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SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

NCIS: Los Angeles - Expiration Date - Review: "Moving Too Fast?"

25 Feb 2015

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It was fun to see a familiar “NCIS: Los Angeles” character re-emerge in “Expiration Date” this week: Jemadar Thapa, a Nepali soldier trained as an expert knife fighter (also called a ghurka). It was especially fun to see his character return because of his connection to Deeks and Kensi. Thapa worked with the NCIS team last season and became friends with Deeks, who came to think of Thapa as a mentor of sorts. I really like their friendship. Last year Thapa advised Deeks to take his time with Kensi, saying she would wait for him. And now once again he offered words of wisdom when it came to Deeks and Kensi’s relationship.

That relationship and how fast it was moving played front and center this week. We saw Kensi and Deeks’ first fight and how they dealt with it. And we saw them addressing how much time they spent together. It seems these two never leave each other’s side. We even saw them in bed together at the beginning of the episode. But they had to decide if that incessant time together was too much.

The episode gave Deeks and Kensi fans the most Densi material since they started dating at Christmas – and the most insight into their relationship since then. It was fun to see that personal emphasis on the couple. Even their disagreement became kind of fun as Thapa got in the middle of things with his advice, yielding some very humorous moments. And the resolution to their fight was genuinely sweet. But I have to say, I was also a little disheartened by some aspects of their scenes. I felt like their fight was kind of goofy and the story that developed out of it was too manipulated. It either left me saying, “Why?” or feeling like the situation was a little too theoretical. That left the scenes less powerful for me than they could have been.


Kensi and Deeks (and Thapa)

The first time we see Kensi and Deeks, they are waking up in bed together. My first thought was, “Oh my gosh. Wow. We are actually seeing this. How exciting!” And it was. To not make us guess what goes on behind closed doors was great. We actually got a peek at their intimacy outside work.

I loved so many aspects of this scene. I loved how their guns were both on the nightstand, a sign to me that they are free to be themselves with one another, not having to hide anything about their work. I loved how Kensi woke Deeks up with kisses. I love how they called each other their full official work names. But I thought their closeness got a little awkward as Kensi continued kissing his back – his shirt, really – for too long, almost as if the two actors were trying to avoid other kisses. (Yes – insert question here if being related keeps their level of intimacy on screen stilted. I’d never thought so before, but this scene made me wonder if it could possibly be true.) Nonetheless, I thought it was cute how Deeks laughed as he remembered Kensi’s friends calling her “KK” and wanting her to do lemon drop shots with them. His smile proved he remembered the events in an endearing way. But Kensi was taken off guard. All she hears is him making fun of her friends. And Deeks makes the situation worse by saying the girls’ greatness probably peaked at age 15. (Seriously, Deeks? Stop while you’re ahead!) Suddenly Kensi feels like it was a mistake to introduce him to her friends. And she feels like maybe she jumped the gun too quickly and they are moving too fast.

That is the point where I started getting a little perturbed. It bothered me that after all the stop-and-start movement this couple has experienced, they were now questioning if they were moving too fast. Don’t get me wrong. That’s a legitimate question to ask of a couple, especially one that spends every day and night together. But because of Kensi and Deeks’ history, it made me a little angry. I felt myself asking, “Again? We’re going to go here again? Just when they’re finally going strong, we’re going to slow it down again? Is this really necessary?” With any other couple, I don’t think I would have had this issue. But because of their history (and the audience’s annoyance with the on-again, off-again antics), I felt like this was a bad choice. At the same time, I realize it wasn’t really a big deal. They weren’t considering breaking up or walking away. They just needed to determine if they should spend a little time apart, on their own or with friends. That’s okay. But to me it felt forced.

Maybe it’s because I was being told that they spent too much time together, but I hadn’t really seen that for myself. I didn’t know they hung out together every night. That was news to me – and news that as a Densi fan, I was excited about. It was really fun seeing them wake up together in the morning and hearing they spent all their evenings together (like Deeks, I thought this was “totally and completely awesome!”). But as soon as I could enthusiastically take it all in, suddenly I was getting whiplash as Kensi questioned if it was all too much. I just wanted to scream, “No, Kensi, no. Don’t get scared and back away.” Fortunately, she wasn’t doing that. She was just scared that Deeks didn’t like her friends and maybe she shouldn’t have introduced them. But the effects of the whiplash didn’t go away easily. The gist of their discussion still felt hollow and unnatural to me. I felt like I was being dragged down a path that was laid out for me instead of seeing the reasons for going down the path myself.

The other thing that bothered me, just a little, was the fight itself. It didn’t feel like they had much to really fight about. Deeks didn’t know when to stop, but he truly seemed to be joking about all the girliness he had to endure (I would like to have seen that night out) so it felt like Kensi overreacted a bit. But I understand that she wanted to make sure he wasn’t picking and choosing what he liked about her. Meeting her friends was a vulnerable thing for Kensi and she felt like Deeks didn’t appreciate it and was making fun of something that was important to her.

