NCIS: Los Angeles - Season Finale - "Deep Trouble" Review - Everyone's in Trouble



After several recent “NCIS: Los Angeles” episodes disappointed recently, I approached watching “Deep Trouble” with low expectations. I didn’t know if the finale would focus on the characters or give us any emotional connections or add a little fun to the dialogue. In fact, I almost expected it wouldn’t. So I didn’t anticipate much about the episode ahead of time and didn’t stress over what would happen. I also didn’t read any spoilers or promotional teases. And it turns out, going in blind and having low expectations is a great thing. When others were upset that, though the Talia interaction was fun, Kensi and Deeks didn’t really go anywhere, I was fine with it because I hadn’t expected any big Kensi and Deeks revelations. I also didn’t expect great banter because we hadn’t seen it in several episodes of late. So I was pleasantly surprised when the episode focused on the team members, gave us fun dialogue and still highlighted some Kensi and Deeks moments in a comical vein.

Granted, those Densi/Talia moments felt forced and a little cheesy. The scenes were over the top. I personally didn’t think Kensi would really act this way and it was very noticeable that the writers were simply using Talia to force Kensi to be jealous. I like it better when situations happen naturally and you forget that the writers purposely maneuvered everything. But this was an obvious manipulation. However, it was also a fun one. So I chose to let myself be manipulated. After all, you might as well go along for the ride if the ride is enjoyable. And I can’t deny I really enjoyed the Talia/Deeks/Kensi interaction.

It was a fun and rare dynamic to see Kensi jealous. Even though the writers have clearly put a big pause on her and Deeks’ relationship, you still know how they feel about each other and this episode proved it. Kensi was happy to take on Talia for Deeks’ affection. She wasn’t about to let this woman who had some rapport with Deeks gain the upper hand. Kensi was going to fight for her man even if he really isn’t her man officially. In fact, it was amusing to see her go from being mad at Deeks to challenging Talia and pushing Deeks out of the way as if he wasn’t even a part of the situation at all. It went from being about Kensi and Deeks to being about Kensi and Talia, which was amusing and funny. I loved the girl cat fight without the claws. The mental and territorial showdown was more effective than a physical one.

I know many Densi shippers have been worried about the Talia appearance so it was nice to see that she was never really a true threat to Kensi and Deeks. Instead, she was just there to taunt them, which was fun – and actually reaffirm what they have together. She said what Deeks has never specifically voiced – that he cared about his partner and was even in love with her. Talia wasn’t going to stand a chance next to Kensi. But Deeks also wasn’t about to admit that to Talia or anyone else, possibly even himself. And so the conversations made for some fun dynamics.

In addition, Talia was a lot bolder than I expected her to be. She looked Kensi up and down with no hesitation and didn’t hide her intentions. She even called Kensi out in front of everyone by making fun of her name and challenging her on what she thought Kensi would look like. That scene was hilarious. I almost thought I could see steam coming out of Kensi’s ears. I think that was the moment where Kensi decided to say, “Game on!” If Talia was being this blatantly obnoxious and issuing this challenge, Kensi would accept the gauntlet. And Deeks’ reaction was classic. He looked down and then to Kensi as if he did not know what was going to happen next. His expressions read, “Oh, no you didn’t! You just poked the bear. This is going to get very interesting. You better watch out. And I am in t-r-o-u-b-l-e!”

In fact, the reactions during the scenes with Talia and Deeks and Kensi made them all the more fun to watch. I love that these interactions first happened in front of Sam and Callen. This amplified the humor. Those two know exactly what is going on with Kensi and Deeks and they quickly became amused with the awkwardness of the situation. True to form, serious leader Callen was always the one to turn the conversation back to the details of the case while I found it amusing that Sam was always willing to let the awkward conversation continue. He likes to watch Deeks squirm so he had no intention of helping Deeks out of his bind. These two were both funny as they high-tailed it out of there, getting out of the crosshairs and leaving Deeks alone with the two girls to suffer a little longer.

