#Lesley Banks

[huariqueje]

Flora's tabletop  -   Lesley Banks , n/d.

British,  b.1962-

Oil on canvas, 11.5 x 11.5 cm.

[mscoyditch]

"Flora's Tabletop".

"Towards Giudecca". 2009.

"A Glimpse of Venice". 2009.

Paintings by Lesley Banks. British. b. 1962-

> Huariqueje.Tumblr

[pandamugger]

I love this oil change place, they’re so friendly and they do such a good job and they’re FAST. Shout out to the Take 5 by my work

[tv-moments]

The Crown

Season 6, “Ritz”

Director: Alex Gabassi

DoP: Sophia Olsson

[gardenofedenuniverse]

OSCARS 2023 - ARRIVALS.

Please explain...?

[uapro]

[joepelling]

stuff i remembered to write down from the discord stream

yellow is becky’s favorite character “because he’s a silly goofy guy” and joe’s favorite is duck

their shared fave webseries ep is computer and fave tv is family, becky thinks joe is just copying her

joe’s current favorite song is memories and becky’s current favorite is love

joe jokes they made the show just to sell merch

becky’s favorite designs are lesley and choo choo, joe’s favorites are the simple silly ones

becky describes her own voice as “a victorian schoolboy”

“becky will give every single person [that attends the show] ten pounds 😊” “from joe’s bank account 🤗”

dhmis 1 was originally about a little girl as a teacher but becky hated making human puppets

they think it’s “amazing and cool” that autistic audiences resonate with the show

their advice for new puppeteers is go to the gym and lock yourself in a fridge

becky and joe were walking to the station into a friend after wracking their brains for a title and she was holding some mini models and becky jumped up to hug her and the friend said “don’t hug me i’m scared!” and that’s where they got the name from

there’s a cut scrunty episode that follows it after it runs out of the cat flap

warren was made of silicon and lilly and todney had a lot of details making them the hardest to make

duck’s autotune was removed “to allude to the way the government is controlling us- no, basically because it was too annoying”

(someone says thank you for creating and voicing red guy) “you have no idea how much that means to me. i’m in a very low place in my life, not a lot of compliments every day, i’m going to dress as red guy every day”

they cited the hugga bunch, bruce bickford, and sally cruikshank as some influences

they’re open to adding a latin american character or a drag queen character

they’re interested in doing a physical release of the show and want to announce an international release soon

one of joe’s favorite shows as a kid was the trapdoor, becky liked zap and the movie chitty chitty bang bang

they want to announce new episodes as soon as they can but it’s an expensive and time consuming show to make so they haven’t been renewed yet

the pilot will be never be released since the company that owns it went under, they think it’s “nothing special” and they aren’t proud of it, they recommend watching “anything else”

[dizzymoods]

During the Troubles, Civil Rights Leaders went to Ireland to learn about the plight of the Irish people and to support their fight against colonialism.

Standing on the success of their nonviolent principles which led to civil liberties here (to whatever degree the CRM was successful) and in their ignorance of the history of Ireland, they tried to get the IRA to adopt nonviolent, peaceful civil disobedience.

At the end of their tour of Belfast, where they learned the history and politics of Irish resistance, all of them come to the conclusion that here violence is necessary. The Irish have exhausted all other means including nonviolent ones. Even if some of the CRM leaders maintained nonviolence as paramount, they understood that certain exceptions must be made because — regardless of if they approve of violence or not — their job is to support colonized people and follow their lead.

There is a lesson here that we should apply to the Palestinian struggle.

I’ve seen people pearl clutch over seeing so many dead Palestinians as part of the colonial violence of the camera. This misses the point of why those images are being shared.

Last decade many Black americans, myself included, talked about the commodification of Black death. videos of state murder plastered on every news channel 24/7, going viral across social media platforms connected to the legacy of lynching postcards and gator bait. We demonstrated that those videos rarely got an indictment and only once a conviction. Many of the families of these victims of police murder made it clear they don’t want the image of their loved one to be of death. The reason why we share Michael Brown’s graduation photo instead of the photo of his corpse is because Lesley McSpadden demanded it. With all this in mind, we understand that in most cases the sharing of those images are antiblack.

The Palestinians do not have that history. The Nakba never happened, despite israelis calling this the second Nakba. genocide joe said 40 israeli babies were beheaded after it was found out that the story was some wingnut footsoldier’s lie, not even official israeli hasbara. It was like 2 weeks ago that genocide joe said the number of murdered Palestinians (at the time around 5,000 Palestinians were martyred — the number is now over 10,000) was a Hamas lie.

Linguistically there is no murdered Palestinian. All the headlines read “x amount of israelis killed and some palestinians died”. visually there is no dead Palestinian. official israeli hasbara is trying to flood social media with videos of patient-actors getting into place in Indonesian medical training programs to “debunk” the countless videos of martyred Palestinians.

The denial of the scale of israel’s genocide of the Palestinians is so bad that reporters in Gaza are holding dead children in front of press cameras because Palestinians do not die and are not murdered.