Regardless of the reason, things come to a head. First Kensi is upset with Deeks, and then Deeks is caught off guard when Kensi says her friends make her happy in a different way than him. I think what she was trying to say is that she enjoys spending time with her friends in a different way than spending time with Deeks. He can’t be her everything because she needs friends around her, too. That is healthy. No one should expect their boyfriend/girlfriend to be the only important person in their life. And I think that is what was happening here. Kensi and Deeks were spending so much time together that they were losing sight of everything else around them. I just think it wasn’t phrased very well or made very clear, so the scene lacked some of its intended impact.

After their first fight gets interrupted by phone calls from work, Deeks later seeks the advice of his old friend Thapa about what to do with “KK.” Thapa believes that, like most new couples, they are moving too fast, spending every moment together and meeting their family and friends. He said in these cases “it feels real before it becomes real.” That advice sounded vague and kind of left me scratching my head. Huh? That wisdom was too abstract for me. I also still don’t see why they shouldn’t be meeting each other’s friends. They’ve known each other a long time and have had feelings for a long time. So meeting their friends does not seem like a big step to me. Maybe others feel differently. But it seems to me if you’ve been dating for a couple months, you should be meeting each other’s friends. If you’re not, then you’re just isolating yourself more on your own. So I thought that whole premise of the argument was a little strange.

Nonetheless, what happened next was hilarious. Kensi returns and Thapa calls her “KK,” revealing that Deeks has been talking about her and what happened that morning. Deeks immediately knows he’s in trouble. He makes up an excuse that he didn’t hear with all the traffic (of which there is none) and says that Thapa just has Nepalese humor. And then he walks away before he really has to pay the price. This scene was hilarious.

Next Kensi gets her chance to ask Thapa for advice - and she does it in front of Deeks. He wants her to find her own ghurka, but she plows ahead. As she wonders out loud if Deeks accepts all or just part of her, Deeks gets defensive and calls her crazy. Kensi points out that is the last thing a woman wants to hear. As she turns to Thapa for wisdom, it was hilarious that Thapa explicitly contradicts his previous statement to Deeks. Earlier he told Deeks that he knows a lot about relationships because he’s “a ghurka, not a monk.” This time he tells Kensi that ghurkas are like monks and they don’t know a lot about relationships – his strength lies in listening. Oh my goodness. Seeing both Kensi and Deeks’ expressions at this point was priceless. Thapa is one smart cookie. He knows when to speak up and went to keep his mouth shut. He knew how to work the situation.

Later Thapa has a touching scene with Deeks as he is spending time thinking of his family at home and the uncertainty of what awaits him in India. Someone has tried to kill Thapa and they don’t know who yet. He has a wife and kids back home, but he tells Deeks that home isn’t a place for him – it’s a feeling. It’s the feeling behind his wife’s smile or his children’s laughter. He built his home on these feelings so he never has to leave.

All these wonderful scenes with Thapa make it that much sadder when he takes a fatal bullet during a ghurka fight at the hospital (they were the ones trying to kill him). Before he dies, though, Deeks tells him they’re going to take him home, and he replies, “I’m already there. Look for me in smiles. You will see me waving back at you.” Though the death scene itself was kind of stiff and cheesy, the effect still made an impact. This was someone Deeks respected greatly. Deeks has a hard time letting him go, but Thapa’s advice remains.

Back at work, Deeks and Kensi are cleaning up their desks to leave when Kensi asks if they should go to his place or hers. Taking in Thapa’s wisdom, Deeks suggests maybe they should take a night off every now and then. At first you can’t tell what Kensi is thinking, but she soon reveals she is happy he suggested it. Then Deeks declares that getting through their first fight is a pretty big deal – cause for celebration. To this Kensi affirms that he must not be talking about tonight since they just decided to take a night off from hanging out. But Deeks playfully admits that tonight technically ends at midnight. I thought this was sweet but also a little strange as it muddled the message from earlier. (But since it was a message I didn’t much care for, I’ll go with it.) He still wants to see her as much as he can, which is cute. Kensi laughs and tells him to call her if he wants to talk. These two are not at risk for drifting apart any time soon.

As Deeks stares at her, she grows uncomfortable. But Deeks is contemplative. His next words reflect so much: “Your smile is so perfect.” With those heartfelt words it is clear he is seeing his friend Thapa in Kensi’s smile. But he is also seeing her and reflecting on how much she means to him. Kensi’s smile grows huge and then turns into a laugh, which unfortunately seemed out of place with Deeks’ solemn mood. But I was glad to see she is receiving his compliments now. As Kensi leaves for the night, she tells him to go home. And Deeks doesn’t move from his spot as he says to himself, “I’m already there.” Just like Thapa, Deeks’ home is a feeling – the feeling he gets when he looks at Kensi and sees her smile. Without even realizing it, she has comforted him.


