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Reviews
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Guilty Pleasure (2010)
Could have been better!
"Guilty Pleasure" is an episode with an interesting setup. Have always liked the character of Holly Snow. This episode is sadly underwhelming, it's not as near as good as it could have been.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Guilty Pleasure" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery, the performances are solid.
. The mystery is fun at times, some jokes hit. The case is the most interesting when its examining the reasons why people get into the escort business.
But...
. Tony getting along with another detective takes too much of the story, not all jokes that come out of this bromance are funny. The solution to the case felt quite obvious, there aren't enough interesting suspects. Wished there were more twists and turns and less turning sex work into a joke.
Overall, not great.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Jurisdiction (2010)
Not great indeed
Lee David Zlotoff, the writer of this episode, has written one of my favorite "NCIS" episodes "Under Covers", which is so much fun and has great twists and turns. "Jurisdiction" is unfortunately not as near as good as "Under Covers". It's average at best.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great as usual. "Jurisdiction" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery and the performances are good. Quite liked Gabrielle Miller.
. The story takes a few interesting turns and some jokes hit. Liked the idea that the villain toys with NCIS.
But...
. Some jokes get old rather quickly. Do agree that too much time is dedicated to Borin. The dialogue is not always spot on, some of it feels awkward. There are aspects of this mystery, which take the characters a bit too long to figure out.
Overall, not great.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Double Identity (2010)
Perfectly fine!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has been decent so far. "Double Identity" is a fine episode as well, it could have been much better though.
Let´s start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great as usual. "Double Identity" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery and the acting's solid.
. The mystery does intrigue, there are enough suspects and the solution is clever (even though the motive for murder is the oldest in the book). The humor lands too.
But...
. Ducky's storyline is ageed touching, but I wished to be more emotionally involved with his state of mind. The mystery is a bit bland at times, the story should have gone more deep in terms of the themes.
Overall, a fine episode.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Mother's Day (2010)
A mixed bag!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has been fine so far with only few weak episodes. "Mother's Day" is a mixed bag though, there is a lot to like, but also aspects that don't work.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Mother's Day" is rather well-directed, the music fits the scenery. Quite liked the performances. Gena Rowlands is very good indeed.
. The humor does land and the mystery got surprisingly deep at times. The themes like grief and justice are examined in a compelling way.
But...
. Do agree that the solution misses the mark. There is no good reason to murder and frame an innocent man for it. The banter between Hart and Gibbs isn't particularly interesting. The story is too straightforward at the end of the day.
Overall, a mixed bag.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Jack-Knife (2010)
A bit forgettable!
Jesse Stern, the writer of this episode, is not one of my favorite screenwriters of "NCIS". Actually find Stern's episodes hit or miss. "Jack-Knife" is an ok episode, it could have been a lot better.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Jack-Knife" is pretty well directed, the music fits the scenery, quite like the performances.
. The humor is suitably wry, at times the story does deliver some excitement regarding racing and cars.
But...
. The mystery is agreed an extremly simple one. There could have been more twists and turns. The subplot about McGee being sleepless didn't build anything of merrit. The solution of the mystery is rather rushed and doesn't shock.
Overall, an ok episode.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Masquerade (2010)
Not a fan!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has had its fair share of weak episodes. "Code of Conduct" was uninspired, "Child's Play" got rather stupid. "Masquerade" is a really messy episode.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of "Masquerade" are great as usual. The episode is well-directed, the music fits the scenery, the performances are good.
. The humor is suitably wry and there are moments of tension here and there.
But...
. The dialogue isn't very good, part of it is exposition-heavy. Some characters come off pretty silly (for instance: the dentist). Worst of all is the story, which is a dull mess. The narrative is hard to follow at times. The solution is rushed with a lot of loose ends.
Overall, not a fan.
4/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Jet Lag (2010)
Good, but not great!
"Jet Lag" is one of the better episodes of the 7th season, personally found it rather enjoyable. Still it's not a great episode, there are parts that keep it from being fantastic.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of "Jet Lag" are great. The episode is well-directed (even though there are moments when they clearly used greenscreen), the music fits the scenery. The performances are good too.
