|
Post by nas on Sept 15, 2021 19:42:07 GMT
that’s a really stupid question! 😖 why create drama or tension where there is none!?
there isn’t a bone in McGee’s body that would hesitate to welcome back his “father”, mentor, illustrious leader, etc., etc., etc. with open arms!
there is nothing else to say on that subject!
nas
|
|
|
Post by jessielee on Sept 16, 2021 0:09:55 GMT
NCIS Season 19: Gibbs Is Front and Center in Poster Touting Monday MoveLeroy Jethro Gibbs is right where he oughta be, front and center (and in the diner!), in the key art poster for NCIS Season 19. The poster features series frontman Mark Harmon, along with Wilmer Valderrama, Sean Murray, new series regular Katrina Law, Rocky Carroll, new series regular Gary Cole, Diona Reasonover, Brian Dietzen and David McCallum. It also touts the CBS procedural’s first time slot change ever, from Tuesday to Monday (where it will air at 9/8c, leading into the freshman offshoot NCIS: Hawai’i). TVLine asked CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl about any “message” the poster might be sending, by prominently featuring Harmon in the wake of reports that the series vet might have a reduced presence this season. “We’re highlighting our cast in an interesting and fun and provocative way,” he answered. “That’s all it’s trying to say. " Check out the full poster below, then read on for more. In the Season 19 premiere, airing Monday, Sept. 20 and titled “Blood in the Water,” as the NCIS team searches for Gibbs after wreckage from his boat is discovered, they find out he was tracking a serial killer with Marcie Warren (played by Pam Dawber), the journalist who wrote an exposé on him. Having seen Gibbs swim away from the fiery explosion of his newly finished boat at the close of the Season 18 finale, “We know he’s not dead right there, and we know he’s able to swim well enough,” showrunner Steven D. Binder noted to TVLine. “All things are still possible with Gibbs.”
Binder also said that, with the arc about Gibbs’ suspension winding down in some fashion, and having handled the exits of two characters (Jack and Ellie), TV’s most watched drama will soon return to its familiar formula. “One of the things we said to ourselves was let’s get back to some interesting cases without any overarching arcs,” Binder shared. “I think it’s time for us to sort of regroup and get back to telling good mysteries of the week with interesting characters, interesting stories and emotional hooks, and a satisfying ending. " tvline.com/2021/09/13/ncis-season-19-poster-mark-harmon-gary-cole-katrina-law/
|
|
|
Post by BobNOTinValencia on Sept 17, 2021 18:31:34 GMT
"Having seen Gibbs swim away from the fiery explosion of his newly finished boat at the close of the Season 18 finale, “We know he’s not dead right there, and we know he’s able to swim well enough,” showrunner Steven D. Binder noted to TVLine. “All things are still possible with Gibbs.”"
This is where I think they screwed the pooch on a good cliffhanger. fading to black after showing gibbs floating motionless in the water for several seconds would have been MUCH more impactful, and make more people want to tune in (at least more of those that don't follow contract signings) and see if and how Gibbs survived, and what happens from there... Then, the first shot this season would be the boat pieces being laid out, and a call about a body being fouond - then fade to opening credits...
