17.4 - "Someone Else’s Shoes”
Written by Christopher J. Waild
Directed by Michael Zinberg
Reviewed by KathM
It just didn’t work for me.
I liked parts of it, and didn’t like parts of others, but I just can’t put them together into something I enjoyed. Homeless vet story? Loved it, particularly Barney. I think he really embodied some of the PTSD issues current soldiers are experiencing. A lot of homeless vet stories focus on the older soldiers who fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. It was good to take a look at someone who’d come back more recently so full of Survivor’s Guilt but still looking to tell other vet’s stories so they live on. I really like the character and hope we see him again. Maybe Sloane can find him a good therapist who can help him overcome his pain and guilt. It was great to see him at the end ready to talk to the intrusive podcast girl, but I’m hoping that one day he has a podcast of his own.
Also happy to see the cell phones from the car Gibbs and Ziva stole being handed out at the homeless encampment. If you don’t have a phone number and/or email address it’s very difficult to work with the VA to get the attention you need. Very glad that this was pointed out.
But I found the severing of body parts utterly tasteless, and while Dr. Bell and her situation at the VA was compelling, I just didn’t feel like it supported the story well enough. I’d heard this kind of thing before. I didn’t even really care about the throwaway ending with the Daddy’s Boy murderer Kyle who was trying to make sure his company made more money by murdering and mutilating homeless vets. We don’t really confront that much at all; it’s an inventive idea, but I don’t feel any real completion. I wish the story had been more Barney-centric, I think it could have accomplished what the episode wanted but from a different angle.
Barney hitting Kyle? Wonderful. Gibbs and Sloane in her office reading Barney’s file? Oddly adorable. She gives him her glasses and kicks off her shoes, it seems natural. Haven’t like Sloane much, now I like her as a possible match for Gibbs. However long Gibbs would let something like that last.
The whole “sorting evidence punishment" thing? Don’t get me started. Ziva was not employed by NCIS when she “died” (I don’t think), so why should Bishop report that she might be alive to Leon or anyone else? She was burdened by the secret, obviously, so she could have talked to Gibbs or Sloane or Leon or someone else, but I don’t think she had any obligation. And there was no reason to drag McGee and Torres into it, they’d known about Ziva for all of five minutes when Leon found out. The doll was awesome, though. Sadly, I couldn’t find an image of it online.
I’m hoping next week I’ll connect with the story because this one didn't do it for me.
