OK, I'll admit that I am a fan of NCIS (how come it doesn't say "Naval Criminal Investigative Service" in the opening credits?) but I don't let that cloud my objectivity. Most episodes are worth 6 to 7 stars, ie. above the average (5.5) on the scale of 1 to 10, from the worst sh*t in the universe (Batman & Robin = 1) to the best (would have to list all, so to conserve space, I list none). Every now and then we get an 8. But with the exception of the best-viewed-in-a-continuous-edit-version "Judgment Day", I haven't seen a 9 since season three's "Ravenous" (3.17) - although the average rating of that episode is a little under 8...
Anyway, this is such a good episode, and also what in the TV entertainment terminology is known as a Format Breaker, that it would be unfair to spoil it. Let's just concentrate on the big picture. The script is *fantastic*. Oftentimes, when attempting these kind of pay-attention-or-you-loose-track-of-the-plot episodes, the writers get too clever for themselves and either make the episode hard to follow, or, unnecessarily complicated just to show how clever they think they are. Neither is the case here. The plot has more twists and turns than your average episode of "24", yet it's not difficult to follow *and* makes sense (which "24" often doesn't, sadly). The characters are given some of their best scenes and several themes that have been, over many episodes, slowly burning in the background now rise to the surface. And it is *thrilling*. The suspense and laughs are superbly interwoven. Poor acting, directing and/or editing could have wasted the potential, but the execution of the script is pretty much flawless.
So, why not 10? Unlike way too many people (I've had a look at many vote breakdowns of various episodes of various shows), I don't rate pretty much every episode of my favorite show (or the show, for that matter) 10/10, because 10/10 means absolute perfection, with no room for improvement. Since this is part of a larger storyline and not the climax of it, it *can't* be 10/10. We are not given the whole story, just a part from the middle. True, that does not prevent an episode from being a 10/10, the most famous example being one that somehow, despite many plot holes and other problems, still is The Best Episode That Is Neither the Start Nor the End of the Story. I'm of course talking about a certain Episode V. Besides, one has to hope that the climax actually surpasses this by being a 10/10. Otherwise, what would the point of waiting for it be?
Anyway, this is such a good episode, and also what in the TV entertainment terminology is known as a Format Breaker, that it would be unfair to spoil it. Let's just concentrate on the big picture. The script is *fantastic*. Oftentimes, when attempting these kind of pay-attention-or-you-loose-track-of-the-plot episodes, the writers get too clever for themselves and either make the episode hard to follow, or, unnecessarily complicated just to show how clever they think they are. Neither is the case here. The plot has more twists and turns than your average episode of "24", yet it's not difficult to follow *and* makes sense (which "24" often doesn't, sadly). The characters are given some of their best scenes and several themes that have been, over many episodes, slowly burning in the background now rise to the surface. And it is *thrilling*. The suspense and laughs are superbly interwoven. Poor acting, directing and/or editing could have wasted the potential, but the execution of the script is pretty much flawless.
So, why not 10? Unlike way too many people (I've had a look at many vote breakdowns of various episodes of various shows), I don't rate pretty much every episode of my favorite show (or the show, for that matter) 10/10, because 10/10 means absolute perfection, with no room for improvement. Since this is part of a larger storyline and not the climax of it, it *can't* be 10/10. We are not given the whole story, just a part from the middle. True, that does not prevent an episode from being a 10/10, the most famous example being one that somehow, despite many plot holes and other problems, still is The Best Episode That Is Neither the Start Nor the End of the Story. I'm of course talking about a certain Episode V. Besides, one has to hope that the climax actually surpasses this by being a 10/10. Otherwise, what would the point of waiting for it be?
