We open in a shop full of mothers with their young daughters, getting their "First Makeover". (OMG WTF? *shudders*) Mothers...and FBI Agent Fornell. Who is looking very FBI-y in his dark trenchcoat, huddling away from the bright, sparkly things happening all around him. But lo, while he has his back turned, a bit of real-life shadowiness intrudes on this girlish paradise. A strange man is talking to Fornell's daughter, Emily. This creepy enough on its own, but creepier once we discover that this man is someone Fornell and Gibbs put away. He (Paulson) (creepy dude) and Fornell have a conversation, in which he professes his innocence, and then takes off after implying threats to Fornell and Emily.
It's interesting to me how often NCIS chooses to open with the innocent in danger. (Think about how many times kids find the dead body.) They really want to press home to the viewers how important the agents' and the government's role as protectors are: without these people, the bad guys would run rampant. Agree or disagree, I think most of the time they make good TV out of it. Evil contrasted with innocence is a key element in drama. But the message is very definitely there.
Anyway. Back to this episode. Gibbs is in his basement, cleaning up so that he can sell his house. He might not be in Mexico, but he's obviously not in the mood to stick around. One of the things he runs across while cleaning is a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox, complete with doll and pictures of his daughter. It's a moment that could be way over the top, yet it comes off as pretty natural, something that would happen when one is packing. I like that they're continuing to work with the threads they set up last season. A lot of shows would have decided to drop the whole thing once the big reveal was over and done with, or to belabor the point with long, drawn out arcs.
We hear the real estate agent make her pitch upstairs, and instead of an interested buyer, Fornell appears.
Gibbs: First my wife, now my house?
Fornell: No. I learned my lesson. I'm through with your leftovers.
See shetiger's and kageygirl's minds go to a naughty place. (Sloppy-seconds springs to mind.) The first of many funny moments in the ep, it's a great way to break some of the tension that we've had up till that point.
Of course, we go right back to tension. Fornell starts to explain the situation, but Gibbs turns him down before he can get very far. Fornell brings his daughter into the picture, but Gibbs doesn't seem to be moved, and Fornell leaves with a bitter "nice tan".
Now we go to the NCIS squadroom, where Ziva and Agent Lee are trying to reassure McGee.
Ziva: It's really not that bad, McGee.
McGee: For a spy, you're a horrible liar.
Lee: Ziva's right. You can hardly notice. But.
McGee: But?
Lee: But I wouldn't let Agent DiNozzo see it, if I were you.
Lee's got Tony pegged. Unfortunately, she hasn't figured out Tony's ability to walk in on the conversation just at the right time (another Gibbs-inherited trait). Tony wants to know what's going on; McGee and Ziva refuse to tell. Lee, however, can be counted on to follow rules and answer to authority, so she immediately spills that McGee overbleached his teeth. Tony takes the opportunity to point out that this could have prevented if only McGee watched more TV.
And then he proceeds to try to climb into Tim's mouth. Not exaggerating, I swear!
Tony: Open up your mouth.
McGee: No.
Tony: Let me see the chicklets.
McGee: No.
Tony: Let me see them.
McGee: No.
Tony: Open your...Gibbs!
Yes, indeed, Gibbs stalks back into NCIS and on up to the Director's office, where he wants to be temporarily reinstated. The Director is having none of it, because while Gibbs has always acted like he can do as he pleases, there are actually a few limits on how a government agency works.
Shepard: Wait! Let me at least...validate your parking.
She had me rolling at that one, because it's not often that someone gets Gibbs good. And, of course, it turns out that she hadn't actually filed the retirement paperwork, so Gibbs is still on the payroll.
Kagey and I were both confused by the Director in this scene. Er, not by her actions, but by our reactions to her. I really didn't hate her here--I like that she didn't file the paperwork, and I like the way she gave him hell for trying to manipulate her and the others just because he wants things to go his way. (Yes, it's a trait we love in Gibbs, but come on. Somebody's got to call him on it sometime.) But I couldn't totally like her, either. She seems a bit too coy and smug there at then end. I dunno. Maybe with time she'll win me over. (Hey. It could happen. I hated Kira at the beginning of DS9, but by the end she was my favorite.)
Back in the squadroom, Tony, Tim, and Ziva are clustered around Tony's desk as they try to worm the details out of Cynthia, the director's secretary. Gibbs stalks past them to the extra desk, not giving them the time of day (or any hell for spying on him). (It's interesting to note that Tony calls him 'Gibbs' at this point, not reverting back to 'Boss'.) Tony pulls McGee and Ziva off for a conference (deliberately leaving Lee behind, though for what reason is unclear).
