Recap/review of the NCIS episode "Hometown Hero"
I actually got to watch ¾ of this episode when it aired. If the handyman hadn’t come at 8:45 to fix my bathtub drain, I might have actually gotten this recap out yesterday. Don’t get to used to this promptness! Anyway, here you go…
The arty shot was rather boring, but at least it didn’t give anything away. A guy and a girl open up a storage locker looking for a picture of his mother so that “he” can be buried with it. The guy is rather obnoxiously questioning the woman about the truck that is in there and examines it, despite the fact that she says that she wants to be alone. The guy found an icky skeleton in the bed of the truck. Serves him right for prying.
After the break, the show opens with a black and white shot of Kate giving an exasperated look. What are the odds that it involves Tony somehow? Tony stalks into the bullpen in a bad mood. “Get up on the wrong side of the bed, did we?” Oh, Tony’s car got towed and he had to take the bus in. He never made it home last night? He was parked near campus. Guess he hasn’t given up on college girls, despite his experience last week. Cute little flirty moment between Kate and Tony-“You’d love to know, wouldn’t you.” Tony doesn’t seem like a bus person. He doesn’t see himself as a bus person either. “You know what kind of people take the bus?” “I take the bus.” McGee, you did not help your case for coolness any. Oh, Kate and Abby are going somewhere for the weekend. (And Tony wants to paint a mental picture of it.) Gibbs spilled the beans about where they are going (health spa) so that it wouldn’t distract Tony all day. And you don’t think the idea of Kate and Abby together at a health spa is going to distract Tony at all, Gibbs?
Oh God, after poor Tony has been finally connected to the car people after being put on hold four times and killing his cell phone battery, Gibbs disconnected the call!
The team heads out to the storage space to check out everything. Tony, of course Gibbs wants to know about the storage space rather than your car! It turns out that his care wasn’t towed, it was stolen. Poor baby, my car was stolen once too. It sucks.
What was the point of separating the hands from the rest of the skeleton? I’m sure someone who knows about forensics could tell me.
Turns out the skeleton is probably Nora Webb. She was a friend of Emmy (the girl who discovered the body) and Justin (the dead petty officer) who disappeared their senior year and the police always thought Petty Officer Dobbs had something to do with it. Kate is pretty good about getting information out of people. I wonder if it is her profiler skills or if she picked it up from watching Gibbs? Maybe a combination of both.
Turns out that the Petty Officer was a good soldier. He sacrificed his life to save others. He’s been recommended for a posthumous silver star.
Well, Gibbs telling Tony about where Abby and Kate are going for the weekend did not keep him from getting distracted. His car was a ’90 ZR1 Corvette. “It’s powerful, fast, gorgeous.” “In other words, it’s you, Tony.” “Exactly.” What is it with some guys and cars? And was Kate paying him a backhanded compliment or just teasing him?
Well, the Marines from Iraq that Gibbs is teleconferencing with seem pretty adamant that Petty Officer Dobbs was a hero and that he didn’t do anything wrong. That’s going to have a strong influence on Gibbs. We know that he trusts the word of fellow Marines.
Well the skeleton is definitely Nora Webb. According to Ducky she probably died about the time of her disappearance two years ago. Hee! Palmer is picking up on Ducky’s lecturing ways. That was a look of death; Gibbs obviously doesn’t really like being lectured by Palmer. They don’t know cause of death yet. It’s gotta be hard to figure that out from bones, I would think.
I like Abby’s signature. “It only looks like a skull and crossbones.” In the garage, there is a lot of stuff from the storage locker. Tony is still interested in the spa. Abby is piquing Tony’s interest with talk of massages. She “goes both ways” as far as masseuse or masseur.
Lieutenant Commander Coleman (from JAG) looks like a match for Gibbs. I love it when Gibbs meets an equal. It I remember correctly, they had some good confrontations the last time that she was on the show. It’s good that they brought her back. Knowing their past together automatically sets up any future confrontation.
Okay, Kate was the only one savvy enough to leave, and even she is spying on Gibbs and the Commander from around the corner.
