The assorted typed offerings of Tess DiCorsi

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:  “Blood Bank”

The basics:  A shootout on a yacht owned by Arkady Kolcheck gets NCIS’s attention.

Written by:  Samantha Chasse co-wrote "Kill Beale Vol. 1" and wrote "Impostor Syndrome" and “Murmuration”.

Directed by:  Benny Boom directed "Ghost Gun", "767", "Fool Me Twice", "Pro Se", "Hail Mary", “Groundwork” and “Perception”.   

Guest stars of note:  Duncan Campbell returns as NCIS Special Agent Castor from “Let It Burn”, Vyto Ruginis joins season 14 as Arkady Kolcheck.  Matty Cardarople returns as Danny, who sold pastries in season 10’s “Into the Breach” and computer supplies in “Imposter Syndrome” in season 12,.  Kathleen Garrett as Miraslava Borisova, Dalia Rooni as Riffat Murad, Nikolay Moss as Kostas Orlov, Jonathan Kells Phillips as Rupert Richardson and Emily Morales-Cabrera as Assistant

Our heroes:   Deal with more Russian nonsense.

What important things did we learn about: Callen:  Giving a deposition. Sam:   Running a taskforce. Kensi:  Nancy Drew on the boat. Deeks:  Swedish nobility. Fatima:   Late. Rountree:   Bodyguard. Kilbride:  Appalled by Arkady’s safe house.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:  Now working on Sam’s taskforce. Sam:   Absent. Kensi:   Wields a mean serving tray. Deeks:   Wields a mean sword. Fatima:  Coffee fan. Rountree:   Lost the excuse book. Kilbride:  Found the excuse book.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Not a mention, though I bet she knew Mira Borisova.

Who's down with OTP:  Kensi dropped her “Mom Tone” when she had to separate Arkady and Mira Borisova.  Kensi and Deeks were fine.

Who's down with BrOTP:   Fatima and Rountree have plans for covering for each other.  Fatima made a friend waiting for coffee.

Fashion review:    Callen wears a dark blue, long-sleeve tee.  Kensi has on an oatmeal pullover sweater that probably looked better in person than on the TV.  Deeks started the episode in a pale pink tee before wearing his Swedish Nobleman blue suit.  A red quarter-zip for Fatima.  Rountree started the episode with a black tee and what looked like a blue lightweight rain jacket before wearing his all black bodyguard gear.  Tell me if you’ve heard this before – blue suit, pale blue dress shirt, medium blue tie for the Admiral.  He also wears a trench coat and looks fantastic. 

Music:   "Makaha” by the Tikiyaki Orchestra is playing in the bar when the Admiral arrives to rescue Arkady.  Deeks and Arkady walk into the auction house with “Rasputin” by Boney M. playing.  A bit of the “Titanic” soundtrack pops up at the end.

Any notable cut scene:  Not today.

Quote: Arkady:  “Grisha?”

Kilbride:  “Guess again.  What sort of a moron decides to make a safe house from...whatever this place is?”

Arkady:  “Am I alive?”

Kilbride:  “Judging by the looks of this table, barely.”

Arkady:  “Listen, a Russian would not look for another Russian in a bar that serves rum-based drinks.  It is a brilliant and delicious plan.”

An Arkady-Kilbride spinoff would have worked.

Anything else:  On a yacht, a Russian woman is showing off the 43rd of the Czar’s Fabergé Eggs to buyers.  There are only 42 known eggs, she has the 43rd which “no longer exists, yet, there it is.”  She is looking for $7 million for the egg.

She wants to share champagne with her buyers but when she calls for one of her yacht staffers to bring a bottle, there is no answer.  The buyer and his bodyguard pull out guns and shoot the woman and her security staff.  They race off with the egg. 

The woman, however, is not dead.  The large necklace she wore acted as a bulletproof vest.

Walking into the office, Kensi and Deeks are debating Rosa watching a dating reality show.  Kensi assures Deeks that Rosa knows the show isn’t real.  This is news to Deeks, who thinks the program is real.  The two debate the contestants, including a “meatball specialist”.  A very amped up Rountree joins them, asking about going into the burn room.  Since it is 9AM on a Monday, neither Kensi or Deeks have a reason to do any early week burning.  Rountree tries to exit but is forced to explain the notebook he shares with Fatima.  It is a track of their excuses for when they are late.  “It’s the only way we can keep our stories straight!” 

Kensi mentions texting each other but Rountree thinks Kilbride would find a digital trail.  Fatima is late and he’s not sure what the excuse of the day will be.  And he needs that right now since Kilbride is looking for Fatima.  Rountree starts with a car appointment but that would mean Fatima scheduled it during work hours, angering Kilbride.  He changes to medical appointment but that worries Kilbride.  Suddenly Fatima has a dog – for an undercover operative, Rountree is bad at this.  And the dog was hit by a car.  Kensi and Deeks offer thoughts and prayers.

Fatima, however, is getting coffee.  Fatima chats with a woman waiting for coffee.  Riffat works for an agency finding housing for refugees from Afghanistan.  After trouble with the barista, Fatima is on her way.

Kilbride walks into an empty Ops, except for Rountree.  Based on the case that just arrived, Rountree wanted to do the debrief alone.  Two Russians were found dead on a yacht in Marina del Ray.  Demetri Fedrov and Simeon Babanin, former Russian military and now with the Wagner Group, are persons of interest in moving cultural and historical pieces of art.  The boat, the Diamond of the Ocean, belongs to Arkady Kolcheck.  “Why am I not surprised?”

Kensi and Deeks enter Ops with news that Arkady was attacked.  They know nothing about what happened on the boat the way Rountree and the Admiral know nothing about the attack on Arkady.  There is a “Who’s on First” vibe going on.  Arkady was attacked at his house that morning but was able to move to a safe house.  He contacted Callen, who wants Kensi and Deeks to ping Arkady’s burner phone.  Callen is giving a deposition so he’s unavailable. 

Deeks thought Arkady was out of the spy business but Kensi thinks it could be his past causing Arkady trouble.  The Admiral isn’t so sure that Arkady is out of the spy business.  Rountree offers to call Callen but the Admiral is going to find Arkady himself.

In a Tiki bar, a rather overserved Arkady is looking for “Grisha” but gets Kilbride instead.  Kilbride is wondering what kind of “moron” makes a Tiki bar a safehouse.  Arkady is wondering if he is alive.  Explaining himself, Arkady tells Kilbride that a Russian would not look for a Russian in a place that serves rum-based drinks.  “It is a brilliant and delicious plan.” 

Ignoring what has led the two of them to “this idiotic moment”, Kilbride wants to know what happened.  Leaving his house that morning, two men with guns came up to Arkady’s car.  He high-tailed it out of there, running over one of the gunmen’s feet.  Kilbride asks if that’s what caused the shooting on Arkady’s boat.  Arkady is confused, he hasn’t owned a boat for 40-years.  “Must be another Arkady Kolcheck.”   Saying he is just a typical ex-KGB Agent who defected to America, “who could want me dead?”

On the maybe not Arkady’s yacht, the original thought is murder-suicide.  Looking at the lack of blood spatter behind one body and the way the blood pooled, Kensi thinks this is a set-up.  The investigation says there was no video but that doesn’t make sense.  A boat this big and fancy would have security cameras, according to Kensi/Nancy Drew.  Deeks tries a mirror but it is one way, not two.  Kensi found a camera in the smoke detector – “Nancy Drew you did it again.”

In the boat shed, Arkady is finishing a call with Anna as Callen pours some coffee.  Arkady isn’t a fan of the boat shed because it smells like a crab shack.  His safe house has blended drinks.  On the plasma screen, Rountree and an arriving Fatima have the footage from the camera Kensi found.  Most of the footage is useless, it was over there table where the Russian woman was showing the egg.  The woman, however, drags herself into the camera’s range.  Fatima has facial rec but Arkady already knows – “Mira.”  And he claims to know her biblically. 

Mira is Miraslava Borisova, a Moscow museum curator turned black market antiquities dealer.  With Borisova’s access, Arkady was able to put her in contact with people interested in buying what she could provide.  But that was 40-years ago.  Callen wants Arkady to set up a meeting.

Outside of a fancy hotel in Beverly Hills, Callen is surprised Borisova would hide in such a public place.  Being a well dress, wealthy woman, Arkady thinks she’d fit right in.  He’s a bit nervous about reuniting with Borisova.  Callen offers some advice and help but Arkady remind him that he was doing this before Callen was born.  The roach coach is now a plumbing company van with Kensi and Deeks inside with a lot of surveillance equipment.  Callen tells them that Arkady dated Borisova before he met Anna’s mother. 

Rapping on the door, Arkady finds it opened.  He calls for Borisova as he walks inside.  She has a rather heavy coffee table book and starts beating him with it.  Callen asks Kensi and Deeks what’s going on and they’re not sure.  Back in the room, Borisova is furious that Arkady finally calls and it the day she was almost killed.  To get her attention, Arkady pops her with a couch decorative pillow.  She returns the favor. 

Kensi yells that “they’re fighting” – Borisova thinks Arkady set her up in Malta and set her up today – while Deeks is enjoying the “geriatric WWE”.  Kensi wonders if they should go in.  Callen isn’t sure.  Deeks brings up the time Arkady made them de-booby-trap his car because Arkady couldn’t remember how he booby-trapped it.  Kensi brings up a failed mission in Chechnya.  Callen talks about Arkady cursing his engagement to Anna.  They’re going to let Arkady and Borisova work things out for a while.

After Borisova picks up the luggage rack, getting NCIS’s attention, Arkady threatens to remove the tag from a rare Beanie Baby.  When he does, Borisova really starts knocking him around.  Callen, Kensi and Deeks walk into the hotel room just as Arkady goes flying.

Near Ops, Fatima runs into the Admiral while she tried to evade him.  She apologizes for her tardiness.  Fatima tells him her dog is doing well.  The Admiral, a dog lover, wants her to bring in the dog as he recovers.  In fact, he insists. 

In Ops, Rountree apologizes for freaking out and going with the dog.  Fatima is more concerned about finding a dog.  On the big screen, Kensi and Deeks are in the boat shed.  Rountree identified the missing object from the yacht – it is one of eight missing decorative eggs, made for the Russian royal family.  While killing Borisova to steal the egg makes sense, why go after Arkady?  Fatima sends a picture of the egg to Callen, who is interrogating Mira.  Arkady is on the back deck in a time out.

Callen shows Borisova the egg.  She plays dumb but knows she’s been caught.  Callen asks why was the boat registered to Arkady.  Again, Borisova plays dumb until Callen says he’s going to turn the yacht over to the DOJ.  They have a special taskforce that confiscates Russian belongings.  After explaining it is her boat, Borisova tells Callen that she has put Arkady’s name on everything she’s bought – from condos in Cape Town to safe deposit boxes.  For all the world knows, they’ve been partners in crime for 40-years.  It is the perfect revenge – “petty but effective.” 

Bringing up the attack on Arkady, Callen believes someone going after Borisova tried to kill Arkady as part of her fake partnership.  Since the men who robbed her thinks she dead, she’s not interested in talking.  Callen is – the men are still after Arkady and it is Borisova’s fault.  

The men on the yacht were new clients and vetted by an auction house.  Callen is surprised – why would an auction house be involved.  Antiquities have to be stored carefully not in a storage locker rented by the month.  The only people who knew about the sale were the auction house, buyers and the seller, Alexey Pasternik.  Pasternik was motivated – he wanted the sale.  Moving the item quicky meant selling at a discount.  And that means he’s the problem.

Alexey Pasternik died three-days earlier.  He “threw himself” from a 12-floor condo by going through the window.  A suspicious death.  Fatima has a map of billionaires like Pasternik who left Russia days before the Ukraine invasion.  More than half are dead. 

Callen tells Borisova about Pasternik’s untimely fall.  She tries to joke about the Russian national bird being a flightless bird because of all the falling Russians.  Callen wants to know what Pasternik was trying to get away from.  Borisova explains that the billionaires had their loyalty bought by the Russian government.  Lots of money was given to these people and now with the sanctions causing financial pain in Russia, the government wants the money back. 

The government was hiding their wealth with the billionaires – they are blood banks.  Since the government was not happy with the way Borisova was selling off the assets, they went after her and her partner, Arkady.

Doing a ton of exposition, Deeks explains that the money given to the billionaires to invest and spend was reclaimable.  Once the billionaire dies, the money goes back to Russia.  All the murders of the billionaires all over the world was to get back the money.  “This is so much bigger than we thought.”

In his office, Kilbride tells Kensi and Deeks on his smaller plasma screen that the DOJ will not be cooperating with NCIS.  With tactical nukes on the table, NCIS has to be involved in a discreet investigation.  An investigation without Callen, since he is joining Sam’s joint task force.  It is Kensi, Deeks, Fatima and Rountree on this one.

Since they don’t know the gunmen or how to smoke them out, Deeks thinks they should approach the auction house since the auction house still thinks Borisova and Arkady are in business together.  Arkady could approach the auction house to get an item and the insider in the auction house could tip off the gunmen.

Borisova is willing to help but only if she’s running things.  The auction house will have rules for wealthy clients and a well-dressed Deeks – fancy suit, tie, and a medal of some sort around his neck – is just that client as Swedish nobility.  She reminds everyone that the auction house protects objects, not people.  The fire suppression system removes all the oxygen in a room to stop a fire.  If there is a person there, well, that’s a problem for the person.  For her cooperation, Borisova wants a second chance.

Dressing in the boat shed restroom, Borisova brings Arkady a special suit.  He apologizes for leaving her in Malta.  She sort of does the same with today’s assassination attempt.  “Let’s just call us even.” 

Walking into the auction house wearing a tan three-piece suit, a light blue dress shirt and a red paisley tie, Arkady introduces himself to the woman in the reception area.  He is followed by Deeks and Rountree, who is all in black, dressed as a bodyguard.  Asking for Rupert and giving his account number, provided by Borisova in the plumbing van with Castor, Arkady and Deeks welcomed in.  Rountree must wait in the reception area – company policy.

In a waiting area, Rupert is excited to greet Arkady after working with Borisova on his behalf for years.  Rupert starts speaking to Deeks in Swedish – that goes poorly.  Rupert is going to speak to Deeks while Arkady opens his locker.  Arkady is freaking out – he doesn’t have the key.  The earwigs are failing – the building is secure.  When Kensi asks about Borisova, Castor is shown out cold and Borisova is gone.

In the vault area, Arkady is met by an armed Borisova. 

With no response from Arkady or Castor, Kensi and Rountree are going to move into the auction house. 

Entering the locker behind Borisova is Arkasha, the man who shot her on the boat.  Arkasha thought he was going to have to kill Borisova twice that day but she cut a deal with Arkasha today.  She would kill Arkady, turn over her client list and she gets back the egg and her freedom.  Arkasha suggest she shoot Arkady in the head.  She doesn’t.  Instead, she knees Arkasha where it hurts, turns on the CO-2 suppression system and sets off all sorts of alarms.

Making his way through the building, Rountree gets to the vault but can’t open the door.  Rountree shoots open the vault door to find Arkady.

When the alarm goes off, so does Rupert.  He pulls a sword from the wall before Deeks can get his gun out. 

Rountree finds Arkasha and subdues him before they both suffocate.

Arkasaha’s men have Arkady and Borisova.  Kensi causes a distraction and takes one henchman out. 

Deeks finds his own wall sword and he and Rupert duel.  Deeks wins in a way too short scene.

Kensi is stuck between Arkasha’s two men.  Arkady tosses her a silver platter and a vase.  She takes them both out before Deeks arrives.  Promising to make a scene to distract Kensi and Deeks, Arkady wants Borisova to flee.  She’s not going anywhere.  Kensi puts her in cuffs.

Back in the office, Rountree asks Fatima for friends dinner - tacos or udon.  She has to pass -  she’s having a friends dinner with Riffat.  Rountree thinks that’s great.  He also found a shelter that lets people borrow pets – she could use that for the Admiral.  Fatima is just going to tell the truth.  That’s when the Admiral arrives with the excuses notebook.  He also noticed all the same frappuccino cups in Ops so Fatima needs to come on time.

On the back deck of the boat shed, Kensi asks Arkady if he is alright.  He has Anna, Grisha – his family.  He wouldn’t rewrite one minute of his life if it meant he wouldn’t have them.  Kensi asks about Borisova.  She will always be on his credit score with all the accounts she took out.  Besides, that means she is thinking of him.  He shows her the beanie baby.  Kensi tells him she knows it is worthless and so does he.  She says goodnight.

Arkady watches Kensi leave and pulls the beanie baby apart.  Inside is a very expensive necklace.  With the soundtrack from “Titanic” playing, he holds it over the water.  Then decides it was too expensive to drop into the water.  Instead, Arkady takes it with him as he leaves.  Anna calls.  Suddenly, he wants to talk about the open bar at the wedding.

What head canon can be formed from here:    There is a continuity issue because in “Answers”, Deeks joked about writing for a reality series.  Now he’s shocked to find out they are scripted.

My goodness this was a chatty episode.  TV should be show, don’t tell.  This was all tell, tell, tell.  And a generic tell, tell, tell.  This episode works completely in season three.  In season six.  In season nine – you get the point.  A mention of Callen’s wedding here and there but otherwise, Hetty could have picked Arkady at the bar, Sam or Callen could have been on bodyguard duty instead of Rountree. 

And I know the lack of Sam (all) and Callen (a lot) in this episode has to do with the upcoming crossover episodes but just have Sam up on the big screen in Ops telling Callen to drop everything, he’s needed. 

It wasn’t a bad episode – and anytime Arkady shows up, the fun level goes up, up, up – but it just wasn’t much of an episode.

Episode number:   This was episode nine of season 14 (though it was filmed after “A Long Time Coming”), episode 311 overall.

No rewatch this week. Way too much real life adulting this week (and last). Please enjoy this season two promo for a weird Tuesday night.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:  “Let It Burn”

The basics:  The team investigates arson at a defense contractor that has the signature of an environmental activist.

Written by: Indira Gibson Wilson co-wrote, “The Frogman’s Daughter”, "Signs of Change" and “Hard for the Money” and was the sole writer for "Lost Soldier Down".  Gibson Wilson played the sleeping Michelle Hanna before Aunjanue Ellis showed up in season four.

Directed by:   Rick Tunell directed "Revenge Deferred", "Se Murio El Payaso", "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" and “Hard for the Money” (co-written by Indira Gibson Wilson).

Guest stars of note: Duncan Campbell returns as NCIS Special Agent Castor from “Of Value”; Justin Huen is Randall Perez.  He was Santo Perez in season two’s “Personal” as the man who shot Deeks.  Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as FBI Special Agent Summer Morehurst; Romi Dias as Denise Perez, Thal Gondim as Crystal Perez; Brian Leigh Smith as Bomb Tech Aaron Roberts; Rhomeyn Johnson as Terrell and Joe Corzo as Foreman/Michael Duncan

Our heroes:  Are all over the place with Kensi in DC, Callen locked in the office, Sam and Deeks teamed up and Rountree working with an old girlfriend.

What important things did we learn about: Callen:  Reading the Pembrooke file as part of his library day. Sam:   As a caretaker, he has to think about his father first. Kensi:  School trip with Rosa and 24-other 16-year old girls. Deeks:  Offered a trip to Costa Rica. Fatima:   Sent in the field because Callen had a library day. Rountree:  Dated a coworker at the FBI. Kilbride:  Keeping Callen on track.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:  Not training for a triathlon because he as common sense. Sam:    Training for a triathlon. Kensi:  OK with Deeks going to Costa Rica – she might go if he doesn’t. Deeks:  Not going to Costa Rica. Fatima:  Wants to know the Rountree-Summer story. Rountree:  Training for a triathlon and going to Costa Rica.  Kilbride:  Not sure Henrietta is Hetty’s first name.  Not sure he likes her either.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  In the Pembrooke file.

Who's down with OTP:   Deeks is trying to figure out a solo Costa Rico trip, worrying that probably won’t fly with the family at home.  Rountree has an ex in the FBI.

Who's down with BrOTP:  A little Sam-Deeks bonding about traveling away from your family and becoming a detective through videos.

Fashion review:   Callen wears a long sleeve medium blue lightweight hoodie.  Sam started the day in a wet suit and wore a black long-sleeve tee for most of the episode.  He was in a brown one at the end of the episode.  Deeks has a pale blue henley for most of the episode but a baby blue hoodie.  Fatima wears a light gray jacket over a white turtleneck.  Rountree started the day in a wet suit too with too, too tight swim trunks.  Wore a gunmetal grey pullover sweater once he was dressed.  The Admiral wore his uniform – dark blue suit, light blue dress shirt, blue tie.

Music: “From Fire” by Perta is used in the teaser.  Deeks is shooting in the range with The Mighty Mighty BossTones’s “The Punch Line” playing over the speakers.

Any notable cut scene:  Not today.

Quote:   Kilbride:  “We've all done things we regret.” Callen:  “Hetty doesn't seem to be the kind of person to regret much.” Kilbride:  “Don't kid yourself.  Now, she may put on a good front, but Hetty has enough regrets for all of us.  She has done things that most wouldn't to keep the rest of us safe.  Unfortunately, that comes with some very dark, ugly things that you carry with you to your grave.” Callen:  “Well, I'm not sure how indoctrinating children does much to keep people safe.” Kilbride:  “I don't know.  Seems to me you keep people safe every day.  So maybe some good did come of it.  Even if their methods were ethically and morally questionable.” Callen:  “If not reprehensible.” Kilbride:  “I don't always agree with her.  And I usually don't like the way she operates.  Hell, I'm not even sure I even like her most days.  But I damn well respect her.  Henrietta, and I'm sure that's not even her real name, Henrietta has dedicated her life to the greater good.  She has made mistakes along the way just like the rest of us.  But it was always done in the service of this country.” Callen:  “So, am I a mistake or a dark, ugly thing she has to carry to the grave?” Kilbride:  “Only you can decide that, Agent Callen.  But in my experience, the past is a place to learn from, not to live in.”

Anything else:  In the evening, a construction crew is working in a high rise office building.  Mostly drywall.  The foreman is shutting things down for the night.  The workers start toward the door taking their hardhats, tools and backpacks.  One worker stays behind.

The worker starts spreading something on the floor and pours an accelerant on it.  As he lights a good part of the office floor on fire, the foreman returns.  The two men fight until the firebug knocks out the foreman.  The firebug tries to drag the foreman to safety but the entire floor is about to be engulfed in flames.  Leaving the foreman behind, the firebug runs.  A symbol is burned into the floor.

Callen is reading the paper in the boat shed by the coffee table.  Sam comes in from a swim with Rountree in tow.  Sam is thirsty, Rountree is uncomfortable.  He didn’t want to wear anything under his wetsuit but Sam found him swim trunks in the office lost and found.  Rountree is worried they belong to Deeks but Sam jokes they are Fatima’s.

Training for a triathlon with Sam, Rountree wonders why Callen isn’t involved.  Callen explains he has common sense.  Sam disagrees – Callen is afraid of sharks.  Callen isn’t but starts messing with Rountree by mentioning “McMurtry” who was shark bait.  Sam joins in on the fun before showering.

At the firing range, Deeks is shooting and listening to really loud music.  The Admiral arrives, pleased that Deeks is joining him in making good use of the early hours at the office.  Kensi and Rosa are on a school trip which gave Deeks the ability to surf, workout and shoot early in the morning like he did “pre-kid.”  Not that he’s complaining.  The Admiral offers Deeks the chance to attend the NCIS Western Conference.  Honored, Deeks is grateful for the offer but thinks he needs to stay close to home.  He recommends one of the younger agents – perhaps Rountree would enjoy Branson and a river cruise.  Rountree will get the Admiral’s consideration but the conference will be held in Nosara, Costa Rica.  Deeks reconsiders – maybe Kensi would be okay with him leaving the family behind for a few days.  It’s a week so Deeks is torn.

Sam took a long shower and hopes there is some hot water for Rountree.  As Rountree is about to go into the shower area, Fatima and Callen pop up on the plasma.  Sam asks for Deeks who he is told is trying to run a “boondoggle” on Kensi.  Fatima asks for Rountree, who is in the still way too tight swim trunks.  Fatima asks if Rountree is wearing her shorts.  Just kidding, she tells Rountree – they’re Kensi’s.  Rountree hates everyone.

Fatima starts with the case – the fire.  Global West Ventures, the people who had the office space, are Navy defense contractors.  The symbol burned on the floor was the signature of an arsonist named Randall Perez - O and A – On Alert.  Rountree was familiar with Perez – he didn’t work his case but the FBI was “on alert” for years when it came to Perez.  Perez blew up an oil tanker years back.  Shut down the 405 for a week.

