Former NCIS Special Agent Leon Carroll Jr. is the technical advisor for the show. It is his job to advise the writers and producers about how things are actually done by special agents of the real NCIS. He usually does a superb job. Then there are episodes like tonight’s, which usually follow after some deeper and realistic episodes, where they give Leon the night off and the crew produces a spoof (Remember Jimmy Palmer’s seventies tuxedo from Season 9?) Tonight, Leon was obviously on vacation in some warm spot, sipping lemonade under a palm tree.

But the show does have its merits. Welcome to “old school” taking down out of control neo-hackers. Mark Harmon, as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, shines in the opening scene as a ragged homeless man. Only he is leading the NCIS team on an undercover assignment to nab the “slippery” suspect who hacked in MTAC, leading to the torture and death of a special agent. The stakes are high as the most watched law enforcement team on TV discovers the hacker has sold his soul to the enemy—terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill Americans.

Tony and Ziva enter a warehouse with guns drawn and flashlights. They pan from side to side alert to a possible trap. Unlike what real NCIS special agents would do, Tony jabbers about nonsense. Also, he and Ziva are walking so close to each other that a shooter could have gotten them both with one shot. Leon Carroll should have told the director that was a no-no. Then the duo finds am ugly surprise: a dead Ebola victim. Yikes! What a gruesome way to die. This throws the whole team, including the deputy director, into a tizzy.

This all sounds real enough, but is their scheme to take the hacker to Gitmo in Cuba, real or not? Right as the C-130 takes off, David said to Diane, “I think they’re heading to a training center like Quantico and will just be pretending that they’re taking the guy to Cuba.” Turns out the opening scene foreshadows the exciting interrogation of the hacker. Ebola virus is on the loose, which could kill hundreds of thousands of Americans. This causes Deputy Director Craig to say good-bye to his safe political ways and throw his weight behind Gibbs. This is a great call as Gibbs gets his way in the end. Also, McGee proved he is the smartest computer geek that ever lived! It is fun entertainment, even though not as scary and realistic as usual.

This episode is a trifle surreal, just like Abby’s spiky hairdo. Still, there is nothing funny about terrorists who are plotting and planning to have their way, by ending freedom as we know it. However, we have read the last chapter in the Book and we know how it all ends.

We leave you with exciting news! Mark Harmon has signed another one year contract and CBS has extended the show into the 11th Season. How great for all of us fans! NCIS is now the most watched show ever, with more than 22 million viewers each week. Do you think that next week the writers will drop some clues into who killed Mrs. Vance and Eli David? We are anxious to begin solving that mystery.

Have a great week and be Blessed,
Diane and David