NCIS: Los Angeles - Spiral - Review: "Cheeky and Fun"

It was good to have the gang back together after the holiday break. Though this episode made no mention of their holiday plans or anything that happened in “Humbug” (I am still really curious about Eric’s visit at Nell’s parents’ house), it seemed to pick up on many of the positive notes of the last episode, including having one of the characters involved in the main plot. Granted, I did think a few of the plot points were hard to follow, including the pharmaceutical storyline and what was happening with the vaccine, but overall I loved seeing the team work together to solve the case. This episode really utilized the entire team and was packed full of great action and high energy. Amidst numerous memorable moments we were also treated to some fun, cheeky dialogue.


Callen and Sam

I really enjoyed seeing Callen as “Jimmy the Mail Guy.” First he brown-noses the boss (who is actually an arms dealer), then when the terrorists take the employees hostage, his role as the Mail Guy became even funnier as the security officer and doctor made note of how much he was helping. I loved when the cop said, “What a relief – Mail Guy says I’m gonna survive.” So funny! And when he asked Callen who he really was, Callen answered with a twinkle in his eye, “I’m Jimmy the Mail Guy.” Then the doctor questions the “Mail Guy’s” medical expertise. The irony of it all was amusing and the dialogue made me laugh. One of my favorite lines came later when Callen told Sam he’d found his New Year’s resolution: he would never go undercover as Jimmy the Mail Guy again. To that Sam responded, “Jimmy the Mail Guy went postal.” Nice one, Sam!

As usual, Callen and Sam worked very well together. Sam showed up just in time to save Callen’s life when the terrorists were about to shoot him and then the two partners came up with a great plan to catch them. I thought it was a smart strategy to plant the phone in front of the empty elevator shaft and make it ring, especially since the terrorists had cut off the phone lines. These two are invincible together.

But their true bond shined when Callen had been exposed to the deadly virus. He immediately thought of everyone else and locked himself in the room to contain the virus. When he started coughing blood, you knew it couldn’t be good. That was one fast-acting virus! But thankfully there was an antidote and when Callen woke up in the hospital, he had some touching moments with Sam. How fitting that the last thing Callen remembered before he fell asleep was Hetty and the first thing he saw when he woke up was Sam. It emphasized how much they care about him. Callen recognizes that and was

appreciative that Sam came to Georgia to be with him while he recovered. That takes a true friend – or family member, as Sam points out. He wasn’t about to let Callen wake up alone. And almost dying proved to be a good wake-up call for Callen as it made him start thinking of his regrets. Though I thought it was a strangely written transition to suddenly talk about things he thought he regretted like Sam’s singing in the car and pretending to like Michelle’s casserole (What? Why would he regret that?), Callen’s real regret was heartfelt and vulnerable and honest. He tells Sam he regrets giving up on believing that he might meet his dad someday. Like a true friend, Sam reassures him that there is still time. I hope this conversation was a foreshadowing of a storyline to come - soon. I think we all would love to see Callen meet his dad. The hints are being dropped and I, for one, am ready for that story.


Kensi and Deeks

I was happy to see that being a couple has not changed the essence of Kensi and Deeks’ great interactions with each other. Sometimes when a series brings a couple together, the characters act differently and you wonder why their personalities seem to have suddenly changed. Of course, these two have been acting like a couple for a while so this step should be natural. But I was happy to see that it was - they still act the same and their banter with each other is still flirty and fun. In fact, it was so seamless I almost forgot they actually were a couple now. (Okay, I said almost). I was also happy to see that their new couple status did not affect their work. Some people have questioned whether being in a relationship would jeopardize their job. After all, Deeks did indeed hold back in “The Frozen Lake,” refusing to pull a trigger when it was necessary because their relationship had changed after they went home from the restaurant together in “Recovery.” After that he became more worried about Kensi’s safety and became more protective of her, and it impinged on his actions and reactions. So it was a legitimate question if that was going to happen again. And I was very happy to see that it didn’t. In fact, I thought they worked very well together. Kensi encouraged Deeks when he needed it (cutting the wires of the bomb) and they both had each other’s backs when they had to sneak around the hostages and then when they tried to beat up the guy with the bomb. They also both allowed each other to take the risks necessary for the situation.