Sam and Callen

We didn’t see a lot of Sam in this episode since he was shot protecting a scientist from India who was supposedly defecting to the U.S. (and working with the CIA). I really wasn’t expecting Sam to get shot when he did. I actually gasped when it happened. But as it occurred in the beginning of the episode, I figured he would make it through just fine.

His absence left Callen working to solve the case frantically on behalf of his friend. And Callen did work hard. He suspected the Indian scientist, Ella, was a fraud from the beginning. (I loved his line to Granger: “No one’s the real thing. Some of us just have fewer lies to tell.”) Callen made Ella think the CIA would be retracting her deal after Sam “died” (or so he told her), and he gets her to write down the number of nuclear warheads in India’s arsenal. He then detects when she’s lying since he was in the country himself gathering intel on that very subject. Ella has been feeding the CIA bad information.

When Sam wakes up in the hospital, I love that not only does he find Callen by his side, but Deeks and Kensi as well. (And Sam was hilarious as he wanted to make sure Deeks was disinfected before they let him in. His humor was clearly intact after the shooting.) The team is there for him. But it’s not long before they all have to jump into action to stop the killer ghurkas on the loose. I loved how everyone was involved in the fight in different ways. Callen had to save the hostage and Sam cleverly used his hospital tray to stop the knives the fake nurse was throwing at him.


Other Thoughts

- I loved how Deeks remembered the “pantheon of crazy girl names” of Kensi’s friends and didn’t want the fight to be him versus Kensi, Cat, Mindy, Mandy, Tiffany and Tiffany.

- Sam seriously can spot a sniper anywhere. This time he just didn’t have much time to react.

- I liked seeing Hetty and Granger at the hospital when Sam was shot. I enjoyed Granger referring to Hetty as the mother when he said, “A mother’s work is never done.” But I did think it was weird that Michelle wasn’t there at Sam’s side.

- Kensi has some serious game when flinging knives at bombers! What aim.

- I loved how Hetty compared spying to used car dealers.

- To me the “expiration date” dialogue didn’t really have a purpose in the episode. Thapa was saying you need to be ready for death. But the topic had no real purpose in the story.

- How in the world did Sam see Ella put a GPS tracking beacon on Thapa? I don’t know when he would have had time to see that before he got shot. But then again, he’s Sam.

- When Deeks was trying to get through the bolted door at the hospital, why didn’t he just use his gun? Wouldn’t that have been easier than getting an axe out of the glass box on the wall?


What did you think of "Expiration Date?" Do you think Kensi and Deeks need to spend some time apart? Is it too soon to meet their friends? Let us know your thoughts below.


About the Author - Tonya Papanikolas
Tonya Papanikolas is an online, print and broadcast journalist who loves covering entertainment and television. She spent more than 10 years as a broadcast news anchor/reporter and now does everything from hosting to writing. She loves covering NCIS: Los Angeles for SpoilerTV. (She's a big fan of Kensi and Deeks!) She also writes SpoilerTV articles on other great shows.

43 comments:

  1. I'm not sure the gun would have worked as well as the axe..he'd have to have pretty good aim (since the lock was on the other side of the door and might have ricochet back at him) plus the lock was pretty solid and thick-not sure how much damage a bullet would have made...

    and then we got the axe in the back scene..so wouldn't have worked without it..lol..that whole scene made me laugh out loud...gerkas in the hospital...sigh

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  2. great review. I'm still upset over Thapa :(
    to me their fight felt weird an kinda out of nowhere and I wouldn't even call it a fight

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  3. Hi Tonya, great review as always! First this week I saw the episode live so i don't have to wait to the video are available internationally. I think I'll start to see the episodes always live to not have problems later!
    Now about the episode, I liked the episode but there were some things I didn't like that much.

    It was like a dream to me when I saw Kensi and Deeks waking up together, but after that discussion happened and I it found too forced. I think if the producers wanted them to discuss should have made it for something different. I understand Kensi not like that Deeks make fun of her friends, but when she starts with the conversation about "moving to fast", I literally felt my inner voice calling her all possible and imaginary names. They already like each other a long time, will have been dating a few months in my opinion they are moving too slowly! oving ahead, I enjoyed the participation Thapa this episode (although not agree with some things he said), but I was very sorry when he died, I did not want this happened, I liked him a lot, it was very sad for me.
    For me the episode was good but some things could have been improved, but overall I liked it. Still like to see more scenes where Denis show more intimacy and their life outside work environment, maybe this happens in future episodes.
    Its everything for now..... Bye ☺

