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NCIS: Los Angeles Season Eleven Rewatch: “Code of Conduct”

The basics: Reports of the murder of an unarmed prisoner by a SEAL has Callen, Sam and Roundtree in Afghanistan to investigate at the request of Col. Sarah MacKenzie.

Written and directed by: Frank Military wrote/co-wrote "Little Angels", "Deliverance", "Lockup", "The Job", "Greed", "Betrayal", "Crimeleon", "Vengeance", "Out of the Past" Part One, "Rude Awakenings" Part Two, season four’s finale "Descent", season five’s premiere "Ascension", "Allegiance", "Spoils of War", "Black Budget", SEAL Hunter", "Rage", "Unspoken", "Unlocked Mind", "Revenge Deferred", "The Seventh Child", "Crazy Train", "Uncaged", "The Silo", "Monster", "Line in the Sand", season ten opener "To Live and Die in Mexico", "The Patton Project", "Better Angels" and "False Flag" (the season 11 finale) and "A Bloody Brilliant Plan".

Frank Military directed "Spoils of War", "Rage", "The Seventh Child", "Uncaged", "A Line in the Sand" and "To Live and Die in Mexico" – all episodes he wrote – and "Answers" which he did not.

Guest stars of note: Catherine Bell opens and closes season 11 as Marine Lieutenant Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, Caleb Castille returns as FBI Special Agent Devin Rountree from “Fortune Favors the Brave”, Don Wallace is back from “Alsiyadun” as Senior Chief Frank Wallace. Myk Watford appears as Petty Officer William Moffat though he played Mike Hoffman, Astrid's dad in "The Fifth Man" in season five. Juan Riedinger as Navy Chief Petty Officer Thomas Argento, T.J. Linnard as Special Officer First Class Adam Barr, Kendall Johnson as Special Warfare Operator First Class Malcolm Kendricks, Myk Watford as Navy Petty Officer William Moffat, Ali Saam as Khalil, Arshia Mandavi as Jawan Yusufi, Chris Lamica as Navy Petty Officer Second Class Michael Cole, Marshall Manesh as Older Afghan Man and Sumeet Dang as Yusufzai.

Our heroes: Team up with Mac to end the season.

What important things did we learn about:

Callen: Let the paperwork pile up while he was away. Sam: A federal police officer looking for justice for Samer and his dad. Kensi: Horrified. Deeks: Outraged. Eric: Found Argento’s team. Nell: Not around. Hetty: Ibid.

What not so important things did we learn about:

Callen: Wants to know if he has to endure constant teasing because he has a girlfriend. Sam: Plans to tease Callen constantly because Callen has a girlfriend. Kensi: Not today. Deeks: Not today. Eric: Has not seen or spoken to Nell. Nell: See Hetty. Hetty: Absent.

Who's down with OTP: Not that type of episode.

Who's down with BrOTP: See above.

Any pressing need for a young FBI Agent: Well, there is one and he’s really green to quote Sam from “Knock Down” two episodes before.

Who is running the team this week? The team is running itself but Deeks is more assertive here than usual, especially since this is a 100% military story.

Fashion review: Blue plaid shirt for Callen to start the episode. Sam begins the episode in a red long-sleeve tee. In Afghanistan, Callen is in a blue long-sleeve sweatshirt, Sam has a military desert green long-sleeve tee. Dark, dark red button down top for Kensi. Blue long-sleeve tee for Deeks with white stitching on the shoulders. Eric is wearing a blue and gold stripped tee-shirt under a blue opened jacket.

Music: No.

Any notable cut scene: There was an end of season mini-doc on the DVD. Season 11 was about the team growing as a family according to Frank Military and questioning their futures. Kensi and Deeks want a family, Eric and Nell have out of office opportunities. “How long do we sacrifice our personal life for the greater good.” The family is growing with Fatima, Roundtree and Katherine.