Sam asks about the fire.  The office space was under construction and the foreman, Michael Duncan, died in the blaze.  LAPD thinks Duncan saw the arsonist and the two men fought.  This would be the first time an “On Alert” fire caused a death.  Rountree sees another difference in the fires.  Perez went after companies he thought were hurting the environment.  This was a defense contractor – not the same thing. 

Sam suggest he and Rountree go to the crime scene.  Kilbride told Fatima he wants Rountree working the FBI Agent in-charge of the “On Alert” cases.  Sam should met the with FBI as well.  Callen asks what is his assignment from the Admiral.  The Admiral wants to see Callen in his office. 

Castor bring the FBI Agent in charge of the “On Alert” cases into the boat shed.  FBI Agent Summer Morehurst tells Sam her boss thinks highly of him but not to play Sam in pickleball.  Sam knows her boss – Rashid Perkins – and Rashid knows what Sam can do with a paddle in his hand.  Morehurst reviews Perez’s history for Sam.  He started as a non-violent activist who was creative in his protests.  Trained as an artist, Perez made sculptures out of the plastic straws he found in the ocean.  Sam asked when did Perez change.  After a number of arrests for disorderly conduct at more radical protests according to Morehurst.

In 2017, Perez started setting fires.  It took the FBI nearly a year to identify him.  When the FBI started to close in on Perez, he set nine fires over two months.  He fled to Mexico when the FBI got too close and has been a fugitive for three-years.  This is the first time Perez has resurfaced and Morehurst vows to catch him.

Just after Morehurst’s vow, a towel-clad Rountree walks into the boat shed’s main room.  He’s looking for his clothes.  Rountree and Morehurst call each other by their first name and being the world class investigator he is, Sam deduces the two know each other.  “You can say that,” they both reply simultaneously.

Knocking on Kilbride’s door, Callen has some opinions.  He gets that Rountree has a past with the FBI (oh, if he only knew) and he’s good with Rountree working with them.   Sam, however, does not need to be supervising Rountree’s debrief with the FBI.  “I’m sorry you miss your bunkie but this isn’t summer camp,” the Admiral replies.  Sam is working with Deeks, “poor devil.”  When Callen asks why, the Admiral tells him “that’s what I want.” 

While the Admiral believes it is healthy to question authority on occasion, he’s getting pissed off about it being a regular occurrence.  Passing Callen a large folder, Kilbride shares all he could find on Pembrooke.  Callen knows he overstepped and thanks Kilbride.  Kilbride tells him it isn’t a gift – just a way to keep Callen focused on the job and not a ghost from his past.  This puts a halt to Callen doing his own research.  Callen defends what he does on his own time and it does not impact his work.  The Admiral disagrees – they wouldn’t be having this conversation otherwise.  Calling it a “library day”, Callen is told to do his research in the office and is dismissed.

A properly dressed Rountree returns to the boat shed.  He asks if Agent Morehurst – Summer – set this up.  She knew he was working for NCIS.  Summer replies that if she wanted to see him, she would have called him.  Except she forgot that he doesn’t know how a phone works.  “Ouch, fair shot.”  Rountree apologizes but Summer says “we were a long time ago.”  Explaining that when they were dating, he was leaving the FBI, Jordyn was starting college – Rountree had a lot on her plate.  Fatima pops up on the screen but neither Rountree or Summer notice.  Still talking about their past – they were a couple for three months – Fatima really tries to make her presence known.  Rountree does introductions and it is all very uncomfortable.

Fatima found Perez’s sister, Denise.  She’s lived in the same house for 20-years in Gardena.  The FBI is aware of her.  Summer gets a call.  While she is dealing with the call, Fatima wants some gossip but Rountree shuts off the plasma.  A returning Summer tells Rountree her agents did some digging into the construction firm.  They are a well-run company – no major violations or complaints.  Thinking Perez may see his sister – and his daughter who is living with his sister – Rountree and Summer are having them brought in.

Finishing a call with Kensi, Sam ask Deeks about how he brought up the trip to Costa Rica.  Since Kensi is chaperoning 25 16-year olds in Washington DC, Deeks didn’t think this was the best time to bring up the trip.  Deeks asks Sam if he would go – now, with Raymond living with him.  Being a caregiver, Sam couldn’t go.  He needs to put Raymond’s needs first. 

At the crime scene, Sam sees some differences with Perez’s MO.  The fire was set much earlier in the evening.  Perez started his fires between 2AM and 4AM.  If the fire was started between 2AM and 4AM, foreman Michael Duncan would be alive.  The fire could have taken out the entire building.  Instead, it was limited to the one floor.  Sam wants to see the financials of Global West Ventures.  Make sure this isn’t a set-up for insurance money by using Perez’s signature to distract.

In the boat shed, Rountree is speaking with Crystal Perez, Randall’s daughter, with her Aunt Denise watching out for her.  Rountree is trying to be kind but the Denise talks about all the problems Crystal had in school when kids found out who her father was.  Crystal suffered enough.  Summer brings up that Randall Perez caused a lot of harm.  The FBI and NCIS want to stop him before he takes any more lives. 

Summer asks about Crystal’s life.  She’s a guide at a museum, planning to study being a curator in college.  Asked if she heard from her father, Denise jumps in saying that Crystal hasn’t heard from her father – “he’s dead to us.”  Crystal admits she has heard from her father.  

Denise is surprised and unhappy – Randall is dangerous.  Crystal explains that Randall is sorry – he left just as Crystal’s mother died.  He’s also sorry for what he did.  He’s considering turning himself in.  This catches Summer’s attention – does Crystal know where Randall lives?  She doesn’t.  They last spoke a month ago.  Rountree asks for Crystal’s cellphone number.

Fatima talks to Deeks – Global West Ventures is flush with cash.  The fire was not for the insurance money.  Sam is checking out the fire inspector’s report.  Thermite was used for the fire, something that is easy to make and transport.  Perez had his own recipe for thermite but tests will need to be run to see if the recipes match.  Nothing about Perez’s recipe was told to the public in the past – a copycat would not know the correct mixture.  Since thermite’s main components are iron oxide and aluminum powder used in bulk, only a few retailers would have them.  Finding where there they were purchased probably leads to the arsonist.

Callen is reading the Pembrooke files and having flashbacks to his oh so happy childhood.

Deeks is looking for footprints in the parking area behind the office building.  He’s a fan of Freaky Phil’s Forensics, leaving Sam worried that Deeks learned to be a detective on YouTube.  Sam is more interested in surveillance cameras while Deeks explains the thermite sticking to arsonist’s shoes if the shoes had deep grooves.  Sam finds some tire tracks while Deeks sees if a footprint belongs to the arsonist.  When the footprint catches fire, Deeks is pleased.  Based on the footprints and the tire tracks, the arsonist got in on the passenger’s side.  This is a two person job.  Since Perez always worked alone, this is looking like a copycat.

Kilbride catches Fatima listening in on Rountree and Summer.  She tries to explain “ghosting” to the Admiral, who knows what that is.  He’s more interested in a sit-rep than Rountree’s past.  A traffic cam caught the car leaving the parking area but the video is too grainy for facial-rec.  The plates belong to a dead man with a different car so that’s a dead end. 

More interesting was a number both the FBI and NCIS suspect belongs to Perez retrieved from Crystal’s phone.  As soon as she left the boat shed, Denise Perez called the same number so Denise has been in contact with her brother.  While the arson is likely the work of a copycat, Rountree and Summer are going to follow Denise to see if she leads them to Randall.  The Admiral tells Fatima to stop eavesdropping. 

Fatima has two stores that have the components needed for thermite with one making a large sale to a company called Core Dynamics two days earlier.  Core Dynamics has no certificate certifying it is a real business and the components were sent to an apartment building.  Sam and Deeks are on their way.

Denise Perez is in a public parking lot when Rountree and Summer pull in with the Land Rover.  Summer is annoyed – she wants to arrest Denise right way for lying to the FBI.  Rountree wants to see how things play out.  A man walks up to Denise’s car – she gets out to hug him.  It’s Randall Perez.  When Rountree and Summer approach, Randall runs and Rountree chases after him.  Denise tries to drive away only to turn around and try to take out Rountree using her car.  Randall Perez flees in his own vehicle.  Denise is under arrest.

At the apartment building, the manager explains he rents out garage space behind the building – www.parkyourauto.com.  Opening the garage that got the components delivery, there is no car but there is a lab set-up.  Sam sees a trip wire that would burn down the garage and cover the renter’s/arsonist’s tracks.  LAPD bomb squad is called.

Summer explains to Denise that she is facing life in jail for the attempted murder of a federal agent while helping a known fugitive escape.  Rountree thinks the judge would be lenient if Denise cooperates.  She’s not in the mood.  Randall did not set the fire.  He believes the FBI and NCIS are trying to pin it on him because of his past.  In his past, Randall believed he was doing the right thing – it is why Denise forgives him.  Rountree asks if Randall had an accomplice.  Two people were involved in the Global West Ventures fire.  Since Randall wasn’t involved with that fire, how could he have an accomplice?

Fatima joins Sam and Deeks as the bomb squad gives the garage the all-clear.  The IED attached to the trip wire probably wouldn’t have done much damage on its own but with all the accelerant in the garage, it likely would have taken out all the garages in the back of the apartment building.  Sam asks why Fatima is there and is told Kilbride sent her instead of Callen.  She has a piece of equipment – a mass spectrometer - that will analyze the thermite mix in the garage.

In the garage, Fatima asks Sam’s opinion of Summer.  Sam thinks she was nice until Rountree arrived.  Deeks is brought up to speed on the Rountree-Summer tea.  Fatima thinks it is like “When Harry Met Sally” mixed with “Love Jones” which means nothing to either Sam or Deeks.  She also says none of this is her fault – Rountree and Summer had their comms on.

The analysis matches the thermite mixture in the garage with Perez’s special recipe.  Deeks finds some maps of Los Angeles and a list of targets.  Global West Ventures was fifth on the list.   There is a health care company, an investment bank and a shoe manufacturer.  Fatima calls in the list to LAPD.

The Admiral has info for Sam and Deeks.  The dead man whose license plates were used in the arson is Christian Navarro.  The plates were cited in two-DUIs before he died.  The driver was Marco Navarro, Christian’s son and Deeks thinks is Perez’s accomplice.  Better news – the burner phone used by Randall to speak with Crystal and Denise was traced to a home in Echo Park.  Sam and Deeks are on their way.

At the Echo Park house, Deeks pretends to be a food deliveryman.  Perez runs and Deeks chases him through the house.  Sam is waiting at the back door.  A handcuffed Perez explains he has been trying to stop Marco Navarro.  He’s been looking for Marco Navarro.  Before he went on the run, Perez asked Navarro to store some of his explosives.  He thinks Navarro had his own mass spectrometer and figured out how to make his own explosives – Navarro is a smart man.  When he heard about the fire and the signature, he knew it had to be Navarro.

Saying they may believe him, Sam asks who would be Navarro’s accomplice.  Perez doesn’t know.  Navarro is a young, brash man who wants to change the world.  They were involved in many peaceful protests together.  He was family, lived with Perez.  When he figured out who Perez was, Navarro wanted to join him in the not-peaceful protests.  Perez pushed him away.  Asked if Denise knew Navarro, she did not.   She lived in a different part of town. 

Crystal knew Navarro, however.  He was like a big brother to her.  Sam checks with Rountree to see if Crystal had any contact with Navarro but Crystal turned off her phone.  She hasn’t been to work in a week – she quit.  Denise says this is not like Crystal at all.  Deeks asks if Crystal knew Navarro had Randall’s explosives.  She probably did but Randall tells Sam and Deeks that Crystal knew he also regrets what he did.  Deeks asks if he regrets what he did or regrets getting caught. 

In the boat shed, Summer tells Rountree that Crystal’s car was found.  A witness saw Crystal get into a car with a man who looks like Navarro.  The FBI is checking the area traffic cameras for license plates.  Denise told Rountree that Crystal didn’t mention having any new friends or changes in her life.  Summer is confused about the targets Sam and Deeks found – none of them have an environment connection.   Rountree thinks Navarro may have a different agenda than Randall Perez.

Back in Ops, Fatima found a connection to the companies on the list.   All of the companies are major donors to Senator Greg Garrett’s reelection campaign.  Sen. Garrett was responsible for killing an environmental bill in congress.  Navarro wanted the companies to pay.  Garrett is in Los Angeles to tour a warehouse that is part of an urban renewal project but the warehouse is not on the target list.  The warehouse isn’t the target, Rountree and Summer think, Garrett is.  They are going to meet Sam and Deeks at the warehouse.  Fatima is going to update the Senator’s team.

Rountree and Summer meet with Sam and Deeks at the warehouse.  The Senator’s team is evacuating the place but the worry is that Crystal and Navarro had an hour to lay down the thermite and accelerant.  Entering the building, there is no sign of anyone – Crystal, Navarro or Garrett.  Sam and Deeks come across Crystal as she’s spreading thermite outside the warehouse. 

Rountree and Summer find Garrett and his aides.  Navarro opens fire, hitting one of the aides.  Rountree goes after Navarro while Summer gets Garrett and his staff to safety. 

Sam tries to talk Crystal into surrendering as he and Deeks enter the warehouse.

Rountree and Navarro struggle for about a second.  Navarro is apprehended. 

Crystal lets Sam and Deeks walk far enough into the warehouse so she can circle behind them and light the place on fire.  Sam finds a fire extinguisher and puts out the fire.  Crystal, on the run, winds up cornered by Rountree and Summer.  Crystal tries to explain that “we” are not the criminals.  She threatens to set herself and her bag of thermite on fire but Summer talks her out of it.  Crystal is arrested. 

The Senator’s aide is on his way to the hospital but everyone is fine.  Deeks mentions wanting to be a fireman – “mostly for the calendar.” 

At the end of the day, a tired Deeks is complimented Admiral for a good day’s work.  The Senator’s aide only suffered a flesh wound and is doing well.  Deeks says that after “extensive consideration” he’s going to turn down the conference.  The Admiral thinks Kensi would be relieved.  No, Kensi was fine with Deeks going, even thought she’d go if he said no.  The Admiral agrees with Deeks’s decision.  Besides, next year’s conference is in Albuquerque – perfect for Deeks.  Rountree is going to Costa Rica instead.

In the boat shed, Randall and Crystal share a hug before both are taken away.  Summer found the Perez's farewells bittersweet.  The FBI coordinated the farewell and Rountree approves.  Since she saved his life, Summer thinks she’s owed about five IOUs by Rountree.  She’s also grateful that Rountree apologized.  Sam arrives – Summer, her boss and Sam are going to play some pickleball. 

Once Summer leaves, Sam talks about starting their triathlon training at 4:30AM.  Rountree is distracted by Summer’s departure.  Sam thinks Rountree thinks too much.  “Call that woman – call her.”  Rountree chases after Summer.

The Admiral and his large decanter of scotch visit Callen in the bullpen.  Callen has the Pembrooke paperwork all over his desk.  Callen asks if the Admiral reviewed the information in the file.  He did not – he just called in some favors to get what he could find.  “This is your story, Agent Callen.”  It isn’t the Admiral’s place to invade his privacy, though his door is open if Callen wants to talk.

Callen doesn’t talk, he instead shows Kilbride a black and white photo.  It is Hetty and Pembrooke.  The Admiral explains everyone has done things they regret.  “Hetty doesn’t regret much,” according to Callen.  Kilbride disagrees – “Hetty has enough regrets for all of us.”  She has done things to keep people safe.  Dark, ugly things she will likely take to her grave.  Callen asks how indoctrinating children keeps people safe.  The Admiral thinks Callen keeps people safe, if the methods were morally questionable.  The Admiral isn’t a Hetty fan but he respects her.  Hetty is all about the greater good and she made mistakes.  But the mistakes were in the service to her country.  Callen asks if he’s a mistake or a dark, ugly thing Hetty will carry to grave.   The Admiral says the past is something your learn from, not where you live.

What head canon can be formed from here:    A rather generic, and talky to be honest, episode until the very end.  Nothing here wouldn’t have worked in season one, season five or season nine, just switching around the agents. 

Not thrilled with the family reunion at the end.  The foreman doesn’t get to hug his daughter one last time.

The end was very well done.  A quiet scene, really well written and well-acted.  Well worth the ho-hum 55-minutes before it. 

The Rountree scene cut in “Glory of the Sea” really would have helped sell Rountree ghosting poor Summer. 

Hey Deeks – you are going to get a hotel room for the conference.  Take Kensi and Rosa, you surf in the morning, going to some meetings in the morning.  While everyone else goes play golf in the afternoon (I’ve been to my fair share of conferences), hang with the family on the beach.  Life’s good.

Episode number:   Episode eight of season 14.  This is episode number 310 overall.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch: “Survival of the Fittest”

The basics: When a Marine has a seizure, the team investigates a private lab.

Written by: Andrew Bartels wrote or co-wrote "Allegiance", "Zero Days", "The Grey Man", "Humbug", "Fighting Shadows", "Driving Miss Diaz", "Angels & Daemons", "Where There’s Smoke…", "Glasnost", "Old Tricks" "Battle Scars", "Fool Me Twice", "Warrior of Peace", "Reentry", "The Prince", "Smokescreen", "The One That Got Away"/"No More Secrets" two-parter, "Yellow Jacket", "Missing Time", "If the Fates Allow", "Red Rover, Red Rover", "Divided We Fall" and “Genesis”.

Directed by: Eric A. Pot directed “Resurrection”, “Windfall”, “Traitor”, “Internal Affairs”, “Home is Where the Heart Is”, “Forasteira”, “Reentry”, “Hit List”, “The One Who Got Away”, “Kill Beale Vol 1”, “Fortune Favors the Bold”, “A Fait Accopli”, “Imposter Syndrome”, “Indentured” and “Sorry for Your Loss”.

Guest stars of note: Pamela Reed as Roberta Deeks and Natalia Del Riego as Rosa Reyes were both back from “Flesh and Blood”. Dominic Burgess as Herman Cooper, Piper Curda as Lisa Cho, Bobby Hogan as Marine Private First Class James Williams, Cyrus Hobbi as Marine Staff Sergeant Pierce, Jesse Boone as Nicholas "Nick" Embry, Susan Slome as Jordana Hanson and Marcus Antony Brunner as Marine Private First Class Edward Hanson.

Our heroes: Are all over SoCal today - the office, Pendleton, Anaheim.

What important things did we learn about: Callen:  Still looking for Hetty. Sam:   Jogging against the Santa Ana winds. Kensi:  Taking classes at Quantico. Deeks:  Trying to balance home life and work. Fatima:   Miranda. Rountree:  Tackling Marines with ease. Kilbride:  Doesn’t envy Deeks’s balancing act.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:  Pet sitting nephew Jake’s snakes.   Sam:   Not afraid of snakes, just doesn’t like snakes. Kensi:   On the East Coast but the house is still a mess. Deeks:   Maker of healthy breakfasts. Fatima:   Really is a fed. Rountree:  Has snack bars in the Land Rover’s glovebox. Kilbride:  Doing retirement wrong.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Callen is looking for her in Syria.

Who's down with OTP:  Kensi is in DC so Deeks is Mr. Mom.

Who's down with BrOTP:  Very bantering Callen and Sam episode. 

Fashion review:   Callen is wearing a medium blue button-down shirt.  Sam has on a long-sleeve black tee while Deeks has on a short sleeve one.  A lovely purple turtleneck for Fatima.  Rountree looks like he raided Deeks’s closet for is pale blue long-sleeve tee.  The Admiral is doing the Admiral – dark blue three-piece suit, dark blue tie, pale blue dress shirt.

Music:  Nothing today.

Any notable cut scene:  After two straight episodes with an extra scene, none for today.

Quote:  Kilbride:  “Agent Namazi spoke up on your behalf.” Deeks:  “Yeah, well, she didn't...she didn't have to do that.” Kilbride:  “No. And to be clear, this is not an apology for what I said this morning.  Regardless of personal circumstances, I have to hold this office to the highest of standards.” Deeks:  “Right. Yeah, no, it definitely won't happen again, sir.” Kilbride:  “Isn't easy.” Deeks:  “S-Sorry, what?” Kilbride:  “It isn't easy balancing the work that you do here with the equally important work that you do at home.  Speaking for myself, I was never able to find that balance and it is my life's regret.  I have every confidence that you will.” Deeks:  “Thank you, sir.” Kilbride:  “I do not envy you.”

Anything else:  Deeks is making a healthy breakfast for Rosa – eggs and bacon made into a smiley face, fresh fruit – when Bertie shows up with vegan doughnuts. Since Rosa isn’t vegan and Deeks would prefer she have a healthy breakfast, mother and son debate doughnuts, Bertie living 84-seconds away and Deeks’s preference that she not just show up unannounced. Bertie tells Deeks she texted Kensi about dropping by but since Kensi in Quantico (“you’d never know it with all the mess,” Bertie notes), Deeks didn’t know she was coming. The doughnut conversation devolves into it being odd that former police officer Deeks doesn’t like doughnuts.

As Deeks yells for Rosa to hurry up and get dressed so she can have his healthy breakfast. Rosa arrives in the dining room wearing her pajamas. She tells Deeks she isn’t feeling well. Within a second, she’s running to the bathroom and vomiting.

In the boat shed, Sam arrives after a long run against the Santa Ana Winds. Callen is on his laptop, looking at satellite footage from Syria. He’s looking for Hetty. Sam assures Callen they’ll find Hetty – “we always do.” There is a hissing noise across the boat shed. Lifting a blanket off an object on the coffee table, Sam sees a large tank with a large snake inside. He is not pleased. Callen is babysitting the snakes – they’re Jake’s. As he says he’s bringing them home with him at the end of the day. Callen remember that Sam is afraid of snakes. Sam disagrees – not afraid, just not a fan. Years and years of evolution put that feeling into everyone. Callen’s phone rings – they have a case.

Deeks gets the same call as Rosa is resting on the couch. The flu is going around the school, Rosa probably got it. Deeks asks if she wants anything. Rosa mentions a soup her Mom use to make when she was ill - caldo de res - and how her Mom would run her hand through Rosa’s hair until she fell asleep. Deeks looks like he was slapped. Rosa apologizes but Deeks tells her there is no reason to apologize. He’s sorry her mother isn’t there, sorry he never met her. Rosa thinks her mother would have liked Deeks – except his hair. She would have combed it until it was neat. Rosa laughs – she thinks Deeks would look terrible with neat hair.

Deeks’s phone rings again – it is Rountree. Deeks updates him on what’s going on and he’s just waiting for Bertie to return. Bertie returns with movies to watch and a new shortcut – now just 43-second to the house if she uses the neighbor’s backyard. Deeks thinks that goes on the list of things to discuss. Deeks tells Rosa he loves her and looking at his mother, he tells Rosa “I’m so sorry.”

In Ops, Fatima has video of the Gladiator’s fight – a corps videographer was recording it for a promotional film. Sam recognizes the pugil stick training – he did it with the SEALs. Fatima thinks it looks like fun. Sam assures her it isn’t. Hanson, the Marine who had the seizure, was rushed to the Marine hospital about two minutes away. He fell into a coma and is now suffering massive organ failure. This is the first seizure for Hanson.

Callen wonders if he was exposed to a nerve agent. None of that showed up in Hanson’s blood work – just a cold virus but the cold virus had a specific enzyme – CRISPR-Cas9 – that is used for gene editing. The Admiral arrives saying that a specific flu was introduced to a member “our armed forces”. The SecNav and Joint Chiefs are all aware of this case – it is their highest priority since this could be the first attack by a genetic weapon.

Deeks arrives, worried that the virus that Hanson was exposed to could be contagious. Fatima and Rountree assure him it is not. The virus itself is rather harmless. What it did was deliver the CRISPR “payload”. They are not sure what genes were targeted but the doctors see that Hanson’s immune system is failing. Russia and Iran have interest in gene warfare while the Chinese used CRISR to alter human embryos.

What worries Rountree is that CRISPR technology can be ordered on the internet legally. A person would need to know a lot about genetic medicine to make anything work. Which makes it odd that if someone is smart enough to create this virus, why test it on Private First Class Hanson and not a general or an admiral. Kilbride arrives for the last word, unnerving Rountree, who says the Admiral is different – he’s retired. If he’s retired, Kilbride thinks he’s doing it wrong.

With Callen and Sam arriving at Camp Pendleton to investigate, the Admiral wants Rountree to speak to Hanson’s mom – she’s just arrived from Indiana to be with her son. Fatima is going to go through the last week of Hanson’s life to see how he could be exposed to the virus. As for Deeks, the Admiral gives him a good dressing down for being late. Then he’s assigned to work with Rountree. Rountree tries to explain that the Admiral has been busy with the Pentagon all day – probably didn’t hear about Rosa being sick. Deeks isn’t interested, they just need to work.

