Review: NCIS 6x24 "Aliyah"
May. 24th, 2009 04:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bananacosmicgirlFor once, I'll post my review before I read everyone else's reviews of the episode, and then I'll see if they match at all. Yes, I know I'm late - I've been busy with other things, other shows, and after the trainwreck of the NCIS:LA introduction, I just didn't feel like watching.
Ziva.
I. Just. Don't. Care.
They have mangled her character into something I have no idea what it is. I see her in the final scene being beaten and I couldn't care less. In fact, I'm hoping that she'll be killed off and not come back to the team. The whole "veil" (more like choking blanket) of secrecy around her has long since played out its part. The "sexual tension" between her and Tony has been much the same as the crap between Jenny and Gibbs. Are the NCIS writers completely incapable of writing interesting, well-rounded female characters?
Also, I'm very tired of the multilayered secrets this way and that. First we had Jenny with all of her stupid vendettas and idiotic undercover missions, and now we have not only Vance with the is-he-or-isn't-he-a-good-guy, but we also have ten thousand versions of previous canon events, what with Eli/Mossad/Ari/Ziva/Rivkin and other characters I can't be bothered to recall. Everything is about moles, secrets, and getting people beat up this way and that. Are they honestly suggesting that Ziva has been lying to the team/NCIS about her allegiances, and to Gibbs about Ari, for years and we're still supposed to like her and root for her? Seriously?
I will say, at this point in my ranting, that I did enjoy at least parts of the episode. There were some good scene - most of them between Gibbs and Tony. Gibbs' unwavering trust in Tony is beautiful to see.
Also, I didn't see the Tiva. Which was a relief. I have absolutely no trouble seeing this as Tony being worried about his colleague and friend, and using the curiosity that he was born with to check up on her. With the talk a few episodes back (the boxing episode, I don't remember what it was called, but that was another mess) about how he still isn't over Jeanne, I really can't see that all of what happened was triggered by jealousy. I don't see him wanting Ziva. I have never seen him wanting Ziva. In I think season five, there was the episode where Ziva was blah-blahing on and on about soulmates. There, I think it's kind of obvious that she might be in love with him, but he's not interested in her. He has the look of get-me-out-of-here! while she's talking.
If I have to take Ziva as a character seriously - and really, I don't - I guess that her anger towards Tony about killing Rivkin is more fuelled by the fact that she knows that she's to blame, just like the other Mossad-dude said, more than at Tony. She knows she let her personal feelings get in the way. Also, if she is in fact interested in Tony, then her way of showing it sucks and either way, she needs serious therapy.
Onto other things.
Except for the scenes with Tony, Gibbs felt distant like he has on several occasions this season. At least this season finale wasn't tied to something that happened to Gibbs in 1991.
Tony was... oh, I don't know. I can't decide. On the one hand, I love Tony. On the other, he feels so extremely one-dimensional this season, not unlike Ziva (although on a whole, I feel Tony's character makes a lot more sense than Ziva's does). I would have liked to see more of a reaction to shooting Rivkin, would've liked to see some feelings.
I've been re-watching Buffy (as I've mentioned before here on LJ), and I adore the way they let the characters talk. They don't cut off in the middle of a scene for "suspense" or whatever. They let the characters talk, or for that matter be quiet, which gives great depth to the characters. NCIS? Not so much. They always stop when it's getting interesting. Gibbs and Ducky in the basement? Ducky asks about what happened, and they just cut the scene. I realize that we already know what Gibbs was thinking, but I really think there are more layers to add to what happened (especially as they've never actually talked about what happened on the show, other than the tearful scene when Gibbs regained most of his memory). And that's just one example - they always do the same thing. Cut off in the middle, where I would've liked to see what they say, or not say.
Anyway, that was a tangent. But yeah, I still feel Tony's one-dimensional this season. He's been a clown, a frat boy, and except for the elevator scene with the girl in the boxing-episode, the writers seem to completely have forgotten that there's more to him than that. He can be so much more. I believe fanfic writers have shown again and again that his character is full of possibilities.
