Saturday, December 14, 2013

5x03 Omni

Should actually have been "Back To Work". 

While the episode material was nothing about recurrent NCIS LA material or anything worth NCIS LA team's involvement, it was definitely focussed on Deeks coming back to work. It was done nicely, the way Hetty wanted. She always knew when she had to intervene and act, but she executes her plan in the professional manner so that no one questions her intentions. She sought Nate’s opinion (professional in nature) and Nate had nothing new to tell her that she did not know. Yet, it was required of her like the way she did for Sam. Then she knew Deeks would be back to respect her warning about replacement for Kensi. Kensi is what draws him to NCIS OSP office. But then she fed Callen the news that Deeks might not be ready so that Callen as the Team leader also pays adequate attention on Deeks. We have seen Callen wanting to take Sam back to work in last episode and Hetty had to stop him….and we see in this episode that Callen is not the same with Deeks as he was with Sam…he is bit more closed about taking him back. Though we may not like this, but may be Hetty knew, this harsh view would be just about the right call for Deeks to come out vocally about what he wants to do. In the end Hetty is the happy one that Deeks is back, which clearly tells us that she never cared about Nate’s view or afraid of Deeks not being himself, all she wanted was to have Deeks return to his NCIS family where he will feel wanted and useful and be happy.

After the initial caution shown in towards her partner's state of mind at the firing range quarters, Kensi starts relaxing and can't stop with her sarcasm, very normal for her when with Deeks.  Her throwing all her jokes in one just proves how much Deeks allows Kensi to take upperhand over him by seeming to humour her for her jokes, and how much Kensi clearly is aware of how Deeks allows her to do whatever she wishes with him. She had missed him as Callen and Sam do not reciprocate to her jokes. So its not just Deeks, it was about Kensi as well, as to how happy she was with Deeks being back to work. She accepted that she missed him and when Deeks raises his eyes and she rambles on, Deeks throws her off saying, "You realize that you are still talking".  She even does a Bulgogi dance for him. Weird, brash or freaky sense of humour, but Deeks enjoys all of that with Kensi. Just the right one for him. Girl with the Gun.  Hetty loved it for both of them. The opening and ending scene was beautiful with Hetty.

What I liked best was the way Deeks pushed Kensi to go for a drive because he wanted to get out of the uncomfortable position in the car. It gave us a comic interlude with him being pro about Kensi driving the Cobra, Eric discouraging Kensi and ending up with nice results because of the push. We have Kensi driving the Cobra, giving Deeks time to investigate the garage, find evidence, have Hetty enjoy Kensi’s driving live…Hetty infact along with Eric and Nell were the only ones watching Kensi live in action. It was interesting. One of the best part which later added up to other scenes. And I loved the drawl and "Kensalina" from Deeks, "My Baby (the Cobra of course)" from Kensi and "Do Not Do That" from Eric. Absolutely funny and enjoyable.

The other thing that endeared me about the episode was how Deeks and Kensi both have a correct observation about the doctor….that he is socially awkward and that he may be hiding something. Deeks seems to always understand the social vulnerability and anomaly about people and never be judgmental about them. On the other hand, Kensi is judgemental about the same social vulnerabilty as she has a strong instinct towards behavioral patterns when someone is under influence of fear. I would say, both Deeks and Kensi complement each other through their partnership with one creating an understanding of levelled field to build trust and other working on issues through that trust. They can help people in this manner.

Other than those plus points about Omni, I am majorly disappointed with mediocrity of the Case itself and how the new writer Kyle Harimoto was adding extensions to our 4 characters of Callen, Sam, Deeks and Kensi. Clearly a lot of time, the discrepancy was thrown in for him to enable some kind of repartees. This means that Kyle Harimoto is yet to understand the soul of NCIS LA and its characters. Definitely 5x12 Merry Evasion is better than 5x03 Omni, yet in Merry Evasion, a lot of action and case handling was focussed on Sam and Callen. Whether it should be really that way by design, by plan is something I am unable to get. 

