‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ season 8, episode 1 review: Deeks’ proposal to Blye delayed; mole tears unit apart
In the eighth season premiere of “NCIS: Los Angeles,” fans are thrilled to see there might be wedding bells ringing at some point this season. While the unit faces serious scrutiny from the Under Secretary of Defense Corbin Duggan as the mole still hasn’t been found, it hasn’t stopped LAPD Detective Marty Deeks desire to ask Special Agent Kensi Blye’s hand in marriage. Seen picking out a ring from the trunk of a car, Deeks isn’t quite the romantic man that every fan hopes he would be, but he’s getting ready to pop the big question.
The two-hour premiere kicked off with chaos in the squad. The unit is once again under examination for the mole and is being ripped apart piece-by-piece by a Washington investigation unit. Known to keep the team together, even through the tough spots, Agent G. Callen and Agent Sam Hanna keep one eye on the investigation of their unit while focusing on a new case that includes the concerns of international security. A container full of radioactive saline was found by Homeland Security. Traced back to Ahmed Han Asakeem, the saline was being illegally sent to the Middle East. Both Henrietta “Hetty” Lange and Assistant Director Owen Granger ended up feeling the brunt of the Secretary’s actions as he taunted them by suggesting they were out-dated and replaceable.
Known for the extraordinary action scenes, this week has several amazing moments, including when Agent Hanna crashed through a window to catch a criminal with his leg on fire. No doubt most fans were screaming at the TV for someone to find a fire extinguisher immediately. Not to be outdone, another take down of the night was from Callen who nailed a bad guy trying to escape by overpowering him with a dive right into the deep end of the pool.
The NCIS chase to find the culprits who could make a dirty bomb with the radioactive saline turned into a race against time. Not only was the world in peril, but so was the unit. Secretary Duggan started to decommission agents as the unit’s records were being reviewed. Blye, Deeks, Callen and Hanna were able to outmaneuver the Secretary just long enough to board a plane to the Middle East and stay focused on the case and search for Ahmed Han Asakeem in Syria.
This first part of the “NCIS: Los Angeles” premiere was an exciting episode with a build-up of an amazing season to come. Picking up the story exactly where it left off, the fast pace was fun to watch. Episode grade: A-