The profit motive of these images is actually in their absence. not their over saturation like with Black americans. The west needs israel as a destabilizing force in the middle east. The strategy of the western media then is to bury these images, to not give them a second of attention. So logically the Palestinian strategy is to proliferate these images to show just how horrifying israel’s crimes are.

Two things can be true at the same time; what works for you doesn’t necessarily work for me etc.

The other thing i’m seeing are liberal frameworks to understand genocide. Of particular ire is desirability politics. *jujubee voice* just say white supremacy.

Desirability is tertiary at best. israel is genociding Palestinians because they want control over Gaza and the West Bank (and Lebanon too). They are not genociding Palestinians because Palestinians are “undesirable.” They make Palestinians undesirable to justify taking their land. Talking about this psychoanalytic bullshit distracts from the primary reason for the displacement and mass murder of Palestinians: the taking of their land.

~*desirability*~ is just one way that israel tries to justify its crimes. Desirability is a circular logic that can only make sense once you manufacture its premise irl. It means nothing without the material conditions it claims are true. Its super easy to call someone an animal after you put them in a cage. It’s super easy to call a people dirty savages after you restrict their access to water. It’s super easy to call someone violent after you sequester them in small, barely livable spaces and stress them with bombings and check points.

It’s also — there’s a way in which opposition to something reifies the very thing that you oppose. Toni Morrison continues to beat everybody’s ass. What does it do when you see a baby with half a skull and say “this happened because she is undesirable”? Undesirable to whom? Not me.

Palestinians are not so passive as to oppose white supremacy and desirability. The Palestinian people are a proactive people. Palestine is the issue. Palestine has a people. Palestine has an ecology. Palestine has life. Palestine is life. Palestinians fight for life. life can neither exist nor blossom under white supremacy.

Any analysis that does not begin with this is a distraction. And distractions only benefit the colonizers.

[milksockets]

'jewellery designer judy blame in the bank, a studio building in curtain road that he shared with malcolm garrett, and was the first of its kind in shoreditch, london, 1984' in the erotic cloth: seduction + fetishism in textiles - lesley millar + alice kettle (2018)

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Now that you’ve done your fave looks from the oscars how about the worst fashion from this year’s Oscars?

thank you so much for enabling my hater tendencies. like I said picking out the worsties isn't NEARLY as fun at the Oscars as it is at the Met Gala because people are taking fewer risks in general, so even the "bad" looks tend to be more "meh" than "go to prison," but here are the ones that I Did Not Care For.

first up an obligatory mention of every man who wore a plain black suit. I'm targeting Austin Butler in particular because he didn't even zhuzh it up with interesting accessories like some of his fellow offenders.

Sabrina Dhowre Elba I'm sorry you're very beautiful but you are literally wearing a greenscreen. someone photoshop a tiger on her ASAP. also what's the little knotted detail? I don't get it.

this isn't totally unforgivable but Florence Pugh is serving dirty napkin on the sidewalk. in a bolder color I think I might have enjoyed this?

I feel bad targeting Elizabeth Banks when she seems to have suffered the wardrobe malfunction of the night but it does just look kind of crumpled and unfinished, especially around the hem.

I hate to shit on a man who's actually trying to do something other than basic black but uuuuuh I'm about to do it several times in a row. I don't like Barry Keoghan's sunburst button things, they look like something that would have been cute on the Stranger Things boys circa season one but not on a Grown Ass Man

I don't know who Paul Mescal is but based on this I'm assuming he's headlining a show in Atlantic City

and Paul Dano is giving us "magician going through a divorce who's desperately trying to hold it together through this bat mitzvah because he needs the money"

absolute rock bottom has got to be whatever is going on with All Quiet on the Western Front producer/screenwriter (?) Lesley Paterson. I compared Salma Hayak's dress to an unconventional materials challenge winner on an early season of Project Runway; Paterson's look is more reminiscent of what happens when designers run out of time and send models down the runway in a poorly cut garment held together with staples and hope. genuinely an eyesore I am sorry Miss Paterson!

[jenisthenamesworld]

[wand]erer 🎯

it’s. time.

may the devils fall.

Plot Twist | light always wins.

smile & wave. smile & wave.

💋

She’s a Warrior | not a worrier.

she has the Gods ~ Goddesses | & Greats On Her Side : even if she falls | she will never fail.

those her know her | know her heart. those that don’t | try get into her head.

one day the stories will be told | until then > she moves in the pursuit of gratitude, grace, glory & godliness.

⚔️ ⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

[huariqueje]

A glimpse of Venice  -   Lesley Banks , 2009.

British,  b.1962-

Oil on linen, 100 x 100 cm

[petergriffensbuttchin]

This isn’t really a theory itself, but it’s a rant between two theories that go well with each other.

The original theories (or at least where I found these amazing thoughts) - @dandymaximilian ‘s purgatory theory and ‘The Film Theorists’ video - Film Theory: Who’s REALLY in Control?! (DHMIS)

First of all imma point out that this IS a loop, it is mentioned a few times already and is photo proofed

And adding on Lesley tells Yellow Guy that he ‘still can’t understand what’s funny’ even though Yellow Guy has no relating memory of meeting her before, which could conclude that in some alternative loop he’s been there before.

But here’s the funny thing, each time they go through a loop, the house changes. It could be little details such as decor, but also the house itself.