Hetty groomed Nell to replace her, a storyline they had going on for a long time. Nell was a confidant who knew what Hetty was up to before “the boys” often did according to R. Scott Gemmill. Nell liked the job but found the manipulation of others to be a soul killer. Her mother’s illness gave name a different perspective. Does Nell really want to be Hetty and the loneliness that comes with that?

For Callen, he’s Hetty’s second choice for her job. Is Callen ready to control things from the office and not be in the field? His “lone wolf” style has changed working with Callen, Kensi and Deeks but that doesn’t mean he can run the team according to Gemmill.

Military sees issues with Callen and Anna since this is “TV and drama,” things don’t always last. Callen’s two-week vacation was part of his journey. Finding some comfort in his life away from work is big for Callen. Gemmill said the idea was to give Callen a family, a life outside of work – make him whole for once, according to Gemmill.

Sam is growing too. In mouring, Sam is a thoughtful, serious man, according to Frank Military who needs someone who is strong as he is. Gemmill wanted Katherine to be outside of law enforcement to show Sam the Beverly Hills part of LA and not life on the boat. The program was intentionally slow to find a woman for Sam out of respect for Michelle. It didn’t feel right before season 11.

The concern writing Kensi and Deeks as parents is why are they working when one of them should be home with the kid, according to Military. Why would someone throw themselves on a bomb when they have a child? The journey to have a child will be part of season 12. Going and getting pregnant may not be as easy as they hope.

With Barrett Foa doing a play, they were able to build a storyline they couldn’t do in another season. They would never intentionally give a main character six episodes off if they were available to work. The case adds some authenticity to the reason Eric isn’t around. There was some thought about having Eric just show up was discussed but they knew what Foa could do. Eric Beale on the run was a funny idea for the writers. The program never planned a full Eric episode but they got one out of Foa’s absence.

Adding Fatima and Roundtree “breathes new life” to show for the writers and for the actors. They can mix up the partnerships. After 11-seasons, they are shocked they still have most of the original cast. Everyone gets along on and off camera. The reason the cast hasn’t changed because everything works. Adding to what works has advantage. They also can make things easier for the actors by featuring a different character if a certain actor needs time away. The show is physically demanding. The additional characters offer the actors a break.

Military is also positive on the mentoring aspect of Fatima and Roundtree. Fatima’s dual roles in Ops and in the field makes her fun to write.

The writing team didn’t have a plan for the season – no game plan for a change. In past seasons, they had these plans and things have always gone to hell. There have been so many things that impact the filming with pregnancies, births, deaths. The crew has handled whatever has come along.

Quote: Sam: “You know you're going down, right? Off the record, nothing you've done here has anything to do with being a warrior, a SEAL or an American. You've betrayed everything that the military and the teams stand for.” Argento: “You're never going to convict me.” Sam: “We'll talk after the trial.”

Anything else: In Kandahar, Afghanistan, a US military vehicle pulls up outside of a building. While there is damage to the building, the leader of the US team says the missile strike missed the target – taking the roof off but not much else. Concerned about “live ones” inside, the leader splits his team in half – taking some into the building while others stand guard outside.

Several dead bodies are taken from the building, which did not have any intel the military could use. The leader wants to take a “deer photo” over one of the dead bodies. Two try to skip out but the “Chief” orders them to join. A photo is taken.

With his vacation and “other things taking up” his time, Callen is drowning in case reports and expense forms. Sam is entertained when he learns Callen bought a salad spinner. Roundtree arrives, still excited. He thinks he should be meeting Q from James Bond. Callen thinks that particular day is going to be as exciting as eating rice cakes or as Sam says, as painful as a root canal. It is paperwork day. Callen wants Roundtree set up at a work station to see how good he is at paperwork – test his mettle. Roundtree does not think his mettle needs testing.

