Friday, April 11, 2014

Captivity, Interrogation, Torture and Dehumanization

Everyone of us know what is the Boat Shed for in our Procedural Drama NCIS Los Angeles. Its a secret place, an undisclosed location where suspects who might have who might have aided directly or indirectly a breach to national security of United States, are taken taken for questioning that might lead to a disclosure of more information. The usefulness of the boat shed serves the purpose of keeping the subjects in captivity under the Patriot Act until the case is solved without having to go through the normal channels of law and justice which makes the Enforcement laws do not allow suspects to be "charged" without sufficient evidence and Legal process makes the "Charged" remain "Not Guilty until Proven".

Under the AUMF legislation, Detention centers had been opened up Security Agencies, primary one being CIA. The AUMF legislation also gave rights to the President of United States and CIA to enhance interrogation methods to enhance questioning techniques. Such questioning techniques however, later came to be suspect. The Detention and Rendition of the Captives became a subject of Human Rights Violation. The most famous or rather infamous example known to the whole world has been the Guantanemo Bay, symbolic of the extraordinary rendition "The covert transportation for interrogation of a foreigner suspected of crimes such as terrorism to another country known to have harsher and less stringently regulated methods of interrogation."

One can wonder, why I am talking about Boatshed, Interrogation, Detention and Rendition. Our NCIS Agents are good guys. They are not CIA. They don't use questionable techniques such as used or abused by CIA. Then how is it all relevant. Well...to begin with, under Patriot Act legislation, our Agents do practice certain amount of unregulated questioning during the detention at an undisclosed center. And the interrogation room's floor is right on the water surface. Suffocation through Immersion in water is very much allowed and acceptable. Even, then one can wonder, what is the point of writing all this. Well, the 5x19-Spoils of War Episode made me write about all this. Season 5 is all about Captivity, Interrogation, Torture and Execution while in detention. Don't you agree with me ? Who are the writers who are able to show us this commentary on present times?! Frank Military and R S Gemmill. 

It is the episodes 5x01-Ascension, 5x02-Impact, 5x14-War Cries and 5x19-Spoils of War which present us the commentary through Deeks, the non-Agent and affiliated to the Security Agency through his Liaison Role from local enforcement Agency LA Police Department and the Navy Seal Sam Hanna directly involved in Govenment's mission criticial National Security Assignments. While Deeks as a Cop is supposed to protect people under his care by himself following the rules, Sam as the Soldier, as the Navy Seal, protects people whom he is supposed to take care by whatever means possible, even if it means breaking rules. While its Civilian order that Deeks is trained to work for, Sam forever is in a War situation. That is the difference between these two characters and that is how it gets interesting to see Gemmill and Military's comment on the dark side of war adventures where instead of victory, we have to take the fall.

Deeks goes through an unreasonable torture in 5x01-Ascension during his captivity by Siderov to give up on Sam and Michelle's identity. An interrogation and torture that leaves him with a PTSD, an impact which is reasonably shown in 5x02-Impact. One might wonder, why Deeks' torture and subsequent PTSD recovery was so significant. The argument is that even Sam underwent torture, then how he is able to recover and why can't Deeks recover. The difference as I explained above is in the training. Sam has all the necessary training to deal with war like grim and dark situations. And yet Sam is having a toll on his body and soul with all these experiences. Military showed us in 2x06-Little Angels, traumatic experiences affecting Sam when he was buried alive in Bosnian War . And Military shows the same state of mind for Sam in 5x02-Impact and 5x19-Spoils of War. Sam cannot hear for a while after the explosion on 5x19-Spoils of War.

