Author => Vicki

Callen’s Corner: Buckle Up and Take Notes

Buckle up ladies and gents. You have been assigned to the Office of Special Projects to update your skills on driving out in the field. You are going to learn from one of the best agents NCIS have in their agency. He’s a ghost, a bit of a legend, but by no means is he a bad driver, although his boss sent him to driving school. Special Agent G Callen is driving today, although it’s normal to see Callen as the passenger in the Challenger, with his partner Sam Hanna behind the wheel. He told his old friend Arkady Kolcheck that this is the secret to their happy partnership: “I let him drive.”

So when we see Callen drive, we know that something interesting is going to happen, such as a car chase after a suspect. You will be assigned to the rear middle seat, where we have seen Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones on a number of occasions reside usually with her tablet on, providing Callen and Sam with intel, and recently a slow food chef by the name of Lily, who they were on route to a safe place, assigned to protect her. The car is a dark grey Mercedes Benz CL 63 AMG, so you will be driving in comfort. That is, until you are being chased by a some bad guys and you are being fired upon, or chasing a suspect and you find yourself mid air being tossed upside down. Will you survive? Let’s take a look at the events that G Callen has endured for the sake of an operation or saving an innocent, and then you can make up your mind what your outcome will be.

Callen doesn’t do well when Kensi drives, so we know that when he’s a passenger, he doesn’t like to be thrown about:

Even though he wasn’t driving, the motion sickness thing was so funny. Hunter had, in her words, made an “operational change” – she switched the partners, pairing Sam with Deeks, and Callen with Kensi. When Kensi pulled up to the scene, Callen got out of the SUV, not looking too good.

Kensi: “Are you okay?”
Callen: “I’ve been better.”
Kensi: “Is it Hunter?”
Callen: “Motion sickness.”

(S3E03 ‘Backstopped’)

Car chases:

However, G Callen has taken himself on some epic adventures behind the wheel, which have left us with our mouths agape, gasping in fear that this may be it for him. Do you remember THE episode I am referring to? Let’s go back in time to the end of Season 1, ‘Callen, G’. Where Callen thinks he has found out that he has a sister, only to discover that some Iranians are after her and have taken her ex-husband (Steve Taylor) captive. Callen was not even supposed to be on the case, so he’s gone lone wolf, but is still in communications with Eric and he sees Callen in the silver Mercedes go airborne and flip over, rolling four times.

Callen has his left hand on the wheel and his right on the gear stick as he manoeuvres, chasing a blue van, which the Iranians have taken Steve Taylor hostage in. He’s talking to Eric through the comms, giving direct instructions on what has happened and where he is going, requesting LAPD backup. There is no time to wait as he drives close behind the van, following it through red lights, narrowly avoiding vehicles entering the intersection. He tried to get in front of the van to stop them, but the driver of the van swerves, to push him out of the way, sending Callen in collision with a parked car. He becomes airborne, flips over and rolls four times, landing on the roof. The blue van also stops due to hitting another parked car. The driver exits and walks towards Callen, ready to finish him off with a bullet to the head. But G Callen is alway prepared. Remember how I mentioned that he was driving with his left hand on the steering wheel? It kept him ready to grab his weapon to fire at the enemy. And that is exactly what Callen did. Three bullets to the Iranian’s chest, instantly killing him. Callen climbs out of the upturned Mercedes and goes to rescue the ex-husband and to help the woman (who he still believes might be his sister). He continues in Agent mode and asks a guy across the road for his keys, so he can find the woman and rescue her. Because that is what G Callen is, a rescuer, a hero. Another person’s life, is more important than his own. Without a work issued vehicle, Callen only then uses his cell to call Eric for intel on the woman’s location. (S1E24 ‘Callen, G’)

Sam had left Callen sitting in the Challenger while he went to check out a suspect in the Hookah café. Soon after he entered, Salim makes a run for it out the back.

SAM: “G, we got a runner. Meet me around back.”
[G moves behind the wheel and starts the engine. In the back alley, Sam hears tires screeching: Salim is running away in a new car…G stops to let him getting in]
SAM: “Two guys, silver sedan. Hang a right.”