Eric arrives with two pieces of news – they have a case and he hasn’t been in contact with Nell. As Callen, Sam and Roundtree make their way to the stairs to Ops, Eric has to turn Roundtree away – this is for Callen and Sam only. On the big screen in Ops is Mac. When Mac orders the room secured, Eric and Fatima lead all of the regulars out of Ops with Eric closing the shutters. Callen and Sam are alone with Mac.

Mac is running point on a delicate case. There are two SEALs making claims against Special Warfare Chief Petty Officer Thomas Argento. Those SEALs are in Los Angeles to speak to Sam specifically - his reputation makes him a legend in the teams. The two SEALs – Operators First Class Kendricks and Barr – claim Argento murdered an injured Taliban prisoner. This is not just against the US Military code, it is an international war crime. Mac signs off, forwarding where Kendricks and Barr are staying. Sam is disturbed – he knows the integrity of those who are SEALs. Callen asks if Sam is ready to go after one of his own. Sam doesn’t answer.

Sam tasks Kensi and Deeks with picking up Kendricks and Barr. They are to be brought to the boat shed. Deeks asks what they should know. Sam tells them that Kendricks and Barr are witnesses in a sensitive case. While they leave, Sam wants to learn about Argento.

Back in Ops, Roundtree is reading Argento’s personnel and service file – married with multiple tours in hots spots – “This guy’s a war hero.” Callen notes Argento’s wife is related to a senator from Virginia. Argento has political connections – not common for a SEAL. Most of Argento’s kills are from his work as a sniper even without official sniper training. Working alone, both Callen and Sam point out that there was no spotter or witnesses for Argento’s kills. This is also rare. Sam says Argento is a warrior willing to give his life for his country. “So are his accusers,” Callen notes.

In the boat shed, Callen, Sam and Roundtree join Kensi and Deeks who found Barr but Kendricks left their hotel. Barr will only speak to “Senior Chief Petty Officer Sam Hanna.” Sam goes into interrogation. When Barr calls Sam “Chief” Sam corrects him – “Agent Hanna.” The two men shake hands and take their proper sides of the interrogation table.

Barr says Sam knows “what happens in the teams stays in the teams” so Barr is breaking a code to come forward. What he is doing goes against everything Barr was taught and believes. When Sam mentions accusing a fellow SEAL of murder, Kensi and Deeks in the main room react – “wow.” Back with Barr, Sam tells him that Kendricks backed out – is Barr still going through with the accusation. An accusation that will destroy the character and career of Argento, that could put him in the brig for life.

Barr isn’t going forward without Kendricks – it is career suicide. Even with Kendricks, Barr knows Argento will never be convicted. It was his hope that other members of their team would follow their lead. Now Barr is alone. Except he’s not talking.

Sam goes back to the others in the main room. Callen is leaving the case up to Sam – “This is your call.” The entire case can go away. Roundtree knows it isn’t his place but if the truth matters. Sam stops Roundtree – “the truth is all that matters Kensi and Deeks are sent to find Kendricks. Sam knows Barr is right – testimony from Barr and Kendricks is not enough for Sam or a court-martial. Callen, Sam and Roundtree are going to Afghanistan. “Afghanistan, Afghanistan?” Roundtree asks. There’s only one, Sam tells him, as he works on getting an insider to help them.

After Kensi gets a room key for Kendricks’s hotel room, Deeks finds the door already opened. He then finds the door slammed in his face and a gun pointed at the back of his head. Kensi defuses the situation to the point where Kendricks invited them in. Argento learned what Barr and Kendricks were doing so he started sending threatening texts including a threat that someone was coming to kill Kendricks. Kensi wants to see the texts. Kendricks has more than threats on a text chain. He also accuses Argento of killing civilians. “The prisoner is just the tip of the iceberg.”

In the main section of the boat shed, Kensi and Deeks are speaking to Barr and Kendricks. Both men will be protected. Neither man cares – they want to speak to Sam. Telling them that Sam is on his way to Afghanistan to talk to Argento’s team, Kensi hopes the two SEALs have faith in Sam’s commitment to the truth. Deeks wants Barr and Kendricks to put the same faith in NCIS – start talking.