 Definitely Kyle Harimoto is going by R S Gemmill's advise on all characters and more like based on early episodes of Season 1 for Sam and Callen from The Identity -Callen is commenting on the house they are visiting in that episode and the kind of banter they have and for Deeks and Kensi from their early on episodes. Clearly Callen has moved on and Deeks has moved on. So have Sam and Kensi developed some emotional bonding. So it does not make sense to go by the senior writers material without age continuity. Why the Script supervision and Tone meetings have not caught this ? I am beginning to think that the Writing Scribe did not know how people would react to Deeks torture, his withdrawal, how to establish the Densi love story. So they had to balance the love story with immediate nothing of love story and only work partnership in next episode. So basically its like them firing guns with no particular aim before Season 5 official start. This episode was shot in August. The early episodes from 5x03 Omni until 5x06 Big Brother sent lot of confusing signals to audience, but the writers seemed to focussing on going slow with everything and hence no emotional depth in the case, no Densi Love Story and finishing of with Deeks antics every week to show the PTSD; except for 100th episode which was completely about Callen.
Episode
5x03 - OMNI
OMNI - what is it ? OMNI is a OMNI - multi-ethnic criminal organization from Bosnia dealing in White Phosphorous. The case failed to tell us why NCIS LA got the case. The viewers were left to guess from the spoken words of the Agents that The Risin Vaccine Project was important for US government and hence NCIS LA involvement. Then question also remains, why not FBI ?
Writer
Kyle Harimoto
Kyle Harimoto is the new writer hired by the show creators this season. He writes for Hawai Five-O and this is his first episode on NCIS Los Angeles this season. Going by the action sequences, we can see that he is big on action sequences and goes for explosions like Joseph C Wilson. The story did not have lot of banter on the high level puzzling humour, but a banter that tells us more of story and throws light on the characters. Kind of racy where you won’t analyse much except go by what the writer shows. There’s no hidden meaning to be unravelled.
I will be backtracing this. I have seen his second episode of the season Merry Evasion. And I have felt that he is learning the nuances of the character traits of the NCIS LA team but has not perfected them.
Kyle Harimoto does more of bromance banter and action scene but tends to make mistakes that can be easily caught and there is no sense of continuity and seriousness of the story. Like he missed telling us why the NCIS OSP has the case. Then he does not know Kensi and Deeks at all and has written for them based on past story and episode material. Evidently after Impact from RS Gemmill, Kensi joking about Deeks bangs, torture and his dental fillings and solid food vs liquid food, its not like Kensi at all from the previous episode where she took him home the solid food for dinner. She is not this worse usually especially when she is concerned about her partner. Definitely not the regular writers type. If she wanted to joke, she would have done at Deeks apartment the last time itself in one or the other way. The only joke she made in Deeks apartment was about Deeks pillow - Pink Very masculine. And the way she jokes in this episode, torture jokes, its pretty harsh and distant for her partner. She knows him and yet is trying to guage him with distant remarks. Is that really Kensi of Season 4 and 5 until now? She could be...but should I even have this lingering doubt? That is not good at all.
The level of the maturity of the story and the crime is not very deep and this case could have belonged to LAPD except the fact that Norris Biotech had funding from OMNI, a group from Bosnia, which is a second time choice country for Kyle Harimoto.
Director
Larry Teng
He is an action Director and seems to be bagging lot of projects over CBS this year. I have watched his Kill House from last season, Omni and Unwritten Rule. Big on action.
Episode Summary
A red Ferrari being chased by LAPD Police and when the driver successfully evades the police, his car gets exploded. He is found to be Tom Norris - CEO of a Biotech Company.


