NCIS: Los Angeles - Core Values - Review: "Unexpected Moments"

After a two-week holiday break, it was nice to see “NCIS: Los Angeles” return with its twelfth episode of the season, “Core Values.” In this episode the team investigates why a Marine gunnery sergeant contracted radiation syndrome. After realizing he was working part-time at a nuclear plant, they find out he was exposed to radiation while doing his nightly rounds. Though the man’s ultimate fate is left unclear after he takes a serious turn in the hospital, the team ends up thwarting the would-be terrorist who planned to blow up the plant.

For me this episode lacked a little bit of energy and excitement. Sometimes the urgent moments didn’t feel as urgent as they should. And at times the details of the plot and its nuclear intricacies were hard to follow. I found it a bit too technical. Plus, the personal character scenes were a bit lacking for me. We saw a few funny moments but these scenes were too short. I missed the great one-line zingers we always hear. But the episode was still enjoyable, and we saw a few nice or surprising moments that added some extra excitement to the episode. I especially loved the ending. All in all, it was nice to have the team back on the air, solving crimes and bringing smiles to faithful viewers.

Sam and Callen

It was cute to see Sam on his computer at work, trying to help his daughter with her homework. Most of the interactions between him and Callen were short-lived. I enjoyed seeing him tell Callen that nothing good comes from lying to your wife, while not admitting he was speaking from personal experience. It was also fun to know Sam does eat burgers and fries once in a while. Even Callen was shocked about that one!

These two always work well together. They both knew they needed to escape the short leash of the power plant manager who was ushering them around. I like how rule-following Sam wanted to sneak out the back. (He doesn’t mind breaking rules when it’s necessary to the investigation. He believes in the greater good.) I thought they both were pretty smart to realize the doctor who tipped them off to the plant’s hazards was the one responsible for causing the radiation incident.

After the terrorist plot was revealed, I enjoyed watching them figure out what to do with the two bombs. Callen trusted Sam implicitly. I loved watching Callen run to drop the first bomb in water. I was amused when he questioned Sam about it going off early. The two then cleverly figured out the terrorist just used that first bomb as a distraction. As usual, they were willing to risk their lives to stop the second bomb.

Kensi and Deeks

Kensi and Deeks also didn’t have a lot of personal moments together. I enjoyed their discussion with Hetty over who would be the janitor at the power plant. It was funny how Deeks didn’t want the bad jobs. At first that meant the janitor position – until he learned the other option was the security guard job, which had exposed the last employee to radiation. Suddenly Deeks is touting his skills as a janitor, saying he has the “skill set, the look and the experience” to do a good job. The look to be a janitor? I’m not quite sure what that means, but it was funny. Kensi did truly seem concerned about his safety, though. That was nice.

When the two partners meet in the bathroom at work, we still didn’t see as funny of an exchange as we normally would. Deeks mentions he likes working-class girls with dirt under their nails who haven’t showered in a week. But that comment was quickly brushed aside as they got down to business. Deeks does mention that Kensi did a nice job cleaning the sinks and wonders out loud if she will soon tidy up her own bathroom. That leaves Kensi confused because she claims she cleans it all the time. (I love how the writers build on these great personality details. These well-known quirks deepen their characters, making us feel like we know them.) Deeks points out Kensi leaves toothpaste globs in her sink. But Kensi adeptly comes up with a response: She wakes up early to go running and doesn’t want to use the water because it will wake up Deeks. It was actually pretty thoughtful, and Deeks realized it, too.

The beard banter was kind of fun, though short. Deeks claims when he shaves his beard for the job, he’s going to keep his mustache. But Kensi does not like that idea at all! As they later joke again about the mustache, an explosion goes off right behind them. This was one of the unexpected moments I enjoyed. I thought it was timed perfectly when we least expected it – a nice surprise twist to lead the episode somewhere new.

Deeks was very vigilant in noticing the leader from the protest rally was the one placing the bombs in the plant. As he and Kensi visit the coffee shop where the bomber is watching news coverage on his phone, Deeks cleverly pretends to be a patron who spills coffee, and then he dumps the man’s phone in his drink. The man still creates an incident by grabbing a hostage, but Kensi and Deeks stay calm and try to diffuse the situation while keeping their focus on the bomber. In the end they shoot him, but not before he makes a phone call to set off the bomb.

My favorite part of the episode was the ending. There were definite hints dropped earlier about the potential of Deeks (and Kensi) starting a family. First Deeks mentions he has to think about his lineage when getting near the nuclear plant. He doesn’t want to be the last one in his family line! Then as “Security Guard Deeks” talks to his new boss about why he left the LAPD, he mentions he had too many close calls and was thinking about starting a family and settling down. As the man responds by saying, “That’s what a man has to do,” Deeks looks at him very thoughtfully. Is Deeks really thinking about settling down and starting a family? They say it’s always better to use truth in undercover work because it’s more believable. So how much of what Deeks said was true? I believe it was definitely meant to make us wonder. Deeks is at a point in his life where he may be thinking about these things now. That made the ending even better.

When the wife of the radiation victim gives her newborn baby to Kensi to hold at the hospital, Kensi is at first nervous and reticent. But it doesn’t take long before she becomes confident and assured. She’s great with the baby. I love that she revealed she used to babysit so she could buy ammunition when she was in middle school. What a fun thought. I actually would have expected Deeks to be more comfortable with the baby, but I love that Kensi was the one who demonstrated her nurturing side. Suddenly Deeks is the nervous one, impressed with Kensi’s baby-whispering abilities and not knowing what to do himself. It was fun to watch Kensi encourage him to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle” to the infant. This indelible image of the two of them comforting the baby together was fantastic – and purposeful. It left the audience with great hope of their ability to start a family together.

Hetty and Granger

I love how the writers are making Granger a bigger part of the team now. I was not expecting him to be the one in the hazmat suit, grabbing the bomb from Sam and Callen and throwing his body on the device to diffuse it. I was shocked when he pulled off his helmet! That was another of my favorite moments. In my mind I thought it was going to be the doctor, trying to redeem himself. But Granger was the perfect choice. What a heroic move! I loved how Sam told him, “You got some big ones” before knowing who it was! And then it was funny that Granger wouldn’t let Sam and Callen help him up. He is a tough one! He got multiple contusions and a couple cracked ribs from his actions, but he proved himself to be a selfless hero.

Hetty was also pretty smart in this episode, making the intelligent call to send away the first responders, recognizing the bomber was waiting to inflict maximum damage. When Callen later asks how she knew, she said she used her gut and 2,000 years of military history as her guide. Only Hetty would think of that.

She was funny, too. I liked how she joked with Deeks about giving him lead-lined boxers to protect him at the plant. And I loved how she told Deeks he couldn’t have any “take-backsies” about the undercover jobs. Hetty has a fantastic sense of humor. She dishes Deeks’ quirky sense of humor right back at him!

Other Thoughts

-There’s no way Kensi, Deeks and Eric just came up with those palindrome sentences in the spur of the moment! It was pretty funny that Eric was the president of the palindrome club in high school, though.

- I enjoyed how Nell teased Eric for watching too many telenovelas – and his response was, “How else am I supposed to learn Spanish?!”


What did you think of "Core Values?" Did you have a favorite part? Can you see Kensi and Deeks as parents together? Leave your thoughts on the episode 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.