I usually look forward to seeing other NCIS universe characters turn up to help with a case, and they usually add something.
In fact, the last time we saw Sam Hanna, we got a much-needed update about Hetty and some information about what Sam was doing now.
I thought NCIS Season 23 Episode 17 was going to give us some sort of backdoor pilot for the upcoming NCIS: New York series, and instead, it took time away from other characters.
Kasie’s Leading Hour Is Stolen
We finally get a Kasie-centric storyline, and it’s overshadowed by Sam’s return.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Sam Hanna, and I loved NCIS: Los Angeles. At the same time, I need more Kasie-centric hours.
She and Palmer are the two most forgotten characters, and they’re crucial to the entire team. Of the two of them, I know Kasie the least.
NCIS Season 23 finally gave her a chance to shine, as she had all this pressure put on her for the system-wide upgrade.
The whole country’s security rested on her shoulders, and she had to weather the emotions, giving us some of the neurotic, anxious Kasie we know and love while also showing her pragmatic side.
As things took turn after turn, she held the fort, figuring out how to keep the rest of the team in check and make sure the system upgrade wasn’t affected.
Yet, her chance to shine was overshadowed by Sam’s appearance. He took time away from Kasie, Palmer, and Parker as they worked to get to the bottom of the mystery at MTAC.
For the longest time, Palmer and Kasie have had their own secrets, and they lean on each other for support.
The idea that Palmer wouldn’t turn to Kasie with his Kilimanjaro goals was ludicrous. He would know she wouldn’t make fun of him.
She may point out some of the downsides, but she wouldn’t belittle! Her superpower is helping people consider downsides they might not have considered and then develop solutions to address them.
Instead, Sam took the conversations that should have been hers.
On top of that, we didn’t really see her interact much with the tech team she pulled in.
I felt like they came out of nowhere for the sake of the tech upgrade, and we were supposed to believe that they had worked together before.
Without Sam overshadowing things, Kasie’s backstory with the tech team could have been more fleshed out.
If this was some sort of backdoor pilot for NCIS: New York or helped to set up the need for the New York office, then I could understand him being involved.
I may be jumping the gun a little, though. It’s clear there is more to this story, as it ends on a small cliffhanger.
Is it possible that this is what leads to a New York office?
If that’s the case, I’ll take some of this back, but as an hour dedicated to Kasie and her tech skills, it doesn’t work well because of Sam.
Palmer Shows Off His Training
I always appreciate seeing Palmer and Kasie getting to save the day. NCIS Season 23 Episode 17 gave us both, but with a heavy focus on Palmer’s abilities.
He doesn’t always have much faith in himself. We’ve seen that in the past, such as when he didn’t tell anyone he passed the Medical Examiner exams.
That lack of self-confidence can lead him to underestimate his skills. It’s a toxic trait that he has, and we all still love him for it.
This episode continues that toxic trait, as he doubts his ability to open the elevator shaft door.
While I do think Kasie could have been a perfect alternative to Sam in the elevator, she wouldn’t have used reverse psychology on Palmer. Instead, she would have been able to hype him up to get to the door.
Sam’s use of reverse psychology was what Palmer needed in the moment. It was quick and effective, as he knows that there will be doubts when he climbs Mount Kilimanjaro, and he’ll need to deal with them.
If he was questioning whether he was ready, this reminded him that he can do whatever he puts his mind to.
Of course, the elevator only going up a tiny amount past a floor was rather convenient. They had no way of knowing that’s where they were at first, so they acted on a lot of assumptions.
I’ve got to admit that it’s a somewhat weak storyline when that scene in particular comes to mind first, rather than the actual murder investigation.
Box Episodes Work When Done Well
This could have been one of the strongest episodes of the season. I’ve always appreciated box episodes because they give the characters time to shine.
Sadly, this one just didn’t work all that great.
The case itself wasn’t all that interesting — although I did have to falm palm every time they talked about the deceased in the past tense when they were trying to pretend he was still alive — and it was pretty easy to figure out who was involved.
The show could have probably benefited from not having the hostage situation happen right at the start. We all knew that this mess had to connect to that in some sort of way.
Without the hostage situation, we would have worked with the same information that Parker, Kasie, and Palmer had, making it easier to believe that it was one of the tech team.
On top of that, the tech team didn’t quite work out all that great.
It would have worked a little better if we’d met at least one of them before to believe that Kasie knew them.
The relationship was muddy, and the idea that they would be involved in such a high-security risk project was unbelievable.
I can see what NCIS was attempting to do, but it fell flat on this occasion.
I would like the writers to try again, though. It didn’t need McGee, Torres, or Knight to show up. Instead, the hour needed one fewer character who served only as fan service.
I am intrigued by the cliffhanger, though. Whether it comes up straight away and whether it connects to the new NCIS spinoff remain to be seen, but the series has my attention.