|
|
|
Post by llyan on Sept 18, 2021 19:48:31 GMT
NCIS Boss Talks Gibbs' Fate, Cast Changes and Christening Monday Time Slot With a Return to 'What Works' By Matt Webb Mitovich / September 18 2021, 11:00 AM PDT Although much has changed for NCIS as the CBS mainstay enters its 19th season, the plan is to give faithful fans the familiar show they have long known and loved. Among the on- and off-screen shifts: Two characters were written out last spring, a pair of series regulars have been added for fall, Gibbs’ suspension took a deadly turn when he and his new boat went boom…. And on top of all of that, TV’s most watched drama has been handed its first time slot change ever, moving from Tuesday’s leadoff spot to Mondays at 9/8c (beginning Sept. 20). TVLine spoke with showrunner Steven D. Binder about navigating this transition, bringing the big orange room’s “band back together,” and inviting fans to rediscover a familiar favorite when they now tune in on Monday nights. (Tiny bits of this Q&A have previously appeared in TVLine scoop and Fall Preview columns.) TVLINE | We said goodbye last season to Jack (played by Maria Bello) and to Bishop (Emily Wickersham). You have since added Katrina Law full time, as well as Gary Cole, and we’re reportedly getting a bit less Mark Harmon. How does this season rank as far as the challenge of transitioning?The biggest transitions we’ve had to face were last season — trying to find a fitting end to the Jack Sloane character and then a fitting end to the Emily Bishop character. Now, Katrina’s here, so we’re getting a chance to get to know [Agent Jessica Knight], but as you might imagine, there’s some cleanup work we have to do based on the season finale that takes precedence over the more subtle character moments. Gibbs blew up in his boat, so we’re not going to open up with light banter in the squad room. TVLINE | How much time has lapsed since Gibbs went boom?We’re going to go fairly real time. We decided it’s too interesting of a moment to skip ahead of unless you’ve got a really good reason to do that, and we didn’t. TVLINE | As I noted after the finale, Gibbs swam away on his own volition after “playing dead” for what seemed to be a purposeful amount of time. Did I read that right?Yeah. We shot a lot of different things for that and there were a lot of different ways to cut it, and what we left with was something that we felt in many ways left all possibilities open. You see someone swimming away with purpose but he was pretty badly injured. Just speaking from experience, I got nailed by a car when I was 10, and if asked me how I was doing, I’d tell you I’m fine, and I wasn’t fine. So, all things are still possible with Gibbs. He’s not dead and we know he’s able to swim well enough to do that broad stroke we saw, but any number of levels of injury were possible for him at that point. TVLINE | Is there anything else you can share about what Gibbs is up to when Season 19 opens?Well, he’d been hunting down a serial killer, with a reporter (Marcie, played by Pam Dawber) who doesn’t really necessarily have the tools to deal with a serial killer. And he’s been cut off from his team, from that portion of his world. In the beginning episodes, that’s going to change. We’re going to “bring the band back together” to some degree so they can do what we have liked watching for 20 years, which is these people solving crimes together. TVLINE | It was made very clear that Gary Cole’s character, FBI Special Agent Alden Park, is not “replacing” Gibbs. But is he there to fill a void as “the well-seasoned law enforcement agent”?This is something I’d been saying we should do for a very long time, and when I took over as showrunner it was like, “We’re going to do this” — and then we just didn’t for a little while. I have been saying that we need to populate more characters in this show, in the vein of Joe Spano who plays Fornell, Muse Watson who plays Mike Franks…. The way you get those people who are really fantastic characters is you bring people in and you try them out and you see how it goes. That was what initially motivated [the casting of] Katrina [Law]. With Gary Cole, you can almost imagine [that Agent Park] may be too close to Fornell in a lot of ways — he’s from the FBI, he’s in the same demo — but that was the initial impetus for bringing in characters. And we’re trying to do that this season with a little more forcefulness, bringing in people in the building who you haven’t necessarily seen but you know have been there doing stuff. And if something clicks, we’re like “OK, let’s bring that person back.” TVLINE | But now some fans are worried that we won’t see Fornell again.I can tell you that we will be seeing Fornell for as long as Joe Spano would like to be on the show. He’s just fantastic. We have him at least in one [Season 19 episode] and possibly more. Possibly more. TVLINE | What do you want to say about Mark Harmon’s reportedly reduced presence as Gibbs this season?I’d say that a lot of things are reported on the show that aren’t necessarily true. We are focusing right now on telling the best stories we can with the characters we have, and Gibbs is a part of that world, and I think we’re doing a pretty good job with that. It’s a little more complicated under the COVID regulations we’re under again, but one of things that we felt was missing in the last half of last season was that we had broken our band up and we wanted to get them back together. That’s really what we’re focusing on now. TVLINE | I’m surprised to hear you say that, because it sounds like Gibbs might become some form of team leader again.I will tell you that it’s not necessarily in a form or shape you might have expected. It’s not typical, but it will be something that is ultimately really enjoyed. TVLINE | What’s the aftermath of Bishop abruptly peacing out on Nick and us?It would be a really sad commentary on the Nick Torres character for her to just disappear like that and have it not affect him in some way. It could affect you in a lot of ways — you can be generally affected, you could be walking around telling everyone you’re fine and clearly you’re not…. But Nick Torres is tough exterior, soft interior, and we get a look at that soft interior. TVLINE | Can you clarify what Ellie meant by when she said to Nick, “I didn’t mean for us to happen”? Was that not necessarily their first kiss?I think there have been hints dropped along the ways that that was not their first kiss. And you will get some more hints of the extent of their relationship. Normal people might leave toothbrushes at the other one’s house, but Nick Torres might do things a little differently! You’ll get more clarification on exactly how far that relationship might have gone, although, as you could guess, when consenting boy adult meets consenting girl adult, and they like each other, things happen.
