NCIS: “Power Down” – Review
Review, Television | Gerald So | November 18, 2009 at 8:54 am
During a blackout across three states, the team must solve the murder of a Navy lieutenant who was more than she appeared to be.
This was an episode for anyone who thinks today’s crime dramas rely too heavily on computers and high-tech forensics. It reminded me how fortunate NCIS is to have Mark Harmon and David McCallum playing the older characters Gibbs and Ducky, who did their jobs perfectly well before the advent of computers. Meanwhile, McGee, DiNozzo, Abby, and Ziva showed how dependent the younger generation has become.
The murdered Lt. Paxton supposedly worked for Armed Forces Entertainment, booking acts to entertain the troops overseas, yet she was found after a break-in at an internet service provider. Tracing a tire track found at the scene, the team finds a storage container full of weapons and fake passports for Lt. Paxton and her husband.
I’m not sure the main task of determining Paxton’s loyalties was made more difficult directly because of the power outage, but the outage did enhance the feeling of being “in the dark.” Even after Lt. Paxton was found to be an undercover NSA agent with backdoor access around most iris scanners, no one was sure whether she had used her access to betray her country.
Some may call the blackout a gimmick plot, but after a string of episodes driven by character history, I welcomed one driven by plot, revealing character quirks we haven’t seen and wouldn’t see under normal conditions. As someone who welcomes power outages as chances to test my own dependence, I loved the concept, and likewise enjoyed how the team caught Paxton’s killer: making him believe the power had come back on.
In closing, NCIS creator Don Bellisario has said the show’s humor reminded him of his most famous series, Magnum P.I. “Power Down” proved that NCIS could indeed pull off the feel of an old-school crime drama.
Tags: CBS, Mystery, NCIS
Tweet This
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it
RSS Feed
