NCIS: Los Angeles
Season 4
Episode 19: Red: Part
Two
By: Carlos Uribe
NCIS:
Los Angeles is a show about an elite division of naval investigators
that specialize in undercover assignments. It is a spin-off of NCIS
which itself is a spin-off JAG.
Spoilers
Ahoy!
The
three questions I asked in last week's NCIS: Los Angeles review of
this backdoor pilot were:
- Is the backdoor pilot good on it's own merit?
- Does the spin-off have any potential?
- How does the backdoor pilot fit into the NCIS: Los Angeles series? By this, I meant did it push all the characters aside and deliver an episode that is unrecognizable or does it remain a distincly NCIS: Los Angeles episode?
The
first question was difficult to answer since it was a first-parter. I
can now answer that question on whether the second part was good and
how good both parts are as a whole. The second question can also be
answered since the series is done establishing the characters and the
premise. The third question remains difficult for me to answer since
I haven't seen any other NCIS: Los Angeles episodes. Now that we've
got the caveats and questions out of the way, let's move on the
actual review.
Is
the background pilot good on it's own merit? I think I'm disappointed
with the second part on it's own. The first half had established a
strong weekly case that made me excited to see what was going to
happen next. The cliff-hanger wasn't the best but there was enough
mystery to hook me. The problem is that solving the mystery turned
out to be a disappointment. I think this is because I had different
expectations based on the first half. I was expecting more of a
thriller than what was delivered. It was a lot more procedural rather
than the adrenaline hunt to stop a terrorist attack. This is
perfectly acceptable because NCIS: Los Angeles and the backdoor pilot
are both cop shows but it was disappointing when all we got was
investigations that didn't really create a satisfactory ending to the
mystery. The pieces technically fit together but the way they were
assembled was rushed. I think speaking to this is when one of the
characters notes that one of the victims from the previous episode
was killed because he had taped the women hired to kill him. I didn't
get that at all until the episode pointed it out. If the episode was
going to be more procedural than action-oriented then it should have
taken time to ensure it was all clear. It doesn't help that it just
felt so uninspired. The second part doesn't really stand on it's own
as well as the first part. As for how the whole weekly case fits
together? As in, how good are both of the episodes when put together?
It has a promising start but it's ultimately unable to deliver. To
fully the answer the question-it's solid but not exceptional.
Does
the spin-off have any potential? It certainly does but I'm still
disappointed by how little I know most of the characters and their
relationships between each other. The only one I felt like I really
got to know was between Paris and Roy but even then it has an edge of
mystery. The edge is good and I'm definably still interested to know
the whole story of what happened between them. It's complicated but
it's also promising. The problem is that the other agents it was
setting up don't really have a unique relationship with Paris or Roy.
A cop show is only as good as the chemistry between the whole team.
The characters for the spin-off did get some more development in this
episode. Paris and Roy are the two most obvious ones but even the
supporting detectives started to leave more of an impression. I still
like the idea behind it and this episode seems to hint that they
would explore beyond just the United States. The first episode of the
series would still have to do a lot of work to properly set up the
series but this spin-off certainly has potential.
How
does this backdoor pilot fit into the original NCIS: Los Angeles
show? The first half established a pretty delicate balance where both
teams got equal attention so it felt like an episode of the series.
The second half wasn't able to maintain that balance. The characters
of the series went into the background to concentrate more on the
spin-off team. I don't think Callen or Sam played a significant role
in this episode like they did in the previous one. They were largely
sidelined. This makes sense as it gave the writers more time to flesh
out the new characters but it also meant that if felt less like an
NCIS: Los Angeles episode, or at least from the version I got from
the first half. This might be disappointing to fans of the series but
I have no idea. Overall, the backdoor pilot kept up a balance as long
as it could but the spin-off eventually overwhelmed the original
series.
Red:
Part Two is a solid episode that expanded on the spin-off team. The
weekly case might have been a disappointment but I have a better idea
of the relationship between Roy and Paris. Overall, the spin-off has
potential and the two-parter backdoor pilot successfully relayed that
promise.
Other Notes:
If
NCIS: Red gets picked up as a series then I'll cover the first
episode. I don't know yet if I'll pick up the series, though.
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