# NCIS: Los Angeles - I tried to like it, I really did.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 24, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428 "2009-09-24T23:02:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/21 "2009-09-26T04:41:05Z")
Watching it from the beginning online. Linda Hunt? I LOVE Linda Hunt! LL and Chris? I’ve HEARD of them! Rocky Carroll? I like him, but don’t trust him.
Except it’s opposite “Nova.” It’s still dead to me.
Oh, I see Chrysler is still supplying the cars.
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### Author:  [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/22 "2009-09-26T17:51:04Z")
What happened to the blonde boss they had in the pilot? I didn’t really LOVE her, but it was weird she was there and now she’s not.
I don’t really understand why it’s all so secret, so they are NCIS, so what?
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### Author:  [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/23 "2009-09-27T02:28:23Z")
> [@Poysyn](#):
>
> I don’t really understand why it’s all so secret, so they are NCIS, so what?
I think it’s some kind of undercover ops/intel unit.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/24 "2009-09-27T14:26:45Z")
A secret location is kinda silly, isn’t it? That’s superhero stuff. Why hide the location?
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### Author:  [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/25 "2009-09-27T20:00:24Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#):
>
> I love the original NCIS so I was really looking forward to the spin-off. It just didn’t grab me. The characters were blah and the plot boring. What did everyone else think?
Part of my problem was parsing equivalencies to NCIS.
[ul]
[li]It wasn’t clear to me who headed up the operation at NCISLA. Linda Hunt’s character was obviously an authority, but I didn’t get the impression that she was the same kind of authority as Rocky Carroll. If Linda Hunt is the head of operations, she should be a star, not a special guest star. [/li]
[li]And who is the Mark Harmon analogue? The office doesn’t seem to have the structure that you see on NCIS.[/li][/ul]
Also, it seemed to me that they hired two “name” stars who have more going for them than any possible boss. I don’t like that possibility.
Finally, the season opener of NCIS was pretty dramatic if over the top. It would be tough to compete with that. Plus the niece? They couldn’t have made her a more obvious object of leverage. The natural father was a bit of a surprise.
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### Author:  [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/26 "2009-09-28T14:01:05Z")
And the final fight scene? pathetic?
I hated the whole phone call thing - “He’s not really dead!”
Geez-louise!
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### Author:  [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/27 "2009-09-30T02:48:56Z")
Much better ep. tonight than the pilot. I expect we’ll see some more “character establishment” eps. this season. The joking/repartee still seems forced; I attribute this to actors who haven’t yet worked into their roles, and writers haven’t yet learned to write to the particular actor’s strengths.
Linda Hunt still rules the roost, though.
“No, I just made up those amusing anecdotes to make you feel better.”
I initially thought they were an undercover-type special ops/investigative unit, which would kinda explain the secret digs. Now I’m less sure, as this night’s ep. seemed a straight-up investigative/law enforcement kind of thing.
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### Author:  [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/28 "2009-09-30T13:43:54Z")
I tried again to like it because I was too lazy to find something else to watch between the **real** NCIS and The Good Wife. Meh.
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/29 "2009-09-30T13:50:44Z")
I have to disagree with **ExTank**.
Real Navy Seals don’t act like wounded 7th graders if somebody questions whether another Navy Seal has gone bad. LL’s pouting and tantrums were pathetic.
The one scene were Linda Hunt walks in the room while LL is hitting the bag had me laughing. Her criticisms of him almost seemed like a criticism of the writing level. Kind of like an, “Aw come on. You guys have to be kidding to write this badly”.
I just don’t think the main characters are developing in the right direction. And the stark contrast made apparent by the previous NCIS show is glaring.
Consider Mark Harmon - His portrayal of a Marine is dead on while LL looks like an actor trying to portray a Boy Scout who’s trying to look like a Navy Seal.
I’m going to give this one more view and if it shows no improvement its gone. There’s just not enough Linda Hunt scenes to hold my attention.
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### Author:  [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/30 "2009-09-30T14:22:57Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#):
>
> I have to disagree with **ExTank**.
I don’t think we’re so much in disagreement, as much as we’re cutting the new show different levels of “slack.” I see some pretty good potential with the ensemble cast/characters, so I’m cutting it a lot more slack in the hope it will develop into something more watchable.
I dropped _Fringe_ halfway through the debut ep., as its premise held no special appeal for me to overlook what I thought were annoying characters (I did like the older, loopy scientist guy, but that was about it; I wanted to pop the cocky young guy in the nose every time he opened his mouth) and bad writing.
All-in-all, your criticisms are valid.
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### Author:  [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-los-angeles-i-tried-to-like-it-i-really-did/511428/31 "2009-10-01T11:58:56Z")
I don’t think even Linda Hunt can keep this going for me. Basically, it is posturing not acting when any of the younger set is on the screen.
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