Review: NCIS 6x19 "Hide and seek"

[bananacosmicgirl]

Slap Tony. Or something. Why the fuckeryfuck can't he do anything right these days? He doesn't know jack about tracking a body, he doesn't get that birds circle over the spot where a body has been killed (I know that and I don't particularly like the outdoors). When he says something about the moms, of course they have to hear it. When he tries to help McGee with the golf stuff, of course he has to mess up. At least he can probably sell the golf clubs again and not lose much money.

Slap Abby. God, you're annoying with the "evil gun" and the larva. Seriously, classical music for larva? Ugh.

Tim? He's suddenly the master of the outdoors with his fantabulous scout skills, despite not being able to identify Poison Ivy in season... one? Two? I don't remember when he first came in contact with it. And then he's from a Navy family, despite being completely green and not knowing a bunch of Navy stuff in the first two seasons.

Gibbs good. For once, he didn't immediately connect with the kid and get him to spill the truth. Nice change.

Ziva. Very quiet, but a little bit of background for her - it actually fit, unlike McGee's.

Ducky good although a bit ramble-y.

Strangely enough, I still liked the episode. There was good banter and fun stuff. The case was okay and I could follow it without trouble (unlike last week's mess of an episode). There were some points where I laughed - one in particular that I can't remember now, because I watched the first half of the episode yesterday and then the other half today.

Some slash potential. The "Maybe Ducky swings both ways?"-comment for the Gibbs/Ducky fans (*ahem*nakeisha*g*). A bunch of Tony/McGee. And then the look from Tony at Gibbs in M-TAC when they were talking to the dad, about going off to protect the country meaning you couldn't be home to protect your family... aw. Gotta write fic for that scene.

Some good shots that will make nice icons too.

All in all, I don't really know what I think about the episode. I enjoyed it, but they keep screwing the lovely characters over and I don't appreciate that.

Spoiler warning: I still don't get how they're going to make the Tony/Ziva work in a few episodes. This episode, they showed no interest at all. Thankfully. Because I don't like Tony/Ziva.

Comments

[emmybuns696.livejournal.com]

Seriously, if DPB pulls another Harm/Mac where they have burning sexual tension for multiple seasons, then one of them gets transferred and they magically decide they can't live without one another and get together, I'm going to smack him. And I LIKE Tony/Ziva.

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what the Harm/Mac thing is you're referring to, but yeah, I still agree ^^ Although I don't like Tony/Ziva as stated above...

[emmybuns696.livejournal.com]

Heh, sorry, that was Donald Bellisario's last show, JAG, which NCIS was based off of.

And yeah, I can see why people wouldn't like Tony/Ziva. I just don't want it screwed up!

[brilliantomega.livejournal.com]

Too many inconsistencies. You'd think that they know how close people follow the show not to make major changes in characters. *grrr*

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

And the writers pride themselves on how great they are at continuity *headdesk*

They. Suck.

Ugh.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I made those points about Tony myself - and like you I know about buzzards circling and the outdoors and I have never been close *g* And don't forget, Tony watches all kinds of films, including westerns and the buzzards circling come up in those films a lot. So the whole 'him having a go about scouting' whilst there for fun just wasn't believable - not given the years he's been in law enforcement *sigh*

As you know he's not my favourite character, so if I get so upset over what TPTB are doing to him, I can only begin to imagine how it must be for those of you for whom he is a favourite. So sad.

I thought Ducky was more rambley than normal - yes, *I* thought that.

*Chuckles* I did like that line :-)

I too was wondering about the whole four episode T/Z arc - don't forget he was leaning all over her at one point.

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

Well, his IQ is obviosly dropping with each passing episode, so...

*g* You thought so too? I'm a bit surprised ;)

They don't seem to be doing much with continuity between episodes as far as feelings go either. They slammed us over the head with the Tiva last week, and this week they're barely looking at each other? And it's hardly the first time they've gone back and forth between episodes - one episode it's all innuendo and longing gazes, and the next it's all business. Perhaps some of the writers are Tiva-fans and some of them are slashers at heart *g*

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Good point!

I did, yes. *Sighs* I can be negative about my favourite characters if warranted and to me he was un-Ducky at times.

Well that is very true - something else for them to be inconsistent about. *Chuckles* Oh, I like it. I really like it.

[tucker-liz.livejournal.com]

At this point, I'm almost hoping this is a concussion induced dream/nightmare on Tony's part. Nothing is working during the last few episodes and I'm beginning to wonder if this is the same crew of producers, writers and directors that brought us "Heartland", "Bounce" and "South by Southwest" (although I had a couple of issues with that one as well).

I love them all, but I'm getting so annoyed at the strange tweaking of the characters, from Abby being incredibly needy to Tony being childish to Tim being downright mean. Please, please, please, let my people stay in character. They can grow, they have grown over the years.

[kaylashay81]

I'm with you on the episode. It was okay, but there were those bothersome things you pointed out. I'm wondering if I like it because I just came off of last week's monstrosity. Anything looks good after that.

