Boom. Yup, this dumb ass poster pretty much sums up this show. Hokey, pokey. I started watching NCIS: Los Angeles on account of its high ratings, and Chris O'Donnell, which don't always go together. Having never seen the original and not even really knowing this show existed, I thought I owed it to my waning American credibility to at least update myself on network tv's offerings. (I did, however, watch JAG, which spawned the Mark Harmon NCIS, way back in the way back.) In any case, I'm waiting for his character to become interesting, which he has the potential to be. A hard nosed foster kid whose "natural talent for undercover work is legend" and who, at the start of the show, is just returning from a prolonged sick leave after a few stray bullets found their way into his well preserved body. That has sympathetic hero with attachment issues written all over. Alas, such feelings require good acting and I always delude myself into thinking that Mr. O'Donnell's sparse skills might actually evolve. No hard feelings though; I love him for who he is - an all-American Catholic school boy from the midwest, and the type of guy my mom wants for a son-in-law.But I digress. Okay, first of all, LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell in a police procedural buddy drama?! Someone at CBS has a lot of faith. The pairing doesn't scream chemistry, though I suppose there have been more awkward partnerships (George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell in Batman and Robin anyone?). Thus far I am unimpressed, but as the show's been picked up for a full season, I trust another 20 episodes of dead bodies and firefights will be a net positive in terms of male bonding.
O-M-G!The rest of the team, sadly, does little to fill the personality void, with Hetty (Linda Hunt) being an exception. She reminds me of a benevolent nun, someone from a bygone era who manages and mothers a tight crew that is just a tad too cool for its own good. The 4 other team members merely occupy roles and offer little else. Dominic (Adam Jamal Craig) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) are the more interesting pair, as a new recruit and a more seasoned junior agent, respectively. I could see a fresher dynamic emerge as their interactions in the field with O'Donnell and LL Cool J's characters, Callen and Sam, develop. There are inevitable issues of trust and competence, for example, that so far have been ignored for the sake of action. The 2 remaining members of the team, Nate the psychologist and Eric the tech dude, however, have no where to go, having already established themselves as the slightly preening all-purpose shrink and the geeked out, bluetoothed retro-nerd (looking like he missed the cut for Mark in Rent).
Some of my disappointment, or indifference really, comes from the fact that I just finished the first season of The Mentalist, which I thought was both well written and well acted. Each character had a distinct personality, as opposed to a generic job, e.g. newbie, body man, leader. You can't trade Kimball Cho, for example, with any other law enforcement character on television. His role as a senior agent is standard but actor Tim Kang squeezes every living ounce of dry wit out of him to create someone memorable and not just functional. There's also an engaging whodunnit quality about the show that gives more breathing space to personalities than to gunfights.
"Our Super Wall can kick CNN's Super Wall's ass."But that's not what everyone goes for, so if you like your crime procedurals seasoned with more action, then NCIS: Los Angeles should be adequate. There's still good doses of humor and emotional tension, but that's mostly secondary to the action. The real thrill of this show is of the classic undercover, chase, and shoot-out variety, and the suspense comes not so much from solving the crime than from watching it being solved.
And really, what is with that promo shot? They both look like backlit Miami Vice tools, but with less hair, beefier arms, and tighter clothing. Oy vey. That said, can't wait until Tuesday for episode 6. Chris O'Donnell, it's been too long.
