What if you missed this episode?
This week on, the 200th episode of NCIS, absolutely nothing happens. Okay, there is the typical, though shortened, murder investigation, and a gaggle of cameo appearances by nearly every major recurring guest star in NCIS history, including Sasha Alexander, Lauren Holly, Muse Watson, Rudolf Martin, Darby Stanchfield, Ralph Waite and Michael O'Neill. But, this episode is really nothing more than a celebration that they have made 200 episodes.
Bang Bang
Gibbs stops at a roadside diner for his usual morning cup of coffee, where a man pulls a gun out and shoots Gibbs. The scene shifts to a dreamlike version of the diner, where Gibbs sees faces from his past and present, and is given the chance to look back on his life, accompanied by his old frind Mike Franks (Muse Watson). Franks and Gibbs start by looking back on Gibbs' most recent investigation, in which a petty officer is shot on a docked ship operating on a skeleton crew. While investigating the scene, Ziva finds a blood trail that leads her and Gibbs to a second victim.
KATE!
Franks and Gibbs talk about the decisions Gibbs has made in his life and what would have happened if he had chosen differently. Franks walks Gibbs through a scenario where Ari (Rudolf Martin) never killed Kate (Sasha Alexander), leading to Abby and McGee getting together and DiNozzo and Kate having a baby. Back in the investigation, it's dicovered that a third person fired one gun that killed both victims and left it at the scene. It seems that someone may be selling information from the ship's harddrives to the Chinese, and fingerprints lead the team to Michael Rose who had access to the ship and just deposited $20,000 into his bank account. When Ziva goes to question Rose's son, Steven, he attacks her and says his dad warned him that they would have trouble from the Chinese.
A Good Kill
At the urging of Former NCIS Special Agent Riley McCallister (Michael O'Neill), Franks walks Gibbs through a scenario where he never killed Pedro Hernandez, and Gibbs basically turns into a mean, drunk shut-in. Meanwhile, Steven tells Gibbs that his dad isn't a bad person, he just got mixed up with the wrong people. Steven leads Gibbs and the team back to the ship where his dad is hiding on board. Rose confesses to Gibbs that he and the two others were going to sell secerets to the Chinese, but at the last minute he wanted to back out and ended up killing the other two in self defense.
It's Just a Bullet
Shannon (Darby Stanchfield) leads Gibbs through a scenario where she and Kelly lived and he stayed in the Marines and ended up dying in combat. Back where we started, that morning in the diner, it turns out it is Steven who shoots Gibbs because he wouldn't help his father. Gibbs sees what's about to happen, takes the bullet and decides not to shoot back. In true NCIS fashion, Gibbs seems to not be injured at all and goes to work the next day, McGee turns down a promotion to stay with the team and another dead Marine is found ... Grab your gear.
Though not much happens in this episode, it is yet another rare look into Gibbs' mind and past. While it hasn't been explained why she's so important to Gibbs, we get a breif glimpse of Private Joan Matteson (Jeananne Goossen) again, and after nine seasons, we finally get to meet Gibbs' mother, Ann (Clare Carey). So, if you like cameos, this episode is for you. For everyone else, here's hoping the next 200 episodes are much more exciting.
Quotes
"Don't talk to me like a greeting card."
-Gibbs to Mike Franks
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