Fighting Shadows (6×18) Preview

by Gayle (@DensiLand)

Written by: Andrew Bartels; Directed by: Tony Wharmby

Official CBS press release – “Fighting Shadows” – When three FBI agents are killed in an explosion following a successful undercover sting operation, the team searches for the person behind the attack. Meanwhile, Deeks and Kensi realize the team knows about their relationship, as Hetty pairs Kensi with Sam and Deeks with Callen during the investigation, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Monday, March 23 (9:59-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Let’s start with the actual case. First, things are looking pretty successful with the operation, but then (as usual) it take a tragic turn with the assassination of fellow federal agents. So what was the basis for the original FBI effort? Terrorists? Drug cartel? Espionage? Hackers? Weapons of mass destruction? The possibilities are virtually endless (until they meet their ultimate and explosive end). Did the criminals escape and are still at-large? Will our NCISLA team be on the hunt for both the initial targets as well as the FBI attackers or could they very well be one-in-the-same?

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Hetty is yet again “moving the board” under her “pawns”. Repeated inquires apply here: Is this simply an effort to challenge the team members, to ensure they can seamlessly work together in any combination rather than the routine partnerships? Or could she have ulterior motives? (Doesn’t she always?) Is there a chance this is as obvious as it might seem on the surface, that she’s testing Densi’s relatively new ‘ship as Deeks again presumes, just as he did when Kensi was deployed to Afghanistan? Might the senior agents be quietly assessing Kensi and Deeks individually to determine how they currently function without the other by his/her side now that they are (officially) more than work partners?

Continuing, has the lovebirds’ shift in status actually affected their professional demeanor? While the expected answer is “yes” as blatantly displayed in a tangled series of events in a number of prior episodes, with them, perhaps the answer isn’t so simple. Between boldly going “All In” and heeding the wise words of their dearly departed Gurkha, could the junior members have somewhat easily found a solid foundation both in and outside of work? The playful, ultimately unrefuted conversation centering on a “bitten sex machine”(!) seems to indicate a resounding “Yes”!  While it’s nice to consider the duo has discovered mutual happiness, the path for these two is rarely this smooth (and even when it is, it doesn’t seem to last very long)!

This preview might be speculating a bit too deeply on the Densi topic, so taking the teaser at face value, hopefully at least part of the revelation of the team’s knowledge about “them” will be woven in humor. Does this actually become a “thing” among the team, or is it simply as the promo indicates, a quiet confiding and likely bonding moment between the team leader and the detective? How might Kensi (presuming she learns of this) and Deeks react to their secret no longer being secret? (Not that it ever truly was.) Perhaps the others, as demonstrated by Callen, feel they can finally address what has been evident for so long. Or might Hetty, cheeky in her own right, purposefully “out” them to move beyond the unspoken “elephant in the room” to focus on the case? Regardless of all these potential outcomes, who wouldn’t be amused to see Sam and Callen have a traditional “big brother” talk with Deeks? (Although based on the traditional role reversal for Densi, perhaps they should have that chat with Kensi!)

Back to the topic of secrets, it appears Deeks might have some, and troubling ones at that. Does Deeks have a stalker (other than countless fans)? Is this result from some recent events, or is this a ghost from his past haunting him in the present? Is this finally the start of the long-awaited back-story about Deeks? Compared to the other primary characters, we know very little about our shaggy California “dancing” surfer-turned-lawyer-turned-cop-turned-federal-liaison! Who has something to use against Deeks and what could it be? Has he been aware of this “risk” lurking in the shadows and simply been hiding it from the team? Might Deeks try to face this onslaught alone, concealing the issue from his teammates out of embarrassment or as an effort to protect them? Hetty keenly warns “They will use everything they have against you.” Does this make Kensi a target in order to get to Deeks, the opposite character application used in “Personal” (2×17)? If so, to what lengths will he go to keep her safe (and vice versa)? Will their Operations Manager again dispatch the agents to aid their unofficial NCIS comrade, similar to the efforts in “Human Traffic” (2×1)?

In a rare one-on-one conversation Callen references the element of risk. While this concept is core to their life with the federal agency, this time Callen’s words resonate on a personal level in relation to Kensi. Key to this issue will likely be Densi’s continuing struggle with communication skills, both in ability and voluntary inclination. If this is tied to Deeks’ past, does he openly share it with Kensi and what challenges will that present their status? Will it strengthen their evolving bond or only serve as yet another hurdle to clear?

While we’ll have plenty of obstacles to work through regarding the case and these characters, wouldn’t it be fun to discover who knew about Densi first and for how long Next… on NCISLA?!

(Place your bets in the Comments below!)

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