Episode 263 - "Code of Conduct"
Although this episode wasn't the planned finale for season 11 (the coronavirus pandemic making the decision for Gemmill), all things considered, it proved to be a fairly solid episode. That this episode was not as weak as the two preceding episodes was due to the writer, Frank Military, known for strong--if sometimes violent and controversial--stories. While not one of his best, the episode worked as a finale.
"Code of Conduct" deals with a scenario almost identical to the recent case of Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher, the SEAL leader convicted in a military trial of bringing discredit and dishonor to the armed forces stemming from his acts while serving in Afghanistan (subsequently pardoned). The first positive for me was that the story revolves around a case involving the Navy. This connection to the Navy has been missing in many of the more recent stories (honestly, it's been missing for several seasons). The first negative for me was that the story revolves around SEALS.
Why is this a negative for me? Well, the stories that revolve around SEALS are personal to Sam and to no one else, as opposed to stories that target the Navy in general, the country, or even the members of NCIS. Second, a similar situation for Sam--investigating a SEAL for misconduct--appeared in season 1 ("The Only Easy Day") and in an episode written by Military in season 3 ("Vengeance"), so the question Callen asks in the preview--if Sam is ready to "go after one of your own"--was asked and answered more than 8 years ago. Finally, while Sam's SEAL background is an integral part of who he is, as the seasons have progressed, this aspect of his character has taken on mythical proportions far beyond normal. He has not been a SEAL for almost 20 years, and while the SEAL community is close-knit, it's striking (and unbelievable) that every SEAL he meets knows the legend that is Sam Hanna. Much of this myth is due to Military. In an interview, Military stated that he came onto the show to write for Sam and Deeks--and he has never stopped writing for them (although Kensi is also a subject of his personal canon). But how that has affected the series is for another discussion. Back to "Code of Conduct."
The episode opens with a disturbing scene of SEALS having their picture taken with a dead Afghani man. Whether the dead man was an enemy is not immediately known, but several of the SEALS are obviously uncomfortable with the situation because this act is against the rules of combat and against the SEAL code of conduct. Once the photo shoot concludes, the scene shifts back to L.A. and the bullpen in OSP. Only Callen and Sam are present, and Callen is grousing about the work he needs to catch up on. Sam, as has been usual the past few episodes, makes some remarks teasing Callen about having a life--and now a girlfriend--outside of work. I find this a little odd since Sam has been pestering Callen for a decade about settling down, and now that he is beginning to, Sam seems almost annoyed. Then Roundtree enters, back for another trial day after having almost been blown up on his first outing with the team.
Beale calls Callen and Sam--and only Callen and Sam--to OPS for a case. There, they receive word from Col. MacKenzie that two members of a SEAL team have accused their team leader, Chief Petty Officer Argento, of killing and posing with a enemy prisoner. The team members are in L.A. to talk to Sam, the legend, and then Callen, Sam, and Roundtree review the biography of Argento. My first question was why would Roundtree, not even a member of NCIS, be included in any aspect of the investigation on such a sensitive case? Surely, this would not be following protocol, and given Sam's sensitivity to any investigation of a SEAL, it seems unlikely that he would invite Roundtree to participate.
From here, Sam interviews one of the SEALS who's come to L.A. (the other having disappeared), and when this SEAL learns that his is the only voice accusing Argento, he refuses to say anything more. What follows is a conversation among the team members and an absolutely out-of-character comment by Callen: he tells Sam the decision about what to do next is his call (this is not out of character) and then says that if Sam ever wanted this to go away, now was the time. Really? Callen, the team leader, the man who is so principled that he followed the wishes of his own father and sent him back to Russia to certain torture and likely death, is suggesting that the team will willingly cover-up a possible case of murder by a member of the U.S. Navy if Sam asks? Not bloody likely. Roundtree then speaks up about the truth, and Sam states that the truth is all that matters. Nobody disagrees because the statement is obvious. The action then breaks into two strands: Callen, Sam, and Roundtree head to Afghanistan to investigate Argento, while Kensi and Deeks remain in L.A. to try and locate the missing team member and convince both of them to tell what they know. And this is where the story lost most of its steam for me.