Another weird detail is how red guy says “All we do is sit around and some guy comes and tells us about banks or vegetables or something” because neither of those things were taught, at least yet (other then Banks, but that was in the next episode after)

Either, between every loop they can’t remember past lessons (this one doesn’t make much sense as in the YouTube series Yellow Guy in the last video could recall the teachers and what they did to them)

Or every episode (or even every few episodes) we are facing different alternatives of the three (Ones where they get different lessons, but adding up to the same value)

With this in mind, there is the book

If you forget the symbols in the middle for a second you can notice the pictures on the side

Circled in red those are things that have already been mentioned or done

Bird Guy losing his head in ‘Death’

Yellow Guy losing his hand in ‘Jobs’

The shovel in ‘Death’

The one circled in Yellow I believe has no significant value to what I’m getting at as it could just mean that teachers themselves can ‘earn their coins’ too (as in the purgatory theory)

And circled in green are things that haven’t happened

Out of the three of them Yellow Guy is the only one who has kept his head throughout the whole series

And Yellow Guy doesn’t mention his batteries until episode six in the TV series, but on the cover it’s seen with Warren the ‘Eagle’

Perhaps the book isn’t just answers to the meaning of it all, but the script to how the ‘game’ is supposed to go.

This is where the purgatory theory really comes in hand

Seen in the upstair’s room these are three meaningful objects, but as u see the colors don’t line up well.

Green as in Duck Guy is the chuddle dollops, but he was never able to open the bag

The red outline of the case going to Red Guy doesn’t belong, because Red guy was never obliged with the shovel

The only one making sense is Yellow and the batteries as we find out that’s what he runs off on

Maybe in one of the alternatives loops they’re supposed to be aligned with these objects

Because Duck Guy is supposed to learn to put others before himself, and develop a care for people other then himself, he has to open the bag

The ‘chuddy dees’ is the understanding of wat family means, and so far Duck Guy has been nothing but denying his own family (past life)

If he learns to love the two he is stuck with as if they are like family he can open the chuddle dollops himself

His purpose just makes sense. Like in ‘Jobs’ when Yellow Guy lost his hand, Duck Guy proceeded to do something completely selfless for the care of his friend, and because of this action, out of the other two who played along in jobs he’s the only one who ‘earned his coin’

Red Guy’s purpose is not to be so nonchalant about life. He was paired with the two, but you can notice him and Duck Guy have a good connection. Constantly agreeing with each other and even showed an act of support in ‘Friends’ with Duck Guy (The scene of them trying to get into the computer)

In death, emotionally he can’t express his grief, but instead forces a clay figure to be a replacement for Duck Guy, because he and Yellow Guy can’t go on without him.

In the end Yellow Guy retrieved the shovel and dug up their friend, but this was supposed to be Red Guy’s job.

He needs to come to his emotions and express them greatly, even to go on with this crazy action as to dig up his ‘dead’ friend

Yellow Guy is more of a tag along. He’s supposed to learn about himself as in relating to the ‘David theory’, because he didn’t get a chance to (in his past life)

Though he got it right with the batteries, (going back to the book’s cover) he was supposed to show this sooner (The ‘Friendship’ episode)

With this, if the three can learn their purposes they can get the ‘script’ right and move on to the end, or even towards something bigger.

[typingtess]

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 Rewatch:    “New Beginnings Part One”

The basics:  NCIS’s Office of Special Projects gets involved with an ATF undercover operation.

Written by: Kyle Harimoto & R. Scott Gemmill

Kyle Harimoto wrote "Omni", "Merry Evasion", "Chernoff, K" (season six finale), "Command and Control" as episode 150, "Granger, O.", "Ghost Gun", "Kulinda", "767", "Se Murio El Payaso", "Assets"/"Liabilities", "Venganza", "Superhuman", "One of Us", "Let Fate Decide" (season 11 premiere), "Decoy", "Answers" , "Watch Over Me", "Cash Flow", "Fukushu", "Bonafides", "Come Together" (season 13 finale) and "Of Value".  He co-wrote "Three Hearts", "Leipei", "Humbug", both ends of the "Matryoshka" two-parter (part one with Gemmill), "Smokescreen" part two, "Searching", "A Fait Acompli", "A Tale of Two Igors" (season 12 finale, with Gemmill) and "Best Seller".