Then again, I'm not always sure I want more, knowing the mess they made of Gibbs' past.
I enjoyed the scene with Tony and the Director of Mossad. That was a nice scene and Tony showed his skills. He played Eli, and that was very good to see.
I kind of enjoyed the scene between Tony and Ziva in Tel Aviv. No sympathy whatsoever for Ziva, but there was some emotion in Tony at least.
McGee annoyed the crap out of me, which isn't unusual (unfortunately). For some reason, the writers feel the need for him to be "funny", which was just inappropriate - and boring, when repeating the same "joke". Like Gibbs' coolness has been a reoccuring theme, McGee's inappropriate humor and ass-ness has been too. He's been hitting Tony under the belt (the "Love and War"-comment about Jeanne comes to mind), he's been making inappropriate comments (the bag-comment in "Bounce", if I remember right) and he's been acting like he's the best thing NCIS has ever seen (pretty much every episode). It was nice seeing McGee's character growth in the prison-episode, but why can't we have character growth without arrogance?
Abby. Oh, Abby. Haven't we seen the whole Abby-hugs-Tony-when-he's-hurt routine a few times already? Are the writers really running so low on ideas that they have to re-use everything? On top of that, she's highly annoying when Gibbs calls from Tel Aviv. They've gone to Tel Aviv, Tony hurt and quite possibly facing danger - and she's babbling on and on and on about... whatever, I don't remember what it was. Just shut up. And when will Gibbs actually tell her to shut up? He has no trouble telling anyone else.
Ducky was probably the only character I didn't have any issues with. Palmer was there for some reason - and that makes sense in autopsy, but in the bullpen? Not so much. Sitting in Tony's chair? Even less.
Well, this turned long. As an ending note, I'll say that I will tune in next season, but if they spend the first four episodes getting Ziva back and then acting as though nothing has happened, then I will definitely throw something at my computer screen. And if they can't stop with all this crap with secrets and moles and sleeper cells and more secrets, then I'll probably go bang my head into the wall.
ETA: Oh, and the room where Gibbs, Vance and Ziva were watching the interrogation-whatever with Eli and Tony? Could they not have done a better job disguising the regular interrogation room? *snort* I think it was even the same table.
Ziva.
I. Just. Don't. Care.
They have mangled her character into something I have no idea what it is. I see her in the final scene being beaten and I couldn't care less. In fact, I'm hoping that she'll be killed off and not come back to the team. The whole "veil" (more like choking blanket) of secrecy around her has long since played out its part. The "sexual tension" between her and Tony has been much the same as the crap between Jenny and Gibbs. Are the NCIS writers completely incapable of writing interesting, well-rounded female characters?
Also, I'm very tired of the multilayered secrets this way and that. First we had Jenny with all of her stupid vendettas and idiotic undercover missions, and now we have not only Vance with the is-he-or-isn't-he-a-good-guy, but we also have ten thousand versions of previous canon events, what with Eli/Mossad/Ari/Ziva/Rivkin and other characters I can't be bothered to recall. Everything is about moles, secrets, and getting people beat up this way and that. Are they honestly suggesting that Ziva has been lying to the team/NCIS about her allegiances, and to Gibbs about Ari, for years and we're still supposed to like her and root for her? Seriously?
I will say, at this point in my ranting, that I did enjoy at least parts of the episode. There were some good scene - most of them between Gibbs and Tony. Gibbs' unwavering trust in Tony is beautiful to see.
Also, I didn't see the Tiva. Which was a relief. I have absolutely no trouble seeing this as Tony being worried about his colleague and friend, and using the curiosity that he was born with to check up on her. With the talk a few episodes back (the boxing episode, I don't remember what it was called, but that was another mess) about how he still isn't over Jeanne, I really can't see that all of what happened was triggered by jealousy. I don't see him wanting Ziva. I have never seen him wanting Ziva. In I think season five, there was the episode where Ziva was blah-blahing on and on about soulmates. There, I think it's kind of obvious that she might be in love with him, but he's not interested in her. He has the look of get-me-out-of-here! while she's talking.