Sub-par episode for NCIS LA calibre. The case would have been solved by LAPD Police by the evidence they found in the private Garage of Tom Norris @ Los Angeles Ridges Racing Track mostly owned by OMNI. And ofcourse the evidence was found by the LAPD Cop Deeks.  What led to discovery of OMNI group involvement was white phosphorous used to explode Tom Norris car which was actually to frame Omni, who had stolen it from Serbian Shipment that was leftover shells from Bosnian War. Killing two birds with one stone, to eliminate Tom Norris and Omni Investor who was going to steal the vaccine out of the country. Norris Biotech’s other partner Paulson is the one who killed Norris and set up Omni.
To make it look like NCIS LA case, the government gets to keep the company and it lets Dr.Leonard to run the company.
NCIS Personnel Highlights and Bull Pen Fun
Its Deeks returning to work. Episode ends with Deeks stating “I wanna be here, I am ready to be back” looking straight into Callen's eyes.
And Kensi driving Hetty’s Shelby Cobra on the racing track and Sam driving his Challenger on the racing track.
Different team members get different kind of vibes from Deeks throughout the day as he interacts, until end of the day Deeks states that he is ready to be back for work.
Sam and Callen have usual banter about who is driving Hetty’s Cobra and if Sam is Huskies guy.
Deeks and Kensi too have usual banter plus the grating torture jokes and Bulgogi dance. Did Kensi ever dance ? Is Kensi so happy that Deeks is back that it almost freaks out even Deeks and then he starts enjoying it. See my problem is, I would have taken it as definite development or twist in the character’s development, but Kyle Harimoto is new writer. So I do not have yet any trust on him. He has Sam calling Callen as Partner and not G. Its kinda weird to listen to this after 4 seasons of not having heard that. It definitely works that Kensi would use humour to diffuse tension between herself and Deeks for whatever level of intimacy they have or the White Elephant thay have chosen to ignore for now. Afterall she knows her partner and he uses humour to get through the tension. And yet, I feel the level of humour is not in conformance to Kensi’s character of other writers and especially after seeing Gemmill and Frank Military’s Kensi.
Ops Manager
Hetty Lange
Hetty is always interesting to me. So what can I say except that all her scenes are interesting as always. Her scene with Deeks, Her gifting of New Smith and Wesson to Deeks, her asking him to not to close the gift, her besting him at verbal banter, all is good to watch between the mother like figure and errant hurting boy of hers. So does her banter with her other boys Sam and Callen, denying them the pleasure to drive her car. What's the beauty of driving her Shelby Cobra by Kensi  is that while Sam and Callen fight about who is driving it,  Deeks actually encourages Kensi to drive the car so that he can finish his inspection of Tom Norris Garage. Kensi takes it as work, so is Nell with only Eric being scared about Hetty's wrath. But it brings pleasure to both Kensi and Hetty.
Bull Pen Partnership -1
G Callen & Sam Hanna
Sam's makeover discussion in Hanna Household. Unfortunately Robertson doesn't have clothes for Sam's size. Has only Skinny jeans and no Huskies. And Callen making fun of Sam “Even a man of your size needs a friend”.
Callen and Sam’s jokes for Deeks and Kensi -
Sam calls them Archies and Edith
Callen calls them Archies and Meathead
Sam says, “Either way they are getting into the groove of being partners. I have seen guys going through lot worse. He is going to be okay.”
Sam is sympathetic to Deeks and yet he was the one earlier making fun of Deeks wishes for seeing girls in Bikini. This is a discrepancy for Sam. I mean one makes fun or yet one can resist when one does not want to. You don’t do both things as if you are confused. And Sam can never be a confused person. This is second time Kyle Harimoto uses the liking for girls in bikinis for Deeks. He made Deeks say that when on field with Nell in 5x12. That formula worked for old Deeks, not the Deeks from Season 4 ending, especially since Wanted and The receiving of Box from Kensi and Deeks cannot be that brazen after having kissed Kensi or after entering into serious romantic relationship with Kensi
Partnership -2
Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye

Deeks returns to Work -
No Smile when talking to Hetty. His first contact within Bull Pen. Hetty gifts him a Gun, which is almost an order to get back to work. Little serious and curving smile when talking to Kensi about Eric. His second contact at the Firing Range. Welcome Salutations from rest of team members- A hug from Sam and A spirited Hand shake from Callen, A High Five from Nells and a Namaste from Eric Beale. Wow!!! Deeks getting all kinds of welcome gestures.

