Category Archives: Chris O’Donnell
Chris O’Donnell Talks NCIS Los Angeles
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“NCIS: Los Angeles” is heading into the last few episodes of season 6, and according to series star Chris O’Donnell, viewers can expect to learn even more about his character’s past — and his current dating status.
“There’s going to be a new love interest in [Special Agent ‘G’] Callen’s life — someone he’s connected to — a person he’s known for a long time. And we’re going to be delving into his back story a little bit. He still has this ongoing search for his family history and his name of all things. There’s some interesting episodes we have coming up. I’m excited for it,” O’Donnell told CBS News ahead of the show’s May 18 season finale.
The finale episode will find Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam (LL Cool J), Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) and Kensi (Daniela Ruah) in Moscow, where the team must assume multiple undercover identities to locate their suspects. Also, Callen uncovers new information regarding his father.
Read the whole article on cbsnews.com.
Callen and Arkady: Take Two
Back in December 2013, we posted our first discussion about the relationship about Callen and Arkady. With the former KGB’s reoccurrence again in Beacon, we thought it was appropriate to reflect on the interesting relationship that these two have had from the start and what may be coming up in Beacon.
Beacon (S6E21) Press Release…
Callen and Sam are shocked when an old acquaintance they thought had been murdered shows up and asks for their help. Their investigation uncovers a possible breach of America’s economic sanctions against Russia.
The press release for Beacon had us curious to know who the old acquaintance was, until we watched the promo and realized that it’s Arkady Kolcheck. Based on the sneak peek, we witness someone’s attempt on Arkady’s life (think back to the Third Choir), making the team think that it was Arkady who was killed. But while the team are concerned over how this news affects Callen, he refuses to accept his old friend’s death.
(Callen knees down beside the charred body)
“This doesn’t feel right. There’s no way knowing who this is.” (Stands up) “Dental records are going to take forever.” (Shrugs) “Maybe Arkady’s not dead.”
Sam: “Fascinating”.
Callen: What!”
Sam: “You’re not sure how you feel about your friend, Arkady being dead.”
Callen: “Let’s get one thing clear, we weren’t friends. I was ready to pull the trigger on him myself, a few times.”
Sam: “Don’t let me get on your bad side.” (Beacon, S6E21)
Notice Callen’s refusal to call Arkady a friend. In previous conversations they have had an easy banter, Arkady was concerned about Callen enough to let federal agents arrest him, and Callen trusted him to watch his back; these are all things friends would do. Add to that Callen’s unwillingness to accept that Arkady is dead and it seems he doth protest too much. Sam knows Callen is stonewalling him and he’s letting him, also knowing it’s hard for Callen to deal with how he feels about the former KGB officer.
But.
Later, the formerly-known-as-dead Arkady comes to them for help. We don’t yet know how that has happened, but maybe we can piece together the story that brought him to this point. Let’s take a look back at that conversation earlier in Season 6, The Third Choir (S6E04), which may be what’s led to this attempt on Arkady’s life.
(Sam and Callen enter gym)
Callen: “Not answering your phone?”
Arkady: “I’ve been busy. How did you find me?”
Sam: “Your ex-wife’s sister.”
Arkady: “Which one?”
Callen: “Svetlana.”
Arkady: “Aah, she always talked too much. Must be genetic.”
Callen: “Arkady, what are you doing here?”
Arkady: “My doctor told me to join gym.”
Sam: “Yeah? Probably expected you to work out.”
Arkady: “I’m between sets.”
Arkady: “In case you haven’t noticed, Cold War is back, only it’s not so cold lately. And for someone like your Hetty who has a head full of secrets they’d love to get their hands on, this is just the beginning.”
Sam: “What does that mean?”
Arkady: “I mean, it will get worse before it gets better, and your Hetty won’t be the only target.”
Sam: “Who else will they go after?”
Arkady: “Use your imagination.”
Callen: “We’re not playing around, Arkady. Who else will they go after?”
Arkady: “I don’t know! And to be honest, I don’t care. I’ve got my own problems.”
Callen: “We will be your problem if you don’t start to level with us.”
Arkady: “You don’t scare me – but they do, because I am one of the people they will come after.”
(Callen and Sam turn to leave)
Sam: “Don’t strain yourself.”
The Third Choir (S6E04)
In the past, it’s been Callen who has turned to Arkady for help to solve a case, except for in Tin Soldiers. Here the tables have turned, it’s Callen and the team’s turn to help Arkady. However, he might not be the only one in trouble. Arkady might be the canary in the mine of buried secrets; his attempted murder is signalling that it’s not safe for those who carry old knowledge of a past war that may not be over.
How do you think this new information ties into previous storylines like Hetty’s attempted kidnapping and the mole? With the team heading to Russia before the season ends, do you think Arkady will appear again? Do you want him to? Share your ideas in the comments.
Let’s take a look back at each episode so far with Arkady Kolcheck…
Season 1 Pushback (S1E07)
Callen suspects that Arkady was the one behind his shooting (NCIS Legends episodes), only to find that he had sent his foster sister, Alina Rostoff to warn him.
