‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ 13×05 Review: “Divided We Fall”

NCIS: Los Angeles 13×05 “Divided We Fall” is a surprising episode. Not in the way the show intends it to be, perhaps. It was always kinda obvious the resolution wouldn’t, couldn’t, be as straightforward as the show was making it seem. But in the end, that didn’t really matter. This episode wasn’t about what happened to Laura Song, or about the inventive ways the shows chose to tell the story of how she died. It was about, wait for it …yes, the family this team has become, and how Horace Killbride fits — or doesn’t fit — into that family.

Before this hour, if you’d asked me if he wanted to fit, I would have said no. If you’d asked me if I cared if he did, I would have probably said no, too. Now, however, I’m at least willing to give him a chance to find his place, not just in the show, but on this team. The issue, of course, is that …there are already secrets weighing on the family he’s trying to create, and that’s no way to build trust.

Not that Hetty was always all that forthcoming, so there’s that.

This episode also gives every member of the team a chance to shine, by giving every actor not just the burden of Killbride’s decisions, but a moment of interrogation that they all turned inward, one way or another. Some, like Deeks, got very personal — but that’s what Deeks does best. Others, like Sam, got angry. Callen, meanwhile added one more guilt, one more burden to an already heavy load.

And of course, it’s their reactions that make Killbride’s decision to keep the secret from the team so hard to swallow. We know these people, and we care about them. More importantly, we’ve been with them long enough that we know all the other burdens they carry. And as people who care about them, we just don’t want to see them in this position, ever.

But that we’re here, that we care, that in season 13 of this show, an episode like this is possible, speaks well to the kind of show NCIS: Los Angeles has always been, the kind of show it remains, despite some heavy loses in the personnel department.

A show that makes us laugh sometimes. One that makes us cry sometimes. A show that often has us laughing out loud, and some times even has us yelling at the screen. You know, a show that makes us invest. A show where we care not just about one or two characters, but all of them. And one that I, personally, still look forward to every Sunday.

🥂 to this team, this family. And we’ll see you in a couple of weeks.

Things I think I think:

• “I’m always on fuego.” Yes, Kensi. You are.
• “Correct me if I’m wrong?”/”You know, I will.”
• I truly enjoy the Fatima/Devin dynamic.
• Honestly, I kinda love the way this episode is set up. Just as I adored some of the fight scenes in the last episode. Trying new things in season 13? Hell yes!
• Also, no way this is on the up and up, right?
• Who do people go around asking other people how their loved ones died? That’s not casual conversation.
• WHO HURT FATIMA?
• The whole “everyone’s got their side of the story” thing is kinda hilarious.
• “My faith makes me a stronger person, and a better agent.”
• This dang agent is flip flopping harder than the team.
• Nothing makes sense. Nooothing. I kinda love it.
• He trusts them with his life?
• He has lawyers and every single one of them will make you cry is a good description of Killbride so far.
• Everyone bringing their issues into this case is the actually pretty good storytelling.
• “I just can’t imagine remaining operational.”
• Deeks coming for my heart.
• The way Killbride says “are we done?”
• Look, it was obvious to me something else was going on. I still greatly enjoyed this episode.
• Is that …Killbride having feelings? FEELINGS?
• AM I having feelings over Killbride now? What is this madness?

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Los Angeles 13×05 “Divided We Fall”? Share with us in the comments below!

NCIS: Los Angeles airs Sundays on CBS.