NCIS: Los Angeles Review: Unleashed (Season 8 Episode 24)
I had a good idea for this review, I swear. I had an angle and everything, and then Kensi got down on one knee, and I forgot about my angle.
I forgot that a Monday was coming up, and I forgot about being tired, because that moment underscored the point I wanted to make, a point about how NCIS: LA is not just good at developing characters and relationships. No, it’s one of the best shows on TV at doing just that.
Season 8 has made that patently obvious.
NCIS: LA Season 8 Episode 24, “Unleashed” is, ostensibly, about Sam Hanna’s quest for vengeance on the man who killed his wife, but, in truth, it’s really about family.
For eight seasons we’ve watched these people share countless adventures, put their lives on the line for each other, and essentially, become a family unit, and yet, the show has never explicitly stated what they so plainly say in this episode – these people are family.
And family always has each other’s back.
“If it’s about you, it’s about me and everyone else on this team,” Callen tells Sam and the words don’t feel like just words. They feel earned.
I don’t for a moment believe Deeks wouldn’t put his life on the line for Sam – and if someone did, Deeks OOC intensity and desperation in this episode should have been enough to convince you otherwise, or that Kensi’s more concerned about keeping safe than about helping.
Nell’s out on the field, Eric is as anxious as he’s ever been. Hetty looks actually worried. Callen’s heart is breaking and he’s trying to be strong for Sam, trying to keep a level head, trying to fix the unfixable and, ultimately, trying to make sure at least Sam comes home tonight.
It’s all on the line, and I believe it.
I believe these people care this much. I believe Sam’s struggling, but he can see it. I believe in this family.
And boy, do I care about them.
I’ve said good things about this show before. They delivered a very strong Season 8 and they deserve all the praise. And yet, I’ve been hesitant to make categorical statements because I don’t watch everything there is on TV, and comparison is the killer of joy.
But – how can I, after this episode, after the way the show gave us a perfectly balanced and beautiful storyline for Densi, after the way the show gave Callen depth and a romance that, finally, looks like it might last, after the way the show brought back Hetty and made us care for Eric and Nell again, after the way it said goodbye to Granger.
How can I not call this one of the best shows on TV, and the best procedural?
(Said as someone who, no, doesn’t watch all the procedurals on TV, but has watched most of them at one point or another)
You want family? NCIS: LAhas some family for you, the best kind of family, the one you choose.
Want OTPs? NCIS: LA has one of the most real, mature (maybe THE most mature), fun couples on TV in Kensi and Deeks, and two other OTPs that are just starting to give us the feels.
Want bromance? Very few shows on TV can give you the feels Sam and Callen give us on a consistent basis, or the banter.
Want female badass – there’s more than one type for you to love, from Kensi kicking ass on the field, to Nell kicking ass in Ops and Hetty just plain kicking ass.
Whatever it is you’re looking for in your TV shows, NCIS: LA has it.
Don’t miss out.
Other things to note:
- “Are you okay?” “Not even close” – That’s pretty much on point.
- I outright sobbed last episode, and yet this episode, while less emotional, hit me right in the feels as well.
- “I’m gonna hurt people, G.” “I guess it’s time for a career change for both of us.”
- I have never seen Deeks disregard rules as much as he did this episode, and yet, it all made perfect sense.
- “When do we get to cry?” When the job is done”
- Nell and Kensi getting a chance to bond is one of the few things this season didn’t give me enough of and that I desperately need.
- “I do realize the irony of me telling you to drop the lone wolf crap.” Oh, Callen. Self-awareness suits you.
- FINALLY someone called Tahir out on the whole SamHanna thing. It was funny when Deeks said it, downright hilarious when Sam did.
- The proposal. Guys, the proposal. I don’t really want to say it was worth the wait, because they took their sweet time with it, but boy …it was worth the wait.
- Not just because it was Kensi, though go Kensi, but because it felt right, relatable and them. Plus, it was funny.
- I cried, okay? No shame in admitting it. I cried and I screamed at the TV and I probably woke up the neighbors and I don’t regret it for a second.
- This might be the best proposal of the year on TV. If not, it’s right up there.
What did you think of this episode of NCIS: LA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer rating:
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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
9 comments
Thank you for all the reviews you have provided for this show this season. I love this show, I love the characters, and it is really wonderful to read the honest reviews of a person who actually watches , and is knowledgeable about the show. For me what separates this show from the other procedurals I watch is that I really care about these characters. I have been watching since season 2 and I have grown to love the characters as well as appreciate the great ensemble cast. As a fan of Densi, I truly appreciate that the powers behind this show have let them grow and mature as a couple but have also chosen to reward their fans. I am so looking forward to season 9.
Me too! Thank you for reading, and thanks for the comments. It’s been a pleasure for me to review this show, especially this season, as I think they’ve consistently grown and gotten better. I can’t wait for S9.