But what's interesting or rather disturbing factor is the dehumanization that occurs to people like Deeks, if the same training about honor and code of conduct is not given. One is then just left to personal principles of character integrity of our humanity. We see it shockingly through Deeks eyes, the way he reacts when his boss Assistant Director Owen Granger uses a certain extreme kind of interrogation technique on an asset in5x14-War Cries as Deeks kind nature contrasts Granger's CIA trained hardline methods. Granger shoots the man at close range at his ear to make him talk. It speaks about how many dangerous missions he has been on while working for CIA on War on Terror Missions. One starts wondering, where is all this leading Deeks to? Is he really fit for an Agent life? Can he accept such close range coercive tactics applied on human beings as part of his job? What happens to his humane trait, the trait that appeals us most about him. And all this Deeks has actually gone over in his mind in 5x02-Impact, the way he explains himself to Hetty or Nate. But when he himself is left to interrogate a blind man to find out where Kensi is taken to, Deeks in 5x19-Spoils of War, becomes the Fish Out of the water. He starts to act as a man that we do not know of. And more so, he behaves so because he doesn't seem to get a grip on his reality without Kensi. 

Deeks partnership with Sergeant Makar is like a debate that starts with proclamation of presence of ethics and morals in us (Americans) represented by Deeks and going through a cycle of helplessness stranding, repressed emotions bursting through dehumanizing rage as depicted in justification of questioning techniques being used on a blind old man, who is a priest. Deeks means of questioning are questioned by Sergeant Rabee Makar. Its 48 hours for Deeks to be staying out of action, aside from Sam, Callen and Granger and having no news about Kensi being found. For 48 hours he has been questioning Mulla Muhammed to give any information that leads him to Kensi’s whereabouts. By the end of 48 hours, he starts to lose the point of his questioning as he too knows like Sergeant Makar that the priest is not going to give away any kind of information. But he keeps passing his time to kill his thoughts racing through his mind about Kensi. The moment he gets the picture of Kensi’s lying in a pool of blood, Deeks just funnels his emotional suffering into uncontrollable and irrational rage where he starts suffocating the old man with wet cloth and further smothers him with cold water, making him totally breathless. Sergeant Makar is terrified of Deeks having tried several times to stop him losing it. Finally coming to the back to the edge of his conscience, Deeks recognizes the human values that he was ready to debase. Had he not stopped himself, he could easily have slipped into being guilty of a crime about violation of human rights.

Together 5x01-Ascension, 5x02-Impact, 5x14-War Cries and 5x19-Spoils of War are a commentary on the dark side of evolving methods of interrogation and torture that easily become the War Crimes committed in the name of "War on Terror" or "Profit", be it private contractors hiring psychotic killers or CIA Agents who were given authority by the Govt. to exercise all kinds of interrogation tactics, however inhuman they are. Gemmill and Military show us the emotional rage and angst one goes through at helpless situations at hand when our fellow brothers die before us, or when we are caught in the grip of power. Its like Heart of Darkness revealed to us through Deeks’s sense of pain, anguish, extreme stress one lives through when one nearly loses his emotional support that actually holds them together. Is it not the same affecting several young minds that are given weapons with their unstable and inexperienced minds, who are infused with wrong values by tapping into their emotional system? It is this same emotional support system which gets back us to the realm of reason in order to make our judgement calls and continue living on with whatever is left of us. Our emotional center is subject of vulnerability and its only the lateral support systems that protect it from losing its ground. One can live through actual physical pain being a subject of torture while one's emotional center is not compromised, but one can lose himself to pain and become an agent of torture through an irrational aggression if one's emotional center is compromised. It then becomes imperative that we train ourselves to protect our emotional center and most importantly undergo a periodic review of what we consider as our emotional center. Is it really worth it to be allowed to control us, so far as to compromise our fundamental human values? 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

6x01 - Deep Trouble Part 2


     “Deep Trouble, Pt. II” – Callen and Sam are trapped in an armed submarine that terrorists have aimed to hit an aircraft carrier in San Diego. Meanwhile, Hetty defies orders and forgoes her trip to Washington, as the team tries to locate and save Callen and Sam and prevent the terrorist attack, on the sixth season premiere of NCIS: LOS ANGELES, 
Courtesy: https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=40580

