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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NCIS 8.16: Computer Games

McGee may at last have a girlfriend, in a relationship that could last.  But the hottest action in NCIS 8.16 was all about computers - ranging from the ones on the table to the big mainframes, and indeed how the power of millions of computers working together can rival or exceed a mainframe's.

Gibbs, as we know, is no fan of computers, and pulls the plug out from one on his desk after it aggravates him one time too many at the beginning of this episode.  I can sympathize with Gibbs especially today: the battery of my MacBook is caput, I've ordered a new one, but meanwhile the magnetic plug isn't as strong as it used to be and it's falling out far too often.

But back to NCIS, Gibbs' anger at his computer turns out to be just the appetizer to what he'll be feeling about computers before this story is over.  It seems that someone - who shows up at NCIS to help with their computers - has really been using distributive computing (getting millions of desktops and laptops to work in tandem) to engineer a powerful attack on the Pentagon's computer that will destroy all of its data.

McGee's new just-about-girlfriend comes into play because she's a master video-gamer, which (in addition to her looks) makes her appealing to McGee.   And the feeling is mutual - but will she survive the night?

This was an episode with happy endings, including McGee making moves like in a computer game to get Gibbs out of a deadly situation (which had the good effect for Tony and Ziva of keeping them stuck in a room for hours), but Gibbs having the pleasure, when McGee's moves fall a little short (because the computer he's up against is a little too sophisticated), of shooting the computer out of the misery it was set to deal out.

Whether we've made progress or not since the movie War Games and its apocalyptic computer being impervious to pulling the plug and more graphic physical remedies, it was still good to see Gibbs taking these digital matters into his own no nonsense hands.

See also NCIS Back in Season 8 Action ... NCIS 8.2: Interns! ... NCIS 8.3: Tiff! ... NCIS 8.4: Gary Cooper not John Wayne ... NCIS 8.5: Dead DJ, DiNozzo Hoarse, and Baseball ... NCIS 8.6: The Written Woman ... NCIS 8.7: "James Bond Movie Directed by Fellini" ... NCIS 8.8: Ziva's Father 
... NCIS 8.9: Leon's Story ... NCIS 8.10: DiNozzo In and Out ... NCIS 8.11: "The Sister Went Viral" ... Bob Newhart on NCIS 8.12 ... NCIS 8.13: The Wife or the Girlfriend ... NCIS 8.14: Kate ... NCIS 8.15: McGee and DiNozzo's Badges

And see also NCIS  ... NCIS 7.16: Gibbs' Mother-in-Law Dilemma ... NCIS 7.17: Ducky's Ties ... NCIS 7.18: Bogus Treasure and Real Locker ... NCIS 7.21: NCIS Meets Laura ... NCIS Season 7 Finale: Retribution




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2 comments:

Ms. Kathleen said...

That was one great show... Enjoyed every minute of it.

Paul Levinson said...

Me too - thanks for the comment!

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