Kensi’s jokes on Deeks
Do your new teeth have satellite radio or are extra-terrestrial
Think your surf board company makes a leash for your gun
Would you have screamed louder had they cut your bangs
And that Bulgogi Dance.
I have my reservations on Kensi. Please read above.
Whatever said and done...the jokes on Deeks bangs are not acceptable especially when Deeks confessed to Nate that he doesn’t like the shaggy jokes. Basically it fits into scenes or not fits but it clearly tells us that writers do not know how to take Deeks story and Densi story and they are experimenting.
In 5x12, he made Nell call Deeks a Shaggy.
Ops Room  Partnership
Eric Beale- Tech Operator
Nell Jones - Intelligence Analyst
Providing the necessary Intel.
Kensi’s jokes on the pair.
Eric’s whisting Radio Tune -
Eric 1.0
Eric 2.0 would be a Hologram
Eric 3.0 would be Nell
Love Story
Kensi Blye & Marty Deeks
None. No sign at all.
Others/GK




=========================================================================================
In crew's terms this is known as 503-101. The Production Crew has different numbers than what later becomes the air sequence. Season 4 Production Schedule had an extra episode shot as 4x25-97 which was telecasted as Unwritten Rule 5x05-101 in airing reality. This changed the sequence numbers for all the season 5 episodes either in terms of Season Episode number or actual episode number for show's grand total serial number. Omni realistically becomes 5x03-99 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 : 
Prepping - 5th August to 12th August
  1. Concept Meeting 
  2. Departmental Meetings 
  3. Location/Tech Scouting
  4. Table Read : Happens a day before the shooting starts (end of Prepping).
Shoot Schedule : 13th August to 22nd August
Post Production : 23rd to 30th August
Press Release : Photos - 1st October 2013 | Storyline - 30th September 2013   
http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=36798
http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/photos/?episode=2584
Promotions: CBS after Post Production
CBS2 Air Date : 8th October 2013
CBS2 Rating : http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=36915
NCIS: LOS ANGELES was first in viewers (14.78m) and second in adults 25-54 (3.6/09) and adults 18-49 (2.6/07). 

Credits
Writer : Kyle Harimoto
Director : Larry Teng
1st Assistant Director : Eric Pot
2nd Asst Director: Stacy Schrader

Co Producer: Christopher J Molnar, Chad W Murray, Jordana Lewis Jaffe
Producer : Joseph C Wilson, Eric Whitmyre, Kyle Harimoto, David Bellisario, Rick Tunell
Consulting Producer : Joe Sachs, Gil Grant
Supervising Producer : Dave Kalstein
Co-Executive Producer : 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 ACE
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
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 : Eric J Lucas
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

=============================================================================================

9 Oct

9 Oct

8 Oct

27 Jul
arrives next week. Reunited with@Harimoto. Dir/Writer team-EP 503.
2 Aug
@kyleharimoto making it work for EP.503
  1. 5 Aug
    And we're off! jpkouz: Scouting Irwindale Raceway w/ ”
     Retweeted by 
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  2. 5 Aug
    Scouting Irwindale Raceway w/
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  3. 5 Aug
    Scouting today.
     Retweeted by 
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  4. 5 Aug
    Laaaauuuuurrrraaa!!!! She's the greatest POC, in the biz!
     View conversation
  5. 5 Aug
    prepping, Ep.503
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    6 Aug
    Day three of prep; scouting at . kharimoto
     Retweeted by 
    1. 7 Aug
      EP, Scott Gemmill, leading the meetings for EP.503
       Expand
    2. 7 Aug
      Keeping in line about Ep.503 tone and quality
       Expand
    3. 7 Aug
      Hard at work prepping EP.503. He wants you all to watch, come this September! W/
       Expand
    8 Aug
    JPK taking photos on scout with

    1. 8 Aug
      checking out where the sun will be on shoot day.
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    2. 8 Aug
      We are crushing Prep and everyone's still smiling. What's put in the water in this Prod Office???

