NCIS: Los Angeles - An Unlocked Mind - Review: "Disturbing Plot, Great Character Moments"

The “NCIS: Los Angeles” team deals with a church-run cult in the episode “An Unlocked Mind.” After a church member escapes, the NCIS team is made aware that the Church of the Unlocked Mind is selling secrets that its members share with them in private, from privileged corporate information to military secrets. So NCIS sends Deeks and Kensi undercover to gain more information and extract a former DOD employee with high-level knowledge. During their stay, Kensi is drugged and almost raped by the head of the church. But the team acts quickly to save her and Deeks.

I must say, this episode had a different tone than most. I found it extremely creepy and gross. It was too much for me. Seeing inside the cult was weird – everyone acted strangely; nothing made sense. Members slapped themselves as discipline, they were urged to share every surreptitious detail of their lives, Kensi was encouraged to drink alcohol when she’d claimed she was an addict – and then there was the near-rape situation. It was extremely disturbing and disgusting. The content went too far for me. But looking past the creepy church plot, we did see some great character moments. And those moments were fun to watch. They balanced out the rest of the episode.

Kensi and Deeks

Kensi and Deeks were the focal point of the episode as they infiltrated the church. While it was fun to watch them in their undercover roles, my favorite part was getting to see how much they looked out for each other on the job. From Kensi freaking out when Deeks was dunked and held underwater to Deeks being upset at seeing Kensi drugged, it was clear how much these two care about one another. They were each put in dangerous situations but maintained their cover or necessary duties while displaying concern for their partner. While it served as a reminder that their love poses potential dangers in their line of work, so far their concern has been nothing but an asset as they closely watch out for one another.

I also think this episode (and others before it) is intended to show us how strong a couple they really are. This is especially important heading into the internal affairs investigation. Circumstances are clearly going to test them as Deeks is put in the hot seat. But thankfully they have a solid relationship. They love one another and want the best for each other. And they trust each other, which will hopefully continue.

Of course not everything is serious between these two. We got to watch them flirt while doing yoga together, with Kensi instructing Deeks how to get a nice deep straddle. Amused, he then checks out Kensi’s backside as she tells him to “focus on one intention.” She responds by happily inflicting a little pain on his body as she deepens his stretch. By the time Eric walked in, you had to laugh at how much these two are willing to be themselves and enjoy their quirky relationship in front of their team members. They are not ashamed. (Evidenced by how Kensi slapped Eric’s butt as she left the room.)

Next we see Kensi and Deeks preparing for their undercover operation, with Nell and Eric telling them what to expect at the church. As they prepare for “therapy” sessions (where their irises are monitored for lying), Kensi tells Deeks to share the story of his first sexual experience. These two really have no filter sometimes at work. But that’s just who they are. Even Nell encourages Deeks to be willing to reveal himself. So Deeks begins his story, telling them how he was 16 years old and went to visit a girl he liked but ended up sleeping with the girl’s mother. As everyone shows their disgust, Deeks has a good laugh. It seems he is just sharing his undercover character’s backstory, claiming he is a “method” actor.

From there we see Deeks and Kensi infiltrate the church. After initial introductions, both Kensi and “Martin” move into their therapy sessions where they are expected to divulge all their secrets. I really enjoyed these scenes, especially Kensi’s. Daniela Ruah portrayed a Kensi brimming with emotion, on the verge of tears as she is encouraged to share her past with drugs, affairs and hopelessness. Ruah made these brief moments so believable that you felt for her character even though you knew she wasn’t real.

I also felt for Kensi when she watched Deeks get dunked in the pool. At first it seemed like the leaders may be trying to drown him. Not knowing their motivations, Kensi freaked out. Because of her reaction, Lee, the head of the church, asked Kensi if she knew Deeks. But she covered well. When they revealed they were trying to make Deeks face his fears, it was clear Kensi was still getting over her own.

