Critic’s Score: 3 / 5.0
3
It solely took Torres going undercover and a pretend wedding ceremony for Jess to come back to phrases with two of her favourite folks being in a relationship.
On NCIS Season 22 Episode 11, we discovered that Torres has been freelancing once more with out telling his group, and that drives me nuts.
However, since NCIS isn’t a collection that usually carries on lengthy arcs, this stuff come up when obligatory to maneuver the plot ahead, to not preserve us in suspense from week to week.
I feel I would like a bit extra week-to-week suspense, however I’ve a sense most of you wouldn’t. Am I proper in believing that almost all of you watch NCIS particularly as a result of there isn’t a long-running story that may imply you needed to watch each episode?
There’s a big distinction between a present like The Manner Residence, with episodes tied to 1 one other like a fragile piece of lace, and NCIS and different procedurals, which let you get pleasure from your time
collectively and transfer on along with your life.
I’m simply curious if there may be something you’ll change about NCIS and the way its tales are instructed or should you’re nonetheless proud of issues remaining the identical 22 seasons into the present.
However let’s dig into the meat of “For Higher or worse” now.
Holy Matrimony
We needed to know from the ominous music prefacing the marriage and the extremely stale room through which the couple was being married within the opening scene that it wasn’t for actual.
However it was a pleasant wedding ceremony altar, and other people have been dressed to the nines, in order that was good. You must put forth a bit of effort to catch a felony mastermind referred to as the Wolf.
It was additionally completely timed to convey closure to Jess’s issues about Torres and Robin relationship.
Jess Isn’t Cool With It
Because the episode begins, Torres thinks Jess isn’t cool with him relationship her sister. But when she have been really uncool with it, razzing him wouldn’t be her methodology of displaying it. She was type of teasing him in regards to the state of affairs, which carries a unique message.
A part of her completely anticipated Robin to tear out Torres’s coronary heart and stomp on it, and she or he was anxious about what would possibly occur when issues finish, as, in her thoughts, they inevitably will.
Nonetheless, the extra Jess emphasised the informal nature of their relationship, the much less doubtless it gave the impression to be one thing that may abruptly finish. “Babe” isn’t a time period we name somebody casually.
Then Jimmy let the cat out of the bag: Robin stays with Torres usually sufficient that she has her personal drawer at his place.
A drawer is a dedication to five-time-engaged Robin. The extra Jess considered Robin and Torres collectively, the extra she talked herself into seeing their finish slightly than their starting.
So, it was the proper time for Jess and Torres to marry in an undercover capability. What higher technique to actually draw out the Robin stuff than for Jess to marry her boyfriend?
I feel she even pulled the “we’re engaged” half out of her ass purposefully to dig into Torres (and her sister). If she might facilitate the top so simply, then she wouldn’t have to fret about its arrival.
For Robin, although, Torres being undercover is the final word function play. There wasn’t a lot Jess might do to thwart their relationship, and Jimmy knew why — she was extra anxious about herself and what it would imply if Robin and Torres labored out, not what would occur in the event that they didn’t.
I perceive that. My sister is relationship the best man, and as completely happy as I’m for her (I actually am), part of me sees a future the place she strikes and finds her blissful happiness, and I die alone. Is that egocentric? It certain is, but it surely’s additionally part of our humanity.
Jess used her wedding ceremony toast to specific her approval of the brand new couple in entrance of everybody, virtually blowing their cowl as usually as she mentioned “you” as an alternative of “us.” Nonetheless, it was candy.
Donny Rico
This was all accomplished to seize the Wolf, as Torres had been doing undercover with out anybody’s data aside from Vance, who introduced Torres into the open investigation.
It solely got here to gentle when somebody with a pretend Navy ID promoted a violent response from Torres, proving this was rather more than a random lifeless man.
Why on earth accomplish that many of those exhibits have brokers working undercover with out telling their teammates or no less than their commanding officer? I hate that.
Initially, it divides the agent between his precise work and the undercover operation. Should you’re continuously working, your capability to work dwindles. It’s harmful.
How does that profit anybody?
It’s not like Torres was infiltrating a gang three states over. What if Jess had determined to go to the bar the place the gang hangs out? Somebody might inadvertently out him. It’s a silly concept that performs out stupidly on these exhibits far too usually for my style.
Teamwork for the Win
Ultimately, everyone seems to be let in on the op, and once they all come collectively, the case is closed. Teamwork makes the dream work. Lone wolves don’t seize the Wolf. We all know this.
Attention-grabbing tidbit: Roman, the gray-haired man with an accent, has been doing components like these for years. I’m rewatching Medium, and Steve Flynn had an necessary two-episode arc throughout Medium Season 4. It at all times makes me completely happy to see character actors working.
I discovered the Baltimore PD officer making the trek to NCIS slightly odd. He was a skeevy-looking officer who appeared to sweat loads. At one level, I assumed he could possibly be the unhealthy man. Wasn’t he ingesting whiskey like Roman?
The important thing to tying this collectively was that Roman beloved weddings. Jess’s choice to say she was engaged to Torres wound up being the lynchpin in fixing the case, and it was additionally the top of Roman’s life.
I knew that Yvonne Zima would have some affect on the case. She’s not an actress who would are available to play a bimbo and nothing else. She’s not as well-known as her sister Madeline, however she’s accomplished sufficient to get a significant small function versus a walk-on half that quantities to nothing.
Actually, I didn’t absolutely perceive the place she and Roman’s gang match into the case, however that’s OK because it received’t transcend this episode. Generally, the case isn’t as fascinating because the storylines behind it, reminiscent of Jess and Torres discovering a technique to work collectively once more and share Robin’s love.
Whereas I’m on this stroll down reminiscence lane with character actors, I would as effectively point out that I solely lately found that Rocky Carroll (Vance) labored with Mark Harmon in certainly one of his many roles as a physician on TV. They each labored on Chicago Hope.
Is that how they wound up working collectively on NCIS? Fairly probably. I really like discovering unknown connections between exhibits that I’ve by no means identified earlier than.
Have you ever found any connections like that whereas rewatching TV?
One final thing earlier than I flip it over to you: The Jimmy wanting to bop bit wasn’t nice, but it surely did enable Casey to name him Capezio and Flashdance, which allowed for a few giggles for these different older of us like me.
Now, it’s your flip!
Are you content that Jess is on board with Torres and Robin?
Do you ever marvel why so many brokers are pulled away from their duties for secret undercover ops?
Share your ideas on that and anything associated to NCIS within the feedback under.
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