From its roots in the (let's face it!) militaristic "JAG" (but I do miss Catherine Bell!), "NCIS" has pulled away towards a solid rule-of-law ethos. I have been watching the episodes go by and the characters develop, and it all seems good and balanced. Oorah! Gibbs is the bridge from the old to the new. His realisation that his revenge against the murderous Pedro Hernandez had brought him little real comfort was the first step in his redemption, but he had many steps more to go. The emotional and spiritual breaks that this series pushes towards give huge openings for scripting in the future. One reviewer is upset because they think the political views of the production are "pushed relentlessly" down the throat of the audience and that the episode "paints ICE in a negative light". How could these emotions come to the surface if that reviewer did not feel uncomfortable with the consequences of that line of thought? On analysis of the script, only 72 seconds relate to that story line, less than 3% of the episode time. I have to say of the comment of another "reviewer" that the highlight of the episode is the plot piece relating to Tony's flat, but suggesting there is no other valuable character in the cast, particularly since they find Gibbs' eyebrows strange, that comment is in itself very strange! And having said all that and got sidetracked, I remember what triggered me to write this review in the first place - I am appalled that any country could consider deporting someone who had voluntarily stood in line of fire to defend it.
EDIT: I originally scored this a 9, because I thought it a very good episode which makes a significant point regarding the deportation of people who have served in the US armed forces, defending the country even though it may not be the land of their birth. On watching it again, I upgrade it to 10: I'm not sure that I have given a 10 anywhere before. I realised that is as close to perfect as an episode of NCIS could get. It combines investigative NCIS storylines with pathos and humour. Particularly there, it shows more of the dramatic range of Jennifer Esposito, allowing her to make us (well, me at least) laugh out loud. I agree with reviewers who feel that the producers should have retained her and extended the Quinn character, although I'm not sure that losing the Torres character was the only alternative option. Even in this episode he was shown to be a complex and interesting character. And there is no need (other than budgetary) to remove any character. The creators have ploughed up such a fertile field that interesting dramatic characters and stories just leap out of the soil. But I'm moving from my point: I believe that this episode showed, more than any other I can remember, the importance of family, and collecting aspects of "family" together. The show has always had strong indications of the importance of family. It has always reflected the USA as a welcoming family, supporting Emma Lazarus' lines on the Statue of Liberty- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...". And yet these words are not just a welcome: they *implore* the tired, poor and repressed to come to this new land of freedom and opportunity. And there I am getting sidetracked once more. This show, spin-offs and related ones like JAG have pointed up the importance in the show of family. (That's probably the case in any successful television show - CSI, SVU, the DC Universe shows, Dr Who, even Dixon of Dock Green (Sorry, most American readers!)) So the solidity of a family within the show contributes hugely to its longevity. The departure of major cast members has caused problems, but the producers are certainly trying to control these. This show has pulled focus on to the brotherhood of the US Marine Corps, and the day-to-day interaction of the main cast has demonstrated how much of a unitary family they are. For me, though, in this episode the pinnacle is the family meal with Victor's mother, Victor, Ellie and the previously rule-bound Torres. Somehow at that point the Universe turned a corner.
EDIT: I originally scored this a 9, because I thought it a very good episode which makes a significant point regarding the deportation of people who have served in the US armed forces, defending the country even though it may not be the land of their birth. On watching it again, I upgrade it to 10: I'm not sure that I have given a 10 anywhere before. I realised that is as close to perfect as an episode of NCIS could get. It combines investigative NCIS storylines with pathos and humour. Particularly there, it shows more of the dramatic range of Jennifer Esposito, allowing her to make us (well, me at least) laugh out loud. I agree with reviewers who feel that the producers should have retained her and extended the Quinn character, although I'm not sure that losing the Torres character was the only alternative option. Even in this episode he was shown to be a complex and interesting character. And there is no need (other than budgetary) to remove any character. The creators have ploughed up such a fertile field that interesting dramatic characters and stories just leap out of the soil. But I'm moving from my point: I believe that this episode showed, more than any other I can remember, the importance of family, and collecting aspects of "family" together. The show has always had strong indications of the importance of family. It has always reflected the USA as a welcoming family, supporting Emma Lazarus' lines on the Statue of Liberty- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...". And yet these words are not just a welcome: they *implore* the tired, poor and repressed to come to this new land of freedom and opportunity. And there I am getting sidetracked once more. This show, spin-offs and related ones like JAG have pointed up the importance in the show of family. (That's probably the case in any successful television show - CSI, SVU, the DC Universe shows, Dr Who, even Dixon of Dock Green (Sorry, most American readers!)) So the solidity of a family within the show contributes hugely to its longevity. The departure of major cast members has caused problems, but the producers are certainly trying to control these. This show has pulled focus on to the brotherhood of the US Marine Corps, and the day-to-day interaction of the main cast has demonstrated how much of a unitary family they are. For me, though, in this episode the pinnacle is the family meal with Victor's mother, Victor, Ellie and the previously rule-bound Torres. Somehow at that point the Universe turned a corner.