Deeks’ reactions were also priceless. He was so uncomfortable he didn’t know what to do. He was caught in the middle of an impossible situation and didn’t want to get in trouble with anyone, especially Kensi. He couldn’t say anything but couldn’t walk away. He was in “deep trouble” no matter what. (Yes, the episode title can refer to more than just Sam and Callen’s submarine predicament.) Deeks had to walk a fine line of trying to appease both women. He stuttered and stammered and couldn’t escape the awkwardness. I loved his response after Talia mentioned to Kensi they had “hooked up” awhile ago. (Great choice of words.) Deeks responded by stammering around, “Partner, partnered up… She had… We were teamed up, and partnered up… They teamed us up because there was an explosion at a fish market.” He was in a lose-lose situation and it was indeed fun to watch him squirm.

When he and Kensi were alone, it wasn’t much better. Deeks tried to avoid the uneasiness altogether by not acknowledging that Talia was attractive, but that backfired. Soon Deeks was getting pummeled by Kensi, even when he told her she was beautiful. Kensi was already mad and on a roll so she couldn’t stop hitting him, even in response to a nice compliment.

By the time the girls were showcasing their “assets” in front of him in a demonstration of possession and competition, Deeks didn’t know what to do with himself. Of course, I can’t imagine that Deeks would ever mind having two beautiful women fighting over him. That would essentially be a dream for him. If only he could have enjoyed it more. Although he did seem to enjoy it by the end when Talia is taking off her outer shirt and flaunting her bosom and Kensi is showing off her beautiful hair and general sexiness. I was so distracted by what was happening with them that I realized I had no idea what they were actually saying about the case. But then again, I don’t think Deeks knew, either. At this point, he couldn’t say anything. All he could do was stand back and watch the ladies duke it out girl-style.

Aside from the Deeks/Kensi/Talia scenes, another thing I liked about this episode was the Sam and Callen dynamic. These two were in fine form this week. One of the things I love about them as partners is the fact that they are so different and yet work so well together. They understand each other on a deep level, but they are very distinct individuals. That makes it fun to see them tease each other about their idiosyncrasies. And they definitely have them.

This week we learned that Sam has fears of confined spaces and any talk of diarrhea, in addition to his fear of clowns. I love that the tough macho man has all these fears. We also watched the two of them joke about why the other could pass for a gang member. And we watched Sam let Callen do all the heavy lifting. He let Callen chase after the witness while he stayed in the car with the A.C. on (I loved that) and he let Callen go into the submarine while he stayed above ground. That amused me. Of course he had Callen’s back when he needed to but he was happy to let Callen take the lead on the dirty work. In addition to all that, they had some great banter.

I also enjoyed seeing Hetty and Granger’s tension played out. As Granger informs Hetty that she is being placed on administrative leave and sent to Washington to answer for her actions in Afghanistan (assigning Kensi to take out the White Ghost knowing she actually wouldn’t), Hetty called out Granger for not having her back. When Granger claims he had nothing to do with the decision, she replies, “Maybe that’s the problem. Because if you’re not watching my back, then you might as well be stabbing it.” Granger is one of those people who doesn’t want to get involved. He is covering his own butt. Not that he is to blame, but it would be nice if he would defend Hetty instead of watching out for himself.

I must say, I enjoy seeing Hetty in vulnerable situations. (“Deep trouble,” you might say.) It’s a nice change of pace since she is usually the one in charge with no fears. Of course, she has a plan in place in case things go wrong. And the only person she will allow to help her is Nell. This was another nice moment. While she won’t tell any of the other team members what is going on, Hetty invites Nell into her confidence. Hetty doesn’t trust a lot of people and it was nice to see her confide in Nell. She has trusted Nell before and I enjoyed seeing that she continues to feel Nell is on her side and worthy of being let into her secret plans and possibly even fears. She has to trust someone and Nell was a perfect choice.

When it comes to what I didn’t love about the episode, I had a few nitpicky complaints and one larger critique. Unfortunately we didn’t really see a lot of Eric and Nell in the episode, which is always a disappointment. Also, Sam’s obsession with wanting to compare Callen to a white supremacist was a little bit funny but also inappropriate in some places. I don’t generally think Nazi and swastika references go over well as jokes. The references made me uncomfortable. I understand friends can say inappropriate things in private that others wouldn’t understand. But these two friends are on television so I wish the writers would have used a little more decorum on the way they wrote that dialogue. (Some of it was really funny so if you took out the uncomfortable references, it would have been great.) I also didn’t love the ending shot of the submarine. It looked computer-generated, which made it look fake. The submarine was a cool idea and seeing it in motion gave you the sense that Sam and Callen were literally in “deep trouble” (sorry, I have to keep using the title reference) but the image itself was a little unreal.

