Unlike last week’s “NCIS,” which served mostly as a filler episode, this week’s episode of “NCIS” was full of important, revealing information about Ziva’s time in Africa. The details provided about Ziva’s journey on the freighter _Damocles_ and into the interior of Somalia were just as devastating and horrific as fans imagined.
8:00: It’s on! Thank goodness. It seems like it’s been forever since last week’s episode. Maybe that’s because last week’s episode paled in comparison to so many of the great episodes in the history of “NCIS.” Well, minus the Tony-and-McGee-get-chased-by-dogs scene. That was pretty epic.
8:01: Okay, random shrimpers on a boat at sea. I know this is going to prove important, but it just seems a little, well, random. And they’re in the Indian Ocean? Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure that’s way outside of NCIS’ jurisdiction.
8:02: Skeleton in the fishing nets! See, I knew the shrimpers weren’t just pointless bait for a bigger revelation.
8:04: This episode’s called “Good Cop, Bad Cop.” Is it bad that upon seeing this title, I immediately think of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s video, “Good Cop, Baby Cop?” I think it’s a sign that I spend way too much time on YouTube.
8:05: Ziva to Tony: “You always reply to all. It drives me crazy!” Haha, I sympathize, Tony. I’ve done the same thing to some rather unamused friends.
8:05: The skeleton found on the shrimping boat? Oh, yeah, well it has a dog tag on it. A Marine dog tag. And apparently, Dead Guy is (was?) Jewish. Ooh, Ziva must know something. Wait a minute — I shouldn’t say that; that’s stereotyping (slaps wrist).
8:06: Random guy on a boat about the beard-growing competition onboard: “It looks like a damn teen wolf convention.” Again, the fact that I immediately think of Jacob and the upcoming “New Moon” movie speaks wonders about my insanity.
8:07: I was right about Ziva and knowing about the dead guy. Apparently he was onboard the same ship as she was during her trip to Somalia.
8:07: Gibbs and Vance play the “Good Cop, Bad Cop” routine. I guess I should have seen that one coming, seeing as it is the episode’s title.
8:11: It looks like we’re settling in for an interrogation of epic proportions — Ziva vs. Vance, Round 1. Any predictions on who wins? Normally I’d say Ziva hands down, but she hasn’t really been the same since the team rescued her from that hole-in-the-ground prison.
8:13: There are inconsistencies in Ziva’s stories during her psych evaluation, but she doesn’t want to talk about it. Vance doesn’t seem to care and uses her confession as leverage to (potentially) give her a job as an NCIS agent: “Let’s talk. That’s the price of admission.”
8:15: Tony: “It’s like ‘Alien.’” I’m only including this line because I can’t include his priceless (yet slightly irritating) noise that accompanied his statement.
8:17: McGee: “Ziva hasn’t been Ziva since we brought her home.” Tony: “Yeah, we’re waiting for something to pop out of her chest.” LOL. Classic Tony.
8:19: Abby’s reading weather maps? Why? And in what universe?
8:20: Ooh, so that’s why. Apparently the story that the _Damocles_ sank in a tropical storm is pretty much null and void, seeing as the body of the dead Marine, Cryer, was found miles and miles away in a totally different current.
8:21: Dead Guy Cryer didn’t drown. He was shot in the head above the ear. Ooh, intrigue.
8:22: Haha, Tony just tried to walk out of the autopsy room with Cryer’s skull. That just made me laugh a little bit.
8:24: Back to Ziva vs. Vance, interrogation-style. Round 2 has just begun. Apparently Ziva was offered ex-Mossad agent (and her ex-boyfriend) Michael Rivkin’s place in a secret operation to be carried out in Africa — more specifically, in Somalia. Vance tries to weed some semblance of information out of her (“Can you tell us why the body was on the boat?”) but fails. Hey, it’s not your fault, Vance. Ziva’s just that good.
8:24: Uh, oh. McGee found out that the entire crew of the _Damocles_ was massacred — 18 people in total. That is not good. Are we supposed to suspect that Ziva had something to do with it?
8:28: Ziva’s pacing in the interrogation room. Ziva nervous? Now that’s something I didn’t expect.