First, the idea that either Callen or Sam would approve of Roundtree traveling overseas on such a sensitive mission (and without the approval of his current agency) is beyond believable. Perhaps Military wants to give Roundtree screen time and possibly develop a relationship between him and Sam, but making these dramatic choices reduces the integrity of the story. Yes, it's fiction, but when a story is so closely based on a factual incident and the core characters are members of an actual federal agency, the impact is lessened when the actions of the characters in the situation ring so false. Not only does Roundtree have no experience in overseas operations, but he is being taken to a war zone on one of the most sensitive investigations the OSP office has conducted in recent years. Callen and Sam are far too experienced and know the dangers this poses, especially after recently rescuing Fatima from an overseas mission gone wrong, to bring a tag-along.
Once in Afghanistan, the action basically involves the effort of Callen, Sam, Roundtree, and Wallace (the SEAL Chief Petty Officer who's appeared in previous episodes) to avoid Argento and his SEAL team who know they've arrived in Afghanistan while simultaneously trying to investigate him. Complicated to be sure. This strand could have been exciting, but for me, the story bogged down as soon as Roundtree enthusiastically pursues a witness to Argento's actions and the entire group is then captured by Afghani men, one of whom, coincidentally, turns out to be the father of the murdered man. During their capture the Afghani men talk among themselves and with their prisoners about the murder and the fate of their captives. While the conversation proved interesting at times, it involves sidelining these characters for more than 15 minutes, and I never felt that any of them were in danger of anything more than sore butts from sitting motionless on the ground for so long.
Stateside, Kensi and Deeks locate the other SEAL and after some legal hurdles which they discuss with Col. MacKenzie, both SEALS provide separate accounts of what happened in Afghanistan, much of which is presented in flashback. This gives context to the horrific opening scene and was well-done by all involved. In fact, this was the most compelling sequence in the episode for me, and Kensi, Deeks, and the two SEALS were outstanding. Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, Argento's SEAL team locates the NCIS group--still prisoners--and prepares to storm the building because Argento has told his team that the Afghans inside are Taliban holding American hostages. After a few tense moments and some gunfire, Sam comes out with a white flag. He identifies himself--and is again recognized by the SEALS as a badass and a legend--and subsequently secures the release of the NCIS group and the safety of the Afghans with the help of one of Argento's SEAL team members. Argento is arrested by Sam, and the episode ends with Callen, Sam, and Roundtree preparing to return to the states with Argento, but not before Callen and Sam offer Roundtree a place on their team. To be honest, I found this offer puzzling.
Roundtree almost blew himself up in his first outing and in this outing disregards Sam's advice and draws the entire group into a building where they become prisoners. Yes, he escaped from the corrupt FBI agents when we were first introduced to him, but since then he's demonstrated no particularly outstanding abilities to warrant becoming a member of OSP. And, to be honest, I do not understand why these agents don't use the services and technology available more regularly. (For instance, when we were introduced to Roundtree in "Watch Over Me," he had a flash drive with important documents about a criminal case. Does he not know how to use the regular mail? Or does he not know how to use email or send a text? Heck, he could have even visited a FedEx store and transferred the information to another flash drive using one of their computers. I'm not a special agent of any government agency, but I was able to get a contract delivered 3,000 miles while traveling to a relative's house on Christmas Eve.)
As mentioned earlier, this episode was head and shoulders above the previous two episodes, and while it was a worthy finale--especially given the difficulties of this season because of the pandemic--it wasn't as well-written as some finales of past seasons. But then, that has been true for the entire season.
I enjoy this show and the characters, but I also expect the writing to be dramatic without being stale, puerile, or so outrageous that it irretrievably breaks the bonds of believability.