We cannot forget the time Callen did that awesome manoeuvre in Sam’s Challenger either:

CALLEN: “Buckle up. Take notes.”
[Tires screeching, the Challenger launches the chase. Sam spots the sedan turning left]
SAM: “There they go.”
[They take the turn]
SAM: “Where the hell are they?”
[But G has seen them and is speeding up- Sam looks at him]
SAM: “I’m warning you, G, don’t scratch my car.”
[A gunshot hits their car from the back]
CALLEN: “They got behind us.”
[Multiple gunshots – G zigzags]
SAM: “Need a shot, G.”
CALLEN: “Coming up. Three, two, one.”
[The challenger starts a donut – Sam is able to shoot the driver – the sedan crashes into a van. The Challenger stops near it. Salim is chocked; he gets out; the agents have pulled out their guns. Callen checks the driver, Sam takes care of Salim]

When they get back to the office, Deeks and Kensi are watching the video of Callen’s mad driving skills, thinking it was Sam until he tells them it was Callen. Deeks is stunned that Sam let Callen drive the Challenger.

(S4E16 ‘Lokhay’)

Usually we see Kensi and Deeks driving the silver SUV, but in Black Widow, Callen is driving, following a suspect from LAX, when they get made and give chase. Much to Sam’s frustration, wishing he was the one one behind the wheel.

[“John White” appears, he waves to a yellow taxi]

CALLEN: “There he is. Here we go.”

[G. follows the yellow taxi]

CALLEN: “He’s going around the block again. Something’s not right.”
SAM: “Cabbie’s taking him in circles.”
CALLEN: “He’s not taking him to a meet, this is the meet. He knows the cab driver.”

[White looks behind, continues speaking to the driver]

CALLEN: “It’s going down right now in front of us.”

[the cab accelerates, begins fleeing (tires squeal). Behind, G. is speeding, pulling out (tires squeal). Suddenly the taxi takes the right]

CALLEN: “He’s stopping.”
SAM: “No, he’s not.”
[The cab has just slowed down; White dives and hits the ground] (man grunts)

SAM: “I knew I should’ve drove.”
[G. stops, Sam gets down and starts running, trying to catch White who is already speeding away]
SAM: “Federal agent! Stop!”

(engine revving) [Callen is following the cab. (tires squeal). Sam and White are running, jumping over a wall, a gate. G. drives as fast as the cab driver among the other cars (horn honking) (tires squeal). White is almost on a new wall when Sam catches him (dog barking. He has only the man’s jacket in the hands; White faces him, they start fighting. The SEAL is stronger. White is on the ground, Sam cuffs him].

SAM: “Don’t move! Don’t move!” (handcuffs clicking)

[At a crossroads, the taxi doesn’t stop (horn blares). It is hit by a car; it ends in a truck (crunching, hissing). Callen stops his car on the wrong side of the road (tires screeching). He runs around the truck, only to find the taxi driver has escaped].

(S2E02 ‘Black Widow’)

Taking an innocent to a safe location:

Recently we saw Callen and Sam with the job of taking the daughter of a senator to a safe house. The seasoned agents were cheerful with the young woman in their care, but as soon as they picked up they were followed and surrounded, they kicked into serious protection mode, which resulted in Sam placing some flares into the fuel tank and blew it up to kill the bad guys. Callen and Sam will go to the ends of the earth to ensure they protect you, even if it means losing a car. (S5E12 ‘Merry Invasion’)

Investigating a crime:

Now and then we see Callen in a Jaguar XKR S COUPE. In History (S4E15), Callen parked his jag down from the suspect’s house. As you can see from the images, it was a good thing, seeing the house blew up in front of them. Another note to ensure that you park away from your destination. Not only did it save Callen’s jag, it also saved Callen and Sam’s lives. (S4E15 ‘History’)

Carrying a suspect in your boot:

Early on in Tin Soldiers (S2E15), we saw Callen driving along the highway, minding his own business. Well as much as one can with a person tied up in one’s boot, that is. The look of disbelief when he hears the siren and sees the flashing lights from a highway cop, who wants to pull him over. How was Callen going to explain this to the cop? He was trying hard to not attack any attention. You could see the relief on his face when he realises it was his partner dressed up as a highway patrol cop on a motorbike. But at least this time, Sam was there, wanting to speak with him, and not some stranger trying to give him a ticket.

