As this blog will be taking a summer vacation soon as I'll be abroad for 4 weeks soon and will not access the internet much during that time, both because of internet instability as well as stepping back from media to contemplate what role I want it to play in my life. But I will be returning with a vengeance and ready to continue in August and I am set on continuing my scathing analysis and sharp-eyed observation. So do not stray far!
But today's topic is characterization. One of the main reason I tune into TV is because of the characters. If a show does not have realistic, well-nuanced characters, I do not watch it. I have already written extensively about some characters and what it is I like and do not like about them and how they are portrayed. And what I will cover today are the specific episodes in which characters genuinely 'clicked' for me and I began enjoying them in earnest. The moment when I knew they were good, interesting to watch and follow their journey.
I´ll begin with the NCIS franchise
NCIS
Ziva- I have always loved Ziva's character and her personality. She is one of the best created characters on TV in my opinion and it continues to astound me how well she is portrayed and represented. The episode in which Ziva 'clicked' for me was "Silver War" (3x04). I loved that episode and it is one of my favorite one's ever of NCIS. Ziva in that episode was exploring her new environment, testing the waters and figuring things out. I genuinely enjoyed watching her and how she was beginning to find her way and who she was as a person. Another Ziva episode which clicked for me and zealed her as the most awesome character on TV was the episode in which she stays in the hospital with a marine that has been potioned and falls in love with him even if he is dying. That episode was very affecting emotionally and it was a great display of who Ziva is as a character and of her vulnerability.
Tony - I used to dislike Tony a lot in the first season and it took some time for him to rub on me. But the episode in which Tony 'clicked' for me was "SWAK". It began with typical Tony behavior but suddenly the character burst forth fully and wasn't just the 'overbearing frat boy' but a genuine character with emotions and flaws and it was a treat to watch him.The performance of Mr. Weatherly was astounding in that episode And since seeing that episode I have come to like Tony a lot. He really is a good character! Another episode in which Tony clicked is 7x19, "Guilty pleasures". I love the humor in the episode (it is one of my favorite ones) but also the underlying exploration of Tony's and Tim's relationship and it was a good display of who Tony is.
Gibbs - I always liked Gibbs a whole lot. He clicked for me in episode 2x01 in which it was great to watch the character reach out to a little girl and get her the help she needed. It was Gibbs at his best, quiet, kind, excellent and dedicated to his job and with some sweet humor in between.
McGee - My favorite TV nerd of all time (aside from Eric Beale and Abby, obviously). McGee was a character I enjoyed straightaway because of his awkwardness but also sincerity and quiet strength. Watching him felt at times like watching a version of myself with all his blundering and clumsiness (which sums up me pretty well). He clicked for me straightaway but my favorite episode where he 'clicked' is episode 3x09 in which he believes he accidentally shot a man. It was a harrowing episode to watch and it was great to see the character react with horror and guilt to what had happened. It made him feel very real and well-nuanced. And it is one of my most favorite episodes to watch.
Abby - She is pure awesomeness that character! I always grin and laugh when she comes on and I love watching her antics and what she comes up with. She feels very genuine and well-nuances as a character and from the beginning she has been incredibly sincere as a character and just very real. She just feels so human and is lovely to watch. She clicked with me straightaway but my favorite Abby episode is 3x20 (or 21) when she is being stalked. The episode freaked me (stalking terrifies me) out when I first saw it and it felt like a little movie, creepy and tragic. I have seen in an interview with the actress Ms. Perette (behind the scenes) that the episode felt therapeutic for her to play and in my opinion it is obvious in the episode. It was just all around a great episode to watch and one of my favorite one's ever to watch.
Ducky and Palmer - These two are the best pair ever and the most adorable and wonderful characters. I grin just seeing them on the screen. They clicked me with straightaway and there is not one specific episode in which they rocked more than in others. They are just awesome all the time!
NCIS:LA
Kensi - It took me a long time to get a feel for the character and start enjoying her. It wasn't until season 2 that the character really burst forth and I began liking it and it was all uphill after that And Kensi has now emerged as a fascinating and fun character to watch and is at equal level with Ziva. The episode in which the character clicked for me was 2x20 "The Job". It is one of my most favorite episodes ever and I can watch it over and over again. It was one of the first episodes I saw a season 2 and it was wonderful. What I enjoyed so much was seeing the emotional journey it took Kensi on and how she reacted very humanly to it and how it affected her. She felt genuine for the first time in my opinion. Ms. Ruah performed incredibly in that episode. Episode 2x17 is also worth mentioning as a good Kensi episode.
Deeks - My favorite Norwegian-American! I enjoyed Deeks from the moment he stepped unto the scene. He was a real, fun and nuanced character from the beginning and just a bundle of awesomeness, blundering, awfully silly humor and genuine emotions which I instantly liked. He has felt real and genuine from the start and still does and he is well crafted as a character. Deeks clicked for me in episode 2x01 "Human Traffic" in which the emotional journey he was on was a treat to watch and harrowing as well. It is one of those episodes I watch regularly and still gives me shivers because of the subject matter and how the characters handle it. Another Deeks favorite is 2x22, Plan B. Rarely, if ever have I enjoyed so much the complete change of a character and at the same time felt uncomfortable. Max Gentry was the very definition of a creepy male and he creeped me out. Not to mention that it was interesting to see the switch being portrayed and how Deeks dealt with it. Kudos to Mr. Olsen for pulling of that great performance. Episode 2x17 "Personal" is of course great as well and it was nice to get a Deeks focused episode.
