Thank you Jennifer Corbett for writing the script for this episode of NCIS. Just when we think the show has passed its prime, writers like you come up with a great story line. Tonight’s show brings up events and people from the past in Gibbs’ life when one of his former commanding officers asks Gibbs to help his terminally ill daughter, Navy Lt. Laura Ellison, who thinks one of her subordinate sailors who fell overboard was actually murdered.
The story involves a Navy ship that was patrolling the coastline of South America looking for drug running ships. It is a realistic portrayal. U.S. Navy ships are used in this way, usually with a team of Coast Guard officers on board to transform the military ship into a law enforcement mission. Tonight’s suspicious death involved cocaine transferred from a suspect drug smuggling ship onto the Navy ship, and U.S. Navy sailors stealing a single package of cocaine worth $25,000. David could relate to the illicit drug scenario from his many years as a Drug Enforcement Agent. Because the sailors offloaded the captured drugs to DEA, David was heartened there were not any crooked DEA agents on the show.
As Jennifer Corbett wrote the episode, she dug another skeleton from the closet when Gibbs assigns NCIS Agent Nick Torres to the hospital room of Lt. Laura Ellison as a protection detail. Tension sizzles in the air as Torres nearly becomes insubordinate, arguing with Gibbs. It’s obvious to us the viewers that Torres doesn’t want to go. Then a whole new emotional angle develops. Lt. Ellison confronts Torres with her belief that he suffered the loss of someone he loved to terminal cancer. The show has the correct balance of investigation and the strong emotion that develops within a close knit investigative team. The only flaw in the show was when Agents Gibbs and Quinn confront their suspect on a ladder aboard ship (that’s a set of stairs) for you landlubbers. They in interrogate their suspect in the presence of other sailors, which would never be done.
That being said, the lighthearted back and forth banter among the four agents at the diner about upcoming marathon training reminded us of how we season our suspense novels with humor. We loved the twist at the end where Agent Quinn admitted she has no speed. Rather, she beat Tim and Ellie because she took an Uber car to catch up with them. What a hoot. In the end, Gibbs knew exactly what Torres needed. And do you agree, we all need a good laugh after this heart wrenching drama about cancer?
Be Blessed, Diane and David Munson
We have family visiting so I must say I missed the first half picking up the story as it crossed the equatorial plot line ( did you like that?) In a lot of ways I have to agree that this episode brought forth a script worthy of staying with NCIS. thank you very much for the technical aspect of this program I have two family members who had successful careers in the Coast Guard. I still get rattled by the disrespect that is displayed quite blatantly in many episodes. though I was only military and never a civil servant such disrespect would never have been considered without the possibility of severe retribution. Again David and Diane I thank you