NCIS: Los Angeles - Matryoshka - Review: "Excitement Peaked"

In “Matryoshka,” (the first of a two-part episode) Callen and the team investigate after Anatoli Kirkin is kidnapped. But it turns out his kidnapper is none other than Anna Kolcheck, Arkady’s daughter. Anna is trying to locate her father; she was told she’d be given proof he’s alive if she kidnaps Kirkin and sends him to Russia. Of course, the NCIS team doesn’t let that happen, but they do help Anna submit “proof” of Kirkin’s kidnapping – and in return, they view a video of Arkady in a Russian prison. Interestingly, he’s with a CIA prisoner who knows of Callen. To determine Arkady’s location, the team and Anna go undercover at a big gala to access a computer list of Russian prisoners. Once they have the list, Hetty gives Callen, Sam and Anna permission to go to Russia to save Arkady and the CIA agent.

This episode was a lot of fun. We saw wonderful humor, the return of an intriguing character in Anna, the spark of great chemistry between her and Callen, a supportive bond between Callen and Sam, hilarious banter between Deeks and Kirkin, flirtatious teasing between Deeks and Kensi, and some fun Nell and Eric scenes. All of the characters were utilized well, and attention to detail made a big impact. The excitement of the episode was palpable. It left me eager for the second part of this two-episode arc, where we have the potential of Callen finally learning about his father and his past. No doubt about it, this was one of the best episodes of the season.

Sam and Callen

One of the highlights of this episode was the strength of Sam and Callen’s partnership and friendship. At numerous times in the episode, Sam appears to be concerned with Callen’s involvement with the case and how far he’s willing to go to find answers about Arkady (and his father). But every time, Sam also backs his partner. Despite his questions, he still supports his friend. Sam doesn’t necessarily approve but he’s still willing to help Callen because he knows how important it is to him. His dedication was incredibly sweet.

The episode (after the opening sequence) begins with Callen and Sam arguing over social media. It was a very fitting discussion that suited their characters, with Sam advocating social media, and Callen not seeing the value. But as soon as Eric lets them know about Kirkin’s kidnapping, Callen becomes focused. Without consulting Hetty, he gives orders for the team to investigate the case. This is the first time Sam looks surprised at his buddy’s actions. But Hetty, of course, knows what’s going on and calls Callen to talk to her. Callen anticipates her question and says no, he was not the one who grabbed Kirkin. But he wants to investigate what happened. It’s not really their case, but Hetty gives him until lunch to see what he can find. (An insistent Callen later buys himself more time.)

When he and Sam show up at a Russian bar, it’s clear Callen means business. He doesn’t give his partner any heads up before he “spits fire” at the bartender, with the help of some vodka and a lighter. (What a great sequence – I’ve never seen that before on TV!) But Sam revs into action, helping Callen beat up the guys and take them into custody. Afterward, though, he expresses his disappointment with Callen’s methods. But amidst his disapproval, he still smiles at his partner and allows him to move forward.

Eventually the team finds Kirkin in a shipping container and discovers the kidnapper is Anna Kolcheck. Fortunately, when they take her back to the boat shed, she is forthcoming. She says she kidnapped Kirkin in exchange for a message from Arkady. After they see it, Callen vows to help Anna save her father.

Right after this, Sam approaches his contemplative partner. In between thoughtful pauses, Callen thanks Sam for not saying he shouldn’t be moving forward with the case. This is when Sam admits his words and his feelings are at odds. But he understands why Callen has to continue: The case is a link to the man his father was, a link to Callen’s history. This scene was one of the best of the episode, as it showed Sam’s dedication to his partner. Callen appreciated it, telling Sam he didn’t need to participate. He knew Sam didn’t have the same motivations and perspective and didn’t want to tie him down to the case. But Sam’s response was selfless: “That’s what we do.” He was essentially saying, “That’s what a partner is for – we help each other when we need it.” This scene was a great culmination of their interaction throughout the episode. Sam couldn’t have been more supportive of his friend.

Next we were treated to the fun scenes at the gala. I loved watching Sam and Callen dressed to the nines, with a beautiful woman on Callen’s arm. I loved how Callen had to pose as Anna’s boyfriend. It was a perfect setup – and the three of them looked stunning as they made their way into the fancy party. There, it was hilarious to watch a random woman hitting on Sam, telling him that getting sweaty with him would be a time to remember. And how great was that Anna and Callen dancing scene? It was a nice way to set up a potential romance between the two. I was amused that Callen knew how to dance because he worked as a janitor at a country club when he was young. But it definitely impressed Anna. I must admit, I was a little surprised these two were so flirty with each other on the dance floor, but I was also happy. Callen and Anna have great chemistry together, and after his experience with Joelle, he needs someone who understands what he does. Anna could be just the right fit. She definitely understands him because she’s similar herself. So I was eager to see more of them together.

And I got my wish with that kissing scene! What a fun treat for fans. I loved how the kiss came as a necessary distraction. And I loved that it was Anna’s idea – Callen just had to go with it. But when it happened, that kiss was passionate! And it went on for quite a while. As they finally stopped, the look they shared showed how much they felt the connection. They were both surprised and astounded, looking to see if the other had felt it, too. And they both had. I loved that Callen was taken aback by this beautiful Russian woman. A true connection with her was the last thing he expected, which made it even better. Anna’s kissing plan set some definite sparks in motion. I think these two are going to be good together.

Luckily we’ll get to see more of them in the next episode, when Sam, Callen and Anna all head to Russia to track down Arkady and the CIA agent. Unsanctioned or not, we all know Callen won’t stop until he rescues Arkady and finds out more about his father. As he does, it just may bring him and Anna even closer.