So how are you going travelling in the back seat of the Mercedes today? From this evidence, we all have to agree that G Callen would ensure your safety and that he will get the bad guys one way or another, at the expense of his own safety, not your own. He has proven to be a safe driver and one you could rely on when one’s life was at stake.

Thanks to ChrisDaisy and Mary for their input into this post. A big thanks to ncislosangelesfan.com for the screencaps.

Callen’s Corner: Fanfic Challenge #4

FanFiction Writers and readers alike, here is another CHALLENGE for you to get your creative juices flowing through your system.

We’ve seen Sam and Callen as partners who have become more like brothers. They spar together to be in sync with each other’s movement when it comes to being out in the field and having each backs, ensuring they each make it back alive. They know each other’s habits, the good and the ugly, and will even take a bullet for the other (S4E17 ‘Wanted’). They’ve even argued over whose butt has needed saving the most. Yet how many times have we seen the former Navy SEAL go that extra mile for his partner?

In the pilot episode on the original NCIS, we saw Callen gunned downed by Venice Beach. Sam was there and tried every effort to save him. He mothers him and worries about him to no end. He’s placed himself in danger to save Callen from E.L.E in ‘Ambush’ (S1E08). Hetty even told Sam to be Callen’s anchor, just before she absconded to Prague and then to Romania. As a loyal partner, Sam has been through it all with Callen. He followed him to Romania to save Hetty, with Kensi and Deeks following suit. He’s rescued him when he was poisoned with botulinum (S1E ‘LD50’) and cyanide (S4E20 ‘Purity’) then diffused the bombs he was sitting on and strapped into in the ‘Chosen One’ (S4E13). But that’s not all. In season 5’s 100th episode, Sam and Granger went in to rescue Callen from the Comescus, after he had gone lone wolf, coming to his partner’s rescue, once more. And as we caught our breaths in horror, we saw him pull Callen off the train tracks on the subway, within a split second to spare of almost losing him, which resulted in Sam giving Callen a hug in Fallout (S5E08). Something we’ve never seen before.

We at Callen’s Corner, would love for you to create a FanFiction story, with the minimum words of 3,000 of Sam and Callen’s relationship as partners and brothers. No romance, just hurt/comfort, drama and action of Sam saving Callen in some dire situation either on the job, or from a lone wolf scenario involving Callen and his personal life. A special Prize for the winning entry is up for grabs.

For those of you who just like to read, we’re also giving a prize to the most heartfelt review on any of the entries.

We ask that you post in your description of your story Callen’s Corner Challenge #4, to help us find you. Also if you could please add your link into the comments below, as this will assist us in putting them up on the site for fellow readers to find your story.

ALL ENTRIES AND REVIEWS ARE DUE IN BY Friday, April 11, 2014.

The winners will be announced with an extract of the winning story in the following Friday’s post.

Have fun!

Here is an insert of justdreaming-83’s story ‘Almost Lost’, which led to this idea for the challenge; to inspire you:

CHAPTER 1 – Sam’s Premonition

Sam yawned as he navigated the Challenger through the back streets into Callen’s neighborhood, careful to travel a different route than the last time he picked his partner up for work. He had hoped it would be an uneventful Tuesday since they had worked a particularly hard case yesterday and did not get back to the Operations Center for Callen to file his report until well after dark. Sam was accustomed to the physical demands of his job as an NCIS agent but yesterday felt like several cases rolled into one. He and Callen had spent the entire day assisting Homeland Security with a case that ended with chasing the suspects on foot for several miles. When they caught up to them, the bad guys weren’t especially cooperative. Sam was paying for it today and guessed his partner had fared even worse. Somehow Callen had gotten paired with the suspect that was at least Sam’s size and almost as strong. Callen is no weakling by any means but his small size was no match for the gigantic form he was responsible for subduing.