TVLINE | Once you’re done with the early-season “cleanup work,” will NCIS return to a typical Case of the Week format?That’s the other thing we talked a lot about, and I will tell you that after we put some of these things to bed that we have been running with for a while, one of the things we said to ourselves was, “Let’s get back to some interesting cases without any overarching arcs.” Out of 400-plus episodes, 360 of them are described that way, but we’ve been not doing that for a while, so I think it’s time for us to sort of regroup and get back to telling good mysteries of the week with interesting characters, interesting stories, emotional hooks, and a satisfying ending. TVLINE | Was going back to that trusted formula especially important with a brand-new time slot? So that if and when people do find you, they’re getting something familiar?That could be a reason we would give, and it’s great that it worked out that way. As a writer working with writers, some of us are eager to get back to doing the things that we know. When we get off brand, that’s not what our training is in. Sometimes you get the more interesting episodes that way, because people get pushed past their comfort zones, but I think we’re all feeling it, too, that want to go back to what works. It’s a new time slot, so let’s not make everything new right now. TVLINE | Any germ of an idea yet for doing a crossover with NCIS: Hawai’i at some point, to bridge the two shows on Monday night?You know, I thought we left some good stuff on the table by not doing more of those in the past. I would love to do something like that, especially if I wrote it and got to fly to Hawaii while it was shot! TVLINE | Hey, only if I in turn get to do a set visit.[Laughs] Exactly. We haven’t discussed it yet, but I’ve worked with and known [NCIS: Hawai’i co-showrunner/former NCIS co-EP] Chris Silber for a really long time, so that always makes those sorts of things easier. TVLINE | Lastly, is there any contingency plan in your back pocket in case someone decides that this is NCIS‘ farewell season?There’s really a couple possibilities here. One is that we get cancelled tomorrow and then there’s nothing to be “contingent” about. The other option is that Gibbs is either solving cases in his 90s, or he gets a gold watch and retires. Neither of those things sound interesting to me, but at some point in time when that happens, if we find ourselves still on the air and people are thinking of retiring, you have to think about something befitting that character — and a gold watch ain’t it. But we’re not really thinking too hard at this moment about such things. TVLINE | A handful of fans have been very doom-and-gloom, bleating “they’re putting the show out to pasture!” with a time slot change and all. I’m like, it’s TV’s most watched drama; it’s not going to lose its entire audience because of a time slot change.That’s our reaction, too. When a show is on the bubble and the time slot changes, it’s usually to Sunday at 10 pm, and that’s not what we got. We got Monday, an hour later. TVLINE | And you’re leading out of two solid sitcoms, and teeing up a buzzy new drama.That’s right. We’re always the one leading in for everybody else, so I’m somewhat excited to be the show that gets a lead-in! TVLINE | It’s pretty crazy, man. Nineteen years without a time slot change.Yeah. Like you said, it’s a No. 1 one show, plus it’s 2021, not 1921. People watch TV differently now. As someone said to me, “Oh, it’s just going to be available a night earlier?” These days it’s not all about when a show drops. But you can watch it when it drops, and now it will be available to watch a night earlier, that’s how they thought of it. tvline.com/2021/09/18/ncis-season-19-preview-gibbs-alive-new-time-slot/
|
|
|
Post by usmcbrat on Dec 16, 2021 16:41:04 GMT
NCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC SeriesNCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC Series
By Matt Webb Mitovich / December 14 2021, 9:47 AM PST
The project, which is in development at Disney Branded Television, is described as a reimagining of the Zorro series that starred Guy Williams and aired from 1957-59, and spawned a quartet of Walt Disney anthology specials.
