NCIS 21×03 “Lifeline” starts under the guise of being a pretty light episode, and soon turns into a frantic hour, with the team trying to save a former NCIS agent who only trusts Kasie and prevent a terrorist attack. It’s a pretty fun hour that keeps the foot on the pedal at all times, and despite that, allows Kasie some development by letting her be the one to hold the emotional reigns of the hour.
Season 21 of the show has started really strong, but the first two episodes have focused inwards, with the premiere Torres focused and the second episode a tribute to Ducky, so NCIS 21×03 “Lifeline” is the first time the show has to sustain the intensity without asking any of the series regulars to put their personal lives in the balance. The result is a really good episode of TV that delivers outstanding character-building moments for Kasie and still manages fun moments for the rest of the team.
ALL ALONE
NCIS 21×03 “Lifeline” turns the focus to Kasie and how, even though she keeps smiling through the day, she doesn’t just feel alone — she feels like it’s her fault that she is. Of course, this isn’t a romantic comedy, so we haven’t been privy to every detail of Kasie’s relationships, but it’s pretty easy to tell that this just cannot be the case because relationships are made up of two people. It’s never just one person’s fault.
However, there comes a point, when being alone starts to weigh on you, and it all just starts to feel like your fault, even if factually, it isn’t. Facts don’t matter to feelings at that moment. The only thing that matters is that you are alone, and that part sucks. And Kasie, as she admitted, has pretty much stopped putting herself out there. She’s hiding, because she’s afraid. Because putting yourself out there means maybe getting hurt anew. And that’s scary. It might mean something good, but it might mean something bad.
She’s said it out loud now, though. Not just that, she’s admitted it. She’s made a connection. And hopefully, that means Kasie will be willing to try. Because there’s nothing worse than not trying. Than looking back at your life twenty years from now and thinking “What if I’d done this.” Sure, you might regret doing the thing, but the regret of not even trying to do the thing? That’s crippling.
NO ONE IS ONE THING
Walk-a-Mile day served to give us perspective on what every agent in this team is good at, and perhaps open our eyes to the fact that even though they are all very clearly better at some things than others, they don’t all have to be just one thing. Having one strength doesn’t mean people can’t try different things, or that they can’t be surprisingly good at others.
And that’s the thing about life, sometimes. We all get stuck in the things we’re good at — not just that, we are afraid to try the things we have always been told we’d be bad at. Perhaps, as a kid, we were told we were bad at math, and then we never tried again. Or, we feel like we have a bad rhythm, so we never try dancing. It’s such a silly way of living. What’s the worst thing that can happen? We fail. So what? We fail and then we fail again and then perhaps we learn.
Sure, we can be a little grumpy about it as we go along, like Nick, or happy like Jessica, but the point is …we should try. What do we have to lose?
Things I think I think:
- Okay, starting in Paris doesn’t say casual to me.
- Director Rocky Carroll!
- Ducky’s absence from the credits HURTS.
- Walk-a-Mile day is one of those things that sounds good on paper, and like torture in actual practice. My social anxiety would kill me.
- Jessica WOULD be the one to have fun. But also, I would have a blast at the custodial department vs accounting, I’m not gonna lie.
- Have we discussed how much I love Kasie?
- Even McGee found a way to turn his assignment around? But accounting is just not salvageable, I’m telling you.
- Aren’t we all glad McGee is old? I mean, has been around for a while!
- Yeah, screams CIA safehouse.
- Haha don’t trust the CIA is pretty sound advice for basically any procedural, even the ones where the main characters ARE CIA.
- I remember the days when I thought this was supposed to be like a light episode. How naive I was.
- But actually, this is a much better episode for not being a light episode!
- Have I also mentioned I love Vance?
- The Jimmy/Nick convo was hilarious. I bet it was a joy to film.
- “It’s my fault that I am all alone.”
- SOMEONE HUG KASIE.
- Wait …what? Was Torres good?
- “Do not move bro, I will shoot you.”
- I like how the Walk-a-Mile thing came back full circle at the end.
- Kasie saves the day!
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS 21×03 “Lifeline”? Share with us in the comments below!
Loved this episode!