I think the main emotion I felt whilst watching the episode - asides from horror and distress and anger - was sadness.
The way the camera angles, writing, characterization and cinematography that were executed were something that added a tremendous amount of emotion to the episode.
- The death scenes. The thing I found surprising about these is that although we hadn’t seen the characters in a while, we were instantly warmed to them - it was like greeting an old friend. Greeting an old friend that is taken away from us an instant later - and that causes a lot of consternation. With Renko, they did this by having him engage in a witty banter with Kensi. Something that made you grin - and the grin turns in to a look of shock when the bullet hits and he falls right in front of his friend. It leaves you shocked. We just got him back - and now we’re losing him again? Renko’s reinstatement into the show was very much a touch-and-go component. Made the rhythm of the episode flow wonderfully erratically to the point of unease - the bad and good kind.
- As for Hunter’s death - in all honesty I was NOT expecting to burst into tears at that, which I did. I think in part, it was the feeling of absolute uselessness that one felt when they heard the female voice on the phone, saw the car - and knew immediately that nothing could be done. The team felt useless, and so did I. You knew that disaster was going to strike, and the lack of emotion from Chameleon combined with the vividness of the explosion combined with that sense of uselessness creates a horrible, horrible feeling.
- Hetty. The fact that we see this mighty (as Renee Felice Smith describes Linda Hunt - it is also a perfect description for Hetty) woman cry? Well, it’s like seeing your mum cry. You feel desperation that someone so important, someone that the team (and you) come to depend on because they are such an admirable person, that you can’t help but cry yourself. She isn’t meant to cry! If she cries, all is lost!
- Continuing on from that, the scene with Hunter’s ghost and Hetty was really powerful, because for the first time, we get to see how Hetty’s brain works. Usually, she’s shrouded in an air of mystery. Here, it’s all laid bare. She has doubts. She talks to ghosts. We see her strategy for trying to keep peace of mind. We get to know her a little bit - and that’s scary, because if Hetty is allowing people to get to know her - something really is wrong.
- As for the ending; it’s distress. Distress for Callen when he sees the TV camera. Consternation. Consternation by the police and the team - we see Kensi and Sam trying to keep the police away, Callen shooting the body five times, and then once more in the head - in cold blood. Everything spirals out of control. The tables turn rapidly, as Deeks and Kensi shout in alarm and confusion for the police to keep their distance, and Sam…Sam has to go from talking his friend down to treating him as a murderer. ‘Drop your weapon, G.’ I’m sure that hurt a lot for Sam to say, and for Callen to hear.
- Callen…I’m unsure whether I should say he had a choice or not. I think in his mind, he didn’t. The close ups of Renko and Hunter dying (which made me really cry) already tell you his decision was made. He wasn’t going to let this go.