They had planned to slip into work a little late today; so much for plans. Each team member had been summoned via phone at 7:00 this morning. Eric alerted them that a new case awaited and that their services were needed ASAP. Kensi was picking up Deeks and Sam guessed they were already on their way to the office by now. The younger agents had been in a training class yesterday and had managed to miss being involved in the marathon Homeland Security case and the foot pursuit, with the jabs, and tackles, and punches that went along with it.

Sam knocked on Callen’s door and did not get an answer. Callen was not known to sleep for more than a few hours at a time, and even then, not soundly. But he was beyond exhausted when Sam dropped him off last night. Sam knocked again. Still no answer. He hoped that Callen had not fallen back to sleep after the wake-up call from Eric. His partner had a tendency to come up swinging at whoever had the misfortune of waking him up and, this morning, Sam was in no mood to be used as a human punching bag. He let himself in the front door using the hidden key and called out, “G?” When he did not get a response, he took a few more steps into the living area, halfway expecting Callen to jump out of nowhere with his gun drawn. Sam could now hear the water running in the shower. Why was he not ready? Sam yelled even louder, “G!”

“Yeah,” Callen called back.

“Come on, G! Time to go!”

“Give me a minute.”

Sam sat down on the chair in the living room, the only real piece of furniture in the entire house. Callen had lived in so many foster homes growing up and never really had anything of his own. But it still seemed strange to Sam that a person could be content with so few possessions. He scanned the almost empty shell that served as living quarters for his partner and thought about how often he had seen this same emptiness in Callen’s eyes. G. Callen hated being pitied so Sam never really pushed the issue and knew better than to ask too many questions. But every so often, Callen would be right there on the edge of opening up, revealing a little part of his past. Then he would pull back, usually changing the subject or making a joke and even sometimes becoming angry with himself for allowing those memories to seep up so close to the surface. He was an expert at quickly shoving memories and emotions back into that secret compartment.

As Sam sat waiting, lost in thought, a bad feeling crept in; a sinking feeling like something was not quite right. This didn’t happen that often but almost always preceded something unpleasant. Just then Sam heard the water shut off in the shower. His eerie feeling began to subside and was now being replaced with irritation with his partner for making them late again. Several minutes passed before Callen entered the room, dressed, but moving a little slowly and not fully awake.

“What took you so long?” Sam barked, rising from his chair.

“I had to do my hair.”

To read the rest of this story, please go to Almost Lost

Thanks to justdreaming-83 for their permission to include this story.

Callen’s Corner: Moments with Hetty

There have been too many moments between Callen and Hetty to mention them all here in this post, however, we have collated our favourites for you to reminisce over. Each and every one of the moments are integral to the overarching story of Hetty’s efforts over the years in ensuring Callen was looked after. At first we were hidden from the secret Hetty had kept close to her chest, until she abandoned everything to keep him safe from an unknown enemy; a Romanian Crime family, the Comescus. A blood feud between the Comescus and Callens, had been going on since his grandfather killed some Comescus back in World War two. It was the reason Callen found himself alone and in the Foster Care system.

But then snippets have been revealed about where Hetty’s best interests lie with her Team Leader, G Callen.

Her words of wisdom to get him to trust his partner and the rest of the team:

HETTY: You see what happens when you pull away from your team? [She speaks to Callen who stares at the others]
CALLEN: My team? I didn’t hire Deeks, or any of them, for that matter.
HETTY: No. If I left the hiring up to you, you’d be the only person working here.
CALLEN: Are you saying that I don’t play well with others, Hetty?
HETTY: I’m suggesting that your default is to go it alone when you may be needing them most. I like to think that I impart a certain wisdom and skill set to those who pass through these doors. The one wish I have for you, Mr. Callen, is that, by the time you leave here, you’ve learned the art of trusting others. In your personal life as well as at work.

(S2E15 ‘Tin Soldiers’)

From the first instance of seeing these two characters together, you knew there was a special relationship between them:

There have been some very entertaining moments along the way between the Operations Manager and Team Leader.