. The mystery is intriguing for the most part, there are solid twists and turns in this story. The humor's suitably wry, quite liked the solution. There are moments of tension here and there.
But...
. Some of the dialogue isn't topnotch, exposition is pretty apparent at times. Some suspects are too obvious that I never questioned them. Do agree that there were implausible moments in here. Tony and Ziva don't do a very good job guarding the witness, they constantly leave her without backup.
Overall, not great.
7/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Flesh and Blood (2010)
A fine episode!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has been fine so far with only "Code of Conduct" and "Child's Play" being not very good. "Flesh and Blood" is yet another decent episode.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Flesh and Blood" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery and the acting's solid. Robert Wagner is a pretty good casting choice for Dinozzo's father.
. There are some good twists in the story, the humor mostly lands and the ending is touching. Dinozzo's relationship with his dad is quite intriguing.
But....
. The mystery isn't very good at the end of the day. The case suffers from very few suspects making the culprit extremly obvious. Dealing with Dinozzo's father takes too much of the episode. The script doesn't have a balance between the main and the subplot.
Overall, a fine episode.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Ignition (2010)
Rather average!
Jesse Stern, the writer of this episode, is a hit or miss for me. Stern has written some good stories ("Cloak" being one of them). "Ignition" isn't one of his better ones.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Ignition" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery. Always have liked Sean Murray as McGee.
. The mystery is fun at times, the solution is fine. The humor is suitably wry and the stuff with Merton Bell quite interesting.
But...
. The case is a bit bland at times, the story could have benefited from tighter pacing, stronger dialogue and more twists and turns. Too much time was dedicated to the jet packs and less on the actual case.
Overall, rather average.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Faith (2009)
A story about faith
The writer of this episode Gary Glasberg is my favorite screenwriter of "NCIS". His episodes almost always have a good heart and a compelling story. "Faith" isn't one of his best, that being said: it's still quite enjoyable.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Faith" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery, quite like the performances. The chemistry between Ralph Waite and Mark Harmon is fantastic, they play a very convincing father and son.
. The episode does have a Christmas feel to it, couple of moments are very sweet and the humor is suitably wry. Do like the message: people need to accept one another.
But...
. "Faith" is a pretty typical Christmas episode, there isn't a lot that stands out. The mystery gets too involved with the message its trying to deliver, it sometimes forgets to create interesting characters. The solution and the narrative felt rather simple.
Overall, an ok episode.
5,5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Child's Play (2009)
Didn't like it very much!
I didn't like "Child's play" the first time I watched it, so I was hoping the second viewing time fared better. Sadly, I wasn't huge fan of this episode the second time either. It's not an awful episode, but in terms of writing: this is currently my least favorite of this season.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of this episode are great as usual. "Child's Play" is well-directed, liked the choice of music, the acting's solid too. Do agree that Madeline Carroll is rather good.
. The mystery has occasional intrigue, the setup for the story is macabre and the humor is suitably wry.
But...
. The mystery suffers from very few suspects making the culprit extremly obvious. Do agree too that the motive for murder wasn't very clear, the whole solution felt too rushed. The first body is found in the cornfield, but they never give us an explaination why the victim was dumped in this field in the first place. The story gets too implausible at times, parts of it get very stupid, some of the dialogue is not very good either.
Overall, didn't like it very much.
4/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Power Down (2009)
Has its moments!
"Power Down" has never been one of my favorite episodes. That being said: it's not a bad one, just a decent entry to the series.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Power Down" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery, quite liked the performances.
. The mystery does intrigue, there are couple of good twists and turns. The identity of the killer is clever and I did like the premise: the "NCIS" team have to figure out this case without using computers.
But...
. The story is a bit dull at times, because parts of the narrative have been done better in other episodes. The solution also gets a bit messy and felt rather formulaic.
Overall, has its moments.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Endgame (2009)
Quite good!
I remember the 7th season of "NCIS" to be fine at best. "Endgame" is one of the better episodes of that season. It's not great, but manages to be solid.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's good, so is the choice of music. The acting's fine too.
