(S04E24) CBS has been teasing this episode for a couple weeks now, with promises of secrets being revealed. They did get to the big one, though that was more of a confirmation of what we already expected. Overall though, I think they oversold it. Another case of the promotions department writing checks that the writers aren't cashing. That feeling of something being incomplete carried over into the rest of the episode as well. It just didn't have the feel of the big season finale. The show set a very high bar with "Twilight" in season two and can't afford to just phone it in like this. Half of this episode could have just been dropped right in the middle of any other episode and it wouldn't have made a difference. That's fine, for episodes 2 through 23, but the big guns have to come out for the first and the last.
The worst example of what I am getting at is Tony and Jeanne's (Scottie Thompson) big morgue adventure. And my problem with it isn't that I don't like Jeanne, though I know there are a number of NCIS fans that would rather just be done with her. I like her character, and what she has brought to Tony's story over the course of the season. But really, what the hell was that? I could have gone along with this oddball morgue hostage situation in episode 15. I'd even be happy to buy right in to Jeanne taking charge and stabbing Nick. But after waiting the entire season to find out what was up with this story, I expected more in the finale.
Getting confirmation that La Grenouille (Armand Assante) is her father was one of the secrets/answers we were waiting for. As was the fact that he, through Trent Kort, was behind the mysterious photographs. Unfortunately, the episode playing in my head during the commercials was more interesting than most of what we got from Tony and Jeanne. When Ziva told Ducky that she had a funny feeling about Tony being missing, I thought she was going to go to the hospital and save the day. It would have put the 'is it' or 'isn't it' love triangle right there on the screen for us. Not to mention the fact that a badass Israeli woman busting through the door would mean that Tony has some 'splainin' to do.
They really didn't give us much in the way of Jenny's story either. We already knew that her father was still alive and had somehow faked his suicide 12 years ago. I do always enjoy it when MacGee gets on a geek sidetrack while trying to explain things to Gibbs, but his labors didn't bare a lot of fruit where the big mystery was concerned. What the story did seem to reinforce is the idea that Jenny shouldn't be too comfortable in the Director's office. She's now bringing trouble down on all of NCIS with her reckless actions.
Another part of the episode that just struck me as being off was the decision to split the team up. There was so little interaction between all of them. It does set things up for what should be a very good premiere in the fall, but that is at the expense of the finale, which is unfortunate. In minor character news, it can't be just me. It's really time to fish or cut bait with the Palmer/Lee story.
Maybe my expectations were too high. But this is the season finale of a show that has proven in the past that it can deliver. I think high expectations are warranted. They did the work over the course of the season to get to what could have been a great season finale. Unfortunately, they only showed us a small part of it, and we'll have to wait until the fall to see the rest. It's been a very good season of NCIS, but it has gone out on a low note. I'm giving this one a 4, out of 7.
Giveaway Monday: How I Met Your Mother season three DVD
Oops! Newspapers around the world use SNL pic as official Palin one - VIDEO
The evolution of TV Squad
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-23-2007 @ 9:36AM
Jon said...
I must say that the junkie snorting smack out of her brother's incised intestines was pretty badass. For such a comparatively tame show compared to CSI, etc...that pretty much blew my mind. It wouldn't have surprised me on another show, but it did on this one.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 9:58AM
Amanda said...
I agree. When I watched it, I was so excited in seeing all the secrets come out. By then end I was going "Huh?!". Like, it felt like the writers were all "Hey, whatever. We rock no matter what. Splice together something."
Usually the team does a stellar job so I was really sad to see the finale make me go "...Huh!?"
I wish they elaborated more on The Angel of Death. It would be cool to see her standing near Tony for Jeanne to see or something. Ahh, but that's just me.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:11AM
Robert said...
Best line of the night- Ducky in the bar ordering a 'McCallum'- neat. Second best bit, Tony and Ziva about '2001'. 'Angel of Death?' Nice idea- too bad the retard writers couldn't make more of it.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:16AM
Joan said...
Yes, something was so uneven about this story line. The Director was over the top in her acting and I just have never warmed to Tony's girlfriend. As far as the sister/ intestine thing I was disgusted.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:21AM
Cole said...
I knew La Grenouille was behind those photos, and that he was probably Jeanne's father, so I'm glad i was right, because it just seemed so wrong to dislike her when TBTP (The Powers That Be) seemed to be working so hard to make me like her. Plus i didn't want to hate her simply because Ziva liked Tony, and i liked her more.
Now i just need to know if she part of this plot or just being used as bait, either way i don't care Brett's right, I'm one of those people that just want her gone. But i agree with the hostage situation, you'd think more would come out of it then actually did, and i th only one that that thought that 'Death' wasted a trip to the show, that little girl was in my opinion pointless.
I also wanted someone to bust Palmer and Lee, i mean come on they've been treating the NCIS headquarters like an hourly motel for months, and our highly trained investigators noticed nothing.