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  4. Being related does affect those 2, Eric and Daniela. They are professionals, still they are very uncomfortable and I understand that. For Christmas episode when we could see an interview about that episode and the kiss, Daniela said, she wasn't there in that moment when they kissed, her mind just went somewhere else. I think we won't see some big intimacy with them on this show until they get possibly engaged or something like that which is in very, very, very distant future. And I don't need to see it, to be honest, like it more like mystery. We know Deeks has great memory and can remember everything so him knowing all the names and what happened isn't surprising. When Kensi said, "what we are doing is not normal", my thought at that moment was "No, not again". Kensi and Deeks are both very closed persons and they do not like to share personal life(even tho I personally thought they don't have friends based on the past episodes) and meeting friends makes them open and vulnerable. Deeks making fun of Kensi's friends is probably because he was only guy there(I mean, how would you feel when you are only guy there). Thapa is just great character, he shoudn't be killed. It is really sad since Deeks and him were close, and he really helped Deeks with Kensi. Scenes when Kensi asked Thapa for advice were so hilarious. After he said that he isn't a monk to Deeks, and later changing that, some of the best scenes. Thapa is really fun character too. And the end scene with Deeks and Kensi really felt nice. She does have nice smile.
    I like the episode. Some parts could have been better but all in all great episode. Thanks for the review, some parts made me really laugh with your personal thoughts about scenes/momets in it.

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  5. For the record, I like Kensi and Deeks. That being said, all I can say is, Poor Deeks. He wasn't making fun of Kensi's friends, instead he was just having fun remembering the fun they had the night before. Yet Kensi vilified him for it and it annoyed me a lot. IMO, Deeks didn't need the therapy session with Thapa, it was Kensi, so he could tell her that she needs to calm down.
    Personally I hate it when TV shows vilify the guy and make the girl the injured party when, at least, half the time if not more, the guy is actually in the right, yet they are the ones that have to apologize/beg for forgiveness and the girl pretty much gets off scot free.

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  6. GREAT point about the kissing the back being a way to avoid other kisses. I too thought it was a bit awkward watching it.

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  7. Kensi is never happy. If nothing is wrong she will look for something to be wrong and I agree 100% I hate when TV shows make woman into whiny complainers sadly it's pretty accurate. Every girlfriend of wife I know acts just like that.

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  8. I found the Densi "fight" a little lame/awkward too. I do understand the whole "not wanting to go too fast" thing and needing a little breathing room (learned that one the hard way), but the setup and delivery were... off, for lack of a better word. That said, I did like the last scene. I wonder just how much of Deeks' part was scripted and how much was ECO (if you've ever seen any of his interviews you know he likes to wax poetic about Densi). Either way, it was incredibly sappy and I loved it anyway.

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  9. Enjoyable episode. I didn't mind the fight, I thought the way it happened and its content kinda of fits the characters. There was an episode ages ago where Kensi was meeting an old friend and was totally uptight about it mostly because she has to lie about what her real job is. I always think Kensi wants to be seen as professional and really good at her job, and that is probably not the person she is around friends she has had since she was 15. The impression I was left with after their disagreement was that Kensi was worried Deeks would think less of her after meeting her friends and she was being hypersensitive to anything Deeks said, although he wasn't being very sensitive either!

    I agree that the scene between Granger and Hetty and then Callen and Hetty were great. I really liked Thapa and sorry he died in the end. I did feel really sorry for Deeks as he was obviously upset. The last scene with Densi was great, Even though they agreed to give each other a bit of space - I don't think its too worrying that they are spending a little time apart, they do spend a lot of time together. I liked that even though they were not spending the evening together that Kensi told Deeks to call her if he wanted to talk and although she was excited to get some space she still cared that he had lost a friend. Deeks telling Kensi her smile was perfect and her reaction to it was perfect - it let us know that even though they had a disagreement ( I refuse to class it as a fight!) they are still ok.

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  10. I also loved the fact that kensi asked him if he needed help..omg..that was funny.

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  11. So I'm not the only one who thought that, they didn't have friends outside of the work.

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  12. Liked your review. I feel the same way. Loved the intimate scenes, but didn't quite understand the argument. Plus, her "girlfriends" sounded lame. Who talks about fantasy engagements in front of a friend's new boyfriend? I would be making fun of her friends too, especially with their lame t-shirts. And since when does Kensi have lots of girl friends? I was always under the impression she hung with her mom, Nell, and Rose. These "friends" must not even know the real her anyway.
    Loved Thapa though. Poor Thapa and Deeks, he lost a friend. Great fight scene.

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  13. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 08:43

    So true! Great points. Forgot about the axe in the back. :) Thanks.

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  14. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 08:43

    It was pretty cool, actually!

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  15. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 08:44

    Forgot that. Love it.

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  16. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 08:45

    Thank you! I know, I can't believe poor Thapa died. :(
    I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the "fight" (more of a disagreement, really) was weird & out of nowhere!

