‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ 14×02 Review: “Of Value”
NCIS: Los Angeles 14×02 “Of Value” does this thing really good procedural episodes do, which is …it makes you invest in an hour, even when you don’t actually care about the case. That is, of course, not the only thing good procedurals have to do. Every once in a while, they have to make you care about the case as well — even if you only do because of how the facts of the case affect the characters you know and love. This, however, wasn’t one of those episodes.
This was let’s give fans some character development just by letting these characters interact with different people than they usually do. And though we certainly enjoy Densi working cases together and Callen and Sam’s typical banter, it was great to see Kensi and Fatima get to save the day, while Callen and Deeks bonded a little bit.
I said this in the last review, but long-running procedurals can never forget that they, and us, have been here a while. And if we have it’s not because we truly care about the cases, but about the characters. Not just that, we feel like we know them. However, just as people don’t remain static, good characters don’t either. There’s an opportunity for growth, or at least there should be.
No, Deeks and Callen aren’t going to turn BFFs tomorrow, and there’s still a personality clash there …but at this point, Deeks isn’t just a guy Callen is hoping will leave and Callen isn’t an obstacle to Deeks being part of the team. Deeks and Callen are family, period. And that means they can share things have a semi-serious conversation, and yes, tease each other and even annoy each other while at it.
And yes, Fatima and Roundtree are relatively new, but it is okay, even normal, for the team to bond with them. Because the Kensi who didn’t let people in …well, she’s become a woman who learned to love, open herself up, and is now happily married with a kid. The Callen who didn’t even know his name or where he came from has become someone who has found his place in the world, even if he still doesn’t have all the answers.
The family this team has built has been built brick by brick, yes, but it isn’t just Callen and Sam, Kensi and Deeks. There’s space for Fatima and Roundtree, just as there’s space for Anna — and for Killbride. That, however, doesn’t mean we will stop wishing and hoping for Hetty’s return, because that’s what you do for family. You always leave a spot for them, just in case they can make it.
