Positively Positive Review – NCIS: Los Angeles – Past Lives
by Mokibobolink on Jan.14, 2010, under Crime, Drama, Television
As I watched one of the first scenes of this episode, I was struck by the similarities between NCIS LA and the original NCIS. In both shows, it usually starts with a brief scene that leads us into this week’s case, followed by a little character building time with the team. We weren’t getting that when it first came on the air, and I am glad they’ve started doing it now.
In the beginning, it felt like the show was concentrating most of its attention on the relationship between Callen and Sam. I like that they are giving more time to the rest of the team, not just individually, but with all of them interacting together as a group. It is these kinds of interactions that build the relationships that we all want to see; the ones that we will care about as the show continues.
Also I can’t of course discuss this episode without mentioning Callen and Hetty. As I’ve said before, these two have a mother/son relationship that I like a lot. It is similar in some ways to the father/son thing going with Gibbs and Tony on the original show, but different too, which is good. For one thing, Hetty is more verbose than Gibbs.
As the episode unfolds, Hetty and Sam see that Callen is going “lone wolf” and it worries them both. It’s not just that he’s good at going undercover, it’s because he likes it. It’s an escape from his true life, and a past that was less than warm and fuzzy. It’s also no surprise that he liked being Tedrow the best. That alter ego had friends, a girlfriend, for a moment there we even thought he had a son.
I found it poignant that while Callen paused to look back at the life that was almost his, he turned his back on it and left. Then he walked into the squadroom to meet up with the only family he knows. It felt like he was making a decision there, to stop living in fantasy and start living for real.
Overall an episode full of some good team bonding, though I was a little disappointed we didn’t actually get to see the karaoke. Callen singing Springsteen? Hetty singing Ella Fitzgerald? That would’ve been awesome.
More NCIS: Los Angeles….
NCIS:LA – Season 1, episode 1 “Identity”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 2 “The Only Easy Day”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 3 “Predator”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 4 “Search and Destroy”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 5 “Killshot”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 6 “Keepin’ It Real”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 7 “Pushback”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 8 “Ambush”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 10 “Brimstone”
NCIS: LA – Season 1, episode 11 “Breach”
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