Eric - My favorite nerd. He was my first favorite on NCIS:LA and he continues to make me laugh with his antics and strange behavior. And he blunders and is awkward which in turn makes him more realistic. Eric was awesome from the start and still is.
Nell - Another awesome character. I first of all want to kidnap her awesome wardrobe. Secondly, she feels smart and capable without being 'weird' (while she is quirky) and feels very human. She clicked for me in episode 2x07 when she refused to be helped by Sam and Callen and did everything on her own. That was awesome. But an honorary mention goes to episode 4x15 "Kill House". That was a tour de force from beginning to end and an awesome Nell centric episode where it was interesting to see her reaction and how she dealt with things. Nell is all around a great character and a breath of relief from the general types of girls played on TV.
Callen - I liked him in the beginning, then grew very annoyed with him and now I really like him. He took a dip for me in terms of how he was established in season 1 and for some time he felt very thin and vapid. Then season 2 rolled around and Callen epicness finally emerged. He clicked for me in episode 1x24 when he was searchinf for his family. Finally, he stopped being the unfeeling, serious, lone wolf agent and became a real character. I really enjoy Callen now and his subtle sense of humor and he is all around a lovely character.
Sam - It took me a looooonnng time to start enjoying him. He just felt so unrealistic and boring as a character. The perfect NAVY SEAL that could do anything and everything without batting an eyelid. I did so not enjoy watching him at first. But in episode 2x05 "Little Angels" when they portrayed an incident from his past and he pushed for a case involving an incident to that he felt great. Suddenly there was a real character with a history and something to push for and he showed emotion for the first time (in my opinion). It is one of my favorite episodes to watch and it always surprises me how good Sam was in that episode and how realistic he felt. Since then, he has grownon me (not like ringworm!) and I really like him. He is of course embellished a whole lot but he's really grown as a character and it's been a treat to watch.
Hetty - Like with Sam, it took me a looooonnng time to start liking her. She did not click for me until in season 3 really when I unexpectedly really started enjoying her and what she did. She is a legend, a matriarch and a very mysterious figure (that part tends to annoy me) but she is also funny as hell. There hasn't been one specific episode in which she clicked, rather she simply became more human and a whole lot more enjoyable.
So I'll be off to enjoy summer for all its worth and returning with a vengeance in 6-7 weeks time (might pop in in July). I wish everyone the best of summer!
But today's topic is characterization. One of the main reason I tune into TV is because of the characters. If a show does not have realistic, well-nuanced characters, I do not watch it. I have already written extensively about some characters and what it is I like and do not like about them and how they are portrayed. And what I will cover today are the specific episodes in which characters genuinely 'clicked' for me and I began enjoying them in earnest. The moment when I knew they were good, interesting to watch and follow their journey.
I´ll begin with the NCIS franchise
NCIS
Ziva- I have always loved Ziva's character and her personality. She is one of the best created characters on TV in my opinion and it continues to astound me how well she is portrayed and represented. The episode in which Ziva 'clicked' for me was "Silver War" (3x04). I loved that episode and it is one of my favorite one's ever of NCIS. Ziva in that episode was exploring her new environment, testing the waters and figuring things out. I genuinely enjoyed watching her and how she was beginning to find her way and who she was as a person. Another Ziva episode which clicked for me and zealed her as the most awesome character on TV was the episode in which she stays in the hospital with a marine that has been potioned and falls in love with him even if he is dying. That episode was very affecting emotionally and it was a great display of who Ziva is as a character and of her vulnerability.
Tony - I used to dislike Tony a lot in the first season and it took some time for him to rub on me. But the episode in which Tony 'clicked' for me was "SWAK". It began with typical Tony behavior but suddenly the character burst forth fully and wasn't just the 'overbearing frat boy' but a genuine character with emotions and flaws and it was a treat to watch him.The performance of Mr. Weatherly was astounding in that episode And since seeing that episode I have come to like Tony a lot. He really is a good character! Another episode in which Tony clicked is 7x19, "Guilty pleasures". I love the humor in the episode (it is one of my favorite ones) but also the underlying exploration of Tony's and Tim's relationship and it was a good display of who Tony is.
Gibbs - I always liked Gibbs a whole lot. He clicked for me in episode 2x01 in which it was great to watch the character reach out to a little girl and get her the help she needed. It was Gibbs at his best, quiet, kind, excellent and dedicated to his job and with some sweet humor in between.
McGee - My favorite TV nerd of all time (aside from Eric Beale and Abby, obviously). McGee was a character I enjoyed straightaway because of his awkwardness but also sincerity and quiet strength. Watching him felt at times like watching a version of myself with all his blundering and clumsiness (which sums up me pretty well). He clicked for me straightaway but my favorite episode where he 'clicked' is episode 3x09 in which he believes he accidentally shot a man. It was a harrowing episode to watch and it was great to see the character react with horror and guilt to what had happened. It made him feel very real and well-nuanced. And it is one of my most favorite episodes to watch.