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If you ask me this episode was for Geeks. It looked a Wikipedia, an Olympiad, a warfare expert etc. I could just be dumb and listen to what they were saying and just believe that they were speaking the truth. If I forget all that, then pretty much nothing remains except these items:

  1. Scallen are on their own. So they rescue themselves out of the submarine before it is exploded by the Navy.
  2. Deeks, Kensi and Talia, as in NCIS and DEA teams work together to catch the drug lord Worm aka Richard Miller
  3. Granger, Nell and Eric in Ops Room work together to get a lead on who built the submarine and for whom.
  4. Together they all figure out that Jabreel traded Cocaine for Ammonia Nitrate to built a Submarine Bomb to explode the USS Van Buren Site, for the love of Jehad.

On Emotional level, the story made headlines through Tagline "Friends and Partners"

  1. Nell and Eric claim they are friends
  2. Sam claims Friends and Partners for the whole team and especially when it means his relationship with Callen.
  3. Deeks and Kensi are unclear what they are. Friends? Partners? They keep saying Partners to each other and others and yet nothing is just like being partners.


Episode
6x01 - Deep Trouble - Part 2
Deep Trouble indeed for Hetty. And also for Sam and Callen who are deep under the water travelling in a submarine with their lives in danger with three armed men ready to shoot them down. Continued from Season 5 ending.
Writer
R S Gemmill
In this episode Gemmill reverses the roles for everyone. Callen the pessimist becomes Sam the Optimist and keeps up the spirits of his partner and friend alive. Nell becomes Eric with panic stricken fast replies whereas Eric becomes Nell with quick thinking following of his boss even though it might have been risky. Granger is in better control of Ops and the Mission more than Hetty. And finally Deeks and Densi. Is there a role reversal or Kensi bared her possessive feelings for Deeks before Talia and did not relent until she marked her territory through a fist fight. Territorial much.
What is Gemmill trying to do? Is he showing how partners rub off traits on each other the longer they continue with each other? What is the punchline for Season 6? I still wonder.
Director
Dennis Smith
Action Packed Episode. I wonder how Dennis Smith handled a wikipedia kind of Geeky and science stuffed episode in action packed drama.
Editor
Edward Salier ACE

Episode Summary
Callen and Sam are stuck in the Submarine bomb.
1.Scallen are on their own. So they rescue themselves out of the submarine before it is exploded by the Navy.
2.Deeks, Kensi and Talia, as in NCIS and DEA teams work together to catch the drug lord Worm aka Richard Miller
3.Granger, Nell and Eric in Ops Room work together to get a lead on who built the submarine and for whom.
4.Together they all figure out that Jabreel traded Cocaine for Ammonia Nitrate to built a Submarine Bomb to explode the USS Van Buren Site, for the love of Jehad.
5.Hetty returns back to Ops worried with Scallen news

Watch the Episode. Its better watching it.
NCIS Personnel Highlights and Bull Pen Fun
Role reversal between all partners
Callen becomes Sam. Granger becomes Hetty. Eric becomes Nell. Check the manner of execution, you will see what I am saying. Its only Densi where I am not so convinced on the theme of role reversal for them.
Ops Manager/s
OPs Manager Hetty Lange
Asst Director Owen Granger
Granger is very much in control of the Ops Mission. Hetty instead of going to Washington, returns back to Ops to interfere an already working mission.
Partnership 1-
G Callen & Sam Hanna
One of the most beautiful role reversal we get to see. Sam, the ever optimist; is worried and feels he is close to death and starts writing a letter. Whereas Callen the pessimist actually turns the optimist and guides Sam into foiling the plan of the three Jehadists. They sink the part where the explosive material is all stored.
Partnership -2
Marty Deeks - LAPD Liaison Officer
Kensi Blye -Special Agent
DEA Agent - Talia
Cat fight between Talia and Kensi for Deeks. Once territorial rights claimed over Deeks, Kensi is back to treating Talia in normal way. I can read into the scene if we move on through Season 6 to see where Kensi is headed. Otherwise, its just a dramatic point for Densi relationship.
Funny watching Deeks with Wilson luring him to drink under the gumption that he is gonna die. Must watch scene when Wilson calls LA Cop as Pigs. Haha!
Ops Room  Partnership
Eric Beale- Tech Operator
Nell Jones - Intelligence Analyst
Eric impressed me with the way he dismissed Hetty. I loved it. And Nell was so chums with Hetty that she could not stop gushing out to Hetty what happened to Scallen..all in one breath.
Love Story
Densi Love Story

