NCIS and NCIS:LA - Ellie Bishop is so lovely and is Densi finally happening?

Today I had the honour of watching the new character Eleanor 'Ellie' Bishop enter the NCIS scene. And is she ever a lovely character?! I absolutely loved her. She was unique and fun from the start of the episode. She has a quirky and curious aura about her and she seems like a unique and dynamic character. I was instantly very happy with her. I was over the moon that not only did she reference a musical (Oklahoma) but she food associates and was motivated by a box of Cocoa Puffs. I could imagine her straightaway bouncing up and down sugar high while writing the report. As a devoted foodie I loved that. She feels so realistic as well and I loved the slightly awkward aura around her. And her style is amazing! I loved the way the actress Emily Wickersham played her, this odd mix of pure professionalism, introversion, idiosyncrasies and wit. She did such a wonderful job! She's going to be a great addition to the show and I cannot wait to see more of her.

And something finally happened with Densi. I know next episode will explode and they'll be split up as partners but I don't care a fig. There is an incredibly good (and delightful) reason for why Kensi will disappear of the scene for a while. She should actually disappear longer! The Densi ball has started rolling and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next but I'm also wary of  that the show might emotionally manipulate the audience in this regard and play it like a fiddle. I know Castle did. I cannot bear to watch some of the last episodes of season 4 because they are so difficult to see emotionally when Beckett wants Castle but he's given up. I know it's a television show but it had me in an emotional puddle. But the payoff when they got together was even sweeter. It was soooo good. Considering how similar Densi is to Caskett I expect them to follow a similar timeline. This means that NCIS:LA has until the end of season 6 to get them together. And I expect the payoff to be as good as Castle. In any case their jig will pay off someday.

On the bright side Nell will most likely get a chance to shine and I'm looking forward to that. Nell has been on a roll this season and it'll be great to see how she will continue to be developed.
We'll also see more of Agent Sabatino who I really like as a character. Hints have been dropped he'll be involved with Kensi somehow doing something work related- what it is remains to be seen. In any case, I like his character and am happy he's back.
On the up/down side a recurring tech analyst will be introduced soon. The up-side is that it's part of a new and upcoming plot (if it involves Russian I don't know what I'll do!) and I like the actor who'll be playing him - he is really good. The downside is that he's male. This will make for effectively 6 male characters (Callen, Sam, Deeks, Eric, Granger, Booker) and only two female characters Nell and Hetty while Kensi is away. That makes 3/4 male and 1/4 female. Not exactly cool but hopefully they'll work well around it. And keep the bro-syndrome at bay.

 And NCIS took some time to comment on the NSA scandal that's been shaking Europe/America. Apparently they need court orders to listen in on people so that clears it. I do hope NCIS will dig more into this issue as well - I would like to see their take on it. I know it has ruffled a lot of feathers over here, especially in Germany and Spain. NCIS:LA also worked so well with the issue of addiction on last show. I was very impressed with how well and sympathetically they covered it. It had some wonderfully sweet scenes. After last week's debacle, I was very happy about this. In any case - things are looking up on both shows and I am enjoying the ride.

Placing barriers on fictional women - what it reveals about the position of women in today's society

Lately I have noticed a rather alarming trend in comments online, as a reaction to what has been happening lately on Castle and NCIS:LA with Kensi and Beckett in regards to their behaviour towards their respective partners, Deeks and Castle.

To backtrack - it was hinted at in last episode of NCIS:LA that Kensi went on a group hang-out with 3 guys and also with Nell and Rose. An unofficial, fun, group date. It was also clearly hinted she did not enjoy herself; in frank they couldn't have been more obvious with her reference to fairy tales and claiming that destruction follows people in groups of three's. And a very, very obvious shot of Deeks' empty chair (not exactly being subtle are we?).
And it seemed people went haywire. I saw comments upon comments on how Kensi could possibly dare to go on dates when Deeks was sick, he had just kissed her and she wasn't responding to him, why hadn't she been to his house, she wasn't trying hard enough, she was hurting Deeks et cetera.

