NCIS: Los Angeles Review: Core Values (Season 7 Episode 12)

You’re anything but subtle, NCIS: LA.

I mean, you’ve never been really into stealth, but you don’t usually drop cartoon-like anvils over our heads either. Most of the time, you just play it straight. There’s no long game in you, no con (Or, if there is, it’s Callen related). At least, that’s what we thought. But now, well, we’re starting to reconsider. Because Deeks and Kensi and a baby makes three sounds like a pretty long game, if you ask us.

The mutant ninja assassin references started all the way back in Season 3. First, it was a joke, of course. Kensi and Deeks weren’t together, and considering Tony and Ziva, we didn’t think they’d get there, at least, not soon. And let’s be real here, it took a long time. There were some crazy plot twists used to keep them apart. Frozen lakes. Raccons. Boxes. Afghanistan. And then, when we least expected it, they were all in.

Not only that, they’re good couple. Functional. Adult. Mature. There clichés are gone. This isn’t the old time we can’t work together and be together storyline, or the let’s keep it a secret from our coworkers trope. No, this is good, old honesty. On a TV show.

But babies? We didn’t see that one coming.

Not that they’re coming now. Maybe they’re not even coming soon. But we’re onto you, NCIS: LA. We’re onto you. Now we know they’re coming. You might have taken out an add, hired a skywriter to spell Endgame in cursive. We know what you’re playing at. You’re playing the OTP game. You’re making four different and scarred people into a family. Sam as the role model, Callen as the weird uncle. Granger and Hetty the “parental” figures. Eric and Nell as the quirky cousins. We get it now.

We really and truly do. And we love you for it.

Other things to note:

• I love when a male character doesn’t just jump to introduce the female character, but lets her speak for herself. It’s a tiny thing, but it proves they’re equals.
• The fact that Eric’s first guess after they found out the victim was lying to his wife was affair says more about him than about the guy.
• Apparently, marines are not only really, really neat, but also very, very bad at parking.
• I agree with Kensi about the mustache. Please, never get a mustache, Eric Christian Olsen. I beg you.
• No, I still don’t like Granger. But I appreciate him saving my boys.
• Knowing your father is a hero is a cold comfort for growing up without a father.
• This episode was equal parts boring and equal parts exciting. I’m not even sure what else I can say about it. Half the time I was like, yawn, and the other half I was screaming at the TV.

What did you think of this week’s episode of NCIS: LA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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NCIS: LA airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat