NCIS Season 8 Finale

An excellent finale for NCIS season 8 tonight - even if the much-heralded second death proved to be someone who was pretty clearly killed last week.   Any death of a good guy is bad, notable news, but Special Agent Levin - whom we just became aware of a few episodes ago, as a member of E. J.'s team - was clearly the least known member of NCIS operations (though it was good to see Alimi Ballard, last seen on Numb3rs, back on the screen).   This is why I don't like spoilers, and should try harder to steer completely clear of them.

The story tonight was nonetheless outstanding.   Each scene carried a shock or surprise.   Even the angry-turned-tender moment between Abby and McGee was memorable.    Other good surprises included E.J. the SecNav's niece and not dead (I've grown to like her), Ziva taken prisoner by Cobb (rare to see her taken prisoner by anyone), and back to E.J., removing some kind chip or transponder or whatever from Levin's wrist (I'm still not clear what that is or why she removed it - maybe it will be explained next year).

I thought, when Palmer was in the elevator with E.J. and Cobb, that Palmer's might be the death disclosed in the spoilers, and I'm glad it wasn't.  I was sure, though, as soon as that elevator door closed, that Cobb was going to break out and take someone along with him.

In the end, Mike Franks, who left us last week, is more than a big enough loss to end this season.  He was a unique character on this show - as only a former boss of Gibbs could be - and, trite as it to say, he will be missed (trite because it's true).

Good set up, too, for next year's season.  Clearly DiNozzo isn't the one selling information.  And likely not Leon either.  That leaves ... well, you know who, and I'll see you here this Fall with reviews of Season 9.

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 ... NCIS 8.16: Computer Games ... NCIS 8.17: Budget Cuts ... NCIS 8.18: Gibbs vs. the Kid ... NCIS 8.19: The Deadly Book ... NCIS 8.20: CIRay ... NCIS 8.21: Mask and Eye ... NCIS 8.22: "I'd Rather Have a Lead" ... NCIS 8.23: Answers and Questions

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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The Plot to Save Socrates
"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

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Numb3rs

I thought it was long since time to review Numb3rs. The series will resume its 6th season this Friday on CBS - shortened from 22 to 16 episodes, and likely to be canceled, according to industry intelligentsia - which would be a shame. Numb3rs is the only show I know that presents full-fledged mathematical and scientific theories, with a unique cast of engaging characters. Charlie (David Krumholtz) could probably give a pretty good exposition of infinite regress in philosophy and numerical sets, and it would play a decisive role in a life-and-death case that his brother Don (Rob Morrow) and his team were pursuing for the FBI.

The last episode in the Fall - 6.10 - shows how good Numb3rs can be. Don and the team may have a solid lead on the D. B. Cooper case, the most famous unsolved hijacking and robbery on the books. Cooper jumped out of the plane with anywhere from 200,000 to 1,000,000 dollars. Neither he nor most of the money have been found.

Colonel Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan) of Battlestar Galactica plays the presumed Cooper, and the show is worth seeing just for that. But add into that Henry Winkler as a retired cop that Don has had dealings with before, Judd Hirsch as Don and Charlie's father Alan, some unresolved issues over the Vietnam War, and you have a pretty fine, even riveting, hour of television.

In fact, I think the show has been improving over the years, and this season is the best yet. David (Alimi Ballard) and Colby's (Dylan Bruno) have become more clearly defined, Charlie's fiance Amit (Navi Rawat) is looking better than ever and has a more prominent role in the cases, and the music is great. Dylanesque Blitzen Trapper had the closing song - Furr - for 6.10.

Numb3rs also has memorable occasional supporting characters. In addition to Henry Winkler, Lou Diamond Phillips checks in as Agent Ian Edgerton a few times each year, and was the focus of one of the best episodes of the series - "Hostage" - in the Fall.

About the only ingredient Numb3rs lacks is a female agent as captivating and powerful as Ziva on NCIS. The women agents have been good, but they've been transferred in and out at least three or four times in the series, and their stories therefore have not been told as well as David's and Colby's.

But this is a small tick in what is otherwise a highly original, exciting, and enjoyable series. I know that ratings are king, Numb3rs has not had the numbers this year, and six years is a respectable, excellent run, but I hope CBS continues the series. I'll certainly be reviewing every episode starting this Friday and from now on.

Meanwhile, here's a little of Blitzen Trapper's Furr ...

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The Plot to Save Socrates

"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

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