The rock wall challenge:

HETTY: Redo them.
CALLEN: I’ll race you for it. [He points at the climbing wall]
HETTY: You think you can win? Just because you’re…
CALLEN: I didn’t say that.
HETTY: Just because I’m…
CALLEN: I didn’t say that either.
HETTY: All right, let’s do it. Come on, top of the wall.
CALLEN: Top of the wall!
HETTY: I have to, uh, warn you…that if you indulge in this sort of frivolity and brinkmanship, and I win, I’m going to expect these tomorrow.
CALLEN : Deal.
HETTY: I also need to tell you that I’ve had years of practice.
CALLEN: You don’t scare me. Well, maybe a little bit.
HETTY: I seem to recall a certain Sherpa saying exactly that just before I beat him to the Everest summit… with a broken arm.
CALLEN: You expect me to believe that? [She stares nastily at him]: Okay, see, now you’re bluffing.

(S2E12 ‘Overwatch’)

The Life like pose threat:

[Callen and Hetty meet at the cemetery. Hetty reveals to him that when her time comes to die, she doesn’t wish for a ceremony, memorial or flowers on her grave.]
Callen: Don’t worry. There’ll be none of that.
Hetty: Good.
Callen: From what I hear, Granger is going to have you stuffed in a life like pose for his office.
Hetty: Don’t be cheeky! Though I wouldn’t put it past him.

(S4E02 ‘Recruit’)

And the small moments of humour Hetty adds in to lighten the moment:

There have been many moments when Callen has run after Hetty to ensure she remains safe. One we remember clearly, was when Hetty left the office to secretly meet up with Detective Deeks in Human Traffic:

HETTY: Mr. Callen? I don’t take kindly to being tailed.
CALLEN: Well, I’m more of a wingman than a tail man.
HETTY: How did you know?
CALLEN: Well, before the call, it was, “Find Deeks.” After the call, it was, “Find Lazik.”
HETTY: Careless of me.
CALLEN: Now, we need to find Lazik before he finds Deeks.
CALLEN: “Quagmire”.
HETTY: [“Triple score, I win”]. Goody.

(S2E02 ‘Human Traffic’)

But we can’t complete moments with Hetty, without mentioning the heartfelt and emotional roller coaster moments for G Callen:

Like the epiphyte, her agent is resilient, independent;
Thrives in the shaded canopy of the city.

A youth without the benefit of nurturing and affection;
His survival is dependent on no other.

And like the epiphyte, often weathering the storms without roots;
Callen has had nothing, no one, to call his own.

But her wish for this dear friend, is that someday he’d learn how to trust;
At last, ending his search, for he’s already home.

And then, of course, there’s the scenes when Hetty tells him all she knows (supposedly) about his mother… very touching Hetty moment.

We cannot forget the many other moments already mentioned in other posts already published in Callen’s Corner; in particular the tea and clothing posts, that cement the special relationship this woman has with the blue eyed agent.

What has been your favourite Callen and Hetty moment so far on NCIS Los Angeles? Have we mentioned it here? If not, we’d love to hear about it and how it has touched your heart, or caused a chuckle or two from you.

Thanks to an awesome team here on Callen’s Corner for their help on this post: ChrisDaisy , Bee, Mary, B, Richtsje and sindee our editor.

Callen’s Corner: POLL ‘What is the Right Kind of Girl for G?’

Last Friday, we looked at the women that have either been in Callen’s past or been linked to at some point on the show. Each of them are different. Now you have a chance to vote for Callen, on what you think he would like and if he should be in a relationship.

Have fun!

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Read (and comment) on the original CC entry here ==> What kind of girl is right for G?

I would like to thank the ladies in Callen’s Corner for their imput in putting this poll together: ChrisDaisy, Keviana, B, Merrie, Serena, Mary, Richtsje and sindee our editor.

Callen’s Corner: What is the Right Girl for G?

What is it about G Callen that draws the female fan of NCIS: Los Angeles to the seasoned Federal Agent? Is it his heroism; his strong arms and striking blue eyes, as mentioned by Elise (his neighbor) on her blog (S5E06 ‘Big Brother’); the fact he has no family or first name other than a letter, which pulls on your heart strings; the bad boy image or lone wolf tendencies? Whichever it may be for you, there is one thing apparent — many fans don’t want to see G Callen in a relationship. Let’s look back at the women in his past and reflect on them in regards to G Callen.