R. Scott Gemmill wrote/cowrote "The Only Easy Day", "Brimstone", "Breach", "LD50", "Found", "Borderline", "Absolution", "Archangel", "Tin Soldiers", "Impostors", "Cyberthreat", "Honor", "The Watchers" and both sides of the NCIS Los: Angeles/Hawaii Five-0 "Touch of Death" episodes, "Recruit", "Free Ride", "Wanted", "Ravens and The Swans", "Impact", "War Cries", both ends of the "Deep Trouble" season five finale/season six premiere, "Inelegant Heart", "Praesidium", "Traitor", "Active Measures" (season seven premiere), "Blame It On Rio", "Internal Affairs", "Matryoshka" part one (with Harimoto),  "Talion" (season seven finale), "High Value Target"/"Belly of the Beast" (season eight premieres), "The Queen’s Gambit", "Under Siege", "Unleashed" (season eight finale), "Party Crashers" (season nine’s premiere), "This Is What We Do" (episode 200), "Các Tù Nhân", "Goodbye Vietnam", "Ninguna Salida" (the season nine finale), "Hit List", "Asesinos", "Till Death Do Us Part", "Choke Point", "The Guardian", "Hail Mary", "Kill Beale Vol. 1", "Alsiyadun", "Fortune Favors the Brave", "The Bear" (season 12 premiere), "Angry Karen", "Love Kills", "Russia, Russia, Russia", "The Noble Maidens", "A Tale of Two Igors" (season 12 finale with Harimoto), "Subject 17" (season 13 premiere), "All The Little Things", "MWD", Work and Family", "Game of Drones" and "A Long Time Coming" NCIS/NCIS: Hawaii cross-over hour. 

Directed by:  John P. Kousakis directed "Imposters", "Sacrifice", "San Voir" part one, "The Fifth Man", "Parley", "Inelegant Heart", "Chernoff, K." (season six finale), "Active Measures", "The Long Goodbye", "Talion" (season seven finale), "Glasnost", "Unleashed" (season 8 finale), "Party Crashers" (season nine premiere), "This Is What We Do" (episode 200), "Goodbye Vietnam", "Ninguna Salida" (season nine finale), "The Guardian", "High Society", "A Tale of Two Igors" (season 12 finale), "Under the Influence", "Genesis", "Come Together" (season 13 finale), "A Farewell to Arms", all of the Afghanistan scenes from "Iron Curtain Rising" to "Zero Days" in season five and all of Kensi’s injury/recovery storyline scenes from "The Queen’s Gambit" to "Sirens" in season eight. 

Guest stars of note: Bar Paly as Anastasia "Anna" Kolchek is back from “Shame”, season 14’s 14th episode, Ava McCoy as Jordyn Rountree is back from “Sleeping Dogs”, season 14’s 16th episode, Richard Gant as Raymond Hanna is back from “Dead Stick”, season 14’s 4th episode, Vyto Rugins as Arkady Kolchek is back from “Blood Bank”, season 14’s 9th episode, Natalia del Riego as Rosa is back from “The Other Shoe”, season 14’s 15th episode, Lesley Boone as Nina Barnes is back from “A Farewell to Arms”, season 14’s 13th episode, Duncan Campbell has done three episodes in a row as Agent Castor, CSI's Liz Vassey as ATF SAC Kerry Adams, Celeste Den as NMC Commander Collins and former UFC Champion Randy Couture as ATF Agent Bill Newsome.

Our heroes:   Are nearing the end.

What important things did we learn about: Callen: Wondering if he’s doing the right thing with Anna. Sam: Believes Callen is doing the right thing with Anna.   Kensi:  Not feeling well. Deeks:   Happy, grateful and enjoying his family moments. Fatima:  Doing a warrantless search. Rountree:  Hearing from his lawyer about his lawsuit against LAPD. Kilbride:  Working well with other agencies.

What not so important things did we learn about: Callen:  Wasn’t interested in how Arkady was banned from the Playboy Mansion until he was really interested. Sam:  Working out with Raymond in the park Kensi: Eating leftovers in the fridge. Deeks:  Not removing expired leftovers from the fridge. Fatima:  Master of the obvious as the episode ends. Rountree:  Being his sister’s biggest fan. Kilbride:  Making a rare visit during the work day to the boat shed.

Where in the world is Henrietta Lange?  In the previously-s.

Who's down with OTP:   Callen and Anna/Kensi and Deeks are having some ups and downs but are all very much in love.

Who's down with BrOTP:  If you don’t think the penultimate episode isn’t going to play up the most important relationship in the show, you would be wrong.

Fashion review:  Callen starts the day in a light blue workout shirt with a darker blue workout jacket.  Later, he wears a blue plaid button down shirt.  Sam wears black workout gear and a black cap in the park with Raymond, black long-sleeve tee at work.  Kensi wears a black top to the office.  Working overwatch, Kensi and Deeks are in light green jackets with light colored-pants so they fit in with the nature around them.  Deeks starts the episode in dark grey sweatshirt.  Fatima wears black cropped shrug sweater over a white tee-shirt that is fantastic.  Rountree  light blue tee-shirt and a really light blue demin jacket.  Kilbride has a charcoal grey three-piece suit, light blue dress shirt, beige paisley tie with a hint of pink.

Music:   “Pushin’ Rope” by Dead Things and War is playing in Anna’s ear buds when Arkady comes to visit. “Hunt You Down” by Jonathan Murrill, Lee Richardson, Tom Ford, James Cocozza and Raxstar is playing in the gunrunner’s home.

Any notable cut scene:  Yes!  After Rosa leaves for school, Deeks reviews some of her assignments – all A’s.  Kensi is in awe – Rosa makes all her excellent work look so easy, especially with English being a second language.  Kensi thinks Rosa is smarter than both of them.  Deeks thinks one of them – the one who is a scavenger when it comes to left overs in the fridge.  Kensi mentions that he’s the one who lets the food stay in the fridge for so long.  The conversation devolves into zombies.  Kensi wants to play a game where Deeks won’t talk without Kensi asking a question.  He doesn’t like that game.  She said she didn’t ask a question.