. The mystery is intriguing for the most part. The jokes usually land. Kai is an interesting villain.
But...
. Liked to have seen more of Kai. The episode spends time talking about her, but shows quite little of her. The story could have benefited from more twists and turns. Some twists felt rather easy to figure out.
Overall, quite good.
7/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Outlaws and In-Laws (2009)
An ok episode!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has been fine so far, only "Code of Conduct" has been not so good. "Outlaws and In-Laws" is an average episode. It's quite forgettable at the end of the day.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The episode is well-directed, the music fits the scenery, the acting's fine.
. The story shows occasional intrigue, some jokes hit and did like the theme about protecting one's family.
But...
. The mystery is very simple, sometimes too straight-forward. Would have liked to see a lot more twists and turns. The solution is a bit rushed, the culprit was arrested rather quickly. The dialogue is not always very good.
Overall, an ok episode.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Code of Conduct (2009)
Not so good
"Code of Conduct" is the first "NCIS" episode in this season, which is not very good. It's not an awful entry to series, but still a very mediocre one.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Code of Conduct" is well-directed, the music fits the scenery. Quite liked the performances.
. The story is entertaining at times. The jokes are fine, so is the solution (even though there is nothing new in killing for money.)
But....
. The mystery is extremly formulaic, there aren't a lot of original ideas in the script. There are aspects of the case, which take too much time to figure out. The story doesn't have enough twists and turns, would have liked to feel the atmosphere of Halloween.
Overall, not so good.
4/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Good Cop, Bad Cop (2009)
A mixed bag!
The 7th season of "NCIS" has been fine so far, it's been a while since I have rewatched this season. "Good Cop, Bad Cop" is the first episode of this season, which I have felt mixed on. There is a lot to like, but also things that weren't so good.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of this episode are great as usual. The direction's pretty good, liked the choice of music and the performances are solid.
. The humor is suitably wry and the writers do a good job at building suspense.
But...
. The story isn't that compelling at the end of the day. It feels too simple and short. A couple of surprises and a tighter pace could have benefited this narrative.
Overall, a mixed bag.
5/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: The Inside Man (2009)
A decent episode!
The 7th season of "NCIS" hasn't impressed so far, but it's enjoyable enough. "The Inside Man" is an episode with a very compelling premise, the execution of that idea is only fine though.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of this episode are great as usual. The direction's solid, so is the music and the acting.
. The mystery does intrigue. There are a couple of good twists, did like most of the humor.
But...
. The subplot about Mcgee having to retake his test felt more silly than sweet. Wish a lot more was done with NCIS covering up a crime-story. The murder of a blogger felt a bit sidelined.
Overall, a decent episode.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Reunion (2009)
A fine episode!
"Reunion" has a very interesting premise. When I was a teenager I quite liked this one. My opinion has changed a bit over the years. "Reunion" has some good moments, but it could have been better.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. "Reunion" is well-directed, like the music and the performances.
. The mystery is solid for the most part with some neat twists and turns. The humor hits at times and the solution is rather surprising. Quite enjoy how they have handled Ziva's storyline.
But...
. The humor isn't always on point. Some of it feels doing the same old. The solution, while clever, is rather rushed and needed more clarity. Certain themes (like bullying) could have been better examined.
Overall, a fine episode.
6/10
HK.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Truth or Consequences (2009)
A pretty good episode!
I hadn't seen the 7th season of "NCIS" for a very long time, so I decided to rewatch it. As a teenager I remember liking this episode, but not loving it. My opinion hasn't changed over the years. "Truth or Consequences" is a pretty good episode, but not a great one.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's good, so is the choice of music. The acting's solid all around.
. The story is quite interesting for the most part, the humor's suitably wry. Loved the last 10 minutes, where most of the action and surprises take place.
But...
. The narrative could have benefited from more intensity and a tighter pace.
Overall, a pretty good one.
7,5/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: A Murder Forewarned - Part 1 (2023)
A great episode!
"A Murder Forewarned- Part 1" is a great episode, some of the best entries to the series I've seen in a while. The episode isn't perfect, the ending is a bit rushed, but the rest is truly fantastic.