If I have to take Ziva as a character seriously - and really, I don't - I guess that her anger towards Tony about killing Rivkin is more fuelled by the fact that she knows that she's to blame, just like the other Mossad-dude said, more than at Tony. She knows she let her personal feelings get in the way. Also, if she is in fact interested in Tony, then her way of showing it sucks and either way, she needs serious therapy.
Onto other things.
Except for the scenes with Tony, Gibbs felt distant like he has on several occasions this season. At least this season finale wasn't tied to something that happened to Gibbs in 1991.
Tony was... oh, I don't know. I can't decide. On the one hand, I love Tony. On the other, he feels so extremely one-dimensional this season, not unlike Ziva (although on a whole, I feel Tony's character makes a lot more sense than Ziva's does). I would have liked to see more of a reaction to shooting Rivkin, would've liked to see some feelings.
I've been re-watching Buffy (as I've mentioned before here on LJ), and I adore the way they let the characters talk. They don't cut off in the middle of a scene for "suspense" or whatever. They let the characters talk, or for that matter be quiet, which gives great depth to the characters. NCIS? Not so much. They always stop when it's getting interesting. Gibbs and Ducky in the basement? Ducky asks about what happened, and they just cut the scene. I realize that we already know what Gibbs was thinking, but I really think there are more layers to add to what happened (especially as they've never actually talked about what happened on the show, other than the tearful scene when Gibbs regained most of his memory). And that's just one example - they always do the same thing. Cut off in the middle, where I would've liked to see what they say, or not say.
Anyway, that was a tangent. But yeah, I still feel Tony's one-dimensional this season. He's been a clown, a frat boy, and except for the elevator scene with the girl in the boxing-episode, the writers seem to completely have forgotten that there's more to him than that. He can be so much more. I believe fanfic writers have shown again and again that his character is full of possibilities.
Then again, I'm not always sure I want more, knowing the mess they made of Gibbs' past.
I enjoyed the scene with Tony and the Director of Mossad. That was a nice scene and Tony showed his skills. He played Eli, and that was very good to see.
I kind of enjoyed the scene between Tony and Ziva in Tel Aviv. No sympathy whatsoever for Ziva, but there was some emotion in Tony at least.
McGee annoyed the crap out of me, which isn't unusual (unfortunately). For some reason, the writers feel the need for him to be "funny", which was just inappropriate - and boring, when repeating the same "joke". Like Gibbs' coolness has been a reoccuring theme, McGee's inappropriate humor and ass-ness has been too. He's been hitting Tony under the belt (the "Love and War"-comment about Jeanne comes to mind), he's been making inappropriate comments (the bag-comment in "Bounce", if I remember right) and he's been acting like he's the best thing NCIS has ever seen (pretty much every episode). It was nice seeing McGee's character growth in the prison-episode, but why can't we have character growth without arrogance?
Abby. Oh, Abby. Haven't we seen the whole Abby-hugs-Tony-when-he's-hurt routine a few times already? Are the writers really running so low on ideas that they have to re-use everything? On top of that, she's highly annoying when Gibbs calls from Tel Aviv. They've gone to Tel Aviv, Tony hurt and quite possibly facing danger - and she's babbling on and on and on about... whatever, I don't remember what it was. Just shut up. And when will Gibbs actually tell her to shut up? He has no trouble telling anyone else.
Ducky was probably the only character I didn't have any issues with. Palmer was there for some reason - and that makes sense in autopsy, but in the bullpen? Not so much. Sitting in Tony's chair? Even less.
Well, this turned long. As an ending note, I'll say that I will tune in next season, but if they spend the first four episodes getting Ziva back and then acting as though nothing has happened, then I will definitely throw something at my computer screen. And if they can't stop with all this crap with secrets and moles and sleeper cells and more secrets, then I'll probably go bang my head into the wall.
ETA: Oh, and the room where Gibbs, Vance and Ziva were watching the interrogation-whatever with Eli and Tony? Could they not have done a better job disguising the regular interrogation room? *snort* I think it was even the same table.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-24 03:47 pm (UTC)