Well it turns out that SECNAV is not wild about the idea of awarding a medal to a possible murderer, and they want to know one way or another about the cold case so that a decision can be reached. Oh, and the team only has 24 hours to solve said cold case. Kate and Abby aren’t going away, are they? Nope. Gibbs cancelled all weekend plans. Cue the exasperated look from Kate. So Tony didn’t have anything to do with it. Huh.
Back in the bullpen, Tony and McGee are looking at home movies from Justin, Emmy, and Nora’s senior year. They all look friendly enough to each other. Back to car discussion. (Tony distracted? Never.) McGee’s parents bought him a car for his 16th birthday. Tony is trying to guess. Hey, what’s wrong with a Duster? I loved mine! It turns out that it was an ’84 Camaro Z-28 five speed. I know nothing about cars, but according to Tony, it is actually a “smoking hot car, McGee. What the hell went wrong with you?” McGee smashed it into a bus. McGee was in traction?! Tony is commiserating him over his old car crash, complete with hug. I think that’s the most sensitive I have ever seen him. That’s rather sad if you think about it.
Kate and Gibbs are discussing the case with the police officers who first worked the case. They didn’t have anything going on, but Justin was drinking and drove Nora home. They always thought that Justin buried her in the woods, but they couldn’t find the body. Gibbs isn’t happy with the officer’s depiction of Justin as someone who slunk out of town in a Navy uniform. “He died in that uniform, saving lives, Chief.” Ooh, power trip by the Chief. He is going to make them copy the file on the machine by themselves.
The Chief snuck out to talk with the family. “Been pushin’ a faster copier. Hope it didn’t cause too much inconvenience.” See, this is why Gibbs doesn’t cooperate with other law enforcement branches! Boy the dad is hostile. I guess it must be hard opening old wounds. Gibbs is sensitive to their pain and leaves. (Gibbs and sensitive in the same sentence? That’s almost as unheard of as Tony being sensitive.)
Ooh, Palmer seems like he has a crush on Abby. What a goofy grin. Tony sent out a mass email about the fact they couldn’t go away for the weekend. Complete with lascivious references. (Once again…Tony distracted? Never.) Palmer is giving Abby a massage. He must be happy. Tony interrupts, complete with head slap. “He’s doing it again, McGee.” “Doing what?” “You become Gibbs when he is not around.” They list all of the similarities (hey, I almost see it!) “You don’t quite have the stare down yet.”
Kate and Gibbs are now interviewing the girl. She is not so forthcoming. I wonder if she had anything to do with it?
Back to autopsy. I knew what was unique about the hyoid bone! (It is not connected directly with any other bone.) I actually remembered some of the Anatomy class I took in college. I’m surprised they found it considering that the body was first buried and then moved. And I knew what a crushed hyoid meant! (Suffocation/strangulation.) Palmer and Ducky are bonding. Cute.
The records showed that no one accessed the storage locker facility using the Petty Officer’s code after he deployed to Iraq. I know that is supposed to mean that it is more likely that he did it, but considering how these shows like to have red herrings, I am going to take it as meaning it is less likely that he did it.
Tony’s car was used in a convenience store robbery in Tennessee. And why does he think that Gibbs cares?
Gibbs cut the Commander (Faith) off while video conferencing! I guess a solar flare is the video equivalent of the cell phone excuse of driving through a tunnel? I am sure there will be payback for that. Hey, I never knew exactly where the video conference room is. That’s sort of cool to finally catch it. (For anyone else who didn’t know, it is at the top of the stairs on the right.)
Gibbs’s gut says that the guy is innocent. I trust his gut. Hey, he also thinks that Emmy Poole is holding back. Hey, so do I! AAAAAAHHHH! So did not need to see that! She (Emmy) is in a red tinted bathtub (I’m talking cherry Kool-Aid red), with her wrists fairly believably slashed. Well, I guess she was involved somehow. I wonder if it was a guilt-induced suicide or murder. I wasn’t able to get myself to analyze the wounds enough to see. (I don’t know why special effects affect me so much more than the real thing. I took Anatomy…I was a Certified First Responder on my college’s Medical Emergency Response Team…I handled a bunch of cuts and assorted other injuries while teaching preschool…yet for some reason, this fake stuff squicks me out.)