The two SEALs agree if they can have immunity. Argento has been murdering civilians for a while. They aren’t talking unless they can protect themselves and their team from being prosecuted. Deeks wants to know how long has this been going on. Kendricks thinks that the point – the team needs immunity.

At Kandahar Airfield, Callen, Sam and Roundtree meet up with Chief Frank Wallace, who was in Kabul when Sam contacted him. Callen asks what Wallace knows. Wallace isn’t speaking in public. In a secure room, Wallace tells Callen, Sam and Roundtree that Argento knows NCIS is investigating him. With connections to “DIA, JAG, everywhere,” as well as the other branches of the military, Argento has a loyal group looking out for him.

Command does not know where Argento’s team is right now, just that they are out in the field. Callen is surprised – what did Argento think, that they would leave. Wallace is a maybe on that. He learned Argento is sure his men are loyal to him. “Which makes them complicit,” Callen says. Roundtree thinks the team is afraid – Argento threatened Barr and Kendricks. Roundtree wants Argento pulled from the field and taken into custody. Sam and Wallace are against that – the SEALs are family. With no sworn statement and the reputation of the SEALs having the highest character, they need to look before they leap.

Intelligence contacts in the area gave Wallace the name of Jawan Yusufi, a young man who saw Argento kill the Taliban prisoner. The four men will look for Yusufi, who works as a merchant in the Kandahar markets and then Argento. Wallace warns NCIS that Argento knows the streets in Kandahar – they need to watch their backs. With his connections in Washington, Argento already knows NCIS is there and looking for him – “probably tracked your flight here.” Callen suggests they turn their trackers off. Sam notifies Ops that they are going off the grid.

Kensi and Deeks are back in Ops, talking to Mac. The immunity request worries Mac – Barr and Kendricks could be part of the killing and now are trying to save themselves. Kensi updates Mac on the threatening texts, leading both her and Deeks to believe they are “on the right side of this.” Deeks tells Mac about the accusations of killing civilians. Mac is going to have to go up the chain of command before immunity can be considered.

In the Kandahar market, Wallace spots Yusufi right around the time Yusufi spots them. When Yusufi runs, Roundtree is right behind him with Callen, Sam and Wallace pulling up the rear. Yusufi runs them into a basement – which is trap. Callen, Sam, Roundtree and Wallace are quickly disarmed. Sam reminds Roundtree he was supposed to look before he leaped.

On the big screen in Ops, Mac tells Kensi and Deeks about the pressure coming to squash the investigation from people “way above” the SecNav’s paygrade. Murder charges against a SEAL would be a big headline and that media attention could change the outcome of an election. Mac is keeping NCIS away from the politics. She can’t, however, grant immunity to Barr or Kendricks. Deeks makes a plea – no immunity, no testimony. Mac is on her way to LA – she isn’t giving Barr and Kendricks a “get out of jail free card” without knowing they’re telling the truth. Deeks thinks if they can talk to Barr and Kendricks off the record, check what they’re saying is true, that will provide Mac all she needs for immunity. Fatima pops up on the big screen – she needs to talk to Kensi and Deeks now.

Working on a computer in Hetty’s second floor office, Fatima tells Kensi and Deeks that Callen and Sam are off the grid. They feared Argento tracking them but promised a call-in every three hours. They’ve missed their last two. Fatima knows they are supposed to be in the Kandahar market. Deeks asks Argento’s location, which is unknown. Callen and Sam would be a lot easier for Argento to find than the Taliban insurgents his SEAL team usually hunts. Fatima asks if Argento would go after “our guys?” Deeks has no idea.