This season was hit-or-miss throughout for me (mostly miss), and the main problem remains the writing, both in the storylines--some of which wouldn't make it beyond a first read in a screenwriting competition for amateurs--and the inconsistencies in the development of the characters, particularly, but not exclusively, Callen. When a series has aired for more than a decade and has devoted viewers, it's to be expected that viewers will notice these. For me, these matter.
"Code of Conduct" deals with a scenario almost identical to the recent case of Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher, the SEAL leader convicted in a military trial of bringing discredit and dishonor to the armed forces stemming from his acts while serving in Afghanistan (subsequently pardoned). The first positive for me was that the story revolves around a case involving the Navy. This connection to the Navy has been missing in many of the more recent stories (honestly, it's been missing for several seasons). The first negative for me was that the story revolves around SEALS.
Why is this a negative for me? Well, the stories that revolve around SEALS are personal to Sam and to no one else, as opposed to stories that target the Navy in general, the country, or even the members of NCIS. Second, a similar situation for Sam--investigating a SEAL for misconduct--appeared in season 1 ("The Only Easy Day") and in an episode written by Military in season 3 ("Vengeance"), so the question Callen asks in the preview--if Sam is ready to "go after one of your own"--was asked and answered more than 8 years ago. Finally, while Sam's SEAL background is an integral part of who he is, as the seasons have progressed, this aspect of his character has taken on mythical proportions far beyond normal. He has not been a SEAL for almost 20 years, and while the SEAL community is close-knit, it's striking (and unbelievable) that every SEAL he meets knows the legend that is Sam Hanna. Much of this myth is due to Military. In an interview, Military stated that he came onto the show to write for Sam and Deeks--and he has never stopped writing for them (although Kensi is also a subject of his personal canon). But how that has affected the series is for another discussion. Back to "Code of Conduct."
The episode opens with a disturbing scene of SEALS having their picture taken with a dead Afghani man. Whether the dead man was an enemy is not immediately known, but several of the SEALS are obviously uncomfortable with the situation because this act is against the rules of combat and against the SEAL code of conduct. Once the photo shoot concludes, the scene shifts back to L.A. and the bullpen in OSP. Only Callen and Sam are present, and Callen is grousing about the work he needs to catch up on. Sam, as has been usual the past few episodes, makes some remarks teasing Callen about having a life--and now a girlfriend--outside of work. I find this a little odd since Sam has been pestering Callen for a decade about settling down, and now that he is beginning to, Sam seems almost annoyed. Then Roundtree enters, back for another trial day after having almost been blown up on his first outing with the team.
Beale calls Callen and Sam--and only Callen and Sam--to OPS for a case. There, they receive word from Col. MacKenzie that two members of a SEAL team have accused their team leader, Chief Petty Officer Argento, of killing and posing with a enemy prisoner. The team members are in L.A. to talk to Sam, the legend, and then Callen, Sam, and Roundtree review the biography of Argento. My first question was why would Roundtree, not even a member of NCIS, be included in any aspect of the investigation on such a sensitive case? Surely, this would not be following protocol, and given Sam's sensitivity to any investigation of a SEAL, it seems unlikely that he would invite Roundtree to participate.
From here, Sam interviews one of the SEALS who's come to L.A. (the other having disappeared), and when this SEAL learns that his is the only voice accusing Argento, he refuses to say anything more. What follows is a conversation among the team members and an absolutely out-of-character comment by Callen: he tells Sam the decision about what to do next is his call (this is not out of character) and then says that if Sam ever wanted this to go away, now was the time. Really? Callen, the team leader, the man who is so principled that he followed the wishes of his own father and sent him back to Russia to certain torture and likely death, is suggesting that the team will willingly cover-up a possible case of murder by a member of the U.S. Navy if Sam asks? Not bloody likely. Roundtree then speaks up about the truth, and Sam states that the truth is all that matters. Nobody disagrees because the statement is obvious. The action then breaks into two strands: Callen, Sam, and Roundtree head to Afghanistan to investigate Argento, while Kensi and Deeks remain in L.A. to try and locate the missing team member and convince both of them to tell what they know. And this is where the story lost most of its steam for me.