In Camp Pendleton, Callen and Sam speak with Hanson’s Staff Sergeant. Hanson has been struggling to keep up and the Staff Sergeant feels that maybe the seizure was his fault – pushed Hanson too hard. Callen assures the Staff Sergeant that the seizure had nothing to do with the exercise. With the entire squad having to go through a blood test, the Staff Sergeant is worried about his wife and their new baby. Sam tells the Staff Sergeant that there isn’t an immediate threat to anyone but Hanson.

Callen asks for info on Hanson’s prior week. The Staff Sergeant can hand over all of Hanson’s assignments and training but his free time was spent with his roommate, PFC Jimmie Williams – they’re best friends. Hanson was one of the few guys on base with a car – a Camaro and a loud one – so everyone knew when he was leaving the base. Williams always travelled with Hanson. The night before Hanson’s seizure, Hanson and Williams left base. The Staff Sergeant doesn’t ask where his men go if they leave the base – just as long as they’re safe and reasonably sober when they return, it is all good. As Callen and Sam check out Hanson’s bunk, the Staff Sergeant goes looking for Williams to meet with Callen and Sam.

Deeks and Rountree meet Mrs. Hanson outside the Marine hospital. She’s upset – it is difficult to see her son in such a state. She’s surprised NCIS is there to see her – “Eddie” had a seizure. Rountree explains they are investigating why her son had a seizure. Sitting with her, Mrs. Hanson tells Deeks and Rountree that her son was a good boy, called every Saturday at 9AM. She was so proud when he joined the Marines, just like his father. Eddie’s father died in combat. The weekly conversations were about general things including crypto. Mrs. Hanson is into crypto but Eddie wasn’t until recently. She helped him set up an account.

In Hanson’s bunk, there are a lots of bottles of supplements, car magazines and photos with pretty young woman. Sam notices there isn’t a phone and Hanson’s car keys are gone. The Staff Sergeant arrives – Jimmie Williams is AWOL. Security footage has the Camaro leaving the base about an hour ago. Deeks called with the info about the crypto accounts for Hanson and Williams – Callen wonders if the two men were paid in crypto to bring the virus onto the base, thinking Williams may have gotten greedy and is looking for the money for himself. Security video shows Williams going north to LA.

The Admiral is furious on the phone – he wants a helicopter over the freeway between San Diego and Los Angeles looking for Williams. Fatima arrives – Williams was last seen exiting the freeway in Anaheim. Looking at Hanson’s crypto account, he was paying $2,000 in coins to a Xander Yost who lives in Anaheim.

Deeks and Rountree go to Yost’s home but the door is unlocked. There is blood on the handle. Rountree sees Williams in the backyard as he tries to flee the scene. Williams tells Rountree “I didn’t kill him” after Rountree slams him to the ground. Rountree agrees – Hanson isn’t dead. In the house, Deeks finds Xander Yost with his throat cut in a deep freezer. He’s definitely dead.

As Yost’s body is being removed from his house, Deeks is on the phone with Rosa, who is still quite sick. Bertie takes over the call – Deeks’s DVD player isn’t working. This is news to Deeks since they don’t have a DVD player. “Then what have I been shoving my DVDs into,” she asks and Deeks is done. Rountree arrives. The time of death is about two-hours ago, just when PFC Williams was leaving the base. He’s not the killer. Castor is picking up Williams to take him to the boat shed while Deeks and Rountree stay at the crime scene.

Fatima said it was hard to find info on Xander Yost. He dropped out of med school He opened his dark web business, XY Apothecary, where he makes home-made gene therapies, including one to build muscles for $2,000 – what Hanson paid Yost. With Hanson and Williams struggling to keep up, they were likely using the gene therapy to improve their strength and stamina. This isn’t terrorism, they’re trying to enhance themselves. But that doesn’t explain who killed Yost and made Hanson sick.

In interrogation, Williams explains he and Hanson were trying to be better Marines. They found XY and did some shots. They were getting results until Hanson got sick. When the Marines ordered blood tests for the squad, Williams had a panic attack. Thinking he might die, Williams took Hanson’s car to Yost’s home. Sam notes that Williams also took Hanson’s phone. Without facial recognition, Williams couldn’t open Hanson’s phone but if it was in the car, it automatically gave access. Explaining he wasn’t stealing either the car or the phone, he was going to Yost for an antidote but Yost was already dead. Williams ran because he thought Rountree was the killer.

There was nothing in the house connecting Yost to a gene therapy business. Williams suggests talking to Yost’s assistant. Williams didn’t know his name, but he was a young man about Williams’s age. The assistant gave both Hanson and Williams a Fitbit-style monitor to wear after their gene therapy treatment.

In Ops, Fatima and the Admiral review the monitor. If either Williams or Hanson were suffering, the monitor would report it. Checking into the monitors, they were bought in bulk by a company called Open Source Bio, a community lab in downtown Los Angeles. The Admiral knows about these type of labs – bio-hackers/amateurs using chemical and biological tools unchecked. Fatima thinks their goals are noble – making access to medicine easier. While some of the people involved may have noble goals, Hanson is in the hospital for a reason. Kilbride wants Fatima and Rountree to infiltrate the lab. Deeks will be running things from Ops.

Rountree is happy to be back in the Range Rover – he always has snacks in the glovebox. Well, not today, Fatima has the snacks. Neither of them had time for lunch. Fatima has a hard time accessing the building until she sells herself as Miranda – British accent and all – trying to start her own kombucha business. One of the lab partners, Lisa, lets Fatima in – the woman has an RFID chip implanted into her right hand and magnets in her left.

Fatima asks about the lab’s security – Lisa explains they have a lot of chemicals and interesting projects that need to be protected. They also do community projects like making vegan cheese and insulin. The lab is even FDA approved. Many of the members of the lab, including Lisa, are diabetic. They are taking the power away from Big Pharma. Fatima is introduced to the group, including Herman, a human cyborg. Using cybernetic implants, he is attune to radio waves and accuses Fatima of wearing a wire, of being a Fed. Rountree runs from the Range Rover to the lab’s door.

Herman is sure Fatima is a fed even as the others look at both Fatima and Herman oddly. Herman’s previous lab was shut down by the Feds after they though he was making anthrax and sarin. He orders Fatima to take off her hijab. Lisa calls him out – totally out of line. Fatima admits she is wearing an earpiece – it is her earwig. As Miranda, Fatima claims she suffers from hyperacusis, noise sensitivity but would turn off the earpiece if it upsets Herman. Herman likes the idea, Lisa does not – they wouldn’t make Herman remove his antenna.

Lisa has to ready a shipment of insulin. Fatima can walk around the lab and talk to anyone about her project, except maybe Herman. Taking a quick photo of Herman, Fatima sends it to Rountree, who forwards it to Callen and Sam. Maybe Williams will recognize Herman as Yost’s assistant.

As Callen feeds Jake’s snakes, Williams is shown Herman’s photo but he doesn’t recognize Herman. Sam tries to jog Williams’s memory – did the assistant have tattoos, anything that would identify him. Williams remembers a Copperhead motorcycle – Hanson thought it was cool. Callen and Sam call to Deeks in Ops, who admits he’s a fish out of water there. Deeks finds the motorcycle’s owner Nicholas Embry whose license goes back to a closed homeless shelter. Embry also owns a van that was ticketed in a public parking structure.

Fatima asks Herman about his heart monitor – her friend “Nick” was using one just like Herman’s. Herman knows Nicholas Embry, who left Open Source Bio after they did not let him use CRISPR technology. Embry stole a lot of stuff before leaving, including the heart monitors. Herman still thinks Fatima is a fed.

Callen and Sam pull up along Embry’s van. The van locked but the motorcycle is missing. Deeks provides a warrant so Callen and Sam break in. Embry is living the van and has literature about using a bio-weapon to get rid of anyone he deems genetically inferior. Using Yost’s business, Embry experimented on the “weak” PFC Hanson. When it worked, Yost figured it out so Embry killed him. Deeks sends Embry’s work to Fatima – they need someone to review it. She wakes up a napping Herman and admits in her normal voice, she is a federal agent. “I hate being right all the time,” Herman tells her.

Reviewing Embry’s work, Herman figures out that CRISPR didn’t introduce any new virus, it just took the simple flu virus and changed it to make it lethal. Embry is diabetic. Paying for insulin has been difficult in his life to the point that he almost killed himself by rationing his medication. He was suicidal after that. With Lisa out making deliveries, the concern is that the lethal flu is in the insulin.

Callen and Sam find the Open Source Bio van. Embry is holding Lisa hostage. Sam fires a bullet over their heads, causing Embry to drop his knife. With the magnets in her hand, Lisa is able to take it. Sam puts Embry in handcuffs.

In the office, Deeks is packing up his gear. The Admiral comes up behind Deeks. He asks about Rosa, saying that Fatima spoke up on Deeks’s behalf. Deeks didn’t think Fatima needed to do that. The Admiral tells Deeks he isn’t apologizing, just wants Deeks to know he has to hold the OSP to the highest of standards. The Admiral talks about balancing work done in the office with the important work done at home, admitting he never found that balance. “It is my life’s regret.” But the Admiral has every confidence that Deeks will, though he does not envy Deeks doing it.

In the boatshed, Callen and Sam are sharing a beer. PFC Hanson has stabilized. Callen notices the snake - Houdini - is gone. Sam leaves – Callen is on his own looking for Houdini.

Deeks arrives home. Rosa’s fever has broken but she’s exhausted. Deeks is too – he felt so torn all day. He wanted to stay with Rosa because she’s lost so much in life but he has a job and that job included getting yelled at for being late and being punished by working in Ops, “which I’m not built for.” He tried to Google the soup Rosa’s mother made but couldn’t even spell it. Deeks is grateful for Bertie living 43-seconds away so she could watch Rosa and take care of her. They hug. Bertie notices he’s hot and starts taking care of him too.

What head canon can be formed from here: The case of the week was interesting and well done. I thought Deeks’s reaction to the Admiral’s dressing down was interesting. He wasn’t there to defend himself or get sympathy from his Fatima and Rountree. Instead, he did his job. There is the generation divide between Kilbride, who didn’t have paternity leave or bring your kids to work day, and Deeks who probably was glad his father didn’t have either paternity leave or bring your kids to work day.

Deeks wanting to Google caldo de res and not being able to spell it shows where he was with taking care of Rosa. Here’s a recipe Deeks:

Ops Deeks knew Callen and Sam’s next question about Yost's assistant Embry because he would have asked them to Eric/Nell/Fatima.

Bertie dresses up any episode. Again, whoever cast Pamela Reed as Deeks’s mom is very good at their job.

Solid episode that outside of the Rosa storyline, could have run during any season.

Episode number: Season 14, episode seven. Episode 309 overall.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:  “Glory of the Sea”

The basics:  The team hunts (see what I did there) for an Admiral abducted from his home.

Written by:  Faythallegra Claude wrote season 13’s “Perception”.

Directed by:  Terence Nightingall directed "Expiration Date", "Old Tricks", "Warrior of Peace", "The Sound of Silence", “A Bloody Brilliant Plan” (which he co-wrote) and “Divided We Fall”.

Guest stars of note: Duncan Campbell returns from “Of Value” as NCIS Special Agent Castor, John O'Hurley as Navy Rear Admiral Ted Gordon, Bryan Lillis as Jessie Fiore, Audrey Wasilewski as Meredith Huxley, Charles Kohut as Jim Bones, Brent McGregor as Long John and Tre Hall as Marcus Moore.

Our heroes:  Go on a treasure hunt.

What important things did we learn about: Callen:  Not so sure about the treasure. Sam:  Totally doesn’t believe in the treasure. Kensi:  Working well with Rountree today. Deeks:  Looking at places where Bertie can live. Fatima:  Solving puzzles with the Admiral. Rountree: Figures out the lock number by thinking like Gordon. Kilbride:  See Kensi.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:   No bachelor party. Sam:  Fire at the Hanna household was contained with more embarrassment than damage. Kensi:  Thinking she’s not the fun parent. Deeks:  Possibly the fun parents because of the blonde surfer look and skydiving. Fatima:   Helping Kensi achieve fun parent status. Rountree:  Thinks life is about the journey, not the treasure at the end. Kilbride:  Enjoyed Michael Mann’s “Heat 2” novel.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Earns a mention about Callen’s wedding gear.

Who's down with OTP:  One half was apartment shopping with his mother.

Who's down with BrOTP:  Great Callen and Sam episode – lots of banter, wedding talk, bachelor parties and treasure.

Fashion review:  Callen has on a long-sleeve dark blue tee-shirt.  Sam is in a charcoal grey long-sleeve tee-shirt.  Kensi is wearing a dark purple cap sleeve top.  A white turtleneck with chocolate brown pants for Fatima.  A black short-sleeve tee for Rountree.  The Admiral wears a darker blue suit than usual, white shirt, blue tie.

Music:  John O’Hurley sings “Weigh, Hey and Up She Rises” to open the episode.  “Sloop John B” by The Merrymen ends the episode.

Any notable cut scene:   Yes.  Kensi and Rountree talk in the boatshed before Marcus Moore arrives.  She has a question for him – how did he bring up his sister alone?  Rountree said he didn’t really have much of a choice.  Kensi just doesn’t understand - Rountree was a kid.  Kensi and Deeks are adults.  That gets a laugh from Rountree.  Kensi agrees, “Rosa’s easy.  Deeks is like having a baby chimp.”  She asks him seriously how did he get through it all.  There were lots of tears, lots of mornings where he was scared.  But he had to go on for Jordyn’s sake.   And they had each other which made it easier.

Kensi thinks Rountree did an amazing job.  Jordyn is so accomplished.  Rountree said all he did was keep her clothed and fed, Jordyn did all the amazing stuff.  Kensi doesn’t believe that.  Rountree tells her he really wouldn’t want to do that again.  Kensi is confused – raising Jordyn or rasing a child of his own.  Either one is Rountree’s answer.  He isn’t sure about bringing another kid into the world.  He’s also not sure about wanting to do it again.  Kensi tells him that when he meets the person he’s supposed to be with, “and you fall madly in love”, things change.  Rountree thinks it might.

What a terrible scene to cut.  Find this one a home in another episode because it was a great look at Rountree.

Quote:  Sam:  “You know what treasure is to me?” Callen:  “A 50-pound kettlebell and some baby oil?” Sam (laughing):  “Family and friends, a good day's work.”

Anything else:  In a small Los Angeles home, a gentleman is making himself a smoothie for breakfast where the main ingredient is alcohol.  Singing “Whey, Hey and Up She Rises” as the man works on his smoothie, the power goes out in the house.  There are kids outside causing trouble outside – “oh, those damn kids!”  The man grabs a spear (as one does when the neighborhood kids are full of mischief) and goes to his door.  When the man opens the door, he met by a group of men wearing ski-masks, looking for a fight.  The man puts up a decent defense of himself but is subdued.  A hood is thrown over his head as he’s taken from his home.

While Deeks is using a personal day to help Bertie find a new place to live, Kensi is working on a list of fun places to take Rosa.  Fatima is interested until she hears Kensi’s suggestions – a production at the Geffen, visiting museums like the Getty, LACMA and MOLAA.  The MOLAA, Kensi notes, is the only museum in the entire country dedicated to Latin American art. 

Fatima thinks a play and four museums aren’t exactly young girl fun stuff.  She thinks shopping at the Grove, being part of an audience when a TV show is filmed, celebrity house tour around LA or visiting an escape room could be fun.  Kensi is all about art and theater.  Fatima is all about Kensi “ushering Deeks into the role of fun parent.”  Kensi talks about not being the fun parent and Fatima gets it – surfer Deeks is the default fun parent unless Kensi really wants it.

In the driveway, Sam gets a phone call – the fire department was by the house.  Alone in the house, Raymond forgot he was making steak and eggs.  Small fire, no real damage according to the fire captain.  Callen is sympathetic – how does a man like Raymond go from commanding a battalion to suddenly need a caretaker?  “Kicking and screaming,” according to Sam.

Changing the subject, Sam wants to know if Callen has been fitted for his wedding suit.  He hasn’t.  In fact, he’s been thinking about grabbing a suit from wardrobe – they’re all really good.  Sam is horrified.  The suits have gunpowder and blood in them.  Besides, Hetty would kill him if he took the suit for an unauthorized event.  Callen laments that Hetty would have to come out hiding to do that.  Sam pushes his tailor again, even promises to pay for the suit.  Callen and Sam are called to Ops.  Kensi and Fatima are already there.

The man kidnapped from his home is Rear Admiral Ted Gordon.  Neighbors heard the struggle and a security camera picks up Gordon and his abductors leaving the house.  The security video is from behind – no clear faces, no visible license plate.  Gordon has no family – no wife, no siblings, no kids.  He has been on leave from the Navy in advance of his pending retirement.  His prior assignment was working with a civilian tech contractor Nautical Robotics.  They specialize in robotics – mostly underwater gliders than can travel unmanned through the ocean.

Sam is familiar with the Navy’s gliders – they can do scientific research, catch drug smugglers, deploy weapons.  The Russians and the Chinese have both captured these gliders in the past, claiming they are “spy boats”.   Sam doesn’t disagree with the term.  The team thinks instead of trying to recreate one based on the captured “spy boats”, a hostile actor grabbed Gordon so he could make a glider for them.  Castor picked up Jessie Fiore, Nautical Robotics chief engineer.  Kensi and Rountree will interview him in the boat shed.  Callen and Sam are off to Gordon’s home.

In the boat shed, Fiore isn’t sure why he’s been brought in.  Kensi mentions Gordon, who Fiore calls “the Navy arm of our project.”   The two were close.  Operating the glider requires two people.  Fiore is shocked to learn Gordon was kidnapped.  Kensi asks if Gordon mentioned threats.  Fiore says no but didn’t think Gordon would say anything it he was threatened.  “Ted’s not scared of anything, just like my Dad.”  Fiore invited Gordon to family barbeques until the two had a falling out after Gordon appeared on the Marcus Moore tech podcast.  With 12-million subscribers, Moore’s interview of Gordon never mentioned all the people working at Nautical Robotics.  “A tiny shoutout could have catapulted my career.”  There are questions if Gordon even had permission to appear on the podcast.

A flashback of the podcast has Gordon chatting up the gliders and their capability.  He talks about “my gliders” in a Navy authorized interview.  Fatima learns that after the interview, Moore flew to China and met with a groups of hackers.

Callen and Sam arrive at Gordon’s home talking about robots, thinking at some point RoboCop will be real.  Sam jokes about replacing Callen with RoboCop before wondering how his father would deal with an electronic home health aide.  Inside the house, Sam thinks the place looks like a maritime museum.  Antique compasses and cannon balls, the place looks like a museum to Sam (maybe Kensi can take Rosa there).  The bookshelves have been tossed, same with several drawers with papers.  Callen picks up the one of the model boats.  It reads “SOS” on the back.  Sam notices the sails all have a morse code on them.  The sails spell “Inside”.

In the boat shed, Kensi and Rountree question Marcus Moore.  The trip to China was to expand the reach of his show – he met with some tech firms with money to spend.  Kensi asks Moore about a meeting with some black-hat hackers who have caused trouble for a number of big hospitals.  Moore denies knowing the people he met were hackers.   Moore thought he was meeting with people who work in green energy.  Rountree mentions the Gordon interview which Moore thinks is irrelevant – the Navy approved the interview.  The kidnapping comes up and Moore is worried.  Gordon was a difficult interview – always interrupting the flow to make calls away from Moore in the recording booth.  Moore could see that Gordon was angry.

Callen breaks up the wood boat and finds a leather journal inside.  Gordon went to a lot of trouble to hid the journal but also went to a lot of trouble to make sure it could be found.

From the boat shed, Kensi and Rountree get a debrief from Fatima in Ops.  Gordon’s calls were to a librarian in the LA Public Library system, Meredith Huxley.  She works in the maps department.  Gordon called Huxley five times in a short time span.  Kensi and Rountree are off to interview Huxley.

Returning to the office, Callen and Sam run into Admiral.  Callen is reading Gordon’s journal.  The Admiral recommends “Heat 2” instead.  The kidnappers were looking for something – probably the journal.  The journal is about buried treasure – a Spanish galleon sunk somewhere off the California coast with the crew burying the ship’s riches nearby.  The Admiral now knows why Gordon never married.  A SEAL buddy of Sam does some deep sea treasure hunting in Florida – no luck.  The Admiral wants to why Gordon kept such a specific diary – there are drawings of the ocean throughout the book.  One drawing is missing a big section.  The team is either looking for people stealing robotic technology or they’re going on a treasure hunt.

At the library, Kensi introduces herself and Rountree to Meredith Huxley in what looks like a map room in an LA library.  Huxley is unhappy to have Navy cops sent after she returned Gordon’s antique map.  The map, Gordon believes, leads to buried treasure.  Huxley isn’t so sure.  She did, however, verify the map was legit – 17th century Spain.  But with her planned visit to her daughter in Sacramento, Huxley locked it into a secure drawer in the library. Gordon picked it up as soon as Huxley returned.  The map may not lead to treasure but it is true antique and worth a good deal of money.  In his rush to retrieve the map, Gordon left behind some notes he took.  Huxley offers them  to Kensi and Rountree.

The journal is full of information, including a manifest for the Spanish galleon, the stars in the sky the night of ship wreck – incredible details.  Gordon has a riddle for the location of map - "The Lone Sailor can't see the treasure, but he looks to the map at his parallel dove."  Sam is good at riddles – thinks the Lone Sailor Statue in Long Beach.  Callen and Sam are on their way to check things out.

Gordon’s notes were mostly about the symbols on map.  To find the treasure on-shore, Gordon first had to find the ship.  If he find the ship and deciphers the symbols on the map, he should be able to find the treasure.  About a month ago, Gordon told Huxley he found the ship using glider technology.  Kensi remembers Fiore saying the glider needed two people to operate it.  Fiore likely knows about the shipwreck and the treasure hunt.  Kensi asks Fatima to bring Fiore in again.

Callen and Sam arrive at the Lone Sailor Statue and with Fatima, start working through the riddle.  The statue of the Lone Sailor is looking at the ocean, which is south.  The statue is on Paloma Avenue – paloma means dove in Spanish.   With the latitude of the statue being 3376, Callen and Sam are off to 3376 Paloma Avenue – Antique Mariner Bookstore. 

While the bookstore is closed for business that day, the door is opened.  Callen and Sam enter the store and hear noises in the back.  Two men in ski masks are taking in the back.  Callen and Sam say “federal agents” which causes both men to run.  Sam captures the man who jumped into a storage room while Callen’s guy escaped in a white van that looked like the vehicle used to kidnap Gordon.   No license plates.  Back in the store, Sam takes off his guy’s ski mask – it is Jessie Fiore. 

Callen and Sam question Fiore, who isn’t cooperating.  He’s afraid for his life.  After being convinced that Callen and Sam want to find Gordon and keep both Gordon and Fiore safe, Fiore opens up.  Gordon was still in the van that got away.  The plan was to go to the Channel Islands and find the treasure.  Sam asks which one of the Channel Islands – there are five – but Fiore doesn’t know.  The map was drawn before the different islands had names.  Gordon wouldn’t tell anyone which island.  Sam asks Fatima to track a boat Gordon had and where it is located.  It is probably near the treasure.

Kensi and Rountree finish with Meredith Huxley.  As they are about to leave, Huxley pulls out a briefcase belonging to Gordon.  It is very heavy – makes a loud noise when she places it on a library desk.  Kensi asks to look through the bag.  It is empty but weighs a lot.  With Kensi finding a false bottom, Rountree breaks out his knife to see what’s there. 

The man with the van is Jim Bones, a name earning a chuckle from Sam.  Fiore explains that he helped Gordon find the shipwreck with the glider.  Once they found the shipwreck, Gordon wouldn’t share the location of the treasure but promised to give Fiore his share once it was discovered.  An angry Fiore didn’t trust Gordon to do that so he joined an online forum of treasure hunters.  Jim Bones and a guy name Long John promised to help Fiore.  Fiore promises he didn’t know the two would kidnap Gordon.  Calling Gordon “amazing”, Fiore says Gordon didn’t give up the map even after the was roughed up by Bones and Long John.  Only after they put a gun to Fiore’s head and promised to kill him did Gordon give up the bookstore’s location.  Fiore feels guilty – Gordon took a beating and gave up the bookstore location after Fiore betrayed him.

Kensi opens the false bottom.  There is a small key safe.  Opening the key safe using the year of the shipwreck, Kensi and Rountree find part of the missing piece of Gordon’s journal.

In the book store, one of the file cabinets is opened.  It was a locked drawer, now opened with a key.  Gordon said that is where the map was held.  Opening the other drawers to see what’s inside, Sam finds one is jammed.  Finally getting it opened after a struggle, Sam finds and cypher decoder wheel and an encrypted manuscript written in Latin.  There is another piece of paper cut from Gordon’s journal. 

