SEASON NINE EPISODE FIFTEEN
SECRETS
Well talk about a light-hearted episode, this really was one.
I have to wonder just what the writer was on when they came up with this idea
*g* It was a fun episode, surreal, unreal, very amusing throughout but with just
enough serious notes to stop it from being annoying.
It was interesting to meet Wendy and although I understand the actress playing
her is actually younger than Michael Weatherly, I thought the she looked older,
which of course she would be given she was Tony's High School Music teacher. At
least that's what she was in Baltimore, so why did Tony ask her how she went
from teaching four year olds to sing Puff the Magic Dragon (I love that song) to
being a reporter - what happened to being Tony's High School Music Teacher?
She was what she was, certainly to begin with, a highly annoying reporter who
will do whatever they have to in order to get a story and a scoop. Tell the
truth, tell a lie, it's all the same - and it was well done. As was seeing the
other side of her, the more vulnerable side, the side where she wasn't putting
on the act, but was honest.
To walk away from your wedding on the eve of your wedding is quite something - I
can totally understand why Tony didn't handle it well, who would? Her reason for
walking away because she wasn't ready to meet the one, and Tony was the one was
somewhat convoluted but quite moving really. So as Gibbs is Diane's Shannon,
Tony is Wendy's Shannon - interesting.
So she is now ready to meet the one, but she also believes that Tony
likes/wants/is in love with someone else and telling him he should tell the
person was intriguing. Of course we are meant to believe the other is Ziva and
that was kind of confirmed with Tony's comment about that won't happen. What is
going to happen now is also interesting - it's been left up in the air, very
much so. Wendy is still in love with Tony, Tony? I don't know, clearly there
wasn't closure between them, there has been some kind of it now, given he at
least knows why she walked away. But does he still love her? Does he love Ziva?
Are we heading for the eternal triangle? He clearly does still have feelings for
her and that was obvious even before they kissed in her house, which was also
inevitable, but what kind of feelings?
I liked the small insight into Tony's character when Ziva told him Wendy had
told her that he was one of the most honest men she had ever known and the only
person he lies to is himself.
I loved Gibbs as Cupid trying his best to get Tony and Wendy back together - I
thought it was interesting that he knew Wendy from back when Tony and she were
engaged - as he obviously thinks they are right for one another. That ties in
with when he told Tony he made the same mistake twice in Newborn King. Although
the implication in that was that Tony walked away from Wendy, he was the one to
end the engagement, but he wasn't.
I enjoyed the scene in Autopsy with Ducky talking to Tony about how he'd known
from the moment he'd met him that he was suffering and Tony trying to deny it. I
thought Ducky summed up both Gibbs and Tony very well. And spot on about both of
them; Gibbs kept on marrying unsuitable women so that he could end up alone and
Tony kept dating unsuitable women so he wouldn't end up hurting. Ducky's about
closure was spot on too - one way or another Tony does need it. And I am sure
Gibbs sent Tony down to see Ducky deliberately so Ducky could have a 'talk' with
him.
I liked the repetition of 'pensive' and how Tony apologise to both Tim and Ducky
after snapping at them for using the word.
Gibbs didn't like the way Tony grabbed him at all. It was a nice little scene
because as always Gibbs said so much without saying a single word. Poor Tony.
Tony as always was hopeless with young children - but it was a cute scene with
Wendy's son.
And why doesn't it surprise me that Tony flashes his badge to get away with
speeding and parking tickets and getting into ball games and even getting free
coffee? That really is so Tony, so very, very Tony.
I loved how Tim and Ziva went to listen in on Tony and Wendy's conversation and
Tony opens the door to find them there and says about him inventing that trick.
So nicely done.
Tim and Tony in the car was very good - I do like the way their brotherly
relationship is developing.
The whole real life super heroes was just surreal. I had a hard time actually
believing that people do this, especially someone who is in the military - it
makes me wonder whether he was breaking some kind of rule or code by getting
involved as he was. I did love quite how much Tim knew about them!
The case was really pretty much non-existent when it came down to it, it was
just there to serve the purpose of getting Wendy into NCIS and provide the
humour with the real life super heroes.
I did have to wonder also quite how many Caf-Pows Abby had imbibed! She really
did out-Abby Abby in this episode, loved he pussy-cat outfit, but again that was
kind of surreal, but maybe not given she's Abby.
I didn't have the bad guy pegged for once. I didn't like Wayne Torbett there was
something slimy about him, but I could also sympathise with him to begin with
over having a son like Clarence. I rather liked how Clarence dropped Tom so
effectively and it was darn good fall - that man must be a stunt man to be able
to stop dead like that and just crash to the ground. And I thought it was quite
touching how after a moment Gibbs returned Clarence's equivalent of a handshake.
Gibbs's turn around from thinking the super heroes didn't have a place and
shouldn't risk injury to seeing what they actually could do was surprisingly
believable. Obviously the seeds for that had been laid by Ducky's conversation
with him in Autopsy about how most of them were damaged in some way and had
found a way to channel their angst into some thing good.
Talking of Ducky, did anyone else notice that when Gibbs, Tim, Tony and Ziva
first went into the flower shop that Ducky could be seen standing around outside
through the window when he actually wasn't meant to have been there yet - given
his apology for being late when he did arrive a few minutes later?
It really was a filler episode, fun, amusing, light-hearted, not a great deal of
substance, but with some deeper very cleverly written scenes thrown in to
provide the much needed relief from the light-heartedness. I enjoyed it well
enough, but I wouldn't want this kind of episode every week - or indeed very
often, I prefer weightier, meatier episodes. However, as a 'filler in'
especially after the last few episodes it did make a not unpleasant change.
Favourite Scenes:
- The opening squad room scene.
- Vance's "Please don't tell me you were married," line.
- Abby and Tony with Abby in pussy-cat dress.
- Ducky talking to the dead bodies and then to Gibbs.
- Tim and Tony in the car.
- Ducky and Tony in Autopsy.
- The scene with the real life super heroes in the evidence garage and Abby
wanting her picture taken with them. Great comment about liking her costume and
her saying it was just her ordinary dress.
- The final scene with Gibbs, Tim and Vance in Vance's office. I loved Tim's
look when Vance called Gibbs 'Cupid'.
- The final scene in the flower shop.
We learnt and had some things confirmed too:
- Wendy left Tony the night before the wedding.
Minor Irks:
- The fact that Tony implied Wendy was a pre-school teacher not his High School
Music teacher as we had been told initially.
- The fact that after the strong implication it was Tony who left Wendy, it
turns out to be the other way round.
- No Jimmy, but at least he was mentioned, even if again it was to make him a
comic character.
Pairing of the week:
DiNozzo/Wendy
Character of the week:
DiNozzo
Actor of the week:
Pauley Perrette
Storyline: 6.00
Enjoyment: 7.00
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