“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero,” Valderrama, who will also executive-produce the project, said in a statement. “As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary [Marsh of Disney General Entertainment] and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”
Valderrama is currently in his sixth season as Special Agent Nick Torres on CBS’ NCIS. TVLine has made multiple requests for comment on whether the actor would juggle both series, if Zorro moves forward.
Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis said in a statement, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro.
“Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience,” Davis added, “and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”I would love to watch this as I am a huge Wilmer fan - but my guess it will be on Disney+, which we don't subscribe to. It also makes me wonder if this is Wlmer's last year on NCIS?
|
|
|
Post by kate06460 on Dec 16, 2021 19:10:46 GMT
NCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC SeriesNCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC Series
By Matt Webb Mitovich / December 14 2021, 9:47 AM PST
The project, which is in development at Disney Branded Television, is described as a reimagining of the Zorro series that starred Guy Williams and aired from 1957-59, and spawned a quartet of Walt Disney anthology specials.
“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero,” Valderrama, who will also executive-produce the project, said in a statement. “As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary [Marsh of Disney General Entertainment] and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”
Valderrama is currently in his sixth season as Special Agent Nick Torres on CBS’ NCIS. TVLine has made multiple requests for comment on whether the actor would juggle both series, if Zorro moves forward.
Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis said in a statement, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro.
“Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience,” Davis added, “and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”I would love to watch this as I am a huge Wilmer fan - but my guess it will be on Disney+, which we don't subscribe to. It also makes me wonder if this is Wlmer's last year on NCIS? Maybe they can shoot around his schedule. There are a number of actors who were on two different shows Richard Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks come to mind.
|
|
|
Post by verdun on Dec 16, 2021 20:13:51 GMT
"Contemporary characters"? I thought the Zorro universe existed in the first half of the 19th Century. So, are we "contemporary" to 1840 or to 2020? Those are very different periods.
|
|
|
Post by Hari Seldon on Dec 17, 2021 4:35:08 GMT
NCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC SeriesNCIS' Wilmer Valderrama to Star as Zorro in Update of 1950s ABC Series
By Matt Webb Mitovich / December 14 2021, 9:47 AM PST
The project, which is in development at Disney Branded Television, is described as a reimagining of the Zorro series that starred Guy Williams and aired from 1957-59, and spawned a quartet of Walt Disney anthology specials.
“Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero,” Valderrama, who will also executive-produce the project, said in a statement. “As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility for the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary [Marsh of Disney General Entertainment] and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true.”
Valderrama is currently in his sixth season as Special Agent Nick Torres on CBS’ NCIS. TVLine has made multiple requests for comment on whether the actor would juggle both series, if Zorro moves forward.
Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis said in a statement, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a compelling period piece, set in Pueblo de Los Angeles but told in a very modern telenovela style — with richly drawn contemporary characters and relationships set against the action, drama, suspense, and humor of the original, iconic Zorro.
