What I’m Watching: NCIS: Los Angeles

NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 1, Episode 24 “Callen, G” (B+)

As the first season of this show comes to a close, I find myself thinking something that I thought quite a bit toward the beginning of the season: this show is just so exciting. The action scenes are so well done, and having Sam or Callen driving furiously in pursuit of a suspect is never a disappointment. I do love how the whole team directly disobeys Hetty’s order to have Callen taken over the case. Obviously Sam is going to do that, but it’s very enjoyable to see Eric let the phone keep ringing and Nate detail his plan to let Callen observe his information while standing over his shoulder. Callen’s interaction with the woman posing as his sister was certainly a dramatic one, and it’s very interesting to see more of his past, even if not quite every question was answered. The notion that someone was watching Callen all those years is intriguing, and I’m sure that’s something that will endure as a background plotline for seasons to come on this show. This first year of episodes was pretty great, starting out decently with three okay episodes and then staying strong. To me, this is a validation of the procedural, an indicator that even though serialized dramas are very popular today, some shows like this do work where it’s based on a different case every week. What’s needed is a sharp, entertaining cast and a good sense of humor, and this show definitely has that. While I might have considered giving up on this show early on in its run, I’m very happy I stuck with it and I’m looking forward to season two.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Linda Hunt