We give two thumbs up to this NCIS episode, “The Good Son”. The sizzling plot turned out to be a nail biter, one so well written that the resolve fooled even the most astute viewer. Diane points out that in many episodes the development of suspects are predictable: The writers show the viewers two or three suspects, and the viewer can usually discard the first one introduced, and sometimes, the second one as well. In fact David often looks up at the clock and if the program has ten minutes left, he says, “Okay that must be the culprit.” Not so tonight. After we conclude that the first suspect, Leon’s brother-in-law Michael, could not be the suspect, we find out differently.

The viewers should have known from Jackie’s reaction to having her brother come into the house with Leon that she understood Michael only too well and more completely than did her husband. Poor Leon. His efforts to rehabilitate Michael ended up being thrown in his face. Jackie was right. Her other instincts were correct too. When DiNozzo and Gibbs began to handcuff Michael in front of her children, David gasped and exclaimed, “Not in front of the kids! That is rule number fifty three.” Jackie rightly told the agents to take Michael outside to handcuff him and they did. When David was a young agent he arrested a defendant in the presence of the defendant’s wife and children. He never forgot the weeping, wailing, and pain it caused for those kids. He never again cuffed a prisoner in front of the family.

Wasn’t the ending touching? Leon offered to play the xBox game with his son and then gave him a hug.

Also, consider who was the “Good Son”? The banter among the team members about Gibbs’ comments on Tony’s evaluation, “He talks too much in the field.” Tony is rocked by what he considers a real slam by Gibbs. Just when Tony decides not to talk, Gibbs asks him for his opinion, admitting how much he relies on Tony’s instincts. This positive comment lifts Tony to new heights, causing us to wonder what is yet to come for Tony, the son, and Gibbs, the father.

ps: Pauley Perrette (Abby) is forty three years old today, March 27, 2012 – Happy Birthday

Be Blessed,
Diane and David