What I’m Watching: NCIS: Los Angeles

NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 1, Episode 6 “Keepin’ It Real” (B+)

It’s truly entertaining and awesome how often the members of this team go undercover. It’s especially great that more than one of them seem to need to assume an identity each episode. It’s a good way of utilizing Kensi, who’s become a better character than she originally started out. Callen does it naturally, and the nervous look he conveys suits his cover identities and makes him seem all the more believable. Their speedy deep immersion into the world of counterfeiting was impressive, and they really seemed to know their stuff. Callen’s constant echoing of every process that was occurring while the counterfeiting operation was in progress was both valid and amusing. LL Cool J continues to own this show, making every scene he’s in either hilarious or intensely dramatic. The conversations between Sam and Callen are truly terrific, and they’re nearly as enjoyable as any of the team’s interactions with Hetty. This episode’s investigation into the validity of a presumed suicide proved intriguing, and shows like this are always at their best when they reveal that someone is leading a double life. There’ so much to be uncovered about a regular person after their death, and when there are two lives to be examined, it’s even more interesting. Though it’s hardly a show worthy of comparison, “The Forgotten” showcases this idea well, and generally speaking, it’s much more intriguing when a nameless victim had not one but two names during his life.