NCIS: Los Angeles Review: Payback (Season 8 Episode 15)
After years of stringing us along and weeks of playing around with the mole story-line, NCIS: LA Season 8 Episode 15, “Payback,” puts that to rest once and for all.
Mostly.
But, even with Sabatino gone, we can’t feel too bad about how it all ended. Not when this episode manages to move us, surprise us, scare us, and yes, get us emotional.
Not just for Kensi and her fictional pain, Deeks and his fictional anger or Callen and his fictional betrayal, but for Owen Granger, or better yet, Miguel Ferrer, in what is to be his last appearance as Assistant Director Granger.
Saying goodbye to a character is not easy – saying goodbye to an actor is doubly hard. We feel like we know these people, we relate to them, even if we’ve never actually met them. We love them and we mourn them, and hopefully, in this case, we also remember to honor them.
Owen Granger was a bad-ass to the end. Miguel Ferrer was a great man, a superb actor and a fighter till his last moment. We’d rather we could keep both of them with us, but since we can’t, the best we can do is remember the good and try to keep it always present.
The show attempts to do that, even as it puts the final, masterful bow on a story-line that’s taken so long to come to a head that I’d started to believe we’d never find the mole. For a moment there, it almost felt like whatever they did, they couldn’t do this story-line justice.
And then this arc started.
Everyone got their chance to shine in this three-parter, from Kensi almost single-handedly saving herself, to Hetty literally bringing down the house to new guy I’m not going to warm up to so easily – and, most importantly, despite many chances to do so, the show never went for the clichéd, always took the story and the characters one step further.
Callen seeing right through Joelle – that was expected. Callen, Sam and Michelle being totally fooled?
Now there’s a story.
Kensi bonding with Sullivan and, somehow, jeopardizing her relationship with Deeks because of it? That’s where most shows would have gone, that’s the drama TV seems to live off.
Not this one.
Deeks not calling Hetty out on the fact that it was her maneuvering that put Kensi into this position? That’s the status quo, why change it?
Because.
Welcome to NCIS: LA – We be crazy, Nell said, and it’s never felt as true as in this moment. It’s also never felt as exciting.
Eight seasons in, this show is reinventing itself, finding a new rhythm that works, leading the way for other shows to shy away from the drama for the sake of drama and attempt new and brave storytelling. And I couldn’t be prouder.
Thank you, NCIS: LA. For not going for the obvious, for respecting character growth, for telling real, difficult and compelling stories in a respectful manner, for not jeopardizing relationships for shock value. Thank you for proving it can be done.
Now all you have to do is keep doing it, over and over again. That’s the way of TV.
We believe in you.
Other things to note:
- I went through a period there where I really wasn’t enjoying Hetty – but the show has done a good job of getting her back in my good graces. It helps a lot that she just took Deeks’ criticism, because he is right. She has been known to play fast and loose with people’s lives, even if she more often than not has their best interests at heart.
- Let’s be real Sabatino, Hetty is scarier than Rumplestiltskin. I know, I’ve watched Once Upon A Time faithfully for years.
- I never liked you Joelle.
- Lies, I did like you. That’s why this was so effective.
- Tear that dining room set to pieces, Callen. Let it all out.
- Okay, NOW can Deeks propose? How many more hints that it’s coming can we possibly get. We need the actual thing.
- A part of me is glad the show didn’t kill off Owen Granger – I can imagine him living on, happy, even if I don’t get to see him every week.
- Goodbye, Miguel Ferrer. It was a privilege, it truly was.
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
15 comments
I like your review. Miguel Ferrer was awesome and will be missed very much. I went back and looked for a new guy, then I realized, I think you mean Admiral Chegwidden? He is very old, no offense to the amazing John M. Jackson. CBS also has every episode of JAG ever on their website. It might help you understand and like him better. I for one hope he stays a few seasons!