If it wasn’t apparent earlier, by the ending scene, it became obvious that these two were together. (And to me, Deeks’ boldness in some of his statements pointed to a physical relationship as these were the types of things you wouldn’t say unless you were intimate). Oh, the sexual innuendo in that Zen banter - it was so funny! The first meditation conversation earlier in the episode was much more subtle and honestly didn’t sound like sexual innuendo to me. (One thing I loved about that scene, though, was how Kensi could take down Deeks without even opening her eyes!) But I appreciated how the earlier scene set up the ending scene perfectly. I don’t think that Zen dialogue – and the characters’ reactions to it – could have been any better. Each character played his/her part so perfectly. The insinuations behind everything were so amusing. By the time Nell and Eric came into the room and suggested group Zen, I could feel Kensi and Deeks’ shock as the metaphor lingered in the room. I loved the conversation between Kensi and Deeks, and then I enjoyed how Nell and Eric came into it and made it a group conversation, taking it to another level. And the whole conversation transitioned so smoothly into their ending chant. It was all fantastic.

I also don’t want to forget the scene of Deeks hanging out the window to find cell phone/satellite phone coverage. I couldn’t help thinking, “Whoa!” – in a good way. Even Deeks knew how crazy his actions were, telling himself “Yeah, that’s a terrible idea – let’s do that.” (I also loved his “Can you hear me now?” line.) I love scenes that push the limits of what you expect and this one did as he hung out the window way above the city to talk to Nell. I also couldn’t believe that when he first heard voices, he climbed out further. I wouldn’t want to be hanging out the window when those guys came in with guns! Deeks is a crazy one but he does what it takes to get the job done.


Eric and Nell

I was very amused by the scene where Eric and Nell talk about expensive lingerie. She was a real tease, claiming to know all about those “not-$800” panties. Nell really has Eric wrapped around her little finger. It’s so easy for her to render him speechless and she seems to love twisting him into knots. She can pull his strings so easily, but I don’t think he minds one bit. Again, both of their expressions were great in this scene, making it even funnier. Nell seems so buttoned up in her conservative little sweater and skirt outfits that I love it when you see a cheeky side to her. And she definitely has that side.


Other Thoughts

- I loved the security officer’s role in this episode. Sometimes the show emphasizes the main characters so much that the new side characters of the week are diminished and don’t seem really fleshed out and important. But this week was a wonderful and welcome exception. The cop was funny and smart and it was nice to see him trying to help the team. And in turn it was great to see the team interacting with him. It just furthers the story and the audience’s investment when characters like this are written well. In this case his character emphasized the irony behind Callen posing as a mail boy, and he also highlighted Deeks’ goodness and generosity when Deeks took the time to thank the officer for saving everyone’s life. Those kinds of touches really add to the script.

- I thought it was odd that the officer was the only hostage who seemed to notice the NCIS team moving in and out of the room secretly. I know they were all scared, but that shouldn’t make them oblivious to what was going on. No one ever really looked at them!

- The set-up of Deeks’ experience dismantling the bomb was written so well. I loved how we first see Eric mentioning that Deeks took an EOD course at Quantico and Callen questioning how he did. That scene then cuts straight to Kensi reiterating to Deeks that he failed that test. The way it was structured really emphasized the humor. Of course Deeks answers like Deeks and says his test was just practice – he doesn’t really show up until “game day.” I’m glad he has so much confidence in his abilities!

- Did you see how quickly Sam put the terrorist outside the building in a headlock? That man has skills!

- I love that Hetty has lunch meetings in other countries! Leave it to Hetty to meet someone for lunch in Nicaragua.

- When the doctor told the terrorists, “There’s something you need to know,” I guessed she was probably bad. But at other times she was so convincing I forgot about my initial guess. Did you suspect anything?

- I couldn’t figure out who set up the wire that the terrorists tripped to set off an explosion. That felt like a random scene that didn’t make sense to me.

- When the cop recognized the man with the bomb had a limp, I expected that to come into play, but it never really did. Maybe it made it easier for Kensi and Deeks to shove him down an elevator shaft??

- If all the communication signals were jammed, I don’t know how Eric got through to Sam and Callen. And after Deeks came inside from the window, he received a map of the bomb from Nell on his phone. But how did he get that when there had been no signal earlier in that same room?

- Chris O’Donnell always shines in simple, small moments. After Callen was just exposed to the virus and he shuts the door, for a moment his eyes revealed his fear. But he still plowed ahead with what was important, telling Sam to finish the job.

- After all the set-up, I thought the doctor went down too easily. She and the pilot were shot so fast, it felt a little anti-climactic.

- I wish we would have heard Sam sing a little more! LL Cool J has the chops for it so I wish they’d milked that just a little bit longer. It would have been fun to hear him bust out a real song!


What did you think of "Spiral?" What was your favorite part of the episode? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author - Tonya Papanikolas

Tonya Papanikolas is a entertainment journalist who loves covering her favorite TV shows, including "NCIS: Los Angeles." (She's a big fan of Kensi and Deeks!) She spent more than 10 years as a broadcast news anchor/reporter and now does everything from hosting to writing. She writes reviews and feature articles for SpoilerTV on a ton of great shows.