The Admiral walks into Ops and asks Fatima about narrowing down the island.  She hasn’t – Gordon visited all five with his small boat.  Callen and Sam send their missing drawing piece and Fatima is able to put them all together.  Looking at the drawing on the big screen, the Admiral notices a letter in one of the waves, a U.  They also find a Q, N, A and T.  Fatima can’t make that into a word while the Admiral isn’t going to even try to pronounce it. 

Noting the letters are in different waves coming closer to the shore, ordering the letters as they make their way to the beach, it spells Tuqan.  Tuqan is a Palestinian poet according to Fatima.  It is also the Chumash word for San Miguel Island.  The Chumash were indigenous to the area and treasure hunters would us that in their maps.  Callen and Sam are going to be sent there on a chopper but San Miguel Island is a Navy test site for missiles and other unexploded ordinance.

Arriving at San Miguel Island, Callen and Sam in their vests with the big guns find Gordon with his kidnappers.  They are being very careful.  The island is full of places where one misstep means “kaboom” according to Sam. 

The kidnappers want Gordon to dig up the treasure.  They have a metal detector and weapons pointed at Gordon.  Gordon mentions Juan Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer who died on the island.  Before his death he cursed the island – people of ill-will are cursed if the come to the island.  The unimpressed kidnappers threaten Gordon but he tells them his destiny will not be controlled by men like them. 

Callen and Sam creep up.  They yell “federal agents”.  This gives Gordon the chance to take his shovel and knock out one of the kidnappers.  The other kidnapper makes a run for it and hits some of the unexploded ordinance.  Kaboom.

The area was cleared by the Navy’s bomb squad and medics took away the kidnappers.  Gordon admits he’s stunned Callen and Sam found him.  Callen mentioned that Gordon didn’t make it easy.  Saying that he was looking for the treasure for decades, Gordon says he realized that if he was ever lost at sea, all of his work “would have been for naught.”  He set up the journal and the puzzle to leave his discoveries to a person with the same spirit he has.  It never dawned on Gordon that his passion would put him or anyone else in danger.  They mention Jessie Fiore.  “Gold and silver are worth a fortune but a human life is priceless, even a scoundrelous traitor like Jessie.”

Gordon thanks Callen and Sam who are ready to fly him back to the mainland.  Gordon isn’t going anywhere, instead he wants Callen and Sam to join him on his adventure.  Callen declines.  Gordon says the two don’t believe the treasure is there.  Callen is evasive, Sam’s a hard no.  Gordon promises to report to the SecNav about anything he finds.  He tells Callen and Sam that when ships were made of wood, men were made of steel.  Callen and Sam like that.

As they walk away, Callen thinks about a beach wedding.   Sam thinks Callen would like a beach bar wedding instead.  The two talk about sharks – Callen doesn’t like a beach with sharks.  Sam suggests the Great Lakes.  All the while, Gordon is studying his map and getting ready to dig.  Sam is down on beach weddings – weather is always an issue.  Sam’s suggestion is to let Anna plan the wedding with Callen using the magic groom words – “whatever you want, honey.”  Sam is looking more for another wedding event – the bachelor party.  Callen doesn’t want any part of the bachelor party.  Even though Deeks has booked the flights.  Cage diving with sharks in Mexico.

Fatima meets with Kensi in the bullpen.  She has an idea of turning the cultural/educational places as part of a scavenger hunt.  This way it is fun - Rosa can learn some things and get a feel for Los Angeles.  Fatima will even help.  Kensi thinks it is a great idea but thinks it is asking a lot of Fatima.  Fatima is all in – it will be fun, put some brain teasers to keep the mind sharp.  Kensi wonders if this makes her the fun parent.  It would unless Deeks takes Rosa skydiving – which he totally would do.

Rountree joins Kensi and Fatima.  He wonders if Gordon will find the treasure.  They admire how he loves the hunt – it is about the journey, not the outcome.

Callen and Sam are sharing some beers on the back deck of the boatshed.  Sam is talking about hiring the nurse from the hospital in “Dead Stick” to take care of Raymond.  Callen thinks they should have put Gordon on the chopper with them back to LA.  Sam disagrees – Gordon is right where he wants to be, looking for the treasure. 

The Admiral arrives.  He’s pro-treasure hunting, it started capitalism.  Sam isn’t – treasure is family, friends and a good day’s work.  The Admiral hands Callen and Sam a gift from Gordon before he leaves.  Sam opens the little pouch and pours the contents into Callen’s hand.  It is a little bit of the treasure.  Callen is stunned.  Sam isn’t. 

What head canon can be formed from here:  Again, I really think the cut scene was a huge loss not only for the episode but for the series.  It was a great look at Rountree.

I’m sorry they didn’t use John O’Hurley more.  The man is a great comic actor and he could have really filled out that role instead of being in the very beginning and the end.  This episode could have been the final season’s “A Bloody Brilliant Plan” – played for laughs with a good case of the week – but played it a little too straight.  A funny hour once a season is always a good thing.  A funny episode without Deeks – often the source or the butt of the humor in the show – is a fine effort. 

Callen and Deeks as an anti-bachelor party grooms.  Did not see that coming.      

Episode number:     Season 14, episode six.  It is the 308th episode overall.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:  “Flesh & Blood”

The basics:  Investigate a Navy wife fleeing the scene of her husband’s murder.

Written by:  Chad Mazero co-wrote “Internal Affairs”, “Revenge Deferred”, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”, “The Noble Maidens” and “Pandora’s Box”.  Wrote “Tidings We Bring”, “Can I Get a Witness”, “All Is Bright”, “Diamond in the Rough”, “High Society”, “Murder of Crows”, "Overdue" and "Sorry for Your Loss".

Directed by:  Daniela Ruah directed “Russia, Russia, Russia”, “Lost Sailor Down”, “Pandora’s Box” (co-written by Chad Mazero) and “Live Free or Die Standing”.

Guest stars of note:  Pamela Reed returns from season 11’s “High Society” as Roberta Deeks, Bar Paly returns from “Of Value” as Anastasia “Anna” Kolcheck, Natalia Del Riego is back from “Game of Drones” as Rosa Reyes, Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier is back from the previous episode “Dead Stick” as NCIS Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr, Marnee Carpenter as Alice Morgan, Lauren "Lolo" Spencer as Ella and Rif Hutton as Navy Commander Albert Burns

Our heroes:   Work with an abused wife to find some explosives while working through some home issues.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen:  Waiting for Hetty to get married. Sam:  Worried that Callen is avoiding getting married. Kensi:  Feels like she’s not prepared for motherhood. Deeks:  Bad baseball game in June of 1990. Fatima:  Absent. Rountree:   Looking to put his Beale bucks to good use. Kilbride:  Not pleased with Deeks’s attitude about the Navy spousal abuse response.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen:  Orphan. Sam: Once again looking for a caretaker for Raymond. Kensi:  Hanging with Bertie, buying cleats with Rosa at the mall and negotiating teen angst. Deeks:  Owes Kensi for hanging with Bertie. Fatima:  Not around. Rountree:   Called “Shark Tank” by Shyla. Kilbride:  Not pleased with the Navy’s spousal abuse response in the cut scenes.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Don’t know but Anna wants her found so she can marry Callen.

Who's down with OTP:   Anna and Callen are trying to negotiate their way around a wedding date.  Kensi and Deeks are trying to negotiate their way around Bertie.

Who's down with BrOTP:  With the teams mixing and matching all episode, not a lot of BrOTP time but Shyla worked well with all.

Fashion review:  Callen starts the episode in a black running shirt and black shorts.  Wears a button down medium blue shirt for the rest of the episode.  Sam has a wine colored long-sleeve tee-shirt.  Kensi is in a white tee-shirt with thin blue stripes.  Cornflower blue long-sleeve tee for Deeks.  Rountree is wearing a light brown long-sleeve tee.  Kilbride is in his civilian uniform with a medium blue three-piece suit, pale blue dress-shirt, blue tie.

Music: Not today.

Any notable cut scene:   Finally!  As Rountree is packing up for the day, Shyla asks him if he wants to go out for some tacos.  He can’t – he’s meeting with his friend David Packer about his investment money.  Shyla asks him not to.  Understanding that she may be overstepping, she knows Rountree has a real fire inside after what happened with Jordyn and the LAPD.  The person Rountree needs to invest in is himself. 

As they leave, Sam is find a caretaker for his Dad.  The Admiral says that gets Sam a good night’s sleep.  The Admiral also thinks Alice Morgan deserved better.  The Admiral thinks maybe they should blow up the whole damn book on abuse cases.  Then promises to if Sam tells anyone he said that, the Admiral would make sure Sam didn’t get a good night’s sleep ever again.

Quote:  Deeks:  So it's, uh... June 30, 1990.  And my mom decides she wants to take me to watch the Dodgers play the Cardinals.  And I will never forget that day.” Alice:  “I don't care about sports.” Deeks:  “That's funny, 'cause I don't care about sports either.  No, the reason I remember it is because it was so hot.  Like, L.A. had been coming off this massive heat wave and I can still see the ice cream cone melting as it's being passed down the row.” Alice:  “Now you want to talk about weather?” Deeks:  “Actually, I do, because...that is the other thing that I can still see from that day, is my mom.  And she's sitting next to me in this 90-degree heat, except for the fact that she is wearing...she's wearing jeans and a long-sleeve turtleneck.  And she was covered up like that the whole entire summer.  Not that it matters, because she couldn't cover the bruises on her face.” Alice:  “Did he spare you, at least?” Deeks:  “No.   I mean, but I was a kid, right?  Kids are supposed to have bruises.  I'd just tell the teachers that, um...I got another fight in the playground.  What do you tell people?” Alice:  “I don't have anyone left to tell.  He made me push everyone away.” Deeks:  “Yeah, they do that.”

Runner up:  Rountree:  “Was all that true? About your dad?” Deeks:  “Every word of it.”

Anything else:  At night in a suburban neighborhood, a woman is frantically packing her things.  She gets a phone call from her father and tries to blow him off.  Seeing her in a mirror, her clothes are covered with blood.  Her father is recommending a Tom Hanks movie as she is trying to get him off the phone.  She tells her father she loves him as she tries to leave the house.  A man’s dead body is making it hard to open the door.  But she succeeds.

Callen arrives home with two smoothies.  He’s worn out which surprises Anna.  She ran for six-miles, he “bailed” after two.  Since the bagel place didn’t have bagels, he brought smoothies.  Anna wanted bagels before her job interview that day.  She also wants to pick a wedding date.  Every time of the year Anna mentions, Callen has a reason not to get married at that time.  She offers him an out when it comes to getting married.  He wants to get married, Callen assures her, just find the right time to do it.

At the Blye-Deeks home, everyone is running around as the day starts.  Rosa is missing her backpack.  When Kensi tosses it, Deeks walks right into the tossed backpack.  Rosa and Deeks review her latest assignment as they hustle to leave.  Deeks gets a phone call – it’s Bertie.  She’s been on the road for six months of “eat, pray and loving” her way across the country.  Deeks thinks this is all TMI.  After seeing “Nomadland”, Bertie rented out her apartment so she is going to crash at the Blye-Deeks residence.  She needs someone to be there to let her in.  Rosa really needs to leave for school so they are going to figure something out.

Walking near the gym, Shyla hears Rountree working out and quoting “300”.  He’s working on an ancient martial arts technique to strengthen his grip and arms.  When Rountree gets a text, he asks Shyla to look at his phone – they could have a case.  Instead, Rountree has a text from “Packer” who is talking about his pants being on fire.  Packer is a friend of Rountree’s from Quantico.  Packer is starting a clothing line and Rountree is a possible investor.  He’s looking to grow some of the money Eric left them all last year.  After what happened to Rountree and Jordyn, he's looking to invest that money into a growing business.  Shyla would have taken the Eric money and spent some time in Tokyo.

Sam has a call and so does the Admiral.  Both are unhappy with their calls.  Sam lost another caretaker for Raymond, NCIS is making Kilbride go through another round of approvals for expenses.  Cranky men in Ops alert.

The Admiral looks around an empty Ops and wonders where is everyone.  On the screen is the dead man blocking the door from the opening scenes.  He is Lt. Jeff Morgan, an intelligence officer working out of a DoD Task Force.  Morgan was stabbed several times.  There are real concerns because Morgan was part of a team developing software to integrate intelligence gathered by all branches of the armed services.  If an outsider or foreign government got access to that software, they’d have access all U.S. military intelligence.  Sam asks if there are any suspects – China, Russia, Iran or Alice Morgan, Jeff’s wife.  She’s was seen leaving the house at the estimated time of death. 

In the office driveway, Kensi and Deeks are arguing about who is going to help Bertie unpack.  Deeks is owed a favor by Kensi and he’s calling it in. She’s not interested in helping unpack all of Mama Deeks’s Michael Bublé fannish things.   Besides, Deeks should help his mother.  Callen arrives but isn’t interested in hearing any of this – he’s an orphan.  Deeks says that funny, Callen doesn’t agree. 

Sam joins the trio, the most we’ve seen of this foursome together in a while.  He's been working since 8AM and everyone else just arrived.  Callen and Sam are off to the boatshed to meet with Morgan’s CO, Sam would like Kensi and Deeks to join Rountree at the crime scene.  Sighing Kensi mentions she has some accrued leave Kilbride wants her to take so she’ll help Roberta, get Rosa from school and Rosa can meet Bertie.  Deeks tells Kensi he owes her. 

At the house Morgan household, Rountree found a locked laptop – Shyla is getting a warrant to get in.  Deeks is looking through some magazines while Rountree picks up the Morgans’s mail.  One magazine has expensive furniture.  Speaking of money, LAPD found a Rolex on Morgan’s wrist and a Lexus in the garage – this wasn’t a robbery gone bad.  Rountree is confused – a junior officer like Morgan doesn’t make Rolex money.

Deeks flips through Morgan’s credit card bills – they are big.  Since Alice Morgan didn’t have a job, the only way they could afford their lifestyle was if Jeff Morgan was selling military secrets.  Deeks sees that the credit card bills include electronic toll charges – an EZ Pass.  They can find Alice Morgan’s location that way.

In the boat shed, Morgan’s CO, Commander Burns, is not thrilled to be there.  There are cellphones for meetings like this.   He should be in his office dealing with the fallout from the tragedy of Morgan being killed and not sitting in the boatshed – a “Bubba Gump’s”. 

Sam asks about the software.  According to Burns, it tracks everything from emails between intelligence offices to weapons and ordnance use and supplies.  Morgan was doing data analytics for the team but a month ago, he started visiting weapon manufacturers to make sure their software would work the with military’s new software.  Burns really didn’t have much of an opinion of Morgan except he was a good kid.  With hundreds of men under his command, he really didn’t know much about him.  He remembers Alice Morgan was quiet and unfriendly.  Burns is done with Callen and Sam.  He’ll answer any other questions by phone – he has work to do.  Callen and Sam want to check into Morgan’s travel vouchers to see where he went and who he saw.

In Ops, Shyla was able to get into the locked laptop but most accounts were logged out.  She was able to get into Alice Morgan’s text messages – the laptop and Alice’s phones were synced up.  There was a confirmation code for a company called Home Connection – discrete vacation rentals.  Shyla finds Alice Morgan booked a home on Larchmont an hour after she was seen leaving her home the night before.

In Larchmont, Rountree is really impressed with the area.  Good investments homes, water views – Rountree is talking about investments when Deeks says “Alice Morgan” who he sees leaving the rental house.  Rountree says “Alice Morgan” which has the same effect of yelling “federal agents” since Alice starts to run.  After she throws a branch cutter at Deeks, Rountree gets her to stop as she’s climbing a fence.  She is armed but surrenders. 

In interrogation, Deeks is on the right side of the table while Rountree is in the corner.  Deeks is rattling on about the “Chose Your Adventures” books when Rountree says they have witnesses who saw her flee the scene of a murder.  Rountree and Deeks can sit with Alice in interrogation all day or they can help her.  Alice wonders where they were six months ago when she asked for help.  Deeks wants to know what happened six months ago.  Alice says she talked and talked and talked and nobody wanted to help.  She moves in her chair, making sure her jacket and long sleeves cover her arms.  An obviously bothered Deeks wants to take a break.  He’s getting everyone coffee.

Callen and Sam return to the office.  Cheryl, Raymond’s latest caretaker who is very into birds according to Callen, quit when Raymond started talking about war pigeons.  Mentioning that Raymond’s previous caretaker quit when he wouldn’t ride in her Mazda – Raymond likes American-made cars – Callen thinks Sam is avoiding the real issue.  Sam loves this conversation because Callen is all about avoiding issues…like his wedding date.  Sam is sure Anna will understand whatever is holding Callen back.  The Admiral walks by – everyone to Ops.

Shyla tells an arriving Callen and Sam that Alice Morgan isn’t talking.  Commander Burns sent over Morgan’s travel vouchers.  Comparing the travel vouchers to Morgan’s EZ-Pass charges, “something is rotten in Denmark” according to Shyla.  Morgan visited a number of companies that made high-grade military explosives.  After every meeting, he would go someplace 20-miles past his home.  Using Kaleidoscope, Morgan is seen driving into a storage facility in El Monte two-days before he was killed.  Sam gets a call from the caretaker agency.  He’s taking it outside of Ops.

Deeks returns alone to interrogation with a cup of coffee for Alice.  He explains it is June 30, 1990 and his mother takes him to a Cardinals-Dodgers game.  He remembers that day.  Alice doesn’t care about sports.  Deeks doesn’t either but he will always remember that day.  It was so hot.  Ice cream cones were melts as they were being passed down the row.  Alice doesn’t want to talk about the weather either.  Deeks does.  Because all he really remembers from that day – his mother wearing jeans and a long-sleeve turtleneck.  Not that it really mattered – she couldn’t cover the bruises on her face.  She wore clothes like that for the entire summer. 

Alice asks if “he” spared Deeks.  Deeks says no but kids are supposed to have bruises.  He would tell the teachers he was fighting in the playground.  “What do you tell people?”  Alice said she had nobody to tell.  Her husband made her push everyone away.  Deeks asks how long has the abuse been going on.  Physically, Alice tells him, three-years.  “Mentally, who knows.”  She doesn’t have access to their bank account.  Morgan controlled every part of her life.

Deeks asks if a few months ago, she told the Navy.  There was a  military hotline and she called.  She didn’t hear back.  She filed a report with the family advocacy center who told her they’d look into it.  Deeks has to asks and understands if she did – did Alice kill her husband?  She didn’t – she found him dead when she arrived home.  What surprised Alice was even after everything he did, she tried to save him.  It doesn’t surprise Deeks. 

Deeks asks why did she run.  Alice explains that her husband was a valuable asset to the military, “I’m not.”  She was afraid her reports would be used as motive.  She asks for a few minutes and Deeks agrees.  As he’s leaving, she mentions that her husband would smell like motor oil after he returns from his business trips.  

At home, Bertie is telling Rosa about skinny dipping at a Ramada Inn off the Strip in Vegas.  Kensi isn’t thrilled.  Rosa is really entertained.  She would like to see Adele in Las Vegas, a friend has a condo and the family would let her use it.  The friend, Tay, is from her calculus class and Bertie is down on calculus.  With a disastrous marriage, three dead-end jobs and a brush with a pyramid scheme, she never used the Pythagorean theorem.  That’s really geometry, Kensi notes but Rosa is in love.  Bertie is the coolest.  Since Rosa needs to soccer cleats, she asks Kensi to take her and Tay to the mall.  Bertie moves on to a story about taking a sound bath behind a DQ in Marfa.

At a storage unit facility, Callen, now teamed up with Shyla, is brought to Jeff Morgan’s storage unit by the manager.  The place was cleaned out but still smells like almonds and motor oil – explosives manufacturers put the scent into their product on purpose.  Callen finds a small piece of C-4.  Shyla doesn’t think Morgan was killed for the software, he was killed after using his access to these explosive manufacturers to procure some product.  Callen worries about where the explosives are now.

The woman managing the storage unit place wants all the inside scoop if there is a dead body – she has a true crime podcast.  Three men were removing boxes from the back of the storage facility when the woman started her shift.  She doesn’t have access to the video surveillance, however, only her boss can do that.  Shyla wants the woman to call her boss – they need the footage now.  Shyla is also going to contact Commander Burns to figure out what is missing.

In Ops, Kilbride confirms that Alice Morgan contacted the military abuse hotlines to Deeks and Rountree in the boat shed.  The people running the hotlines say they take all abuse complaints seriously but there wasn’t enough information to move it to NCIS.  The Pentagon invested $1-billion to remedy this situation after past failures.  Deeks wonders how much of that money could have been saved if this was a priority from the start.  The Admiral is not pleased with Deeks’s statement.  He says since Alice didn’t kill her husband, figure out if she knows who did and disconnects.

Looking at Deeks, Rountree asks how much of the story he told Alice was true.  “Every word of it,” is Deeks’s reply.

Bertie finished doing laundry though Kensi out of the dryer sheets.  Asking for Rosa, Kensi explains that she’s negotiating between Tay and a friend over a disagreement.  She also tells Bertie that she doesn’t have to do laundry.  Bertie missed doing the laundry.  Kensi tries telling her mother-in-law that she and Deeks missed her but Bertie knows better. 

Bertie also knows Kensi is feeling a bit overwhelmed by parenthood.  Kensi notes that she’s not “technically” Rosa’s parent.  Bertie asks Kensi if she loves Rosa and wants to keep her safe.  Kensi does on both.  Bertie follows up - does Kensi fear she isn’t doing enough even though she’s exhausted from doing too much.  “Every single morning.”  Bertie doesn’t care about “technically” – Kensi is Rosa’s parent.  Kensi spent her entire NCIS career being one step ahead of everyone else.  She thought she could do that with being a parent.  She couldn’t.

Bertie offers some words of wisdom from her mother about being a parent – it’s like being pecked to death by a chicken.  That’s not helpful. 

Shyla has news for “Shark Tank” – Rountree.  She’s sending video of the three men who took the explosives from the storage unit but the footage is awful.  Rountree goes into interrogation to see if Alice knows any of the men.  Alice recognizes one of the men – she met him at a wine festival.  She remembers the date – it was her birthday.  She thought he was doing something nice for her birthday.  Obviously not.  As Rountree goes to tell Shyla, Alice asks Deeks what happened to his father.  Deeks tells her he shot him and two weeks later, he was in jail.

Callen and Shyla return to the office.  She gets a call as she returns to Ops, Callen goes to see Sam in the bullpen.  They are on a video call with Commander Burns.  He assures Callen and Sam that he’s been working with ATF.  15 to 25 pounds of C-4 is missing with a lot of blasting caps and detonation cord. Callen asks abuse complaints about Morgan.  Burns did not have enough evidence to move forward.  Before Callen and Sam could press him, Shyla needs them in Ops.  They quickly end the call but promise to call back.

In Ops, Shyla found Morgan had several bank account Alice Morgan knew nothing about.  Several of them received $9,000 deposits in the prior week – a transaction amount just under the amount of money a bank would have to report to Feds.  Met World Holdings sent the money.  It is owned by an Ivan Parson, who looks like one of the man in grainy video.  Met World Holdings is an import/export business – they move fine foods and fine wines.  Parson is connected to extremist groups in Ireland, Germany and Indonesia. 

The Admiral is looking for a sitrep.  Met World Holdings has an unoccupied space in Hollywood.  Deeks is getting Alice to a safe house so Callen, Sam and a seven-minutes out Rountree are at the unoccupied space.  The Admiral reminds everyone that the job is to get back the explosives without blowing up a city block.  The only way LA is going down in flames is if the Admiral has the match.

Callen and Sam move near the building.  They can see some shelves of items and a man but he’s not Parsons.  Going through the back door, Callen and Sam see Parsons.  Sam throws a wine bottle to get one of the men’s attention.  Sam quickly takes him out but makes enough noise to get Parsons and a minion to run.  Callen tackles the friend but Parsons gets to his vehicle.  An arriving Rountree stops him but Parsons throws his bag of explosives in the air and shoots them.  That sends Rountree flying but Sam takes down Parsons with ease.

As Parsons is being taken away, Callen tells Sam and Rountree that Morgan wanted to back out of the deal but Parsons already paid for the explosives.  Morgan was either scared or greedy.  He also wasn’t as tough as he thought he was.

Deeks joins Bertie on the back porch.  They share a couple of beers as Bertie asks if he got all the cats out of the trees.  Deeks said he did his best.  Deeks wants to talk about “Dad”.  Bertie isn’t interested in her past.  Deeks doesn’t think that’s fair – it is their past.  He only wants to know how she made it through.  “Vicodin and Sally Jessy Raphael,” is her answer.  She doesn’t know. 

Bertie explains that Deeks’s father took everything from the two of them, including the person Bertie used to be. But when he was gone, with Deeks’s help, she got that person back.  She’s made a lot of mistakes since that in her life but it is her life.  Deeks approves. 