Abby - She is pure awesomeness that character! I always grin and laugh when she comes on and I love watching her antics and what she comes up with. She feels very genuine and well-nuances as a character and from the beginning she has been incredibly sincere as a character and just very real. She just feels so human and is lovely to watch. She clicked with me straightaway but my favorite Abby episode is 3x20 (or 21) when she is being stalked. The episode freaked me (stalking terrifies me) out when I first saw it and it felt like a little movie, creepy and tragic. I have seen in an interview with the actress Ms. Perette (behind the scenes) that the episode felt therapeutic for her to play and in my opinion it is obvious in the episode. It was just all around a great episode to watch and one of my favorite one's ever to watch.
Ducky and Palmer - These two are the best pair ever and the most adorable and wonderful characters. I grin just seeing them on the screen. They clicked me with straightaway and there is not one specific episode in which they rocked more than in others. They are just awesome all the time!
NCIS:LA
Kensi - It took me a long time to get a feel for the character and start enjoying her. It wasn't until season 2 that the character really burst forth and I began liking it and it was all uphill after that And Kensi has now emerged as a fascinating and fun character to watch and is at equal level with Ziva. The episode in which the character clicked for me was 2x20 "The Job". It is one of my most favorite episodes ever and I can watch it over and over again. It was one of the first episodes I saw a season 2 and it was wonderful. What I enjoyed so much was seeing the emotional journey it took Kensi on and how she reacted very humanly to it and how it affected her. She felt genuine for the first time in my opinion. Ms. Ruah performed incredibly in that episode. Episode 2x17 is also worth mentioning as a good Kensi episode.
Deeks - My favorite Norwegian-American! I enjoyed Deeks from the moment he stepped unto the scene. He was a real, fun and nuanced character from the beginning and just a bundle of awesomeness, blundering, awfully silly humor and genuine emotions which I instantly liked. He has felt real and genuine from the start and still does and he is well crafted as a character. Deeks clicked for me in episode 2x01 "Human Traffic" in which the emotional journey he was on was a treat to watch and harrowing as well. It is one of those episodes I watch regularly and still gives me shivers because of the subject matter and how the characters handle it. Another Deeks favorite is 2x22, Plan B. Rarely, if ever have I enjoyed so much the complete change of a character and at the same time felt uncomfortable. Max Gentry was the very definition of a creepy male and he creeped me out. Not to mention that it was interesting to see the switch being portrayed and how Deeks dealt with it. Kudos to Mr. Olsen for pulling of that great performance. Episode 2x17 "Personal" is of course great as well and it was nice to get a Deeks focused episode.
Eric - My favorite nerd. He was my first favorite on NCIS:LA and he continues to make me laugh with his antics and strange behavior. And he blunders and is awkward which in turn makes him more realistic. Eric was awesome from the start and still is.
Nell - Another awesome character. I first of all want to kidnap her awesome wardrobe. Secondly, she feels smart and capable without being 'weird' (while she is quirky) and feels very human. She clicked for me in episode 2x07 when she refused to be helped by Sam and Callen and did everything on her own. That was awesome. But an honorary mention goes to episode 4x15 "Kill House". That was a tour de force from beginning to end and an awesome Nell centric episode where it was interesting to see her reaction and how she dealt with things. Nell is all around a great character and a breath of relief from the general types of girls played on TV.
Callen - I liked him in the beginning, then grew very annoyed with him and now I really like him. He took a dip for me in terms of how he was established in season 1 and for some time he felt very thin and vapid. Then season 2 rolled around and Callen epicness finally emerged. He clicked for me in episode 1x24 when he was searchinf for his family. Finally, he stopped being the unfeeling, serious, lone wolf agent and became a real character. I really enjoy Callen now and his subtle sense of humor and he is all around a lovely character.
Sam - It took me a looooonnng time to start enjoying him. He just felt so unrealistic and boring as a character. The perfect NAVY SEAL that could do anything and everything without batting an eyelid. I did so not enjoy watching him at first. But in episode 2x05 "Little Angels" when they portrayed an incident from his past and he pushed for a case involving an incident to that he felt great. Suddenly there was a real character with a history and something to push for and he showed emotion for the first time (in my opinion). It is one of my favorite episodes to watch and it always surprises me how good Sam was in that episode and how realistic he felt. Since then, he has grownon me (not like ringworm!) and I really like him. He is of course embellished a whole lot but he's really grown as a character and it's been a treat to watch.
Hetty - Like with Sam, it took me a looooonnng time to start liking her. She did not click for me until in season 3 really when I unexpectedly really started enjoying her and what she did. She is a legend, a matriarch and a very mysterious figure (that part tends to annoy me) but she is also funny as hell. There hasn't been one specific episode in which she clicked, rather she simply became more human and a whole lot more enjoyable.
So I'll be off to enjoy summer for all its worth and returning with a vengeance in 6-7 weeks time (might pop in in July). I wish everyone the best of summer!