“If we hadn’t called the house, would you have notified us?” “Eventually.” Gibbs has such friendly relations with other officers! Emmy was depressed and on meds for the past couple of years. Guilty conscience or just being upset that a friend of hers was killed? That stubborn police officer is going to have to eat crow when he’s proven wrong. Not that Gibbs would rub it in any, or anything…
The JAG lady is running, and Gibbs is meeting her with coffee. “The fact you know where to find me on a Sunday morning is a little scary Gibbs.” “Not as scary as your trunk.” (Very organized. I think she’d have a fit if she saw the mess that is my car!) Oh, Gibbs is going to quarantine the Petty Officer’s body to try to stall for time. “Several Marines witnessed Petty Officer Dobbs saving lives. No one witnessed him talking one.” Not that Gibbs has formed an opinion or anything…
Tony actually looks fairly sensitive in dealing with Nora’s mother. (Wow, this episode has a sensitive Gibbs and a sensitive Tony? What’s this world coming to?)
“Why don’t you get one of these? It fits your personality perfectly. Loud, overbearing, politically incorrect.” Yeah, I could see Tony with a Hummer. He doesn’t want it because he likes the car that he has. “Too bad you’re not as faithful to the women in your life.”
Oh my God. I seriously thought that officer was Horatio Caine when he got out of the car. I almost had a heart attack thinking he was actually on another show! The officer informs them that the Chief wants them to leave the family alone. “Why can’t you just accept the facts. They are right in front of you.” I don’t think I know of a better way to ensure that they won’t leave the case alone than challenging them like that.
Abby has McGee working on fixing one of her machines. She’s in an odd outfit, complete with a black lacy parasol. Gibbs gave her an interesting look. Supposedly she was at church. Before telling Gibbs what she’s got, she informs him that he owes her because it took Kate and her six months for those spa reservations. “You tell me you found something, and I’ll think about making it up to you.” “Typical man. Promise you everything until he gets what he wants. Right, McGee?” McGee? I wouldn’t recommend saying anything. That would be a lose-lose situation for you. Well, McGee was going to try to answer (stupid guy) but Abby stopped him.
Abby found dirt on Nora’s femur and inside of the plastic, but not on the outside of the plastic. Huh. So she was buried and then dug up and planted in the truck.
Yay! More continuity. Ducky’s mother is having the ladies of the Kennel Club over for cocktails. Based on what I remember of his mother, I can see why he would think coming in would be a godsend. It turns out that Emmy’s wounds were self-inflicted. Good. I think two weeks in a row of murder camouflaged as suicide would be a bit much. Gibbs didn’t call Ducky in for that, however. He called him in to look at the Petty Officer’s body. Of course, Gibbs doesn’t really want Ducky to do anything with the body; it’s just to buy more time. “Oh, Jethro…I can spend forever finding nothing.” That doesn’t surprise me, Ducky.
Abby found some interesting information. The plastic that the body was wrapped in has only been on the market for four months. The Petty Officer either had an accomplice or he’s innocent. Gibbs came to the same conclusion. Damn I’ve been thinking a lot like Gibbs recently.
According to the JAG commander, SECNAV won’t sign off on the star. Gibbs isn’t going to take that well after all of this effort he just expended.
McGee and Abby arguing over who had to ask Gibbs whether they can leave is hysterical.
“Go ask him.”
“You ask.”
“You’re the ‘special agent’.”
“But he likes you more.”
“That’s because I don’t ask him stupid questions. [long pause] Rock, paper, scissors?”
Gibbs knowing what they were thinking and cutting it off was even more hysterical. “Something on your mind? You weren’t thinking about leaving, were you?”
McGee and Gibbs then discuss how the scenario could play out if the Petty Officer were innocent. They decide that the body would have to have been planted in the time between his death and the time the locker was opened. They think that Emmy might have had something to do with it because she knew about the locker and had a key. Of course, the code wasn’t used. McGee gets the idea (after Gibbs gives him a stare) to look at the security camera footage in case someone used a different code.