. The production values of the episode are great as usual. The direction's very good, so is the choice of music. Ralph Little does give one of his best performances as Parker and Patrick Kennedy is quite intimidating as David Cartwright. Really liked the game between Cartwright and Parker.
. The mystery is hugely compelling with lots of twists and turns. The pacing is neat too.
Overall, a real surprise.
9/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: On the Sanctity of Children (2023)
A mixed bag
The 12th season of "Death in Paradise" has been pretty solid so far. There hasn't been a great episode, but the stories feel mature and interesting. "On the Sanctity of Children" manages to be fine.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's decent, the music fits the scenery. The acting is a mixed bag. Some of the guest stars are a bit one-note. The main cast's great though. Don Warrington is pretty good indeed. Always have liked Tahj Miles.
. The case is mostly compelling. The humor's suitably wry and the solution did surprise. Did like the subplot about Adriana.
But...
. The subplot about the commissioner does take over the main plot. The mystery feels sidelined for the most of the time. The pacing could have been tighter too.
Overall, a fine episode.
6/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: Episode #12.4 (2023)
Good, but not great!
The 12th season of "Death in Paradise" has been really enjoyable so far, particularly liked the story, which took place in a bunker. The fourth episode of this season finally brings Naomi out of the shadows and while I didn't find this episode great, it's still quite good.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of this episode are great as usual. The direction's decent, the music fits the scenery and the main cast is solid. Always have liked Naomi as a character.
. The mystery is a good one with a nice amount of wry humor. The story does take rather sinister turns and the characters are interesting.
But...
. The dialogue is not always spot on, some of it gives off a melodramatic feel. Wasn't so sure about the guest stars either. A couple of them ( particularly Nicola Alexis and Velile Tshabalala) are a bit bland.
Overall, quite good.
7/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: Episode #12.3 (2023)
A good episode!
The 12th season of "Death in Paradise" has been really solid so far. This episode is also a pretty good entry to the series, while not being great.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great as usual. The direction's decent, the music fits the scenery and the acting's very good. Tahj Miles is fantastic as Marlon, the character has always been fun. Really like the romance storyline with Neville as well.
. The murder mystery is solid with couple of twists and turns. The character-work is colorful.
But...
. Do agree that the solution is not of the better ones. It feels so simple that one begins to wonder, why someone didn't think about it sooner. The pacing isn't great either, parts of the mystery drag quite a bit.
Overall, a good episode.
7/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: Episode #12.2 (2023)
Pretty good indeed!
The 12th season of "Death in Paradise" has started very well so far. I enjoyed the premiere, even though I thought it wasn't great. This episode is a very good one. It's not fantastic, but is still very enjoyable.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's fine (even though I wasn't a huge fan of the shot structure at times), the music fits the scenery. The acting's pretty good too. Robert Webb is quite good here.
. The mystery is a compelling one. There are some solid twists here, did like the character work too. The humor is suitably wry, the romance between Neville and Sophie is sweet, also found the subplot about Marlon quite fun. The solution is clever, while not the best.
But...
. Do agree that the story has aspects, which have been done before and those previous times executed them in a better way.
Overall, a very good episode.
8/10
HK.
Death in Paradise: Episode #12.1 (2023)
A fine episode!
"Death in Paradise" is a show I was looking forward to see again. The 12th season did take a while to come to my area. When it's finally here, I can say the the premiere of the season was fine. It's not great, but quite enjoyable indeed.
Let's start with the good.
. The production values of the episode are great. The direction's decent ( even though there were too many speed-ups for my taste), the music fits the scenery and the acting's solid. Always have liked the main cast.
. The mystery is interesting for the most part. There are some good twists and the humor's suitably wry. Do like the hint of romance in the air.
But...
. The dialogue isn't always spot on ( some of it feels rather exposition-heavy). I found that Neville being interested in astronomy did not carry the plot along that much. Do agree though, that the story tends to get silly here and there. Wished the solution was a bit more detailed.
Overall, a fine episode.
6/10
HK.