Visitors Review

lesather (2012-05-24 17:57)

The MOD Squad

I have to agree with people who question what this show has to do withthe "Navy" part of NCIS (for that matter, what does this show have todo with the "Investigation" part). There has been a lot of runningaround, car chases, explosion and shoot outs in the first few episodes,but very little good writing or interesting characters. Instead ofpromising an "NCIS" spin-off, they should have called it a modernversion of "The MOD Squad" because that is what comes to my mind.I think the biggest tell is that Donald Bellisario's name is nowhere tobe found on this show (his son David is the Producer). I've alwaysenjoyed the programs created and written by Donald Bellisario and ifthis is an example of David's future, he lacks his father's gift.

grannycog (2012-05-24 06:45)

This program is terrible as compared to the original. Watched it twice and never again.

This program is terrible as compared to the original. Watched it twiceand never again. No way to duplicate the feelings of the original castto each other. It stinks- why would you want more negative comments.This is not a good program and would not recommend it to anyone As youwant 10 lines of text than I shall rumble on. No wonder it is so bad.Now I have 6 lines and will fill up the last with dribble. No way canyou replace Gibbs, DeNozia, Ducky, the director, Kate and others. Giveit up while you still have the money. So, two more lines to go. Nothingmuch to say except leave a good thing alone- good, ten lines are nowhere and I am out of here.

mcgowanlaurel (2012-05-22 23:53)

Special Agent Macy

What happened to Macy? She was an interesting and strong character,certainly posed a mental challenge to Gibbs. Did I miss an explanationof what happened to her? In the season preview, my impression was shewas the boss. The episodes so far, she is not even mentioned. Did sheleave after Calen got shot? I would love if someone has some insightinto this one. I think this spin-off has some potential. The original is such a greatshow, one I wait every week for. I hope the can develop the charactersof the LA team and put them in some of the more interesting situationsthe DC team finds themselves in.

coolsister26 (2012-05-22 09:39)

Office of Special Projects

The Los Angeles office of NCIS (at least in the show) is called theOffice of Special Projects (OSP). That's why their cases frequentlyinvolve going undercover. They still investigate naval crimes but theyare sometimes more sensitive ones. I love NCIS and will always preferit to NCIS: LA. But at the same time I'm glad that it's not NCIS 2.0like the CSI spin-offs are.I love LL and Chris O'Donnell as Sam and G. They work well together andhave an adorable bromance. Daniela and Barrett have excellentcharacters and Pete Cambor is hilarious as Nate (especially when hestands next to Hetty). I love Linda Hunt as Hetty and she is the reasonI tune back in every week.Its a decent show--its no NCIS but it was meant to be its own show andwhile it relied on the mothershow's fanbase it does have its own loyalfans.

desertwatch333 (2012-05-21 16:51)

The show is empty without Hetty

There's something special about the Hetty character - she is the centerof the show in a unique way. The other characters look to her, respecther, protect her...for such a tiny woman, she packs a mightypunch...strength and wisdom and courage...the show needs her. Shebrings the team together, she brings cohesiveness and, despite herprofessionalism, she brings warmth. She hasn't been in the show for abit and I know that I, and many others I've spoken to, just don't findthe show as compelling without Hetty. The other characters are strongand well played, also essential but they are a team because Hettycenters them. We know this is only fiction but it's great fiction. Ihope they bring Hetty back full time - she has everyone's back and theyhave hers...and each other's.

luke_rock (2012-05-21 03:32)

Took a while....

It took a while to get me interested in this series. Having been along-time NCIS fan, I felt obligated to give it a fair shake. After thefirst few episodes, I felt bored and wondering if I should keepwatching. Maybe it was because I was preoccupied when NCIS: LA wouldair. However, after settling down and focusing on the episodes, mainlythe one where Dom gets kidnapped, I felt like they've hit their stride.There's no doubt this is a completely different show than the originalNCIS. That's what makes it tolerable. They're not trying to copycat theother like the CSIs did in my opinion. They've got humor. They've gotcrimes they're trying to solve. They've slowly gotten some chemistry.Keep in mind, Shane Brennan is running both shows and he has yet todisappoint me on the original. They're in good hands and hopefully,they'll get even better. The first NCIS had a few bumps in the roadduring the first season and hit their stride in Season 2.