“Wilmer shares our commitment to reflect the interesting and rich diversity of the human experience,” Davis added, “and we look forward to delivering a culturally relevant and entertaining story with definitional characters that will connect with our viewers for generations to come.”I would love to watch this as I am a huge Wilmer fan - but my guess it will be on Disney+, which we don't subscribe to. It also makes me wonder if this is Wlmer's last year on NCIS? Maybe they can shoot around his schedule. There are a number of actors who were on two different shows Richard Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks come to mind. Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks (may as well add Jennifer Darling) were playing the same character in both shows and I'm pretty sure using the same sets. A better example would probably be Heather Locklear doing Dynasty and TJ Hooker at the same time from 82-86.
|
|
|
Post by kate06460 on Dec 17, 2021 5:04:09 GMT
Maybe they can shoot around his schedule. There are a number of actors who were on two different shows Richard Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks come to mind. Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks (may as well add Jennifer Darling) were playing the same character in both shows and I'm pretty sure using the same sets. A better example would probably be Heather Locklear doing Dynasty and TJ Hooker at the same time from 82-86.That is a much better example...
|
|
|
Post by pdsmith777 on Dec 17, 2021 13:49:04 GMT
"Contemporary characters"? I thought the Zorro universe existed in the first half of the 19th Century. So, are we "contemporary" to 1840 or to 2020? Those are very different periods. It means it will be Politically Correct aimed at a diverse and "woke" audience.
|
|
|
Post by verdun on Dec 18, 2021 0:50:48 GMT
"Contemporary characters"? I thought the Zorro universe existed in the first half of the 19th Century. So, are we "contemporary" to 1840 or to 2020? Those are very different periods. It means it will be Politically Correct aimed at a diverse and "woke" audience.To quote some obscure kid in 1920, "Say it ain't so, Joe."
|
|
|
Post by nas on Dec 19, 2021 21:03:12 GMT
in spite of Ayo Davis' flowery description of Disney's reboot of "Z", I find the idea totally bizarre...
I wonder: are they going to have WV fighting crime, cruising around el Pueblo de Los Angeles in his salvaged muscle car, wearing a mask?
that image is just too funny!
"compelling period piece"?! seriously? are they planning to play it straight? it sounds more like it's going to be a comedy...
nas
|
|
|
Post by llyan on Feb 16, 2022 0:53:16 GMT
Not mothership related but thought I'd post this here:
SEAL Team Movie Set at Paramount+ — Plus, NCIS: Sydney on the Horizon? By Matt Webb Mitovich / February 15 2022, 2:20 PM PST Paramount+ is looking to deploy a standalone SEAL Team movie, while an Australia-based NCIS series is heading for — at the very least — the Land Down Under.Both projects were announced on Tuesday at the ViacomCBS Investor Day event, by George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS and Chief Content Officer for news and sports at Paramount+. Aiming to “expand the storytelling universe for the hit Paramount+ drama SEAL Team,” the standalone movie will come from the series’ creative team of star/executive producer David Boreanaz, executive producer Christopher Chulack and showrunner Spencer Hudnut. No storyline details or confirmed cast were announced. SEAL Team was recently renewed for a sixth season, following a finale that offered up an odd amount of closure, only then to blow up Bravo Team’s collective world. The venerable NCIS franchise is also expanding with NCIS: Sydney, an international edition that is being developed for for Paramount+ Australia and Network 10 (but has the potential to play on other Paramount+ platforms around the world, TVLine hears).
On track for a 2023 premiere, NCIS: Sydney will feature local stories with Aussie actors and producers and be filmed in one of the world’s most scenic harbor cities. NCIS: Los Angeles creator (and Australian!) Shane Brennan is attached to the project.
“These two projects represent two new ways we are expanding our studio footprint while supporting the company’s mission to drive streaming,” Cheeks said in a statement. “We have the producing roster, production infrastructure and deep library to be creative and nimble with franchises and other IP for both domestic and international audiences.” tvline.com/2022/02/15/seal-team-movie-paramount-plus-ncis-sydney-australia/
|
|
|
Post by jessielee on Feb 16, 2022 9:54:49 GMT
It would have made more sense for an international series to choose Italy or Spain. Rota, Spain was already mentioned several times in the past, even though Rota is only a subordinate office. The main Europe-Africa office is in Naples, Italy.
|
|
|
Post by llyan on Feb 25, 2022 0:23:37 GMT
Parent, Trapped: NCIS' Brian Dietzen Talks About Writing Father/Daughter Drama, Hints at 'Big Events' to Come By Matt Webb Mitovich / February 24 2022, 4:11 PM PST
This Monday on NCIS, “Take Your Child to Work Day” takes a terrible twist when exposure to a biotoxin puts a literal barrier between Jimmy Palmer and his daughter Victoria.
