NCIS: LA Review: Tidings We Bring (Season 8 Episode 11)
It’s the season for bonding, apparently. And the season for good, character driven episodes.
NCIS: LA Season 8 Episode 11, “Tidings We Bring” is not the best episode this show has ever done – others have provided higher points, more emotional moments. But this episode is, nonetheless, a great hour, because it focuses on the characters we love and because it opens up their interactions in a way we’ve hardly ever gotten to see before.
First, with a Kensi and Nell bonding scene that feels about four seasons overdue. Because they’re friends, we know this. And a lot of stuff happens in NCIS: LA, they can’t show us every second of these characters lives, we get that.
But we wanted to see this – we wanted to see more than just the regular interactions between Eric and Nell, Kensi and Deeks. We wanted the girls to bond.
Wish granted. And, to add a cherry on top of the sundae, we also get a glimpse, with the interaction at the end, of what this show, this team, would be like, with both Anna and Kensi present full time.
And you know what? We sort of like it.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sold on Anna when we were first introduced to her. I’ll also admit that I’ve liked every second Bar Paly has been on-screen this year, and at this point, I legit get excited when I see that she’s going to be on the episode.
This show can (and should) have two bad-ass female field agents. This show can (and should) have two OTPS.
You know what else this show can and should have?
More than one bromance.
Callen and Sam will always be the standard against which other BROTPs are measured, but this show has already taken the Deeks/Sam friendship to a place where it feels organic, real, and now, it’s the turn of the Deeks/Callen dynamic.
On the surface, these two men are very, very different. And yet, dig a little bit deeper, and they really aren’t.
They’ve both known pain. They both come from broken homes. They’ve both know what it’s like to be alone.
And they’ve both found family in the OSP, in Hetty, in the team.
So, when Deeks shares a story from his childhood with Callen, when he refrains from making everything a joke and actually does something heartfelt and genuine for Callen – even if it’s something as simple as getting him Christmas lights, it means something.
Just as it means something that Callen is willing to discuss the Densi relationship, to dish out advice. Because we all know Callen doesn’t do feelings, and Callen especially doesn’t do feelings with people he doesn’t care about.
As good as NCIS: LA has been this year (and it’s been goooood), the show has still felt, at times, divided by story-lines/characters. Not so much in this episode.
“Tidings We Bring” brings the team together while still leaving the path open for the individual storylines to flourish. There’ll be more Callen/Sam bromance, more Densi, more of Hetty and the mole, more Anna/Callen, more Eric/Nell, and we’ll enjoy it when it comes.
For now, we get the team, the whole team. We get to rejoice in the spirit of the season, and in the message NCIS: LA has always strived to send – family is the people you love. Family is this.
Merry Christmas, NCIS: LA family. Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful year.
Other things to note:
- Can you be more obvious with your shipping, Sam? CAN YOU?
- You probably can.
- What’s the Callen/Anna ship name, btw?
- I really enjoy the way everyone talks about the Densi future like it’s a given.
- This game you’re playing with Nell/Eric is a game I don’t like, NCIS: LA. Half the time I think they’re already together, the other half I think they’re both clueless.
- “He hits like a girl” /”You give him too much credit,” made me cheer out loud.
- Panamanians as the bad guys. Really? REALLY?
- I live in Panama.
- Did I say it was ironic? Because it is.
- Also, the way the whole thing is presented is not entirely accurate, but whatever.
- I hate when shows casts Spanish-speaking characters who you can tell from a mile away don’t actually speak Spanish that well.
- Smooth you are not, Callen.
- I live for Deeks calling Kensi babe.
- Wait, I take it back, I live for Kensi’s catfight hallucination.
- Thank you Deeks for pointing out that continuity indicates that Kensi did not makes those cookies.
- We see you Kensi. We know you bought them.
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 Sundays at 8/7c 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
2 comments
I thought it was an okay episode. I think the show needs to get Kensi and Deeks back in the field together, their banter often carries episodes that are a little light in certain areas. Last year, the Christmas opening scene in the bull pen about their mothers and the Mrs. Claus scene went a long way to making the episode entertaining. We also needed a Densi scene in this episode, since they were spending their first christmas living together,where they made a statement about how happy they were to be together and alive ( 45 seconds maybe, which could easily been cut elsewhere). I do have to disagree with you about Anna. She is an interesting character in small doses. she is not an actress at a level that can hold her own with Chris O’Donnell or Eric Olsen and she really needs to have a much smaller part. I do not see any chemistry between Anna and Callen at all, the notion that the actress posted #new ship on her instagram indicates a fundamental lack of what a #ship is. Two characters are on a show and the fans ship them. This is TPTB decided who the fans should ship, and it is not working for me or many other fans. Again Anna in small doses as an agent on the side okay , but not in a major role.
On one thing we wholeheartedly agree – I wouldn’t have minded (would have really appreciated) a Densi scene at home. I do think that’s one of the things that get cut for balance, but hey, I like what I like. I’ll be happy when Kensi is back on the field and the two of them are bantering.
I don’t think Anna/Callen are at Kensi/Deeks levels, nor anything of the sort, but I expected to hate her and I didn’t, so I’m open to what’s coming.
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