NCIS Season 22 Episode 10 Review: Baker’s Man

Finally, it’s the NCIS winter premiere!

So the big question is: did anybody but us notice that little spark between Alden and Jess during NCIS Season 22 Episode 9?

Well, no, I don’t think so. But there are other sparks flying, so that’s something.

First things first. Who knew Parker had a favorite bakery? And who would have thought his favorite bakery would be the most uninviting bakery we’ve ever seen on TV?

Seriously, that place must be the best bakery in town because nothing other than smell and taste would lure me in. CBS needs to contact some of the Hallmark set designers STAT.

But there is something to be said about that bakery, as, according to Parker, the baker, Eleni, has great buns.

Was that the lady lighting Parker’s fire?

The supposition came right as Jess was talking about her sister, Robin, hiding that she was dating someone.

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The little things that gave it away to Jess were canceling plans and making vague excuses, all the while having a dreamy look in her eye.

Jess didn’t seem bothered that Parker might have a thing for Eleni, the baker, so if there was a spark between the two, they didn’t see it, or they aren’t willing to recognize it yet.

So, that’s that for now.

But it’s not that simple regarding Robin, as Torres is the secret beau. Well, he’s pretty adamant she’s not a “girlfriend,” but it’s a fresh dating situation.

Still, it’s weird as hell to think that you’d date your coworker’s sister and not tell them, especially when your life often depends on that person.

So what’s the big secret?

But just when I thought Jess missed the signs that Torres and Jimmy were acting extraordinarily odd, she said it was OK if Jimmy moved on, thinking that was the direction the conversation was taking.

But Torres hemmed and hawed, dragging his heels a little longer, just enough so Jess could figure it out on her own.

Why didn’t he just tell her?

Again, they need to trust each other in the field.

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I guess they’re either close enough now that something like this doesn’t matter, or they’re the consummate professionals who don’t let these things get in the way of their work.

When they were tied up, she did toss that back into his face, though. Jess said, “The way you told me about Robin?” Granted, it didn’t hinder their plan to save themselves, but it was uncool nonetheless.

Now, the mystery of “babe” is solved, and after nearly dying together, Jess is fine with the idea of Torres dating Robin. As long as Robin is happy, she’s happy.

Dammit, why am I talking about crushes when there was a baker in trouble?

Ironically, Eleni is played by Melina Kanakaredes, who has played more characters with that name than I care to recount. OK. It’s only two times, but if you watched Guiding Light, then you probably still think of her as Eleni, just like I do.

In fact, if you look up “Eleni” on IMDB, her name is one of the top search results.

But Parker does have a thing for her. She didn’t know he was a federal agent, and he said he didn’t want to scare her off. I’ve always been a big fan of hers (why isn’t Providence streaming??), so I’d be up for her sticking around.

Except that, as soon as she had that reaction, I wondered why. Kasie had the answer — the powdered sugar all over the dang place wasn’t all powdered sugar after all. Cocaine, you guys. The ol’ powdered sugar is cocaine trick in action!

Is that one of the oldest tropes in the book or what? Do drug dealers really think that still works? And does it still work?

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I hate to nitpick, but it took a long time for McGee (or anyone else) to spot a bullet lodged in a gaping hole in those all-too-white walls at the bakery. Instead of looking for clues, they were telling a tale about the crime.

Why do they do that? Why not gather facts rather than making assumptions about what happened?

Eleni used Virgil to hide her illegal activities, and it was a good ruse. She only had to do a background search to lop the charges in his direction.

But did she also plan on killing him?

While Virgil was getting murdered, she was delivering pastries to a drug dealer. Now, it seemed like Parker was protesting the whole situation a bit too much, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was upset his crush was a criminal.

He was already in a mood because he missed the signs at the bakery that morning. He felt he was off, and I’d venture to guess that wouldn’t be a good sign for those hoping for sparks to ignite something larger between him and Jess.

After all, if the idea of visiting a pretty baker can throw him off his game, then how off would he be if he and Jess were working and playing together?

There is an all-out drug war at Parker’s bakery. What are the odds of that? If anything, that will make Parker even more unsettled. He’s been going there every day for a week, and he spotted nothing amiss.

But Eleni wasn’t a criminal. She was a criminal pawn, leaving the door open for her to return, even if it’s unlikely since she’s returning to Greece for a while.

We’ve got to give her some credit. She was standing very firm under extreme circumstances. I wouldn’t have been able to remain so steadfast even if the life of someone I loved was on the line.

And who knows, maybe something can flourish between Parker and Eleni. He’s a baker at heart, too, and took her homemade baklava. It didn’t look pretty, but I’d eat it. And she said they’d have to work on its thickness — together.

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This was a really convoluted case, with a lot of different criminal avenues. From drug dealers to parole officers, every level of the system was involved.

But it wasn’t the case that gave “Baker’s Man” wings. It was, as always, the interpersonal drama.

NCIS is a testament to how smoothly teams can transition over time. This is a solid group and a lot of fun to watch in any circumstance.

What did you think?

Were you hoping to see a little something more between Jess and Parker?

Do Torres and Robin make sense?

Shoot me a message below and share your thoughts!

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