Sometimes you just need a Christmas miracle … or a Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) to be in your corner, even from an undisclosed location.
NCIS: Los Angeles brings back two familiar faces for the Christmas episode in Season 12: Hetty, for some good tidings and cheer for a certain despondent former LAPD liaison, and Eric (Barrett Foa), with some cool new tech that may prove vital … or take Ops out of commission in the middle of a case.
Meanwhile, Sam’s (LL Cool J) daughter Kam (Kayla Smith) visits, but her reaction to meeting his girlfriend Katherine (Moon Bloodgood) isn’t what he’d hoped. And speaking of family, Callen (Chris O’Donnell) reunites with someone from his “G.” (remember when he didn’t know his full name is Grisha Aleksandrovich Nikolaev) and foster days.
As for Kessler (Frank Military), that sociopath who’s now free and wants to kill Kensi (Daniela Ruah), the only update is that his girlfriend Michelle (Izabella Miko) is on her way to Tokyo, so he could be going there, too.
Just as Kensi is ready to celebrate that they got their house, Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) has some bad news for her: “I did the math, and we can’t afford it.”
He doesn’t have a paycheck with his liaison position terminated and LAPD furloughing him while they figure out the budget. (Kensi suggests Deeks try to get money out of the ultra-wealthy Eric, but the former tech operator is donating it all to charity.) “I can’t wait for this year to be over,” Kensi laments. “2020 sucks,” he agrees.
As for the concern about buying a place in LA with Kessler out there, Kensi reminds Deeks they made their offer under aliases and her job will keep their personal information confidential.
What they need is a Christmas miracle, especially Deeks. “I’ve never seen him like this before,” she admits to Nell (Renée Felice Smith), who has failed to plead his case successfully to the director. She may be the right person to replace Hetty, but she’s not Hetty (yet).
Still, by episode’s end, Deeks has figured out a way for them to get their house: by selling the bar. Yes, he put his heart and soul into it, but “maybe I should put my heart and my soul into something new,” he says. “I want to start a family with you. I want to do it at that house.”
Money will be tight, he adds, but she suggests there’s always that Christmas miracle. “I don’t need a Christmas miracle. I have you,” Deeks says. But just because he doesn’t need it…
Hetty pops up on a screen, interrupting the couple’s moment (reminiscent of Season 7’s “An Unlocked Mind”), to say congratulations, and no, she doesn’t mean about the house. “Mr. Deeks, I’m talking about NCIS having accepted you into the academy,” she explains. He’s going to FLETC! Sure, they may have said he’s too old, but “take it from me,” Hetty advises, “Never let age stand in your way.” And “don’t make me look like a fool.”
“You’re going to the academy!” Kensi celebrates as she and Deeks — oh, we mean soon-to-be Special Agent Marty Deeks! — hug.