banchyj (2012-05-20 06:39)

Had high hopes

NCIS: Los Angeles is like the little brother to NCIS. It doesn't seemas serious, in fact the characters act like children compared to thecast of NCIS. Not only that but they come off cartoon-ish, the "Ducky"replacement character on this show reminds me of the short old womenfrom Disney movies, big round glasses included. I had high hopes whenthey did the cross-over episodes with NCIS, but so far none of theirepisodes are even navy related. This is also another example of why LLCool J shouldn't act, he's always tripping over his lines. Overall, Ifind it hard to sit through an entire episode. Maybe with a differentcast, and different writers, and definitely different background musicit'd be watchable. Still not as good as the original though.

director-sloan (2012-05-20 00:55)

still ncis but different and still just as exciting

I was skeptical when this new show appeared carrying the NCIS name, Ithought OK, csi done it,so why not this show? So I watched the firstepisode and was happy it didn't bore me to sleep. Not as good as theoriginal ncis pilot but they seemed to have pulled it off imo.Likable characters, plus at least two characters from ncis keep poppingup and that mixes things up a little, so it seems more like the ncis weall love. True it has no gibbs, tony or elf lord, but the charactersare growing on me, and Linda Hunt who plays the boss is a good actressand quite amusing in her role. I was expecting LL Cool J to be prettybad but his character seems pretty cool and Chris O'Donnell reminds meof Scott Foley who played Bob Brown in The Unit, great character.I give this show 7 out 10 because too me it's just as good as NCIS, thecomedy between characters could be improved a little though.

Bengalproductions (2012-05-17 13:02)

Sorry: The Adviser need to be fired.

Starting A New Game. I call it "Busting the Network Shows for GlaringMistakes"I'll start:NCIS LA:Father hands Agent a picture of his son (who was just killed in adrive-by shooting)"This was the proudest day in my life, when he graduated boot camp."But the picture shows the "son" wearing MSgt stripes. Wow, things havechanged since I was in the military. A promotion to MSgt on graduationfrom boot????????Fire the adviser!!!!!!!!!!! Poor "attention to detail".

sprocket1942 (2012-05-16 18:38)

Not my "cup of tea"

Sorry, people - I have watched enough episodes since it started andhave to say this show doesn't do it for me. It is a pale imitation ofNCIS, mostly just action, chases, etc. The cast has only one memberthat has any real acting talent (Linda Hunt). Chris O'Donnel trying tolook tough and just mostly looks ridiculous. I have seen him in a fewmovies and he mostly looked ridiculous in them too. Kensi, you reallydon't have much personality and cannot be compared to Ziva. In general,this team just doesn't give the impression that they are a team as eachseems to go off in his (or her) own direction or work only in pairs. Ifa show intends to present the cast as a "team" they really need to workon being a team, not just a group of individuals. I don't see muchharmony here at all.

Adman98 (2012-05-16 06:51)

NCIS Los Angeles is terrible

Despite its high ratings, I find this spin-off totally sucks. I supposeit is currently benefiting from riding on the coattails of its lead-in,the number 1 ranked NCIS (and deservedly so). No way can I see itsustaining this initial success.The characters are cartoonish and the Linda Hunt character is downrightirritating. What a waste of talent. Just what the hell is Hetty'sposition supposed to be anyway? The whole concept is ill conceived and poorly executed.I have tried towatch 3 episodes now and fell asleep each time.No mas!

hazel40 (2012-05-15 23:49)

What could they have been thinking?

