‘NCIS’ season 11, episode 14 review: The (bizarre) story of Bishop and Parsa
The name “Parsa” has spread like wildfire over the past season of “NCIS,” and for good reason. He is one of the biggest terrorists in the world, and his actions have also led to a series of very tragic things, including the near-death of McGee’s girlfriend Delilah.
So what made this episode so bizarre? Mostly, it was finding out that somehow, Bishop was tied to this story like she was the most important person of all time. Going into this, we were looking forward to seeing the character in a new life, and maybe finding out some more of her flaws. (Apparently, one of them is keeping almost anything and everything from the team.)
So, to see Bishop suddenly become the center of almost everything was a little much. We wanted to see more of who she was, but we didn’t necessarily need to see almost anything and everything transformed into the Bishop Show. The fact that her entire past with Parsa was largely a secret felt a little bit strange and sketchy; also, it made most of the government look completely oblivious. That is not frequently the calling card of this show.
At least the saga ended in what was a pretty intense showdown between Parsa, who was trying to escape after he was finally captured, and Gibbs … who was attempting to once again show that he is an awesome human being capable of just about anything. In the end, it was Gibbs who put the bullets in him after another play was used to try to get the man to give in … and now, this story is pretty definitively over. There was no beating around the bush here. Parsa’s not coming back after this.
While the Parsa case was a little Bishop-heavy, there were at least some nice moments in here if you like McGee. His relationship with Delilah is still going strong! Then, in the end, it was about Bishop again, as we finally saw her character promoted provisionally to anent. Translation? She won’t be going anywhere. Grade: B-.
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Photo: CBS
Bob
March 8, 2014 @ 2:10 am
She must be related to someone with the show or has a very very close relationship. Someone jumped her ahead of the other actors.
Marysue
February 6, 2014 @ 2:47 pm
The Parsa storyline would have been better suited for Ziva. Since she is Israelis and given her Mossad background it would have been more believable that she could have crossed paths with someone like this. Ziva would have karate chopped Parsa and had him on the floor in 2 seconds flat as well. I wonder if they had this storyline written with Ziva as the intended character for this storyline but had to sub Bishop because of Cote’s exit from the series.
Terry
February 6, 2014 @ 12:04 am
The shark has been jumped this year to the point that NCIS has landed squarely on the set of “Sharknado II!”
Terry
February 6, 2014 @ 12:03 am
Pathetic.. ridiculous… disgusting… horrible… sloppy… lazy…. disjointed…. poorly written… even more poorly acted. This show is the Titanic headed for the iceberg yet Gary Goldberg and Mark Harmon seemed determined to drive it right into the bottom of the sea. To what end? Perhaps part of a long-term plan to reboot the NCIS franchise with the cast from the soon-to-be NCIS NO? I mean.. give them a year or so in New Orleans to establish their characters and then move them lock stock and barrel to the “mothership” with MH moving behind the camera and picking up a few assorted pieces from the current show — such as SM, PP, Ducky and Brian Dietzen.
My guess is Michael Weatherly takes a walk after this season. He has been relegated to the back of the bus.
Sandi Brooks
February 6, 2014 @ 4:30 pm
Agreed. Based on Bishops incompetence, Tony and McGee have every right and reason to be terrified of HER being the field agent who is supposed to “have their back”. All she did was lay on the floor and stare at Parsa. No gun, no knife, and she naively bolted from the cell and LEFT the door ajar. What about Gibbs Rule 9 (Rule 9: “Never go anywhere without a knife.”). THis character has no business being a field agent, and WHY Gibbs told her “you done good” I will never understand. He’d have Gibbs slapped any of last season’s Three Musketeers for such blatant idiocy.
Michael Weatherly is too good an actor to keep trying to salvage the character he plays. I LOVED Tony DiNozzo, especially loved the way he and Cote played against each other. Now they are writing Tony like he’s become someone’s weird unmarried uncle. And the writers have Tony and McGee stand around waiting for Bishop and her dang laptop to figure it out. The TEAM has no team chemistry now.
I have no doubt CBS could have brought Cote back had they not played hardball for so long in negotiations. It is very likely the “lots of money” CBS claims to have offered her was NOT parity with her male field agent co-star’s pay. She was also doing more of her own stunts, as I understand it, which meant longer hours and more injuries than MW or SM. It is the case that many men of McCallum’s generation still hold a double standard about women being assertive. A woman standing up for her self and her financial interests might be seen as “b****y” but a man doing the same is not.
Now it is just another procedural to kill time watching if really bored. Not the something special that made us go out of our way to be sure to watch it, and watch certain episodes over and over on USA.
And Bishop? Bishop is like a blond NCIS smurf. Blond but not Blue. Hey? Maybe Michael Weatherly should write a song . . .