First, the idea that either Callen or Sam would approve of Roundtree traveling overseas on such a sensitive mission (and without the approval of his current agency) is beyond believable. Perhaps Military wants to give Roundtree screen time and possibly develop a relationship between him and Sam, but making these dramatic choices reduces the integrity of the story. Yes, it's fiction, but when a story is so closely based on a factual incident and the core characters are members of an actual federal agency, the impact is lessened when the actions of the characters in the situation ring so false. Not only does Roundtree have no experience in overseas operations, but he is being taken to a war zone on one of the most sensitive investigations the OSP office has conducted in recent years. Callen and Sam are far too experienced and know the dangers this poses, especially after recently rescuing Fatima from an overseas mission gone wrong, to bring a tag-along.
Once in Afghanistan, the action basically involves the effort of Callen, Sam, Roundtree, and Wallace (the SEAL Chief Petty Officer who's appeared in previous episodes) to avoid Argento and his SEAL team who know they've arrived in Afghanistan while simultaneously trying to investigate him. Complicated to be sure. This strand could have been exciting, but for me, the story bogged down as soon as Roundtree enthusiastically pursues a witness to Argento's actions and the entire group is then captured by Afghani men, one of whom, coincidentally, turns out to be the father of the murdered man. During their capture the Afghani men talk among themselves and with their prisoners about the murder and the fate of their captives. While the conversation proved interesting at times, it involves sidelining these characters for more than 15 minutes, and I never felt that any of them were in danger of anything more than sore butts from sitting motionless on the ground for so long.
Stateside, Kensi and Deeks locate the other SEAL and after some legal hurdles which they discuss with Col. MacKenzie, both SEALS provide separate accounts of what happened in Afghanistan, much of which is presented in flashback. This gives context to the horrific opening scene and was well-done by all involved. In fact, this was the most compelling sequence in the episode for me, and Kensi, Deeks, and the two SEALS were outstanding. Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, Argento's SEAL team locates the NCIS group--still prisoners--and prepares to storm the building because Argento has told his team that the Afghans inside are Taliban holding American hostages. After a few tense moments and some gunfire, Sam comes out with a white flag. He identifies himself--and is again recognized by the SEALS as a badass and a legend--and subsequently secures the release of the NCIS group and the safety of the Afghans with the help of one of Argento's SEAL team members. Argento is arrested by Sam, and the episode ends with Callen, Sam, and Roundtree preparing to return to the states with Argento, but not before Callen and Sam offer Roundtree a place on their team. To be honest, I found this offer puzzling.
Roundtree almost blew himself up in his first outing and in this outing disregards Sam's advice and draws the entire group into a building where they become prisoners. Yes, he escaped from the corrupt FBI agents when we were first introduced to him, but since then he's demonstrated no particularly outstanding abilities to warrant becoming a member of OSP. And, to be honest, I do not understand why these agents don't use the services and technology available more regularly. (For instance, when we were introduced to Roundtree in "Watch Over Me," he had a flash drive with important documents about a criminal case. Does he not know how to use the regular mail? Or does he not know how to use email or send a text? Heck, he could have even visited a FedEx store and transferred the information to another flash drive using one of their computers. I'm not a special agent of any government agency, but I was able to get a contract delivered 3,000 miles while traveling to a relative's house on Christmas Eve.)
As mentioned earlier, this episode was head and shoulders above the previous two episodes, and while it was a worthy finale--especially given the difficulties of this season because of the pandemic--it wasn't as well-written as some finales of past seasons. But then, that has been true for the entire season.
I enjoy this show and the characters, but I also expect the writing to be dramatic without being stale, puerile, or so outrageous that it irretrievably breaks the bonds of believability.
This season was hit-or-miss throughout for me (mostly miss), and the main problem remains the writing, both in the storylines--some of which wouldn't make it beyond a first read in a screenwriting competition for amateurs--and the inconsistencies in the development of the characters, particularly, but not exclusively, Callen. When a series has aired for more than a decade and has devoted viewers, it's to be expected that viewers will notice these. For me, these matter.
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