Quote:  Callen:  “You think I'm doing the right thing?” Sam:  “Doesn't matter what I think or anyone else, for that matter.  But, yes, I think you're doing the right thing.” Callen:  “What?” Sam:  “Nothing.” Callen:  “Come on, tell me.” Sam:  “It's just, it's just hard to believe, you know?  G. Callen, the nomad, the lone wolf, the shadow, about to be a married man.” Callen:  “Yup.  Did you plan your wedding?” Sam:  “Are you kidding me?  You knew Michelle.  I was lucky she let me attend.  That woman was nothing  if not a taskmaster.  Wow.  Long time ago.”

Anything else:  Lots of previously-s including the Rosa barbeque on the beach, Callen proposing, Sam dealing with Raymond’s condition, Rountree and Jordyn’s awful police encounter, Kilbride and Hetty having a talk before she left for Syria and Kilbride telling Callen Hetty was going.

In what looks like an abandoned warehouse, an intruder breaks in through the skylight.  He finds a few shipping containers.  One is empty.  The other has boxes, but they’re empty too.  Looking at some of the warehouse shelves, the intruder pulls the pin on a special grenade that starts a countdown.  A security guard confronts the intruder, with two men acting as back up.  As the guard tries to handcuff the intruder, the grenade blows.  Nobody is too badly hurt.  The intruder is able to punch and kick his way through the guards. 

In their dining room, Callen and Anna are negotiating the seating arrangement for the wedding.  Arkady is bringing two dates and dates can’t sit near each other.  Callen jokes that Arkady thinks he’s Hugh Hefner.  This brings back memories for Anna of when Arkady was banned from the Playboy Mansion for dressing as Britney Spears, complete with a live snake, for a Halloween party.

Anna gets a call.  Two members of the band for the wedding has been in a car crash.  They are all alive and doing well but can’t play.  Anna is really upset.  Callen promises that it is all going to work out – “it always does.” 

In the park, Sam is sparring/working out with Raymond.  Raymond calls it a workout, surprising Sam since the Major he knew never quit a workout.  The Major Sam knew had his original hips, Raymond reminds Sam.  Besides, he was at the gym twice that week with Arkady.  “Cigarettes and a flask aren’t exactly the building blocks of a tough workout,” Sam tells his father.  Besides, Sam went through lots of tough workouts as a kids, workouts that would trigger a child protective services call today.  Raymond asks if Sam would have gotten through SEALS training without those workouts.  “Probably” is Sam’s answer. 

The Blye-Deeks home is getting ready to start the day.  They are just back from camping – Kensi brought the chocolate and graham crackers but Deeks forgot the marshmallows.  After Deeks makes a bad joke that smores without marshmallows are just sores, Rosa calls him on telling Dad Jokes.  They are going camping again soon. 

As Rosa leaves, Deeks revels in the happiness and love he feels for his family.  He’s mindful of all this.  Kensi chides him – Kilbride isn’t a mindful fan.  Kensi isn’t feeling well.  She ate week old shawarma Deeks left in the fridge and said was still good.  Deeks said when she mentioned leftovers, he thought she was talking the ribs.  Kensi wants all leftovers dated and tossed after 48 hours.  She’s only allowed to eat rice, applesauce, toast and bananas.  And it’s Deeks’s fault.

In his SUV, Rountree is giving advice to Jordyn, who is going in to interview for medical school.  She knows she wouldn’t be there without him.  Rountree doesn’t agree.  They compromise on it being a Rountree team effort.  Rountree is so proud of Jordyn.  She makes him promise not to be mopey if the interview doesn’t work.  But he know she’s going this.

A woman pulls up in a parking lot in a non-descript Ford sedan.  She’s meeting the Admiral in his non-descript American sedan.  Introducing herself as ATF SAC Kerry Adams, she is asked by the Admiral about why they are meeting.  Adams has an agent, William Newsome, who is working a long undercover operation.  She shows a photo of Newsome to the Admiral.  It is the intruder at the warehouse.  Adams claims that Newsome has had an exceptional career with ATF, “truly one of our best.”  He’s working a case with stole weapons that are military grade.  Adams hasn’t spoken to Newsome for a while  - not uncommon but she’s concerned. 

There are people around Adams who believe Newsome may have flipped.  His daughter died of a drug overdose, he split up with his wife.  The Admiral calls it a familiar story.  Adams is concerned that if Newsome flipped, he knows how the ATF functions, knows some deep undercover ATF agents in the field.  She hopes she’s wrong when it comes to being suspicious of Newsome but if she’s not, Newsome is not someone they want to cross.  The Admiral promised Adams that if Newsome is in trouble, NCIS will help him.  If he’s flipped, well, NCIS and the ATF will deal with that if it happens.

Driving to work, Callen is reading the case to Sam.  Kilbride wants Callen and Sam to work with Newsome.  They are worried that being undercover so long, Newsome may project an image NCIS and the ATF want to see.  Callen thinks they’ll be fine – everyone has a tell.  Sam asks Callen what is his tell.  Callen tells Sam he tilts his head as a “tell”.  Sam tells Callen his  “tell” is giggling. 

