start off with a logic fail... though we do have set up for Vance developing a severe case of survivor's guilt. There was no reason for him harping on it being his car so much otherwise. Also, several cases of PTSD - Abby, Gibbs... and, much more likely based on spoilers slipping out for the season, McGee. Speaking of McGee, at least they did something right. Even if his sole injury is also a bit of a logic fail, as a rewatch of the season nine finale clearly shows none of the exploding glass blew back far enough to reach him, they at least portrayed someone in a deep state of shock well. Kudos to Sean Murray for the acting in that scene. It was, in fact, one of two parts of the episode that I actually liked!
Another thing I liked that I doubt few people would have picked up on was how Ziva handled the explosion and the aftermath. Someone in the writers finally did something right with her. She grew up in a war torn country with regular terrorist type attacks, even lost her sister to one, so her talk with Abby in Abby's lab made complete sense. Ziva is thinking of the future, of the fact that they'd all survived relatively intact and safe, of the good of things... That attitude makes good sense and is one that is often seen in those who grow up in those types of situations.
Much of the rest of the episode dragged. It almost felt like a "what I did on my summer hiatus" thing rather than an investigation/capture of a domestic terrorist. I was often bored by the episode to the point of actively watching it in fast forward in places just to get through it. I do have to admit there were the occasional good moments - few and far between that they were - and those make up for the total boredom of the rest of it.
In addition to how well they portrayed McGee's initial deep traumatic shock in the aftermath of the bombing, I liked the reference back to earlier seasons with Abby - her fear of autopsy hasn't been mentioned in a while but it was nice to see the reference back to the past - even if Abby's behavior was driving the already nervous Palmer completely around the bed. I also liked that Jimmy has Ducky's habit of talking to himself - or the corpse - in autopsy. It's a neat little quirk that I can see him picking up after so much time around Ducky. While Gibbs measuring his basement made no sense - though I do have to wonder since he measured the height too if he's going to jack the house up to get the bigger basement - it was interesting to see Vance in said basement. I think that's the first time Vance has been in Gibbs house, at least as I can recall.
The end of Dearing - a given because they really couldn't drag that storyline out much further - was also tedious, predictable, and rather boring. We had the obligatory reference to Mexico, the 'try to rile up Gibbs by mentioning his daughter', and Gibbs killing someone for revenge. At least this time he has Presidential sanction and Dearing went for a weapon. Yes, it was suicide by cop... Yes, it was something we all knew - even the team knew - would happen... but... could they have made it more dull?
For me, strangely, the best scene in the episode was Gibbs walking up to the monument at the end... standing there and watching 'his family' arrive at 'his home'... I think it would have been a much more powerful sequence without the voice over by Dearing. If it had only been Gibbs watching his family arrive at work, watching like the patriarch they so often portray him as in recent seasons, it would have been emotional. As it was, I felt like... "Yeah! It's over!"
So, all in all, I'm a bit disappointed in the episode but am glad to see the series back again. It's going to take a lot of work for them to pull my enthusiasm back after this. Hopeful, they will explain all the dangling threads they've left us with... not ignore things or gloss them over as they have so often before.
And now, I believe I need to apologize for the rambling nature of this review - written as soon as I finished watching the episode - I just had to let everything out while it was fresh in my mind. This isn't an episode I'll rewatch accept for occasions when I need to quick check a detail or reference.
Sig Tag:
no subject
Date: 2012-09-26 09:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-26 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-26 01:44 pm (UTC)I agree that his demise was boring and predictable. It also was a rehash of what Gibbs did in Mexico. Come up with a new idea, guys. Or at least let Fornell do the dirty work this time. Or Vance.
I hope they take their time from here on out to let everyone grieve and recover physically and mentally. I hate when something traumatic happens and everyone is fine the next episode.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-26 05:37 pm (UTC)I somehow doubt that they will ever stop rehashing Mexico. I'm honestly starting to suspect they keep bringing it up just so the 'casual' audience doesn't forget about it. I suspect if Mark ever decides to leave NCIS and they want to continue the show after him leaving, they're going to use the events in Mexico as a way of writing Gibbs out of the show.
I think the threads they left hanging will be dealt with but I'm not anticipating it being done well if they are. I think the one person they will work on - mostly because it's been implied in some spoilers - is McGee. I suspect he'll be given a case of PTSD of some kind which will appear in tiny bits here and there until the sweeps week episodes when it's fully dealt with... and then poofs! until needed again for some reason.