Their pow wow is so very typical:
Tony: Okay, I've got an idea. Maybe he lost his memory again and forgot he quit his job.
McGee: Wouldn't he be sitting at his old desk, then?
Ziva: If Gibbs wanted us to know what he was doing, he would have told us.
Tony: Oh, right. Because he would never expect us to figure it out for ourselves.
I think that says a lot about each of their relationships with Gibbs. Well, maybe not so much McGee, but his comment shows that he's a little bit more removed from Gibbs. Ziva, on the other hand, has a blind trust in Gibbs' dealings with her. For the most part in the past, he's been very on the up and up. Tony, however, always has to run in circles, trying to live up to Gibbs' expectations. Which in turn is very telling about how Gibbs sees them--Ziva needed someone to trust, and Tony needed someone to push him in just the right way.
After we learn that Gibbs is back temporarily, pursuing a bank robber/murder, he shows up in Abby's lab. Abby's so focused on her work, and so used to Gibbs being a presence in her life, that she doesn't notice at first that he's out of place. (Also, apparently the Gibbs-pics on her monitors are a constant thing since he left.) Once she figures it out, we get a sweet hug between the two.
Abby: I knew you'd come back.
Gibbs: I'm not back.
Abby: Of course you're back, I can feel your badge. [concerned pause] That is your badge, right?
I love these two together, however you see their relationship (father-daughter, friends, romantic). And it was nice that we got to see their reunion this week, because it got glossed over in Shalom.
(Um. But talk about suggestive:
)
Abby's pissed that Gibbs isn't staying, but Gibbs doesn't dwell on that; he's too busy catching the rest of the team eavesdropping like little girls. (Oh, Tony. You are just so...Tony.) The team isn't caught flat-footed, however. They launch into what they know about the case, which is that their quarry, Paulson, was only visited in prison by one guy: Mickey Stokes.
Oh, and McGee winks at Tony. *dies of squee overdose*
Gibbs starts handing out tasks, and Tony leaps in to do the same thing. Tony might have been a little unsure last week when one of his own was in trouble, but this week he is completely in control--and looking like he enjoys the role of team lead, and not in the powertripping kind of way. Ziva brings up the idea that maybe Tony's nervous that Gibbs might take his old job back, a concernt that sounds pretty damn valid at this point.
They arrive at Hal Holbrook's, er, Mickey Stokes' house to discover that the suspect is on the phone for him. Of course, it's all a ploy so he can steal the car. Which then turns out to be a ploy to steal Tony's laptop. Paulson is apparently one clever dude. And hey, even he twits Gibbs about leaving NCIS!
I really only have one thing to say about the scene where they case the house:
...Underwear sniffing, Tony? Dude, you are so very strange.
Back at the ranch, Abby and Agent Lee are going through evidence. Lee feels that Gibbs' methods are a bit too biblical; Abby almost shows her a smackdown of biblical proportions for saying anything bad about her Gibbs. Also, I squawk as we learn that Lee's first name is Michelle. No! This is not the character I want to share a name with.
Gibbs shows up. Abby gives him the look o' death for not agreeing to come back full time. Meanwhile, Agent Lee does not do a good job of impressing Gibbs--especially considering that he heard that biblical comment.
Up in the squadroom, Ziva's apparently getting information and a date at the same time. McGee's busy sucking down his fourth Caf-Pow!. And Tony has apparently learned the key to one of Gibbs' secret superpowers--he's listening in on the team from his own phone. I love that Gibbs sneaks up behind Tony here, but Tony isn't at all surprised. It's like they're both on the same dirty pool level, and so the tricks don't work on each other.
(Aww, Ziva doesn't like the campfires! But more on those in a bit.)
Tony moves in to wow Ziva and McGee with his knowledge, but Gibbs one ups him by knowing the name of the key witness--Russell Nash. Which is fun, since we know that Gibbs knows because of Abby and Lee. Tony is suitably impressed.
Tony: ...warn all the witnesses from Paulson's trial except for one?
Ziva: Right. The only one they couldn't find was--
Gibbs: Russell Nash.
Tony: I have much to learn still, Master.
Obligatory geeky comment: Russell Nash was the name of Conner MacLeod's alias in the original Highlander, yes?
Then we see an example of Tony trying to break away from "what would Gibbs do?" style of leadership: calling a "campfire". While extremely dorky, I think it's really exciting that Tony's trying to do something different. Also, while Ziva might not like the little campfire gatherings, McGee looks absolutely delighted by them. It's the type of team exercise that would suit his personality very well.
