The actual start of the end-of-season arc, and a good start in my view, leading us unsuspecting towards the last three episodes. The.story here was solid, and it was also good to have the Fornell character present - Joe Spano and his character add something to any episode in which they appear. Having said that (giving credit to Joe Spano), I have to take issue with the reviewer who denigrates Emily Wickersham's acting. Such _ad hominem_ attacks have no place here. Any character in a film or TV drama is the product of a team: the writer, producer, director, actor, make-up artist, hairdresser and many others. In my view, Emily Wickersham has stepped into a very awkward role, filling the place of an existing much loved/admired character. I think she and the rest of the team have handled the transition well, presenting her initially as an uncertain, insecure and quirky newbie (you wanna see quirky? Wait till you see Kasie Hines in season 15!). However, she matures quickly, coming with an intellectual appreciation of situations from her time as an analyst with the NSA, and receiving a serious baptism of fire from her operational roles in Afghanistan and elsewhere, eventually able to step into the role of ranking agent when suddenly realising that everyone senior is either in the field or on leave. I believe Emily Wickersham handled the part well, and has grown into the role with her fictional character.
2 Reviews
Good to see Fornell again, bad to see Bishop again
swv-8764426 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Fornell always brings good chemistry with NCIS team, his character is very colorful and funny, still manages to bring something interesting into this inter-agency authoritarian schlong swinging.
It was nice to see Director Vance's new SUV and Rocky Carroll' appearance again. It was interesting to see him in trouble, although this situation isn't as serious like the one where his woke up in that tomb.
Bishop on the other hand is kinda annoying. Her character is turning this show into a soap opera. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against actresses in the show. I have no problem with them be it a geek girl like Abby, a powerful boss like Director Shepard was, a "girlier" agent like Kate was, or the beautiful and intelligent terminator Ziva is. But Bishop is a gossiping empty shell of a character. She has no life, no arc of life progress. She's flat out boring. All she does is working and pretending to look like committed. For me at least. I mean Gibbs has his woodwork, Ducky is the Higgins of NCIS with his stories and intellectual life, Jimmy has his family, McGee has his Delilah and writing, Tony loves women and fine stuff. They have this thing called LIFE. Bishop doesn't have it anymore. She took time when her marriage broke, but even before she wasn't pretty much more than a gossipmonger. I can accept Abby tying up Chip and being such a badass. I can believe Kate manhandling criminals, Ziva was totally legit as someone not to cross. But Ellie... Come on! I mean who the hell believes that woman is capable of handling physically anybody even in her weight class. If you watch her, the agency jacket she's usually wearing seems to be 2 sizes above her, with her hair up and baseball cap on, she is not only not feminine (who would in that outfit), but straight up ugly. Her ears are too big and her neck is so thin like a child's.
I'm not against Ellie's stature. I'm against Emily's acting. Looks obviously matter, regardless of what people say. There's a reason Gibbs is the main character of the show and not the bald and worst looking Fornell. But Emily can't compensate for not looking like Sasha Alexander or Cote de Pablo. Abby does. Abby has personality, has life, has feelings, has hobbies, has passion. And Abby is a totally lovable character. Pauley Perrette might not appear on the cover of the magazines as often as Sasha or Cote did, but she still sells herself. There are actors and actresses who prevail by their acting (De Niro, Michael C. Hall, Claire Danes, etc.), and there are ones who mainly have looks (Schwarzenegger, Stallone, most of the Baywatch ladies, some Bond girls). But Emily is more in the second category with less compensation from acting department. I've heard some new female agent is arriving to replace Tony next season. I hope she'll be something like agent Borin and drives Bishop crazy and makes her quit.
I would love to see a good actor/actress in the team. Because if Tony's gone, the essence of that whole team is lost. They've already lost Ziva, McGee isn't that interesting since loosing weight and being less of a probie. I would like to see something like David Caruso did appearing in CSI Miami after leaving NYPD Blue. My pick would be (if I were the producer) Erik King (Sgt. Doakes from Dexter). He was a driven LEO, full of stress and tension. He was entertaining in being an offensive leading figure on the ground. He had little personal life, I agree. But he was my second favorite character in that show. He left a void after his departure which, was never really filled in the next 6 seasons.
It was nice to see Director Vance's new SUV and Rocky Carroll' appearance again. It was interesting to see him in trouble, although this situation isn't as serious like the one where his woke up in that tomb.
Bishop on the other hand is kinda annoying. Her character is turning this show into a soap opera. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against actresses in the show. I have no problem with them be it a geek girl like Abby, a powerful boss like Director Shepard was, a "girlier" agent like Kate was, or the beautiful and intelligent terminator Ziva is. But Bishop is a gossiping empty shell of a character. She has no life, no arc of life progress. She's flat out boring. All she does is working and pretending to look like committed. For me at least. I mean Gibbs has his woodwork, Ducky is the Higgins of NCIS with his stories and intellectual life, Jimmy has his family, McGee has his Delilah and writing, Tony loves women and fine stuff. They have this thing called LIFE. Bishop doesn't have it anymore. She took time when her marriage broke, but even before she wasn't pretty much more than a gossipmonger. I can accept Abby tying up Chip and being such a badass. I can believe Kate manhandling criminals, Ziva was totally legit as someone not to cross. But Ellie... Come on! I mean who the hell believes that woman is capable of handling physically anybody even in her weight class. If you watch her, the agency jacket she's usually wearing seems to be 2 sizes above her, with her hair up and baseball cap on, she is not only not feminine (who would in that outfit), but straight up ugly. Her ears are too big and her neck is so thin like a child's.
I'm not against Ellie's stature. I'm against Emily's acting. Looks obviously matter, regardless of what people say. There's a reason Gibbs is the main character of the show and not the bald and worst looking Fornell. But Emily can't compensate for not looking like Sasha Alexander or Cote de Pablo. Abby does. Abby has personality, has life, has feelings, has hobbies, has passion. And Abby is a totally lovable character. Pauley Perrette might not appear on the cover of the magazines as often as Sasha or Cote did, but she still sells herself. There are actors and actresses who prevail by their acting (De Niro, Michael C. Hall, Claire Danes, etc.), and there are ones who mainly have looks (Schwarzenegger, Stallone, most of the Baywatch ladies, some Bond girls). But Emily is more in the second category with less compensation from acting department. I've heard some new female agent is arriving to replace Tony next season. I hope she'll be something like agent Borin and drives Bishop crazy and makes her quit.
I would love to see a good actor/actress in the team. Because if Tony's gone, the essence of that whole team is lost. They've already lost Ziva, McGee isn't that interesting since loosing weight and being less of a probie. I would like to see something like David Caruso did appearing in CSI Miami after leaving NYPD Blue. My pick would be (if I were the producer) Erik King (Sgt. Doakes from Dexter). He was a driven LEO, full of stress and tension. He was entertaining in being an offensive leading figure on the ground. He had little personal life, I agree. But he was my second favorite character in that show. He left a void after his departure which, was never really filled in the next 6 seasons.
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