BlondieAmbition
February 5, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
Yep, i’m gonna say it. I loved the episode. They opened Bishop up, we got to see more of her in different setting. Where I had doubts, they wrote her in a way that made her human: bathroom chats of her needing help and her real OCD with Parsa. It felt very Ari/Kate. They used it to grow the family feel of the group, and bond. Look, she’s not Ziva, I was never diehard about her, I liked her, but 8yrs was long enough, she was never gonna be taking hers and Tony’s kids to soccer practice. NCIS, I believe, has done well with the situation of being dumped on, and where I questioned Bishop, after last night, I think she’s fitting in. And now, they can move on, giving more balance.
OH, and this whole deal of her being the most important person ever, remind yourself of the past Ziva and even Kate, they were always made the center. Kate was held captive by most wanted man at the time, bc he liked her, even shot her with a Kate rifle. Ziva was queen of the world being daughter of Dir. of Mossad, always Ziva-centric shows. Rewatch!
guest
February 6, 2014 @ 1:29 am
Family feel, bond???? What show were you watching?
r
February 5, 2014 @ 5:37 pm
Bishop is not a good “addition” but a really bad “remplacement” and it’s really upsetting…
They can be fans of themselves, now there is a big problem…
Fans want a minimum of respect and consideration. Since july, these 2 important things are really missing…
Zack B
February 5, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
This episode provided so many opportunities to get rid of Bishop. Her NSA boss could have pulled her out of NCIS. Gibbs could have fired her [justifiably] on at least three occasions is this short one hour episode. Or Parsa could have “done her in”, which might have been too cruel or satisfying depending upon your point of view. As a character, she is supposed to be intuitive and physically tough and yet when the chips were down she froze.
Why she is still around is a mystery. Perhaps she has a high ranking sugar daddy at CBS.
Sylvia Wissmann
February 5, 2014 @ 3:20 pm
I don’t know why CBS plans another spin off. This is a spin off: NCIS Bishop!
The whole show has turned into a joke because of supergirl! All characters people have loved for 10 years act like kids in a circus and Bishop is the director!
Although I really miss Ziva being there I would have watched and liked the show but since this annoying character has taken all life from the other characters the only way to watch is in FF mode skipping all Bishop scenes!
Marla
February 5, 2014 @ 2:45 pm
What can I say about last night’s episode that hasn’t already been mentioned in today’s review or the comments? Bishop just doesn’t work, plain and simple. The chemistry is gone from the team and I don’t know if they care enough to get it back.
Hurlman
February 5, 2014 @ 2:03 pm
Finally Matt you put into words what we are all thinking. The Bishop Show it is. My question is WHY ? I am so going to miss NCIS but the rest of the cast is really not needed – Gibbs has Superwoman. She can do it all and get a job and candy besides. Unbelievable !
TullaT
February 5, 2014 @ 1:47 pm
Bishop grossly mishandled everything related to the case, got two Marines killed, and the boys rewarded her by saying “Good job.” Then Gibbs made her a probie. is this for real? I’ve had just about all I can take of Bishop.
Al
February 5, 2014 @ 1:04 pm
I agree with Clark. Tony and Tim saying “good job” to Bishop after she got two marine guards killed is a bit too much. She should have been fired on the spot not given a job with NCIS. Somehow in the topsy turvy world of NCIS, poor performance is rewarded as is being in over your head. Bishop’s first concern when Parsa fainted (?) was to help him, not control the situation. No agent would act in that manner, at least no agent I want on my team. This whole year it has been the Bishop show, Bishop’s NCIS, Bishop’s lack of following orders, the rest of the team can just take a break, as will many viewers.
guest
February 6, 2014 @ 12:05 am
The guard should have never gone into the room to check, Gibbs told him to shoot him even if he sneezed. He should have got Bishop out and called for back up.
yes Bishop stuffed up , she saw Parsa as a person that’s what the NSA guy was saying, so Gibbs also stuffed up by allowing Bishop to stay in the room
But it’s not like it’s the first time anyone on the team has stuffed up big time or killed anyone while stuffing up. Kate failed to kill Ari when she had the chance. Ziva killed the drug guy in the elevator, lied about an operation that Mossad was conducting and lied again after they rescued her. McGee shot a policeman. Why is Bishop different or getting all the blame ?
T Patrick Birkhead
February 5, 2014 @ 6:48 am
What about the references to Bishop’s husband “Jake” as “she”?
Clark
February 5, 2014 @ 5:30 am
Can someone please tell me why when Bishop insists on talking to Parsa alone after Gibbs said it’s not gonna happen, then gets two people killed and has to be rescued by Gibbs is told “good work” and offered a permanent job? Seems that would be excellent grounds to dump her.
Hurlman
February 5, 2014 @ 2:16 pm
because she listens to NO ONE least of all Gibbs. He is infatuated with her…