Season 2 Tin Soldiers (S2E15)
Arkady sends Niko to see if Callen is living in the old Rostoff home and wants him to look into something for him. At the end of the episode, we see Callen and Arkady caught up in a battle and having each other’s back.
Season 3 Neighborhood Watch (S3E22)
The team needed information with regards to a Russian sleeper agent. He reacts to one of the women in the photos, but distracts Callen and Sam. This is the first time Arkady helps Callen with a case and not just personal matters.
Arkady: “She resembles my ex.”
Callen: “Which one?”
Arkady: “The one who recently passed, God rest her soul.”
Callen: “Aren’t they all dead?”
Arkady: “I do not have best luck with women.”
Sam: “Think how they feel.”
Arkady (to Callen about Sam): “I do not like him.”
Season 4 Rude Awakenings (S4E06)
Sam and Callen meet with Arkady down a lane way to inquire about who might have stolen the nukes and killed the Russian sleeper agents.
(Referring to Sidorov) Arkady: “It’s a delicate subject matter.”
Arkady: “Don’t judge. Morally corrupt people are my business!”
Arkady: “Oh, don’t be naive. We both spent decades pointing nuclear weapons at each other’s children.”
Season 4 Wanted (S4E17)
But Arkady is needed again when a Russian is found dead with his index finger cut off.
Arkady: “You two still together. That’s nice. You’ve lasted longer than any of my marriages. What is secret?”
Arkady: “Why would I know? Because I’m Russian? We all look the same to you? You think I know everything every Russian is doing in this state?”
Callen: “Only the criminals.”
Arkady: “That hurts.”
Season 5 Reznikov, N (S5E04)
When the Comescus kidnap a man whom they believe to be Callen’s father, he turns to Arkady for help.
(At Arkady’s home, he’s enters the house, on his mobile)
Arkady: “Fine, fine. You do that. And when you come back to me to complain about them, remember what I told you -I know, I know. It’s just business. But when you come back to me, price is double. Yes, it’s just business.”
(He opens the fridge – grabs a gun and wheels around)
Arkady: “I should tell you, I’m having bad day. Come out slowly.”
(Callen makes himself seen)
Arkady: “You trying to get yourself killed?”
Callen: “Not with that gun.”
(Callen shows the shells from Arkady’s weapon)
Arkady: “Now you leave me defenceless against my enemies.”
Callen: “Who leaves a gun in the fridge?”
Arkady: ‘We all do. How did you get in?’
Callen: “Parked the car in the back alley, jumped the fence. You’ve got a security camera blind spot by your pool.”
Arkady: “Thanks for finding it.”
(Callen hands a photo of a younger Arkady with Reinhardt)
Callen: “That bring back some memories?”
Arkady: “I’m more handsome now. Richer.”
Arkady: “Ask the real question. The one you came to ask me.”
Callen: “Is this my father?”
Arkady: “No one has ever introduced themselves to me as your father. So maybe he is, maybe he isn’t.”
Arkady: “Do I owe you favor?”
Callen: “No. But when this is done – I’m gonna owe you one.”
Arkady: “Then it is business.”
(Arkady loads his gu and its it into the small of his back)
Arkady: “Ay-yi! Gun is still cold.”
Arkady: “My brother-in-law’s car.
Callen: “It may get a little rough.”
Arkady: “Is okay. I don’t like him anyway.”
(Boat Shed)
Kensi: “Sit down.”
Arkady: “No, after you.”
(Kensi glares at Arkady)
Arkady: “Okeydokey, dokey, dokey. No niceties today.”
Kensi: “Where’s Callen?”
Arkady: “I don’t know.”
Kensi: :Okay, we found you beside a car with two men who’d been shot to death. We swabbed you for gun residue. And when that’s processed, what do you think we’re gonna find?”
Arkady: :That I fired weapon. Self-defense. Agent Callen will tell you same thing.”
Deeks: “Well, then you better hope we find him alive, pal,’cause he’s the only friend that’s gonna vouch for you.”
Arkady: “I don’t know where he is. I know what he went to do, and I can truthfully say I don’t know where he went to do it.”
Deeks: “Why’d you wait with the bodies? You could have been long gone by the time we got there.”
Arkady: “Because I wanted you to know what happened, what Callen was going to do.”
Kensi: “Why?”
Arkady: “Because Callen is a friend of mine and I don’t want him to die today.”
These two have had an interesting history. At first, they appear to not care for the other and Callen in particular has trust issues with Arkady. But when it comes down to it, when it really matters, it appears that these two men really do care for each other. Share your take on their relationship in the comments.
Thanks to Hypnoweb for the quotes and Bee for her help in putting this post together.
Chris O’Donnell Dishes On His Health And Fitness Struggle
@DanielaRuah
Chris O’Donnell had no idea he was in for a major wake-up call when he teamed up with John Hancock and Vitality to encourage consumers to make small steps to achieving healthier lives. The “NCIS: Los Angeles” star dished on his big revelation while chatting with Wonderwall.com following his visit to John Hancock Vitality Village in New York City last week. Keep reading to see what he told us about the biggest challenge to his health and fitness, how he juggles his busy work schedule with his family life, his thoughts on his kids’ pursuing careers in entertainment and more!
