Wow. Just wow! Twelve seasons in and NCIS still manages to surprise me. "Parental Guidance Suggested" presented us with a great case that took a unique turn in the end. Besides that, we saw a vulnerable Tony when he finally talked about his feelings for Ziva.
The gun used to kill the victim is matched to a previous crime committed by the victim's neighbour. He tells them that he had the gun locked away by his neighbour because he tried to kill himself. He also reveals that he had seen bruises on Rachel's body when her father was home. The team goes to search for Ryan but can't find him at his hotel room, so they track him down to a rest stop. He is arrested and admits to killing his wife. However, Gibbs smells something is wrong when it is discovered that Rachel's bruises were from before her father was in the US. Gibbs interrogates her and it is revealed that the girl is actually a sociopath. Her mother wanted to seek help for her but she didn't want to. She hit herself so her father would come home and things would be better. However, since his return visits were always temporarily, she killed her mother so she would have him permanently.
Also in the episode, Tony gets an emergency call from Abby to come to her lab. When he gets there, she shuts the door and says they should talk. Abby says Tony should stop dating so many women in such short time as she knows why he's doing that: it's because he misses Ziva. He shouldn't hide behind his jokes but just man up and move on. Tony knows she is not coming back but that doesn't make it any easier for him.
In my review of "Choke Hold" a few weeks ago I wrote that the show did one of the most creepiest things it has ever done. However, this episode has surpassed that to deliver the most creepy thing in the show's long history. I'm not talking about the cannibal, which I don't think the show has ever done before but we didn't really see it in this episode either. I am referring to the child being a sociopath that murdered her mom. I never ever saw that twist coming. It made for quite an intense scene in the interrogation room between Gibbs and Rachel. While I believe these kind of twists to be more fitting for shows like Criminal Minds, I absolutely didn't mind having it this one time as it completely blew me away. Excellent choice for a mind-blowing twist.
I have to give a special shout-out to the acting, which was top-notch in this episode. Pauley Perrette and Michael Weatherly were outstanding as they each showed their different emotions towards Ziva's departure. Perrette showed us that Abby that upset that Ziva left but was ready to move on. We also saw how concerned she was about Tony. Weatherly made Tony's pain feel real and showed us how much Tony really cared about Ziva. Also kudos to guest actors Millie Bobby Brown (Rachel) and Bronson Pinchot (George Burton), who both played their roles with a lot of creepiness.
What did you think of this episode? Did you see it coming that the girl murdered her mother? Do you agree that it's probably the creepiest thing the show has ever done? And what do you think about Tony's storyline? Is he really ready to move on? Tell your opinions in the comments below!
Oh yeah,Rachel sure is a little psychopath! Boy did she send chills down my spine. This was a good episode and i loved Abbey and Tony's little conversation about Ziva NOT coming back. Yep,i miss her too but i was so angry that she left that i found it very easy to move on. If she had only told them so the writers could have been prepared and write her off the way they wanted i would have been fine with it.I hope she never comes back...good riddance! (do i sound angry,ha) Anyway......
ReplyDeleteI wish they had hired the women that played Zoe as Tony's new love interest instead of that other women (cannot remember her name). Tony seem so at ease with her,it just flowed so naturally like he did with Ziva.
So yes,I do believe Tony is ready to move on,and that was one of their creepiest to say the least! Thanks for a good review Daniel,till next week!
sociopath not psycopath, there's a difference.
ReplyDeleteI loved the chemistry between Zoe and Tony. I think she would be a great one for him to move on with as they already have a bond. And she's a very likable character.
ReplyDeleteYep,their is a difference. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201401/how-tell-sociopath-psychopath
ReplyDeleteI was like you Daniel, I have not seen it coming. I mean the girl who kills her mother, OMG, what a twist !
ReplyDeleteI really liked the Abby Tony talk about Ziva. Abby clarified her remarks by saying that Ziva will never come back and Tony has to move on. I think when she was talking to Tony, she was also talking to us, the audience. The producers want to make us understand that Ziva is gone for good.
But I still miss Ziva even if I like Bishop.
I found it easier when it was between Kate and Ziva.
I still want Ziva back. The replacement agent looks like she is twelve and its just not the same.
ReplyDeleteI have two remarks: L-O-V-E-D the scene with Abby and Tony, I still miss Ziva a lot (not in a "Iwon'twatchtheshowanymorewithouther" miss her, but in a "Ireallylikedherandthedynamicthatshebroughttotheshowesespeciallywithtony" miss her); and I loved seeing The Big Bang Theory on it, LOL... Great episode!