Those are all minor things, though. My main critique of this episode is that it didn’t contain a lot of emotional drama. Except for the details of the plot, there wasn’t a lot on the line. Well, with the exception of what was happening with Hetty. Her job was on the line but somehow even that didn’t seem as dire as it could have been. Without a buildup over the last few episodes, it didn’t seem real dramatic. This episode just didn’t give us a lot of emotional investment. Overall, this was a big case and I enjoyed the submarine element, which is something you don’t often see in a TV show. But other than that it was kind of business as usual. From this aspect, it would have been nice to see more. The best episodes of “NCIS: Los Angeles” make me feel something deeply, make me cry and laugh in the span of an hour. (Think “Spoils of War.”) But this episode definitely didn’t spur any deep emotions. I laughed and enjoyed it but I didn’t feel tense or truly wonder what was going to happen. Even the cliffhanger was predictable. You know that Sam and Callen will eventually escape the submarine unscathed and the team will rescue them. There’s not much to anticipate on that end except the details of how it will happen. So when it came to real drama, this episode only skimmed the surface. But at least it was fun along the way. I definitely enjoyed it for those reasons.

Even with a predictable cliffhanger, I eagerly await season six. Here is to hoping that Kensi and Deeks will eventually have more serious discussions about their relationship and where it is going. I can’t wait for the “NCIS: Los Angeles” gang to come back again. I’m already counting down the months.

EPISODE SCORE: a solid 8/10.

*****

EPISODE AWARDS:

• Most Unnecessary yet Enjoyable Chase: Callen chases the potential witness while Sam follows in the car. I thought it was pretty amusing that Callen took off running while Sam stayed in the car. After jumping over fences and running through yards, Callen eventually gets back in the car and they drive for a little while before Callen gets out again. I don’t know why he didn’t just stay in the car to begin with but I’m not complaining as it was fun to watch him chase the boy. He then jumps over rooftops and more fences before Sam’s car stops the kid and Callen tackles him. (I couldn’t help thinking that Sam wouldn’t have been too happy with Callen tackling the guy on his hood when he had just detailed his car.)

• Worst Shot (as in Gunshot): The guy who shoots at Callen in the submarine. It looked like the man had a straight shot at Callen from the back and missed. Lucky for us he hadn’t practiced his shooting.

• Biggest Question: How did the two men Sam and Callen handcuffed get out of those handcuffs and then appear in the submarine? Yes, I noticed there were three men in the sub so obviously the third man helped them. But still, they didn’t have a key. It can’t be that easy to get out of handcuffs.

• Best Laugh-Out-Loud Moment: Kensi comes out of the bathroom in the boat shed with her hair suddenly down and flowy, acting confident and trying to prove she is sexier and more desirable than Talia. I loved it.

• Funniest Slam: Kensi talking about Deeks leaving the toilet seat up (and her sitting on it) as if to prove they are close and she knows him extremely well. Hilarious.

• Most Incongruous Use of a Federal Agent: Talia never seems to have to check in with the DEA. She just simply joins the NCISLA team and gives them all the information they want. While they don’t return the favor at first, suddenly she is being briefed along with the rest of the team in the boatshed. Now she is privy to all their information? I guess there’s nothing to worry about. Her only agenda seems to be to hang out with Deeks, check out/harass Kensi and help them with whatever they need.

• Best Don’t-You-Know-Me-At-All Comment: Callen asks Sam if he was ever in a gang and Sam gives him a look of, “Come on! Really?” He responds that he’s never mentioned it before, has he - and does he look like he was in a gang? To that Callen hedges, propelling Sam to say Callen is the one who looks like he could be in a gang of white supremacists. I actually loved this scene. If it hadn’t been for the inappropriate swastika comment, it would’ve been perfect.