Kensi and Rosa join Deeks and Bertie on the patio.  They’re just back from the mall.  Rosa would like to visit San Francisco and Deeks is all in on that.  Bertie invites herself – she knows a thruple up in Barstow that can rent then an RV.  Deeks is horrified by his mother being in a thruple.  Bertie assure him she’s not a part of the thruple, she just knows one. 

Anna returns home.  She thought they were going to dinner but Callen has a candles and some wine.  He also got bagels.  He loves Anna and he’d marry her tomorrow.  When they get married, he wants to be surrounded by everyone that means everything to them.  Arkady and Hetty are part of the package.  Anna isn’t happy but Callen explains Hetty has been in his life from the beginning.  He can’t get married without her.  She has more of the story and he needs her to tell it.  If he doesn’t do this, Hetty will always be the other person in the room.  He doesn’t need a lot more time but Anna is giving him all the time he needs.  She only asks the he tell the truth, even with it is hard, especially when it is hard.  He promises he will.

What head canon can be formed from here:   While the case of the week wasn’t much, that felt intentional.  The guys who stole the explosives were plot points.  They weren’t the typical bad guy – they were a bunch of dudes.  The hour instead was about family relationships.  It started with the Kolcheck-Callen and  Blye-Deeks households, moved to Rountree talking about his sister, Sam with his father and then the case of the week.

This was a terrific Deeks episode.  Light and goofy dad/husband at home, sad and serious with Alice and later with the Admiral, Rountree and Bertie.  There should be a bonus for the person who decided Pamela Reed would work as Deeks’s mom.  Just as light and goofy she could be in most of the episode, she was sad and serious near the end.  That scene with them alone wasn’t just family, it was two survivors who built themselves the lives they enjoy.

For a program and an NCISVerse that is mostly pro-military, there was a real sense of disgust by Deeks and disappoint/disgust late in the episode by the Admiral over the handling of Alice’s abuse case. 

Loved the explosion that sent Rountree flying – that’s the show I know and love.

Episode number:  Episode 307 overall, the fifth episode of season 14.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:  “Dead Stick”

The basics:  Aiden Hanna’s jet crashes and the team works to find out why it happened.

Written by:  Lee A. Carlisle wrote or co-wrote “Golden Days”, “Reentry”, “Into the Breach”, “Concours D’Elegance”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, "Sundown" and “Pandora’s Box”.

Directed by:  Dennis Smith directed “Fame”, “Standoff”, “Rocket Man”, “Cyberthreat”, “Exit Strategy”, “Patriot Acts”, “Out of the Past” part one, “The Livelong Day”, Between the Lines”, “Deep Trouble” part two, “Black Budget", “Black Wind”, “Blame it On Rio”, “Defectors”, “Matryoshka” part one, “Granger, O”, “The Queen’s Gambit”, “Hot Water”, “From Havana With Love”, “Plain Sight”, the lighthearted “Monster”, “Superhuman”, “One of Us”, “Smokescreen” part one, “Decoy”, “Mother” (episode 250), “Alsiyadun”, “The Bear”, “Angry Karen”, “Signs of Change” and “Fukushu”.

Guest stars of note: Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier as NCIS Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr is back from season 14 premiere “Game of Drones”.  Richard Gant as Raymond Hanna returns from last week’s “Body Stitchers” episode.  Tye White as Aiden Hanna is back from “Watch Over Me”, the 17th episode in season 11.  Joanna Bacalso as Navy Lieutenant Commander Kristina Hirsch, Gabriel Burrafato as Navy Commander Jose Espinoza, Ryan Radis as Jake Primiani, Christopher Amitrano as Navy Maintenance Master Chief Brian Frazier, Sean Freeland as Marco Madsen, Brittany Freeth as Navy Air Controller, Erik R. Norris as Patrick, Linara Washington as Nurse Constance Harper.

Our heroes:   Work to learn why Aiden Hanna’s jet failed.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen:   Doesn’t think Aiden is at fault but needs to investigate fairly. Sam:   Son of Major, father of Sonic. Kensi:    See Deeks Deeks:   Absent. Fatima:  Praying in the burn room. Rountree:  Distracted by his issues with LAPD. Kilbride:  Running things in Ops with ease.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen:  Shares Raymond’s enjoyment messing with Sam. Sam:   May have found a caretaker for Raymond. Kensi:    Absent. Deeks:   See Kensi. Fatima:  Going out for a sad celebration with Shyla. Rountree:  Looking to the Admiral for guidance. Kilbride:  Offering guidance by telling Rountree the team has his back.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Nary a mention.

Who's down with OTP:   Who knows.  They weren’t here but there weren't there together, so that's good.

Who's down with BrOTP:  Very little BrOTP time though the three generations of Hanna men were great. 

Fashion review:  Callen wore a black polo-style shirt (really more Chris O’Donnell than G. Callen).  Sam in a dark blue long-sleeve tee.  Fatima had a grey sweater over a white mock turtleneck.  Rountree wore a pale purple Carhart long-sleeve tee (great color).  As always, the Admiral wore a blue three-piece suit, pale blue dress shirt, blue tie.

Music:  “Sunday Morning Underground” by Faustus is playing during the opening scenes at the beach.  “Initial Mailing” by Cargo is playing while Marco is being questioned by Fatima and Rountree.

Any notable cut scene:   Four straight without a deleted scene.

Quote:  Sam:  “Oh, Callen told me something interesting...Sonic.” Raymond:  “Now, see, I'm confused again.” Aiden:  “Uh, it's my call sign, Grandpop.  Your squadron picks it for you, usually after you've done something pretty stupid.” Sam:  “Yeah, like, say illegally breaking the sound barrier?  Something like that?” Aiden:  “Well, let's just say that my plane wasn't the only thing that went supersonic that day.  I have never seen my CO use that many curse words.” Raymond:  “My boy.”

Anything else:    Some previously-s with Aiden telling Sam he’s going to fly for the Navy, Aiden flying for the Navy, the Rountree siblings traffic stop from hell.

On the beach, a hustler is scamming a fisherman into getting a fishing license for a public pier.  As they negotiate, a military plane passes over them but the jet’s engine blows out and the plane starts to fail.  The plane crashes but the pilot ejects just before impact.  As his parachute lands, the fisherman races over to see the pilot, who is alive but not conscious.  The hustler isn’t thrilled, especially since the fishing liecens thing may have been less than legit.  Ambulances are heard in the background as the hustler pulls the fisherman away from the pilot.  Best not to be involved.

The pilot’s uniform nameplate reads “Hanna”.

Walking through the office, Shyla gets a number of messages and calls on her cellphone.  Looking for somewhere quiet to take the call, she walks into the burn room only to find Fatima praying.  Shyla is surprised Fatima would pray in a place like the burn room but “anywhere is a place of prayer” for Fatima.  Well, not bathrooms and graveyards. 

Shyla explains the calls are coming from her soon to be ex-husband.  They have been separated  for three-years but just started with the divorce proceedings.  While her ex isn’t contesting the divorce, he also doesn’t want it.  All the papers have been filed, just waiting for the court to say everything is in order.  The phone rings again so Fatima leaves Shyla to deal with the soon to be former Mr. Shyla.

In wardrobe, Rountree is rummaging through his stored pants.  He is searching for his wallet – he thought it may have left it in one of his undercover outfits.  The Admiral arrives and finds the wallet immediately on a nearby table.  Seeing Rountree is out of sorts, the Admiral asks him what is going on.  According to Det. Whiting, LAPD wants Rountree to speak to their PR department.  The plans is for LAPD to give paid leave to the officers involved in the traffic stop where Rountree and Jordyn were harassed.  While Rountree didn’t know what LAPD planned to do with the officers, paid leave “sure as hell” wasn’t part of the plan.

Knowing it isn’t his place to comment, the Admiral says that things may not get better even if Rountree pushes it.  “Crooked cops have gotten less for doing worse.”  Rountree knows that.  He also thinks that if he wasn’t a federal agent, LAPD wouldn’t be interested in doing anything at all.  Again, not wanting to tell Rountree what to do, the Admiral reminds Rountree that NCIS works with LAPD and LAPD could make things tough for Rountree.  “Tough is what I do,” Rountree tells him.  Then the Admiral thinks it should be easy for Rountree to clean up his mess in wardrobe.

An annoyed Raymond walks into the boat shed with Sam as Callen sits at the boat shed table.  Seems pancakes are Raymond’s issue.  Sam’s mom would make Raymond’s pancakes with premade mix while his caretaker makes them from scratch and says she makes them from the mix.  And if she lies about that, what else is the caretaker lying about. 

Callen apologizes for not knowing Raymond was coming – he only got two cups of coffee.  It’s not a problem for Raymond, he take Sam’s coffee.  The coffee isn’t the only thing Sam lost that morning – Raymond’s caretaker quit.  Sam can’t believe this is all about pancakes while Callen disagrees – breakfast in the most important meal of the day.  Raymond teams up with Callen to mock Sam. 

Walking to the back of the boatshed, Sam is looking for someone to take care of Raymond that day.  Callen helpfully suggests Agent Castor.  Raymond and Callen share their mutual enjoyment of messing with Sam.  Sam’s phone rings – Aiden is in the hospital near Point Magu.  Sam and Raymond are on their way while Callen tries to find out what NCIS knows.

NCIS doesn’t know much, according to Fatima, except Aiden’s F-35 crashed.  Fatima and the Admiral meet Shyla and Rountree in Ops, Callen is on the big screen with Lt. Commander Kristina Hirsh, a JAG Officer.  Lt. Hanna is fine, being held for observation overnight.  The Admiral asks about the cause of the crash.  Hirsh is tasked with finding out what caused the crash.  The cause of the crash could be as simple equipment failure or pilot error or something worse.  Hirsh mentions the F-35 taken down by the drone swarm in “Murmuration” last season – nice callback show!  Since both crashes were in the OSP’s backyard, she’s asking for their help.  She is going to question Aiden but will need help looking for evidence near the crash site.  Rountree is all in.

Hirsh tells the team that Aiden was on a test flight out of Point Magu when the plane crashed.  The plane barely missed an apartment building.  The Admiral sends Fatima and Rountree to the beach to interview witnesses being held there by LAPD.  Shyla is going to the boat shed to meet Callen and interview the maintenance supervisor who got the plane in the air.   Hirsh makes it clear, Special Agent Hanna can’t be involved with the investigation into Lt. Hanna.  “I’m sure he’ll have no problem with that,” the Admiral says.

Callen calls Sam, who understands he can’t be involved with the investigation but isn’t thrilled.  Sam is arriving at the hospital with Raymond.  He asks Callen to keep in him the loop.  Walking into Aiden’s hospital room, Sam and Raymond find Aiden with a walking boot on his right leg, some bumps and bruises but a big smile and a promise that he’s just fine.  Aiden just finished a call with Kam.  Raymond is thrilled to see Aiden and the feeling is mutual – though it isn’t ‘grandpa’, Raymond is “Major”. 

The bruises on Aiden’s face are from the ejection.  He has a concussion and a sprained ankle from the landing.  Aiden is trying to remember what happened when Lt. Commander Hirsh arrives.  She apologies for intruding while Aiden struggles to salute.  He’s quickly told “at ease”.  After introducing herself to Sam, she’d like to get started on Aiden’s official statement.

In the boat shed, Navy Maintenance Master Chief Brian Frazier is answering questions about his responsibilities inspecting all aircraft for Aiden’s squadron.  If there is an incident with a plane, all logbooks and maintenance records for an aircraft are secured so they can’t be altered.   The records are available to be reviewed at any time. 

Aiden’s plane is a newer plane.  It wasn’t due for a full maintenance review for another 100-hours.  The plane went through the proper pre-flight inspection before “Sonic” took off that morning.  “Sonic” confuses Callen and Shyla but Sonic is Aiden’s call sign.  Frazier was shocked to hear about the crash – Aiden is a great pilot.

Callen asks about it being a test flight.  It was and it is classified but the company behind what they were testing is Starling Aeronautics.  Frazier really can’t say much but things with Starling are overbudget and behind schedule.  Frazier’s CO would know more.   Shyla goes to get the Admiral involved with contacting the CO.

Aiden tries to take Hirsh through the flight with Sam and Raymond sitting in on the interview.  Things went off without a hitch flying to the area where he was going to put the plane through an exercise.  All systems worked perfectly.  Returning to Point Magu, he’s not sure what happened next.  His memory is fuzzy.  He knows he had to punch out but can’t remember why.  Raymond suggests working backwards from what he can remember – that works for Raymond sometimes. 

None of this is working for Hirsh.  She notes that the autopilot was shut off before the crash – does Aiden remember doing that?  He does not.  Hirsh brings up that Aiden received several LOI’s – Letters of Instruction – for “pushing the envelope”.  He purposely broke the sound barrier while flying over the continental United States.  Raymond is shocked, Sam says Aiden would never do that.  One look from Aiden and he did do it.  Sam is not pleased but Raymond reminds his son that he wasn’t always “Mr. Perfect” as a kid.  While Sam doesn’t see what breaking the sound barrier has to do with the crash, Hirsh tells him that Aiden’s performance, including past incidents of “flat-hatting” (showing off), are a part of the investigation.  The Navy just lost a $94-million plane.  Raymond wants to know if the afterburners are jewel-encrusted at that price tag. 

Saying she only allowed Sam and Raymond to stay for the interview because they are decorated combat veterans, Hirsh tells them they have to stay quiet.  Sam is offended Aiden’s integrity would be called into question.  Hirsh orders the two senior Hannas out of the room.

At the beach, Fatima and Rountree learn nobody noticed anything until the plane crashed.  No signs of a surface to air missile, which would have left a smoke trail, or a drone swarm.  Some witnesses saw the hustler leave in his van.  The beach has a license  plate reader – they may be able to find him.

In Ops, the Admiral speaks to Master Chief Frazier’s CO, Commander Jose Espinoza.  Espinoza explains that Starling is providing software that upgrade the electronic warfare capability.  The plane, according to Espinoza, is a “flying computer” that can be improved by software upgrades.  The Admiral asks if the software test could have caused the crash.  Espinoza does not believe it could – the software test was not a part of Aiden’s return to base.  The Admiral asks if there is someone he can talk to at Starling.  Espinoza will tell the software’s project manager.

Outside of Aiden’s hospital room, Sam is outraged by how Hirsh is handling the case.  Raymond is more on Hirsh’s side – she is doing her job.  Sam is surprised by Raymond’s attitude – why was he cracking jokes?  Where was the hardass that made Sam call him “Major”?  Raymond is letting go of things he held so hard when he was a younger man.  He’s sorry – sorry for what he did to Sam and what he did to Sam’s mother. 

Sam didn’t appreciate Raymond’s tough love at the time but it made Sam the man he is today.  And he loves Raymond for that.  Raymond tells Sam that seeing the man he’s become allowed him to loosen his grip and now it is time for Sam to do the same thing for Aiden.  Because Aiden can handle it.

Testifying, Aiden said he was struggling with the controls.  The plane was no longer performing as it should.  Hirsh asks why didn’t Aiden call in the plane issues.  Aiden tells her he did.  When she looks confused, he wonders if he didn’t.  Hirsh asks if Aiden was trying to liven-up an otherwise boring flight back to Point Magu.  The flight was being monitored at Point Magu and according to the data, everything was working fine until the autopilot was turned off.  If Aiden turned off the autopilot, the cause of the crash would be pilot error – a likely career-ender.

Hirsh leaves Aiden, she has some paperwork to do.  Raymond asks if she knows where the cafeteria is.  She does and wouldn’t mind some lunch herself.  The two leave Sam with Aiden, who is up and trying to pour himself some water.  Sam asks how things are going  - “badly”.  Aiden tells Sam if the crash is due to pilot error, he’s done.  But he can’t remember.  Sam suggests going through what happened but Aiden collapses. 

Sam gets Aiden back to his bed – the concussion is an issue.  Raymond’s dementia may have been from concussions he received in the service.  Sam had them too from football and to SEALs.  Nobody knows for sure what happens.  Raymond and Sam were told to shake things off.  Aiden has to learn from them and take better care of himself.

A very impatient Shyla is waiting with Callen for the Starling Aeronautics project manager in the boat shed.  Callen actually thinks they is good – project managers usually make NCIS visit them.  Shyla asks if Callen thinks Aiden actually caused the crash.  Callen turns the question on Shyla – what if he did think Aiden caused the crash.  A good NCIS Agent looks past what they think to look at the case from every angle.  Pilots make mistakes.  The F-35 pilot program only takes the best and while high-end pilots hotdog it from time to time, it is all part of the job.  So if it isn’t pilot error, what is it.  Callen admits he doesn’t think it is pilot error but that’s not their side of the investigation.

Wandering into the boatshed is Jake Primiani, complete with his Starling Aeronautics embroidered polo shirt.  He wants to get this over with – a tad nervous.

At the beach, Rountree asks Fatima if she thinks he’s making a mistake pushing for more punishment for Officer O’Neal.  Fatima doesn’t think he is.  He doesn’t know what to do.  He was so angry that morning when he thought he lost his wallet.  He’s had moments like that since the stop.  Fatima sympathizes.  Whatever Rountree choses to do, she knows he isn’t weak for making that decision.  He doesn’t want this to define who he is as an agent.  Fatima says he can’t control what others think.  Some will always think badly of him if he fights.  Others will know the principled person she sees every day.  She wants him to do the right thing for himself – “tree may bend but tree don’t break.”  Rountree likes that.

Fatima gets info on the license plate for the van.  She asks the Admiral to run a Kaleidoscope search for the van.  He can do that and doesn’t need the pat on the back Fatima offers.  He’s no CYO soccer brat looking for a participation trophy.   The van belongs to a Marco Madsen, the fish license hustler on the beach.   He’s just a few blocks away.

Primiani is nervous – the software is being run in flight simulators to recreate what happened to Aiden but nothing matches.  Shyla asks why the project is running behind.  Primiani says they were not given enough time – there is never enough time for a project like this.  The normal glitches and bugs happened early in the project and while it took time to fix them, the deadline stays the same.  Primiani needs to get back to Point Magu to prepare another flight.  Callen and Shyla release him.

Raymond is having a hard time with a vending machine.  He wanted a Twinkie is told the machine is now cashless after COVID, according to a nurse.  She gets him a Twinkie with her credit card and refuses to let Raymond pay for it.  She also gets one for herself.

In his room, Aiden asks how “grandpop” is doing.  Sam mentions Raymond’s good days and bad days.  Aiden has a flash of memory – the engine flamed out.  When the engine flames out, the autopilot automatically switches off.  Commander Hirsh said the data says everything was working fine but it wasn’t.  Sam goes off to find Hirsh.

Discovered in his van, Madsen tries to run from NCIS.  That goes poorly.  Rountree mentions the plane crash.  Madsen says yes, a plane crashed.  With some prodding, he remembers that the engine was flaming out.  This confirms what Aiden remembers and disproves whatever data was given to Hirsh.  While Fatima calls this in, Rountree wants to know about the fishing licenses.

The Admiral has another conversation with Espinoza.  Another flight is testing the software so Kilbride wants Espinoza to know that an eyewitness confirms Aiden’s account of the crash.  The engine cut out and only restarted when Aiden punched out.  Behind Espinoza, the Navy flight personnel at Point Magu lost contact with the pilot of the second flight.  The plane is losing altitude.  Kilbride gets Aiden on the phone to try to walk Espinoza through what happened on his flight. 

Aiden remembers who he almost got the plane restarted.  He gives the instructions to Espinoza to give to the pilot – “Kegger”.  While Kegger falls off the radar screen for a few seconds, the instructions work and both pilot and plane are saved.  Hirsh witnessed Aiden’s heroics.  She wants him to finish his statement.  Sam asks about Raymond but Hirsh last saw him with the nurse by the vending machine.

Arriving at Point Magu, Callen and Shyla want to talk to Primiani, who does not want to talk to them at all.  Plus there is no proof the software is the issue.  Callen wonders how two of the best trained pilots in the world flying two separate cutting edge planes nearly suffer the same “never-before-seen” system failure.  Primiani said they knew there was a flaw but it was patched months ago.  The flaw – the new system can override the flight computer.  But unless someone bypassed the fix, it couldn’t happen.  And he wouldn’t do that.  Primiani’s entire career is about making this system work. 

Asked about who else could override the patch, Primiani says the computers are all air gapped and stored at Point Magu.  Everyone on the flight and maintenance crew would have access to the computers but like Primiani, why would they risk their careers to override the patch.  There is one computer that just records who logs in and out of the computers.  Callen, Shyla and Primiani are off to check.

Walking into Ops, Fatima asks Kilbride for a “sitrep” – saying she always wanted to do that.  The Admiral is not pleased.  They have to investigate every Starling employee to see who could be either taking part in terrorism or industrial espionage. 

Sam finds Raymond and his newly found nurse buddy walking back to Aiden’s room.  The nurse is kind to Raymond and to Sam.  Sam is surprised Raymond let the nurse help him.  Constance, the nurse, is per diem at the hospital and does some side work in home healthcare.  She passes Sam a card as she leaves.

Hirsh tells Sam that the investigation is moving from Aiden to Starling Aeronautics.  Sam has been released from the sidelines and can return to work with NCIS.  Raymond is going to stay with Aiden, Sam is on his way to Point Magu.

At the Starling Aeronautics office at Point Magu, one of the computer hard drives is missing.  The Admiral wants everyone at Starling investigated but Fatima has found only one person with irregular financials – Master Chief Frazier.  Frazier is walking to his vehicle when Callen and Shyla try to stop him. 

Shyla calls base security as Frazier carjacks one of the base’s work trucks.  Callen jumps into the flatbed and while Frazier tries to get away, Shyla chases in the NCIS vehicle.  Sam is arriving at Point Magu as Frazier tries to leave.

Frazier gets out of the stole vehicle and puts his gun to his own head.  Shyla tells him not to do it.  Frazier says Starling knew about the troubled software and he tried to tell everyone about it.  He allowed the second flight go take off to prove that Aiden’s flame out was due to the software and not pilot error.  Sam talks Frazier out of killing himself, saying that he forgives Frazier for what happened as he knows others will.  Frazier puts the gun down and is arrested.  Shyla is shocked Sam can forgive but he is being gracious and is willing to try.

Back at Ops, Shyla and Fatima talk.  Frazier wasn’t being quite so selfless.  He was paid by one of Starling’s rivals to help tank the project.  Fatima asks about Shyla’s earlier calls.  The divorce is finalized.  She’s surprised you don’t get anything official – it is just over.  Fatima offers a celebration drink to make it official.  Unless Shyla wants to be sad because Fatima can do that too.  Shyla decides on celebration with a little sadness and they’ll be doing that once the after-action reports are filed.

A calmer Roundtree has a very neat desk except for his football for when his team beat the Admiral’s Tigers.  Rountree asks the Admiral what would he do if he was Rountree.  The Admiral makes it clear, it isn’t up to him, it is up to Rountree.  That said, he’d like to see “the bastard’s hide nailed to the outhouse wall instead of just a slap on the wrist.”   Rountree is worried about making NCIS’s job harder.  The Admiral makes is clear that Rountree is a part of a very elite team and every member of that team supports whatever Rountree does.

Sam and Hirsh talk – Aiden will be back in the jet as soon as the flight surgeon clears him from his injuries.  She also says that Aiden staying with the plane so long saved lives – he got the plane to fire and when it did, it missed an apartment building.  Aiden saved lives and will be getting a commendation for it.  Hirsh is impressed - was a “stick jockey” herself. 

In his room, Aiden is playing backgammon with Raymond.  Sam arrives with a Martin Baker Squadron patch.   Martin Baker is the seat ejection manufacturer.  Raymond breaks out his flask and is willing to share but Aiden has a concussion and Sam is driving so Raymond had a swig while the other Hannas have some water.

Sam brings up “Sonic” which confused Raymond.  “Sonic” is Aiden’s call sign – a call sign is given to a pilot by the squadron after the pilot does something dumb.  Like breaking the sound barrier of the United States.  Aiden assures the older Hannas that he wasn’t the only one to go supersonic that day – he never saw the CO use that many swear words.

What head canon can be formed from here:  For an episode that had a lot of family storylines – the Hanna men, Rountree and Jordyn’s nightmare experience, Shyla’s divorce – it was a rather sterile hour.  Not a lot of emotion or passion about Aiden nearly dying or Aiden possibly ruining his career.  Rountree who was so full of righteous indignation over what happened to him and to Jordyn is now looking to walk away.  And Shyla seems more bothered that her soon to be ex is calling than their marriage is over.  I would have liked a little more passion or fire in any of those storylines.

The episode had a season 12 feel – Sam was largely siloed with the family, Callen worked with Shyla, Fatima, Rountree, the Admiral and a little Shyla in scenes. 

