Yes, the heavily promoted 3 episode NCIS crossover aired this Monday. It had lots of callbacks, some were to old school LA, friendly sparring (IMO, which made everyone look like middle schoolers), and 1 huge surprise.
The 3rd episode ‘A Long Time Coming’, found a neat way to give fans a reasurring update on 1 particular LA team member who everyone has been waiting on pins and needles to hear more about because it’s been a long time since she’s been seen.
I present to you, the part about this whole crossover that I consider to be a miracle of sorts:
Full episode details for the 3 part NCIS verse crossover was released yesterday, along with a few photos. And I’m just gonna say it bluntly: It all looks like a mess.
“Too Many Cooks” – NCIS agents from Washington, D.C., L.A. and Hawai’i, all in D.C. to attend the retirement party of a beloved Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) professor, find themselves investigating his shocking suicide, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, Jan. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. The episode is part one of a three-episode NCISverse crossover event with NCIS: LOS ANGELES and NCIS: HAWAI’I.
“Deep Fake” – Tennant, Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Sam Hanna (LL COOL J) find themselves captured by a woman claiming to be a CIA agent demanding intel from the team. Also, Jesse, Ernie, Whistler and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) learn about an asset that arrived in Hawai’i who could be connected to several overseas assassinations, on the CBS Original series NCIS: HAWAI’I, Monday, Jan. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* NCIS stars Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen and NCIS: LOS ANGELES stars Chris O’Donnell and LL COOL J guest star in the episode, which is part two of a three-episode crossover event with NCIS and NCIS: LOS ANGELES.
“A Long Time Coming” – Agents Rountree and Fatima are ambushed while searching for Kilbride, who has been MIA, and they learn that every member of the team has a hefty bounty on their head. The NCIS team must save Agent Rountree and find Kilbride while every cartel, hitman, gang and psychopath hunts them down, on the CBS Original series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Monday, Jan. 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* NCIS stars Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama and NCIS: HAWAI’I stars Vanessa Lachey and Yasmine Al-Bustami guest star in the episode, which is the conclusion to the three-episode crossover event with NCIS and NCIS: HAWAI’I.
Firstly, all 3 episodes don’t really look connected to each other if you just go by what their details say.
Secondly, the 2nd and 3rd episodes sound a bit too much like overkill. Like, 3 kidnapped agents in the 2nd part, and then you get 2 ambushed agents in the 3rd part and every bad guy out there chases the 3 teams while they try to find them? Bit much, don’t ya think? (not to mention, it all sounds like it’ll be rushed and probably poorly executed.)
Third: I’d be hard pressed to find a few someones who actually watch all 3 of these shows who won’t be hopelessly lost trying to understand who the other people on the other teams are.
And fourth: The only person who kept NCIS LA from turning into the sheer dumpster fire it is now won’t even be around to help them. And how is anyone supposed to know who the legendary leader of LA’s team is if she’s not even gonna be around for this?! What’s the point of trying to get to know her team without them then?!
If this whole thing was going to be about rescuing Hetty, then it would’ve sounded more appealing. But instead, we get slight disjointment in the episodes, multiple kidnapped agents and being chased by multiple hitmen, and it will be a miracle if it all doesn’t end up looking rushed or badly thought out. ‘Nice’ to see the low standards when it comes to the writers and fans.
Who here can remember the old days when TV shows had awesome looking opening theme music or songs?
Some shows had some really memorable songs, like the CSI’s, and when it comes to music, NCIS, NCIS LA (before the 13th Season), The Office, Little House on the Praire come to my mind.
“NCIS: LA” viewers were alarmed this week when the Season 14 premiere of the CBS procedural did not include Linda Hunt’s Hetty, the character whose last known location was Syria. In the episode, the team received word that a body had been a body found in Syria. By the end, they learn that it was a child’s body but they had Hetty’s IDs attached to them — likely because she wanted to stage her own death.
While it hasn’t been determined what exactly she’s up to, there are plans for her to return to the show this season, confirms executive producer R. Scott Gemmill, especially with Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Anna’s (Bar Paly) nuptials.
“Hetty has been an integral force within the agency and an especially important part of Callen’s past,” Gemmill told Variety in a statement on Tuesday. “As Callen starts thinking about his upcoming wedding to Anna, he would want Hetty present. The plan is to go and rescue her at some point and find out what she’s gotten herself into in Syria, but we’re just trying to figure out when we can pull it off. The goal is to make it happen this season.”
Hunt last appeared in the Season 13 premiere, titled “Subject 17,” which aired in October 2021.
—————————————————————————————–My Take: I have severe trust issues with this showrunner, especially when it comes to Hetty. But I’ll admit, the mere fact that whatever Hetty is doing is getting the kind of attention it’s getting, is a hopeful sign that he knows that he’ll eventually have to make good on his ‘goal’ and not bait everyone for an entire Season again.
Today, back in 2009, on September 22, the 1st episode of NCIS: Los Angeles first aired on CBS, at 9pm following NCIS.
It immediately became a hit due to it’s incredible cast, great writing, and cinematic like explosions and take downs. And remarkably enough, is still running today! (even though everything that made it so great has so greatly plummeted, but that’s a complaint for another day.).
I can still remember getting excited for a new episode every Sunday (when it eventually moved there), it was really fun. Then, some uncontrollable things in life happened in the summer of 2018, and nothing has been the same since.
I may be more disgusted with it now then happy, but I still love the 1st 8 Seasons.
For those who have been waiting on bated breath waiting for some kind of info relating to Callen finding his ‘mama’ (in it’s own ways) Hetty that’s new, well, there’s finally some, in the forms of yet more teasers from the showrunners:
For those who need help trying to read this, it explains that in the Season premiere, the intel that Callen gets worries him so much, he wants to go to Syria to find her. But is unfortunately stopped by the foolish old man who is unfortunately, still hogging Hetty’s beloved office.
The info also says that Callen will also miss her quite a lot while trying to plan his wedding to Anna.
My take on all this: Look, I hate this showrunner for what he’s done to this incredible show over the past few years, and the thought of having to trust him yet again with these kind of stupid teasers (that have 99% been wrong in the last few years when they’re related to Hetty!) makes me want to retch. But, since I have no photographic or video footage as of yet of whatever Hetty is doing out there, I don’t have a choice. All I and everyone else can do is wait and see. (and also hope that through some kind of crazy luck that either a brand new photo, or new video footage of Hetty gets leaked in the next month!).
And info on the rest of the team is also included in the photo. (but I don’t really care about them right now, a missing boss on a dangerous mission is more important and interesting then knowing what the agents are doing outside of work IMO!!)
Today, back in 2009, on September 22, the 1st episode of NCIS: Los Angeles first aired on CBS, at 9pm following NCIS.