Maggie's Farm

I'll present this in two parts.  When you get to the video clip and fire it up, click on the little symbol on the player's tool bar to open it up to full-screen size.  And definitely crank up the speakers.

Part One.

A few years ago, with Bush still at the helm, a band called Blue October recorded a soaring, passionate anti-war song called 'Kangaroo Cry'.  Here's a line from the chorus:

How long will we have to sing until you finally bring our sons, our daughters home?

While the song never outright mentions the military by name, it's generally agreed that when you use a line like the above, everybody knows who you're referring to.  And we note the demeaning 'sons and daughters' — as referred to 'men and women' — which demonstrates the typical liberal view of our soldiers being a bunch of 'innocents' forced into battle by the heartless conservative war machine.

With that in mind, the song begins:

Losing my control
Here it is the day I have to go
Just sit beside me, I can't let this show
How sick I feel to leave you so alone
God I'm terrified

The poor hapless pawn.  Drafted against his will by the warmongering Bush cartel, he's somehow 'lost control' of his life and is now 'terrified' of his circumstances.

But this is because...

We've lost respect for decency
When one can turn our world into an ant pile
We run circles, no direction do I see
The dust has blinded you, the dust has blinded me

I kissed her on the cheek
And then I waved goodbye
She had the saddest look I've seen in years
A kangaroo cry
A warm pathetic ocean flow we have to live by
We have to live by, because we have to live

Yep, that's it.  We have to live by an ocean of tears because we have to live.  Meaning, sometimes we have to fight on foreign shores to preserve our way of life here at home.

And gosh, President Bush, I wonder who he means by "you"?

And you choose to break our families
Tell me you've used all precautions known

And I'll stand beside the ones who stood alone

How long will we have to sing until you finally bring our sons, our daughters home?
We'll let the prayers start healing what time's been stealing

Been stealing...

Keep hanging on, keep hanging on
Keep hanging on, keep hanging on

So there's that.

Part Two.

Presenting the last few minutes of 'Faith', last December's Christmas show.

Where against all odds...

A crusty old war veteran finally forgives his wayward soldier son...

Tony brings out the human side of a cold, foreboding woman...

Ziva is swept up by emotion as we've never seen before...

Tim and Abby grant a young child his improbable wish...

Gibbs reconciles with his father after a decade of estrangement...

And Don Bellisario, the originator and producer of the show, shoves Hollywood's liberal dictum in its face with a courageous, patriotic gesture beyond measure.

Christmas miracles, all.

Watching a show with room speakers, the lyrics to most background songs tend to get lost in the onscreen action and the emotion of the moment.  But I usually watch shows wearing headphones, so the lyrics are often crystal-clear.

So there I was, watching the above episode for the first time, jaw on the floor.  During one of the most beautiful moments in the 7-year history of one of the most patriotic shows on TV, I'm listening to some anti-war moonbat screaming about 'bringing our sons and daughters home'?  It was bizarre, to say the least.

After digging up the lyrics to the song to make sure I wasn't mis-hearing anything, I then had to ask the question why?  They obviously were aware that it was an anti-war song (kinda hard to miss), so why did they use it?  If all they wanted was some passionate number playing in the background, they could have picked from dozens of fabulous songs.

But they didn't.

No, what they did was hand the entire anti-war community a great big "screw you" and used one of their dearest symbols against them. As I see it, Bellisario basically said, "Our belief in our viewers' patriotism is so strong that we will use the soaring, uplifting music of your protest song to enhance this magnificent show, and trust in our viewers to ignore your defeatist message."

Better still, they used some of the lyrics to great effect, such as bringing in the first full-face shot of the stern, intimidating Dolores right as the word "terrified" is being sung, heh.  Just as "we've lost respect for decency" is blaring from the speakers, Tony does one of the most decent things he's ever done in his life.  As the singer's screaming about "healing", Gibbs' soul is more content at that moment than it has been in years.

And while the song's writer probably thought the slow, heavy drumbeat at the beginning would grab everyone's attention and proclaim it to be a 'serious' anti-war song, the show used it to signify the solemnity of a soldier's death.  They really turned that puppy on its ear.

But, best of all, with the moonbat's "keep hanging on, keep hanging on..." fading in the distance, what a great final slap it was to display that tribute to the troops at the very end.  And thanks for the great song, suckers.

Kudos, Mr. Bellisario.

The reason I honored Ziva with the preview pic is because, to the best of my memory, this is the first time she's ever displayed this particular emotion spontaneously.  She's become emotional after spending time with a few characters in the past, but very rarely does our favorite ex-Mossad assassin display it in the here-and-now.  In a sublime piece of acting, you can see her mouth drop open as she's truly surprised by the emotion washing over her, biting her lip slightly to suppress it, even looking down in mild embarrassment.  Marvelously scripted, marvelously portrayed.

And anyone who says Micheal Weatherly is 'just another pretty face' needs to watch that clip.  Maybe it's the headphones, but what I notice is that, while his body motions are awkward and disjointed, his voice comes through with superb elocution and control, and they way he tussles beforehand with Ziva gives him the excuse to describe the doll in that evoking, breathless way, really cementing the moment.

What a beautiful clip.

Index to NCIS posts is here.

I thought the first show of the current season, 'Truth or Consequences', was not only the best 'NCIS' episode, ever, but one of the best TV shows I'd ever seen, period.  It just seemed to have everything, from the startling beginning, to the hot-babe job applicants, to the small sub-plot running in the background providing a real-time continuity, to the likable-but-happy-to-see-him-dead bad guy, to our slow, step-by-step comprehension of the real rescue plan — this baby had it all.  Having the now-infamous Caf-Pow end up being the 'culprit' was just too funny.  And, again, if anyone had any doubts about the acting abilities of Michael Weatherly, that episode should have dispelled them, once and for all.  A superb job on everyone's part.

For your viewing pleasure, 'Truth or Consequences'.