Haven’t seen many episodes of JAG, but I’m gonna do my research! Thanks for the tip. I quite liked the character, and how he was introduced to the show, and I think he looks to be a great asset. I’m just gonna miss Granger. I think we all are.
Just loved this entire arc, and this episode strongly delivered.There was lots of action, character development and incredible performances by each cast member . I thought Eric Christian Olsen delivered another incredible performance as Deeks and I just loved the reunion with Kensi, it was just the perfect reunion for them.
ECO was my standout for the episode. The raw emotion he put into everything, the anger, the desperation, the reunion …and to think there was a time where people said he could only do comedy.
Also, the reunion? I might have re-watched that about 10 times already. LOL.
ECO has been delivering for this show since he arrived and yet doesn’t get nearly enough credit for what he has added. The Siderov torture, Afghanistan, Internal Affairs and yet we still have not gotten what Shane Brennan promised us before Season 7 at Paley Fest – Deeks,M episode.
This show has the potential to do what Hill Street Blues did many years ago – have a cop show with a romantic couple. Frank Furillo and Joyce Davenport were my first ship back before there was such a thing. Each episode you would have the cases but always at the end you would get a couple of minutes of Frank/Joyce.
Why can’t NCIS LA do that with Densi? ECO and Daniela Ruah have tremendous onscreen chemistry (how many times did you watch that reunion?) they should be bottling and selling it. It would make the show #1 forever!
All I want now beside the engagement is the core 4 back in the field. Stop the Callen/Anna bad chemistry experiment. It has failed. Give us back our show. Season 7 was awesome. Get back to what now works great.
I think they’ve tried to do what you ask for Densi – they’ve just strayed away from it this season since DR was on maternity leave. I agree that their chemistry is fantastic and that, at many points during these 8 years, when nothing else was working, Densi was. I hope the back-half of the season can go back to the banter we so enjoy.
Also, the Deeks M episode is probably something that got pushed back because of Daniela’s maternity leave, but I’m with you 100% – long overdue. It’s been 8 seasons. Come on.
Sorry, but as much as I like Kensi and understand that many folks like Deeks and the whole Densi thing, I think that relationship hasn’t been handled very well on the show. It’s been a huge distraction and one (but not the only) reason the ratings were so bad in season 6 & 7.
If they want to keep Densi as a couple, okay, but keep their “personal, cutsey bedroom talk” out of the office. A few comments are okay, but the conversations about becoming parents, where they hang their underwear, body odor, and such is really inappropriate at the office and around co-workers.
As for learning more about Deeks, we already know a lot about him–and I’m hoping his mom will not be appearing in many more episodes (she’s pretty annoying).
To be honest, I like Anna and hope she guests more often. At least when she’s at NCIS, she and Callen don’t talk about things that are too personal. lol
Well, I love Deeks and Kensi together, they have incredible chemistry. I do not see any chemistry between Callen and Anna. I think that Bar Paley is not up to the level of the acting on the show and she mostly “strikes a pose'”. I really like Callen and I wish they had set him up with Grace, from “Ravens and Swans”. She and Callen had chemistry, they were closer in age and in style so they looked they belonged together. The ratings were low in season 6 and 7 because they were on at 10:00, and BTW were not low for the 10:00 hour which is why they are still on the air. Their ratings were considerably higher than Scorpion’s are in the same time slot.
Kensi and Deeks are okay as long as they don’t act like lovesick puppies at work–which they too often did in previous seasons (calling him Baby and him talking about all sorts of personal stuff–even in front of Grange) was so unprofessional and just a little too much.
IMO Callen and Anna have as much chemistry as Kensi and Deeks, but I think Callen has chemistry with any woman. He’s a slow smoulder which is way more sexy than a hyped puppy, but that’s just my opinion. Everyone has different likes; that’s why you need to have different characters (variety is the spice of life–and TV).
We like what we like – and that’s often different. I happen to really enjoy Densi, but I don’t mind Anna, either. I think we’d all be happy with a balance, and more of our core four than anyone else, though. Pretty sure we can agree on that.
