Spoilers below for the NCIS: Los Angeles midseason finale, so be warned!
Even though NCIS: Los Angeles was only back for five episodes before airing its midseason finale on CBS, the Sunday-night drama already gave fans a lot to worry about thanks to Eric Christian Olsen's Marty Deeks losing his job as liaison between the Los Angeles PD and the NCIS squad. Many a viewer was fearful that Olsen might actually be leaving NCIS: Los Angeles, and even though his Kensi co-star Daniela Ruah attempted to sooth everyone's worries about that, it still wasn't clear how the show would keep Deeks around.
Thankfully, that question got answered in a big and surprising way during NCIS: Los Angeles' Season 12 fall finale, and seemed to offer a permanent solution for Deeks' situation. Let's dive into how things played out for Deeks and Kensi during "If the Fates Allow."
How NCIS: Los Angeles Is Keeping Marty Deeks Around
NCIS: Los Angeles certainly wanted to take Kensi and Deeks as far down in the dumps as it could before lifting everyone's spirits. Things started off with some unfortunate financial math, as Deeks grasped that paying for a new house would be next to impossible without a job to bring in money. He temporarily made plans to ask Barrett Foa's returning character Eric Beale for a chunk of his wealth, but was thwarted by the tech whiz's decision to donate his fortune to charity.
After doing some more brainstorming, Deeks decided the best way to fund their house-hunting goals would be to sell The Squid & Dagger, despite the bar being such a passion project. In fact, he even seemed content with having arrived at the choice to shift his dedication from the bar to a new home. But before that plan could actually go into effect, Linda Hunt's ever-beloved Hetty made a sudden appearance in Deeks and Kensi's evening via video chat.
Hetty congratulated Deeks, and before he could get creeped out by her potentially spying on their conversations via computer, she clarified that her well-wishes had nothing to do with their housing options, and everything to do with him being accepted into the FLETC academy so that he can become an official NCIS special agent. To be expected, it was quite the celebratory moment for Deeks and Kensi, whose financial problems may already be behind them.
But Isn't Marty Deeks Too Old To Join The NCIS?
A big reason why NCIS: Los Angeles fans were so worried about Eric Christian Olsen leaving the show is because it's already been set up that Deeks would have been too old to apply to FLETC with the goal of becoming an NCIS agent. However, it appears that isn't the case anymore, though it doesn't sound like any big sweeping changes were made regarding age requirements. Rather, it sounds like Deeks got a little bit of help behind the scenes.
While the midseason finale wasn't super-clear about answering that question directly, Hetty implied that she may have had a little something to do with getting Deeks in the door. Her advice for him?
Never let age stand in your way.
Her second piece of advice was perhaps even more important to follow than the first, in that Hetty told Deeks not to make her look like a fool with his FLETC efforts. So he better work his lucky behind off to make sure that doesn't happen. Or he might get another random-ass video call from Hetty that isn't quite so optimistic for Densi's future.
Though NCIS: Los Angeles may be heading into its winter hiatus, fans can expect to see Season 12 episodes returning to CBS on Sunday, January 3, at 8:00 p.m. ET. While waiting for that day to arrive, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV rundown to see what other new and returning shows are on their way to the small screen soon.