    8 Aug
    The script, the schedule, the last dept head mtg. Next stop, The set
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    8 Aug
    filming an additional scene from upcoming S5 episode
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    1. 9 Aug
      Lunch time on Tech scout Ep.503
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    2. 9 Aug
      A view from my seat! Tech scout Ep.503
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    9 Aug
    This is how we roll...tech scouting EP.503
     Expand
    1. 9 Aug
      Tech scout
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    2. 9 Aug
      But...tech scout is still on the road 😩! We'll be wrapping soon!
       View conversation
    3. 9 Aug
      Kensi and Nell, studying lines for upcoming scene, S5 .
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    1. 12 Aug
      Working out the shots w/ and stunt coord. Troy Brown Coffee helps the process.
       Expand
    2. 12 Aug
      A view from the table read EP.503
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    3. 12 Aug
      Tone meeting w/SBrennan Ep.503
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    4. 12 Aug
      On set for a long day with and - let's do this!
    12 Aug
    Ep.503 hits the road, tomorrow! Stay tuned. fast cars and stellar performances.Salute to .Best wishes to you.
    1. 13 Aug
      Table Read EP#503 harimoto ladydi2000
       Retweeted by 
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    2. 13 Aug
      Good morning. fans. It's day1- ep.503 , directing@Harimoto writer/producer with@Ladydi2000 A good day indeed!
    1. 13 Aug
      Wrap for the day. Good day. EP.503 thank you@larryteng
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    2. 13 Aug
      Day1,EP503,wrapping soon.Thank you .Excellent first day.Maiden voyage,. Greatday@larryteng.Manythanks
    1. 14 Aug
      Squish...
       Retweeted by 
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    2. 14 Aug
      Awesome afternoon on set. Fans will go wild for EP.503,
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    3. 14 Aug
      working out a shot on EP .503
       Expand
    4. 14 Aug
      On set with Two of the best human beings
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    5. 14 Aug
      On set
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    6. 14 Aug
      Good morning from the set of day2, Off and running in style and class.
    14 Aug
    Day 3 - done and done. Big Mahalos to the talented cast and crew.
     Retweeted by 
    13 Aug
    Afternoon spoiler:Kensi will be behind the wheel of a car that belongs to another agent.You won't believe.Coming up in EP.503 #2000
    1. 17 Aug
      The Edge! The best equipment, ever! Ep.503
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    2. 16 Aug
      What's gonna happen to this baby...?
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    3. 16 Aug
      setting up one of 9 cameras for tonight's BIG... @
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    4. 16 Aug
      The crew doing what they do!
       Retweeted by 
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    5. 16 Aug
      Tonight's shoot is gonna rock! Love to see a 2 in front of the zeroes by midnight.
      Expand
    6. 16 Aug
      , aka Katonk, is keeping on schedule for tonight's shoot! Fast cars and crazy stunts are coming your way.Ep.503!
    20 Aug
    What is Deeks doing? Where is he?
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    20 Aug
    On the backs of the artists ep.503
      View photo
    20 Aug
    Tue morn set-up!
     Retweeted by 
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    21 Aug
    Red plaid was the color of the day!
     Retweeted by 

    22 Aug
    Hearty shout out to Thank you, both, for a great ride on EP.503! Challenging episode, executed beautifully.

    22 Aug
    That's a wrap on 503!!! It was great to work with again. Big thanks to for making this ep a reality.
    22 Aug
    As we round the track,on the final lap,a hearty thanks to for a spectacular Episode. 503 exits stage9 tonight!



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1 comment:

  1. SDWorldDecember 16, 2013 at 7:17 AM

    That was my Comment over NCIS LA Magazine. I am SD.
    http://www.ncislamagazine.com/ncis-los-angeles-omni-review-fan-made/#comment-17046

    ReplyDelete

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