NCIS - Moonlighting

Network: CBS
Time: Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00pm
Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Rocky Carroll

Summary: Gibbs and Fornell work together when an NCIS polygraph specialist's night job is connected to murder.

Review: This was probably my favorite NCIS episode in a long time, and not just because loyal fans of the McGee and Abby relationship were finally thrown a bone.

It seems like the pieces are finally starting to click back into place for NCIS.  I'm not sure what happened between the season premiere (which some may remember I declared to be the best episode of the series) and now, but it's been rough going for awhile.  The episodes have felt forced, the cases have been boring and unnecessarily complicated, and everything's just been a little... off.

I remarked that the last new episode felt like NCIS was on an upswing, getting back some of the mojo it had lost, and, after seeing this episode, I think it's back on top.  This episode made me remember why I loved this show.  The banter was light-hearted and funny, the case was a pleasant sidenote, and Gibbs had his sense of humor back!  I don't know about you guys, but I sorely missed the dry wit that it Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  And Gibbs bantering with FBI Agent Tobias Fornell is just ten times better.

I used to have a sort of love/hate relationship with Fornell, but somewhere along the way I realized he makes the episodes he's really awesome.  His relationship with Gibbs has evolved throughout the seasons, and it's nice to see Gibbs just be someone's friend.  I know he and Ducky have been friends forever too, but their relationship is somehow different, in a way I haven't been able to put into words (I know, and they pay me to write?).

This episode also saw the return of McGee-stalker/polygraph technician Susan Grady.  If you remember, she's the one who told McGee he had to retake his polygraph test so she could ask him if he had a girlfriend.  In this episode, it was her second job that was possibly involved in the murder of a petty officer... which meant Gibbs wanted McGee to interview her.

Susan is... a weird character.  She's kind of a mess.  She's emotionally all over the map, and she has the people skills of a slightly moldy block of cheese.  Yet she's an oddly pathetic character, and I found myself feeling bad for her and growing to (almost) like her by the end.

Also, please let me take a moment to let the fangirl part of me give a squeal about how jealous Abby got over Susan.  I liked this episode for a number of reasons, but definitely my favorite scene was the one where Tony, Ziva and Ducky are giving Abby a hard time about McGee and Susan.  And then the subsequent scene where she goes back to her lab and finds the two of them there.  For those of us who've been waiting for Abby to realize she's been crazy about McGee since season 1, this was a good episode.

OK, I promise that's all about that for now.  I anticipate plenty of opportunities to do that again in the next few episodes.

I'm also pleased with the way they've been using Palmer lately.  I love the little autopsy gremlin, and I love that he has a hot girlfriend.  Of course, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with her, because no one on NCIS ever has a girlfriend (or boyfriend) who's not going to die or trying to kill them.  With the exception of Lt. Col. Mann.  And that one that Ducky wore different ties for, but we never met her so she doesn't count. 

Of course, having Palmer show up more and (especially) interact with Gibbs more, only reinforces my theory that Ducky's on his way out.  I've had a gut feeling for about half the season that Ducky was thinking about resigning at the end of it, but I've not proof to back it up.  So I guess we'll find out about that in a few weeks.

This episode didn't have a whole lot of negatives, and it made me really anticipate the next few weeks.  I think all the episodes are new from now until the season finale (finally), so I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing what happens next.


What'd you guys think?  Was it worth wait of all the reruns that have been on lately?  Are you as excited about the season finale as I am?  Leave a comment and let me know.



Favorite lines 
Palmer: It wasn't sand sand, like good sand. It was bad sand. Very bad sand. It made me break out in red welts.
Ducky: It wasn't the sand, Mr. Palmer, but the sand mite.
Palmer: The sand might what?
Ducky: The sand mite bit you.
Palmer: Sand bites?
Ducky: Well, sand mites might bite.
Palmer: I'm grammatically lost.
Ducky: But medically found. The tiny crustacean known as the mite. M-i-t-e.

Fornell: Thanks for doing it my way.
Gibbs: Yeah, no problem.
Fornell: I was being facetious.
Gibbs: Yeah, me too.

Tony: You need some lady advice.
McGee: I'd rather get a lap dance from a nun.

Rating
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Badf