Something new and exciting on the Ducky front: Palmer is helping him practice for an oral exam. Ducky's about to finish a degree in forensic psychology. I love that NCIS has this older character who's not only smart and experienced, but who also keeps up with his field and moves forward with his knowledge. No resting on laurels for Ducky!
Also, there's no easy forgive and forget when for Ducky. While at the end of Hiatus 2 Ducky seemed to be the one who was the most okay with Gibbs' decision to leave, in Shalom and this ep he's been very bitter about it. Ducky uses his psychology to prick at Gibbs' conscience, and Gibbs looks pricked.
(Personally, I'm not interested in the Gibbs/Ducky pairing, but boy, is there ever a lot of subtext for it:
)
There's no resolution, however, because it turns out Paulson has called his own tip hotline and wants to speak to Gibbs. They trace the call to an address Gibbs recognizes: the place where the murders took place. They race off to the place, where McGee and Ziva are assigned to the fire escapes, and Lee is to watch the cars. She looks pissed about that, but considering what happened the last time with Paulson, it's a smart assignment. Good for Tony.
Tony, Gibbs, and Fornell make their way inside, taking time for a bit of banter between them. They burst into the room--only to discover that Paulson has been busy pointing out their boo-boos. After discussion, they realize their only option is to reopen the case. But back at NCIS, they keep running into dead-ends. Not to worry--Gibbs has brought in Mickey Stokes.
Lee: Is he even a lawyer?
Tony: Well we can't all be lawyers, Agent Lee.
Which makes me think that Lee is indeed a lawyer. That would explain a lot--she's very mired in law, rules, and procedures.
Mickey goes off with Abby, whom he is very smitten with, to go over the case. Love how protective Gibbs is here.
Abby: You must be Mickey.
Stokes: I'll be whoever you want me to be.
Gibbs: 'Mickey' will do just fine.
Tony, Ziva, and McGee are having another campfire--and even the director is involved, casually sitting nearby and contributing to the discussion. What a difference an episode has made! Apparently Tony and Shepard have established their working relationship, and it's not the contentious "don't be lookin' over my shoulder" one that Gibbs and Shepard often have.
(Note to various television PTB: Please to be stopping with the using of 'Jack' and variations of 'Sheppard' as names. Oi with the poodles!)
Tony invites Gibbs to join them, but Gibbs takes off without a word. He's staying at Fornell's house--apparently Gibbs managed to get termites. (Well, not Gibbs himself.) The two agents share juice boxes in Emily's room while they bond over their mistakes and uncertainties about the future.
In Abby's lab, Agent Lee has just received a henna tattoo as part of one of Abby's experiments. With Mickey's encouragement and the background accompaniment of "I'm Too Sexy", she starts to loosen up a little. (Who couldn't go a little wild to "I'm Too Sexy"?) Unfortunately for her, she manages to spin right into Gibbs (and Gibbs' coffee). After bumbling through apologies, she and Abby manage to explain what they're up to--they think they can prove Paulson was framed. And they have a lead on a way to find Nash, the guy who framed him.
Um. Which means Tony has to go interview a guy who spins signs. This show. I mean really, who thinks of this kind of thing? Sign-guy declaims any knowledge of Nash, but Tony knows better. Returning to the car--where he interrupts Ziva giving Gibbs her version of the "come back" speech--he listens in on sign guy calling Nash. The crew heads off to pick up Nash--only to find that he's toast. Ducky says Nash was beaten and shot before being shoved over the balcony--apparently interrogated. Which leaves Paulson looking guilty once again.
Abby: And he used us to take him straight to the bank.
Tony: But if your gut says Paulson's innocent, maybe we're missing something.
Gibbs: The only thing that I am missing right now is happy hour at Carlos's cantina.
And we see that while Tony might have made his own place as a leader, he still trusts Gibbs instincts and experience. The question is: does Gibbs still trust himself? Gibbs heads off to the elevator, where he has a private moment of...frustration? self-doubt? inspiration? Something. Whatever goes on in that elevator, when he comes out he's figured out what's going on--or at least figured out how to figure out what's going on. He goes to Abby for help--and she handcuffs herself to him!
After Abby hugs Gibbs (and nearly dislocates his shoulder in the process), the camera takes us back to the squadroom for my favorite shot of the episode.
Okay, let me give you a little exercise. If I say two out of the three people in this picture are together, which two would that be?
*clears throat*
Plot, right. Tony, Ziva and McGee are concluding a campfire. Tony's out of sorts because the pieces just aren't adding up. That's when Gibbs arrives to torture Tony's dictaphone--apparently it had been bugged. (And since Abby's been burning campfires to CD all day, the bug's been transmitting plenty of info.) Abby figures out who made the thing, and they bring the guy in. He's less than cooperative.
