NCIS 21×04 “Left Unsaid” is proof of what has made this show so popular for over two decades. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the episode. It’s a pretty straightforward case, and it gets solved more or less easily. No one gets blown up and there’s no one on the team in mortal danger.
Sure, NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Daniel Ruah directed this episode, but other than that there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about this hour. Except for the thing that always kinda is, which is that there is pretty great chemistry within this NCIS team, and there has always been, no matter who the players have been.
it’s a fun team, this team
NCIS 21×04 “Left Unsaid” is a pretty low-key funny episode, with Jessica and Timothy borderline mocking Nick as he suffers from having committed to being Parker’s “health” guru. Of course, Parker puts in a good face, but it’s clear to everyone that he will break before Torres does, if for no other reason that Torres is the most stubborn person on the team.
But the hilarious thing is the team dynamics and the way they are reminiscent of what we could have seen on this show a decade ago, with different characters. If NCIS has worked so well for so long it’s not because it’s tried to swap out characters and make the dynamics the same, but because it’s managed to create dynamics that feel honest and fun with new characters. This is not Tony/Ziva/McGee, but Nick/Jessica/McGee is pretty fun nonetheless, and we can appreciate what came before and what we have now in different ways. Very few shows manage that.
but there’s growth too
And yet the thing NCIS does really well is that, even as we get episodes like NCIS 21×04 “Left Unsaid” which are just about the dynamics, we also get episodes like NCIS 21×03 “Lifeline”, which are about growth for these characters. And 21 seasons there’s no sense that these characters have nowhere to go because these are not characters that have been around 21 seasons. The show has reinvented itself, quite a few times.
So yes, NCIS is indeed a show that feels somewhat new, even in Season 21. There are plenty of reasons for that Season 22 and beyond. There is quite a lot to explore with the characters that are present now, and with the dynamics that have been established now. Moreover, with the new shows in the universe, some interesting crossover possibilities should be explored even further.
Things I think I think:
- The cold open is my literal worst nightmare.
- Will the intro without Ducky ever not hurt?
- New roommate?
- Also who brings grapefruit in a box?
- I got a little tingly at “Directed by Daniela Ruah,” I’m not gonna lie.
- Torres looks miserable and it’s kinda hilarious. Don’t give him even one fry, Jessica.
- “Extreme adventures”?
- Jimmy is the most stable one around.
- But he’s not boring, okay? HE’S NOT BORING.
- Did someone kidnap this guy from his fake kidnapping? You gotta be kidding me.
- Me, this entire episode: Can things please not go badly?
- Things: *go really, really badly*
- That father and son hug moment? Worth everything else.
- I promise, I thought Torres was going to pull out a box of pastries from his bag at the end or something.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS 21×04 “Left Unsaid”? Share with us in the comments below!
NCIS airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS.
Loved this twisty episode! I hope she directs again next Season.