The first signs of seeing Callen get more personal in a case was in ‘Search and Destroy’ (S1E04), when Callen gets close to a suspect’s girlfriend Cherise Dawson and chooses to not only lie to her that Walton Flynn did indeed want to be with her:

“He told me I’m to stay away from you. I guess he really does like you.”

But he also organised a beautiful bunch of gerberas with a message from Flynn:

“Thanks for believing in me.” Walton.

This gave an insight into who the man G Callen truly is: kind-hearted, but also desiring a normal life and perhaps someone to believe in him also?

In ‘Keeping It Real’ (S1E06), Hetty and Sam were trying to set Callen up with Agent Natalia Giordano who was pretty obvious in her advances towards him. Callen stated to Sam that she pretty much “left the door pretty wide open. A truck could drive through that.”

[Sam and Callen walking up the stairs in the mission]
Sam: “Room service, really?”
Callen: “I don’t date law enforcement.”
Sam: “Might wanna make an exception this time.”
Callen: “Sam, you know the rule. They got their own handcuffs, I’m out.”

[In wardrobe]
Hetty: “Take her out to dinner after the case is solved.”
Callen: “Agent Giordano?”
Hetty: “Then take Sam the next night. You know how he gets.”

[In the Boatshed]
[Callen is handing the money back to Agent Natalia Giordano after they arrested the bad guys]
Agent Giordano: “So do you wanna get a hamburger? Or we could order room service?”
Callen: “I’ve got this rule about dating cops.”
Agent Giordano: “So you mean I have to wait till I retire.”
Callen: “I guess.”
Agent Giordano: “She must have been some cop.”
Callen: “She was.”

(S1E06 ‘Keeping It Real’)

This was due to the effects of what Tracy had done to him, resulting in him making this rule up of never dating cops. However back in Season 1, we had no idea who Callen was referring to, until ‘Standoff’ in the following season:

The team were watching a hostage situation live up on the big screen in Ops, when Callen admits that the woman was using an alias as his ex-wife. He goes in to talk to her and solve the situation, admitting to Sam that she was “the kind of person who chooses the mission over her partner.”

[Tracy Keller is holding up hostages in a Navy Recruitment Center]
Callen [handing his gun to Sam]: “It’s for her protection, not mine. I’m still upset over her getting the dog in the settlement.”

[Callen walks into the Navy Recruitment Center to face Tracy]
Tracy: “You look good.”
Callen: “Yeah, having a shotgun pointed at me tends to bring out my natural glow.”
Tracy: “Whatever happened to us? Huh! We used to be great together. My meticulous planning, your gift for improvisation. We were unbeatable.”
Callen: “I absolutely agree. We were great. Till you hung me out to dry.
Tracy: “You never let me explain.”
Callen: “Explain what? It was a crappy thing to do to your partner. To me.”

[In the Boatshed]
Sam: “She was right about one thing. Somebody wants to take her out. How do you want to handle it?”
Callen: “Like a hostile divorce hearing.”

Why did Callen fall for her in the first place? Like what often happens, he may have fallen in love just from the fact they were put into a close working relationship. Or, it might be that he just fell in love with the idea of actually having someone in his life. Either way, they must have worked well together. Her intelligence and drive, his intuitiveness and ingenuity, just a great combination for undercover partners. And the chemistry between them was evident. But her drive may have been their undoing. According to Callen, this woman put the mission above him and whatever relationship they had developed. It just seemed cruel that, once again, our G Callen was abandoned. He was most probably already a lone wolf – a result of his upbringing. But whatever trust he might have had in mankind just went kya-poohie after Tracy failed to show the same loyalty he had for her. So dating someone in law enforcement holds that same possibility of getting close to someone who is “all about the mission.” He’s just not going to purposefully put himself in that situation again, although we saw her sweet talk her way back into Callen’s life (or so she thought):

[In the Boatshed preparing to meet their suspect Mason]
Tracy: “I really appreciate you trusting me back there.”
Callen: “That’s what partners do.”
Tracy: “I never stopped caring. I tried to reach you. You never let me explain.”
Callen: “You made it pretty clear where your head and your heart were at.”
Tracy: “I was young. Ambitious. I made a mistake. One that I regret.”
Callen [whispers]: “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Tracy [places her hand on the side of Callen’s neck]: ” Remember when we used to talk about getting away from it all? Just you and me on some remote island.”
Callen [removes her hand away]: “Buddy hated the beach.”