Kensi and Deeks

The interaction between Deeks and Kensi was hilarious in this episode. I loved the way they teased and flirted with one another. We see it first in their visit to the spa where Kirkin was kidnapped. As Deeks mentions they need a couples massage, Kensi says she only likes deep tissue massages by herself. But as she makes wordplay jokes about shiatsu massages, Deeks doesn’t get her puns. I loved how she harassed him and told him, “You’re not on your game today, Beach Boy.” Then when they go inside the spa, it was a fun touch to watch the male employee hitting on Kensi. Usually Kensi has to watch Deeks get lots of attention, so this was a nice role reversal. Kensi loved it, too! She was funny and cute as she proudly told Deeks, “I still got it!” And then she harassed him for not understanding why the kidnappers would have sent a woman. I loved all of this. (The sexism conversation made Kensi tackling Anna to the ground later even better!)

Deeks and Kirkin were also in fine form. Kirkin’s crush is priceless. I love how he flirts with Deeks. I had to laugh when he told Deeks in their interrogation, “This playful arrogance of yours, Marty – it really works for you.” The whole team got in on the fun, teasing Deeks about them having a “lover’s quarrel” or Kirkin “rubbing him” the wrong way. Deeks’ response was great, too. He played up the fact that his appeal was a curse. “No one is immune to the Deeksness,” he told them, saying they shouldn’t be jealous. Even Anna played along. (She’s going to get along great with these guys!) When Kirkin finally left, I loved how he told Deeks he would send for him, and not to pay attention to the critics – his hairstyle was glorious. Kirkin is such a fun match with Deeks.

Deeks was also amusing as he watched Hetty hand out the undercover clothing, expecting to be a central figure in the operation. Of course he thinks he is going to be the most important player, wearing the nicest tux. When he’s relegated to the catering staff, Kensi has to push him out of the room! But when it came down to it, he did a great job and had Kensi’s back. First he creates a diversion for her to jam the computer signal by telling the catering boss he threw up. (Deeks’ diversions are always amusing!) Then when the guard figures out what Kensi did, Deeks jumps on him from behind, but has trouble tackling the large man to the ground. Watching Kensi question if Deeks had the guy was hilarious. These little touches were so much fun.

Eric, Nell and Hetty

I was happy to see more Eric and Nell in this episode. I especially enjoyed Eric and his kilt. I loved how he entered the room by telling Sam and Callen, “I’ve got something you want to see.” Yikes! But it was great that he responded to their teasing by poking them back. Eric is so confident in his quirkiness.

When Nell questions Eric about his kilt later, Eric reveals he was never banned from wearing kilts, only suspended until he started wearing work-appropriate undergarments. Nell didn’t quite know how to take that, wondering if that meant he hadn’t worn undergarments at all. But as soon as she asked, she realized she didn’t want to know the answer. I loved how Eric just smiled at her in response, making her even more uncomfortable.

Then we had the scene of Eric comparing himself to Anna, which Nell finds highly amusing. Eric believes he and Anna are similar because they’re both loners. But Nell points out he is the most “socially scheduled” person she knows, participating in three different live action role-play groups. These visual images of how Eric spends his time off were fantastic.

As for Hetty, I enjoyed how Callen showed his feistiness with her in the beginning. I thought she was nice to let him investigate and later continue the case. But she still emphasized she was in charge and giving the orders. (She usually balances her softness with a heavy hand like this.)

One Hetty scene I really enjoyed was her conversation with Anna. Hetty had a nice connection with Anna last time we saw them together. Anna doesn’t trust many people, and she trusted Hetty. I was intrigued that Hetty wanted to offer her an assignment. Clearly Anna is going to be working with this team a lot more, an addition I welcome. (It would be nice to have some extra female infusion in the show.) But the best part of this conversation was Hetty comparing Anna to Callen. When Anna says she prefers to work alone because it’s safer – and she doesn’t have a team she trusts – Hetty mentions she had that same conversation with someone 10 years ago, a conversation that still continues. And the implication was clear: She was talking about Callen. Like Anna, Callen was (and sometimes still is) used to depending only on himself. But Hetty wants them both to realize it’s better to rely on others you can trust. The conversation was poignant: It left the viewers with an awareness of Anna and Callen’s similarities, and it prompted the satisfying thought that they could end up depending on each other.

I also thought Hetty showed fairness in the end, in what she didn’t say to Callen about their Russian mission. She essentially gave her unspoken blessing for them to save Arkady, though the mission would be unsanctioned. Her concern for her team was evidence as she uttered a Russian phrase: “Udachi, agentai,” meaning “Good luck, agents.”

Other Thoughts

- How interesting that Granger escorted Jennifer Kim back to Washington! This little mention has me convinced she is Granger’s daughter.

- Sam was hilarious when he tried to make Eric say they had surveillance footage of the fight with Jennifer Kim, just to make Callen squirm! Too bad Eric wouldn’t play along.

- Arkady amused me when he said his superior mental toughness had allowed him to survive this far. I’m excited to see more of him in the next episode.

- Can Sam read Russian? When Eric told him to download the prisoner logs on the computer, the info was all in Russian. But Sam somehow knew exactly which files to download.

- I was a little surprised that Sam asked Callen and Anna in the van how they maneuvered the guards away from the door. I thought he’d seen what happened.


How did you enjoy "Matryoshka?" What did you think of Anna and Callen together? Did you have a favorite scene? Leave 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.