Kensi as usual acting highly possessive about Deeks, this time she is not acting coy, gets physical and warns Talia to keep off Deeks.
Guest Chracter
Talia Del Campo
Joe Sachs introduced her in 5x15 -Fish Out of the  Water
Since when she really got interested in Deeks? !!! Whats Gemmill’s story here?  Have to wait until September….Bad!!!!
My thoughts: Why DEA Talia is so eager to join Deeks in the boatshed! Whats the idea behind bringing her back? Is it to revive Densi Love Story that had been nipped in bud in 5x21-Three Hearts ? Gemmill believes in Densi and is also a Deeks fan. So I guess, Gemmill is giving a message to Dave Kalstein's Kensi that they are real girls out there to get Deeks if she keeps insisting him on opening Empty boxes that do mean much.
Others/GK

Entire episode is wikipedia to me. Warfare, drug and Science terminology.



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In crew's terms this is known as 524-121
The Production Crew has different numbers than what later becomes the air sequence. Season 5&6 Production Schedule had extra episodes shot for consecutive seasons. This changes the order of produced Episode and aired Episode. 524-121 Deep Trouble Part 2 realistically becomes 601-121 for Viewers.

Production Planning and Rollout - Prepping - 7 Business days days | Shooting -7 Business days | Post Production - 7 Business days | Promotions - 2 weeks before Air date

Story writing/Script : 
by 8th April 2014
Prepping: 9th April to 21st April 
  1. Concept Meeting - 
  2. Departmental Meetings : Video Effects Meeting, Stunts and Special Effects Meeting, Casting, Costumes 
  3. Location/Tech Scouting : 
  4. Table Read : End of Prepping and before shooting starts 

Shoot Schedule : 22nd April to 1st May

Post Production : 2nd May to 13th May
Press Release : Storyline - 28th Aug 2014 |Photos - 28th Aug 2014
https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=40580
https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/photos/?episode=7490

Promotions: CBS
CBS2 Air Date : Sep 29th 2014.
CBS2 Rating : 

Credits
Writer : R S Gemmill
Director : Dennis Smith

1st Assistant Director : **
2nd Asst Director: **

Co Producer: Christopher J Molnar, Chad W Murray
Producer : Jordana Lewis Jaffe, Eric Whitmyre, David Bellisario, Rick Tunell
Consulting Producer : Joe Sachs, Gil Grant
Story Editing: Joseph C Wilson
Supervising Producer : 
Kyle Harimoto, Joseph C Wilson
Co-Executive Producer : 
Dave Kalstein, Frank Military
Executive Producer : John Peter Kousakis, R Scott Jemmill
Assistants to Executive Producer : Chad Mazero , Samantha Chasse and Sarah K Mosse

Production Designer: Thomas Fichter
Director of Photography : Victor Hammer
Editing : Edward Salier

Music : Jay Ferguson

Unit Production Manager : Rick Tunell
Casting : Suzanne Bluestein. CSA|Jason Kennedy CSA
Casting Associates : Meredith Forney and Krysty Baxter
Costume Designer: Darry Levine
Art Director : Anthony Parrillo
Set Decorator : Michele Poulik
Property Master : Steven B Melton
Make-up Artist : Chris Burgoyne
Hair Stylist : Brooks Stenstrom

