NCIS: Los Angeles Review: Hot Water (Season 8 Episode 13)
Is there anything worse than an episode that ends with “To Be Continued”?
Yes, an ending like that when you know you have to wait two weeks for the next offering.
NCIS: LA Season 8 Episode 13, “Hot Water,” is the first part of a three-episode-arc that will play out over six weeks, with the final installment not airing till February 19th. It’s also, hopefully, the end of the never-ending story-line about the mole-that-will-never-be-caught.
And hopefully, it ends with the mole actually being caught.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. We have plenty of time for speculation, thanks to the lovely people at scheduling at CBS. For now, let’s focus on what we do know.
It’s not good.
Deeks, Sam and Callen arrested. Granger severely injured. Duggan possibly dead.
At this point it’d be easier to count who hasn’t been arrested and/or injured.
The answer is Kensi and Hetty.
I’ll take those odds and raise you a you don’t know the bear you’ve poked, mole. You don’t know what hell you’re in for. Because these two – especially with Eric and Nell to help – will find a way to get it done.
One that I, presume, will involve some sort of prison breakout, because I can’t imagine we’ll be treated to a montage of Deeks/Sam/Callen interrogation scenes for two more episodes.
Something’s gotta give. This has all the makings of the end we’ve been waiting for.
Please, let it be the end we’ve been waiting for.
NCIS: LA is in its eighth season. It’s hard to take a show that’s been around for so long and make it better. It’s hard to make you care more.
But here we are, with a more cohesive show, one that ties plot together seamlessly, knows to put most of its focus on characterization and human relationships and doesn’t need to sacrifice one for the other.
If you’d told me eight years ago, when the first season was airing, that we’d be here today, I would have laughed you out of the room. But if there’s a show on TV that has known how to reinvent itself, how to take the good, discard the bad, adapt, and keep getting better, it’s this one.
And that’s why I’m not afraid of where this story-line is taking me. I’m just excited. And more than a little bit curious.
Guess the mole? I wouldn’t even dare. Not with so little information.
After all, the whole point of this is that we can’t guess. That we’ll be taken by surprise, and yet, that we’ll also find it within ourselves to be able to say: that makes sense.
I’m here for the journey, NCIS: LA. Make it worth my time.
Please.
Other things to note:
- Getting played by the mark you thought you were playing? Shame on you, Granger.
- “Looks like you’ve shaken off the rust, Tin Man.” I don’t know why I found this so funny, but I legit laughed out loud. Go Callen.
- I’m with Deeks on the bear-shaped gummy multi-vitamins. Those are
- Why do guys ALWAYS go for the cliché when trying to find a place to propose?
- You know shit has hit the proverbial you know-what when Eric has no quips.
- Daniela Ruah looks just as she did before having a baby. She’s a goddess from another planet, I’m sure.
- So, what’s the plan here? Because there’s no way I’m buying that Hetty, and even Granger, did not have a plan KNOWING the 90 days were up. No way.
- I wonder if that Internal Affairs lady can look anything BUT angry.
- Overkill much, mole? A body and drugs? Explosives and a dead body? Why not just one or the other?
- The LAPD detective at the desk needs to be a series regular. She’ll just sit places and let others talk. She reminds me of Sargent Platt from Chicago PD, but younger. And that’s high praise.
- Despite the fact that our team is awfully trigger-happy and the bad guys always get shot and the good guys never take a bullet, the whole scene with Kensi outside the hospital felt fake from the beginning. Kudos to Daniela Ruah for, somehow, selling both the urgency and the fact that all wasn’t according to norm.
- Our team really, really doesn’t play well with others.
- I don’t mind Anna, but I’m kinda glad she’s not around for this story-line. Not this one.
- And it look like such a nice suit too, Hetty. We’re sorry you had to ruin it. We are, however, not sorry you and Kensi got away.
- Let’s talk scheduling again. Really? Was the point maximizing the pain or something? Because if so, good job. Real good job.
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.
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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
6 comments
Awesome action , awesome team episode, incredible acting by all the cast. It was great to see Kensi back in action. It was great that each team member Sam, Callen and Deeks got their own interrogation and each one was unique based on the character. I thought Deeks was the best but I am partial to his character. Way to go show, something for every fan!
I also enjoyed Deeks’s interrogation more – but then again, I usually enjoy Deeks more, in general. I relate a little too much to the whole humor-as-a-defense-mechanism thing. But yes, this episode was very well balanced. It was great to see!
I also really liked Deeks in this episode, as well as Sam and Hetty. I don’t understand why Daniela Ruah is the only actor that the author tagged the review with. Seems a little disrespectful to the other actors.
No disrespect meant – I generally circle between the actors, depending on who got more screen-time, as rules of tagging in this site means keeping the tags at just 2.
i want to know where the hell Vance is, as his entire west coast organization is being targeted?
To Be Continued!!??? WHAT THE!!? Ugh. Awesome episode. I am going to say who I believe is the Mole. He would need to be someone that would have access to NCIS records, info, etc. I am going with OSP Pyschologist Nate Gete. He shows up occasionally on episodes which did include this last one. Before reading this latest article I have read about Miguel Ferrer’s passing. (Granger). My condolences to his family, co-workers and many fans. He played his character awesomely. (Not sure if that’s a word).. RIP and God bless.
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