Chris O’Donnell on his struggle to make healthy lifestyle choices in his everyday life: “It’s funny. I struggle with it based on the number of hours I work at my job. I’m filming 14 hours a day, and I have five kids at home. So I’m always trying to find time and trying to make healthy choices as far as my diet and what I eat. I’m an active person. I play a lot of beach volleyball. I do yoga and play golf. I’m chasing five kids around on the weekends. But it’s hard to maintain that. Part of being a parent is setting a good example and knowing that you need to take care of yourself because you need to stick around for a while to raise your children.”
On John Hancock’s Vitality Age Calculator: “John Hancock wants to reward people who are taking care of themselves and making small steps to improve themselves. They’ve come up with this Vitality Age Calculator. On average, an American is actually five years older than their real age — that’s their Vitality Age. The good news is that you can improve it by making small changes to your diet and lifestyle. So I’ve got some room to improve. I’m 44, but my vitality age was calculated at 49, so I’ve got some work to do in that department.”
Read the whole article on msn.com.
Callen’s Corner: Callen and Kensi – Undercover
Since the pilot episode back in 2009, we’ve come to love the characters on NCIS Los Angeles. They’re brave, silent heroes who will do what it takes to keep Los Angeles safe. They belong to a secret team where their true identities are kept hidden, so they can infiltrate gangs, terrorist groups and organisations with ease. Well they sure do make it look easy. But at what cost?
With Deeks and Kensi taking the bold step in becoming more than partners, we’ve seen some shuffling of the team in recent episodes. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Callen and Kensi go out into the field or deep undercover, so this week’s episode of Rage (S6, E20) was interesting and brought back memories of the series’ first season.
The promo had everyone talking about Kensi going in as a tattooed bikie and Callen’s alias, Steven Wolinski’s girlfriend, Sage. (Is this a deliberate choice due to Deeks’ pet name for Kensi of Fern, I wonder?). Callen and Kensi heated it up for the White Supremacist group that Callen had returned to jail to infiltrate. They’re watching him closely after his 6 months stint in an isolation cell. Did anyone else have their eyes widen at that kiss?
We thought that it would be fun to take a look back at previous occasions on when Callen and Kensi went undercover together.
In Season 1, we saw Callen and Kensi go undercover a few times. Let’s start back in Keepin’ It Real (E06). Kensi lured their suspect into a bar to introduce him to Callen, aka, Canadian, Gordon Taymis. Gordon wass supposedly having an affair with Kensi’s alias, and they held hands in the bar to make their point. Gordon needed more money, seeing he had a wife and kids back home to support as well. They got the job, only to have Callen burned when the dead Marine’s commander turned up.
Callen had an opportunity to find out who was behind his shooting, in Pushback (E07). Callen and Kensi went into a gas company as environmental inspectors, only to find that the person running the place was an old colleague of Callen’s who was supposed to be dead.
In Random on Purpose (E09), they entered a law firm acting as if they were both filing for divorce. The tension was high between them and they performed this act brilliantly, in order to rescue Abby Scuito from a psycho killer.
Kensi and Callen went undercover again in Missing (E13), when Kensi pretended to be the Columbians’ sister, Claudia Tauro. She entered an abandoned hospital with Callen, to help rescue Dom.
Callen, Sam and Kensi were trying to stop a Turkish ship from leaving port with a terrorist onboard, in Hunted (E22). They pretended to be drunk, to knock the guard out, so they can enter the ship and find their target. Kensi kissed Callen on the cheek and undid a button, revealing more flesh for the performance.
We met Deeks for the first time in Hand to Hand (E19), when Callen helped Kensi get out from Deeks’ questioning when he found her inside the victim’s home. Not knowing who he was at the time, Callen knocked on the door, dressed as a taxi driver to take her somewhere.
Deeks arranged with his contact to help the team get inside an elite club, in Fame (E20). They were looking for a missing socialite, who was the last to see a dead Naval Officer, whose body was found in her vehicle. Callen entered dressed as some rich guy named Ivan, with Kensi as his date. They found the girl and those who killed the Naval Officer.
In Season 2, we saw Callen and Kensi dressed up for a function onboard a cruise ship in Anonymous (E07), while Sam helped their only witness to help them find the men who had new faces, before they kill everyone on board.
With Deeks on the team as Kensi’s partner, it took a while before we saw these two work together again, in Season 3. In Backstopped (E03), we saw Callen and Kensi paired up by Hunter and Callen pulled himself out of the SUV, car sick from her driving. But we’ve not seen them undercover since Anonymous (S2,E07), until this week’s episode, Rage (S6, E20). Is Hetty testing the waters to see if Kensi can still perform her undercover work and be Callen’s girlfriend, although she is in a relationship with Deeks? No one knows the thinking behind Hetty, but we are glad that Kensi was able to get the information out of Dallas’ girlfriend to find Callen in time to save him.
Love to know your thoughts on this decision to bring these two back together again. Will we see more of these two undercover together in the future?