Production Coordinator : Laura P Napoli
Assistant Prod Coordinator : Adam Rex

Set Production Assistant : Jimmy Ramirez
Production Accountant : Mathew Klipper
1st Production Accountant : Dana Micahaelsen
Art Department Coordinator :
Location Manager : Tony Salome
Stunt Coordinator : Troy Brown
Special Effects Supervisor : Don Frazee
Production Sounds Mixer : David M Schneider
Construction Coordinator: Mike Brooks
Construction Assistant : Krista Schoenbaum
Transportation Coordinator : Dave Bassett
Script Supervisor : Diana Valentine
Script Coordinator : Jimmy Donchey
A Camera Operator : Russell McEllhatton
B Camera Operator : Terence Nightingall
Gaffer : David B Jarell
Key Grip : Jeryll L Marshall

Assistant Editor : John McKnight
Post Production Supervisor : Dillom Gemmill
Sound Supervisor: Wilson Dyer MPSE
Post Production : Digital Film Tree
Post Production Sound : Larsen Studios
Re recording Mixer : Chris Haire CAS, Alexey Mohr
Online editor : Jacob Tillman
VFX Supervisor : Dylan Chudzynski
Colorists : Patrick Woodard
Music Supervisor : Mark Wiki
ADR Supervisor : Jay Keiser
Sound Effects Editor : Kevin Fischer
Theme by : James S Levine
Technical Advisor : Osama Shofani USMC (ret)
Multi Media Coordination : Justin Maradiegue
Specialized Imagery, Software and Promotional Consideration : Furnished by Lockheed and Pictometry International Corporation

Sponsored by Microsoft Corporation

Cast
SERIES REGULARS:

Chris O’Donnell (NCIS Special Agent G. Callen)
LL COOL J (NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna)
Linda Hunt (Henrietta "Hetty” Lange)
Daniela Ruah (NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye)
Eric Christian Olsen (LAPD Detective Marty Deeks)
Barrett Foa (Tech Operator Eric Beale)
Renée Felice Smith (NCIS Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones)
Miguel Ferrer (NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger)


GUEST CAST:
Mercedes Masohn: (DEA Agent Talia Del Campo)
Cameron Daddo: (Charles Anderson)
Val Lauren: (Jabril)
Andy Mackenzie: (Michael Wilson)
Kieu Chinh: (Madge)
Rafi Silver: (Ali Hanna)
Chervine Namani: (Yusef)
Jason Mac: (Driver)
Clark Freeman: (DEA Agent)


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Twitter News

RS Gemmill with ChrisODonnell.




Its all love?


RT : Ready for take-off! Premiere night ! 10pm


Giant Kudos to These ladies work hard to promote our series each and everyday. Muchlove


All credit for this enormous Sub goes to thank you for the stellar Direction. This episode ROCKS!!!


All credit for this enormous Sub goes to thank you for the stellar Direction. This episode ROCKS!!!

It took 2 hours of makeup to create that burn.


It only took 3 weeks to build that Submarine. It was one of our greatest accomplishments.


TONIGHT: & are FINALLY BACK! Season 6 Premiere Mon. 9/29 10/9c


exciting stories, charm&banter, technical intrigue and simply entertaining TV.


A thankful shout out to Director of season 6 premiere WATCH IT!


The countdown is on. We promise you the best is yet to come.


The last time we saw our heroes......Watch Monday night at 10pm! bestcrewinhollywood


2 days until the premiere of woop woop!


Sprinting into action on 9/29 @ 22h00 ericcolsen (photo by brian…


If you love action, laughs, suspense and little teasing romance. Mark the date 9.29.14 CBS

                                                                                                     May 2

                                                                                           May 2
My awesome Assistant Director Suzanne

                                                                                            May 2
producer Rick Tunell thinking "this is costing a lot"

                                                                                                May 2
camera boat ready to entertain you

                                                                                                 May 2
Ok, this was the start of my last day of shooting season premier

                                                                                                         May 1
In Operations Center with Granger and Hetty, Eric's in big trouble!