I'm a fan of the original to which my husband & I got hooked a fewseasons ago when Ziva was already a main character and Jenny was stilldirector. We've now watched most of the previous episodes and aredeeply attached to the screwball comedy aspect and ambiguous sexualtension between the character that give the show its special flavor.NCIS-LA has none of that, nor does it have the terrific roles forwomen!!! How can no one have mentioned that? I don't think the actingis bad (and some of the guys are endearing) but the women's roles areeither terminally bland or weird.As to the lack of Naval/Marine Corps stuff that is the heart & soul ofthe original, balancing the comic side with seriousness and commitment,others have said it all. I was OK with an LA version (at least it wouldlet all that California landscape out of the closet - eucalyptus andmountain ranges in DC - I don't think so...) but it's just not theleast bit well done.

abbysmom09-1 (2012-05-12 13:37)

Sadly, it's horrible

I've always liked LL Cool J and it's nice to see Chris O'Donnell again.They are good together. They are, however, the only reason to peek atthis show between commercials of OTHER shows on at this time. That isall I can stomach. The other comments are correct: there is absolutelyNO chemistry with them and anyone else. All of the other actors aresimply boring, dull, unbelievable, - maybe trying too hard to actlaid-back, nonchalant Los Angeles. None of them are appealing. I don'tsay "can't wait to see" them. Linda Hunt is a fine actress but she doesnothing to prove that here. The blonde woman (Macy?) in the opening hadthe spark needed and the potential heat with Chris O'Donnell felt likeit was going to make watching the show interesting. There is noDiNozzo, Tim, Zeva, Gibbs, Abby, nor Ducky. One show should haveNOTHING to do with the other. It's awful.

marty684 (2012-05-12 02:18)

Linda Hunt is miscast

I loved Linda Hunt in many movie roles, but assigning her as thecommander of NCIS Los Angeles is possibly the most egregious example ofmiscasting in TV history. So tiny she is barely visible, she has NOpower or authority.After Harmon/Gibbs defined the role in the original,she is an unbelievable let-down. The only thing less believable thanHetty being given that job is Linda being given that role. Surely atough veteran actor such as Tom Selleck or Sam Elliott would have madethe series come alive. The original NCIS is great because Gibbs is therock-steady hub around which all the characters orbit.Without such astrong center, NCIS L.A. is like a boat flailing helplessly with norudder to give it direction.

Henry Bowman (2012-05-11 16:15)

Two different universes

I just watched 10/13/09's NCIS and NCIS:LA back to back. These twoshows weren't separated at birth, they were born in entirely differentdimensions.NCIS (and earlier, JAG) showed a terrific understanding of morality andhonor. Today's NCIS episode explored the concepts of duty, doing theright thing, obeying legal rules of engagement, and the consequences offollowing immoral orders.This was followed by NCIS:LA, in which our two heroes jimmy their wayinto an innocent civilian's home because they "fear she MAY be introuble," and then take the opportunity to plant listening devices allover it with no warrants in evidence anywhere (she wasn't even asuspect). Excuse me, what happened to propriety, legality,constitutional rights? The characters on NCIS:LA continually act as ifthese things just don't exist.It gets tiresome to watch the two main characters act as if everyunlocked front door constitutes "probable cause" and an invitation forthem to intrude with guns drawn. Maybe that's life in LA, but inArizona, Missouri, Virginia, or Georgia, these guys would be red jellywithin a week.I was ready to complain to Bellisarius (who in the past has beenexemplary as far as getting this stuff right) but then I discoveredNCIS:LA is done by a separate production company. Let me tell you, itshows.This show does to military honor what pornography does to sex.

jonathanportch (2012-05-11 08:44)

two major flaws

It was a big mistake putting NCIS in the title: it raises expectationsthat this pale and formulaic imitation fails to meet. Inevitably,comparisons will be made with the original and this show fails on EVERYlevel. the characters are unlikeable cartoons playing preconceivedroles; the computer specialist, the joker, the waffler, etc. with nocharm and burdened by a robotic script. It's as if a third rate amateurdramatic group was doing a first pass read through of a very poorscript loosely based on something called NCIS.The second major flaw is that somehow this got made. Did it really getthrough trial screenings? Advertisers sold slots in the middle of thismust surely regret any association.I try to stay positive wherever possible but i'm afraid, for me, thereis no redemption.give it a go. i'll be surprised if you're not disappointed.