Shackled in the basement, Callen, Sam, Roundtree and Wallace are yelled at by an older, local man speaking Farsi. He is pulled into another room by one of the team’s jailers. Wallace translates – the older man is the father of the prisoner Argento killed. Yusufi tells the older man that an American killed his son. As he leaves, the older man tells NCIS that they’re being turned over to the Taliban and before the Taliban kills them, the older man hopes the team is tortured. Roundtree would be happy for paperwork day.

Sam tells the man running the make-shift prison that they are in Kandahar to hear Yusufi’s story. They want the truth. The jailer says an American killed the man’s son, what does it matter what American did it. “All the difference in the world.” Callen asks to speak to Yusufi. “Tell it to the Taliban,” their captor replies. Sam says their deaths mean there will be no justice for the man or his dead son. It gets no reaction.

In the boat shed, Kensi and Deeks go with an off-the record conversation with Barr and Kendricks which they agree to until they hear they will be separated. Kensi tells them it has to be that way – make sure the stories match with no discrepancies.

The team’s captor brings Yusufi to speak to the team. After the missile attack, he went to the building. Samer, the dead man, was injured but told Yusufi he was OK. That’s when they heard the Americans coming.

In interrogation, Barr tells Kensi about the air strike on a building that was a suspected Taliban location. In the second-floor interrogation room, Kendricks tells Deeks right after the strike, Argento led the SEAL Team into the building. It was Kendricks, Barr, Argento, Moffett, Owens, Cole and Peters according to Barr.

Two of the SEALs - Barr and Kendricks - were giving aid to Samer, according to Yusufi.

Telling Kensi they found a man who said he was cleric and a member of the Taliban, Barr said the man needed help. Kendricks tells Deeks the cleric’s name was Samer. Barr was looking to place a tourniquet on the man’s leg while he packed a wound to his left thigh. Kendricks confirms that Barr asked him to sedate Samer while Barr tended to his leg wound. Deeks wants to clarify – Samer was sedated. Kendricks said Samer was given a big dose of morphine, makes it feel like twilight sleep.

After Barr was able to pack the wound, Kensi confirms Samer was going to be alright. Kendricks did the same to Argento. The plan was to put the man in the Humvee when Argento ordered Kendricks out of the room.

Yusufi says “the American leader” knelt down next to Samer.

Barr tells Kensi Argento ordered him to turn off his vest camera. He told everyone to turn off their cameras. When the cameras were turned off, Argento took out his hunting knife.

Samer was stabbed “over and over” by Argento according to Yusufi.

Comparing Argento’s movements to a sewing machine, Barr thinks Samer was stabbed “maybe eight times.” Deeks asks Kendricks for an estimate – how many times did Argento stab Samer. “Six or eight” was Kendricks’s answer. He calls it crazy. Yusufi calls it terrible.

Kendricks asked “What the hell are you doing?” to Argento. His answer to Kendricks, and the answer Barr confirmed was “doing what we do.” Barr is stunned – they saved Samer. Samer could have provided intel. Argento just wanted the kill – another body for his tally.

Yusufi was stunned. The Americans he dealt with in the past were always good to him. When his father’s truck broke down, two American soldiers repaired it. Samer was just lying down and was killed. Samer’s father is weeping as Sam offers his condolences.

Barr talks about the “deer photo” from the teaser. Kendricks says a SEAL that wasn’t with the team that day heard from Argento about the “good kill” he got with his hunting knife. Back to Barr, Argento was selling the story as if it was a fight when Samer was a sedated prisoner.

This wasn’t the first time, Kendricks tells Deeks. Cole, one of the other SEALs, spoke about seeing Argento shoot a random civilian from a sniper’s perch. Barr has the same story of an “old man” Argento killed. Kendricks said the man was running away as other members of the team saw Argento do it. Barr brings up a teen girl walking with some friends – he saw this with his own eyes. Argento just murdered the girl as she walked through a market. “Shot her for no reason. Why would somebody do that? Why do any of it?” Kensi does not have an answer for Barr.