Tony’s in a bad mood. He has to go with McGee to see the camera footage. I loved Kate’s little teasing wave. Some interesting Tony/Kate moments in this ep. Wow, Tony is so in a bad mood. “A long shot is you getting laid by Penelope Cruz, McGee. This is beyond that.” And… “You’ve not been around long enough to have instincts.” Hey, Tony, did you forget about his gut instinct belief that the witness (don’t remember the character name, but she was played by the “Wonder Years” girl) saw a soldier murdered despite the lack of evidence? He was actually right then. Tony is disturbed that McGee doesn’t know anything about Gary Cooper or his movies. I don’t either.
Abby is looking at the inside of the padlock. It’s actually rather cool. She’s trying to see if anyone picked it. Gibbs then comes down and asks her if she could tell if anyone picked the lock. Of course, Abby had anticipated that and was able to give him an immediate answer. “It’s scary, Gibbs, I’m starting to think like you.” I know what you’re feeling, Abby. The lock definitely wasn’t picked. It was only opened with a key.
The service tech for the spectrometer fixed the machine easily. (Something McGee couldn’t do.) “It’s a simple short. It’s nothing you don’t pick up in an intro ITT class.” “I guess they don’t offer that at MIT.” Too bad McGee wasn’t here to hear you say that, Abby.
The Commander is back. She looks like Kate in these shots. I wonder if they did that on purpose? I love her attitude. Gibbs gave her Tony’s desk. She and Kate and Abby are bonding over spas. Poor Gibbs, all the estrogen!
It turns out that there is someone recognizable on the security tape. Abby enhanced it to show that it was the girl’s father. He would have to had known which locker to use and have a key, so Emmy Poole was probably involved somehow. Abby determined that the dirt on the plastic and the skeleton was not from the woods because it had plant food in it. The dad has a nursery (sorry, didn’t mention that earlier because I didn’t know it would be relevant), so another strike against him.
Gibbs and Tony went out to the nursery. Kate called to tell them that Bruce Webb was Nora’s stepfather. Incest? The commander is surprised at Gibbs disconnecting so abruptly, “He just cut you off?” The team of course is unfazed by it, “Does it to everyone.” The commander had better get used to it…
Tony and Gibbs present all of the evidence to the parents. No wonder the dad didn’t want to have NCIS investigate. It turns out that he dug up the body (they think) because the nursery was being sold and he wouldn’t want anyone to find it.
Gibbs does his usual kick-ass interrogation. (Although, he didn’t have to work all that hard this time.) The Commander and the Police Chief watch from behind the glass. I bet the Chief feels stupid now for insisting that it was the Petty Officer. It turns out that the stepdad had a “relationship” with Emmy. Nora found out at the party and fought with Emmy. Emmy called to warn the stepdad. Justin offered to take Nora home. When she got home, she threatened to tell her mother, so the stepdad smothered her. He said that he didn’t mean to kill her. Can they get him for statutory rape of Emmy too? He did confess.
Gibbs and the Commander have a date (good) to the Petty Officer’s funeral (not so good). I wonder if they’ll allow this relationship to continue or if they’ll drop it like all of the others on this show?
Good news is they found Tony’s car. Bad news is they are watching it in a high speed chase on television. Worse news is that it hit a semi and is completely demolished. Poor Tony! Gibbs’s comment? “Fiberglass. Not good for boats either.” Kate is trying to control her laughter even as she offers her condolences. That’s not nice, Kate. Tony looks distraught-complete with quivering lip.
Oh my! The previews for the next episode look disturbing. Tony is exposed to white powder and Ducky said “He’ll only have a few hours to live” and Kate said, “He’s dying!” Of course, they do manage to work in some humor… “Who would send me a letter with anthrax?” “Pick a girl, Tony!” So, is this the season finale? I thought we were going to get at least one more new episode before the finale. I’m not ready for the rerun hell that is summer!
