Episode 4, Season 12 - "Cash Flow"

I was really looking forward to this episode because it featured the return of Anna, an appearance by DeChamps, and it was written by Kyle Harimoto who's written some well-developed action episodes in the past. But, unfortunately, the episode was a disappointment in too many ways.

The opening team sequence was nice and the conversation between Callen and Anna was good, but as usual with these two, it was very brief. And also, as so often happens with this pair, we didn't see Anna again until the end. After the episode ended, I realized that Harimoto had missed an opportunity for an episode with some real dramatic impact by having DeChamps partner with Kensi. How much more interesting would it have been to have had Anna and Kensi partner up. After all, with Anna's record completely expunged, there's no reason she couldn't step in to help as she's done in the past, and it's unlikely Hetty would have any qualms about asking her to do so. But, for whatever reason, the writers seldom allow Anna to participate with the team anymore the way she did in seasons 7 and 8, and that's a shame because after her experiences and given her relationship to Callen, the interactions and dynamics could be really interesting and provide some character insight. But, Harimoto didn't go that route and brought in DeChamps, who's always a nice addition.

The story revolved around the death of a Naval reservist, so it was connected to the Navy, but the story itself was pretty much a yawn. It was good to see Callen hand out the assignments, unlike the previous episode, and there were some nice scenes. DeChamps calling Kensi "Mrs. Deeks" was cute, and that Kensi didn't want to be called that fit her character. The banter between Callen and Sam seemed natural, and that Callen didn't open up to Sam when asked how he felt about Anna's plans was more like the Callen of previous seasons. And Nell has pretty much settled in to Hetty's role without so much as a hiccup. The two I really had a problem with in this episode--and to be honest, in earlier episodes this season--were the rookies.

I liked Fatima when she first appeared and Rountree had promise, but they are behaving more and more like actors pretending to be federal agents instead of federal agents, and this just destroys any semblance of drama. Seriously, I've watched a lot of crime dramas--and still watch a fair amount--and have never seen two members of law enforcement who smile so often and seem to be so thoroughly enjoying themselves while tracking down the killer of a Navy reservist. There was nothing professional or serious about either of them in this episode. And the bumbling thieves in this episode were more reminiscent of an episode written by Jordana than one written by Harimoto. This was unexpected, and not in a good way.

The scene between the little girl--that reflects her behavior, not her age--who broke into the warehouse and Fatima and Rountree was painful to watch because it was so absurd and lacking in either drama or humor. The "age" jokes are way past being funny, and it's doubtful that little girl would know what bit to use for the drill, how to attach it, or even how to use it. And what federal agent would put up with her snotty attitude? Toss her in the back of the car and take her to the boatshed and hand her over to the "big guns," Callen and Sam. I've lived in Southern California most of my life, so I've met plenty of "characters," but I've never met as many caricatures as inhabit the L.A. created recently by NCIS:LA writers. A person can be eccentric and colorful (like Arkady or Roberta) without being a caricature, but many of these writers don't seem able to walk that fine line when creating supporting guest roles.

The interaction between Kensi and DeChamps was enjoyable, but there was very little of it. I understand that the producers and writers are pushing Fatima and Rountree, but to be effective, a push doesn't have to be "in your face." While I liked the idea of Kensi as a bouncer, I'm still trying to reconcile that with the Kensi from the earlier seasons, and I just can't. The new car scene was over the top and took so much screen time it turned into just more filler. It's not believable that younger agents, especially those working for an "elite" office, would be so stoked about the "company" car they've been assigned by the agency. It's as if this is the first time either of them have ever driven a nice car before, which might be true for Rountree, but seems very unlikely to be true for Fatima since she's a rich girl from Beverly Hills. I found their enthusiasm for a new set of wheels--during a murder investigation--just silly.

The Kensi and Deeks scenes about buying a house were interesting, and it's nice that they're dealing with some "normal" marital issues--babies, new house, job problems. My only issue is that Kensi and Deeks are so comfortable with each other, that while there's the excitement about the possibility of a new house, there's no discernible underlying tension about the financial pit they might be falling into. I don't mean yelling or weeping when I say tension. To me, tension is seen in the facial expressions, the body language, the voice (all things Callen does well).

Also, Deeks lost his job as liaison with NCIS, but he's still employed by LAPD. Why did he spend the day off work moping around? It's as if the writer forgot that Deeks was still an LAPD detective and is still employed. That's sloppy. For some reason, the writers are turning Deeks into something of a whiner, and for me, that doesn't work, at all. None of the four "older" team members are ever going to become whiners given their personal histories. (But while we're talking about sloppy, I wish Gemmill would hold writer meetings and have someone attend who actually remembers earlier seasons because the idea that Callen wouldn't understand the value of clothes and shoes makes no sense after the "Black Market" episode in season 8.)

As in earlier episodes this season, there was more "telling" than "showing," and when characters have to explain details of a case in the last two minutes, it makes me wonder why the writer didn't incorporate these details into the action, even in an interrogation scene. 

Finally, the ending scene between Callen and Anna was bittersweet and both actors did a wonderful job. I wish we'd seen more of these two in this episode because their relationship scenes were far more interesting than the case. To see how their relationship has evolved and the intimacy between them has grown and strengthened is really a tribute more to the actors than to the writers who have often given them little to work with and sometimes even made a complete mess of things. Both Chris and Bar have grown into this relationship as Callen and Anna, and the depth they bring to their characters and this relationship made their scenes the highlight of the episode. If the writers don't take the time to bring this relationship to its fruition, it would be a waste of one of the most interesting relationships in any TV series.

All-in-all, the episode was--except for the three minutes we had with Callen and Anna--more of a filler episode than anything memorable.