NCIS: Los Angeles - Unspoken - Review: "A Show of Trust"

“Unspoken” follows Sam’s former NCIS partner, Mark Ruiz, who is under suspicion for setting off an explosive and killing several people. He was working undercover with ATF at the time to get his hands on a new military-grade explosive, but video of him at the deal makes it seem like he set off the bomb after things went south. As NCIS investigates, Sam believes his ex-partner is innocent. But the others wonder if Sam is blindly trusting someone who may be untrustworthy. In the end it turns out Sam is right. His loyalty is rewarded when Mark saves Sam’s life.

I enjoyed this episode. It’s always fun to have the main plot tie in closely with a team member, and because of Sam’s past with Mark, the plot revolved heavily around Sam. The episode proved what we already know: Sam is extremely loyal to those around him. And he is not willing to give that up just because others question his trust. Sure, Sam wants to believe the good in everyone, but he is also not blind to reality. He takes in all the evidence and can make hard decisions when it’s necessary. In the end he demonstrates faith in the people he loves. And in this case it was warranted.

Sam and Callen

Though we had never met Sam’s ex-partner before, Callen seemed to know all about him. That made sense since Sam and Callen are so close. I imagine Sam would have told Callen about the partner he worked with prior to Callen. Callen even seemed to know about Mark’s drug problem, asking Sam why he hadn’t shared the “whole story” with the rest of the team. But Sam wanted to protect Mark and his reputation.

Callen, meanwhile, questions whether Sam will be able to arrest Mark if he ends up being dirty. And Sam proves later he can do what it takes. When Mark throws down Sam to get away, his motives are definitely nebulous. So when Sam catches up to him, he has no problem putting handcuffs on his former buddy. But he still doesn’t believe he killed the men who died in the explosion. Until he has evidence to the contrary, Sam believes the best. And he has no problem going undercover with Mark to continue the operation. He trusts him that much.

I thought it was interesting that everyone was questioning Sam’s loyalty. Callen tells Hetty that Sam is loyal to a fault and sometimes it blinds him. I found that sort of ironic since Sam’s loyalty has benefited Callen many times in the past – like when Callen goes off working on his own and doesn’t tell the rest of the team about what he is doing. Callen should know better than anyone to trust his partner. I was glad Hetty then told Callen more backstory on Mark, detailing what had happened on an Asian undercover operation when two of Sam’s SEAL team brothers died in an ambush and Mark lived. There was a reason Sam was putting his trust in Mark. Granted, yes, he wanted to believe that his friend’s life was worth the cost of the two dead Navy SEALs. But to me it also showed how Sam sees the world. He has experienced his fair share of grief and hardship, but he chooses to see life’s glass as half full. He isn’t blind to tough circumstances. But he still believes in those around him, which is a positive trait that others should learn to trust.

Kensi also questioned Sam’s willingness to protect someone who may have killed three people. But her skepticism felt odd and misplaced to me. Sam’s gut usually steers him right. I was glad Deeks stood up for Sam and pointed out he would do the same for Kensi, even if she had killed someone for the “right reasons.”

Granger seemed to be the only one who actually trusted Sam, which was a little surprising. But I enjoyed watching Granger tell Deeks and Kensi to trust their team member, and seeing him point out to Sam that he had placed his trust in the agent. Trust was definitely a big theme through this episode.

I was glad that Sam trusted Callen enough to be by his side and talk honestly with him about the case. When Sam took Callen to Mark’s family, it was cute to watch Callen guess who they were going to visit, listing all the clues. And I loved Sam’s response: “What else, Sherlock?” That was appropriate. But we were given quite a red herring when Sam hugged Alicia Ruiz, and Callen looked at them like he wondered what had happened between them. By the time Mark blatantly asked Sam if he slept with his wife, I almost expected him to say yes. But Sam was disgusted Mark could even think that. He only been helping his friend and getting Mark’s family through a tough time.

After Callen’s initial uncertainty about his partner’s loyalty, it was only fitting that the bond between Callen and Sam was emphasized at the end of the episode. It became clear when NCIS and ATF moved in on the bad guys and Callen immediately noticed Sam had gone missing. He is always looking out for his partner. Then it was emphasized again at the ending scene in the office as Sam teasingly asked Callen if he hit him too hard when Callen posed as the Filipino man. As they joked with one another, you could see how much they cared. Sam even told his partner, “You know I love you, G.” And Callen repeated the phrase back, calling his partner “Sammy,” which he knew Sam didn’t like. These two are a dynamic duo. Even when they don’t trust one another, they have each other’s backs. And that trust always reappears.

Kensi and Deeks

Once again the team is bringing up and potentially (but not overtly) questioning Kensi and Deeks’ relationship. They didn’t do it in a threatening way, just in a teasing way. But it’s interesting that they are pointing out to Kensi and Deeks how they are bringing their personal life with them to work. The couple didn’t realize they were doing that, but apparently they are. The question is: Is it a bad thing? So far nobody seems too upset by it. But they still brought up the potential boundary issues it creates.

I actually really enjoyed the scene at the beginning of the episode where the guys list all the boundary-blurring that Deeks and Kensi have demonstrated lately. First they talk about Kensi stealing Deeks’ protein powder. Then we find out they had a “display of affection” at a stoplight recently. Then Sam points out they fight at work over which side of the bed they get. And finally Eric reveals that Deeks complains about where Kensi hangs her undies. These two have apparently become oversharers. And the rest of the team finds it somewhat amusing. Now that they are a real couple, it seems they talk about their relationship and living arrangements all the time. I personally find it cute and endearing. But could it be a problem? That’s yet to be seen. But the potential is there – and we as viewers are being made aware of that potential. Were the boys bringing it to their attention because it completely annoyed them? Perhaps. But it also seems to be part of Kensi and Deeks’ personalities, so I’m not sure if it is going to change. Nonetheless, it gave them pause to think about their boundaries at work. I expect this may come up in the future again. Is it too much for them to talk about the relationship at work? I guess we will see.

Other Thoughts

- Hetty hasn’t been in a lot of scenes lately. I was just lamenting her absence when we finally saw her in this episode.

- When Sam was knocked down by Mark, I was amused at how Callen ran by him on the ground and teasingly yelled, “Relax. I’ve got him.”

- I always enjoy watching Sam go undercover. He was really fun to watch as Mr. Tanzania. He looked so suave in that beige suit, with his African accent, acting like he had all the money in the world.

- I loved how Kensi and Deeks tried to access Mark’s personnel file – and Nell and Eric caught them! That was a cute scene. Nell and Eric knew exactly what Kensi and Deeks were up to – and it was funny to watch them tell Deeks and Kensi that file was none of their business. I like this bossy side of Nell and Eric!

- It was a nice moment to see Sam encourage Mark’s son to visit his dad, pointing out that his father was a hero.

- Did anyone else think Granger’s defense of not branding Mark as a drug user sounded personal? It almost made me wonder if Granger had had a problem with drugs in the past.


What did you think of "Unspoken?" Should his team trust Sam more? Are the writers setting up trouble for Kensi and Deeks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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.