Now for the review part
I thought this was an okay episode, just because of the character interactions. I especially loved that they brought the JAG Commander back. She seems like a great foil for Gibbs and I would love to see them have some kind of relationship. (But, what happened to the redhead, anyway?) The Tony car situation was pretty amusing too. I also like that they are again exploring the idea that Kate and Abby are friends. As far as the case goes, I thought it was so-so. I can’t think of anything spectacularly good or spectacularly bad about it. I am on pins and needles waiting for next week’s episode based solely on the promos, however. Eek! No deaths, no deaths, no deaths…
The arty shot was rather boring, but at least it didn’t give anything away. A guy and a girl open up a storage locker looking for a picture of his mother so that “he” can be buried with it. The guy is rather obnoxiously questioning the woman about the truck that is in there and examines it, despite the fact that she says that she wants to be alone. The guy found an icky skeleton in the bed of the truck. Serves him right for prying.
After the break, the show opens with a black and white shot of Kate giving an exasperated look. What are the odds that it involves Tony somehow? Tony stalks into the bullpen in a bad mood. “Get up on the wrong side of the bed, did we?” Oh, Tony’s car got towed and he had to take the bus in. He never made it home last night? He was parked near campus. Guess he hasn’t given up on college girls, despite his experience last week. Cute little flirty moment between Kate and Tony-“You’d love to know, wouldn’t you.” Tony doesn’t seem like a bus person. He doesn’t see himself as a bus person either. “You know what kind of people take the bus?” “I take the bus.” McGee, you did not help your case for coolness any. Oh, Kate and Abby are going somewhere for the weekend. (And Tony wants to paint a mental picture of it.) Gibbs spilled the beans about where they are going (health spa) so that it wouldn’t distract Tony all day. And you don’t think the idea of Kate and Abby together at a health spa is going to distract Tony at all, Gibbs?
Oh God, after poor Tony has been finally connected to the car people after being put on hold four times and killing his cell phone battery, Gibbs disconnected the call!
The team heads out to the storage space to check out everything. Tony, of course Gibbs wants to know about the storage space rather than your car! It turns out that his care wasn’t towed, it was stolen. Poor baby, my car was stolen once too. It sucks.
What was the point of separating the hands from the rest of the skeleton? I’m sure someone who knows about forensics could tell me.
Turns out the skeleton is probably Nora Webb. She was a friend of Emmy (the girl who discovered the body) and Justin (the dead petty officer) who disappeared their senior year and the police always thought Petty Officer Dobbs had something to do with it. Kate is pretty good about getting information out of people. I wonder if it is her profiler skills or if she picked it up from watching Gibbs? Maybe a combination of both.
Turns out that the Petty Officer was a good soldier. He sacrificed his life to save others. He’s been recommended for a posthumous silver star.
Well, Gibbs telling Tony about where Abby and Kate are going for the weekend did not keep him from getting distracted. His car was a ’90 ZR1 Corvette. “It’s powerful, fast, gorgeous.” “In other words, it’s you, Tony.” “Exactly.” What is it with some guys and cars? And was Kate paying him a backhanded compliment or just teasing him?
Well, the Marines from Iraq that Gibbs is teleconferencing with seem pretty adamant that Petty Officer Dobbs was a hero and that he didn’t do anything wrong. That’s going to have a strong influence on Gibbs. We know that he trusts the word of fellow Marines.
Well the skeleton is definitely Nora Webb. According to Ducky she probably died about the time of her disappearance two years ago. Hee! Palmer is picking up on Ducky’s lecturing ways. That was a look of death; Gibbs obviously doesn’t really like being lectured by Palmer. They don’t know cause of death yet. It’s gotta be hard to figure that out from bones, I would think.
I like Abby’s signature. “It only looks like a skull and crossbones.” In the garage, there is a lot of stuff from the storage locker. Tony is still interested in the spa. Abby is piquing Tony’s interest with talk of massages. She “goes both ways” as far as masseuse or masseur.
Lieutenant Commander Coleman (from JAG) looks like a match for Gibbs. I love it when Gibbs meets an equal. It I remember correctly, they had some good confrontations the last time that she was on the show. It’s good that they brought her back. Knowing their past together automatically sets up any future confrontation.
Okay, Kate was the only one savvy enough to leave, and even she is spying on Gibbs and the Commander from around the corner.
Well it turns out that SECNAV is not wild about the idea of awarding a medal to a possible murderer, and they want to know one way or another about the cold case so that a decision can be reached. Oh, and the team only has 24 hours to solve said cold case. Kate and Abby aren’t going away, are they? Nope. Gibbs cancelled all weekend plans. Cue the exasperated look from Kate. So Tony didn’t have anything to do with it. Huh.