The random JAG officer was well played but why not find Bud or Sturgis or some other JAG series actors to play that role.  Manetti was out, Tamlyn Tomita played a DHS Officer in season six on the show. Admiral Chegwidden's multiple appearances would have totally made this work.

The burn room was back!  I missed that place.  It was a great piece to the super-secret office set-up over the years.

Episode number:     Episode 306, season 14’s fourth hour.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:    “Body Stitchers”

The basics:  Alleged artists and confirmed killers the Body Stitchers are back.

Written by:  Adam G. Key & Frank Military

Adam George Key co-wrote "Monster" with Frank Military, "Searching" with Kyle Harimoto and “Land of Wolves” with Justin Kohlas.  Key also played LAPD Officer Harrison in four episodes in seasons 11 and 12.

Military wrote or co-wrote "Little Angels", "Deliverance", "Lockup", "The Job", "Greed", "Betrayal", "Crimeleon", "Vengeance", "Out of the Past" Part One, "Rude Awakenings" Part Two, season four’s finale "Descent", season five’s premiere "Ascension", "Allegiance", "Spoils of War", "Black Budget", "SEAL Hunter", "Rage", "Unspoken", "Unlocked Mind", "Revenge Deferred", "The Seventh Child", "Crazy Train", "Uncaged", "The Silo", "Monster", "Line in the Sand", season ten opener "To Live and Die in Mexico", "The Patton Project", "Better Angels", "False Flag", "A Bloody Brilliant Plan", "Code of Conduct" "Raising the Dead", "Through the Looking Glass", "Indentured" and “Down the Rabbit Hole”. 

He also appeared as Donald Kessler in "Raising the Dead" and several other episodes in photos.

Directed by:  Suzanne Saltz directed "Outside the Lines", "Murder of Crows", "Sundown" and “MWD”.

Guest stars of note:  Alicia Coppola as FBI Senior Special Agent Lisa Rand, Rob Nagle as Albert “Al” Barrington/Plague Doctor, Tobias Jelinek as Bobby Griffin/Wolf, Matt Kelly as Justin Tucker/Clown are all back from “Monster” - that delightful Easter Sunday season nine episode.  Teya Patt as Cindy Ferguson/Faceless Mask replaces Kerrie Blaisdell who played this role in “Monster”.  Richard Gant as Raymond Hanna is back from “Game of Drones”.  JD Cullum as FBI Forensic Psychologist Mark Collins, Derrick A. King as Michael Jeffries, Adrian Elizondo as Philip Guerrero and Antony Del Rio as Alexander Hughes.

Our heroes:  Try, try, try again.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen:  Away on assignment – he always misses these wacky Body Stitchers. Sam:  Pulled away from the case for a terrorist threat in San Pedro. Kensi:  Not thrilled to be dealing with Cindy Ferguson again.    Deeks:   Not thrilled by any of this. Fatima:   Working late. Rountree:   Heard about the Body Stitchers case in the Academy. Kilbride:  Wants the team to stop whining about losing the bad guys the first time and get them this time.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen:   Absent. Sam:   Cleaning up after Arkady in Sam’s own backyard. Kensi:    Working with Agent Rand for a lot of the episode. Deeks:   Working with Sam for a lot of the episode. Fatima:   In charge of freeing the Body Stitchers almost victim. Rountree:  Catches a Body Stitcher on his own. Kilbride:  Warns the team that they can help on this case as long as NCIS doesn’t need them.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  No mention today.

Who's down with OTP:   Not a lot of OTP time today.

Who's down with BrOTP:  Not a BrOTP episode either.

Fashion review:   Black, long-sleeve tee for Sam.  Kensi has on a wine-colored long-sleeve v-neck tee.  Deeks wears a very pale blue/nearly grey henley.  Fatima is wearing a purple turtleneck.  Rountree has on a charcoal grey pullover sweater under a denim jacket with a leather collar.  Admiral Kilbride is in his usual three-piece suit with a pale blue dress shirt and a blue tie with a darker blue paisley tie.   

Music:   “Gravy Train” by Lettuce is playing while Raymond is having breakfast.

Any notable cut scene:   None today.

Quote:  Sam:  “I'm just a government employee.  Explain it to me.” Ferguson:  “He's a great master, like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Renoir.  These humans who changed the world with their imagination and a pencil.” Sam:  “So Vincent is a master artist?” Ferguson:  “Yeah, Vincent, like Vincent van Gogh.  Uh... You know?” (mimics cutting her ear) Sam:  “Yeah.” Ferguson:  “He's the great master behind the bodies.  It's his vision.  We're just his apprentices, learning the art.” Sam:  “The art of sewing bodies together?” Ferguson:  “God. Isn't it beautiful?”

Anything else:    Lots of previously-s from “Monster”.  And the weirdos are back doing weirdo things.  This time with extra self-importance.

Raymond is having breakfast, listening to tunes when Sam walks in with a cigar butt.  Raymond feigns ignorance but there are four others in the backyard.  Raymond starts to call Callen – obviously an investigation must be started.  When told Callen is out of town, Raymond suggests bumping it up to the SecNav.  Seems the cigars don’t belong to Raymond – he doesn’t smoke.  But Arkady does.  Raymond made a friend not to Sam’s liking.  The family fun is interrupted by a call – Sam’s being called to the office.  Leaving, Sam bars Arkady from the house.

Rountree is waiting as Kensi walks into the office.  Agent Rand from the FBI called.  Kensi speaks highly of Rand and asks why Rand called.  Rountree tells her about the “legendary” case while he was in the Academy about killers who make Frankenstein monsters out of their victims.  There was scuttlebutt Rountree heard about another agency being involved in the case.  Kensi said they were all in a dark place after the case.

Up in Ops, Kensi and Rountree join Deeks and Fatima.  Agent Rand is on the big screen.  In a different Zoom box is Special Agent Zachary Collins from the BAU.  The FBI heard the group is back in LA.  Rand sends Fatima some pictures from a the “Body Stitchers” last crime scene.  It freaks Fatima out a little and Rand apologizes. 

Rountree asks for a motive.  Collins explains the killers think they are creating some kind of art and make money selling the event as art on the dark web.  The money gives the killers the freedom to move around largely undetected.  Collins thinks the motive is also sexual – the killers meshed violence and sex together as young people and are acting on it. 

The Body Stitchers have been seen in the US, Central and South America.  The FBI has gotten close several times but just missed.  Deeks asks why.  Collins tells the group – including an arriving Admiral Kilbride that the killers aren’t stupid.  They set up, do their thing and move on.  They avoid common ports of entry and regularly purchase new identities on the dark web.

The Admiral puts his foot down – this is not a military related action, the OSP’s involvement will be limited.  If NCIS needs the team or a team member, they’re out of the case.  Rand is fine with that – the OSP is the only agency ever to interact with the killers.  As advisors or part of the task force, the FBI wants NCIS to offer whatever they can.  Kensi tells the Admiral the case is unfinished business for the team.  No, it is unfinished business for the FBI, he replies.  Deeks brings up Lt. Commander Weir but Lt. Commander Weir was a random crime victim and not killed because of his service.  Kensi brings up how he was killed and the Admiral relents – NCIS will be mildly involved.  Rand is grateful. 

Sam, Kensi and Deeks arrive at the crime scene.  Rand is there with the dead guy and Collins from BAU.  Collins introduces himself as Mark Collins which is weird since he was Zachary Collins about five minutes ago.  Sam asks when did the FBI figure out the killers were back in LA.  Rand explains a woman named Staci Campbell was murdered.  Suspect Michael Jeffries got a text with photo of all the body parts used to sew the “art” together.  Sam notices freezer burn on the dead people’s shoulder.  That makes sense to Collins – if they don’t have enough parts to sew together, the killers have to preserve the parts they do have.

Kensi asks about Jeffries, who is in custody but there isn’t much to hold him.  He’ll likely be cut lose in a few hours since a judge turned down their warrant request to search Jeffries’s apartment.  He was only seen with the dead woman a few hours before her death – that’s not enough.  Sam, Deeks and Collins are off to interview Jeffries, Kensi and Rand are teaming up.

Just after the men leave, a young female FBI agent has something to show Kensi and Rand.  There was a locked room, now opened.  Inside are a lot of dead bodies.

While Collins is interviewing Jeffries in interrogation, Sam is in the main room of the boatshed talking about how the four people in the case lied right to his face.  They killed people and sewed them back together.  “And we had them.”   The Admiral arrives and wants Sam to stop “wallowing in the fact that you missed something” and tell him what Sam learned.

Sam said the killers knew exactly how to manipulate the investigation.  Deeks chimes in that the killings themselves, the planning, the execution – “the intelligence was off the charts.”  They did not present themselves as smart.  Collins joins the group.  Jeffries knows the FBI and NCIS have nothing so he’s going to be released soon.  Sam asks about Jeffries, who doesn’t really work, just short-sells stock online.  He has no connection to the killers, just lives in the same building as murder victim Staci Campbell.

Fatima pops up on the plasma to connect Kensi and Rand.  The only person to see Campbell and Jeffries together is the super in their share apartment building.  They are going over to interview the super now. 

The Admiral tells Sam and Deeks to remember who they are, put the past in the past and “get this thing done.” 

In interview, Deeks just stares across the table at Jeffries while Sam sits near the door.  Jeffries is about to speak when Sam tells him to “hold that thought.”  Deeks talks about the smell of the sea around them, the ocean breeze and how these things hide a cold, hard truth.  Jeffries tells them he did not kill Campbell.  They were neighbors but he never touched her.

That’s not the truth, Sam tells Jeffries.  Deeks explains that Jeffries is surrounded by frustrated and angry agents from several government agencies.  “We’re hungry and you’re the only thing on the menu,” Sam says.  Jeffries is keeping up – the kitchen is closed, he didn’t kill Campbell.  Deeks brings up his connection to the killers, killers who executed a member of the US Navy.  That’s federal lock-up. 

Sam pushes the idea that they have proof that Jeffries has provided financial assistance to the killers.  Jeffries admits he’s a fan – “people love true crime and serial killers.”   He though the body parts came from grave robberies or morgues.  He didn’t think they were being killed for the art.

Outside Jeffries’s apartment building, Kensi and Rand approach Phillip Guerrero, the super.  He’s trimming some hedges in the building’s courtyard.  He liked Campbell, “good tenant, nice girl.”  Guerrero saw Campbell and Jeffries walk into the courtyard.  They were chatting about food delivery people leaving too many menus by the mailbox area.  As the conversation goes on, Guerrero brings up “Mrs. Jeffries”.  Rand thinks wife but it actually Jeffries’s mother.  She’s in bad health – an invalid after a partial stroke a month ago.  Guerrero drops off food deliveries from time to time – he likes her.

There is no response from Mrs. Jeffries after they knock on the door.   Guerrero lets himself in to see if she’s OK.  While he’s looking around, Kensi checks in with Rountree.  He’s trying to chase the killer’s money but it all leads to offshore accounts which are dead ends.  As Rountree finishes, Guerrero runs from the apartment, horrified and unable to breathe.  Kensi and Rand enter the apartment.  They find Mrs. Jeffries in the bathtub.  Kensi and Rand flee the premises when they get a whiff of sulfuric acid fumes.

Outside, Kensi provides the team an update.  The building has been evacuated due to the health concerns around sulfuric acid.  Guerrero breathed in too much and is getting treated.  Kensi assures everyone she and Rand ran out as soon as they understood what was in the air.  Collins notes that sulfuric acid is easy to find so tracing its purchase will be tough.  This fact annoys Sam. 

A titanium knee pretty much identifies the woman in the bathtub as Mrs. Jeffries.  Collins offers the idea that Jeffries killed her because she had incriminating info on her son.  This doesn’t work for Rand.  Based on the lack of damage to the bathtub, Mrs. Jeffries is likely dead only 12-hours.  Jeffries has been in custody for over a day.

Sam, Deeks and Collins ask Jeffries about his mother, why he didn’t mention an older, sick woman alone in his apartment while he was in custody.  Sam tells Jeffries his mother is dead and he seems genuinely surprised. 

Jeffries blames Collins for his mother’s death.  The killers would know the Feds were in town while they were planning their show.  He had a ticket to go but couldn’t because he was in custody.  The killer thought he was selling them out and since they couldn’t kill him, they killed his mother as a message.  Collins thinks Jeffries’s mother knew he killed Campbell and he paid someone to kill his mother.  Jeffries is willing to trade info on the dark web he has about the show for witness protection.

Rountree gets to the Body Stitchers’s website on the dark web.  It’s been cleaned out but they access to the e-mail server and will be able to track the killers to their next website.  Kensi calls in with Rand.  Mrs. Jeffries right hand was sawed off before she was put in the acid bath. 

Fatima found the new website with a new live video going out shortly.  Everything is password protected but she’s working her way in.  In the live stream, everything is set up but nobody is there.  The stream is coming from an abandoned movie theater in Woodland Hills. 

As the team is about to leave, a terrorist warning come in based on an OSP case in San Pedro.  The Admiral has to send something to deal with San Pedro since it is an NCIS priority.  Sam goes.  Deeks and Collins are off to Woodland Hills. 

Kensi, Deeks, Rountree and Fatima pull up with Rand and Collins leading the FBI.  SWAT is on their way but not expected for 30-minutes.  The teams can’t wait and enter the theater.   There are 16-theaters.  Everyone breaks off to clear their own theaters.  Fatima and Rountree are in five, Kensi is in theater six.  Deeks enters a theater on his own.  He’s worried the place is too big – too many places to hide.  He starts looking around as one of the FBI agents notes the comms in the theater barely work.

Outside of theater seven, Rand find the group at theater eight.  Kensi and Collins are on their way.   A shot is fired during the “art” event, dropping one of the killers on the stage.  Rand is as surprised as the killers.  She yells FBI and seems stunned that everyone runs.  One of the killers, Barrington, is chased by the young FBI agent who showed the team the dead bodies earlier in the episode.  Barrington drops his knife in his right hand but has a really small boxcutter in his left palm.  When the FBI agent tries to cuff the killer, he stabs her in the throat just as Collins arrives.  As Barrington flees, Collins calls for an EMT.

The young agent claims she’s fine so Collins goes after Barrington.  In a hallway, he runs into Deeks.  The two startle the hell out of each other.  They search as a team for Barrington.

In the theater, Fatima is having the planned victim released from the board he is strapped to with the help of the FBI.  Another FBI agent removes the mask of the dead killer – it is Bobby Griffin.  Everyone wonders who shot him.

Kensi finds Cindy Ferguson trying to escape and quickly cuffs her.  “You’re not getting away, again,” Kensi tells her.

Justin Tucker, the fourth killer, runs right to where Rountree is searching.  Tucker pulls out a big knife, which Rountree insists he drop.  An elevator ping and opens, giving Tucker a way to escape.  Rountree tries to get to the elevator before the door closes but doesn’t make it.  On comms, he warns everyone that Tucker taking the elevator down.  Collins says he’s nearby but the elevator barely moves before Tucker shuts it down.

Outside the elevator, Rountree and Rand try to talk Tucker into surrendering.  Rand demands a cellphone.  He wants to speak to Vincent, the last living master.  Rountree and Rand have no idea what he’s talking about.

Deeks is in a projection room when he hears Collins call “Agent down.”  Deeks finds Collins, who says Barrington stabbed him in the neck.  With the comms are failing, Deeks goes after Barrington when Collins says he’s alright.  Deeks finds a fire exit and starts making his way down.

In the theater where all the killing was going to go on, Fatima with Kensi and Deeks are talking to Alexander, the man who nearly was killed.  She has photos on her phone of the Body Stitchers and Alexander recognizes a few of them but wonders why they don’t have a photo of the main guy – “Master”. 

Cutting a deal, Tucker will come back to the NCIS/FBI floor and turn himself in if he can speak to Vincent.  He does go to the NCIS/FBI floor where he cuts his own throat in front of the NCIS and FBI teams.

Kensi has a very tough talk with Ferguson, who the FBI dropped off at the boat shed.  Ferguson doesn’t know Michael Jeffries but she’s not interested in talking to Kensi.  Talking to Kensi takes time away from the beautiful places like the Taj Mahal and not the prison cell she will call home for the rest of her life.

Out in the main room of the boatshed, Sam is back with Deeks, Rand and Collins.  The reason to call Sam away was a paperwork issue.  Collins doesn’t think Ferguson will offer up anything – she’s too committed.  While they have to cut Jeffries loose – no real reason to hold him – Jeffries lawyered up and the lawyer wants him in witness protection.  Deeks thinks that’s the next best thing to having him in custody.  Sam wants a chance to speak to Ferguson.

Ferguson remembers Sam.  He asks to speak to her without Kensi and Kensi is happy to leave.  Reintroducing himself, Sam tells Ferguson she’s being turned over to the FBI.  Ferguson doesn’t care and Sam knows that – because she’s “stupid.”  Ferguson doesn’t like that.  She really doesn’t like when Sam tells her Vincent is in custody and spilling everything he knows.  He gets time off any sentence for every crime he helps the FBI solve – crimes that will put her in prison for decades.  Ferguson doesn’t believe him but Sam says it is a done deal.

Sam would like to Ferguson explain the whole idea of Vincent being her master.  He isn’t her master, Ferguson explains, they aren’t a “cheesy cult.”  Vincent is a great master like DaVinci or Michelangelo – a great artist like Vincent Van Gogh.  Ferguson shows off her ear and pretends to cut it off.  She is an apprentice to a great master learning their art.  It is “affecting” and Sam agrees – he’ll never forget what they did.  Ferguson goes on about their art making them immortal, gods and how they’d die for Vincent.

At home, Sam is enjoying a nice dinner with his father.  Raymond jokes that he’s cooking great meals hoping it will keep him in Sam’s house.  There’s a WBA middleweight fight that night – Sam thinks the two of them should watch together but Raymond has other plans.  A honking horn outside the house is Arkady, who knows he isn’t allowed to come inside.  Raymond is off to play poker and drink some fine whiskey.  Sam isn’t happy about this.  Raymond is annoyed – he’s happy, he has a friend and someplace fun to go.  He plans to live whatever days he has left as full a life as he can have.  Raymond hits up Sam for a few hundred dollars – he’s joking.

Just after Raymond leaves, Rand calls.  She’s sure they missed something.  Jeffries’s mother was dead for at least 48-hours based on the blood lividity tests.  He killed her – Jeffries wasn’t in custody at that time.  And if he removed his mother’s hand, he’s part of the Body Stitchers.  Sam wants another crack at Jeffries, who is being taken to an FBI safehouse in San Diego by Collins.   Sam calls with an apology to Fatima but he needs her help.  She has Kaleidoscope searching the cameras around the theater.  They are looking for video of Barrington leaving. 

Saying “Dementia can eat my shorts,” Raymond returns home with a large wad of cash.  He throws it to Sam, who was snoozing in the living room.  When Raymond leaves for bed, Fatima texts Sam – “You need to see this.”

There is video of Barrington leaving the theater through a back door.  There is someone wearing a dress shirt holding the door open for Barrington.  A flashback shows a wounded Collins getting up and letting Barrington out of the theater.

In a car, Collins is joined with Barrington, who is sure the entire state of California is looking for him.  Collins tells Barrington he updated the killer’s profile saying Barrington is likely to return to his home in Orlando.  Collins plans to have him on a beach half-way around the world.

Sam contacts Rand with questions about Collins.  Rand met Collins during the Body Stitchers case.  He’s profiled many serial killers, a logical addition to the team. 

In Collins’s car, Jeffries joins Barrington and Collins with a “gift from his mother, I thought she could give us a hand” – it’s a cooler.  Collins is relieved they got rid of the amateurs – Griffin, Tucker and Ferguson – who were only going to get them caught.  Another flashback shows Collins killing Griffin from the theater’s projection room. 

The plan is for Barrington and Jeffries to lay low for a good long time.  Collins gives them envelopes with new identities and $10,000.  There will be more cash when needed.  Down the road, they will reunite and change their art.  Make a body with three arms, five legs and a head growing out of its stomach.  “What would Picasso or Dali do?”

Rand tells Sam that Collins and Jeffries never made it to the safe house in San Diego – they were due hours ago.  She’s worried something happened to Collins.  Reviewing Collins’s interrogation of Jefferies, Sam sees Collins run his hand through his hair and showing Jeffries his ear.  Sam flashes back to Ferguson and her Vincent Van Gogh remarks.  Sam tells Rand that Collins is Vincent. 

What head canon can be formed from here:  “Monster” was a really well done episode that was also a one and done hour.  No need to stop on USA or ION when you see it is rerunning there.  It was clever (if disgusting) and rarely does the team get beaten by the bad guys at the end.  There was also the introduction of Spencer Williams and all that would unfold in the Mosley storyline.

This wasn’t that.  A little lighter on the gore, though only a little, a lot more muddled in the storytelling.  Hated the idea that what we thought were these clever psychopaths were actually just lemmings following a serial killer who was working for the FBI.  It takes away the accomplishment of the “Monster” episode.

Always happy to see Rand but Collins (with three names here – Zachary, Mark and eventually Vincent) was going to be one of two things – the red-shirted member of the team or one of the killers. 

Did like the Sam and Raymond storyline bracketing the episode.  Raymond putting his foot down about living his life the best he can as long as he can was good to see.  Sam has his father’s best interests at heart but Raymond lived a long life and planned to enjoy what he had.

Also liked that Rountree learned about the case in the FBI Academy.  A reminder how much younger he is than the rest of the team that participated in the case.

Kudos to Callen who missed both of these episodes with the Body Stitchers. 

Episode number:     The third episode of season 14.  Episode 305 overall.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:    “Of Value”

The basics:  The team works to save a married team of architects with DoD contracts who were kidnapped in front of their children and nanny

Written by:   Kyle Harimoto wrote "Omni", "Merry Evasion", "Chernoff, K", "Command and Control" as episode 150, "Granger, O.", "Ghost Gun", "Kulinda", "767", "Se Murio El Payaso", "Assets"/"Liabilities", "Venganza", "Superhuman", "One of Us", "Let Fate Decide" (season 11 premiere), "Decoy", "Answers" , "Watch Over Me", "Cash Flow", "Fukushu", "Bonafides" and “Come Together” (season 13 finale).  He co-wrote "Three Hearts", "Leipei", "Humbug", both ends of the "Matryoshka" two-parter, "Smokescreen" part two, "Searching", "A Fait Acompli" and "A Tale of Two Igors" (season 12 finale). 

Directed by:   Diana C. Valentine who directed "Lokhay", "Fallout", Three Hearts", "The 3rd Choir", "Forest for the Trees", "Beacon", "Unspoken", "Seoul Man", "Crazy Train", "Under Pressure”, "Better Angels" and “The Circle”.  This is Valentine’s first episode with the series since season 11.

Guest stars of note:  Bar Paly as Anastasia "Anna" Kolcheck and Duncan Campbell as NCIS Special Agent Castor are both back from “Come Together”.  Gregory D. Gadson as Army Colonel Jackson Ladd, Sigrid Owen as Mila Curren, Regina Ting Chen as Navy Commander Cheng, Melanie Hawkins as Linsey Sandhagen, Lawrence J. Hughes as Emmett Sandhagen, Elester Lantham as Jerry, Dominic Zamprogna as Paul Figueiredo, Kaya Jackson as Sophia Sandhagen, Devin Looc as Ty Sandhagen, Matthew Law as Josh McCall, Alain Mora as Chito Aldana, Torshawn Roland as Jay and Glen Steele as Man.

Our heroes:   Are oddly paired up in this episode.

What important things did we learn about: Callen:   Wanted to be an architect when he was a kid. Sam:   Taking Raymond to a specialist in Orange County. Kensi:   Parent teacher meeting attendee. Deeks:   Getting in required time at the range. Fatima:   Likes the Lakers, especially Lakers games with her dad. Rountree:  Running Ops like a boss. Kilbride:  Searching for a friend.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:   Misses Sam while teamed with Deeks. Sam:   Absent. Kensi:   Not a big sister to Fatima, certainly not a favorite aunt. Deeks:  Writing essays and not doing calculus. Fatima:   Using the entirely wrong skincare products according to her mom. Rountree:   Arguing with Kilbride about college football. Kilbride:  Arguing with Rountree about college football.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  Not a mention.

Who's down with OTP:   Kensi and Deeks spent almost no time together in this hour.  The chatted about Rosa to start the episode and grabbed a bite with Callen and Fatima to end the hour.  Callen and Anna had a nice coffee run to start the day and some wine in the garden at the end.

Who's down with BrOTP:  Forget the bros, Kensi and Fatima were sisters doing it for themselves.  They had a lovely chat in the Kensi’s Audi, worked hand in glove to save the day. 

