I would be remiss if I didn’t mention something right off the bat — I thought that was a tremendous “getting hit by a bus” shot in the opening scene of last night’s episode of NCIS. Am I right? Sometimes the bus is going too fast for how short a distance the body gets thrown; other times a body’s flight is almost comically long. NCIS got it just right.
That being said, there wasn’t much that I enjoyed about the episode. I rarely, if ever, find the cases riveting, so on top of that the focus on Abby last night really lost me. And not, by the way, just because I’m not a fan. I think context played a large part in it, too.
Abby’s supposed mastery of all things math, science, and computers has never sat comfortably with me. But last night’s elevation of a fellow scientist’s mental problems to almost savant-like status was ridiculous. Her supposed kinship with the dead researcher was bad enough, but the protective stance she took in defending her to everyone else was just plain stupid. She could have cared, she could have tried extra hard, but by equating the dead woman’s life to her own (a stretch at best) Abby completely lost me.
The bigger offense, however, was that the increased focus on Abby decreased the attention the good characters got. Tony’s new girlfriend problems were so-so (he pulled off a solid John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever), but everyone else (including Tony) got limited time on screen. I shouldn’t be able to list all of the pleasurable moments on one hand … unfortunately, when it comes to last night, I can.
Gibbs in a tutu and leotard. Some may have imagined what that would look like; I’d rather not get that mental image, but the idea was funny. And how about the excited look Palmer got when Gibbs assigned him a task? Jimmy and Gibbs have developed a really fun relationship, and I always enjoy when they interact.
But that’s about it. Of course, not every episode of every show has to be top-notch. And a champion like NCIS doesn’t have anything to prove any more (which isn’t to say that it should rest on its laurels). But I’ve gotten the impression — this season more than any other — that Abby is starting to play a larger role on a regular basis. Whereas once upon a time the upstairs gang had group stories AND each of the agents had their own plots, now it seems like their plots are intertwined in order to save time for others, like Abby. That might be great for fans of the lab rat, but it’s not so great for someone who’d prefer she stick to the background.
Or at least that she pull someone else into a plot with her. I wouldn’t be a fan, but if Abby and McGee’s relationship ever blossomed into something more, at least we’d get a lot more of him with our serving of her. Or maybe she could start dating Palmer — wouldn’t that be interesting?
Either way, Abby-heavy is not for me. Sometimes the ways of old are okay too.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 27, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I actually liked this episode. Admittedly, I always found Abby’s grasp of all things science if we’re supposed to believe the character is in her 20s-30s and not the actress’ actual age. Then again, if she entered a 4-yr BA & MA program (Comp Sci/Sci & Tech), then entered a 5-yr dual phd program (forensics & bio), then upon graduating she continued to take NCIS-offered ballistics seminars and attend conferences on a quarterly basis, she could still hit it.
But, as Ducky, Gibbs, Jimmy and McGee are arguably the smartest around, and considering Abby never experienced difficulty before, her allegedly isolating brilliance came out of left field.
On a side note, I’m increasingly impressed with Meredith Monroe who has come a long way since her Dawson’s Creek days.
Note: I meant to say I always found Abby’s grasp of all things science, tenuous and implausible. Apologies hit the ‘submit’ button too soon -
I don’t think Abby has a PhD– Gibbs and the team call her Ms. Sciutto, while we know that Ducky is Dr. Mallard.
*POST AUTHOR*
Interesting. That could explain how she found the time to study so many things. At the same time, with no PhD, how’d she land the job?
But I do think that if she was a “Dr.” they’d refer to her as such.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yeah, that’s the thing — even if the time line is right, it would be hard enough for Abby to have become a world-class criminologist. But to have the ability to be world-class in so many other disciplines? No way.
Funny … I associate Meredith Monroe only with Criminal Minds. I liked her there, even if she did expect too much from Hotch.
I agree with everything you wrote. Sometimes I think the writers forget who these characters are. Doesn’t McGee have a master’s in biomedical engineering?
I would like Abby more if she weren’t such a perfect scientist, and if she dressed like an adult.
*POST AUTHOR*
I find Abby’s dress very weird as well. As much as society pokes fun at how “weird” they are, scientists are traditionally more … well, conservative and traditional. It’s possible that one could also be goth, but how would she have found the time to be counter-culture while studying so hard?