Then there is Beckett. Beckett got an amazing job offer last season to become a federal agent, went to an interview in Washington without telling Castle and seriously contemplated taking the job. Meanwhile, Castle behaved in quite a bratty way in my opinion and it seemed this was threatening their relationship even if it seemed perfectly obvious Beckett wanted their relationship to work. She loves Castle. But she also had a duty to her heart. If Beckett had not taken the job because of her relationship with Castle it wouldn't have been who she is as a character. Castle saw reason and asked her to marry him, saying they would make this work. I was happy to see she took the job. It is Beckett.
And yet again the internet went haywire. I saw comments claiming that Beckett shouldn't take the job because it'd threaten her relationship with Castle - she should be with her man, how could she go behind him like that and threaten what they had, she was not thinking of him et cetera.

I was completely surprised by this reaction. I mean, it is a fictional characters we're talking about here. But what surprised me even more was the hostile reaction to their actions.

Last time I checked, one of the main features of Kensi and Beckett as characters are that they are strong women who are independent. They make their own lives and take responsibility for their own actions and follow their hearts. I genuinely enjoy that in them as characters. These are quite clearly not women that wait around for their man or let their own happiness become secondary to what their man wants and needs.
And isn't that okay?

Instead it seems, that because of their actions towards their partners, i.e. Beckett followed her own heart and Kensi went out - they are somehow terrible as women. They are not behaving like a proper woman should, putting her partner ahead of herself and letting his needs dictate their lives.
Did I somehow miss the memo that we're in the 1950's here?

As incredulous as I was at this reaction it got me thinking - If these are the parameters we place on fictional women, what does it say about the parameters we place on woman in the real world? I am of the belief that people can reveal a lot about themselves unconsciously through their opinions without meaning to. And it seems, that despite the fact that in the Western World women are meant to be progressing, it is a facade.

If people spend their time berating fictional women (emphasis on fictional!) for not following their men or putting their needs ahead of their own, what do they say about women in the real world that behave in the same way and follow their hearts?

Perhaps, we're still in the 1950's after all.... 

Seasons Premiers - TV Matters and Me Opinion Column 102

After seeing that my post about the NCIS:LA finale last season has become my most read post for some odd reason I decided I needed to cover the season premieres - so settle in!

NCIS:LA - Well.. I am happy to report that they managed to redeem themselves. The season premiere was certainly not without its faults but it was a definite improvement on the finale. It was amped up NCIS:LA but it was not on steroids thankfully. All in all I was impressed. What I enjoyed by far the most was how vulnerable everyone was and the way the feelings came across the scene. Rarely, if ever, have I seen the characters so jarred and pained. I have to hand it to the actors that they all did a frigging amazing job - especially portraying emotional vulnerability and difficult feelings. But what surprised me most was the depth by which Sam Hanna was portrayed and how he behaved throughout the episode. I did not expect it to be honest and getting such a good exposure of the character' vulnerable side was wonderful. Never has Sam been so human. For me, the star of that episode was LL Cool J hands down - he did an incredible job with Sam. If this continues, the series will be on a roll. 

I do have a special post coming up however covering how spectacularly badly they portrayed Deeks's oral trauma. As someone that has been through oral trauma after surgery I am well versed on the subject. 

NCIS - All in all the premiere was excellent. It wasn't particularly exciting but the story line had some crazy twists and turns I was all over trying to discover. Most of all it was pure NCIS and I loved that. I do admit it was strange not to see Ziva there though. All the characters returned in their glory but I most enjoyed seeing Palmer and Ducky interact. These two are such a wonderful pair and keep me laughing all the time. It seems this season will be taking some good twists and turns and I am looking forward to seeing the new agent Emily Bishop, I've got a feeling she will be lovely. And of course the actors were good - I mean it's NCIS!

Castle - The best premiere hands down. It was sooooo good. I was glued to the screen the second it started and stayed glued till the end. The plot was tight and controlled and superbly exciting. I mean it was the perfect Castle - wit, humor, nail-biting action, tension and incredible character interactions. And I absolutely enjoyed the twist of Beckett being a federal agent. It felt quite natural and it displayed a new side of the character. I honestly really liked that part in the episode. It will be good to see Beckett at the precinct again but they did this bit incredibly well. I instantly liked all the agent characters. And I have to mention Lisa Edelstein as Rachel McCord - she was amazing! I enjoyed the character so much. She was a nice mix of spunk and professionalism. She reminded me of Alex Blake on Criminal Minds who is a character I really enjoy and I enjoyed her and Beckett's interaction. So nice to see two professional women working together.

