1.19 Dead Man Talking **SPOILERS**

[Gibbsgirl]

Episode 1.19 – Dead Man Talking: A night guard and a janitor in a building find a blood-soaked body in the elevator. The deceased is an NCIS agent, we learn as the team arrives at the scene. He swallowed a memory card for Ducky to find while performing autopsy. -- from spoilerfix.com

[EnglishRose]

This sounds like a good episode for Duckie fans.

It also sounds like the lead up for a joke ;D

A night guard, a janitor and a blood soaked body walk into a bar ...........................

[Gibbsgirl]

The new TV guide added a bit of info......the unfortunate NCIS agent was working on a cold case. How much do you want to bet it was the same agent who wanted to talk to Gibbs in UnSEALed?

[Star]

The video preview is up on the CBS site. It looks Tony gets some "action" not to mention Gibbs says something about him being the 'bait". Should be interesting...

I was wondering the same thing when I read that Gibbsgirl. At the time it seemed like we might hear more about that cold case - otherwise why throw it in there.

[Gibbsgirl]

Something I read somewhere else said the body was nearly disembowled....suggesting that whoever killed our man was looking for what he left Ducky. Now that's not from one of my regular "trusted" sources, so I wouldn't rely on it. But if it's true........ Also heard here and about is that this particular murder will set us up for the season finale....suggesting the cold case has to do with our terrorist Ari. Again not from one of my reliable sources but....... take it all as you will. I pass on what I can find, usually only if I can guarantee that it's reliable. These two bits are a bit iffy, but may be among the "safer" stuff I've seen. Still I won't guarantee it and I won't print a source since it's rumor at best. But it's something to get the chatting going while we're waiting for the new ep!!

[Gibbsgirl]

Another bit of info.......Jamie Luner plays the woman that Tony gets involved with. For those of you who watched Profiler, she was the agent who took over for Ally Walker when she left. For those of you who may never have seen her......she just happens to be a redhead. Just an interesting bit of background.

[EnglishRose]

Since she's a redhead, she's probably more of Gibbs' type. Or maybe he learnt he lesson after three redheaded ex wives and the redhead who picks him up occassionally.

[Lelu]

Ok let me start off with the good. Tony was so cute. The story itself was not to bad. I enjoyed it except for the plot twist. Ther were some good moments to be had by all. This episode wasn't dominated by anyone particular. Each had good moments. The dynamic worked on all levels.

If it was anyone's episode it belonged to Tony. He was so much fun and it worked so well. I saw traces of Logan in his performace. (sigh). I love the dynamic he has with everyone.

I am getting very tired of all the stunt plot twists. Jamie Laurer could in no way could pass for a man wanting to undergo a sex change operation. NO WAY IN HELL.

One more thing, Kate not only is a bad character she is a total SWEETIE! Tony has never been snarky with her when she was down.

They need to get a writer who knows how to write a female character.

[Star]

It was a pretty good episode - lots of good Tony and a lot of Abby.

Tony was cute - the stakeout scene with McGee was so funny. Loved when McGee realized Tony was gone and called Abby. And who could resist that look he gave to Amanda.

"Dinozzo's an unusual agent" LOL

I agree, Jamie Luner was not believable as a man waiting to become a woman. Not her fault at all - physically she is just too feminine, especially for someone who was not supposed to have had the major surgery yet.

And yet again the murderer is in some way a woman - in this case a man who wants to become one. Sigh.

Shades of Logan deja vu - when Amanda/Voss came back from the ladies room - MW's look and tone of voice and inflection was so Logan.

And Kate - I think it's pretty sad that they had her be bitchy to Tony when he was feeling down. In contrast to him when she was down in Left for Dead and Bete Noire.
Neither time did he make any snarky remarks to her - he tried to make her feel better. I wouldn't want to have to depend on her to watch my back. I HATE that they make the females (except Abby) so unlikable and bitchy.

