Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NCIS: "Gut Check"

A pen recorder is discovered on SECNAV during a briefing at NCIS. Gibbs and the team call in young NSA analyst Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), who, two years earlier, had written a paper predicting this breach of national security.

It's difficult to notice when a good series like NCIS falls into formula. Having noticed some of it, I haven't been as engaged the past three seasons and skipped buying the DVDs. However, I knew Cote de Pablo's decision to leave after eight seasons would be a chance to refresh the show.

An eccentric thinker, Bishop was two steps ahead of the team for most of the episode, the writers' good-natured way of subverting NCIS's formula, the way NCIS subverted JAG's. At the same time, Bishop had difficulty sharing her thought process and accepting the team's help. By episode's end, she realized this, and Gibbs offered her a job.

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