Back in the office, Mac is set up in Hetty’s upstairs office. Kensi and Deeks tell her about the off-the-record conversations with Barr and Kendricks. Everything about their stories matches. The murder of the old man and the young girl had “no strategic or tactical motivation.” Asked by Mac if they believed the men, Deeks answers “every word of it.”

Kensi doesn’t see Argento as a SEAL – his action caused him to lose his trident. Deeks calls Argento a serial killer. Mac understands. Add in the threats, that’s are obstruction. The political pressure on this case is immense. Argento’s wife is the cousin of a US Senator. Kensi doesn’t fear reprisal. Mac doesn’t either but everyone needs to know what bringing charges will mean.

With Barr and Kendricks standing up to Argento – “as should we,” Kensi tells Mac – Deeks wants them on the record with immunity. If this is done wrong, it is Kensi’s career, Mac’s career and likely the future of the OSP.

Callen asks Yusufi if there was a reason to stab Samer. No, he was unconscious. Even the other American were upset and asked why Samer was stabbed. Callen realizes the other SEALs were not a party to the murder. Samer’s father disagrees – they were a party to the murder because they didn’t stop it. Samer’s father thinks all Americans are guilty. By having Sam and company killed, justice will be served for his son. An eye for an eye.

Callen talks about convicting the killer putting him in jail for life. In Farsi, Sam says he is part of the federal police. He is there to find Samer’s killer. Samer’s father spits on the ground by Sam’s feet. The man running the capture is calling a meeting to decide the team’s fate.

Argento and his men pull up outside of the building where Callen, Sam, Roundtree and Wallace are being held. Argento goes alone to the back of the building. He has an informant waiting for some money info about who is in the basement. Once paid, the informant talks about the three black men and one white man in the basement.

Returning to his men, Argento talks about the eight to twelve heavily armed Taliban insurgents in the basement. He claims the insurgents have AKs and rocket-propelled grenades. “Let’s hit ‘em hard, smoke ‘em out.” If the insurgents don’t surrender, Argento will call in for a missile strike. His final recommendation is to shoot first, ask questions later because nobody is getting out alive.

Fatima tells Kensi, Deeks and Mac that the team missed their third check-in, should there be a search for them. Deeks thinks Argent will use to the search to find them. He found the different Special Forces teams patrolling this part of Afghanistan and there’s only one that’s “gone black.” On the big screen is a satellite look at Argento’s men outside the building where the team is being held. Fatima says the building is just two blocks from where Callen, Sam, Roundtree and Wallace were working. Deeks thinks Mac should and Mac finishes his sentence – she’s ordering a Marine quick response team to the location. He wants Argento’s team pulled from the field.

While the men holding the team are speaking, Sam is trying to listen but can’t really hear. Callen asks how Roundtree is enjoying his time with OSP. Roundtree talks about his first day nearly being blown up – that gets a “you’re welcome” from Sam – and now he’s about to be beheaded. “Beats paperwork,” is Callen’s reply. Wallace agrees – their situation “kicks the FBI’s ass.”

The conversation comes to a quick end when Argento and his men open fire on the building. The man in charge yells that they have American prisoners inside but the gunfire’s noise is overwhelming. One of Argento’s men – Cole - finally hears, telling the others to hold fire. All except Argento stop shooting. When he notices he’s the only one shooting, Argento finally stops.

When the man running the team’s capture tells Argento and his team they will kill the “Americans” if the shooting doesn’t stop, another one of Argento’s men – Moffett – waits for instructions. Argento tells his men that there are no Americans in the area. Most of the team agrees but Cole is looking for instructions. The plan is to “blow them to hell.”

Wallace asks his captor to talk to the SEALs so they understand there are Americans inside. Wallace is freed. As soon as he goes to the window, the SEALs open fire again. Wallace ID’s Argento. “That’s not good,” Roundtree adds. Especially since Argento can call in an air strike and take out the building, Sam says. They will become a friendly fire statistic and the investigation is closed.