Brian Dietzen –Jimmy’s longtime portrayer and the co-writer of the episode airing this Monday at 9/8c — shared with TVLine a preview of Jimmy’s toxic quarantine crisis, Victoria’s fear of losing a second parent, and more.
BRIAN DIETZEN | How are you, man? It’s been a long time.
TVLINE | I know. I think the last time we spoke, Jimmy was stuck out on a ledge. Yeah! That was [filmed in] 2016, I remember, because we did that show and then that week the Cubs won the World Series. I’m a huge Cubs fan, so I was like, “What a great week I’m having!”
TVLINE | It sounds like we’re not bringing young Victoria Palmer (played by Elle Graper) back under the best of circumstances…. No, no…. You know what? I take that back. We’re bringing her back because she’s going to come to work with her dad for a day! And so, the circumstances under which she comes back are not all that awful. But the things that happen afterwards, as they wont to do in NCIS universe, get a little trickier than was initially proposed.
TVLINE | What all happens? Jimmy and Kasie (Diona Reasonover) get exposed to some sort of biotoxin…? As you know, Kasie and Jimmy examine all the evidence and bodies and whatnot found at crime scenes. And as they do that this episode, they are exposed and it’s basically left to their team to help them out of this situation. There’s really no way of getting clean of this thing, and that created an awesome opportunity for us to bring back the amazing Meredith Eaton, who in the past has played Carol Wilson, a famous [CDC] epidemiologist. She was not available to come play with us at all for the last five years or six years [because of MacGyver], but so now she is and we are more than happy to have her back. She’s so damn talented and such a good person.
TVLINE | Of course, no one on NCIS is ever really left unable to do anything. What do Jimmy and Kasie manage to accomplish towards their own cause? Well, locked inside of the forensic laboratory you have two people that are fairly smart and they’re surrounded by all of these different test tubes and chemicals and whatnot, so you can imagine they’re trying to put together any sort of concoction or cure that they can. Whether or not that’s successful will remain to be seen, but they’re trying to save their own bacon. And in the meantime, Jimmy’s daughter is looking on and hoping that she doesn’t lose two parents in the course of a year-and-a-half.
TVLINE | Speaking of Breena (played in the past by Michelle Pierce), are we going to hear Jimmy speak of losing his wife in a way that he hasn’t quite done so during the past year? I think that it’s natural when you hit a near-death — spoiler: I’m still doing the show — that you start thinking about people who have gone before. He’s left with his daughter who means more to him than anything, especially since it’s just the two of them, so Breena definitely does play into that quite a bit.
She was lost to COVID and we didn’t see her [during that ordeal], so there’s definitely going to be a lot coming up for Jimmy, and a lot of it’s going to be going in his subconscious. And a lot that he works out and talks about with his daughter, and with Kasie as well. I’m glad you brought that up because it’s a big, important thing for Jimmy. So many people have lost friends, loved ones to this awful pandemic, and we did this huge time jump in the middle of our [previous] season, and instead of having some teary-eyed bedside goodbye, which no one was able to do at the time [because of COVID measures], they said, “We’ll just have him say goodbye months and months afterwards,” which was hard. Oh my gosh, that’s a difficult thing.
TVLINE | What sort of tricks does Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) have up his sleeve to keep Victoria’s mind off of the prospect of losing another parent? Honestly, that’s like one of my favorite parts of the whole show, the fact that Wilmer just kind of knocks it out of the park in this episode. It’s funny, because he was like, “Damn, I didn’t feel like I was doing like a whole hell of a lot.” But I had just sat in on our cut, so I said, “No, your presence there of just being this kind of uncle figure to her and holding her hand through this whole thing, distracting her, keeping her mind at ease, is so important.” Wil just does an amazing job at it, with his presence within it. There are a couple of moments that definitely got me, you know? Where I’m thinking, “Wow. I co-wrote this thing and you’re still getting me, man. That’s great.”
