There were so many corny lines in this week’s “NCIS,” I checked to see if Kurt Williams was listed as one of the writers. That being said, it’s so great to see the team smiling and joking again. The only weird part, some of the team was missing from the episode with no explanation.
Dad: I really liked tonight’s episode. There was no Palmer.
Me: I knew you were going to say that. Actually, there wasn’t a lot of Ducky or Abby either.
Dad: I didn’t notice that, just Palmer. (Laughs)
A running gag through the episode was McGee and DiNozzo’s mystery date. Ziva bets that they cannot pick up the next woman they see, which turns out to be Coast Guard Abby, as I call her. The best moment of the episode comes with McGee tries to invite her to an 80s cover band. Instead, he ends up insulting her age.
Dad: I didn’t understand what he was doing when he was talking to her.
Me: He was trying to win the bet.
Dad: I know, but he couldn’t even ask the girl out. What a nerd.
Coast Guard Abby is part of the investigation into a helicopter crash. Three people survive the crash but the pilot is found with a bullet wound to his head. I don’t think he got that from the crash. During the investigation, a scruffy looking dude who collects scrap metal and sells it, accuses them of being on his beach. In the end, he’s the one who gets the date with Coast Guard Abby. Oh, and he’s the killer, but more on that later.
Back at the office, DiNozzo is trying to rationalize not having to go through with the bet. He tells Ziva since she was the first person he saw he should have just asked her out. Her response, “You had your chance.” WHEN?! I am pretty sure I would have remembered if there had been a specific moment. And I can tell from DiNozzo’s face he thought the same thing.
Dad: When did that happen? Did I miss an episode?
Me: You’d never miss and episode. I don’t know what she’s talking about either. I’m just as confused as you.
The helicopter survivors try to say the pilot shot himself while trying to take them all down in a suicide attempt. His little boy has a condition where tumors develop all over his body. When Gibbs talks to the widow, she says the pilot would not have killed himself because he was so proud of his son’s courage. She talks about how there’s a tumor across the boy’s face. They’re going to have to cut his facial muscle when they remove the tumor. That means he will never be able to smile. The little boy’s only worry was he’d mess up the family picture; A heartbreaking moment right there.
Me: Did you have your facial muscle cut?
Dad: No, why?
Me: You never smile in our family photos.
Dad: (Laughs) Nope.
After some more of Kurt’s corny jokes, they get the helicopter team to admit they were going to fake the crash and sell the chopper. Their original pilot backed out of the plan, so the victim had to fly them. When they told him the plan he pretended to go along. Then, when the pilot landed the helicopter on the ship where they were selling it, the pilot flipped on them. So the buyer shot him in the head and stranded the others. They traced the buyer to a Virginia Beach marina, there’s your weekly Hampton Roads mention, and it turns out to be the scrap-metal guy. I guess he won’t be going on that date with Coast Guard Abby after all.
Dad: People taking stuff from the military to sell is nothing new.
Me: Wait, did you do that when you were at Fort Campbell?
Dad: No! Of course not! But there was a guy who took a .45 out of the armament. They ended up finding it and court martialing him. Not all service members were choir boys.
Me: Yeah, I know. You served with Jimi Hendrix.
Dad: Jimi got his wings stripped so no, he wasn’t a choir boy.
The second time we saw the scrap-metal guy I thought he might be the killer. I just didn’t figure out the “selling the chopper” plot. I did like how Ziva turned McGee’s skills on him and hacked his computer to find out about the mystery date. It turns out they were just playing video games with girls online. As Gibbs points out to the boys, if they would have just invited her along then she never would have set up the bet in the first place.
Side Note: Dad and I are really excited Gibbs’ father is back next week!