[On a boat in the Cayman Islands]
Tracy: “You know, we could start over. My real name is…”
Sam [exiting the cabin]: “Rosetti. Nice boat.”
Callen: “You didn’t think I could keep my partner from a free trip to the Cayman Islands, did you?”

(S2E06 ‘Standoff’)

Callen saw through her manipulative words, refusing to let her hurt him again. So why was Hetty trying to play match maker again with Callen, with a fellow NCIS Agent, Paris Summerskill from the Red Team? Hetty’s behavior on the screen on Callen and Sam’s first night with the Red Team was out of character for the petite Operations Manager:

Moscow, Idaho
[Hetty moves closer to the camera so she appears very large on screen]
Hetty: “So how is everyone getting on in Idaho?”
Granger: “Everything’s fine Henrietta.”
Hetty: “Mr. Callen?”
Callen: ” All good.”
Hetty: “Miss Summerskill?”
Paris: “Um..it’s great to have company for dinner.”
[Hetty disconnects]
Paris: “What was that all about?”
Callen [eyes squinted as he thinks over Hetty’s weird behavior]: “Something.”
Sam: “Something she’s not telling us.”
Granger: “Something she may never tell us.”

[In the bedroom]
Callen: “Hetty’s checking up on us.”
Sam: ” Yep.”
Callen: “Take a stab at guessing why?”
Sam: “Maybe she was seeing if you and Paris hit it off. That’s a good looking woman G.”
[Callen doesn’t respond, only flicks his boots off his feet]

(S4E18 ‘Red, Part 1’)

El Centro
[Claire and Sam sit in a cafe looking out across the street to where Callen and Paris are]
Claire: “You know Hetty thought they’d be good for each other. That’s why she was checking up on the the night you arrived. Did you notice that?”
Sam: “I noticed.”
Claire: “Did Callen?”
Sam: “No. Did Paris?”
Claire: “Maybe Hetty’s right, perhaps they do have something in common.”
Sam: “Hetty’s always right.”

But was Hetty right in this instance? Was she aware of Callen’s no dating cops rule like Sam was? So why did Callen say to Paris that he could do complicated? Was it the fact he knew she would be on the road solving cases, so there wouldn’t be any pressure on him for commitment? Did he see something of himself in her, that perhaps Hetty saw in them both?

Outside of El Centro by the trailers
Callen: “What exactly happened that night Roy got shot?”
Paris [has flashbacks to the night in question]: “I shot a guy and he didn’t stay down. He was wearing a vest. Roy saved my life.”
Callen: “So what’s the problem?”
Paris: “It’s complicated.”
[Sam pulls up. Roy exits the trailers]
Callen: “I’m good with complicated.”
Paris [whispers]: “It’s really complicated.” [returns to normal voice] “So I guess that beer’s going to have to wait.”
Callen: “I guess so.”

Los Angeles
[Hetty and Owen sit either side of her desk drinking scotch]
Hetty: “Here’s to Paris and Callen.”
Granger: “You mean Roy.”
Hetty [lifts her glass and laughs]: “Of course.”

(S4E19 ‘Red, Part 2)

Tracy is not the only woman from Callen’s past that we’ve met on the show. In the middle of Season 1, Callen has to reconnect with a woman that he got too close to when he was undercover as Jason Tedrow; Kristin Donnelly. However, in this circumstance, Callen is the one whose done the hurting and Kristin admits to him that she’s moved on from him. But not after she lets him sweat over whether or not he was Michael’s Father.

Kristin: “You hurt me. So I wanted to make you suffer.”