TVLINE | The title of this episode is “The Helpers.” Is that a reference to the famous Mister Rogers quote? It is, yes. But I won’t say anything beyond that. But this is definitely something that Jimmy has wanted to do, look towards people who are going to help one another.
TVLINE | As the co-writer of this episode (with executive producer Scott Williams), who would you say it most gets a chance to shed light on? Honestly, this is going to sound like such a cop-out, so I apologize in advance. I already mentioned Torres, because in the last episode he was in the middle of an underground fighting ring and he has some real demons about, “Do I have a family anymore?” With the departure of his biological father, as well as his work father/mentor in Gibbs, and of course losing Ellie Bishop to the CIA operation, he is basically like, “What the hell? Am I going to be alone constantly?” So, there is a next step in his character’s journey, taking care of Victoria, which is fantastic.
Also, Katrina Law’s character, Agent Knight, we could see some stuff out of her that we haven’t seen before. She’s got some new doors open, which is really, really fun. There’s one scene in particular, and you’ll know when you see it, where you just go, “Oh, man that kicks ass. That’s really cool.”
And then I’ve got to say, Diona Reasonover is fantastic with her performance in this. I always love having scenes with Diona; she’s one of my closest friends on and off the set, and I was really glad that she was able to shine in this. And Sean Murray’s McGee also gets to step up and take charge in a moment when he needs to. And Parker (Gary Cole), we get to see him operate with a little defensiveness of his team and get a bit pissed off.
Obviously, I’m kind of naming off all the characters, but when Scott [Williams] and I sat down to write this, we thought to ourselves out loud, “This easily could become just about two people who are in trouble, but our series has always been about this team and how it supports one another.” One of our producers once said, “You know, our show’s not ripped from the headlines, it’s ripped the characters,” and I really like that about our show. That’s the DNA that I’m tuning into each week.
TVLINE | How have I been covering this show for what feels like half my lifetime and I never heard that “ripped from the characters” quote before? Isn’t that cool? That was Josh Rexon, who used to work on our show and then went to go work on [NCIS:] New Orleans. And it does make a lot of sense. We try not to get too topical with current events-type of stuff because we want the show to be able to be viewed at anytime and be like, “Oh, yeah it’s relevant because it’s about the humanity of it” as opposed to doing an episode on whatever.
TVLINE | So, no trip to Hawaii for Brian Dietzen for the March 28 crossover? No. I was asked about that at the beginning of the year and I said, “Sign me up!” And then it came down to Wil and Katrina going. I believe Diona is also going to be doing a scene, but from here [in California]. So, no, not this season. But I’m holding out hope for next season. Maybe they’ll do it either at the beginning of the season or the very end, so I can parlay it into a couple of weeks there.
TVLINE | Are you confident that you’ll at least get a postcard from one of the others? Oh, God, no. I won’t even get a text. [Laughs] They’re having too much fun. I was just looking at their Instagram feed, and I’m like, “Oh, that looks nice”… says the guy in Southern California. Hey, I’ve got nothing to complain about.
TVLINE | Lastly, can you tease anything else that’s coming up this season? A lot of it is a bit of a mystery for me because our writers right now are breaking the last couple of episodes. You know, we weren’t initially picked up for, I think, 21 episodes. Because of COVID, everyone was picked up for a bit less, and we got our final numbers solidified not too long ago, so everybody’s kind of in a mad rush to break everything and get the writing assignments and whatnot. But I do think the thing that’s going to be happening — and one of my favorite things in the world — is that you’re going to see this team coalesce even more and come together even more. But yeah, there are definitely a few “big events” that have been floated out there that I’m hoping come true, but I can’t report on them because I plain don’t know yet!
Want scoop on NCIS, or for any other show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
tvline.com/2022/02/24/ncis-preview-brian-dietzen-jimmy-palmer-biotoxin-daughter-victoria/
|
|