Fashion review:   Callen wore a blue/green/white plaid button down shirt.  A white with thin black stripes henley for Kensi.  A grey long-sleeve tee for Deeks.  Fatima is wearing a white turtleneck under a royal blue sweatshirt.  A denim jacket with a pink tee-shirt for Rountree.  A blue three piece-suit with a white dress shirt and red tie for the Admiral.

Music:   Lots.  This is season one level of music usage.  “Collect Your Things and Run” by Hot Water Music opens the episode in the teaser.  “L’enfant roi” by Noir Desir plays as Kensi and Fatima are taking out the bad guys.  “Blue on Black” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd is playing at the bar where Col. Ladd is drinking.  “Good Things Come with Time” plays while Callen and Anna are having a moment at the end of the episode.

Any notable cut scene:   Not today.

Quote:  Col. Ladd:  “When I was a junior officer, I was a door kicker.  First one through every time.  Every time.  Then I moved to Intel, where I protected and led some of the toughest, most well-trained men on the planet.  And you know what happened on Sunday?  I'm walking into the store.  Old lady runs ahead of me opens the door, looks at me with those eyes.  Like I was less than.  I was a damn super hero, Hollace.  And now I got some old lady's pity.”

Anything else:    A young guy is skateboarding down a street with a friend recording him.  As they wrap out this shot, a delivery robot, Yum Inside, tries to pass them.  They think about stealing the food inside when an older neighbor tells them to not to steal.   Things get tense until a van comes barreling down the street.  It runs over Yum Inside (RIP) with food and beverages going everywhere.  A woman runs to the older man and the skateboard crew yelling “stop that van!”

Callen and Anna are walking home from a great coffee shop near their new home.  She has a job interview with the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group.  Callen is bit surprised Anna is leaving law enforcement but remembers she made up a story about working in an area destroyed by fires when she was looking for Katya.  They pass an older man gardening.  Callen has a Pembrook flashback.

Updating Deeks by phone, Kensi is leaving a meeting with Rosa’s teachers, who are impressed with how well she is doing considering the turmoil she been through over the last six months.  The teachers did notice that Deeks helped write one of her essays and that Rosa could use a math tutor.  Deeks thinks they should be the people Rosa turns to when she has problems.  Kensi agrees.  She’s ordering a calculus text book and Deeks can start tutoring her immediately.  For the sake of the economy, Deeks thinks they should hire a tutor.

Callen arrives to a nearly empty office.  Fatima is there with news that Sam is taking his father to see a specialist in Orange County.   She also mentions that Kilbride and Rountree are fighting over college football but she quickly tuned that out.  Callen is surprised – Fatima said she was a sports fan.  No, she’s a Lakers fan and a Lakers fan when she can go to a game with her dad.  Callen asks about Fatima’s mother, who is doing well.  So well, in fact, that she can focus her attention on all the things Fatima is doing wrong with her life.  Starting with skincare.  Callen finds this all interested so he’s joining them for the next family brunch.  Rountree texts Fatima – he's in Ops and they have a case.

The case is the kidnapping of Linsey and Emmett Sandhagen from their Westwood home.  The kidnapping was witnessed by their nanny, Mila Curren.  The Sandhagens have two children – a boy and a girl - and are architects.  Callen asks why NCIS is involved.  Rountree explains that the Sandhagens specialize in designing secure facilities and are civilian DOD contractors working close with the Seabees.  Callen details Kensi and Fatima to Port Hueneme to talk to the Seabees while he and Deeks will interview Mila Curren.

With Agent Castor, the Sandhagen children are playing a game in the interview room.  Juice boxes for everyone.  Curren is being interviewed in the boatshed’s main room.  She was getting the kids ready for school when she heard Emmet yell.  Three men with ski-masks were in the kitchen as she started down the stairs.  Seeing the men, she ran back upstairs and put the kids in a secure safe room.

Deeks asks if the men went after the kids – they did not.  Curren is confused since the house has a lot of pricy items, expensive pieces of art.  The only thing the kidnappers wanted was the Sandhagens.  Asked about any stress points in their lives, Curren is stunned – the Sandhagens are the nicest people.  Everyone loves them.  They took her on a family vacation with the kids to Hawaii.  There were no money issues.  Curren is upset for the children and Deeks looks worried too.

In Ops, the Admiral arrives, asking if Kensi and Fatima are at Port Hueneme yet.  They are about 20-minutes out.  He asks Rountree for information about a Col. Jackson Ladd.  Rountree finds some info but it likely isn’t current.  The address had Col. Ladd’s name removed from the utilities a while back.  Rountree asks about Ladd.  The Admiral calls Ladd the finest the man to ever serve in the Army in every conflict going back 25-years.  In his last deployment, Ladd lost both legs in a door breech explosion.  Ladd is struggling to figure out where he belongs in the world after being the best of the best and losing it all in an instant. 

Driving to Port Hueneme, Fatima asks Kensi about “the whole parenting thing” – easier or harder than they thought it would be.  Kensi says it isn’t easier or harder, just different.  She was so worried about how Rosa would be emotionally after settling in with them but things are going really well. 

Kensi asks about Fatima about Akhil.  Fatima thinks they are solidly in the friend zone.  Fatima isn’t sure what she wants.  The last time she was dating, she was acting, partying, going out all night every night.  After the accident, she changed everything about herself.  Literally, everything except her family.  Kensi thinks it is a good thing.  Fatima agrees but New Fatima doesn’t know how to do relationships the way Old Fatima did.  Kensi likes the New Fatima and is honored to consider her a friend.  Fatima is happy since she admires Kensi.  Kensi stops Fatima and tells her not to compare her to an older sister.  Fatima wouldn’t, she thinks of Kensi more like a favorite aunt.  That didn’t go well.

Exiting interrogation, Castor tells Callen and Deeks how much he likes the Sandhagen children. Callen thinks for their safety, Castor should take the kids and Curren to Seal Beach and have them guarded at the base.  On the plasma, Rountree has the Sandhagens’s financials.  No credit card debt, large savings and retirement accounts.  There is a vacation home in Hawaii.  Deeks thinks he and Kensi are just like the Sandhagens except for the vacation home, saving and retirement accounts and oh yeah, money. 

Signing off with the boatshed, Rountree turns to a returning Admiral with questions about Ladd.  Rountree hasn’t found any credit card or ATM activity in days.  The Admiral wants LAPD to do a welfare check at Ladd’s home. 

Finally at Port Hueneme, Kensi and Fatima meet with a Commander Cheng.  Cheng supervises the work done by the Seabees.  The Sandhagens were well-regarded by both the Seabees and the Navy staff.  Kensi asks about what the Sandhagens did for the Navy.  As soon as Kensi asks a question, Cheng stops and asks about the Sandhagen children.  She is relieved to hear they are safe.

The Sandhagens are civilian contractors currently working with on three of the Navy’s top projects.  Fatima explains that the SECNav has been in contact with Kilbride.  The three projects all have enhanced security since the kidnapping.  The three locations include a weapon depot at Camp Pendleton and an underground drone control base in the Mojave.  The third location was the Sandhagens’s “masterpiece”.  Kensi and Fatima were not briefed on that project and could only speak in person with Cheng about it.

The third location is a multiservice missile deterrence command and control center built directly into a mountain in a classified location.  Cheng can’t share the location with Kensi or Fatima.  The command center is responsible for over 300 missiles on US soil.  If a hostile foreign government or terrorist get control of that location, they could “take out most of our domestic military operations with the ballistic missiles,” according to Cheng. 

Back on the plasma, Rountree found a partner in the Sandhagens business.  Paul Figueiredo has some money but it all pales in comparison to the Sandhagens fortune.  And he has a ton of credit card debt.  They are all equal partners in the firm.  Deeks wonders if the Sandhagens are funneling company profits right into their accounts.  Callen thinks they could be selling classified info to the highest bidder. 

Paul Figueiredo is in the boatshed’s main room – Castor picked him up.  He’s sick about what happened to the Sandhagens and will do whatever is needed to help.  But first he asks about Ty and Sophia – the Sandhagen children.  He’s also asking if Mila is with the kids.  He’s relieved to hear they are all in a security location.

Callen asks about the business.  Figueiredo owns a third, Linsey owns a third and Emmet owns a third.  Looking at the Sandhagens’s financials and Figueiredo’s, Callen points out the difference.  Figueiredo is a bit surprised he was being investigated but he has nothing to hide.  He explains that while he is a partner in the military contracting business, the Sandhagens have a civilian business and he’s not a part of that.

It is Deeks’s turn to be surprised since there is no record of that business in any of the Sandhagens’s financials.  That was intentional, according to Figueiredo.  The business is held by a series of trusts so make sure nothing could be traced back to the family.  The civilian jobs were safe rooms in houses and businesses, “bug out” cabins in the mountains.  Wealthy people are willing to pay for safety. 

Figueiredo was offered an equal share in that business but he wasn’t interested.  Unlike the Sandhagens, he doesn’t live to work.  Working allows him to camp, hunt, surf, do jujitsu – things he wants to do.  Callen asks if he has any remorse about not joining with the Sandhagens when he saw the money coming in.  He doesn’t because the Sandhagens worked 24/7/365 to get the business launched.  And it was a huge accomplishment.  While Figueiredo does not know who the Sandhagens’s private sector clients were, he knew all business was done from their home office. 

Driving back from Port Hueneme, Kensi tells the Admiral they are about 40-minutes out.  The Admiral is going to send Kensi and Fatima a list of the Sandhagens’s private clients.  This makes more sense – anything the kidnappers could get from private clients would be a lot easier to sell than military items.  The SECNav is still protecting the military projects.

Deeks is blown away by the Sandhagen home.  Being an architect pays.  Callen mentions wanting to be an architect as a kid.  Deeks thought he’d like it too without the math and engineering.  Near the door is a group of fun family photos of the Sandhagens – family events, skiing, bike riding, just living their happy lives.  Deeks is horrified they were taken from their own home.  Callen asks about Rosa.  Deeks is in awe – Rosa fit in a like a champ though he’s pretty sure she’s really sick of him asking if there is anything she wants to talk about.  “Well, I think we all are at this point,” Callen snarks. 

Deeks asks about the engagement.  Callen tells him that Anna is looking at life in Los Angeles without a career in law enforcement.  Deeks is sorry that Anna wants out of law enforcement but understands better than anyone the downside of a “two badge family.”  Deeks starts talking about future Callen-Anna kids but Callen is happy to have found the Sandhagen office.

With Rountree, Callen and Deeks get a list of the Sandhagen clients.  The Admiral is now back in Ops.  There are a lot of banks, stores and high net-worth individuals on the client list.  Kensi-Fatima and Callen-Deeks are going to check clients near their locations, the FBI HRT will also help.

Rountree breaks the news to Kilbride that LAPD found nothing but some empty whiskey bottles and a lot of empty beer cans in Col. Ladd’s home.  The Admiral is waiting for another bit of bad news but the empty bottles and cans were Rountree’s sad story.  The Admiral is outraged.  Long before meditation and mindfulness unleashed by Rountree’s generation, “many, many generations before you achieved the exact same result using a combination of whiskey and beer.”  The Admiral storms out.

Kensi and Fatima checked out an armored truck depot and a fancy watch store.  Next on their list is a Santa Monica bank, a place called Even Mavrik and a high-end cigar and wine place.  Kensi wants to go back to Even Mavrik, which in Hebrew mean “brilliant stone.”  They are diamond brokers.

As Callen and Deeks leave and Sandhagen home, Rountree calls.  The client list was last downloaded a month ago.  Callen thinks it could be for quarterly taxes but the Sandhagens were working on a project in Port Hueneme.  Commander Cheng verified they were with her.  Mila the Nanny becomes a suspect.

Castor brings Curren to the interrogation room.  She notices it is a lot more cramp than the outside area where she was questioned earlier.   Deeks want to clarify that Curren was working for the Sandhagens since she graduated from Harvey Mudd, one of the country’s top colleges for engineering.  Curren explained that it took her a little longer to finish college because she didn’t have rich parents but she graduated with a computer science degree. 

Deeks mentions the $230,000 in student loan debt.  And while the Sandhagens pay well, with rent, cellphone bills, Wi-Fi costs and food, that doesn’t leave much for monthly student loan payments.  But even with all money going out, Curren hasn’t missed a loan payment.  She tries to explain that she’s worked hard but Deeks cuts her off.   He knows it is hard to come up with spare cash like that every single month to buy a money order from the local 7-Eleven to pay for the monthly loan.  Curren asks if that is a problem.  It isn’t, Callen tells her, as long as she has records for the incoming cash.  She sells clothes to Buffalo Exchange and they pay in cash.  It’s not a problem for Deeks, he’ll just get the records from Buffalo Exchange.

Nervous, Curren explains that her parents were so excited when she got into Harvey Mudd.  They just didn’t understand how much debt she’d wind up incurring by getting her degree.  She actually makes more money as a nanny than she would working and using her degree.  With a sick mother, Curren has to live in Los Angeles but it is impossible with the debt she has.  Playing bad cop, Deeks wants to know who gave her the money.  Good cop Callen knows that Curren doesn’t want to see the Sandhagens hurt and wants the kids to see their parents again. 

Curren explains she met a man in a restaurant.  He was so nice.  She now owes him so much money there is no way to pay her back.  The man wanted to rob a place the Sandhagens designed.  She never thought they’d be kidnapped, she never thought anyone would get hurt.  The man’s name is Josh McCall – Deeks is on the phone with Rountree trying to track McCall down.

Kensi and Fatima come up to the building  – a very locked-up building - housing Even Mavrik.  One of the vents has been removed.  Kensi and Fatima go in.

Josh McCall, according to Rountree, has been in and out of the system his entire life.  DUI, assault, grand theft auto to name a few of his crimes.  LAPD RHD believes he is working with Chito Aldana, who runs a high-end heist crew.  They robbed an art gallery in Beverly Hills recently.  Callen and Deeks are going to check out McCall’s home.

Kensi and Fatima are checking out the insides of Even Mavrik.  While they are looking around, Aldana is checking in with McCall.  He wants to know what is taking so long.  The diamond dealers locked themselves inside in their diamond vault.  Since the Sandhagens built them, they can probably get into the vaults.  Kensi and Fatima worry that once the Sandhagens get into the vault, they’ve outlived their usefulness.  Kensi tries to call the office but there is no service.  Without their cellphones or ability to use their guns (too much noise), Kensi and Fatima have to rescue the Sandhagens on their own.

Callen, Deeks and the tactical team go into McCall’s home.  It’s empty.  Deeks keeps talking and Callen misses Sam.  Deeks finds some lottery tickets and is bothered that Callen misses Sam.  He sends a photo of the tickets to Rountree.

The Admiral and Rountree are concerned that Kensi and Fatima are offline.  Rountree goes back to when they last had cell service and found that McCall and Aldana have a scrambler.  He has no idea where they are.

A guard is walking through Ever Mavrik when Fatima stun guns him.  As she and Kensi hide his body, a co-criminal calls for the guard.  Kensi puts him in choke hold.  She drags him to the room with the guard.  Taping both of the bad guys’ mouths closed, the women lock the men into a janitor’s closet. 

Outside the vault, Kensi tells Fatima she sees the Sandhagens working on the vault.  McCall starts yelling that Red and Bobby are gone.  Kensi and Fatima hide while McCall and Aldana talk.  Aldana thinks Red and Bobby ran but McCall has Red’s guard hat.  It fell off during the struggle with Fatima.  Aldana believes the facility has more real guards on duty.  Aldana wants the guards found now.  “You won’t leave this building alive.”

Rountree traced the lottery tickets to a gas station outside of Ever Mavrik.  Callen and Deeks are on their way.  Deeks asks if Kensi and Fatima are on their way.  Rountree mentions they are missing and Deeks is not pleased.  “Find them.”

As the Sandhagens manually drill through the vault, Aldana is getting impatient.  When Emmett tells Aldana it will take as long as it takes, that gets Emmett a gun pointed at his chin.  Fatima wants to go in but Kensi stops her – Aldana needs the Sandhagens.  McCall returns with an extra goon.  Extra goon is going to stay with the Sandhagens, Aldana and McCall are going to search the building.  Kensi is going to distract Aldana and McCall while Fatima works to rescue to the Sandhagens.

Kensi breaks some glass on the first floor so Aldana and McCall are on the move.

Deeks tells Rountree he and Callen are five minutes out.  When he asks about Kensi, Rountree doesn’t haven an answer. 

Aldana finds a door ajar.  Opening the door, he finds Red and Bobby.  Kensi finds a pipe and whacks Aldana in the head.  He joins Red and Bobby in the unexpected nap room.

While the Sandhagens are working, the goon hears some noise from a printer room.  He find a copy machine making hundreds of copies of a smiley face.  Fatima comes up from behind him and starts beating him with her baton.  Several kicks to the head later, the goon is out cold on the ground. 

On the first floor, McCall gets several shots off at Kensi.  The two have a good old fashion fight.  He tosses her around, she does the same.  She gets him into a sleeper hold and the Rock would be proud as how quickly he went down. 

Fatima gets the diamond brokers out of the vault.  The Sandhagens are assured their children are safe.  They are incredibly grateful. 

LAPD is taking the bad guys away.  The Sandhagens are facetiming with their kids, who are happy Agent Castor got them ice cream.  LAPD is bringing them home.

The team recap the case.  Fatima is thirsty.  Deeks knows about a Cuban place nearby.  Kensi is hungry and Callen is paying.

At a bar, Col. Ladd is drinking alone.  The Admiral joins him, wondering why Ladd “no-showed” a job interview.  Ladd is grateful for what the Admiral and “the guys” are trying to do for him but he’d rather “do a deep dive with a weight belt and no tank” than do phone sales in a cubicle.  The Admiral admits the job wasn’t the best match for Ladd.  Ladd explains that he was a door kicker as a junior officer – the first one in every time he was sent out on a mission.  When he moved to Intel, he led the toughest, best trained soldiers in the world.  On Sunday, he was going to the supermarket and an old lady ran to help him at the front door.  He felt that she saw him as “less than”.

The Admiral agrees that Ladd was never meant for the private sector.  Ladd was a soldier, always was, always will be.  Getting him a job with people who don’t understand that was a mistake.  And if Ladd puts his drink down, the Admiral will get him a job fit for a soldier.  Ladd doesn’t want charity.  This isn’t charity.  Kilbride won’t be holding the door open for Ladd.  The Admiral leaves.  Ladd stands up with the help of a cane. 

Callen and Anna are hanging out in their garden, sipping wine.  Anna got the job but didn’t take it.  She would be in the office all day and it wasn’t what she was trained for.  Instead, she looking at a company that specializes in finding kidnapped children.  She isn’t sure that what she wants either.  Anna turns the conversation to Callen.  She knows he thought he saw Pembrook earlier that day.  He says he did.  She understands that he needs to track Pembrook down.  “But,” Callen says.  So much had to go right for the two of them to wind up together, maybe they should just enjoy the good.

What head canon can be formed from here:    The Kensi-Fatima scene during the ride up to Port Hueneme was terrific.  The program did a great job over the year with the Kensi-Nell friendship and there, they were planting the seeds for a Kensi-Fatima friendship.

The Admiral’s whiskey and beer rant looked like it had Caleb Castille laughing just a bit.

Col. Ladd was a character this program needed years ago.  In seasons one and two, Daniel Hugh Kelly popped up as an unnamed military person who knew things.  The program needed that type of character.  Kilbride was that character for a while until Nell decided running off with Eric was more fun than running the team.

Finally, this episode had a Covid season feel.  Everyone was siloed with another team member and basically worked that that member only.  Yes, Callen had a chat with Fatima but that was in a perfectly empty office.  There was a short scene with most of the team (save Kensi) in Ops and the meet-up at the end.  Not a bad episode but I like the team when they work together.

Episode number:     Season 14, episode two.  This is 304 overall. 

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch: “Game of Drones”

The basics: A bombing at a drone facility kills one, injures another and sets off the search for some terrorists in Los Angeles.

Written by: R. Scott Gemmill wrote/cowrote “The Only Easy Day”, “Brimstone”, “Breach”, “LD50”, “Found”, “Borderline”, “Absolution”, “Archangel”, “Tin Soldiers”, “Impostors”, “Cyberthreat”, “Honor”, “The Watchers” and both sides of the NCIS Los: Angeles/Hawaii Five-0 “Touch of Death” episodes, “Recruit”, “Free Ride”, “Wanted”, “Ravens and The Swans”, “Impact”, “War Cries”, both ends of the “Deep Trouble” season five finale/season six premiere, “Inelegant Heart”, “Praesidium”, “Traitor”, “Active Measures” (season seven premiere), “Blame It On Rio”, “Internal Affairs”, “Matryoshka” part one, "Talion" (season seven finale), “High Value Target”/”Belly of the Beast” (season eight premieres), “The Queen’s Gambit”, “Under Siege”, “Unleashed” (season eight finale), “Party Crashers” (season nine’s premiere), “This Is What We Do” (episode 200), “Các Tù Nhân”, “Goodbye Vietnam”, “Ninguna Salida” (the season nine finale), “Hit List”, “Asesinos”, “Till Death Do Us Part”, “Choke Point”, “The Guardian”, “Hail Mary”, “Kill Beale Vol. 1”, “Alsiyadun”, “Fortune Favors the Brave”, “The Bear” (season 12 premiere), “Angry Karen”, “Love Kills”, “Russia, Russia, Russia”, “The Noble Maidens”, “A Tale of Two Igors” (season 12 finale), "Subject 17" (season 13 premiere), "All The Little Things", “MWD” and “Work and Family”.

Directed by: Kevin Berlandi. Berlandi is new to NCIS: Los Angeles. He has directed episodes of Criminal Minds, Bull and Partner Track.

Guest stars of note: Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier returns as NCIS Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr from “Work and Family”. Both Natalia Del Riego as Rosa Reyes and Richard Gant as Raymond Hanna are back from “Come Together”. Jennifer Marshall as Navy Commander Neal, Jamil Zraikat as Cyrus Karimian, Jenapher Zheng as Janice Ng, Anna Rajo as Maria Estevez, Turhan Troy Caylak as Darius “Bunny” Vale and Ramona Dubarry as Monica Tavares

Our heroes: Are back at it for season 14.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen: Asks to bring Hetty’s remains home from Syria if she was the one who perished. Sam: Bringing his father to an activity center so he can swim, play pool and poker. Kensi: Sniper. Deeks: Would have been killed without Sniper Wife. Fatima: Doling out assignments. Rountree: Starts an interview with an engineer and ends up defending what he does. Kilbride: Commandeering helicopters.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen: Self-titled world’s coolest uncle. Sam: Not thrilled his father broke away from the activity center. Kensi: First day school drop off. Deeks: Not built for first day school drop off or public restrooms. Fatima: Old show went into syndication so Fatima has cool new wheels. Rountree: Calculus is better than is algebra. Kilbride: Betting his non-existent grandchildren.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange? Not in a schoolhouse/safe house in Syria although some of her alias IDs were.

Who's down with OTP: Kensi and Deeks get to be anxious parents dropping Rosa off for her first day at school. They have a long and serious conversation bracketed between some Deeks jokes about how brutal their jobs can be, how awful the world is and that letting Rosa into the world to be her best self is an act of faith that the world will be kind.

Who's down with BrOTP: Not a lot of BrOTP situations. Callen works with Fatima, Rountree is mostly solo and Sam is only around at the end.

Fashion review: Callen is wearing a red, white and blue plaid button-down. Long sleeve black tee-shirt for Sam. Kensi wears a blood-red tee-shirt. Deeks starts the episode in a pale purple tee-shirt before wearing an LAFD fire inspector/marshal’s uniform undercover. White turtleneck for Fatima with a buttery looking black leather jacket (spectacular!). Rountree is wearing a blue, white and grey jacket over a pale blue tee. Dark blue three-piece suit, white dress shirt and blue and white tie for the Admiral.

Music: Not today.

Any notable cut scene: See music.

Quote: Kensi: “You know, all this is making me feel like I want to call Rosa and check in on her.” Deeks: “Okay, pull up on that stick there, helicopter mom, because she's fine. You just need to give her some space and time to find herself and-and to grow. Put the phone down.” Kensi: “Yeah, I know, but how many parents dropped their kids off at school only to never see them again because of another school shooting” Deeks: “Okay, you can't, you can't think like that.” Kensi: “How can you not think like that?” Deeks: “I mean, all right, you can consider the possibility, you can do the drills, but at some point, you just have to give in and believe in a greater good. I just feel like that's getting harder and harder to do. Yeah, well, that's why they call it faith.”

Anything else: A security guard is making his way through an engineering firm. The firm builds drones. The guard’s route is very deliberate, logging in and out of areas as he makes his way through building. As he gets near the exit, he sees a janitor’s cart just off the entrance.

Exiting the building, the guard locks up and logs out. There is a massive explosion. The guard is thrown ten feet from the door and fiery debris lands all around him.