Thank you for your reviews. I don’t always agree with them, but you always provide some interesting insight and perspective. This finale was, for me, a slight disappointment because the previous episode had been so intense. I know you have a soft spot for Kensi and Deeks, but to me the standout in this episode was Callen, and at the end of the episode, he’s the one I’m worried about after Sam. The proposal was well done (I think everyone saw it coming) and brief, as it should have been given the circumstances, and definitely Kensi’s style. I think they will be very happy together. I also hope that part of the “reset” Gemmill has planned is to focus less on this relationship now and develop some new ones. Those of us who are not Densi fans (even though we may like the individual characters) have endured this relationship developing for more than four seasons, and now it would be nice to give us a respite–even if only for a season. I know some folks love the bromance between Callen and Sam–and their partnership is one of a kind–but it’s not enough; Callen deserves more. Sam has more than his partnership even with the loss of his wife–he has his children–and Callen has what? The team? It’s not enough. So, here’s hoping that part of the “reset” is to give Callen more than his work partnership bromance; here’s hoping the writers give him a life partnership, a relationship with a woman who appears more than 4 times in a 24 episode season. Here’s hoping that the answer to one of the questions at PaleyFest–“Will Callen ever be happy?”–is finally, “Yes.”
I think it was a very good team episode – and on Sam episodes, Callen is always a standout in that, Callen is the one who’s closest to Sam. I do agree that the show would do well to give Callen more of a life outside the OSP, they’ve been doing it slowly, but I’ve always wanted more for Callen and hopefully, next season will provide.
I also want to take the moment to thank you for the comments and for reading, even if we don’t agree on anything. It’s always great to see the level of passion for something I also love.
I’ve enjoyed reading your reviews this season. As a viewer since season 1, I enjoyed this season very much even though it had a few bumps in the road (the mole almost being a mountain). This episode, while not as intense as Uncaged, was good in its own right. I did like the fact that Sam “going rogue” is very different from Callen “going rogue.” Sam is much more focused and deliberate in his actions while Callen, though very focused, is much more of a powder keg. I’m glad the writers didn’t have Sam shooting up the city indiscriminately; that would have been completely out of character for him. For me, this episode was really about Sam and Callen, and I thought both Ll and COD were absolutely top-notch, as were the other actors. It did have some nice comedic touches–which were well-placed and didn’t detract from the seriousness of the story (the ambulance and the scenes between Hetty and Beale come to mind). I’m confused about your comment about Deeks disregarding rules; the only “rule” I remember him disregarding was Callen’s telling Kensi and him to wait for him–and that’s not really a “rule.” Actually, Callen disregarded a major rule when he had Kensi and Deeks take down the photos; he actually broke legal procedure to spare Sam from seeing those photos. The proposal coming from Kensi was fitting (besides, I’d started to wonder if Deeks was EVER going to get around to it) although the nudge from Nell was rather heavy-handed. Now that they are officially engaged, I would like to see the writers concentrate more on some of the other relationships as long as they don’t go off the deep end like they often did with Densi to the detriment of the actual case.This is, after all, still a crime show. That being said, I hope Anna returns for more than 4 episodes next season if the writers are going to develop her relationship with Callen because “off-screen” relationships are unfair to the characters (which is probably one reason they killed Michelle), and I think all the characters deserve the same opportunity to develop relationships as Kensi and Deeks had for more than 4 seasons. In the final scene, I realized not just how much Sam’s life has changed, but also how much Callen’s life may change because of Michelle’s death. I’m not sure I’d consider it a “game changer” as LL and Dani referred to it in interviews, but then we don’t know the direction the writers will take, so maybe it will be. I guess we’ll just have to wait for season 9. I’m looking forward to the next season and hope to see more crime solving, more focus on cases, an exploration of how this changes the Callen-Sam partnership, where Eric-Nell and Callen-Anna go from here, and how Sam adjusts to his role as a single father and single man (this makes you realize just how long Callen has survived without the support system the others on his team have had for so many years).
I’m not sure what you mean by doubting that Deeks would put his life on the line for Sam. As you must recall, he already has, and got tortured as a result (Descent, season 4.)
I think there’s been a misunderstanding, maybe because of my phrasing. I have no doubts that Deeks would put his life on the line for Sam – and Michelle. I remember the episode you speak of perfectly. I was actually defending Deeks, not attacking him or casting doubt on his character.
I don’t think there was anything in this episode that suggested Deeks was more willing to put his life on the line for Sam than any other team member, especially Callen and even Sabatino. It was odd to single out Deeks given that he did nothing exceptional.
In my opinion, there was, as I’ve gotten a few comments to that regard previously. But we don’t have to agree on Deeks – or on anything, really. I’m not at any point suggesting Deeks did more than Callen or that he did anything in particular, I was just making a statement based on the feedback I get.
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