And yes, I grinned like an idiot when Beckett got engaged to Castle. I mean!!!!!

Parks and Recreation - To be honest - this was not a good episode. Considering the incredibly high standards Parks and Rec has set for itself, the premiere fell really short of it. I do not think I've ever before been bored before while watching or even offended. But I was both. I mean, the premiere had some good points but mostly it was just really thin - the only interactions I liked were Andy and the British gentleman and Leslie interacting with Ulee. Leslie somehow did not feel like Leslie in the episode. I personally found it incredulous she would stoop so low as to help a woman remove slugs from her lawn. Leslie has always been portrayed as being a woman of great self-respect and dignity and responding to people's petty demands did not feel like the character at all. Doing this just to stay in office just did not feel right. Leslie as a character is not a doormat in the slightest so I found this strange. 

Somehow all the characters felt off in one way or the other. Even Gerry and Donna.

But the worst example was Ron. It is common knowledge that Ron dislikes Europe and I have enjoyed that tidbit about him. When praise of Europe can often be so senseless it is a refreshing thing. But what I did not expect was Ron's behavior in the episode. I was honestly surprised at how disrespectful they portrayed him to be towards Britain and European culture. I mean, he refused to use pounds and insisted on using dollars as the finest money there was, talked about the 'stench of European socialism' and referred regularly to 'the godforsaken continent' and referring to everything before 1776 as rough draft instead of history - to me, this is not funny at all, instead it played really badly on a stereotype of the American traveler that can not handle anything European and insists on everything being like in America. Something which really frustrates Europeans. I get the point that Ron Swanson does not like Europe and I am fine with that - I enjoy how they poke fun at Europe regularly. But what irked me was how disrespectful Ron came across. He has been portrayed as someone that values education and is respectful towards people so this shift in his character was not something I enjoyed.

Parks and Rec has never before relied on stereotypes and it is something I really enjoy about the show. So I hope this is just a hiccup and that Parks and Rec will return in all its glory this week. 

So all in all - I enjoyed the majority of the premieres. There were some bad moments but on the whole, they returned with a bang. 

So stay tuned!

Conspiracy theory 103 - What will next season bring?

I am in a conspiracy mood so here I go. The TV world has been delivering some excellent bites of conspiracy meat and I cannot wait to begin. So like Joan Callamezzo so wisely said: 'Let's pull out the world map and speculate wildly'.

NCIS:LA - Things have been heavy on the conspiracy front here. Due to some delightful changes in real life for some of the actors, things will be changing around NCIS:LA. It seems obvious now that Kensi will be the team member to leave the team, for some time at least, which opens up the door for Nell to start training as an agent. It has been hinted that Hetty will be making some changes around the place so it seems quite logical that Nell will step in for Kensi with her being away. And if that comes true, I cannot wait to see it. Nell is a great character and nicely different from Kensi and plus I cannot wait to see what kind of dynamic she and Deeks will have. They are two such lovely goofballs. And I am curious to see what will happen with Michelle Hanna. I do hope they continue having her on as a character. Aunjanue Ellis is such a good actress and I enjoy the dynamic between Sam and Michelle. And I am getting excited to see what Callen's name is and learn more about his family. I have tried coming up with G names for Callen and honestly he looks like a George to me. Names like Graham, Gunnar, Gideon, Gregor are just so not Callen. So he'll always be a George in my opinion.

And I am still holding on to the hope that Jack Larsen will turn up ;)

NCIS - What will happen to Ziva?? I am very excited to see that and I expect things to be delivered on the Tiva front, like an actual resolution. It seems that NCIS will be heading down a fun road. I am already breaking my mind over how the complications with Palmer adopting will affect his relationship with Ducky and what will happen to this awesome duo. There will be a 'love triangle' with Abby, McGee and his new girlfriend Delilah. I cannot wait for that - just the thought of the humor that it'll bring makes me smile. And how will life continue for Tony and Gibbs - who is still technologically challenged I might add (they are teasing a hashtag scene with him, I can't wait!).