ReplyDeleteZiva (or rather Cote) didn't know that she was going to leave, she only made that decision when the salary offer she got wasn't acceptable, so there was really no way she could've given the writers more heads up...
ReplyDeleteI actually did see the twist coming, but I have to agree that it's the creepiest twist in the shows history so far. If there's anything that really sends chills down my spine it's evil children.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that is the only reason she left and unless you were there or know her personally you don't know either,you,like everyone else can only speculate . We can say sure she wanted the same amount Michael was getting and didn't get it.Boo Hoo for her,she didn't deserve it.Or,she wanted to leave because she wanted to make movies.Whatever the reason she is the one that decided to leave period..
ReplyDeleteFunny how a month or two later she started working on movie..
Whether the money is the whole story or not is only a matter of speculation, yes. But she has said in interviews that her decision to leave was sudden, so point remains, she didn't know she was going to quit, and thus she didn't have any way of giving the writers heads up. I think the fault lies with the networks or owners or whoever negotiates the contracts, they knew that Cote's contract was expiring and if they had negotiated contracts earlier than they do the writers would known earlier if the actors are going to stay or not. But with the (bad) habit shows have of discussing contracts between seasons, these situations are bound to happen, it's not the first time, and won't be the last.
ReplyDeleteRachel was absolutely chilling indeed. Never saw it coming that she had it in her.
ReplyDeleteThe talk between Abby and Tony was great as well! I miss Ziva as well but I'm getting more and more used to Bishop.
Yeah, Zoe and Tony were great together. She could be a great addition. I liked her more than Leia from a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI know right? It was a pretty crazy twist. I also believe the talk was a bit meant for the fans who still miss Ziva. I agree it was easier between Kate and Ziva, but then again Kate was on the show for two years while Ziva was around for eight years.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was also wondering what happened to Palmer. He is a series regular but it's not like he's appearing in more episodes than when he wasn't a regular. I want some scoop on the baby.
The scene was really great! I miss her to for the reason you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteIt took me completely by surprise but I guess you could suspect the girl since something was off every time there was a scene with her.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the twist coming, either, and loved it! Deliciously creepy. Although I hate to say that up until the end, I wasn't loving the acting from the young girl who played Rachel. She was too shifty-eyed and unfocused. After seeing the end, I realized it was probably intentional but it was distracting to me.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the Tony/Abby talk and realized they were talking to the audience as much as Tony. But I appreciated that they finally made some note of it. It indeed WAS the best way the show has acknowledged Ziva's departure since she left. It was long overdue. (And almost seemed a little strange at this point, but better late than never.)
Finally, I got the feeling that this new woman may be Tony's love interest instead of the former CIA girl. They mentioned that Tony had already pretty much gotten over things with Leia. Then they set up this Zoe woman as someone who had this great chemistry with Tony (like when Abby and McGee mentioned it saying they hadn't seen him that way since "you know who.") But I honestly didn't get that at all from Tony and Zoe. She didn't bother me and I didn't dislike her. I just didn't see any big sparks at all. I felt like the show was telling me the two were good together instead of showing me. And to me, it didn't show. So we will see. I'm open to seeing where it goes. But right now I don't see it at all.
Thanks Tonya! Indeed the Tony/Abby talk about Ziva was long overdue but I'm gladd they adressed it now. I also noticed the mentioned he was oer Leia since he has been dating other girls, so I too am wondering if Zoe might be Tony's love interest.
ReplyDeleteI hope they are ready to move on from the Ziva drama...enough already. She had serious issues that dragged on for years on the show. Although enterntaining and excellent drama, it was time to either get over her issues or move on. So please, Tony, NCIS producers, get over it and move on!
ReplyDeleteGreat timing. It is definitely necessary to get over the whole Tiva era. It was fun but, honestly, Ziva never did anything really to deserve Tony's love. She was only interested when Tony show interest in someone else. Otherwise, she never tried to take anything further. Until the end, it was always Tony spilling his heart out and fighting for that girl. Aside from when he was with the French girl, Ziva never really did anything extraordinary for him. I'm glad they put a lid on that relationship. Ziva did not deserve Tony at all.
ReplyDeleteThe Abby/Tony conversation was a year late. It just highlights how poorly the show handled her departture. There was nothing subtle about it. It was an overt swipe at the actress.
ReplyDeleteIt's only just come on in the UK. As soon as I saw the initial bit, I said to my wife, the girl's the killer, she said "Have you seen it before?" I said "No." did a quick bit of searching on the Internet and lo and behold.... It was kind of obvious.
ReplyDelete