Entering the boat shed, Agent Castor introduces Callen and Sam to Newsome.  The case is about “trigger happy gunrunners with a drug issue,” according to Newsome.  Sam thinks that a great combination.  Newsome is undercover to find out who is running the organization – nobody in law enforcement can figure that out – and where they are getting their military grade weapons.  Time is of the essence.  The organization will be leaving LA soon.  They have a large stockpile of weapons in town.  They want to sell the weapons and get out of town.  Newsome needs to return to the gang.  Callen and Sam will work on the organization’s leadership and where the guns are coming from.  Other agents will be assigned to watch Newsome.  Newsome is grateful for the help.

A distracted Rountree walks into Ops.  Fatima has Newsome’s activity reports on the big screen.  Noticing he’s texting, Fatima asks what’s going on.  Rountree tries to gloss over it but says his lawyer heard from LAPD.  He has news for Rountree once he knows what’s going on.  Fatima promises it is going to be alright.  Rountree is worried, Jordyn doesn’t need extra stress this week.  The two return to the case.  With the large cache of military weapons mentioned in Newsome’s reports, Fatima and Rountree think it is a good idea to call Nina Barnes (it is always a good idea to call Nina Barnes). 

It's Kensi and Deeks’s turn to walk into the boat shed to talk to Newsome.  This time the Admiral does the intros.  Kensi and Deeks are overwatch.  Newsome is worried he’s been made.  After the Admiral points out the house used by the gunrunners in Malibu Canyon, Deeks knows the area.  Kilbride tells Kensi, Deeks and Newsome that he doesn’t want any cowboy stuff.  If Newsome has been found out, Newsome needs to hit the deck with Kensi and Deeks firing inside the house.

In an outdoor parking lot, Callen and Sam are meeting Nina Barnes.  Callen thinks this meeting should be Barnes’s store or roach coach.  Fatima warns Callen not to call the pastry truck a roach coach if he expects Barnes to help.  She’s meeting with angel investors to take her pastries national. 

As they wait, Callen asks Sam if he is doing the right thing with Anna.  Sam says it doesn’t matter what he thinks, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.  And Sam thinks Callen is doing the right thing.  Sam is shocked – “G. Callen,  the nomad, the lone wolf, the shadow – about to be a married man.”  Callen asks if Sam planned his wedding.  Sam was lucky to go to his wedding.  Callen knew Michelle and she was nothing if not a taskmaster.  Sam stops and says “wow, a long time ago.”  Sam’s phone goes off.  Raymond is a candidate for a drug trial for his condition.  The people running the drug trial more information about Raymond.  That sounds like a good sign.

Looking at the big screen in Ops, Rountree notices Newsome’s finances are what they would expect but a second daughter is a Pepperdine without loans and driving a late model Range Rover.  That is too much money for college and transportation for someone with Newsome’s salary.  The ex-wife doesn’t have any money.  If Newsome is working with the gunrunners, NCIS could be walking into a trap as he protects his financial benefactors.

Still waiting for Nina Barnes, Callen asks if Sam has his best man’s speech ready to go.  Sam calls it a work in progress.  “Don’t tell the Damascus story,” Callen warns.  Sam is sad – the Damascus story is funny.  Barns walks up, saying hi to Sam and “other guy.”  She knows about the wedding, stating that she was married four times (twice to the same guy).  Saying she learned something about marriage, Callen asks if that is “you’re a joy to live with”?   He recommendation is “don’t do it” but she keeps getting married.

She knows a little about the organization Newsome has infiltrated.  They’re psychopaths who makes Russian bad guys look like Boy Scouts.  No name for the leader, the group runs very low to the ground and anyone who pushes is in big trouble.  Callen asks if Barnes couldn’t have told them all that info on the phone.  She could have but then she wouldn’t have seen Sam.  Callen is sighing.  Barnes says the organization has excellent intel.  Asked if that is coming from say an undercover ATF agent who may have flipped, Barnes is still checking.  She’ll have something for them at the end of the day along with their order for $200 worth of pastries.  She’s not working for free anymore.  Sam asks for red velvet cake and that will be part of the order.  She also promises same some lady fingers.

Callen calls into Ops.  He tells Fatima that he needs to speak to a Naval ordinance specialist.  That done, Callen thinks it is odd that Newsome is fine with NCIS backing him up and not his own agency.  Sam thinks Kilbride may have had a talk with Newsome.  Fatima asks if Callen needs a specific ordance specialist.  He doesn’t.  He just wants to look at the case from the weapons side. 

In the Malibu Canyon, Deeks is worried about snakes.  The Daryl Donkins story comes up, wondering if Rosa knows about Deeks’s reptilian heroism.  Kensi and Deeks call in their location to the Admiral.  The Admiral mentions Newsome’s questionable financials.  Deeks thinks something is up – Newsome was just a bit too cool about what was going on.  Why would he meet with NCIS while undercover?  The Admiral thinks it was to see what NCIS knew about Newsome’s work.  Kensi and Deeks may be doing overwatch to provide Newsome with an alibi.  The Admiral thinks it could be a trap.  With the Admiral off comms, Kensi asks if Deeks is thinks what she’s thinking.  “That Thin Mints are the devil’s candy.”  Kensi gives him a look before Deeks goes professional.  He wants them to move their overwatch location if Newsome is setting up a trap.  Deeks tells Kensi he knows that she knows how lucky she is to have him as a partner.  “Lucky, lucky, me,” she tells Deeks.  “Just hashtag blessed,” is his reply. 