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  17. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 08:52

    Hi Catarina. So glad you got to see the episode live! Yay!
    And I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had some things I didn't like in the episode! At first I thought I might be the only one. :) Nice to hear that you also found their whole discussion forced. Yes, I felt like the producers wanted them to have a problem they could overcome - but I think they chose the wrong way to do it. You made me laugh when you said your inner voice was calling Kensi names at hearing her say they were "moving too fast." Yes, I didn't like that, either. I know - how could they be moving too fast at this point? It seems almost ridiculous. I also enjoyed Thapa's participation (though, like you, not everything he said). It was so sad when he died! I agree with you completely: the episode was good but some things could have been improved. Well put! Hopefully we see more Densi soon. So glad to hear your thoughts. Thanks for writing them!

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  18. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:12

    Hi Mario! So glad I could make you laugh. Happy to hear it. :) You really might be right about those two being related. I didn't want to think it was true, but it seems like it is. Very interesting about what Daniela said in the interview. I hadn't read that. Thanks for pointing that out. I think you're right - we probably won't see a lot of big intimacy with them at this point. You and I had the same thought during their discussion: "No, not again." I understand how, to closed people like Kensi and Deeks, meeting friends would be very vulnerable. (Isn't it interesting they don't talk about their friends much? I could see how you'd think they don't have friends based on past episodes.) I also, like you, thought Deeks making fun of Kensi's friends was because he was the only guy surrounded by a bunch of girls talking about girly things. That's why the "fight" seemed overdone. I love Thapa, too. I was really sad that he died. He really did help Deeks with Kensi. I loved those funny scenes with him, too, where Kensi asked Thapa for advice. You're very right - Kensi really does have a great smile. So it's great to hear Deeks acknowledge it. I'm glad he knows what he's got in her! Thanks so much for leaving your comments. Great to hear your thoughts!

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  19. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:21

    Thanks for your comments, Amy. I also thought "Poor Deeks" at the time because just like you say - he really wasn't (until the 'peak of greatness' comment) making fun of Kensi's friends but having fun remembering their night. So she seemed very reactionary to me - and reacting to nothing that seemed very bad. That's why the conversation felt forced and came off weird. Kensi got mad over something that shouldn't have been a big deal. You are not alone. :) I guess in reality, guys and girls have miscommunications all the time. But Deeks got the raw end of the deal here. The good news is, at least they worked it out well. I guess guys do have to apologize a lot - even when they're not always wrong. Haha. Nice point.

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  20. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:27

    In the past I felt like Kensi looked for excuses to not move forward with the relationship - so in a way that was looking for something wrong. But this time I felt like that wasn't the case. She wasn't just picking anything to complain about - she was seriously bothered by this particular topic. (Though IMO she really shouldn't have been bothered by it that much, which is why the whole thing didn't work.) Every girlfriend or wife you know is a whiny complainer? Yikes. I hope you get to meet some new wonderful women soon!

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  21. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:39

    Thanks for your comments. Always great to hear them! Yep, it seems more and more like being in-laws is going to affect the viewers getting good kissing scenes. I hope we're proven wrong. Haha.


    I wouldn't call this a fight, either. Disagreement is a much better word. And I think the lameness of it did affect its impact. Great point about how we've already seen them hanging out a ton - but now when they are together, hanging out too much is suddenly an issue? Contrived is a great word for it all. It's so nice to know I'm not the only one who thought that.


    KK does sound like crazy, so I would have thought the same thing if I hadn't heard the original reference. Oh, I also did find it funny that Kensi suddenly has all these girly BFFs who talk all about perfectly girly things.

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  22. Hello again, I forgot to talk about the last scene of the episode, I found very fluffy what Deeks said !!! They are perfect together and I think this talk about "moving too fast" has increasingly less sense!This morning when I woke up I was very happy when I saw that the actor who played Thapa put like in some pictures about the episode on my instagram. im so happy. Bye 😘

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  23. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:45

    Seems many found the "fight" a little lame/awkward. But like you mention, there is validity in needing a little breathing room. (Sorry you learned that the hard way. I wish we could all learn things the easy way, don't you? lol.) I think you're exactly right - a lot of the sentiments were valid and would have been good if the setup was not so "off." But I know what you mean about the last scene. I love Deeks being sappy and sweet! It makes me very happy. Interesting question you raise about how much was scripted and how much was ECO. Now that you bring it up, I'm really curious myself!! :)

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  24. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:50

    Thank you, Diane! If we were going to get an argument, I wish we would have gotten a better one. Lol. Hey, great points about Kensi's girlfriends. Who does talk about fantasy engagements in front of a friend's new boyfriend? (At first I didn't understand what "fantasy engagement" meant. I thought, is that a "thing" I haven't heard of? But when you wrote that, I realized they were talking about the perfect, ideal, fantasy engagement. Yikes. Really - who does that in front of a guy??) Others have wondered the same thing as you - since when does Kensi have all these bestie girl friends?
    I loved Thapa, too. So sad to see him go. Thanks so much for leaving your great comments.

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  25. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 09:52

    Isn't Deeks so sweet?! He was great in that last scene! I'm with you - the more I think about it, the more this "moving too fast" talk makes even less sense. How fun to find that on your instagram! Yay!

