The Metro PD finds the body of an 18-year-old Marine who had grown up in the same hood where he died; the Gibbs team investigate with the help of Franks. They slowly assemble the picture, th... Read allThe Metro PD finds the body of an 18-year-old Marine who had grown up in the same hood where he died; the Gibbs team investigate with the help of Franks. They slowly assemble the picture, then a gentle social worker offers the last piece.The Metro PD finds the body of an 18-year-old Marine who had grown up in the same hood where he died; the Gibbs team investigate with the help of Franks. They slowly assemble the picture, then a gentle social worker offers the last piece.
- Victor 'Popeye' Carmado
- (as Joseph Julian Soria)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGibbs' badge shows his NCIS Service Number as 867-5309.
- GoofsOn the firing range, Ziva David fires one shot, turns all the way around with the gun, then unloads it, pointing away from the targets. Anybody who has firearms training knows, that you never take a loaded weapon away from the firing line before unloading, and you never point it away from the targets.
- Quotes
[to Gibbs]
Marine Private First Class Tomas Tamayo: My mother used to tell me this story about a Marine. He came to help out our village. But the drug cartel came after him, shot him. He almost died. She hid him, helped him heal. That was you. And when you finally got well, you told her if she ever needed any help, she could give that number to any Marine and you would find her. She made me memorize that number. You're the reason I became a Marine.
- ConnectionsReferences The French Connection (1971)
So, aside from wordplay, why is this episode any better than the usual 7/10 NCIS episodes? Well, first of all, it maintains a steady pace throughout, but instead of mucho action set pieces (though there are a couple), this one opts for *both* the intellectual and emotional paths. Therefore, it's more engaging. Although a typical 10-year old might complain about the lack of explosions... Also, the cast is in top form in this one. Pretty much every joke, every look, every expression is pitch perfect. Usually, someone is just coasting along in the acting department, but this time everyone shines. Of course, Abby steals the show as usual, although that's just my subjective opinion - I'm pretty convinced that she's the most likable character in TV of the '00s. And as you can see from the plot outline, Mike Franks pops up too, which is never a bad thing - although often a sign of trouble. His scenes with Vance are just fantastic.
But this episode really belongs to Gibbs, and Mark Harmon delivers (heh heh) a nicely restrained performance - but he also manages to convey to the viewer that there is an enormous inner turmoil in Gibbs. That's where the emotional path through this episode runs. The writers find new ways to play out the old "Will he be able to separate his feelings from his duty?" question, with a brilliant pay-off. That's about All That Can Be Safely Written. Oh, the Opeth reference in my review summary? This episode is like that album. It twists and turns, at times lulls you into serenity and then hits you squarely in the face with a massive hammer. And you enjoy every second of it. 9/10.
- ttapola
- Apr 27, 2010