Back in the bullpen, Tony and McGee are looking at home movies from Justin, Emmy, and Nora’s senior year. They all look friendly enough to each other. Back to car discussion. (Tony distracted? Never.) McGee’s parents bought him a car for his 16th birthday. Tony is trying to guess. Hey, what’s wrong with a Duster? I loved mine! It turns out that it was an ’84 Camaro Z-28 five speed. I know nothing about cars, but according to Tony, it is actually a “smoking hot car, McGee. What the hell went wrong with you?” McGee smashed it into a bus. McGee was in traction?! Tony is commiserating him over his old car crash, complete with hug. I think that’s the most sensitive I have ever seen him. That’s rather sad if you think about it.
Kate and Gibbs are discussing the case with the police officers who first worked the case. They didn’t have anything going on, but Justin was drinking and drove Nora home. They always thought that Justin buried her in the woods, but they couldn’t find the body. Gibbs isn’t happy with the officer’s depiction of Justin as someone who slunk out of town in a Navy uniform. “He died in that uniform, saving lives, Chief.” Ooh, power trip by the Chief. He is going to make them copy the file on the machine by themselves.
The Chief snuck out to talk with the family. “Been pushin’ a faster copier. Hope it didn’t cause too much inconvenience.” See, this is why Gibbs doesn’t cooperate with other law enforcement branches! Boy the dad is hostile. I guess it must be hard opening old wounds. Gibbs is sensitive to their pain and leaves. (Gibbs and sensitive in the same sentence? That’s almost as unheard of as Tony being sensitive.)
Ooh, Palmer seems like he has a crush on Abby. What a goofy grin. Tony sent out a mass email about the fact they couldn’t go away for the weekend. Complete with lascivious references. (Once again…Tony distracted? Never.) Palmer is giving Abby a massage. He must be happy. Tony interrupts, complete with head slap. “He’s doing it again, McGee.” “Doing what?” “You become Gibbs when he is not around.” They list all of the similarities (hey, I almost see it!) “You don’t quite have the stare down yet.”
Kate and Gibbs are now interviewing the girl. She is not so forthcoming. I wonder if she had anything to do with it?
Back to autopsy. I knew what was unique about the hyoid bone! (It is not connected directly with any other bone.) I actually remembered some of the Anatomy class I took in college. I’m surprised they found it considering that the body was first buried and then moved. And I knew what a crushed hyoid meant! (Suffocation/strangulation.) Palmer and Ducky are bonding. Cute.
The records showed that no one accessed the storage locker facility using the Petty Officer’s code after he deployed to Iraq. I know that is supposed to mean that it is more likely that he did it, but considering how these shows like to have red herrings, I am going to take it as meaning it is less likely that he did it.
Tony’s car was used in a convenience store robbery in Tennessee. And why does he think that Gibbs cares?
Gibbs cut the Commander (Faith) off while video conferencing! I guess a solar flare is the video equivalent of the cell phone excuse of driving through a tunnel? I am sure there will be payback for that. Hey, I never knew exactly where the video conference room is. That’s sort of cool to finally catch it. (For anyone else who didn’t know, it is at the top of the stairs on the right.)
Gibbs’s gut says that the guy is innocent. I trust his gut. Hey, he also thinks that Emmy Poole is holding back. Hey, so do I! AAAAAAHHHH! So did not need to see that! She (Emmy) is in a red tinted bathtub (I’m talking cherry Kool-Aid red), with her wrists fairly believably slashed. Well, I guess she was involved somehow. I wonder if it was a guilt-induced suicide or murder. I wasn’t able to get myself to analyze the wounds enough to see. (I don’t know why special effects affect me so much more than the real thing. I took Anatomy…I was a Certified First Responder on my college’s Medical Emergency Response Team…I handled a bunch of cuts and assorted other injuries while teaching preschool…yet for some reason, this fake stuff squicks me out.)