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  26. Tonya Papanikolas26 February 2015 at 10:03

    Hello! I loved hearing your thoughts! I'm glad to hear you didn't mind the disagreement. (We'll call it that instead of a fight). I like your insight on how Kensi likes to be seen as professional but that's not the person she would be with old friends. That makes sense. I also like your impression of the disagreement: Kensi was worried Deeks would think less of her after meeting her friends. I never thought of it that way. Very nice. (I agree she was being hypersensitive, and there was a point Deeks wasn't real sensitive, either.)


    I felt bad for Deeks when Thapa died, too. Thapa was such a great character, I was sorry to see him go. I also wasn't too worried that they are spending a little time apart. These two clearly care about each other a lot. Kensi was very caring that Deeks had lost a friend. I loved that, too. And I love your take on the ending. It really was very sweet! Hope to see you back here commenting again. Thank you!

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  27. I saw that interview and D.R was only kidding with E.C.O about being grossed out with the kiss . They tease each other all the time and she calls him ugly on many occasions in fun. They were best friends before inlaws and spend a lot of time together. I don't really think their spouses care what they do on screen. If they were not inlaws and connected through marriage , then iam sure their spouses would worry about this friendship and on screen relationship.. Its good all one big happy family .

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  28. http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/01/ncis-los-angeles-season-6-featurette.html

    Here you can check it, if you find the time. When she said that, I felt wierd a little and I think that sounded more like a insult for Eric(in a way that he doesn't kiss well or something about it) but maybe it's just me.

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  29. I guess I didn't take the "peak of greatness" comment as seriously as others because it didn't bother me. I just took it as Deeks being Deeks; saying odd and silly things like he does.

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  30. Well, if you never tought being related would affect their intimate scenes, put it that way: if you were Eric´s wife, wouldn´t you be affected seeing him kiss his sister in law? I know I would, even knowing it was just work, and I imagine it´s the same for Daniela´s husband. So, honestly, I prefer those scenes aren´t shown, there´s no need to put the actors trought it because they are pointless, imo.

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  31. Very cool analysis of the Deeks.Kensi situation. And the actors are related???? Wow!

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  32. Hi Tonya! Great review! I love how you delve into the details. I liked this episode a lot. Of course that had a lot to do with the amazing Densi scene at the end. My heart melted! I was so sad about Thapa though. I would have loved to see him in future episodes, as there seem to be so few ongoing threads these days. (On a somewhat-related note, I'd like to see Sabatino make a reappearance.)

    Regarding Kensi and Deeks moving too fast, I didn't see this as a "Three Hearts" step back—-is that what it was supposed to be? I hope it's just them deciding to take a night off every now and then. Hell, I sometimes need a night off from my husband.

    I saw some folks commenting about the fact that ECO and DR are related. I read somewhere a while back that ECO's wife was rooting for Kensi and Deeks. I can't speak to her feelings about the actors' onscreen physical intimacy, but it's nice to hear she cares about the characters.

    Deeks teasing Kensi was cute, although I was thrown by the verbal picture he painted of Kensi's relationship with her friends. I know she loves Titanic and Top Model, but imagining anyone calling her KK was a stretch (though admittedly, I loved when Thapa did). It just doesn't jibe with the "Badass Blye" persona we've come to know.

    Why do you think Deeks was hurt by Kensi's admission that her friends make her happy in a different way? That's a totally reasonable statement. She wasn't saying her friends made her happier than Deeks did, so what's the deal? Kalstein usually does a great job writing for Kensi, but maybe he doesn't quite understand the subtleties of women's relationships with the different people in their lives.

    Thapa was great in this episode, even though his death was a bit stiff (so to speak). I loved the funny one-on-one rapport he had with both Kensi and Deeks. His sage advice to Deeks was sweet, but that one quote didn't make sense to me. I think “It feels real before it becomes real.” would have been better phrased as "It appears real before it is real."

    Things I loved:
    • Side-by-side firearms
    • Morning snuggles
    • Sam's joke about Deeks' hygiene (Now that they have a good relationship, I like the occasional ribbing.)
    • Granger's quote about understatement of the year
    • Kensi's aim ("like a boss")
    • Sam shielding himself from needle darts with a cafeteria tray
    • The last two minutes of the episode, which might be my favorite Densi scene ever
    • Thapa and Deeks
    • Kensi and Deeks
    • Deeks

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  33. If they are going to kiss like in laws there really is no need for kissing scenes.lol and I know I don't always say it but thanks for the review and as always it was great. Hope you don't think my disagreeing with you sometimes doesn't mean I am being disrespectful. Sometimes this show just pushes my buttons.:) I agree 100% with Kensi's new fake group of friends that act like College aged Sorority members. It is just bad writing

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  34. Rebecca Womack1 March 2015 at 05:34

    I think your statement about Kensi being hypersensitive and not wanting Deeks to think less of her is very astute. She said that to him during "Grey Man". That definitely wasn't a fight, just a disagreement and Kensi unsure on how to express her need for space.