MovieCriticMarvelfan (2012-05-10 14:05)

Looks promising

This is the very hyped spin-off to NCIS. It was good. More hits thanmisses. LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell play their parts like veterans.Character wise you'll notice differences and similarities between thisand NCIS obviously. There's a computer guru like Abby. There's apsychologist in the show where as in NCIS there isn't one. The mainchief, Hetty, is an old woman who seems to treat her agents like theirkids. In the first episode when Agent Callen (O'Donnell) arrives forhis day back to work, Hetty makes sure he has everything he needsincluding a new wardrobe!!! She is definitely unlike Gibbs in manyways. Gibbs would never pamper his agents to that level. Gibbs is moredirect and impatient. Hetty seems a bit more understanding. Hanna andCallen have a buddy buddy relationship in the tradition of Dinozzo andMcGee. I found O'Donnell and LL's chemistry to be right on the money.Perfect casting here. They are creating a spin-off show with a coupleof the same formulas from the original with an LA feeling. So far Ithink they've succeeded.You'll also notice differences in the way of how the organization dealswith cases. For the bulk of the pilot it was Callen and Hanna doing thebulk of the muscle for their investigation. Maybe this will change overtime.Story-wise the show seems to have a couple of stories to pursue. Callenstill hasn't gotten his moment of justice for the people that shot him.In the the pilot is about a Navy Officer whose gunned down by peoplewho are working for the drug cartel. There are a couple of twists tomake the outcome not seem so obvious. OK sure it's a story thatprobably has been repeated many times but then again NCIS has plenty ofroutine stories that have been done to death."Identity" introduces the main characters of the show. They establishO'Donnell and LL as the main stars. We get a taste of the supportingcharacters but not enough obviously to let us know what makes them actthe way they do. We also get a few characters making cameos for theshow like Director Vance.Overall, this so far is a nice spin-off. "Identity" was entertaining.There's a lot of possibilities here. As long as the show has characterdevelopment and make stories interesting this could end up like NCIShaving a long run.

stan-131 (2012-05-10 00:13)

NCIS Los Angeles not NAVY

NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. And this issupposed to be based in Los Angeles... OK I will give them that it doeslook like it could be in LA. But there is no connection to The navyother than they use cool tools. The name also lets them use actors fromthe other NCIS TV show... but that is where the NAVY ends... they couldhave called this special elite homeland security team or maybe the newA-Team minus the creepy van... I do like the actors and the stories aregood. But every episode follows NCIS. On that show everything clearlyconnects to the military. Then the next NCIS comes on and there doesn'tneed to be any mention of the military. So this is an odd show... goodacting... good stories... bad name... So do I watch every week... Yes... am I confused every week what theconnection to NCIS or the navy. Every Week!

apollo451 (2012-05-04 23:00)

Disappointing...

I had expected a decent show but instead came a failed attempt to copythe popular TV show "NCIS". In my opinion, NCIS is not the sort of showthat should join the category of shows that are put on TNT and USA tofill up time (Law and Order, CSI, etc...) that have been spinned in allsorts of directions further improving the originality of the firstparent show. (Not to pick a fight with Law and Order, it's a good show)In NCIS there is character development, plot development, and a decentstory line as you see insight as to the characters backgrounds. In theshows of NCIS: LA I've watched, all I can call it is disappointing. Ididn't have incredibly high hopes for it in the beginning, and I'mhappy I didn't. With a poor degree of acting coming from LL Cool J (Ilost all my respect for him when he was in a show with Elmo) but thisis one of the reasons he should quit acting entirely. The writersattempted to substitute each character of the original show, NCIS, forsomeone with a different personality in NCIS: LA. It didn't work, tosay the least. Because let's be honest: the only reason anyone wouldever watch this show is out of sheer respect for NCIS...

avette-166-383653 (2012-05-04 18:25)

ncis los angeles and ncis

The show might be OK if we could HEAR what the actors are saying. Isthis show about who can play the loudest music, to hell with the show?or isn't it supposed to be about the drama?? Stupid music is so loudits almost impossible to get in on the drama itself. This is true forncis-la-and many other idiots who think loud music is what makes theshow. I guess the show is so crappy the music is intended to cover thewriters lack of being able to write a good drama. The new seasonstarting off reminded me why it is I don't watch it much-depends how mylevel of wanting to listen to music is at the time. The producers ofncis and the like need to grow up and make a show people can actuallyHEAR the words. Idiots! Þ~~