• Best Line with a Double Entendre: Talia says to Sam, “You guys hate to share” as she looks over Kensi. Couldn’t miss the double meaning of having to share Deeks. Love it.

• Most Easy-to-Overlook Compliment: Deeks tells Kensi she is beautiful. He said it to appease her when Kensi tried to corner him about Talia being beautiful. But nonetheless, he said it and meant it. Unfortunately, there was no time to dwell on it as Kensi hits Deeks for it and then has to make up an excuse about why she did that.

• Most Unnecessary but Still Enjoyable Punch: Kensi hits Deeks after he tells her that she is beautiful. I know some people hate all the hitting but I’m not one of them. I truthfully kind of enjoy it. (Is that wrong?) To me it’s just Kensi’s playful way of interacting with Deeks. So I found this punch amusing. Even Kensi didn’t know why she did this. Her facial expressions as she turns around for the camera (and Deeks can’t see her) tell us she didn’t know how to respond to the compliment so she turned to her usual M.O. and hit Deeks without knowing what else to do. (After all, she was on a roll.) But since she doesn’t have a good reason, she tries to quickly gloss over it and give an explanation that makes no sense – it was a good luck punch.

• Biggest Lie: Deeks tells Talia that he has more of a “brother and sister relationship” with Kensi. This was a BIG FAT LIE. This didn’t bother me, though, as it did for some people because it was clear to me that Deeks was just trying to seem like he wasn’t “madly in love” with his partner as Talia had attested. Plus, he’s a flirt so he didn’t want to admit anything to Talia, especially the truth. But I like that he did not protest when Talia asked him if they had ever hooked up. In fact, as she recognizes that Deeks never said no, he gives a very satisfied-with-himself smile.

• Most Fun-to-Watch Character: A case could be made for several characters this episode but I have to go with Deeks. In addition to watching him squirm with the two ladies, he was hilarious with the rest of the team, too. From making a healthy smoothie at work to calling Callen “G Bacon,” to telling Eric maybe his “Florence Henderson” haircut made him a geek in high school, I loved myself some Deeks in this episode.

GREAT EPISODE QUOTES:

Deeks: “I guess I’m the only person that treats their body like a temple.”
Sam: “Yeah, Shirley Temple.”
Deeks: “That’s right, laugh while you can, gentlemen, ‘cause humor is the first casualty of your impending vascular dementia.”
Kensi: “Morning, boys. What’s going on?
Callen: “Your partner has the body of Shirley Temple.”
Kensi: “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Deeks: “Oh, you know what? That just cost you a burst of instant awesome.”

Deeks (to Sam): “Just to clarify, a clown with colitis is your worst nightmare?”
Sam: “Shut up, Deeks.”

Eric: “I was a geek in high school. The locker room was my Thunder Dome.”
Deeks: “Yeah? Maybe it’s because of that Florence Henderson haircut.”

Deeks: “What’s the skinny, Minnie? A.K.A. Miss Jones.”

Callen (answering Eric’s phone call): “Speak of the chicken-legged devil.”

Deeks: “The Wonder Twins find anything?”

Sam: “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
Callen: “I left it in my sense of self-preservation pants.”
Sam: “They still fit you?”
Callen: “They sure do.”

Granger: “Somebody in Washington is stirring this up. It’s a witch hunt.”
Hetty: “Yes, and unfortunately I’m the one left holding the broom.”

Granger: “I have nothing to do with this.”
Hetty: “Well, maybe that’s the problem. Because if you are not watching my back, then you might as well be stabbing it.”
Deeks: “I hate it when Mom and Dad fight.”

Sam: “Do I look like someone who would be in a gang?”
Callen: “Well, you know…”
Sam: “Well, what about you, Mr.-Crewcut-Bullet-Scars-Only-Goes-By-‘G?’ You’re like one swastika tattoo and a pair of Dr. Martens away from looking like all the white supremacists we ever busted.”
Callen: “I got better teeth. You know it!” (I hated the swastika reference but included the quote anyway since I liked the rest of the dialogue.)

Sam: “Trust me, he’s gonna run. You know how I can tell?”
Callen: “’Cause it’s 85 degrees out and we’re both wearing jeans?”
Sam: “Exactly.”
Callen: “Well, you can just hit him with your car.”
Sam: “I just got it detailed.”