[MezzoSoprano]

Great episode! But I felt really really bad for Tony! I wondered if they were going to joke about him washing his mouth out or something rude ... (and then there's next week's plot, grr) He did look very Robert Wagner in that first scene with the sunglasses, eh?

Now for an honest plea...clearing throat...um, Zana!, wonderful person that you are, a real ace with the screencaps...on behalf of myself and the rest of Ducky's Divas, um...PLEASE please please please give us some Ducky shots ...especially the one in the dark suit...I know he was on his way to the funeral, but...CLUNK!

ah...more commentary after I recover and watch this one again... ;D

[Gibbsgirl]

I really enjoyed the episode. I've only watched it once so far, so I'm loathe to make too many comments, but......

I enjoyed all the teamwork, especially with Abby. I thought it was interesting to see the team on a stakeout, since we hadn't really seen something like that yet. I did notice Kate's "superior" attitude, I really don't get what's up with that. This should have been an episode that sobered her up some and made her work more as part of the team. Yet she seems to cut herself off from Tony even more. Maybe she'll learn her lesson next week. (yeah, I know, the eternal optimitst)

As far as Amanda/Voss not looking like a man waiting for surgery, well, it's quite possible that he/she had been taking hormone treatments for two or three years while waiting for the final "plumbing" surgery. If that were the case then Amanda would look more like a her than a him unless you got right down to brass tacks. And I can say this with some small authority because I've actually known someone in a similar situation. I doubt Voss would look quite as hot as Amanda, but then this is TV and I suppose they're going to take some dramatic license. But the scenario is definitely possible.

I definitely want to watch the ep again. I know I enjoyed it, but I always miss things the first time through. After one watching though, I'd say it's one of the better eps, Kate's puzzling behavior aside.

[Star]

Gibbsgirl said:

I did notice Kate's "superior" attitude, I really don't get what's up with that. This should have been an episode that sobered her up some and made her work more as part of the team. Yet she seems to cut herself off from Tony even more. Maybe she'll learn her lesson next week. (yeah, I know, the eternal optimitst)

Well frankly I thought Kate acted like a complete SWEETIE at the end to Tony with her snarky remark. She's screwed up badly at least 3 times ( Left for Dead, Bete Noire and last ep losing her gun) and none of those times has he taunted her - to the contrary he's felt bad for her and tried to be sympathetic. Kate of all of them has NO reason to act superior - she's the worst screwup on the team.

Tonight I liked McGee better than her and found myself thinking that I wouldn't mind if they replaced her with him. Who needs a bitchy female on the team especially one who doesn't really ever contribute much of anything.

I loved McGee and Tony together - and it was cute when Tony first laughed about McGee's writing but then when he saw that hurt him he got serious and tried to make it up. There really is a sensitive heart under his macho exterior.

I was ROFL when the landlord looked at Gibbs and Tony and asked if they were "together". LOL. Boy, did Gibbs whip out his badge fast at that.

It was a very balanced episode in terms of giving the characters their due. I just wish they would find a writer who could write women better and make Kate into a likable character - they are doing the opposite lately it seems.

[Gibbsgirl]

Star said:

Well frankly I thought Kate acted like a complete SWEETIE at the end to Tony with her snarky remark. She's screwed up badly at least 3 times ( Left for Dead, Bete Noire and last ep losing her gun) and none of those times has he taunted her - to the contrary he's felt bad for her and tried to be sympathetic. Kate of all of them has NO reason to act superior - she's the worst screwup on the team.


It was a very balanced episode in terms of giving the characters their due. I just wish they would find a writer who could write women better and make Kate into a likable character - they are doing the opposite lately it seems.