Castle - I am so very much excited about Castle. It's obvious that Beckett will take the job and that Castle will tag along with her but knowing Castle, they will deliver 150% on the story line front. I have seen great reviews for this episode and I am psyched to see it. I am also excited to see how Lisa Edelsteins's role will play a part in the show. And I cannot forget my favorite bro duo, Ryan and Esposito. I am looking forward to the pregnancy story line and seeing how things will develop with Lanie and Espo - two characters I really like. So I am psyched about next season of Castle, totally psyched.

Parks and Rec - So much going on! I am very much looking forward to the pregnancy story line with Ron and how he will handle it. It's already been indicated that he will be really happy with the news so I cannot wait to see what it'll bring and how it will change this epic character. I am a teensy bit annoyed that Chris Traeger and Ann Perkins will exit the show midseason - they are such epic characters and my favorite one's on the show (aside from Leslie) but knowing how wonderfully parks and rec deals with the characters I cannot wait to see Ann adjust to pregnancy and Chris take on fatherhood. And what will happen with Leslie and Ben? So many good things coming up!
And I am looking forward to the dose of Donna awesomeness, Tom annoyance/laughter and the lovely pair of Andy and April.

All in all, I am looking very much forward to next TV season and what it will bring. And I will continue blogging and documenting and most of all, conspiracy theorizing.

Conspiracy Theory 102 - Deeks and Castle - Two sides of the same coin

Deeks and Castle are two of my most favorite characters ever to enter the TV screen. They are a wonderful blend of humor, drama and realistic nuance which I greatly enjoy. They appear on two different shows running on two different networks but are still very much alike. And today's topic is dedicated to this alarming similarity and is the second installation of my "Conspiracy Theory" series.

So here goes the list of eerie similarities between Castle and Deeks

1)They both have father issues. Deeks grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father he ended up shooting and Castle grew up without a father (literally, he did not even know who he was)

2)They are both in love with a coworker. Caskett and Densi. The difference is that Castle and Beckett are already dating. So, NCIS:LA producers, I am looking at you! Let's get Kensi and Deeks together before we have another Tiva on our hands. The "Moonlighting Curse" does not exist, folks. Castle put their main leads together and the show is still working wonderfully.

3)They both behave very silly at times and have a weird sense of humor. Castle is often portrayed as being like a little boy with his obsession with gadgets and playing around and Deeks has been known to play horrible music to have the car to himself.

4)They have both saved their female coworker whom they are in love with several times and acted very heroically. I am mentioning specifically when Deeks saved Kensi from a bomb in season 2 and when Castle did the same in season 3 with Beckett.

5)Their female coworker freaks out when they are not around and fear for their safety as they are in love with them but dare not admit it. There is this constant tug-o-war going on between them.

6)They both have communication difficulties with their female partner and annoy them very much. The first seasons of Castle where spent on him annoying Beckett and Deeks has been doing the same relentlessly as well. And they are afraid to share their true feelings with the person they are in love with but instead dance a jig around the issue.

Castle has manned up, it is your turn now Deeks!

7)They both have endless stream of girlfriends but are unable to settle down because they are waiting for the one and only coworker to see what is right in front of them. Castle was married three times and regularly had a new lady upon his arm. Deeks seems to have had an endless stream of girlfriends throughout the series without ever settling down.

8)They are both very silly and people do not take them seriously all the time but when the pressure hits they are more than capable of finishing the task and doing their best. Sam does not take Deeks seriously like ever and Captain Gates still doubts Castle. But they are proving themselves bit by bit.

9)They are both very much monolingual. Deeks has this strange obsession with German and has been shown to speak a bit of Spanish but generally he seems to be very monolingual. He didn't even understand Kensi's very simple French. Castle has never been shown speaking another language and truthfully, I doubt he's able to.

10)Despite their flaws,they are both shown to have a strong moral compass and approach their work with integrity and care

11)Deeks is a cop, working with a federal authority. Castle is a writer, working with the police. Each is doing something outside of his work experience.

Deeks and Castle are two wonderful characters in my opinion and I enjoy them both very much. But I am starting to think that the NCIS:LA producers are working closely with the Castle producers on their duos Caskett and Densi. Making sure they both got the right blend of humor and drama, infuriating behavior and chemistry that keeps the viewers coming back.

Because, having 4 characters being that much alike as Kensi, Deeks, Castle and Beckett are is just crazy.