While Deeks is cozying up to the man they’re trying to extract, Kensi is being set up by the church members around her. I was completely creeped out by these scenes. The way the one woman encouraged Kensi to drink alcohol even though she said she had an addiction was ridiculous. Then they were creepy as they talked about getting massaged by other women, with over-the-top, sexual undertones. By the time Kensi is drugged and wakes up in lacy underwear – with the male head of the church and three other women in sexy lingerie surrounding her – I was disgusted. This scene was too much for me. It attempted to be too racy and sexy for their revolting motivations. This group had knowingly drugged Kensi and were about to rape her as a group. As the blonde woman called Kensi her “beautiful girl” and the man talked about Kensi experiencing “her awakening,” I was repulsed. The scene felt inappropriate. For me the subject matter went too far. NCIS could have infiltrated the church without this storyline. It was unnecessary. Watching Kensi in such a vulnerable situation was tough.

Fortunately the episode ended on a great lighthearted moment. The final scene started out sweet as Deeks expresses his concern for what Kensi went through, telling her it was tough to see her drugged and helpless. Watching David Ramsey and his wife reunited once again, Deeks comments that love conquers all (a comment that could be a foreshadowing of Kensi and Deeks’ situation as they head into the IA investigation). After Deeks jokes about his tight iliac crest (not even knowing where it is), they take one another in their arms and kiss – a kiss more passionate than we’ve seen before. That made it all the better when Hetty suddenly appeared on the screen behind them, scaring them senseless. It was priceless to watch them both afraid to turn around and see who it was, hoping desperately it was anyone but Hetty. I adored their dialogue as they stood frozen, wondering if they should move, trying to convince themselves it wasn’t Hetty and was going to be just fine. And then Hetty’s voice confirms their worst fears. That Hetty really is everywhere!

Sam, Callen, Granger, Nell

The other great thing about this episode was how everyone worked together to help out Kensi and Sam. When the assistant U. S. attorney wanted to stop them from continuing undercover, the team didn’t think about legal ramifications but doing their job and protecting each other. That began with helping Deeks and Kensi, since they’d gone dark and the team knew they could be in potential danger. They wanted to do everything they could to keep them safe.

When Kensi let the others know she has been drugged and needed help, Callen and Sam didn’t hesitate to act, even if it meant Sam lying to the attorney about already catching the church executive selling military secrets to a Chinese spy. It was nice to know Sam would do whatever it took to help Kensi. And the others proved they’d do the same for Sam. I loved how Callen, Granger and Nell all stepped up to admit fault. Granger was particularly funny as he claimed lying was his idea since he was a megalomaniac who couldn’t be stopped. Nell was also entertaining as she claimed she’d threatened to physically harm Sam if he didn’t lie. (Did you catch Callen’s amused facial expression? Classic. And Sam was equally funny as he said Nell had “scared the hell” out of him.) Each one of them covered for Sam without thinking twice.

Other Thoughts

- The beginning of the episode felt almost like a horror film with Kate running through the woods with a flashlight. I did think it was odd how the men chasing her weren’t running, though – they were walking like zombies.

- They sure have been showing off Kensi’s body a lot lately. This episode featured her in yoga clothing, a swimsuit and sexy lingerie.

- I was happy to see more of Hetty than we’ve seen lately. She was always sneaking in when everyone least expected it.

- It creeped me out when Lee said to the new church members: “Welcome to the best part of your life.” So I loved it when Callen arrested him and told him poignantly, “Welcome to the worst part of your life.”

- I did not like that attorney. He was afraid of the system and not willing to take any risks. He drove me nuts. It was great watching Granger stand up to him.

- I almost couldn’t believe Kensi got away from the would-be rapists since Lee and the blonde woman were still conscious.

- I found it a little odd that Deeks simply announced he was a federal agent in a room full of people who wanted to stop him. But luckily he had some skills to help him and David escape.

- I can’t wait for next week when everything hits the fan for Deeks. I can’t believe he’s arrested for murder. Let the internal affairs investigation begin!


What did you think of "An Unlocked Mind?" Did the church scenes disturb you? Do you feel Kensi and Deeks' relationship is strong enough to withstand Deeks' impending arrest? Weigh in below in the comments.

About the Author - Tonya Papanikolas

Tonya Papanikolas is an online, print and broadcast 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 loves covering NCIS: Los Angeles for SpoilerTV. (She's a big fan of Kensi and Deeks!) She also writes SpoilerTV articles on other great shows.