Positively Positive Review – NCIS: Los Angeles – Brimstone

by Mokibobolink on Dec.17, 2009, under Crime, Drama, Television

Linda Hunt in NCIS: Los Angeles, season 1, episode 10 “Brimstone”. Image from www.daemonstv.com Hetty & the palm tree/Christmas tree in NCIS LA

What I liked most about the first Christmas episode of NCIS: Los Angeles; is that it didn’t try to become too sappy. As much as I loved that about this year’s NCIS Christmas episode, I don’t think it would work for this show. One of the reasons it works so well for the original NCIS, is because we know those characters so well. They are able to pull out our heart strings because we know a lot about them, their personal stories, drama, etc.

Not that I don’t feel for the characters of NCIS: Los Angeles. It’s just that, without a few seasons under their belt, I don’t know the characters as well. Without knowing them intimately, it’s hard to have a really poignant episode without it feeling a bit forced. So I think for its first Christmas episode, this one was handled perfectly.

We were given a bit of humor, with the boys helping to decorate the office for the holidays by bringing in a palm tree. As an LA native, I had to laugh at that. I also had to laugh at the girl in the bikini in the opening scene. I know everyone thinks we all go running around in bathing suits in the middle of December, but believe me, we don’t. It’s usually much too cold. Heck, last week I was looking at snow on the mountains I can see from my balcony. No it didn’t snow down here, but we did have some ice.

So yeah, a bikini? Not so much. I appreciate the humor in the idea though, especially to those folks out there living in super cold conditions. I know I couldn’t survive that weather for long.

Overall a good episode and a fine first effort as a Christmas ep. Just the right amount of heart and some laughs to keep me in the holiday spirit.