And yes, I do love conspiracy theories :)

Conspiracy theory 101 - Densi vs. Caskett

It is no secret that I am a shipper. I ship couples on all my favorite shows except Criminal Minds. It is ne of those little delights that comes along with enjoying a show, watching the journey the characters take and getting caught in it and hoping that one day they will end up together. Castle and NCIS:LA have provided the most fun in this regard.

Castle is pretty much the perfect show for a shipper. 4 seasons were spent on getting those characters together and it was great fun to be involved in that ride and the ups and downs of it. When episode 4x24 finally came and these two started dating, it was awesome. It was a perfect ending to an incredible season. And watching these two functioning as a couple in season 5 has been nothing short of wonderful and I have enjoyed immensely the ride they've been on. And I am very happy they got together and how well the show functions exploring their dynamic and relationship. And there is also Esplanie whom I take equal delight in watching as a couple (or 'booty call partners' as the actress Tamala Jones has termed it).  Jenny and Ryan (interestingly the actors are married in real-life) are equally adorable to watch. Castle is perfect when it comes to couples.

Then there enters into the picture Kensi and Deeks. Otherwise known as two of the most exasperating characters ever to enter the TV screen (aside from Tony and Ziva) that are so clearly meant to be together but dance a wild jig around the issue. It is fun to follow their journey and the twists and turns it takes and how the characters continue to exasperate and frustrate each other and are yet drawn to each other. But unlike Castle, these two have still to yet start dating. There has been some progress throughout the seasons but it seems like this will take a while to happen. I just hope it won't turn into another Tiva.

But what I find interesting is the fact how eerily alike these two couples are to each other. It is pretty much the same story, the same dynamic, the same journey with only minute variations.

1. The first kiss in each case was undercover

2. The male in each case frustrates the heck out of the female for the first episodes and yet, they are drawn to them and it later develops into a symbiotic rlationship where they cannot live without each other.

3. They tease each other endlessly and make fun of each other

4. They both use the same lines. I have heard the line: "You look cute when you're angry" in both shows several times which makes me questions whether the NCIS:LA producers watch Castle to pick up tips on dialogue as the line appeared earlier on Castle. Many times the dialogue between the characters is quite similar which asks the interesting question of where the writers get their sources from.

5. It takes them forever to admit their feelings to each other. Castle has reached that stage but it did dance a jig for a long time. NCIS:LA is still dancing that wild jig although there was some progression in season 4 (sunshine and gun powder anyone, not to mention Kensi making Deeks promise he will not die on the job and the phenomenally strange kiss?)

6. Both men are interested in cryogenics. Castle covered this issue in an episode once and Rick was very interested in it. Deeks has discussed being cryogenically frozen or embalmed with Kensi several times (my favorite conversation between them). That is a very random thing for them to have in common if you ask me!

7. Both female characters are unable to commit to a man and have commitment/abandonment issues. Beckett has been through at least 2 boyfriends and that has never worked out because Castle is always there. Kensi has never been seen being involved in a relationship, had an epically failed relationship with a marine, has mentioned her inability to commit because men always end up leaving her and she has Deeks waiting in the sidelines.

8. Both Kensi and Beckett have a murdered parent. Kensi, a murdered father and Beckett and murdered mother and it each case it hangs over them like a shadow and affect all their decisions. And their partner helps them work through it

9. Deeks and Castle both have father issues in varying degrees which affects them.

10. They have all saved each other's lives several times in difficult and dangerous situations that are too many to count. And they display great trust in each other.

11. A lot of people around them notice that they are romantically interested in each other and yet they never admit to it and pretend it is not true. This is true in the cases of both episodes.

12. They both use nicknames for each other. Beckett has called Castle "Kitten"several times to his chagrin. And Deeks uses a whole host of nicknames for Kensi, the most adorable one in my opinion being "Kensalina" since the name 'lina' is used here in Scandinavia in some places as a diminutive form attached to female names to make them sound more adorable.

13. Kensi and Beckett both have in office female friends, more specifically Nell and Lanie. And they both have female, matriarch bosses; Hetty and Gates. And they are in the team dynamic 1 female for every 3 males. The buildup is starting to sound like a math formula!

14. There is another in-office romance as well. Esplanie and Neric. Both adorable 'couples' and exasperating as well.

This similiarity between the couples and the individuals is too much not to notice. I mean, seriously!!

