NCIS: Los Angeles season 8, episode 17 review: Planting seeds
Take, for example, getting to hear Callen and Anna do karaoke. While it may not have been amazing karaoke, it was hilarious and that was absolutely good enough for us. They were able to transfer a terrorist in Asakeem from prison in Arizona to Los Angeles, although in the process they had some major bumps in the road. For example, there was a certain problem known as diner patrons wanting to give the guy a little bit of their own justice for the sake of doing so. Then, there was random terrorists showing up and trying to kill them. We grew up in the south, and even we don’t remember that many guys packing heat at a local diner to the point of them willing to step up and lend a helping hand opening fire. Was it lucky and unrealistic? Maybe, but that’s the tone that the show was clearly trying to set here.
The larger mystery is more who was in the cabin later when the team tracked the data on the assailants. This person, whoever they are, could be one of the major villains moving forward, and this could be an interesting mystery to watch unfold. We planted a major seed, and gave us a great case along the way.
The Sam / Anna stuff was probably the best part of the night in terms of balancing action and humor, though there was also something fun in seeing Sam go undercover once more in an attempt to bust up a drug empire. The end result of it was also fairly satisfying, given that it was someone in the LA District Attorney who was secretly running things. They were making money on the drug trade while also putting away some bad guys in the process.
Did we want more?
Maybe from Kensi and Deeks, since there story was a tad light this time around. Still, they were so at the center for a lot of the mole stuff and also played a huge part in “Old Tricks” last week. We’re fine with mixing things up, especially since Anna is a recurring character who we only see so often.
This was overall another very good episode of the show, one that, as mentioned, combined a lot of what we like and a little bit of surprise to boot. For the most part, we do tend to think that the finest episodes of any crime shows are the ones that give you something you never imagine coming out of them. In between the diner shootout and the karaoke, this was it. Grade: B+.
There is a preview for the next new NCIS: Los Angeles episode over at the link here, and we absolutely do think that you should check that out. (Photo: CBS.)
What did you think about the various elements of this episode? Be sure to share in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)