“If we hadn’t called the house, would you have notified us?” “Eventually.” Gibbs has such friendly relations with other officers! Emmy was depressed and on meds for the past couple of years. Guilty conscience or just being upset that a friend of hers was killed? That stubborn police officer is going to have to eat crow when he’s proven wrong. Not that Gibbs would rub it in any, or anything…
The JAG lady is running, and Gibbs is meeting her with coffee. “The fact you know where to find me on a Sunday morning is a little scary Gibbs.” “Not as scary as your trunk.” (Very organized. I think she’d have a fit if she saw the mess that is my car!) Oh, Gibbs is going to quarantine the Petty Officer’s body to try to stall for time. “Several Marines witnessed Petty Officer Dobbs saving lives. No one witnessed him talking one.” Not that Gibbs has formed an opinion or anything…
Tony actually looks fairly sensitive in dealing with Nora’s mother. (Wow, this episode has a sensitive Gibbs and a sensitive Tony? What’s this world coming to?)
“Why don’t you get one of these? It fits your personality perfectly. Loud, overbearing, politically incorrect.” Yeah, I could see Tony with a Hummer. He doesn’t want it because he likes the car that he has. “Too bad you’re not as faithful to the women in your life.”
Oh my God. I seriously thought that officer was Horatio Caine when he got out of the car. I almost had a heart attack thinking he was actually on another show! The officer informs them that the Chief wants them to leave the family alone. “Why can’t you just accept the facts. They are right in front of you.” I don’t think I know of a better way to ensure that they won’t leave the case alone than challenging them like that.
Abby has McGee working on fixing one of her machines. She’s in an odd outfit, complete with a black lacy parasol. Gibbs gave her an interesting look. Supposedly she was at church. Before telling Gibbs what she’s got, she informs him that he owes her because it took Kate and her six months for those spa reservations. “You tell me you found something, and I’ll think about making it up to you.” “Typical man. Promise you everything until he gets what he wants. Right, McGee?” McGee? I wouldn’t recommend saying anything. That would be a lose-lose situation for you. Well, McGee was going to try to answer (stupid guy) but Abby stopped him.
Abby found dirt on Nora’s femur and inside of the plastic, but not on the outside of the plastic. Huh. So she was buried and then dug up and planted in the truck.
Yay! More continuity. Ducky’s mother is having the ladies of the Kennel Club over for cocktails. Based on what I remember of his mother, I can see why he would think coming in would be a godsend. It turns out that Emmy’s wounds were self-inflicted. Good. I think two weeks in a row of murder camouflaged as suicide would be a bit much. Gibbs didn’t call Ducky in for that, however. He called him in to look at the Petty Officer’s body. Of course, Gibbs doesn’t really want Ducky to do anything with the body; it’s just to buy more time. “Oh, Jethro…I can spend forever finding nothing.” That doesn’t surprise me, Ducky.
Abby found some interesting information. The plastic that the body was wrapped in has only been on the market for four months. The Petty Officer either had an accomplice or he’s innocent. Gibbs came to the same conclusion. Damn I’ve been thinking a lot like Gibbs recently.
According to the JAG commander, SECNAV won’t sign off on the star. Gibbs isn’t going to take that well after all of this effort he just expended.
McGee and Abby arguing over who had to ask Gibbs whether they can leave is hysterical.
“Go ask him.”
“You ask.”
“You’re the ‘special agent’.”
“But he likes you more.”
“That’s because I don’t ask him stupid questions. [long pause] Rock, paper, scissors?”
Gibbs knowing what they were thinking and cutting it off was even more hysterical. “Something on your mind? You weren’t thinking about leaving, were you?”
McGee and Gibbs then discuss how the scenario could play out if the Petty Officer were innocent. They decide that the body would have to have been planted in the time between his death and the time the locker was opened. They think that Emmy might have had something to do with it because she knew about the locker and had a key. Of course, the code wasn’t used. McGee gets the idea (after Gibbs gives him a stare) to look at the security camera footage in case someone used a different code.