And then the look from Tony at Gibbs in M-TAC when they were talking to the dad, about going off to protect the country meaning you couldn't be home to protect your family... aw. Gotta write fic for that scene.

I LOVED that moment. :-) I went AWWWWWWWW.

I was watching An Eye for Eye last night on USA and want to know what happened to that Tony. He was a goofball while still being competent. The team teased each other without being hurtful. They had sincere moments between them. Gibbs trusted Tony to go on his own and pick who to go with him to South America. What happened?

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

I strongly disliked last week's mess too and yes, anything where we don't have to suffer through Vance and boxing is a step up. But I did like this, somehow. Some of the banter was good - it's just that they keep pushing everything way too far. Tony teasing Tim about being a scout was fun the first minute, but then it dragged on and on. The golf clubs was completely obvious where it was going to go (just like the inheritance for Tony a few weeks back), and it dragged on. The writers don't seem to know whent to stop anymore.

I loved that moment too. It was such a lovely moment.

I have no idea what happened, but we've barely seen competent!Tony all season. Work smarter, not harder - wasn't that what he said? Now he's just dumb, and that saddens me.

[milliebear.livejournal.com]

I was absolutely cringing at Abby's parts. I mean seriously? You can take "cute" way too far. I'm sure they were going for cute/funny and I thought it was completely awkward and annoying.

I thought Tony was a little better this episode. Well, he was clueless which sucked but at least he wasn't completely over-the-top goofy compared to how he's been recently. And I was disappointed with the golf club thing too. I think it would have been really sweet if he'd been able to actually buy the clubs for McGee. I was all "Yes! This is good!" and then... not so good afterall. Sigh.

Overall, I did like the episode. My biggest problem was Abby this time around. But I thought the show as a whole was good. I loved Gibbs in this episode. Only, well, I always love Gibbs... *g*

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

I think I liked Abby at the very start of the episode. Oh, yes, when she was "being boss". That was kind of fun (although it's sort of been done before, with her pretending to be Gibbs). After that, it went further and further downhill. Like someone said about it - there's a line between "cute" and "dumb" and she's definitely crossing into the latter. Playing classical music to bugs? Seriously?

He wasn't over-the-top silly, but he was far, far from competent. With comments like the one that the moms heard, and the fact that he wasn't gonna get the golf clubs right, it's all obvious because it's all they've done with him this season.

I liked it too, despite the above. They're just annoying me with the OOC-ness. I loved Gibbs too, although as some have pointed out elsewhere, he seemed detached and distant.

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

Yeah - sigh - I felt pretty much the same. i wasn't *cringing* over Tony's behaviour as I have in the past few eps but the level of incompetence is still annoying. Honestly, if I hadn't watched this show for 6 years I'd think the entire team were rookies who knew nothing about their jobs.

But it was better than Knockout and was more of a solid old NCIS ep. Nothing special but it was okay.

I was thinking though - Shane Brennan is the show runner and I was wondering if the latest eps, with all the bad characterisation and the stupid!Tony happened since he got involved in the spinoff? I've seen this happen so often, starting with The X Files. A show is successful, so they give the guy in charge a spinoff - and his attention is then focussed on the spinoff and the original show goes to hell. Maybe that's what's happening here. Not that I think SB is as good as Donald Bellisario but maybe he was keeping things in check and now they're all running amok as his attention is elsewhere.

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

Same here. It's getting to the point where I'm wondering why Gibbs keeps Tony on the team - he hardly ever does anything useful. Ziva hasn't made much noise in the last few episodes, and McGee varies between snarky/rude, and

It does seem like that's what's happening. It makes me very sad.

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

I agree - I wonder why Gibbs doesn't offload Tony. In Agent Afloat he argues Tony's case and says the team "needs" him but frankly I don't see much evidence of that nowadays. He's just annoying to have around. Maybe it's Gibbs's fault because he's not slapping him hardly at all any more. Maybe Tony NEEDS that to stop him being stupid *g*. But I don't know why Gibbs keeps any of them around. I've never really understood why he'd want a Mossad officer on his team - he's not a man who has any patience for divided loyalties. Half the time I don't know what Ziva is doing there. They ought to give her more fights or something.

[bananacosmic.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Gibbs doesn't seem to me like the kind to suffer fools. And Tony has become a fool.

As for Ziva, I guess Gibbs trusts her after she killed Ari. I've never really seen her as having divided loyalties. However, I do see her as quite pointless these days. Every spoiler I've seen about her is her being a love interest and that's most certainly demeaning to a very cool female character. She hasn't done anything lately that no one else can do - she participates a bit in the banter (but even that has been subdued). Gibbs, Tony and McGee would do just fine without her. Or for that matter, Gibbs and McGee, because Tony doesn't add anything either.

At least McGee is both a computer expert and scoutastic.

*headdesk*

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

Sigh. I'm with you. Gibbs and McGee could solve everything by themselves without the "i'm just here to be a love interest" girl and the idiot.

AGH! What have they done to my cool show!