You don’t want to mess with Nell Jones. That’s all thanks to Renee Felice Smith. Having joined the series and the team in Season Two, Nell Jones has proved time and time again that there is so much more to her then meets the eye. She’s a character that once you think you have her all figured out something changes and you’re thrown for a loop. This week was no different. It’s in tonight’s episode of NCIS: Los Angeles that Nell proved that not only is she good at what she does, but she again proved she has what it takes to be a great agent too.

The episode started like any other. You start off seeing the crime and what’s going to start the team on their mission. After the opening credits you get that the guys talking about Kensi and then Kensi walks back in the bullpen. Callen and Sam acted like Kensi coming back was no big deal while Deeks was being all awkward and unsure of what to do. Eric comes in calling them all up to the Ops center for their assignment. Nell and Kensi seeing each other for the first time in the episode. That concludes the awkward meet and greet between the characters and they move on with the mission. Callen and Sam figure out where to go to first and Deeks gets ready to work with his partner again, but Nell gives them the bad news that Hetty wants to seem them. Hetty tells Kensi and Deeks that Kensi will be up in Ops with Eric and Deeks will partnered with Nell. It then cuts to a scene of Nell coming down the stairs all ready to go.

Start of the case and Nell is telling Deeks this wasn’t her choice and asking if they were good. Lets start with that. I love the way Eric Christian Olsen and Renee Felice Smith play off each other. You could get that hint from Deeks that he’s not amused that he’s still has not got his partner back, but at the same time he knows what Nell is capable since they have been paired up before. Once they move past that moment they are right back into that partnership they had created in previous episodes. Which shows very nicely come the scene when Deeks and Nell got to talk to Deeks’ CI. “It’s all about Respect” Deeks says, yet Nell’s the one doing all the talking and showing how much stronger she is and really coming into her Agent status. Not going to lie really saw the scene going that way and it was perfectly done. Nell is showing more and more she can handle herself and even outshine the boys a little. If you go back to Season Four when Nell asked Sam and Callen about becoming an Agent, they responded for her to trust her training.

Continuing on in the episode you got Deeks and Nell with their banter back and forth to which Nell gives as well as she gets. Which is one thing to love about Nell, she’s not afraid to joke and tease right back. One of the great scenes in tonight’s episode was when Nell comes back and she talks with Kensi about her being back in the field. You feel the tension in the air, because Kensi is jealous that while she is in Ops bored Nell is out in the field. Then there is Nell who feels bad because she wants to be an Agent, but at the same time Kensi is her friend and co-worker. What was great about this scene is that Nell spoke her mind; she told Kensi straight out ‘Have you ever wanted something, really wanted someone, but not in the way you got it? Then she goes on to say ‘I want to be an Agent, just not like this.’ It was just this simple moment where you know Nell isn’t willing to take this from Kensi even if it’s want she really wants. That she respects the friendship and work relationship with Kensi too much to take her job from her. Kensi replies back with ‘I get it,’ that she understands and that she’s not mad at Nell. Kensi knows this isn’t Nell’s fault, but she’s starting to accept the things that aren’t in her control. This scene then leads to the power duo in Ops working their magic once again, doing what they do best. Eric is having issues cracking a firewall and Nell comes in to help. They are able to crack it and figure out there was a jukebox purchased that leads Callen and Sam figure out that it is where the money is stored. This all leads us to the final moments of the case when they let their suspect go, which leads the terrorist to the money. Just when you think the bad guys are going to get away with the money Callen and Sam appear out from behind wine crates and the two sides start a gun battle. One of the terrorists gets away and he takes off running only to be stopped by Nell. As Deeks is handcuffing him Nell is teasing him.

‘See you got to stay in control Deeks’
‘Is that so’
‘Yeah cause it’s all about respect’
“Okay well played, well played.’
Well played indeed.