NCIS
Season 16 Lookback
September 24, 2019
As NCIS, one TV’s longest running shows, gets ready to premiere its 17th Season, we think it’s important to look back and catch you up on all the major highlights from last year … including one major major development.
Read on for our NCIS Season 16 Lookback … BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!!
At the end of Season 16 of NCIS, this long running show threw us an epic twist … Yes, Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) is alive (#ZivaLives). But let’s go back for a bit and discuss the events that led up to the big reveal.
The first half of the season was pretty routine. Cases came and went. We got to know Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) a bit better. The Bishop-Torres (no cutesy couple names in my recaps, people) will-they/won’t-they ramped up a bit. Ducky (David McCallum) almost retired, but was then given the job of NCIS historian, a convenient way to keep him around to dispense wisdom at random intervals. Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) was Jimmy, alternatingly earning respect and then losing it (see the mess with his father-in-law and DiNozzo Sr.). McGee (Sean Murray) has twins at home and finally is forced to tell Delilah about the dead guy under the floorboards in their (Tony’s old) apartment. But, the true meat of the season came with the back half of the season. The episodes detailed below might be a bit out of order, but the picture should be clear.
Gibbs (Mark Harmon) finally told the team about his shooting of Pedro Hernandez, after Kelly and Shannon were killed. This revelation seemed to bother everyone on the team, but oddly so. First off, I thought McGee knew. Second, Bishop (Emily Wickersham) is not exactly one to talk about revenge killings, when she left Chen in the house to be blown up to avenge Qassim’s death … how was that any different? The whole righteous indignation thing was a little much (IMHO), but Ellie was spot on, at least in terms of Gibbs acting strangely.
Ziva is going to be the common thread.
It begins in Episode 13 (“She”), a 9 year old girl is found on a Navy base, but where she had been prior and how she got to the base is unclear. The team determines that she was born in some kind of captivity and then a DNA analysis leads to Morgan Burke, a missing person’s case from many years back. Burke was a Navy recruit and when she disappeared prior to her first day, NCIS couldn’t take the case. Local police closed the case when her burned car was discovered, although the remains were never proven to be Morgan. Some investigative work by Bishop leads to an office space, which was rented by Ziva in 2005 (and paid through 2020) and contains journals including those from the Burke case. Ziva continued investigating the case long after it had been officially closed. Using Ziva’s information, Bishop (with an assist from Sloane’s expertise is getting information from the child) figures out where Morgan is being held and rescues her and the family is reunited. In the end, it seems to the viewers that Ziva is alive, when a note is left that reads, “Eleanor Bishop, for the safety of my family, please keep my secret.”
Amazing! #ZivaLives!!
The Great Gibbs Angst begins when he tells Bishop that she’s been breaking Rule #10 (“Never get personally involved in a case.”) all over the place and that’s what got Ziva killed. However, in the end, Gibbs burns Rule #10.
But, come Episode 20 (“Hail & Farewell”), the case becomes exceedingly personal when the dead body is that of Gibbs’ ex-fiancee thought to have died in the Pentagon on 9/11. For a brief moment in time, Gibbs is a suspect in her death. Brief, but long enough for Timmy to grow a pair and kick Gibbs off the case.
A few episodes later, we revisit the whole “CIA following Vance” plotline. The plant in the PT office from last season has gotten very close with our director, complete with sleepovers and swapping laptops galore. But Vance is on to her (“never spy on a spy!”) and records her conversations with Agent Clark (her boss). This eventually leads to Clark reading in Vance and Gibbs on his investigations into a slush fund with half a billion dollars in it and which is apparently owned by SecDef Skinner, who is portrayed in both good and bad lights. With lots of back and forth (and the death of Agent Clark at the hands of Mallory, Vance’s “ex”), we learn that the actual owner of the slush fund is Judge Deakin and his merry band of judges out for vigilante justice (when the system seems to fail).
Dun Dun Dunnnn …
Then, oddly, the judges cabal decide that Gibbs is guilty of taking justice into his own hands (huh? Hypocritical much?) and determine that his punishment is death. After being shot at (by Mallory!) and then confronting Deakin, Gibbs decides to air his dirty laundry and try to regain his control and finally tells the team about Hernandez.
But it doesn’t stop the spiral and, in Episode 23 (“Lost Time”), Gibbs summons Dr. Grace to meet him at a bar to tell her that he’s going to turn himself into the police. “Lost Time” ping-pongs back and forth between the case and the bar. Gibbs gives her the rundown of what preceded the call (gunshots, the Hernandez murder reveal, and the Rule #10 burning). But what piqued Grace’s interest was Rule #10 burning. She surmises this has been a wall for him. The ability to deal with the cases and the things he’s seen at NCIS. And without the rule, maybe it’s too much? Maybe he needs to retire? NOOOOOOOO!!!! Mark Harmon cannot leave my television screen. I still haven’t gotten over his death on The West Wing [Ed. Note: Preach, Sister. Preach].
But not to worry fair readers, Gibbs can’t live without NCIS.
PHEW!!
Gibbs does seem more centered, at least until the Season 16 finale, Episode 24 (“Daughters”), when Diane (yes dead ex-wife Diane) starts talking to him. Is Gibbs losing it for real?
You see, Emily (Diane and Fornell’s daughter) has an overdose at school, and although she tries to convince everyone that she’s never used before, we eventually learn that she’s an addict. Fornell (God Bless the national treasure that is Joe Spano) goes ballistic at various points in the episode and while Gibbs stays calm, Diane speaks to him multiple times. Gibbs promises Fornell that he will go after the dealers that are supplying the pharmacists and doctors and Emily promises to get help. Gibbs is going after drug dealers again (shades of Pedro Hernandez). In the final scene, Diane visits Gibbs one more time to tell him that he needs to live again and feel things.
As she leaves (disappears), we hear footsteps (ghosts don’t make a sound when they “walk”, right?). Gibbs looks up and, lo and behold, Ziva is coming down the stairs (so I say again, #ZivaLives)!!! Ziva emerges from hiding to tell Gibbs that he’s in danger. And, as we know from the promos for Season 17, gunshots follow. So hang on tight, because this is going to be an awesome ride.
Can we hope that DiNozzo will show up at some point with Tali?
NCIS airs on CBS on Tuesday nights at 8pm (ET/PT). Season 17 premieres on September 24, 2019.
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