Actually, I thought this episode–and the entire mole story line–was just awful. It was far too convoluted to make any sense, and bringing in the CIA players reduced any sense of drama or anxiety. There were so many holes this plot, it was as if it had been written by a newbie. Why would Callen call Ferris while they were on their way? That was just idiotic. Finding Joelle was okay, but her role in this story arc was too unbelievable. And if she stopped seeing him because she cared for Callen, why keep quiet when he found her? Why not tell him everything to help them? Deeks getting angry at Hetty? That was just silly. Hetty had told Kensi to stay at OPS with Eric and Nell. She wouldn’t tell the others? Deeks wants to hold Hetty responsible because Kensi disobeyed orders? Good luck with that (although her response was perfect). And why would Ferris keep Kensi alive after he thinks Hetty and Granger are dead? That makes no sense. And why, in the year 2017, can’t a woman rescue herself? Why does she always have to be rescued by guys? C’mon, man. It would have been poetic justice if Kensi had killed Ferris. And how exactly did AJ help? The only thing he did was crack Joelle on the head. The best scenes were between Kensi and Ferris in the beginning, AJ and Eric (cute), Callen cutting up the table, and Hetty and Granger at the end because they were the most realistic and not so over-the-top dramatic. One thing from this–Deeks definitely does NOT have the temperament to be an agent. And as nice a guy as ECO may be, after Eric, Deeks is the least intimidating character on the show.
I see your point – I just don’t know that they could have done the mole thing effectively while keeping it in house on NCISLA, we just wouldn’t have believed it.
I think Deeks’ anger, however, had nothing to do with Kensi getting caught now and everything to do with Hetty sending Kensi to Afghanistan a few seasons ago, which, according to Sabatino, was the whole reason the CIA was after the NCISLA team. In that respect, I feel he’s justified. Hetty has spent a long time doing questionable things and never getting called out for it.
I really wanted Kensi to rescue herself – it would have indeed been poetic justice. In the interest of creating a scene between Kensi and Deeks they had the team arrive, but I would have liked that. I enjoyed the scene, though, I don’t think it takes away from Kensi that she couldn’t get away when there were 3 of them.
My choice for the mole was Nate because he’s not a regular anymore, and I can imagine he could have some hard feelings towards some of those at NCIS, particularly Hetty and Callen. Hetty trained him and has sent him all over the world on missions by himself. Why wouldn’t he grow bitter seeing Callen creating a family for himself at NCIS when he’s more alone than ever? Also, he lost Rose because of an NCIS case, and maybe he’s never recovered from that. And, in addition, Callen used to always torment him when he was at NCIS OPS.
If Deeks was angry about Afghanistan, then that makes even less sense to me because I can’t imagine Kensi not wanting to help Jack. As she told Deeks in the first episode this season, her job is saving people, that what makes her who she is–that’s why she’s an NCIS agent. If she had known Jack was in trouble, I imagine she would have told Hetty to send her, and Kensi would have explained to Deeks why she had to go. I can’t imagine Kensi letting anyone–even Deeks–stopping her when she has a job to do.
I agree about Hetty doing questionable things. I sometimes wonder if she cares as much about her agents as she says she does. But then, she’s been in the business a long time, and maybe that’s how she keeps her head on straight.
Nate would have been fun, I agree, but I would have needed more set-up that we’ve gotten, especially since he appeared a few eps back with Kensi.
I think Deeks is angry because Hetty lied to Kensi about her reasons for going to Afghanistan in the first place. If she’d known she probably would have wanted to go, yes, but she didn’t, so the decision was out of her hands. Hetty does this a lot – make decisions for everyone else, and like you, I’ve often wondered if she cares as much as she says she does. I think they try to play it as both, sometimes more convincingly than others.
Absolutely we can agree on that! If all the viewers liked all the same characters equally, something would be wrong. 😉
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