Tony’s in a bad mood. He has to go with McGee to see the camera footage. I loved Kate’s little teasing wave. Some interesting Tony/Kate moments in this ep. Wow, Tony is so in a bad mood. “A long shot is you getting laid by Penelope Cruz, McGee. This is beyond that.” And… “You’ve not been around long enough to have instincts.” Hey, Tony, did you forget about his gut instinct belief that the witness (don’t remember the character name, but she was played by the “Wonder Years” girl) saw a soldier murdered despite the lack of evidence? He was actually right then. Tony is disturbed that McGee doesn’t know anything about Gary Cooper or his movies. I don’t either.
Abby is looking at the inside of the padlock. It’s actually rather cool. She’s trying to see if anyone picked it. Gibbs then comes down and asks her if she could tell if anyone picked the lock. Of course, Abby had anticipated that and was able to give him an immediate answer. “It’s scary, Gibbs, I’m starting to think like you.” I know what you’re feeling, Abby. The lock definitely wasn’t picked. It was only opened with a key.
The service tech for the spectrometer fixed the machine easily. (Something McGee couldn’t do.) “It’s a simple short. It’s nothing you don’t pick up in an intro ITT class.” “I guess they don’t offer that at MIT.” Too bad McGee wasn’t here to hear you say that, Abby.
The Commander is back. She looks like Kate in these shots. I wonder if they did that on purpose? I love her attitude. Gibbs gave her Tony’s desk. She and Kate and Abby are bonding over spas. Poor Gibbs, all the estrogen!
It turns out that there is someone recognizable on the security tape. Abby enhanced it to show that it was the girl’s father. He would have to had known which locker to use and have a key, so Emmy Poole was probably involved somehow. Abby determined that the dirt on the plastic and the skeleton was not from the woods because it had plant food in it. The dad has a nursery (sorry, didn’t mention that earlier because I didn’t know it would be relevant), so another strike against him.
Gibbs and Tony went out to the nursery. Kate called to tell them that Bruce Webb was Nora’s stepfather. Incest? The commander is surprised at Gibbs disconnecting so abruptly, “He just cut you off?” The team of course is unfazed by it, “Does it to everyone.” The commander had better get used to it…
Tony and Gibbs present all of the evidence to the parents. No wonder the dad didn’t want to have NCIS investigate. It turns out that he dug up the body (they think) because the nursery was being sold and he wouldn’t want anyone to find it.
Gibbs does his usual kick-ass interrogation. (Although, he didn’t have to work all that hard this time.) The Commander and the Police Chief watch from behind the glass. I bet the Chief feels stupid now for insisting that it was the Petty Officer. It turns out that the stepdad had a “relationship” with Emmy. Nora found out at the party and fought with Emmy. Emmy called to warn the stepdad. Justin offered to take Nora home. When she got home, she threatened to tell her mother, so the stepdad smothered her. He said that he didn’t mean to kill her. Can they get him for statutory rape of Emmy too? He did confess.
Gibbs and the Commander have a date (good) to the Petty Officer’s funeral (not so good). I wonder if they’ll allow this relationship to continue or if they’ll drop it like all of the others on this show?
Good news is they found Tony’s car. Bad news is they are watching it in a high speed chase on television. Worse news is that it hit a semi and is completely demolished. Poor Tony! Gibbs’s comment? “Fiberglass. Not good for boats either.” Kate is trying to control her laughter even as she offers her condolences. That’s not nice, Kate. Tony looks distraught-complete with quivering lip.
Oh my! The previews for the next episode look disturbing. Tony is exposed to white powder and Ducky said “He’ll only have a few hours to live” and Kate said, “He’s dying!” Of course, they do manage to work in some humor… “Who would send me a letter with anthrax?” “Pick a girl, Tony!” So, is this the season finale? I thought we were going to get at least one more new episode before the finale. I’m not ready for the rerun hell that is summer!
Now for the review part
I thought this was an okay episode, just because of the character interactions. I especially loved that they brought the JAG Commander back. She seems like a great foil for Gibbs and I would love to see them have some kind of relationship. (But, what happened to the redhead, anyway?) The Tony car situation was pretty amusing too. I also like that they are again exploring the idea that Kate and Abby are friends. As far as the case goes, I thought it was so-so. I can’t think of anything spectacularly good or spectacularly bad about it. I am on pins and needles waiting for next week’s episode based solely on the promos, however. Eek! No deaths, no deaths, no deaths…