All I can hope for here is that the writers are setting Kate up for a big fall. One in which she has no option but to admit that she can't go it alone and that she needs her team. Who are there for her, without hesitation or recriminations. Bete Noir should have been, or could have been, but our "terrorist" wasn't that intent on taking human life, so it allowed Kate to trot out that "nose in the air" I'm gonna get you thing. UnSEALed gave her a chance to redeem herself after she screwed up, but she barely took it. She shot the guy, yes, and she played bait, but Tony still did most of the work. I had really hoped that this episode would see a continuation of that growth, not a recession to a teenager on the freakin' phone to her boyfriend.

The writers are doing such a good job with everyone else, I find it hard to believe that they can't write Kate. Either they don't want to for some reason, which I hope will become apparent, or they have a plan in mind to help transform the character into someone we can understand and perhaps gain some symphathy for. Because last night she was like a, well, bug bite.

[jo]

Gibbsgirl said:

All I can hope for here is that the writers are setting Kate up for a big fall. ...[snip]...
The writers are doing such a good job with everyone else, I find it hard to believe that they can't write Kate. Either they don't want to for some reason, which I hope will become apparent, or they have a plan in mind to help transform the character into someone we can understand and perhaps gain some symphathy for. Because last night she was like a, well, bug bite.

this is what i've been thinking, too. i love everyone else and how they are written. so it seems to me they are purposely writing kate as she is - but for what reason?
i think kip sort of hinted earlier that kate was a work in progress - i mean, that's how they are writing her.
she's been with the team 6 or 7 months now, don't you think? [time lines throw me sometimes in tv shows] so she's still adjusting - and i do think, especially in their type of work, it might take a while to adjust to a new job. i know from experience it can take quite a while to adjust when you change jobs.
and while we think of the jobs as similar, i know that i don't really know how similar the SS and NCIS are. there are some things i thought she would've known from being a secret service agent that she doesn't seem to. SS seemed more like bodyguard/protective type work while NCIS is more investigative. i don't think kate had to "think" quite as much in the SS as she does now.
of course that doesn't explain her attitude towards tony - and even gibbs occassionally.

i am so dying to see next weeks episode. i really hope our cbs station doesn't decide to do something stupid because of primary elections. i will shoot the tv. [and its not my tv, but i think my neighbor won't mind - she loves this show as much as i do. tho she thinks tony is a jerk. ]
i think we'll see tony in whole new light after next weeks ep. could anyone tell where he was laying? and did i see blood?
i think i wrote on the other board that i see tony as having a weakness for pretty women. and a lot of people said - no, he just uses his charm with these women for work purposes.
well, i have to admit, last night i personally once again saw his penchant for a pretty face [and good legs] as a weakness. not that that makes him a bad person. he is human and has his weakness - maybe that's what the writers want us to see?
kate seems to be naive [that's as far as i'm going]; gibbs has a thing about new technology; and
tony has a weakness for a pretty face.

this is way too long - and a lot of it doesn't belong here probably.
i loved this ep - we got to see a lot of everyone. and i personally would love to see mcgee as a pretty regular recurring character. he an tony are fantastic. and i love how gibbs flusters him.

leaving now. have a wonderful day!

[Star]

I know this seems like it's beat up on Kate week (maybe it is LOL), but I found it incredibly presumptuous on her part to apologize to Ducky for Gibbs' behavior. Ducky and Gibbs go way back and have a relationship that she clearly doesn't get at all. Gibbs certainly doesn't need her "apologizing" for him as if he is some little kid with no manners. And Ducky is completely capable of calling Gibbs on it if he feels his behavior is over the line.

On another note I enjoyed the Tony/Gibbs interactions in the episode - we haven't had them for a while. I love the dynamic between the two characters. Gibbs brings Tony down to earth while making use of his talents and Tony keeps Gibbs from getting too grim. I've missed that. It was good to see it again.

And then you have Gibbs-Tony - McGee. It's funny to see how Tony takes it from Gibbs and turns around and passes it down to McGee. And Mcgee looks up to Tony, who in turn looks up to Gibbs. That is a fun dynamic I'd love to see more of.