    Deeks repeating the names, wonderful! Sad Deeks gets a friend and he dies. Poor Thapa!

    Liked the quiet moment Callen had after leaving the investigation room, absorbing the fact that his lie of Sam being dead might actually happen. Wanted Sam and Callen to have a second alone, showing Callen returning being there for Sam.

    Only thing a saw strange in the Densi scene was Kensi being affection. Something we have never seen before. I just don't think ECO or DR had a problem with her having a relationship with his brother. If he did, why introduce her to him? Or DR accepting?

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  35. Hi Tonya,,, enjoyed your review as always and hearing your take on the big offcial 1 st Densi fight!

    As you and others mentioned. as couple fights go..that.wasn't much of one,,but I think in this case..Kensi used Deeks thoughts on meeting her gal pals...as a way to bring up a bigger issue that was bothering her..which was the fact they spend too much together....

    I think in Kensi's defence....she was just acting a little passive-aggressive...in her reaction to Deeks teasing her about her friends Tiffany & company!.

    As we saw at the end of the episode...Kensi has trouble..saying whats really on her mind....like when she asked Deeks whether they were going to her place or his.
    She clearly was very happy when Deeks told her that they should take nights off from each other...but Kensi...for whatever reason...couldn't tell Deeks that was what she needed...some space to herself.

    ( At the tail end of their bedroom tiff just before their phone rings...Kensi starts to say..." I just need...".)

    As for Deeks digging himself a bigger hole during their "argument"........some.guys..( cough cough) lol.. have been known to do that..when they attempt to interject a little.humor.....to defuse a tense situation. ;)

    I liked your comment..."Maybe it’s because I was being told that they spent too much time together, but I hadn't really seen that for myself." because I also wish...we had seen this development..instead of being told about it.


    It was interesting to learn about Kensi having 5 close friends. From what we learned about them...they don't sound.like a group of women out to save the planet......but maybe...thats the whole point.


    Kensi works all day in an uber serious & life threatening job...so perhaps..one way she copes with all that stress...is hanging out with her friends.and keeping things light & fun...during her off hours.


    Thapa was great again in this episode..and like a lot of fans...I was sad to see him get killed off.


    His words of wisdom to Deeks...on how "it feels real..before it becomes real." rang true to me!
    Sometimes.early on in any new relationship..... we imagine or like to tell ourselves..that the relationship...is more serious or further along..than it really is...just because..thats what we want or hope to happen



    Alas in life...things don't just happen ....just because thats what we really want or hope for...they happen..or don't happen....at their own pace..things can't be forced or faked for only so long......before eventually..cold hard reality..can & will rear its ugly head.


    With Deeks & Kensi...it just might be a matter that Marty.("Awesome!") Deeks...is perfectly content with the speed and development of their relationship...while Kay Kay..is not quite.on the exact same page as Deeks is at the moment.

    .

    Their last scene was good..but...it would have been nice.....to see Kensi give her sad looking bf. Deeks... at least a hug and maybe just a peck on the cheek.....before she left him at the office.


    We still have not heard either one...say "I love you!"..and with this bunch running the show...we might never hear them utter those 3 words!!


    Then again..I never thought they would show Densi waking up in bed together..so...who knows!! :)
















    ...

    ,..

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  36. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 10:21

    Thanks for the link. Yeah, I can't tell for sure if she's kidding or not. Seems like she would be but it's cut off so quickly after her comment that I really can't tell for sure. So it does come off a little weird, doesn't it?

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  37. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 10:25

    No worries at all. I appreciate discussions and love hearing others' opinions, whether they agree with me or not. :) The show can push my buttons, too! But thanks for the kind words. And I know what you mean about not needing kissing scenes if they kiss like in-laws. Lol.

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  38. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 10:26

    I could totally see that. Deeks does say some crazy things! Lol.

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  39. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 10:32

    Thanks for your comments and thoughts. Loved hearing them. Oh, that WAS a good moment Callen had after leaving the investigation room. He was so contemplative. I liked it! I know what you mean - it would have been nice if Sam and Callen had a moment alone when Sam woke up, just like when Callen woke up in Georgia after being contaminated by that virus a few episodes back. Would have been a nice parallel.


    Wasn't it interesting to see Kensi being affectionate? Yes, we don't usually get to see her like that, which made it even better. I really enjoyed it! It showed me just how far she has come and how much she trusts Deeks. I loved that aspect of the scene. I felt like you about the in-laws thing, but now I'm just starting to wonder. Couldn't say for sure, though. Who knows. Thanks for commenting!

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  40. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 10:35

    Thank you so much. I thought about it a little too much. Haha. Yes, isn't that interesting? Daniela Ruah, who plays Kensi, married Eric Christian Olsen's (Deeks) brother in real life. He was a stunt double for his brother on the show, and Eric actually introduced them, thinking they would be good together. And now they are married with a child. Cool, huh?