I don't like Jenny as the director, so yeah i am pretty much feed up with her whole 'Dad' storyline.
I'm disappointed in the finale too, maybe this is Bellisario's revenge trying to show what happens when he's not the point man for the show any more.
But any way you look at it, they should have done better for their season closer, answering one question just to ask three more doesn't work for me. I have to agree with 4 rating.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:27AM
Gordon Werner said...
so ... Tony's cover is as a Professor at the University ... he doesn't carry his weapon when he visits Jeanne ... now is his relationship a front for an investigation? or is it serious? I cannot remember if Tony's cover was blown ... or whether it is just a concerned father looking out for his daughter.
I would have to say that I think Jeanne knows something is not right ... how Tony instinctively went for his gun outside the morgue ... and how he managed to quickly take control of the situation when he got the gun ...
but much like CSI Miami ... this did not feel like a serious finale.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:29AM
DougE said...
The way they were hyping the polygraph tests, I was expecting a lot more of that w/ questioning Tony, Ziva, Abby, etc. and getting some answers regarding some of the inter-NCIS relationships going on.
Wonder if they knew they were getting picked up before they shot this episode & changed gears to make it more of a cliffhanger than a series wrapup?
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:49AM
mike m said...
It seems to me that the problems with this episode, to echo slightly on cole's position, was the DPB wasn't sending in the pages, and was likely changing things so late that the actors had to change everything and memorize lines last minute. This meant the quality would fall, and we'd see it...and we did. That's why Harmon was so upset.
I'm assuming the Premier will be spectacular, and the writing will be much more consistent from now on as DPB is now out....
the problem? when DPB left JAG to do NCIS, the writing sucked.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 11:06AM
John Heltsley said...
#3: I don't think he was ordering a McCallum, but rather a MacCallan, a well-known and (imho) good single-malt scotch.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 11:06AM
Steve said...
I too share a number of feelings listed here, but bear in mind, this show had two of the biggest names for this show at the helm; Bellisario wrote the teleplay and Dennis Smth directed it. So, the "buck stops" with the two of them, who in the past, have given us some of the best episodes of "NCIS" and "JAG".
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 11:27AM
Dusty said...
How could Tony's cover not be blown? All they would have to do is to follow him for 1 day of his "normal duties" to see what he did. I missed the part on the plane when they were discussing "who and what" he was (the "white hat" part) -- so maybe they ("the bad guys" do realize he is NCIS)
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 12:26PM
tc said...
like most tv nowadays this one sucked i live uk so can some 1 just give a date for season 5 ty
tc
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 12:56PM
Jeanne said...
l have to agree with everyone. the NCIS season finale was a real let down.
They could of come up with something better.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 12:56PM
DudeBoyz said...
I really didn't like this finale at all.
No closure, just a disjointed series of unanswered questions.
Did Tony recognize "The Frog"? Is his dating that girl a setup on both sides? Is that bald guy working for the frog really on the side of the US? Or is he a turned agent? Why is the director showing to be so unprofessional and ruled by emotion? Is she really that weak, or is she "play-acting" because of a deeper mission involving federal agencies and "The Frog"? Does Ziva have a 6th sense about danger? Or is she jealous?
I'm not sure if I was just not in the right mood or if the finale really was pretty bad, but I certainly felt disappointed.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 1:49PM
Cat said...
Count me in as slightly disappointed. Granted, it's NCIS so I love it, but I definitely felt this would have been better as a two parter, with this being a first part. It seemed to set up a lot more than it answered, and now we're just left wondering where all this is going to go next season.
But I'm thrilled that I guessed correctly and Jeanne is related to the The Frog and at least started as an undercover op for Tony.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 4:20PM
Doug said...
THanks for the reviews this season. Hope you will continue next fall. I love to read your opeds.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 7:20PM
Cynthia said...
Ah, now I know why I was so confused. I haven't followed the show for months but tuned in for the finale. I didn't know the gf didn't know Tony was NCIS. That explains the whole "no gun" thing.
I did LOVE the sister - she rocked the part and the angel of death bit was creepy and not very NCIS but I enjoyed it!
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 9:35PM
PB said...
I was seriously underwhelmed ... by the time Jeanne said "Bonjour, Papa", it wasn't an earth-shattering revelation. I expected it. The only interesting aspect of the entire show was wondering if Kort is a double agent or what. Other than that, this was pretty anti-climactic. I do wonder how they'll resolve it, though ...
Thanks for a great season of recaps, Brett!
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:13PM
PB said...
OK, me again. And this is probably a seriously DUH comment, but did Tony start dating Jeanne *just* to get close to The Frog? And now he's actually fallen for her, so it's harder for him to do his job OR is he faking it (the romance) and that's why the "let's buy a house" talk is hard for him to do ...
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 10:34PM
Kevinc said...
Why do you guys think he has fallen for Jeanne - He is undercover!!?!
Reply