                                                                                           May 1
thanks for an amazing time!

                                                                                                      May 1
Back on dry land today.

                                                                                           May 1

                                                                                             May 1

                                                                                   May 1
Can you guess who elicited this sort of response from me? Hint: he's got some…

                                                                                                  Apr 30
Eric Beale showin' off his touch screen skillz.

Kristen Hall ‏@KristenJane Apr 30 These are amazing super special reflective hard hats, because that's how we roll at #ncisla. And I may…

                                                                                              Apr 30

                                                                                                Apr 30
Today is a serious set visit!

                                                                                                     Apr 30
You know it's a big day on set when they hand you a hard hat. YESSSSS!

                                                                                                          Apr 30
Check out video village! It's where crew members can watch all cameras rolling on a scene.

                                                                                                       Apr 30
Big tank day on set at . EP Admiral Scott Gemmill is dressed for the occasion.

                                                                                              Apr 30

                                                                                                       Apr 30
Exec Prod and ep writer Scott Gemmill dressed up for shoot

                                                                                                 Apr 30
Behind me is water tank built just for the season opener! Intrigued?

                                                                                                Apr 30
Back in the water today for season opener. Like doing a movie, all for YOU! :-)

                                                                                   Apr 29
That's a lot to smile about. Shot courtesy of

                                                                                  Apr 29

                                                                                                             Apr 29

                                                                                           Apr 29

                                                                                  Apr 29
It is R S Gemmill. Right?! Important people indeed. Glad to see him,

                                                                                                    Apr 29
Starting work on in a water tank built for this episode. Gonna be very exciting story!

                                                                                        Apr 29

                                                                                         Apr 28
This is one crazy episode.

Set cuddles...love is contagious

                                                                                                Apr 28
Nothin' wrong wit dat! RT : Set cuddles...love is contagious

                                                                                          Apr 28
Between takes I broke into trailer and found these?!? He's either doing a live action…
Between takes I broke into @barrettfoa trailer and found these?!? He's either doing a live action reenactment of the cinema classic mannequin, or he's just a serial killer with surprising great cheek bones.#NCISLAShowNShare

                                                                                                               Apr 28
Have you noticed how quiet it's been from the NCIS:LA tweeters? That's because we're speechless! Season 5/6 ender/opener - Wow!

                                                                                                                Apr 28
NCISLA photos too revealing. What is this?

                                                                                                          Apr 26
Awesome week on , they gave me great script, a submarine, helicopters and a chick fight! Happy Director :-)

 Retweeted by 
                                                                                         Apr 26

                                                                                                 Apr 25
I surveyed one of the most spectacular#NCISLA sets of all times. Our fans will be excited beyond belief.Thx#bestcrewinhollywood

                                                                                                Apr 25
Huge Friday shoutout to Lead by The master Director. Many thanks!

                                                                                             Apr 24
They split a big trailer into two very good sized rooms. We used to share but they've put me elsewhere. Long story.


                                                                                                           Apr 24
Big "Kensi and Deek's" shoot today. Kensi's bonding, but with who? :-)

                                                                                                Apr 23
. many thanks to the master. You never fail!

                                                                                                          Apr 22
Start shooting tomorrow, we won't let you down! Awesome script by Scott Gemmill

                                                                                               Apr 21
Finished the table read for season 6 premier. Great script! You'll have to wait all summer but it'll be well worth it.

                                                                                                   Apr 21
Heading into E524 table read. Exciting script and exciting things in store for our fans.

                                                                                                           Apr 16
Can you spot in this shot? finale!!!

                                                                                                           Apr 15
script "Deep Trouble part ll" written by Scott Gemmill. Almost shooting and boy, it's a movie :-)

                                                                                                 Apr 14

                                                                                                 Apr 14
Scouting continues on E524 w/

                                                                                                           Apr 10
Starting prep today. Got a very exiting script for the next season's premier. This episode is going deep!

                                                                                                  Apr 10
. leading the way to more excitement


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