NCIS 9x24 "Til Death Do Us Part"

[kew121]

I didn't live blog this time so I could really immerse myself in the episode, and now I'm sitting here trying to furiously capture my thoughts and emotions before I go read anyone else's reaction online.

Comments

[kytivafan]

The only thing I can see in my mind right now is
Ducky lying on the beach with a cell phone in his out stretched hand
Gibbs &Abby in her lab
McGee alone in the bullpen
Tony& Ziva in the elevator

OMG!!!!!!!!

[kew121]

Permanently burned into my brain. Heart rate still hasn't normalized.

Writers better be revving their word processors for some nice, juicy post-finale fic (like of the epic post-season 5 or 6 variety) or I may never make it to September.

[lacey81]

The ending was excellent. The rest? not so much. Way too full of Ryan and, as you said, a poorly developed villain.

But the ending made it all okay, because that was well done.

I've read the theory that this will be their way of giving McCallum more time off. Ducky will survive and still appear as a profiler but Palmer/Brian Dietzen will take over as head medical examiner. There really hasn't been much Ducky to begin with, but McCallum's travel schedule must be draining.

[kew121]

It picked up a lot after the first half hour. The Vance kidnapping storyline went essentially nowhere, so that slowed things down a lot. (Dearing could easily have found some other opportunity to plant a bomb, considering that apparently he can just waltz into the Navy Yard as he pleases.)

I can't decide how I want the Ducky storyline to play out. Obviously I don't want David McCallum off the show, but this finale loses a lot of its power if Ducky survives.

Who knows if any rumors are true, but I do imagine it's quite tiring to be a bicoastal actor when you're nearly 80.

[anonymous]

Dearing still seems pretty lame to me, too, but I liked a lot of the rest of the episode

[kew121]

If I were Cole, I would have run the hell away as soon as Gibbs left and continued to a psychopath on the loose with a knife. I didn't buy the death wish, because you're right, he isn't the type to sacrifice himself. Think about how he shot Latham in "Housekeeping" rather than come in to talk to Gibbs and SecNav.

Ryan's kid was there so briefly it didn't really register.

I kind of feel the same way you do, that this episode would lose a lot of its power if Ducky survived. (The other part of me is all, Nooooo, Ducky, no! I already thought there was too little David McCallum on the show.)

Why was Ryan there when Vance got kidnapped again? Oh that's right, to annoy me. She didn't have a purpose in that scene except to provide that implausible bit of exposition.

[rebecca_in_blue]

I was very impressed with this episode. I'd even say it was one of their best finales. Oh, but watching that final scene of Ducky was hard. I rewatched about the last half of the episode, but I couldn't watch that scene again!

I'm worried about McGee too. (And why was he in the bullpen? It looked like he was transferring files from his laptop. And Abby had to grab her purse and her hippo before she left the lab!) Although it did look like the elevator ceiling caved in on Tony & Ziva. At least they were together (as were Gibbs & Abby). Poor McGee was alone!

I hope Ryan is gone for good. I'm worried we'll see her again in the future.

Is it safe to assume that Cole is dead now?

[kew121]

I think the last half definitely puts it among their best finales. The first half of the episode was comparatively weak (and Ryan-filled), but I can overlook that because the end was excellent.

I kept thinking about your "God loves a duck" saying last night, sort of like a mantra. It makes me so sad to have Ducky in jeopardy, especially all alone like that.

I hope all our agents will be all right. It will be interesting to see how the next season starts: whether it picks up at the explosion or jumps ahead in time.

I think Cole is in bits now.

[alidiabin]

I agree.

The group hug was all kinds of perfect.

[kew121]

I like that we've gotten group hugs at the ends of the last two seasons. I'm a big fan.