This eerie similarity has led me to three conspiracy conclusions.

A)This wild jig, exasperating couple is a well known gimmick used on TV
B)The male and female characters are a well known formula as well. I have already scrolled through the many similarities between Beckett and Kensi and I will one day cover the many similarities between Deeks and Castle. Because they really are alike as characters.
C)The NCIS:LA producers either worked with the Castle producers on designing the characters in clandestine meetings or the NCIS:LA producers watched Castle and decided that they dug the dynamic and decided to use it as well.  And that would involve clandestine meetings as well with the Castle folks. As you can tell, I love the word 'clandestine' to bits. The actors may have been involved as well in designing this (it is not like L.A.'s acting world is all that big.....(please note intended sarcasm))

Stay tuned for what I will uncover next in my quest of conspiracy theories relating to TV shows! Because I am a conspiracy theorist lover. And next up is Castle vs. Deeks!

To quote my favorite squintern of all times Hodgins: "What you call being a conspiracy theorist, I call being well informed".

Similarities between the female leads on NCIS,NCIS:Los Angeles and Castle

I was idly thinking the female leads on my favourite shows while cleaning the kitchen (tis´true) and I realized with a jolt just how much they have in common as characters. It´s honestly quite amazing how much alike they are. And I provide examples of how Kensi Blye, Ziva David and Kate Beckett are strikingly similar characters.

1 - They all speak multiple languages and use their language talents frequently.
Ziva has been showing a fluent command of at least 5 languages and uses her knowledge frequently. She has used Arabic (I expect Persian), English, Hebrew, French and Spanish.

Kensi Blye has fluent command of 4 languages as well as lip readinng. She has been shown speaking French, Spanish and Portuguese as well as understanding lip reading.

Kate Beckett is fluent in Russian and has displayed her knack of knowing Russian in several episodes.

And the interesting thing is that there is a reason for this, the actresses all speak multiple languages so they are simply using their linguistic ability.

2 - They all have serious martial arts skills/fighting skills/extensive battle training so it´s not unusual to see them pulling off some kick ass moves.

It´s a well known fact that Ziva was trained by Mossad and was in the Israeli army (it´compulsory for all Israeli people to enroll in the army) so she has some highly developed skills which are frequently shown.

Kensi Blye is a trained agent and is regularly shown pulling some crazy battle moves and she seems to attack people on a regular basis, more often than Ziva at least.

Kate has been shown doing some pretty heavy fighting herself, although not as much as the others.

It´s obvious that these are women that can take care of themselves and fight. There is no 'damsel in distress' syndrome going on which is a refreshing twist.

3 - They are all the only female on a team of 4 people. It´s always 3 males and 1 female in every team.

NCIS - DiNozzo, McGee, Gibbs, Ziva
NCIS:Los Angeles - Hanna,Callen, Deeks, Kensi
Castle - Esposito, Castle, Ryan, Kate

It´s interesting that the gender makeup remains so consistent on these shows. And on these shows females are always in minority, except Castle.

4 - They all have a strong, romantic/borderline romantic, trustful and teasing relationship with one male on their team that they partner with

On Castle it was obvious from the start that Beckett and Castle would end up together and from the start their relationship was strong and developing. I love that they are dating and having a relationship and it´s been a treat to watch their relationship develope over their series

On NCIS it´s been Ziva and Tony from the start. They have a great relationship filled with humour and love. They have been through some extreme highs and lowes but it´s wonderful how the writers have developed and complicated their relationship throughout the series. They are one of the better pairs on TV today. And their humour together is wonderful although I mostly appreciate the trust which they display towards each other.

ON NCIS:Los Angels it´s Kensi and Deeks. These two have possibly the funniest relationship on TV and their humour and constant bantering always has me laughing. They manage to make anything funny and their undercover work is always a treat to watch. Not to mention that the developement in their relationship has been consistent and realistic. And of course, there is a romantic connection going on....

5 - They all have parental trouble and a difficult past

Kate lost her mother, whom was murdered when she was in college and that took over her life and has been driving force in her world since then. Her father drank for a time but it´s evident that currently she has a good relationship with him. But her mother´s murder is a big part of her and affects everything in her life.