Bugdude: Then why'd your goon confiscate my files?
McGee: Goon?
Tony: I told you to stop hunching your shoulders.
And the chiropractor in me squees in delight, because I've been bitching about McGee's posture from day one. (Just let me at him, please?)
Anyway, Ziva's getting nowhere with the guy.
Tony: No, I said every exit, not every other exit. For the same reason you don't floss every other tooth.
Gibbs: Where's that cypher, DiNozzo?
Tony: We hit a little SNAFU, Boss. Gibbs.
Notice Tony's starting to slip back into the underling role? Anyway, Tony threatens to unleash lawyer!Lee on bug!guy, but Gibbs has other ideas. Which leads to the frightening sight of Gibbs saying "please". The poor boys don't know what to think, but it works.
(But before that, Tony has finally made the link to the film The Fugitive. Ziva asks McGee what happened, since they've been so vigilant against drawing Tony's attention to the connection. Hee! They really know their new boss.)
So, the secret of the bug figured out, Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee go to take down the bad guy--who turns out to be Micky, not Paulson. Mickey protests that he can't possibly be the criminal: would he live like this if he has millions? McGee comes through with his knowledge gained from the Antiques Roadshow--proving that he does watch and learn from TV, even if it's not Tony's style. *loves them both*
The director visits Gibbs in his basement, where they have a talk about him coming back. I couldn't quite follow her point--I think she's worried about his health, but wants him to continue despite that. But apparently she makes her point well enough to him.
Case closed, everything's all wrapped. Tony, Ziva, and McGee exit the elevator bantering and joshing with each other.
Ziva: You know, you used to be a nice person McGee. I think sitting at Tony's desk is affecting your personality.
Tony: For the better. McGee picked up a girl all by himself.
Ziva: Yeah, at a funeral.
Tony: You didn't tell me that.
McGee: Well, you were right, man. Because when women are vulnerable, you get right in there.
[Tony and McGee make sliding hand movements.]
But the joking's over, because Gibbs has finished moving--not his house, but their desks. I was actually surprised at how sorry I felt for Agent Lee here. While her fate is unclear--is she fired, transferred, moved to the crappy desk?--she looks completely worried and lost. Kudos to the actor for doing a lot with not very much over the course of two episodes.
Gibbs looks up with glasses and pornstache, asking "what?" as if nothing's changed. Ziva looks torn between confusion, concern, and delight, while Tony just looks concerned. McGee, on the other hand, is delighted, and we finally get the pay off on the bleached teeth joke. Even on the third time through, seeing the reveal of those sparkling whites cracks me up. And then they added the extra shine on the black and white shot! Excellent, dude.


This episode starts out heavy, ends on an odd note, and has plenty of painful zingers in between. Yet for all of that, it's a very funny episode. I watched this with my brothers and my husband, who aren't terribly fannish people (or even that familiar with the show, in the case of one brother), and we were all cracking up fairly often. Because of that, I missed a lot of the plot the first time through.
Or at least I thought that was the reason I missed the plot the first time through. On rewatching, I realized how convoluted and confusing the plot was. It reminded me of some of their early season one eps, when it seemed they were trying so hard to be interesting that they did too much. I hope for the show's sake they tighten things up a bit more.
Because the character stuff is fantastic. For all that Gibbs is a really awesome character, during the first three seasons he's been a very static character. We've had a lot of growth from McGee. Tony has grown, and so has Ziva. Ducky and Abby really haven't had that much opportunity for their own arcs, but considering that Gibbs is the main character, you'd expect a lot more from him than from them. Yet we haven't seen it. Even the big reveal of his family over season three was about stuff in the past. It was all explanation for the way he is, not impetus for him to move forward.
But now we're seeing Gibbs a little differently. It's hard to say what he's going through--he was definitely pissed, frustrated, and hurting at the end of Hiatus 2. He's obviously still feeling raw about his family, whose deaths he re-experienced thanks to the coma. But it seems to me there was also a bit of uncertainty in this episode, self-doubt about his instincts and whether he's making the right decisions. He tells Fornell that Paulson will be his 'last mistake'. He really doesn't want to fuck up again, not when it can mean the deaths of people serving his country or people he cares about.
Apparently, though, he gets past that fear enough to come back to work. I really wonder how this will play out through the coming season. Also, I wonder how his relationship with Tony will play out, and whether Tony will retain some of his newfound maturity, or whether he'll slip back into old patterns. Good stuff ahead.