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Did they just kill Charlie One?!

No! Come on!

I liked him! What the heck?

Kate – my dear sweet Kate – you’re going on a covert, not at all sanctioned mission with Tennant. Why did you bring so many bags? Why?

Swift. The minute you started coming after Tennant, I thought to myself, well, he’s in on it. I don’t like you.

Ernie, Lucy, Jesse, Kai, you’re all very sweet. But this is some CIA superspy level shit Tennant is knee-deep in. She needs Reese from Person of Interest and Michael from Burn Notice. It’s not personal guys, I love you, but this is a little different from the normal murders you investigate.

So much to cover!

Let’s dive in.

Okay, let’s start with something that’s bugging me. Everyone freaking out that this isn’t Tennant, she wouldn’t ditch her team.

She totally would.

Let me explain.

Person of Interest and Burn Notice are two of my favorite shows, centering around spies Reese and Michael. Guess what? When shit hits the fan, these two tend to take off and work alone. They leave behind friends and family to keep them safe and out of the way while they handle things.

Tennant was CIA.

The Tennant we watch every week is NCIS. A mom. A solid leader of her family. She’s the rock. She knows when she hires people, she wants them to be part of her family.

What we don’t know, not really, is who Tennant was before, when she worked for the CIA. We’ve seen glimpses and heard tidbits. But not seen it. Until now.

In Burn Notice, Michael does a voiceover. He says in one episode, spies give up the idea of fair fights and working with teams because they can never really trust anyone. Even after seven years of working with the same two people, Michael still finds working and trusting others hard.

In my mind, it’s easy to see Tennant the same way.

Even though she’s led and successfully worked with this team, she’s up against an unknown. Something from her CIA days is haunting her and she won’t let it hurt her family.

So she leaves them behind.

She handcuffs Kate.

She breaks information down to compartmentalize it, only giving pieces to people.

She encourages her team and everyone to follow the rules while she breaks them.

That’s what she did. She had one lifeline. Maggie. That’s it. Everyone else around her was an enemy. No friends, no family, and no one to trust. She works alone and knows how to get out of tight spaces.

She reminded me of Michael in this episode.

I actually think it was amazing.

And I think Tennant actively tried to avoid her former life in her new one at NCIS. She wanted to forge bonds and roots. Something she’s never had a whole lot of before. Her whole life now is an opposite of what she used to be when she worked in the CIA.

I don’t think it was out of character at all. I think it was a new facet we have never seen before.

Also, as for handcuffing Kate.

In Burn Notice, Michael has handcuffed, tricked, or lied to his loved ones to keep them out of it before. Honestly, at least Tennant tried to give her food, that’s more than I ever saw Michael manage.

Onto Kate!

I think it was last week’s episode I said that Kate had come into Tennant’s life as a new friend and confident right as Maggie was ripped away.

I feel like I should have put money on that.

In no way shape or form did I expect Maggie to reappear right after I said that. It made me chuckle to see my theory play out a bit.

Kate was the person Tennant trusted with all the dirty secrets.

Why?

Kate is former DIA.

Her entire job at one point was to protect the dirty secrets. She probably still has clearance and unlike Ernie, she’s more rational.

BUT.

I also think there’s a bit more to it.

Tennant trusts Kate differently than the rest of the team.

Tennant knows beyond a shadow of a doubt, the others would follow her anywhere to help her. But she doesn’t want them to. They’re her adopted family and she thinks she has to protect them from who she used to be.

She doesn’t have to do this with Kate.

Kate already knows.

In episode six of season one, Kate and Tennant have a standoff over Kayla Barlow. In it, Kate says, “You of all people know why I can’t.”

Indicating to me, at least, that Kate has knowledge of Tennant’s past in the CIA. Something that is revealed to Kai in the same episode. But Kate’s not on the team, like Kai, so why does she know?

She’s DIA. She has all the secrets. She can probably read Tennant’s file whenever she wants.

I feel like Kate did her homework on Tennant before they started working together. She knows all about her past and still respects Tennant deeply.

And Tennant respects her.

Tennant always treats her like an equal. A friend. Family.

It’s not the same as the relationship she had with Maggie, but it certainly has taken it’s place.

Tennant knows Kate doesn’t see her differently, despite knowing her past. Knowing, she may do things that make Kate’s stomach turn.

What was interesting to me, is that Tennant agrees to Kate’s terms and barely seems to utilize Kate once they’re there. In fact, she handcuffs her.

Why?

I kept thinking it over and over.

I don’t think Tennant expected how she was going to feel having Kate with her.

It’s not like Maggie. Even though this friendship may have taken it’s place, it’s not the same.

Maggie doesn’t hesitate to break rules, to kill, to lie, or cheat. It doesn’t matter as long as the end is the what she wants.

Kate’s not like that.

Kate is rational. Rule focused. Loyal. And stubborn in the same way as Tennant.

Tennant needed to slip back into being the person she was at the CIA. But with Kate at her side, she couldn’t. Kate reminded her of the person she’s become. The people who love her.

So, she left the reminder behind.

I think she would have brought Kate with her, if Kate hadn’t pushed so hard.

And I was disappointed we didn’t get to see Kate be the badass we know she can be. I was really hoping she was the one who was going to show up and help Tennant. Not Charlie One.

Although, I do like Charlie and I’m sad for his sudden death. That was unexpected. But it definitely raised the stakes going into the final episode of the season.

Other thoughts!

I don’t like Swift. And I’m not convinced that he’s not in on it.

Lucy attempting to cheer on Kate was stupid funny. Kate is not stupid, nor is she beyond adapting. I think she’ll manage. It came off so much more like a worried girlfriend which I loved.

It was so cute that Lucy was concerned for her girlfriend in the middle of everything.

Ernie trying to wheedle information out of Tennant was good, but she would never.

Their little kitchen meeting was hilarious and ridiculous. So was Ernie’s metaphor. Man, was that terrible. Only Commander Chase would have gotten it, I swear.

All in all, it was a good episode.

Although, I hope the finale tops it!

I want to see Kate help Tennant! Please!

I’m excited for next week! Are you?

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