Kensi´s father died when she was 15 and before that she stopped talking to her mother. When her father died she lived on the streets for a year (a part of her history I hope they will explore in more detail) and she spent much of her life trying to find out  what happened to her father. And just like with Kate, the death of a parent had a monumental effect on her life and changed who she was. And to add she didn´t talk to her mother for years. It´s not been established what happened to her after she got off the street but I expect that it´ll be some day. My guess is that she moved in with relatives that helped her.

Ziva has the biggest father trouble of all. She lost her mother at a young age and no doubts misses her. But her relationship with her father is complicated and filled with frustration. As the director of Mossad he was never there for her when she was young, turned into a dangerous Mossad agent and then left her in Somalia to die. Ziva´s father troubles are monumental and he has just been murdered. So her parental trouble are a big factor of her life.

6 - They are all smart and well read

Kate has been shown having a keen and smart mind and being extremely well read.
Ziva is obviously a language master and has likewise displayed he knowledge frequently.
Kensi has also been seen spouting off random interesting facts and teching people things and referencing literature.

7 - They all live alone (or lived) and are shown not being the best at relationships

Ziva has dated several times but her relationships always end badly and she always seems to end up with crooked agents. Michael Rivkin was a traitor and was killed. Cruz was also a dirty agent and used Ziva for his own agenda. And since then she´s been solo and does not seem too keen on meeting a man.

Kate has had a string of bad relationships ever since Castle began. Not with bad men but it does complicate things to have Castle around and her relationships never seemed happy. But finally she is with Castle and enjyoing things.

Kensi has been single since the series began, although she has spoken of having been engaged to a Marine with PTSD that left her. And since all men she gets close with (except her work colleagues) end up leaving her, she´s not the best at relationships. And she herself has admitted that.

And here ends my analysis. It´s pretty striking just how similar these characters are but they are at the same time unique. They are all a twist of the same material. Some would call this stereotype, the solo/beautiful/difficult past/kickass fighting skills/good brains mix in a female on a crime TV show but I disgress. There are obvious similarities and downsides to this, such as the fact that none of these characters is displayed as being in the role of wife and a mother as well as being a good agent. As if it´s not possible for a woman to have both an unusual and strong role as well as a traditional one. But thank goodness we have JJ on Criminal Minds to balance the image. It´s refreshing and positive to see women being portrayed as being strong and capable of holding their own.

And of course - the actressed playing all those characters are all absolutely excellent and give each character a uniqueness that is good.



 

Sexualising TV characters

One of the things I´ve noticed about my favorite TV shows is the fact that all the female leads are stunning. . Most of the time, when in character, those actresses look absolutely gorgeous and natural. The make-up is not too much and the clothes are generally nice (I seriously want Kensi´s wardrobe in NCIS:LA!). They just look natural, stunning of course but still natural.

But sometimes the shows overstep some boundaries in my opinion when it comes to sexualising those characters. Yes, they are beautiful but I see absolutely no need to strip their clothes off and have entire scenes with the characters in nothing but their underwear/swimsuits/ a towel.

I can name several instances on NCIS:LA. In one episode Kensi did a surveilance on a beach dressed in nothing but her bikini, a simple wrap and a beach hat. Yet, she still ran around with a gun, intimidated and shot people and kicked ass.
In another episode she stripped off all her clothes expect her underwear in order to fit through a small hole.
And I can´t count all the times she has gone undercover as a "model" or someone that´s supposed to be stunningly sexy. It seems that everytime Kensi goes undercover it´s essential that there´s a "sexy" angle to her work. And I don´t see the reason why.

I have come to highly enjoy the character of Kensi. She has become much more realistic and nuanced since the 1st season and now has a nice feel to her. When I watch NCIS:LA I do it because of the charaters and their interactions. I enjoy Kensi´s character so much that I see no need to "sexualise" her in order to make her appealing. She stands on firm ground already as a well-rounded and nuanced character with a good backstory, excellent humor and some kick-ass skills. I see no need to strip her off her clothes when the charaters and the actor playing her are both so good.

I don´t need Kensi to be sexy to enjoy and appreciate her character and I hope most fans of the shows agree with me. I enjoy the character because of her personality and great wit, not because of her looks or her "sexyness".

And to be clear. I appreciate Ruah´s work as an actress and I higly enjoy her performance on NCIS:LA.