Cue the new credits – a little red in the logo.

A really overprotective Kensi and Deeks are dropping Rosa off at school. Deeks is worried about bullying which makes Rosa nervous about bullying. Kensi and Deeks will pick her up after school but will text if there is a delay. There is a back-up plan with “Naomi’s mom”. After reviewing the alarm code for the house and the panic code, Rosa is finally on her way. Kensi and Deeks rethink their plan with home schooling a possibility. Deeks announces “I’m not built for this.”

As Sam is ready to take his father to an adult activity center, Raymond is walking around in his pajamas and slippers. Raymond is has no interest in “adult day-care”. Sam sells the place which has a gym, pool and library. Raymond is fine with Sam leaving him at a gym, a pool or a library. Sam notes this place has all three. The two bicker before Sam asks Raymond to just try the place. Since they have billiards and poker, Raymond is a little more interested but disappointed that the poker games aren’t for money. “The only fun is when you’re winning real money.” Mrs. Williams, Raymond’s caretaker, will be picking him up at the end of the day. Raymond complains about her driving. He’s also not keen on the idea of making new friends at the activity center since as soon as you get to know someone, they die. The only new things there are hips and pacemakers. Sam is patient with his father as he makes old age jokes.

Arriving through the side door, Fatima sees Callen looking at party venues. She offers some help – she’s good at planning things. Callen was looking for wedding venues. Fatima asks what does Anna want. Anna is torn between a trip to City Hall and Arkady’s dream of recreating “Doctor Zhivago”, complete with horses and snow. Fatima asks if Callen has a theme – traditional, fantasy, cosplay. Callen asks about “fantasy” and Fatima goes on including Sam as a troll, Deeks as a pixie, Kilbride as a wizard. Shaking his head, Callen tells Fatima he’s going to run these roles by them to see what they think. Fatima says no. “It doesn’t hurt to ask,” Callen replies. Fatima knows he’s kidding and asks that he not. Shyla interrupts, Kilbride needs to see Callen.

Walking to Kilbride’s office, Callen asks Shyla what’s up. She isn’t sure but there has been a communique from Syria. In his office, Kilbride tells Shyla to hold his calls and patch the Commander through to the plasma in his office. Commander Neal pops up on the screen. With the help of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Neal and her team were doing some recon work. At an abandoned school, known to be a safehouse, there was an ambush. Human remains were found, burned beyond recognition. One body had documents identifying them as Trudy Chambers, an American female. Callen looks stunned. Asking if the remains of Chambers were that of a small woman, Neal confirms they were. Dental records and DNA is still be checked. She will contact them when they have an ID. Trudy Chambers is one of Hetty’s aliases.

In Ops, Fatima arrives and asks Shyla what’s the new case. There is television coverage of the explosion and fire at Havlock/Haines Aerospace the prior night. Havlock/Haines builds remote piloted vehicles for the Navy. A janitor was killed, the security guard was badly injured. ATF said the bomb was nitroamine high explosive. The dead janitor was Luis Estevez, the guard Morgan Reynolds. Neither fits the profile of a bomber – more wrong place, wrong time. Fatima will go to the crime scene with Callen, Kensi and Deeks will look into the janitor while Rountree looks into the security guard. Shyla seems a little surprised that Fatima is doling out assignments – that is usually the job of a more senior agent. Since Shyla does not see a more senior agent in Ops, “go get ‘em girl,” is her advice.

Asking if the remains will be flown back to the US, Kilbride tells Callen they will be if they are positively identified. Callen wants to accompany them. Kilbride agrees. Callen then brings up Harris Keane, who was travelling with Hetty. Once the forensic team completes their work, the Admiral thinks they’ll know more. Knowing if she was ambushed at a safe house – even if it wasn’t Hetty – Callen believes she’s in danger. Kilbride disagrees – Hetty was in danger the minute she went back to Syria. And there are no safe houses in Syria right now. But since this is Hetty, she has more lives than a barn cat and is just as mean. Callen nods his head in agreement.

In the boatshed’s main room, Kensi and Deeks are speaking to Maria Estevez, daughter of janitor Luis Estevez. After offering condolences, they asks Maria about her father. He liked working as the night janitor – the money was good and it left him time during the day for other projects. As a skilled carpenter and mason, Estevez worked construction jobs when they came up. Kensi asks when did he sleep. Maria has an immediate answer – Sundays. During family dinners in the fall, he’d doze off watching football. Deeks asks why did Estevez work two jobs. Maria explains that years ago, her immigrant father worked two jobs to make ends meet. In recent years, especially after the death of his wife/Maria’s mother from COVID two years ago, it was to keep busy. Estevez did not work with explosives but loved fireworks. The Estevez family loved to put on a display. Asking if there were any financial issues, drugs, enemies, Maria states her father was a gentle and caring man who did anything to help others. Since Maria was told Estevez died in a factory accident, she wants to know what’s going on. Kensi and Deeks would like to see Estevez’s home.

A sullen Callen is a bit surprised by Fatima’s new Porsche. She explains her old TV show was just sold into syndication. When Callen notes the vehicle isn’t subtle, Fatima replies that in LA, subtle stands out. Callen is still distracted so Fatima asks if he is OK. He updates her about the body found in Syria. Fatima offers condolences and asks if they can do anything. They can’t so they should work the case.

Calling in to Ops from outside the hospital, Rountree has no luck with the security guard. He’s lawyered up but even if he didn’t, his doctor said he was in no condition to be questioned. Shyla notes he was healthy enough to find a lawyer. The Admiral wants the hospital staff and the lawyer to be put on notice, “as soon as he can eat his Jell-O, he better start talking.” Shyla is going to get a warrant to search Reynolds’s residence while the Admiral wants to question the staff at Havlock/Haines about Reynolds.

At the crime scene, Callen and Fatima are in the bombed out facility. The sleek, modern place is now a mass of burnt walls, cables and wires hanging from the ceiling, rubble all over. Speaking to executive Monica Tavares, she explains that the explosion is a financial hit to the company. Not only do they have to rebuild but they are not going to meet certain orders from contracts. Callen asks if she knows who would do something like this. Tavares has a list – anarchists, right-wing extremists, anti-war activists. Fatima asks about industry rivals or disgruntled employees. There are some – a few staffers left after they started working for the government – conscientious objections to making “weapons of war”. When Fatima asks for contact info, Taveras agrees to cooperate but makes it clear, none of them would blow up the building.

Callen asks if there were any other issues in recent weeks and months. Nothing as obvious as blowing up the facility but Havlock/Haines has been subject to a “relentless” series of cyber-attacks. The company is working on where they are coming from but no luck finding who is behind them. Callen gets a call from Shyla who has the terribly burned corpse of Luis Estevez on the big screen (ick, show, ick). Estevez was already dead for several hours when the explosion occurred.

Later speaking to Fatima, if Estevez was dead before the explosion, they likely used him to get into the building. Fatima agrees – the bombers killed Estevez, used his ID to get into the building, probably put his body and the bomb into something like a cleaning cart. That would be Fatima’s plan. Callen finds it scary but thinks it would be a good way to dispose of the body. Fatima agrees – it would make it look like Estevez died in the explosion.

Walking around the immaculate home of Luis Estevez, Kensi is on the phone with Callen. Thinking unless he was Jekyll and Hyde, Kensi believes Estevez was Mr. Rogers only more neat. Callen wants Kensi to check if Maria has power of attorney so they can access his phone and financials. Fatima asks about home security but Estevez barely locked is doors. Fatima wants to check the neighbors’ security systems to see if anyone was following Estevez. Kensi will ask. They also want Kensi to ask about Estevez’s daily routine. Meanwhile, Estevez’s Jeep is going to NCIS’s carport – they will check to see if he had GPS.

Moving to the kitchen, Maria is packing up the food in her father’s home. She talks about her father’s truck. Deeks assures her the truck will be released to the family when NCIS is done with it. Maria seems less worried about that, more thinking about how much her father loved the truck. It was his first ever new vehicle. Kensi asks about power-of-attorney. Maria got it after her mother passed away, her father got all his paperwork in order. Kensi tells Maria that they can take info from her father’s phone and financial records and maybe find who killed him. Maria is weeping. Deeks looks so uncomfortable. Kensi, seeing Maria’s distress, asks if she would be able to come up with her father’s daily routine, “Can you do that?” Maria says she can try.

Outside of the house, Kensi and Deeks are wrecked about the pain of the day. Deeks makes a joke about the pain being as bad as kidney stones, annoying Kensi. He extends to the joke to childbirth, leading Kensi to calling him an idiot. When Deeks says he’s joking, Kensi wants to know why. “Because if I don’t joke, this job is too sad for me to keep doing it.” Kensi understands but thinks he’s an idiot – a loveable one. All the sadness has Kensi wanting to call Rosa and see if she’s OK. Deeks stops her – this is Rosa’s time to “find herself and to grow.” Kensi brings up school shootings, something Deeks does not want to think about. It is what Kensi thinks about. Deeks tells her they can do the drills and prepare Rosa the best they can but at some point “you just have to give in and believe in a greater good.” Kensi finds that hard to do but Deeks tells her that’s what faith is. “I mean George Michael even wrote a song about it.” Deeks makes some George jokes.

Arriving at Ops, the Admiral wants a sit-rep. Shyla fills him in on the team’s status. She is also working with NCIS CYBER to find who is behind the cyber-attacks against Havlock/Haines. The Admiral figures that whoever did this was willing to kill an innocent man and used high end explosives – they are not militia “idiots”. Shyla suggests industrial espionage – a rival company that wants some of the hundreds of millions of dollars available in military contracts. The Admiral is rooting for that because the alternative is state sponsored terrorism.

As Kilbride walks back to his office, Callen calls up from the bullpen, looking for news about the remains and Trudy Chambers. Kilbride assures Callen he would have updated him if there was any news from Syria. The Admiral’s more pressing concern is whoever blew up Havlock/Haines since they like aren’t done. He wants Callen focused on the task at hand and not Hetty. “Now go catch these bastards before they strike again.”

In the carport, Fatima is working on Estevez’s truck. She tells Callen that the vehicle was wiped clean – she can still smell the bleach. Callen gets a call from Alex asking if she wants to hang out with Jake. Fatima wishes she had a niece or nephew – it seems like fun. Callen agrees it is while they are young. When they get a little older, less time for the world’s coolest uncle and more time for teenage girls. Fatima asks if Callen gave himself the designation of world’s coolest uncle. Callen wants to know who is cooler than he is? After Fatima laughs, she announces he’s cool, “like supercool.” “Let’s not oversell it.”

In the boatshed, Rountree and Shyla on the plasma are chatting. He is meeting with Janice Ng who left Havlock/Haines when they started working for the DoD. Shyla gets an alert from CYBER – the source of the attack is coming from Beirut, Lebanon.

With Fatima and Callen back in Ops with Shyla, they are discussing Lebanon being an US ally but Hezbollah, a militant group with a political arm, is not. Callen brings up two Hezbollah operatives who were arrested in the US for planning acts of terrorism. Those arrests were for fundraising and weapon buys but things may have gotten more aggressive since the US’s relationship with Iran gets worse. Iran funds a lot of Hezbollah’s actions. Asking about Estevez’s truck, Callen tells Shyla that the truck was wiped clean as was his GPS. Callen wants a list from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of any known Hezbollah members in the US, especially anyone on the West Coast.

In the boat shed, Janice Ng explains she joined Havlock/Haines to be part of the team that put the first person on Mars. She did not sign up to build weapons of mass destruction. Rountree tells her the drones aren’t weapons of mass destruction. Ng disagrees – they could be armed with a nuclear weapon. Rountree points out they aren’t but Ng thinks he’s being naïve. But she thinks it is Rountree’s job to cover up the military’s crimes against humanity. Explaining that it isn’t his job to cover up anything, Rountree is there to find the truth about who set the bomb at Havlock/Haines. Ng is annoyed – since she quit for not wanting to be “a warmonger”, she’s being treated as a suspect. She’s waiting for Rountree to beat a confession out of her.

Deeks arrives at the boat shed with Kensi right behind him. Rountree explains that he isn’t there to beat a confession out of Ng. Pointing to his wife, Deeks tells Ng that what Kensi is there to do as he walks into the restroom. Kensi tells Ng Deeks is just kidding. Rountree updates Kensi on his questioning and Ng lawyers up. Rountree tells her she doesn’t need a lawyer. After she warns them against railroading her, Rountree just cuts Ng loose.

Sighing that it is just “one of those days”, Rountree tells Kensi he’s gotten nothing from the former Havlock/Haines staffers. Kensi explains that they got some security footage and were going to Ops when “somebody needed a potty break.” Deeks returns from the restroom where they’re out of towels so he airdries his hands all over Kensi and Rountree. He explains that he would rather use their restroom than some public restroom. Rountree is more concerned that some of Deeks’s air-drying got into his mouth.

Contacting Ops, Kensi pulls out the thumb drive with the security camera footage and sends it to Shyla. Shyla has camera footage from other places as she tries to stitch together Estevez’s day. Kensi and Deeks are on their way to Ops to help Shyla. Deeks signals to Rountree that he probably shouldn’t use the restroom.

In the bullpen, Callen is reviewing some street camera footage with Fatima. With the coroner estimating Estevez’s time of death around 4PM, Callen sees white van for Bunny Vale Laundry and Dry Cleaning outside of his house at 11AM. The branded van is still there two-hours later. While it could be a long lunch or a day off, it is just as likely a stakeout. In Ops, Shyla has info on Bunny Vale Laundry, a chain in LA. Tracing the specific van, for the last few days, it was always near Estevez, either at his home or following him around.

Bunny Vale Laundry is owned by Darius “Bunny” Vale and his wife Sara. They are first-generation Persian-Americans, born in America. No links to Hezbollah but Fatima wonders if Vale is using his business as a front. There is a laundering money suggestion from Shyla – she really does fit right in. Callen and Fatima are going to speak to Vale.

In interrogation, Darius “Bunny” Vale is on the wrong side of the table. Callen shows him a photo of the laundry truck outside of Estevez’s home. Vale claims to have over a dozen vans like it. Callen tells Vale the van was used in a crime. Vale was worried something like that would happen – the van was stolen. Callen mentions there was no police report but Vale says the truck was gone for a while and then returned. He never knew it was missing until one of his employees found it. Since there was no damage to the van, he didn’t report it, figuring it was some teenage joyriders. The van was found near one of Vale’s locations by an employee who was with Vale for years. “Anything else?”

Pulling out his phone, Callen shows Vale Estevez’s dead body. Vale expresses his disgust in Farsi. Callen explains that Estevez was a father and a grandfather who was likely murdered in Vale’s van. When the forensic team goes through the “stolen” van, if they find any evidence Vale will be connected to Estevez’s murder and the attack on Havlock/Haines. Fatima asks how long as Vale supported Hezbollah. Vale is stunned – he’s never supported Hezbollah. Callen threatens a trip to Guantanamo Bay but Vale claims he had nothing to do with what happened.

When Callen says “last chance” to Vale, he explains he can’t help, “they’ll hurt my family.” Fatima offers protection but Vale is speaking about his family in Tehran. While NCIS has agents all over the world, they are not in Iran. Fatima tells him the threat is to his family in the US as well as Iran. If he helps them, they can stop threat.

Vale explains that two men demanded a van, was told if he didn’t cooperate his family in Iran would pay the price. He was told to not ask any questions and to not tell anyone. Vale gave them the van and then the van was returned. Vale doesn’t have much information – he didn’t know the men, he didn’t know where they were staying. In Farsi, Fatima tells Vale he needs to help them. He is in danger if he doesn’t cooperate. Vale mentions a friend named Ava who was threatened as well. She had to provide a place where the men could work. Callen wants Sam called in – this is a full team operation.

Joining Callen, Fatima and Rountree at an office park, Sam and the team are all wearing their kevlar with the big guns out. He thinks this assignment is easier than getting his father to behave. When Fatima asks how Raymond is doing, Sam replies he’s doing everything possible to make him crazy. The Admiral has had enough chit-chat – and Deeks isn’t even involved. Fatima and Rountree take one entrance, Sam and Callen take another. Shyla tells the team the building is owned by Ava Safari with only a 26% occupancy rate due to COVID. The terrorists are set-up on a vacant office floor. The Admiral considers them armed and they are dangerous since they have access to high end explosives. He warns them of booby traps. That doesn’t sit well with Deeks, who is dress as a fire marshal/inspector. “I’m not the bomb disposal guy.”

Deeks walks through one of the offices. It is empty though there is a cot and a lantern flashlight in an open area. He is approached by a man asking why Deeks is there. After saying he’s happy the place is rented again, Deeks claims to be LAFD there for the building’s monthly inspection. The man wants Deeks to leave and return the following day. Deeks explains he can’t do that. Deeks is walking ahead of the man, through the office. He is rambling about the inspecting the Nakatomi Plaza – nice “Die Hard” shoutout – and puts on soundproof headphones because he’s about to set off the building’s alarms. The man behind Deeks pulls out his gun. Kensi says “weapon” and takes out the man from an office building a healthy distance away. “Tango down.” Deeks seems surprised.

Callen and Sam join Deeks – “Nice shot honey,” Deeks calls to Kensi. He starts talking about having a BB right under his scalp from being shot by Darrel Dinkins. Sam mentioned the BB migrating to Deeks’s brain. An arriving Fatima and Rountree enjoy the show. Deeks tells Sam he missed him. “I bet you did.”

While Fatima sends the dead man’s prints to Ops, Callen has the dead man’s burner phone and wants to Shyla to check the contacts and any GPS info. Sam finds a Canadian passport for the dead man issued to Cyrus Karimain from Fort Erie, Ontario. It is likely a fake. Sam has four other passports for four other men. There may be an entire cell in Los Angeles.

Deeks find a trash pail full of shredded documents. One looks like a map but he could only figure it out if he was the Amazing Kreskin. Fatima doesn’t know who the Amazing Kreskin is. “That was before Google,” Sam tells her. Callen finds something and shows it to Sam. It is a symbol of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s staff college. The men in the office aren’t Hezbollah, they are Iranian special operatives who usually train proxies to fight, not do the fighting themselves. The Admiral knew this was state sponsored and is willing to bet his grandchildren that the drones that took out Soleimani was manufactured by Havlock/Haines. Shyla notes the Admiral doesn’t have grandchildren. “This team America, is payback.”

Tracing the location of the cellphone numbers in the dead man’s phone, they are all traveling on the PCH, just passing Malibu. While Deeks thinks they are surfers, Sam realizes they’re going to Point Magu. Point Magu is the home of the Triton drone project. The Admiral wants the team in helicopters on their way to the base in two minutes. When Shyla asks how, the Admiral doesn’t care – Coast Guard, National Guard, borrow a TV traffic helicopter.

At Point Magu’s entrance, a Bunny Vale Landry Van shoots its way past a guard station. The sole guard tries to fire on the men but is overwhelmed by four men with military weapons. Driving the van into the base, there are two barrel in the back with explosives. The men all exit the van before it plows into a trailer with a satellite on top. Since this is NCIS: Los Angeles, there is a massive explosion.

One of the men tries to enter a structure next to the structure that just was blown up. He has a keycard to get in but the door does not open. Callen comes out from the side of the structure and tells the man “nobody’s home.” The men are surrounded by Callen and Sam on the right, Kensi, Fatima and Rountree on their left and Deeks from the top of the structure. Behind the on the ground team is more armed Navy sailors. It was set-up as a kill box. Fatima starts ordering the men to surrender in Farsi. The men surrender. Deeks wonders how he is getting off the building – he asks Rountree to catch him.

Stepping away, Sam has a call from Mrs. Williams, his father’s caretaker. Raymond left the activity center without the caretaker. He instead left with a woman named Victoria. Callen is impressed – one day at the activity center and Raymond has a girlfriend. Callen thinks Sam could learn a little something from his father.

In the armory, Kensi, Deeks, Fatima and Rountree are dropping off their gear. Fatima thinks they should go out for drinks and Rountree should pay. This surprises Rountree until Fatima says she’s buying. Deeks offers to take everyone out to dinner if Rosa could join them. Kensi steps in – not on a school night. Deeks asks how is Rountree’s calculus. It is better than his algebra but it is not very good.

Pouring two glasses of scotch, the Admiral offers an arriving Callen a glass. Callen asks if he is going to need it. The Admiral thinks the longer Callen stays in their business, he will but he won’t need it today for Hetty “Not now anyway,” he tells Callen. The remains were of a female child, not Hetty. Callen asks why were Hetty’s IDs found on a dead child. The Admiral thinks Hetty planted them. Without the forensics the US military has, anyone who saw the remains and the ID thinks Hetty is dead. Thinking Hetty is in trouble – and the Admiral saying she was in the trouble the minute she went to Syria, Callen asks for permission to look for her. That’s a no from the Admiral. If they had actionable intel, they would go. Until then, Hetty is on her own.

Saying he has a lot of personal time, Callen is thinking of going anyway. The Admiral makes it clear LA just had foreign terrorists attack a building and a Naval Station so there will be no going halfway around the world “searching for your surrogate mommy.” Telling the Admiral to enjoy his scotch, Callen storms out. The Admiral drinks his own scotch and then Callen’s untouched glass, saying he intends to.

Not enjoying his scotch is Sam, sitting with a glass at his dining room table. Raymond sneaks in almost like a teenager caught by his parents. Sam asks where his father was. Raymond said he took Sam’s advice and made some friends. Sam thinks Raymond should have called. Raymond is sure he sent a text but he didn’t. This is every parent-child discussion about being out late with friends, just with the roles reversed. When Raymond says he’s not a child, Sam tells him he's acting like one. Yep, parent-child in reverse. Sam is angry that Raymond “hooked up with a woman on your first damn day. An angry Raymond talks about Victoria, who is married to Cliff, a bedridden veteran. After his time at the activity center, Raymond went to see Cliff, providing him such much needed company. Sam is instantly remorseful until Raymond makes it clear that he also provided Victoria some much needed company. Sam isn’t sure his father is joking as Raymond says good night.

They changed the fonts on the credits too.

What head canon can be formed from here: Sort of an update to the season 13 finale – Callen is looking at wedding venues, Sam is dealing with his father, Kensi and Deeks are taking Rosa to her first day of school. Family continues to play a big part.

Shyla is great with the team. She has a different relationship with Kilbride – more casual and fun than any of the team members.

Visiting the bombed out drone place had to be pretty brutal to Callen, who less than an hour earlier learned his “surrogate mommy” may have met her end in a similar action.

The Kensi and Deeks conversation about doing their jobs in the world we live in has been going on now since season eight. This was another variation of it with Kensi sounding a little more done this time.

The program used real events – the arrest of two Hezbollah terrorists, the bombing of Soleimani- to make the story go.

Episode number: Season 14 (a healthy run for any program), episode one. Episode 303 overall. These recaps will go up every Friday (save one in mid-March) until season 14 wraps.

“You wanted to see me, Admiral,” Sam said as he knocked on the door.

“Come in, sit down.”

Sam sat in the guest chair. “If this is about Callen and Rountree, they’re set up in San Diego, Fatima is working with the office in Camp Pendleton with Agent Flynn. He’s worked with us in the past.”

“If Callen and Rountree can’t handle a pair of Marines selling soon to be disabled grenades to a group of white separatists, then we’re all in trouble.”

“Rountree’s crash course in being a Marine went well. He should fit right in.”

“Well, I have an assignment for you,” the Admiral said, passing a file folder to Sam.

“Jane Tennant,” Sam said, looking at the file.

“She’s been through a bit of a rough patch. And I think you can help her through it but…”

“But…”

“Agent Tennant was beaten and tortured.”

“I know, you sent me to Venezuela to help find her.”

“And that assignment is what you do best – rescuing a colleague. You’ve been doing that for Callen since Hetty paired you two up.”

“We make a good team.”

“This assignment is more making sure she’s ready to return.”

“I’m sure she’ll requalify and their version of Nate will keep an eye on her.”

“Their version of Nate won’t be in the field with her. Won’t have someone like Callen making sure she’s in the right state of mind.”

“And you’d like me to be there.”

“The men who held Tennant threatened her family as they tortured her. She’s got a son who is going to Annapolis and a younger daughter.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“I understand if you don’t want to go to Pearl. I can send Nate if this is too close.”

“It’s not too close. I figured out how to live through my situation, Jane needs to do the same.”

“Washington wants an outsider to take a look at Tennant. Honestly, she’s too respected and too well liked by her office. If they need to sit Agent Tennant down for a while, they may not want to do that to her.”

“And you think I’m the man for that job.”

“I think you are, Nate thinks you are, Leon Vance thinks you are.”

“When do I fly out?”

“Tomorrow, 0600 from Edwards. You stay as long as they need you.”

“You getting rid of me, sir?” Sam asked with a chuckle.

“No, I’m getting you ready to get rid of me.”