Wednesday, June 18, 2008

NCIS: Dog Tags (Season S)


Season 5 of NCIS hasn't exactly lived up to the high standards of the previous seasons - characters such as DiNozzo, Ducky and Abby are often being sidelined while the plots are recycling elements of the past. Rumour has it that a shake-up is in the wings and hopefully that will bring back some of the lost glossof the series. Until then, however, we do get a relatively original episode centering around Abby and a dog accused of murder.

Dog Tags sees the team in the middle of an operation that goes somewhat wrong when the suspect turns up dead apparently killed by his own dog. As in traditional fashion we are presented with a range of potential killers, mostly being the team our deceased victim flew with, but also some of the other dog handlers. As as Abby episode, she of course gets to take center stage when she becomes attached to the dog and is unable to hand if back to the Navy for its execution - by another handler who appears to develop a thing for McGee.

It's not particularly hard to work out who the killer is, especially if you've fallowed NCIS at all. What's most important about this episode though is we again get the chance to see Abby leave her lab and actually do some work in re field. As usual, we also get to see more of the somewhat unusual relationship between Gibbs and Abby. This episode, though, it felt more paternal than usual (although Abby's naming of the dog and her reasons behind doing so are more suggestive).

Following on from last weeks episode is the blossoming storyline about to Shepard's test results. Where, exactly, this story will lead remains to be seen; though the more obvious story wc does actually show some originality and is a welcome device.

"B+"

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