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  41. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 11:20

    Ileenieweenie! I love reading your thoughts, my friend. :) Yes, the Densi scene at the end was incredibly heart-melting, as you say. That was your favorite Densi scene ever?! Wow! Very cool. I'm glad it was. It's fun to have scenes that reach those awesome pinnacles and make you get so excited!! Yay! I hope for more - and soon. (I'm not greedy or anything.)


    I absolutely love your list of things you loved! I agree with all of them. What a great list. :)


    I know what you mean about there being so few ongoing threads these days. It's so true. And it's so fun to have characters like Thapa come back. (I forgot about Sabatino. Nice call.) Thapa did have great rapport with both Kensi and Deeks, which made it even better. But that quote to me didn't make sense, either. (Lol... your stiff death comment made me laugh.)

    I also didn't see this "moving too fast" as a "Three Hearts" step back. I think it was just a minor glitch - needing a night off like you need sometimes ;) - that won't even be noticed. I was just annoyed that the writers were toying w/ the idea at all after their history. It seemed like a cruel joke. But in the larger scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal.

    So cool to hear that ECO's cute wife is rooting for Kensi and Deeks. Love that!

    The picture they painted of Kensi and her friends was indeed weird. I also could not picture these girls calling her KK and wanting to do lemon drop shots. Just too weird. Definitely didn't jive with the badass Kensi we know. But I did love when Thapa called her KK. That was great!!

    Good question about why Deeks was hurt by Kensi's comment that her friends make her happy in a different way than him. I think Deeks took it as her saying he wasn't enough, that her friends made her happy in a way that he couldn't. But you're right - it's a reasonable statement. I just think he took it wrong. That's why the fight seemed like a misunderstanding instead of a real fight. Yeah, Kalstein usually does some great Kensi writing but this time some things slipped through the cracks. I like your explanation about the subtleties of womens' relationships.



    So fun to chat about all the details. Man, we spend a lot of time mulling over these fictional situations, don't we? Haha. Glad we're doing it together!

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  42. Tonya Papanikolas3 March 2015 at 13:00

    Hi Owen. You make a great point about how Kensi really was bringing up a bigger issue bothering her in their "fight" - spending too much time together. She was a little passive-aggressive, wasn't she? Lol. ("Tiffany & Co" for her friends - I like that! Nice one.) Yes, she did have trouble saying what was on her mind. She really just needed that space to herself. Glad they at least got it figured out.

    Glad you can "admit" (haha) that some guys accidentally dig themselves a bigger hole with humor when trying to defuse a tense situation. I think that's exactly what happened with Deeks. (He's in good company, see.)

    I also like your insight on how Kensi's ditzy-sounding friends may be a good release for her after all her life-threatening time on the job. Keeping things light with friends is always a good stress-reliever.

    Glad to hear that Thapa's words of wisdom to Deeks rang true to you. I see what you are saying about what it meant. It's true in so many relationship situations that we want something to be true/at a certain level so we almost wish it into existence. But to me, that still doesn't really fit Kensi and Deeks. However, they weren't on the same page. So in a way, maybe it does make sense. Deeks was obviously content with the speed they were going while Kensi was not.

    I like your suggestions of what could have been added to the last scene. I wish that had happened. :) I almost felt like Kensi needed to acknowledge his sadness a little more than she did. At the same time, though, it almost felt kind of private to him - almost like he wanted those thoughts to himself at that moment, as if he was sharing something with Thapa.

    Wouldn't it be nice to hear them say "I love you"? That would be great! While it seems unlikely - you're right: I never thought they would show Densi waking up in bed together, either. So you never know!

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  43. "I almost felt like Kensi needed to acknowledge his sadness a little more than she did. At the same time, though, it almost felt kind of private to him - almost like he wanted those thoughts to himself at that moment, as if he was sharing something with Thapa"

    Tonya...I think your take on the last scene with Deeks & Kensi...is right on!. The director & writer wanted the focus to be on Deeks ...thinking about what Thapa told him and honoring Thapa's words & his memory.

    Had we seen a hug or a kiss from Kensi..that would have become the main focus....so they made the right choice... that fit the story line they were trying to tell.

    As you brought up in your review...I also hoped the little tiff Densi had.. and their decision to spend a little time apart....wasn't the start of another slow down.in their story-line..


    Like you said...Densi fans would quickly lose patience...with any attempt to take Densi down the "are they on or off" road again.

    I can't quite put my finger on it...but...I still don't feel the old & easy Densi magic with them this season....that was always their in spades in past seasons.


    I don't know why I feel that way exactly..but maybe it's the weak writing & paltry story lines for Densi this season.......which is leading me to not care about them..as much as I used to.


    Oh well..I'll still be watching..and hoping that they can bring back some of that old Densi goodness..that made me fall in luv with the characters & tuning into the show!

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