Reviewer Rating: 4.8/5.0
4.8
Who doesn’t love watching Jessica Knight in action before Thanksgiving, or anytime?
If there was a poster child for bad guys, Jesse would be it. In NCIS Season 22 Episode 6, she proved that she’s not only a badass, but also the team’s MVP.
Add in this week’s mob case, and you’ve got the ultimate holiday appetizer.
I absolutely love a good gangster story and this one did not disappoint. Well, mostly. But let’s dig a little deeper.
Jesse struck me as a man who could handle anything—terrorists, thugs, even a night of drinking.
So when Torres becomes obsessed with her “mystery jacket” after accompanying her as a plus the night before, it feels like a desperate attempt to stir up drama.
Jesse has no idea where it comes from (or maybe she knows but just doesn’t want to share), but Torres and McGee’s amateur sleuthing is laughable at best.
At one point, Parker, the adult in the room, gave them a minute of indifference and then stopped their ramblings.
Don’t get me started on Torres recruiting Jimmy into this mess.
What happened to these people? Are they so tired of their dating app shenanigans that they have to ask Jesse about his love life?
For the record, Jess could date an actuary, a bass player, or whoever she wanted. These clowns should be focusing on their jobs instead of acting like middle school gossip queens.
Jesse deserves better, period. This is not Jimmy or Torres.
While the boys are busy with their playground antics, Jesse and Melinda Martin do the real work.
High-strung and demanding, Melinda is a nightmare, labeling Jesse a “useless agent” within minutes of meeting her.
But Jesse, ever the professional, kept her calm.
Melinda’s unhappy marriage and “arrangement” with cheating husband Freddie didn’t help matters.
Freddie is a defense contractor who finds himself in trouble when a fun night out with his girlfriend Sheila turns deadly.
Sheila shoots an alleged intruder, but it soon becomes apparent that this was no random break-in. After a botched kidnapping of Melinda, Jesse is tasked with protecting the high-maintenance socialite.
Melinda isn’t just a handful—she’s a tornado of chaos.
Between lectures about saving “eggs” and dragging Jesse to her tennis club after her “makeover,” Melinda somehow dropped enough crumbs to reveal her true identity.
It turns out Melinda Martin doesn’t exist. Her real name? April Day (sounds like a character from a horror movie). And her past? Ties to the Kansas City mob – because she married the son of a mob boss, who is now dead.
I love a good gangster story, and this one has all the makings of a classic: a matriarch, a dead husband, and secrets buried deeper than the gangster’s coffers.
Kansas City mob matriarch Carla Marino is searching for her granddaughter, but April/Melinda gave the girl up for adoption early on to protect her from the mob’s control.
Of course, this gangster drama wouldn’t be complete without some twists and turns.
Melinda locks Jesse in a panicked room, only to be kidnapped. But Jess, being the badass that she is, doesn’t let little things like steel bars stop her.
She turns panic room surveillance to a tactical advantage, joining forces with the rest of the team to rescue Melinda.
Of course, by the time Torres and McGee hit the scene, Jesse had already taken down the thugs.
Melinda even joins in the fight, proving that all her sass may not be in vain.
Let’s not forget Parker. Unlike the boys, he’s ready to support Jesse without any drama when Kara shows up at the flower shop to kidnap her granddaughter.
Their pairing shines in this episode – Parker and Jesse make a great team, and he’s one of the few who doesn’t underestimate her.
The Kansas City gangster sidekick is a nice touch, even if TV has a habit of exaggerating things. But what about the Kansas City mob? They don’t exist anymore, so I guess it’s a safe story.
Still, it’s interesting that Kansas City is getting so much attention; even the Tulsa Kings have a Kansas City storyline.
One thing is for sure, though: the KC Mob were a pretty violent bunch in their heyday.
They were associated with the Chicago Unit, which some historians consider to be a “satellite” crew of the Chicago Unit. But in reality, the KC mob has its own seat on the committee (created by Lucky Luciano), so this is controversial.
Carla Marino as a female gangster? Not in America. Even in its dying days, American gangsters don’t act this way.
Of course, if this were Italy, we’d be talking about a completely different story – as we all know, the women of Camorra are in power. But what about in Kansas City? No.
What’s going on with Casey’s claim that the mob is stealing kidneys? This is pure cartel nonsense.
Mob stuff aplenty, but organ trafficking? Not their style. Still, it’s fun to see NCIS dabble in organized crime, even if the details are a little confusing.
The episode ends with a bittersweet twist. Jesse reunites Melinda with her daughter in a move that feels more like Thanksgiving than any turkey dinner.
Melinda’s story of sacrifice and survival adds depth to an otherwise simple case. And Jesse, the bad guy, not only saves the world, but also wins a friend.
This episode hits the right notes: action, drama, humor, and heartfelt moments. Jessie is the star, proving once again why she is one of the best characters on the show.
Torres and McGee need to stop their shenanigans, but Parker continues to prove he’s the boss we deserve.
While I could ramble on about gang history all day long, suffice it to say: Kansas City’s gang may be long gone, but their stories could still make for great television. Let’s leave the kidney theft thing to the drug cartel drama, shall we?
Jesse Knight? A total badass. This episode? A solid win.
Final notes:
- I thought it would be interesting to see Parker working for the FBI and dealing with the mob, especially considering Gary Cole is from Chicago. A nice match, isn’t it?
- “We should totally do this in the panic room.” That will always live in my mind. Why? Because “This is like a James Bond movie.” I just can’t.
- Jimmy and Kathy posing with the dead? How lame. They all need to live. NPC, anyone?
Over to you, TV fanatics! What do you think of Knight and Day? Has Torres’ fascination with Jesse’s love life crossed a line? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Watch NCIS Season 22 Online