Listening to music with her earbuds in, Anna hears a floor board creak.  She nearly kills Arkady, who let himself in after knocking and not getting an answer.  Anna called Arkady.  The wedding planning is getting to her.  He understands.  He thinks the only reason for marriage is to prepare a person for death.  She’s not thrilled with that particular thought.  Anna tells him about the band.  He suggests a number of Russian musicians but Anna doesn’t want the wedding to become Maslenitsa.  The good people at Google tell me that a Maslenitsa is “an ancient Orthodox Christian holiday celebrated in the last week before the Orthodox Lent. The festivities — also known as Pancake Week — are traditionally celebrated in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine and mark the end of winter.”  Arkady mentions there is always dancing at Maslenitsa, and who doesn’t like pancakes.

Anna said this was a bad idea.  Arkady agrees.  He’ll tell Grisha that the wedding was always a bad idea.  Calling Arkady an idiot, Anna makes it clear – the wedding is fine, calling Arkady for help was the bad idea.   Arkady suggests a Vegas DJ named Titan.  Bonus – Arkady plays Durak with Titan’s dad Aleksei.  Alesksei owes Arkady favors.  When he makes the call, Aleskei can get Titan to work the wedding with Callen and Anna figuring out how to pay.

Callen and Sam meet with Kerry Adams in the boat shed.  If Callen and Sam have any intel for her, Adams will be very impressed.  Sam says they are still working on some things, Adams says the same.  Callen thinks Newsome’s work is strong, the only question they have is financial when it comes to Newsome.  He’d also like to know why Adams had some initial suspicions about Newsome.  Sam pushes – what is Adams holding out on NCIS.  Adams says she is protecting her people and the ATF but she doesn’t suspect anyone.  Callen and Sam wonder about the other agencies Newsome works with including local law enforcement. 

Sam’s phone rings – it is Raymond.  Taking the call in interrogation, Raymond tells Sam his shoulder hurts so he’s not working out that day.  It takes Sam a minute to realize Raymond isn’t home, he’s back at the park.  Raymond walked to the park and he wants to walk home.  Sam wants Raymond to take a seat.  Raymond hangs up. 

Back in Ops, Rountree asks if Fatima found anything.  Newsome’s daughter has a college fund set up by her grandfather when she was born.  That clears the financials so Kilbride wants Fatima and Rountree to check out every law enforcement official Newsome has worked with during his career.  A real needle in a haystack.

In overwatch, Kensi sees two large Sprinter vans arriving at the Malibu house.  It could be a very big weapons delivery.

A Commander Collins is on a video call with the Admiral.  She is a weapons expert.  He briefs her on the case.  The munitions Fatima was able to inventory as part of the ATF investigation did not come from the Navy’s stockpiles.  She runs the inventory.  Nothing is missing.  Many of the items on the list, however, are common weapons used by militaries all over the world.  Collins will cross-reference the list Fatima sent to see who I using what.

Sam has a tracker on Raymond and finds him sitting, talking to a woman.  Raymond is charming.  Sam is frustrated, he was calling Raymond all the way over to the park.  Raymond has the phone on vibrate.  Too many telemarketers.  Raymond tries to introduce “Osama” to his new friend.  Sam pulls Raymond away.  Raymond doesn’t remember the morning workout, he thinks Sam is working too hard and forgetting what was going on.  The morning workout comes back to Raymond. 

Sam pushed the clinical trials but Raymond is worried about it.  He saw a doctor on CNN who wouldn’t take any medical treatment after the age of 75.  Sam is confused – the doctor isn’t a Marine.  Why is Raymond doing, or not doing this?  Raymond decides he’s in.  They share some family stories as Sam walks Raymond to his car.

Manning overwatch, Deeks using a parabolic microphone so he can hear the bad guys playing video games inside the house.  Deeks wants an Xbox.  Kensi is struggling.  She’s sniffling and working hard to concentrate.  Thinking they need full body scans for Rosa’s sake, Deeks goes on a long rant about the Doomsday Clock.  Kensi, anti-Doomsday and anti-Clock.  Kensi sees a new person entering the home. 

Inside the home, the new guy tells Newsome and some other gunrunning stooges that the boss has the money coming in so the “merch” needs to be ready to go.  Newsome, who is playing old-school pinball and not video games, asks about the “merch” and where the weapons are being held.  The new guy and Newsome get into it.  New guy pulls a knife on Newsome.  That was a mistake as Newsome chokes him out and relieves the new guy of his knife.  Newsome tells the new guy he can have his knife back when Newsome believes the new guy can handle it.  In overwatch, Kensi and Deeks are impressed.

Fatima pulls up Kerry Adams’s financials without a warrant or subpoena.  She’s dirty.  “We” have to tell the Admiral, Fatima says to Rountree.  Rountree isn’t so sure of the “we” part.