(S1E12 ‘Past Lives’)

When Hetty finds Callen reminiscing over old photos of him and Kristin, she tells him that she believes that Jason Tedrow was his favourite alias of all that he had been. We can see he had for at least a few months some form of normalcy, in a happy relationship with a non-criminal woman, who he formed feelings for. That became apparent over his need to do a background check on her fiancé and rough him up a little. We also saw this desire in ‘Search and Destroy’, when Callen was driving Walton Flynn to a safe house. He can relate to Walton Flynn from their backgrounds of Foster Homes and in seeking a “normal” life but from his reaction after this conversation it seemed kind of obvious that he, too, like Walton Flynn, never expects to live a life like that:

[Callen driving Flynn to a safe house]
Flynn: “And one day we’ll both live in the ‘burbs, barbecue with our neighbors, and coach Little League.”
G: “I don’t know. Teaching your son how to play baseball sounds pretty idyllic.”
Flynn: “Yeah, it does. But that’s why we do what we do, so others can live those lives.”

(S1E04 ‘Search and Destroy’)

All through the five seasons we have seen Sam and Hetty at the forefront of trying to get Callen into a relationship. Grace highlighted in ‘The Raven and the Swans’ (S4E21) the only time they had any relationships were with criminals. She asked him if he had a girlfriend. When Callen replied with “Not at the moment,” Grace pushed further with “Just how many moments have their been?”

So what has Callen said to Sam and Hetty when they’ve asked him about it?

Hetty:

Hetty: “Where’s Sam?”
Callen: “He went home to spend time with his family.”
Hetty: “Ah, that’s good. He needs that… especially now.”
Callen: [Long pause] “What about you? You ever regret not settling down – and having a family?”
Hetty: “I think about it sometimes. Maybe when I’m older.” [Hetty chuckles]. “And you?”
Callen: “I think I’ll keep looking for mine first.”

(S3E07 ‘Honor’)

[Callen joins Hetty in her office at the end of the day, talking about Nate]
Hetty: “That man hasn’t taken a vacation in years. And what about you? When was the last time you took a day off that wasn’t caused by a bullet? I don’t want you waking up one morning, wondering if it was all worth it. I’m sorry if I was…a tad strident today. I just want to make sure that you all take the time to smell the roses.”
Callen: “How about Saturday? There’s a Rembrandt exhibit at the Norton Simon Museum. I’ll pick you up at 11:00?”
Hetty: “Rembrandt, Mr. Callen?”
Callen: “Don’t get too excited. I just go there to meet chicks, so… essentially, you’ll be my wingman.”
Hetty: “I relish the assignment. If only it were true. What about tonight?”

(S1E11 ‘Breach’)

Sam:

Callen: “You know what, I slept in.”
Sam: “With who? You barely sleep.”
Callen: “There’s nobody.”
Sam: “Come on I think it would be great for you to be in a relationship.”
Callen: “Sam, how many times are we going to have this conversation? You’re my partner! Not my mother!”
Sam [puts on a funny nasally voice as if he’s Callen’s Mom]: “I just want you to be happy and find a good girl!”

(S1E16 ‘Chinatown’)

Therefore it is no surprise to see Sam set Callen up on a blind date in ‘War Cries’ (S5E14) last week telling him to wear a suit and tie for dinner. Callen was clearly expecting to see Sam and Michelle at the restaurant when he was shown to his table. It was evident that Callen was surprised when there was a red head sitting at the table waiting also for Sam and Michelle; but with all the nagging by Sam over the years, he shouldn’t have been surprised at all. He carried himself respectfully towards Joelle who had taught Sam’s daughter in Kindergarten.

We at Callen’s Corner have noticed a similarity between three of the women mentioned in this post:

Sam may be onto something with this woman, especially after hearing Callen reveal his general attitude towards relationships:

[Callen and Sam are searching Valdiva’s home and finds lots of pictures of women on the fridge]
Callen: “Meaningless sex with an endless stream of beautiful women. How empty.”

(S1E06 ‘Keeping It Real’)

Sam is the closest person to Callen out of anyone. He knows what he likes, dislikes, what he spends his free time doing, his bad habits, and Callen does spend a bit of time at the Hanna’s home. Setting him up on this blind date shows to Callen that he does care enough to believe in him, that he too can have that normalcy of life he shares with Michelle. He and Michelle would know better than anyone else, what would be the right kind of girl for him.

I would like to thank the following members of Callen’s Corner Dream Team for their assistance in this post: ChrisDaisy, Richtsje, Serena and Mary. A special thank you to ncislosangelesfan.com for the screencaps.

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