NCIS: Los Angeles Review: Can I Get a Witness? (Season 9 Episode 6)
Usually your favorite episodes are the ones that feature your favorite characters and/or your favorite interactions. NCIS: Los Angeles Season 9 Episode 6 “Can I get a witness?” very rarely focuses on what I would call my favorite parts of this show, and yet, somehow, the episode just works.
Sure, it focuses on Deeks, and I’ve never been shy about my love for Deeks, but Deeks interacting with Whiting and/or Bates is never my favorite Deeks, and usually Densi-lite episodes are some of my least favorites.
This episode pulls it off by giving me something I’ve missed more than I can express: Kensi and Nell bonding, and by providing me with something I didn’t even know I needed before this episode: Protective Callen trying to take care of Sam.
It also does a great job of underscoring how far these people have come and how much of a team they are. Nobody makes a face or has to be convinced to help Deeks – he’s part of the team, and therefore, they’re all gonna help.
Complete with Callen putting the whole team leader you mess with my team you mess with me thing.
Yeah, I dig that. Not even gonna try to deny it.
It also manages to give Sam’s new situation some depth by focusing not just on his pain over losing Michelle, which LL Cool J has somehow made part of Sam’s whole demeanor, but on focusing how his life has changed.
Perspective is a funny thing, and Sam has gotten some. He loves his job and he’s not trying to run away from it, but he also understands that he’s responsible for his kids, and the best thing he can do for them is take care of himself.
Callen, on the other hand, is trying to make sure Sam does more than just go through the motions. Callen is there to make sure his friend also remembers to live, and the whole thing struck me as so real and relatable, because grief sometimes blinds you to the fact that life goes on.
Sam is not alone, though. Just as the team had Deeks’ back without him needing to ask, they also have Sam’s back. And, for the first time, it’s clear that it all comes back to Callen.
The center must hold, and Callen is the center. He’s what brings it all together, and he’s why they’re an entity, and why they’ll face whatever comes next – whether that is Mosley or Hetty related, together.
You’ve got feels? I’ve got feels. Family feels.
Imagine that.
Other things to note:
- Kensi and Nell scenes are my life’s blood. NCIS: LA has done great in many, many respects, but the female friendships are still sorely lacking.
- Why are Deeks and Detective Whiting meeting in the boat-shed? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of, you know, secrecy?
- Also, since when are we using that other room? How come it’s taken us 9 years to see it? I’m glad for the new set, guys, but come on ….
- I’m with Deeks, that killing a cop joke? TOO SOON.
- Whiting whole’s plan escapes me. She just keeping Deeks around to use whenever she needs help? This is the kind of thing that just goes badly at some point, isn’t it?
- I like Sam’s whole mentality – it fits with who he is. Plus, as Callen said, there’s no way to make fun of his purpose.
- I just adore Kensi’s whole you do not tell me what to do in this case attitude. Also, she’s with Nell, my heart.
- But I would have loved to SEE the Densi conversations that were referenced. I’m still me.
- “I’ve got nightmares of Deeks friending me on Facebook, doesn’t mean I don’t want him safe.” – You’ve got a funny way of showing that, Whiting.
- The Kensi doesn’t clean jokes are not even that funny anymore, you know why? THAT HO– USE WASN’T EVEN THAT MESSY!
- I wish I were as smooth as Sam. We all wish we were as smooth as Sam.
- “A team I respect the hell out of.” I’ve got something in my eye.
- The Hetty parts are still not connecting emotionally, but I’m pretty sure at some point she’s just gonna make me die of feels cause that’s Hetty for you.
What did you think of this episode of NCIS: LA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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NCIS: LA airs Sundays at 9/8c 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
3 comments
Thanks for the review. I enjoyed this episode a lot because I am a huge Deeks fan. I loved how they wrote Deeks and Bates, and I was glad Bates was one of the good guys. Although Whiting is not likable as a character, I think Karina Logue and Eric Christian Olsen are both excellent actors, and their scenes together are always superb. I enjoyed that this was an LAPD related story and we got to see Deeks in action, backed up by his NCIS team that supports him. I am with you on Hetty, still waiting for an emotional connection.
It was also a pleasure to have an episode without the snarkiness of Mosley who is such a negative character and bully on this show.
I really would have liked a Densi scene in this episode, maybe a closing scene. I think the show this season is starting to lose some perspective on the fact that many fans watch in part for Deeks and Kensi, and I do not need a lot, but I would like at least some scenes that remind me they are a couple, like in season 7 or season 8.
Thanks for the review. I liked the episode and really enjoyed the individual scenes (I didn’t think the story itself was that strong–but the idea of a killer plant virus is good). I, too, enjoy it when Kensi and Nell get together (loved the scene last season when Nell gave Kensi her Joan of Arc toy soldier), and the scenes between Deeks-Whiting and Deeks-Bates were very good (we may not see Bates anymore since he’s now a regular on SWAT; more’s the pity). I actually like Whiting’s character because she’s a “good” cop who’s willing to do what needs to be done–in her eyes–to get the bad guys. I always enjoy the Callen-Sam scenes and this episode they were as good as always. I’m glad the writers seem to be making it clear that Callen, as the team leader, is the team’s primary defender, especially against Mosley, and that they haven’t forgotten his promise to Michelle to “take care” of Sam. The Hetty story is getting interesting and will probably wrap up soon now that she’s being held for ransom. BTW, I’m very glad the writers have toned down the Densi scenes. Densi scenes haven’t disappeared, they just haven’t been as annoyingly cloy and sappy as in past seasons. It seems everyone–even Densi–has grown up (about time).
Enjoyed your review. The boat shed is where all the suspects are taken to keep OSP secret (athough Deeks already took Whiting to OSP in season 8) and the upstairs room has been used in other episodes (I’m not sure the first time, but it was used in Rage when Kensi questioned the woman). 🙂
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