Kilbride calls into Callen and Sam.  Adams is dirty and has been for years.  The US Attorney’s Office can’t use the financials as a reason to indict Adams.  If Callen and Sam can catch her in the act, however, they may be able to bring her down.

Racing to Adams’s home, Callen and Sam drive into an underground garage just as Adams is being driven out.  Adams is shocked – has NCIS lost their minds.  That’s when the shooting starts.  In the back of Adams’s SUV, her driver pulls out a long gun and just lets loose on Callen, Sam and Sam’s car.  She pulls out an automatic weapon and joins in on the unloading fun.  Callen and Sam are hiding behind the Sam’s car as it is being blown to bits.   

On comms, Fatima helpfully adds that they are outgunned and have to move.

What head canon can be formed from here:    A really solid start to wrap up the series.  Played on all the notes the program hit over 14-seasons – long-term undercover who may have been swallowed up by his role, corruption in federal agencies, relationships that matter to our heroes. 

Loved the return of the show’s most recent “greatest hits” guest stars with Anna, Arkady, Rosa, Raymond and Nina Barnes, who the program should have found in season 10.

What is coming in part two was well set-up here.  I do think they did a good job cutting out the one scene.  Kensi and Deeks were sort of snotty to each other just after they had a lovely moment with Rosa and Deeks spoke about being in his happy place with his family.

A flaw in the storytelling – Adams gets NCIS involved because Newsome hasn’t called in to the office in days. Minutes later, he’s in the boat shed meeting with Castor, Callen, Sam, Kilbride, Kensi and Deeks. 

Episode number:   Episode 20 of season 14.  Episode 322 overall.  322 episodes down, one to go.

[tv-moments]

The Crown

Season 5, “Annus Horribilis”

Director: May el-Toukhy

DoP: Rasmus Videbæk

[chardonnavs]

( lesley-ann brandt, forty-two, cis woman, she/her ) ☼ i know it’s a small town, but i run into CORINA TULSI every time i go to THE SECRET WOODS. it’s like they practically live there and not THE TIDAL POOLS for TEN YEARS. it must be because they’re EXPRESSIVE and BOSSY. come to think of it, that’s probably why they’re a TRAVELLING FISHERMAN too. but i did hear they want to CATCH THE LEGENDARY CRIMSONFISH, and sometimes they like to WHITTLE LITTLE ANIMALS. rumor has it they also like SEAFOAM PUDDING but dislike TRUFFLES. what do you think?

hellaur it's me (: this is corina. she calls herself a pirate, but she's actually like the biggest rule follower to ever follow rules. nautical lawyer? i barely know her!

!! war mention !! throwing up mention !!

corina grew up in the gotoro empire. like kent, her dad enlisted in the war and had been away for most of corina's life. when people ask her about her father, all she remembers is the smell of black coffee and the feeling of a 5 o'clock shadow against her cheek.

corina's mother was a strong woman. but as strong as she was, she was also gentle. corina's mother had a best friend who also had a kid. she treated that kid as if they were her own. if it weren't for the fact that they looked nothing alike, corina and [name here, idk possible future connection, i'm thinking 23842398 steps ahead bro] would have looked like siblings.

corina always felt stifled. she was just too big for her britches. she knew that there was more to life beyond the gem sea. the gotoro empire had siphoned the vibrancy and life out of her hometown, and corina desperately needed more. that being said, she never pushed the boundaries of the life she had. she was loudly obnoxious, but quietly obedient. she would make a mess in the kitchen and storm off when she got scolded. hours later, once her mom was back asleep, she would sneak back downstairs to clean it all up.

as soon as she turned 18, she joined the crew of a merchant ship. unfortunately, the merchant ship followed the strict maritime boundaries of the gotoro empire. as mentioned before, corina thirsted for life beyond the gem sea. since then she's worked odd jobs along the docks, her favorite being a crewmember to fishing boats. she liked those suckers.

eventually, she finally crossed a line when she was 25. corina found a merchant who smuggled goods to the ferngill republic, and she negotiated her way onto the ship. she left her mom a note with instructions on how to find her savings (it was a piggy bank. that's all.), and she left her best friend a locket that corina had haggled for on one of the many merchant ships. corina sailed across the gem sea and found herself in the ferngill republic for the first time ever in her life.

she was so anxious about leaving the empire that she threw up multiple times on the trip despite being sea-ready. this anxiety lives with her and she hasn't gone back to the gotoro empire since.

now, she's a traveling fisherman who ports in towns that have access to joja mart as well as became known as traveling merchant hubs. joja mart just made her life so easy. argue with ya mama.

she's soooo pirate-presenting. she's confident and brave. she WILL defend herself in a bar fight, but she'll never start one. she lives on her boat by the tidal pools whenever she's in town, and she's not shy about inviting consenting adults back to rock the boat with her.

she likes to pretend that she understands what the ocean says. sorry to steal any other sea hag thunder. she's just pretending though. she's not a real sea hag. she just thinks it's funny.

she's in town right now because the fish weren't biting and she got bored. perfect timing for the flower dance <3