‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ 12×13 Review: “Red Rover, Red Rover”

The storyline that never ends still doesn’t end in NCIS: Los Angeles 12×13 “Red Rover, Red Rover,” an episode that feels like the mid-way point in what I kind of hope will the the last storyline of this kind Anna gets, and no, I don’t mean that because I hope she gets killed. I hope she lives a long and happy life and we don’t get to go down this same spiral every season or two.

I complained about the same thing last review, and a part of me understands that a show like this one has to put the characters we care about in actual jeopardy every once in a while, otherwise the show has no stakes. But, seriously, I’d take any other danger for Anna than this. And, I’d take an actual conversation between her and Callen before she’s in danger again, too.

With any other show on TV, I’d say this is cold feet. Happy couples have a bad rep on TV, one that I feel is greatly underserved. People do tune in to shows with happy couples, look at us, we’re still watching NCIS: Los Angeles in season 12! But this show absolutely knows that happy couples work – they’ve given us consistent Densi for seven years – so what gives?

The reasoning could be a desire to put Anna’s past in the past for good, of course, but the show has had about twenty different chances to do this, to cement Callen and Anna as the couple we want to see, and they’ve yet to take them. And what made sense five seasons ago just doesn’t make sense now. Callen isn’t the same loner he was when this show started, or the one that started dating Joelle, even. He’s a different man, and he deserves a chance at not quiet and peace, I don’t assume this show will ever truly give him that, but some happiness.

Same goes for Anna – a character that has gone through a hell of a lot in the time we’ve know her. Yes, she hasn’t always made the best decisions, but even when we’ve disagreed with the way she handled things, it’s always been easy to see that she’s done it out of love. She cares – about Callen, about her father, about the team. And they care for her back.

No, she isn’t truly part of the work team, not anymore, but she’s part of this family, in all the ways that count. And this family looks after each other.

We got another glimpse of that in Kensi trying to give Nell a pep-talk, as Nell predictably crumbled under the weight of the expectations Hetty – and circumstances – placed on her. I’ve always felt Hetty was kinda grooming Nell for her position, and yet this storyline has been fragmented, dropped, and then picked back up by necessity, because Linda Hunt hasn’t truly been available during the pandemic, so it’s been less than smooth, which makes it not as convincing as it could have been.

This is compounded by the loss of Eric, and the lack of explanation in regards to his relationship with Nell. Sometimes we like continuity, show. Like, you know, that thing you finally remembered to do with Kensi and Deeks having a conversation about that guy who’s, you know, after Kensi, and out in the open.

All in all, this wasn’t a horrible episode, or a great one. It was a middle of the ground episode that was made a tad frustrating by the lack of answers and by the focus on Joelle, who I’m sorry to say I care not one iota about. Hopefully next week we put this storyline to rest, and we can finally pick up the other loose ends in this season, like the guy after Kensi and you know WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH HETTY. We only have 5 more episodes, after all. Time to get a move on.

Things I think I think:

• I wish I had like, literally any feelings for Joelle. That would probably make this episode better/more interesting. I just …don’t.
• Am I the only one who does like, a little dance, at the intro music?
• How does Anna’s hair always look so good?
• “I was protecting the people I love”/”By keeping them in the dark?”
• I don’t want to be the one to say that’s basically the most common plot point on TV these days, but …yeah, it kinda is. Don’t have to make it sound like it’s so far-fetched.
• Daniela makes everything look so easy.
• This team-of-4-mini-mission was kinda fun.
• Yes, you should have called Sam. You should have.
• Arkady pushing Deeks’ buttons was …something.
• “We’re all gonna keep her safe, I promise.”
• So glad Kensi brought up the proverbial elephant in the room, cause …we’re taking care of that issue this season, right? Right?
• The way Deeks looks at Kensi: 😍😍😍😍
• When Callen didn’t let her talk, I knew this was all gonna go badly.
• The only part about the bomb that truly worried me was that Sam wasn’t moving.
• “Don’t make me break your arm.” And then …lightbulb!
• Nell having a breakdown is way overdue.
• I also kind of expected Deeks taking it badly, considering he promised Arkady.

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Los Angeles 12×13 “Red Rover, Red Rover”? Share with us in the comments below!

NCIS: Los Angeles airs Sundays on CBS.