8:28: Ducky remarks that Gibbs’ treatment of Ziva is rather harsh. Gibbs: “[It’s] tough love.” Ducky retorts: “You do know there are other kinds.”
8:30: Flashback! I love flashbacks, mostly because it reminds me of “Lost.” And I love “Lost.” But that’s another story for another blog. Basically, the flashback explains how Ziva and her Mossad “team” got aboard the _Damocles_.
8:32: Ziva’s guys apparently know too much. That’s never a good thing. Special Guest Star Guy appears — and I only call him that because he is the chosen team member who gets more than one line and a gravelly stare. He tells Ziva that “the American’s left” her, but her “family has not.” Shut your mouth, fool! I don’t like Special Guest Star Guy at all.
8:33: Haha, Ziva, I love you. “He works for me.” Sex is the perfect distracter for all of the male persuasion.
8:34: Special Guest Star Guy is the dead Marine! No way! No wonder he had so many lines. At least he has a nice sort of banter-esque thing going on with Ziva. I’d respect it, y’know, if I didn’t know that the Tony/Ziva was waiting in the corner with bated breath for TPTB to give them permission to, well, get it on.
8:37: Mossad Commander Guy — who will henceforth be known as Ziva’s Boss — shows up at NCIS headquarters. I smell a showdown between Gibbs and Ziva’s Boss. Okay, wait, that was confusing, because to me, Gibbs is Ziva’s boss. Bad choice of nickname, Ashley. Maybe we’ll just revert back to Mossad Commander Guy, yes?
8:39: Stare-down between Vance and Mossad Commander Guy. Vance wins! Mossad Commander Guy: “I was there, too. I’ll tell you what happened and Ziva goes free.” Hmm, interesting. Could Mr. Mossad have a heart after all?
8:40: Back to the _Damocles_. Apparently, Mossad Commander Guy has decided to deviate from the original plan. Ziva’s not too pleased. But he won’t be swayed: “Your father says by any means necessary.” I’m thinking execution? Regardless, some shit’s gonna go down real soon.
8:42: That was a short flashback. We’re in Abby’s lab now. She and McGee high-five. McGee: “What was that for?” Abby: “Positive energy! The reverberations of which will be felt by all members of Team Ziva.” Aww, I love Abby.
8:45: Ducky and Ziva one-on-one. Ducky tells her that “first and foremost” she is their friend, and that he tells her to let go of the dead (i.e. the people who were massacred on the boat). Ducky: “The truth, Ziva, may set you free” and “some bodies are not supposed to stay buried.” Ziva’s not so convinced.
8:47: Apparently, the mass execution of the _Damocles_ crew was a contingency plan in case the truth behind the motives of Ziva and her “teammates” were discovered.
8:49: Ziva, being somewhat emo: “The ones who end up too close always end up dead.”
8:52: Ziva knew Cryer/Dead Guy was a Marine? No way. So Ziva killed him, then? I can’t believe that.
8:53: Tony and McGee are standing outside MTAC. They’ve got nothing to give Gibbs, evidence-wise. Ducky to the rescue! Tony: “Ducky’s got something. Ducky’s got a folder.” How painfully obvious, Tony. Too bad all that’s in the folder are cause of death forms.
8:54: A .45 slug killed Cryer! It wasn’t Ziva! It was Mossad Commander Guy!
8:54: Gibbs to Mossad Commander Guy about Ziva: “You tell Eli David to stay away. She’s off limits.”
8:56: Ziva tries to take total blame for her eventual capture by Saleem and the other terrorists: “It was my choice,” she said about completing the mission on her own.
8:57: Gibbs: “You never had a choice. He didn’t give you a choice.” Yay for Papa-Gibbs.
8:57: Ziva’s back to being emo again. “I didn’t mean to live through it.” This is starting to depress even me.
8:58: Gibbs whispers something to Ziva! You can’t do this to me, Gibbs. I have to know. Seriously, I’m going to go crazy. You’re not going to tell me are you? Well, fine, then. Just so you know, I refuse — completely refuse — to beg.
8:59: Ziva’s application as a Special Agent was approved! Gibbs called her “Probie!” A good ending to a really good episode.
