Well, they did it again. The writers and producer of NCIS continue this season’s emphasis on developing warm and fuzzy episodes featuring the team members who have been portrayed as dysfunctional in earlier seasons. Can they ever return to the blood and guts of the past? Don’t get us wrong. We are not complaining. We really enjoy seeing Special Agent Timothy McGee being featured in a shining light. Tonight, he excels as a “Big Brother” to Adam, his “little brother” and in fact acts to the young man as the dad that Tim never had.

Tim’s trying to help a younger, fellow “geek” foreshadows what happens when a Navy doctor is found murdered aboard the USS Borealis in the middle of a squall and Tim’s father becomes a suspect. John McGee is an Admiral, estranged from his son, and clueless about all of Tim’s great talents. He thinks his son has become too isolated in life because of his years at MIT. In the beginning, we found Admiral McGee anything but admirable. He is a classic, know-it-all jerk that we’ve both encountered in our careers. The Admiral’s gruff and accusing manner with Tim causes him to pull back from coming alongside Adam. All of this brings pure wisdom from Ducky when he tells Jimmy, “We cannot pick our fathers. The real tragedy is when our fathers do not pick us.”

Gibbs is alert to the problem and challenges Tim to “let him know who you are.” Tim is caught wondering if his boss means Adam or his father. The symbolism deepens when Tony pulls Tim aside to confront the “Daddy drop-ins”, meaning the difficulties that he and Ziva have faced with their fathers. Tony also refers to Gibbs and his father’s positive relationship: “Two of out three isn’t bad.”

Meanwhile, Special Agent Stan Burley, who is assigned to help the team discover the killer, asks Ziva if she has found the man who killed her father. She remains closed about her hunt for Mossad’s Deputy Director Bodnar (That’s who she searched for last week on her computer) Drug dealing, a stolen tablet, and misplaced loyalties have the team scurrying to find the truth. Interestingly, this time Diane fingered the culprit +thirty minutes into the show. Usually David fingers the villain first. As the team closes in on their prey, the Admiral opens up, and admits he is wrong. Tim is finally able to talk with his father as they stroll down a DC street. Suddenly we are cheering for this father and son to get it right. They make a good beginning.

Fortunately for the whole team, Gibbs is their father. And he always urges them to reach for the moon. This show makes us think about who we are encouraging to find the “Light” in these dark days.

Be Blessed,
Diane and David