Sententiae Draconis

I first started watching NCIS LA because of my love for NCIS, and I figured that any team that can make a spin-off that is still going strong after 7 seasons deserves a chance. It's not a Don Bellisario production and it kind of shows. But I still like it.

NCIS LA's premise is nowhere near as believable as the original NCIS and there are loads of episodes where I can't really suspend my disbelief. But I kind of love the characters. This is something that grew on me. One of the things I loved about NCIS was that I fell in love with the characters right off the bat back when they were first introduced on JAG, and I always liked that even small roles got to have cool and quirky personality traits. It's taken NCIS LA a little longer to get to that point.

I think that they tried to start too big with NCIS LA. They had so many characters to start off with that you couldn't really get to know any of them within the first few episodes. (Compare once again with NCIS where they had three main characters to start off with and two recurring sidebar characters and expanded into having 7 or 8 over many years.) But even so I think characters are one of the only things they do right on this show.

Which is of course why I'm still watching it. (Because when asked to choose between character and plot I'd pick character 100% of the time.)

I love the old married couple banter between Callen and Sam (whether it's slashy or not they are totally an old married couple, some of their dialogue could be given to a couple verbatim and no one would notice). I like how Kensi has developed into more than just the token female (which I was worried about at the beginning). I like how they got rid of Dom (he just wasn't useful to the story and they didn't have the time to make him interesting in his own right) and I really wish they'd do the same with Nate. I'm also rather fond of the new guy, Deeks.

But my favourite is Hetty. She is so bad ass. I love how short she is and how much power she has anyway. Her tea and her mystery and her personal connections with absolutely everyone important ever.

Also - from this week's episode when Callen and Kensi are going to a club - "If they play Lady Gaga, dance one for me."

She is cool times ten and totally shouldn't be.

So NCIS LA - I would appreciate it if you would be a little more believable. I understand that you won't do that, so please keep up the good work re: character development. 'Cause that's really all you've got going at the moment.

I had an exam this afternoon, so to reward myself I watched a lot of television on the actual television (not just the internet - I know, Shocking). There was a new House episode and a new NCIS tonight and I really enjoyed both of them.

The odd thing was that both had to do with father issues for the main character. House also had Wilson issues, and Gibbs hometown issues, but it was weird that the episodes were so similar in the initial premise.

Of course now I want to read a fanfic about why Gibbs didn't want Tony to meet his father (beyond the fact that Tony is annoying and nosy even at the best of times). It was one of those episodes that felt like they didn't have enough time to properly tell the whole story, so they just left some bits out. On the up-side, because it's NCIS they actually kept a lot of the character development. But I want MORE dammit! More.

I mean, I'm not demanding or anything.

So the past while I've been spending my time watching cool TV with my brother. J's great for my TV watching habits because though he's not as into it as I am he's good at suggesting shows that I might like (for example Stargate) and he takes advantage of my obsessions to be able to see the shows that he likes whenever we're in the same city. It's almost assured that whenever I go visiting him at his place, or he comes to mine that sooner or later he'll ask, "So, do you have any more House episodes that I haven't seen?" or "What about NCIS?" And then we'll watch whatever new episodes I have downloaded, laugh at mostly the same bits and have a good time. So here's a bunch of my reactions to all the things that I've been watching lately (mostly with J, but not all of them). There will be mild spoilers in these musings.

( House M.D. )

( NCIS )

( Supernatural )

( Rome )

( Scrubs )

( due South )

So yeah, I like my tv. Actually it's really just stories that I have ridiculous love for. And it's so easy to get good TV these days. It's amazing. I love DVDs. Scarily enough there are actually other shows that I could mention (like Torchwood, and Dr Who and also how much I want more Jeeves and Wooster) but I think this might be enough insanity for the day.

(And if you;re thinking about watching any of these shows I highly recommend them! I bet you couldn't figure that one out on your own. :P)

It turns out that I can always rely on you to tell me when I should be downloading new episodes of the shows I love. All I have to do is wake up in the morning and read my friend's list in order to remind me that hey, House played last night, or apparently last night was also the first episode of NCIS season 4!

Anyway, thanks all. Much love and not kisses because I'm sick, but mental kisses. Yes.

Also the Rugby Rookie party did not kill me, nor am I especially hungover, just tired and slightly dehydrated. I'll write a more detailed post later, but right now I'm going to shower, remove the marker from my arms and face and then do my homework for the two classes I have this afternoon.

I have been so very not on LJ lately that it feels kinda weird, you know? And this time it's not just that I haven't posted it's also that I haven't been reading my friends list (which makes me feel like a bad friend... or something). Anyway I'd like to blame this problem on two things 1. Work, where I am sans internet and cum much free time. And 2. phiremangston. It's all your fault that I started and have become woefully addicted to NCIS. I'm halfway through the third season already, I can't help myself (and don't really want to). The characters are love! All of them. And that doesn't happen everyday.

Anyway some other cool things are happening. This time next week I fully expect to be hung-over on legally aquired alcohol. That's right, I'll be 19 in a week and I'm really excited!(!!!) Also this morning I got a letter from Jamie that has written on the back "DO NOT [underlined and with squiggly lines around it for emphasis] OPEN UNTIL YOUR BIRTH DAY". And now my fingers are just itching to get at it.

Must go distract myself by watching more NCIS...