NCIS: Los Angeles season 8 episode 18 review: Nell and Eric’s couples’ retreat

NCIS: Los Angeles season 8 episode 18 was entitled “Getaway,” and for good reason given that the majority of the episode centered around watching Nell and Eric venture far off of the beaten path in order to take on one of their most complicated undercover missions so far. After all, at the center of this one was seeing the two characters hit up a retreat in order to bond with another couple, and try to determine what was going on in terms of an alleged hack of the treasury department. While Kensi and Deeks thought they’d get the gig, it better suited Nell and Eric’s skill set. (Don’t worry, as Deeks and Kensi were still involved and had their own fair share of fun moments._

In the end, though, it turned out that the couple was not necessarily as complicit in what was going on as planned previously. Instead, they were more operating because of someone else’s orders. This big reveal led eventually to a chase, and Eric being the hero and taking down the person responsible for both the order and kidnapping one of the victims’ sister. This act earned him a kiss from Nell, and she didn’t have to be undercover to mean it.

Insofar as cases go, this one was mostly fluff, but also a fun one since it put many characters outside of their element. For Beale and Nell, it put them more out in the field than they’re used to. For Deeks and Kensi, they had to let someone else be the heroes for the change … though, in the process, we learned that the two have very different opinions when it comes to RVs.

In between this and Hetty’s hologram experience, there was far more technology in this episode than we’re used to within a standard hour of NCIS. That’s just putting it mildly.

Callen’s surprise

Hetty assigned him to a new mission in the episode while Anna and Sam did their own thing, and it led to him confronting a woman from his past in Joelle, where in turn, he got a little bit of closure. Hetty wanted him to see that she was someone with a husband and a family, and much of what he’d known was somewhat of an illusion. Hetty does sometimes operate in mystery, such as how she knows something is right for someone at a certain time. This was the right time for Callen to revisit this part of his past, especially since he and Anna are getting into a more serious relationship and he’s opening up more to the concept of family.

Overall

We won’t pretend like this was a stellar NCIS: Los Angeles episode, mostly because it was forgettable fluff featuring some story threads that probably won’t have much of an impact down the road. Nonetheless, there were many different things to like here. For example, isn’t it always nice to see people doing different things? Also, isn’t it nice to see Callen resolve some elements of his past?

In the end, this was still an entertaining hour worth the time to watch. Grade: B.

Head over here in the event you are interested in getting some further news regarding the future of NCIS: Los Angeles season 8! (Photo: CBS.)