Sam (to Callen who is chasing the witness while Sam waits in the car): “I’ll keep the A.C. on.”

Kensi: “She (Hetty) shut me down again.”
Deeks: “I wish she’d teach me how to do that.”

James Martinez: “I don’t have to talk to you guys. I have the right to remain silent.”
Callen: “Yeah, you also have the right to remain stupid.”

Sam: “A hand grenade?”
Callen: “You told them to throw down their weapons.”

Talia (to Kensi): “You were on another assignment the last time we hooked up.”
Deeks: “Partner, partnered up… She had… We were teamed up, partnered up… They teamed us up because there was an explosion at a fish market.”

Kensi: “Something wrong?”
Talia: “Oh, no. Sorry. You’re just not what I pictured.”
Kensi: “What did you picture?”
Talia: “I don’t know. I guess the name threw me. When I heard Kensi, I guess I just expected Barbie’s Malibu cousin. I thought I’d be seeing a blonde California girl.”
Kensi: “Not even close.”
Talia: “I can see that now.”

Sam: “You think it’s safe to leave Deeks alone with those two?”
Callen: “Hell of a lot safer than being here when the claws come out.”

Kensi: “She’s pretty.”
Deeks: “Who, Talia?”
Kensi: “No, Queen Elizabeth.”
Deeks: “Hah! Regal, maybe. I always thought her sister Princess Margaret was the hot one.”
Kensi smacks Deeks.
Deeks: “Ow!”
Kensi: “Don’t be an idiot.”
Deeks: “You’re the one who brought up the Windsor sisters.”
Kensi: “You can’t tell me you don’t think she’s attractive.”
Deeks: “You know what? I honestly never even noticed.”
Kensi hits him again.
Deeks: “God. Alright. Okay I’ve not noticed that she’s not not attractive.”
Kensi: “She’s beautiful.”
Deeks: “You’re beautiful.”
Kensi punches him again.
Deeks: “I don’t know why you punched me then. What is that for?”
Kensi: “For good luck?”
Deeks: “That’s not good luck.”
Kensi: “Why don’t you just get in the car and drive?”
Deeks: “Rabbit feet, four leaf clovers, those are good luck. Your abusive nature, there is nothing good lucky about that.”

Talia: “Last time I was here you had to carry me into the bathroom, remember that?”
Deeks: “She had a stonefish spine stuck in her leg.”

Kensi: “You see, he refuses to put the toilet seat back down. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a wet butt thanks to him.”
Deeks: “I don’t think that means what you think that that means.”
Deeks (to Talia): “What? Sitting on a toilet seat without looking down, I mean, that’s just plain reckless.”

Talia: “It all makes sense now. I get it.”
Deeks: “What makes sense now?”
Talia: “Your partner is smoking hot – and you are very clearly madly in love with her. So…”
Deeks: “No, no, no, no. I mean, we’re very close, honestly. But it’s much more of a brother and sister relationship.”
Talia: “Really? So you’re telling me that the two of you never (makes clicking sound to imply hooking up)?”
Deeks: “That would be against regulations.”
Talia: “That’s not a no.”

Granger: “You’ve got to be very careful, fellas. Your fairy godmother isn’t going to be around to protect you so I suggest you get back to work.”

Sam (taking pictures of the submarine): “This is going on my Christmas card.”

Sam: “You know damn well I’m not going on that thing. I’ll stay here.”
Callen: “I thought you were wearing your sense-of-adventure pants today, huh?”
Sam: “I don’t have a problem with adventure. I’m just not a big fan of confined spaces.”



(Photos courtesy of CBS and NCISLA Magazine.)


What did you think of the season finale? What did you love or not love? What did you think of Talia's interaction with Densi? Do you believe Hetty is in real trouble? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author - Tonya Papanikolas

Tonya Papanikolas is a freelance journalist who loves covering entertainment and television. She spent more than 10 years as a broadcast news anchor/reporter and now does everything from hosting to writing. She is excited to cover NCIS: Los Angeles for SpoilerTV. (She loves Kensi and Deeks!) She also writes SpoilerTV articles on other great shows.