Sam wants to be freed so he can negotiate their exit. His captors can have a gun on him for the whole time but Sam knows he can stop the attack. He trusts the true character of the SEALs. Yelling “ceasefire,” Sam carries a white flag out of house. Again, everyone stops shooting except for Argento, who finally stops when Cole really calls for the ceasefire on the radio. When Sam identifies himself, Cole is familiar with “Chief Hanna.”

Argento is livid. He tries to set Sam up as someone wearing a bomb or a fake. Argento has one of the Afghan men in his crosshairs. Cole pushes back – Sam is a legend. Argento agrees and is going to do what he needs to “save Sam” by taking out the insurgents. Cole is put in charge of saving Sam as Argento takes his men into the building. Cole fights back – it will be a bloodbath. Argento orders Cole but Cole wants to see what Sam is doing. The rest of the team targets the men with guns on Sam.

Mac tells Kensi and Deeks the SecNav has deployed the quick reaction force. They’re 20-minutes out. That’s too long.

As Sam keeps talking, Argento’s men are beginning to believe him. Cole and now Moffat have questions. As Argento is about to kill Sam, Moffatt puts his foot on Argento’s rifle – “You are not going to kill any Americans.” Argento orders the other men to open fire but Moffatt countermands his order every time. The men behind Sam drop their guns. Moffatt makes it clear, Sam is not in danger, do not fire. Argento promises Moffatt his career is over and “stay out of the streets at night” because he plans to “put him in the ground.” Moffatt’s answer is “bring it.”

As the men who were holding the team leave the basement, Callen, Roundtree and Wallace join them. Wallace assures the SEALs that the men were locals and not Taliban insurgents. They are freed. The man who was holding them is grateful.

Argento is looking for a thank you from Sam. Instead Argento is put in handcuffs and read his Article 31 rights. Argento wants his men to get Sam away from him. The men just watch.

Barr and Kendricks sign a sworn statement that their testimony is true and accurate to Kensi (Barr) and Mac (Kendricks). Callen gets the same from Cole, Sam from Moffatt. Moffatt thinks it is the right thing to do.

As they’re about to leave Kandahar Air Base, Wallace finds Callen and Sam. Five members of Argento’s team signed sworn statements against him. Callen invites Wallace to the bar; the drinks are on them. Roundtree arrives as Wallace leaves. Callen and Sam pull him aside. They weren’t thrilled about how Roundtree ran into the building. Things could have ended badly for all of them that day. Roundtree knows. Callen knows too that they run into a lot of buildings, putting what’s right ahead of what’s safe. Sam thinks Roundtree may fit in with the team. Callen makes the official offer. Roundtree is honored that Callen and Sam think he could measure up to both of them. He can’t, Sam assures Roundtree “get that out of your head.”

Roundtree wants to think about the offer. The team is a family and has an all-in vibe. He doesn’t take family lightly. Neither does the team. They joke about just what part of the family Roundtree would be as Argento walks off a nearby elevator. Sam takes custody of Argento, who Sam doesn’t consider representative of a SEAL, a warrior or an American. Argento betrayed the SEALs. Argento is sure he won’t be convicted. Sam says they can talk after the trial.

What head canon can be formed from here: Always like Sam SEAL stories. Military wrote “Vengeance” in season three where members of SEAL team was accused of murder. Always thought it was just a little off. This one hit on all cylinders. It was a great Sam episode but equally strong for the rest of the team. Kensi and Deeks were really solid working at in LA.

One thing I did appreciate is Roundtree running in the market. When he was running from Callen and Fatima in “Watch Over Me”, it was a bit much to think 50ish Callen could run down a man about half his age. Not saying Callen and Sam can’t chase down the bad guys but let the 20-something do the running.

Episode number: The unexpected season finale was episode 22 of season 11. There were 24 planned episodes but 2020 doesn’t do plans. It is episode 262. If they can complete 18-episodes as planned this season, that gets them to 280.

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