NCIS gave us some insight into Tony's past as a murder led him back to his old military school. We saw a part of what made him the man he is today, and how he was struggling with that.
The body of Private John Wallace is found in the woods and he has a ring of the Remington Military Academy, which Tony also attended. Wallace also has a photo in his hand and it turns out his body was dumped there. In autopsy, Ducky discovers that he was stabbed 20 times, but since there are no defensive wounds it's likely Wallace knew his killer. The team discovers he emptied his bank account and went u.a. five days ago after receiving a call from the Academy. Tony and Bishop head to RMA, where Tony's old coach Tanner is waiting for them. They show him the photo and he tells them it is Christine Sanders. It is revealed that she committed suicide by drug overdose, and Tony and Bishop suspect that Wallace and Christine were dating even though it's against policy. This is confirmed by Cadet Lucas Craig, who is the one who called Wallace before his death to inform him of Christine's death. As Tony and Bishop get ready to go back to DC, they are called by someone who says he has information Wallace and Sanders. That turns out to be Travis, or Cadet "Piggy", whom Tony knows from back in the days. According to Travis, who is employed at RMA, Sanders was pushed to suicide by Honor Corps, a group of senior cadets who punishes young cadets that violates the rules.
Gibbs visits Cantor, Wallace's former mentor and alumni of RMA, whom Wallace went to see after he went missing. It is revealed that Sanders had a stalker who is none other than Cadet Craig. Sanders rejected him, and Tony accuses Craig of using the Honor Corps to punish her. However, Craig did not kill Wallace and points to coach Tanner. In the back of his trunk, they find blood and Tony subsequently arrests Tanner. While Tony is disappointed in Tanner for not banning Honor Corps, Tanner says that everyone knows where the spare keys of his car are and so anybody could have taken it. Abby deduces from fingerprints that Wallace took it, and that whoever returned the car must have taken the bus. That turns out to be Cantor, who killed Wallace because he wanted to go public with Honor Corps. Cantor didn't want his legacy to be ruined, so he killed Wallace.
In flashbacks and through stories, we learn a lot more about Tony. He came to RMA after six boarding schools, and got picked up at the train station by coach Tanner. During a drill led by drill leader Golan, Tony stands up for Cadet Travis, who can't keep up with the drill. Golan sees this as breaking the rules, and later he and his Honor Corps confront Tony. Fortunately, he is saved by coach Tanner, who takes him up in the basketball team. Tony later tries to get away from RMA by stealing Tanner's car, but that plan fails. Tanner then tells him he always looks out for his basketball team members and that he plans to discontinue Honor Corps. However, he failed to do so as it's currently still active. Tanner resigns after the case is closed, and makes it clear throughout the episode that he is very proud of Tony. Cadet Craig also saluted Tony, because the cadets like him make the school proud. Tony does his best to keep this part of him hidden and asks Bishop not to tell anyone. At the end of the episode, Tony calls Travis to have a drink with him and catch up.
Also, Jake and Bishop invite the other three agents for a dinner because Jake doesn't really know Bishop's co-workers. Tony and McGee do their best to find excuses not to go, while Gibbs has already confirmed his presence. But when Tony and Bishop are forced to return to RMA after Travis' call, it's just Jake and Gibbs at Gibbs favorite diner. McGee later comes in, but sneaks away after he only spots Jake and Gibbs. Gibbs subsequently asks Jake what he knows about the relations between Russia and Palestina, which he will probably need in the manhunt for Sergei Mishnev.
This episode taught us some interesting things about Tony DiNozzo. Yet it is clear that Tony doesn't want these things to have come out. That's intriguing as Tony apparently hated his entire time at RMA, but as Bishop later says, it also made him the man he is today. His behavior is questionable, but somewhat understandable. He hated the place so he wants to forget everything about it, even the good bits. Hence, Tony also doesn't want McGee to know that he excelled in his class because he knows that McGee will want to know everything about it. Anyway, it made for an interesting episode and Michael Weatherly did a great job. The case was great though a bit predictable. From the very first moment, I suspected coach Tanner to be the kiler, but when he was cleared, I immediately thought of Cantor. There are interesting parallels between the Cantor-Wallace and the Tanner-Tony relationships. Both mentors have let their protegees down, and both are intent on keeping RMA, their legacy, clean. However, whereas Tanner later comes around and realizes the mistakes he has made, Cantor instead kills to protect his mistakes and legacy.
A few side points:
-Bishop said it well: "Well whatever happened in your past helped make you the awesome guy you are today." Lovely quote!
-Tony said he was 17 when he started at RMA, and in the interrogation room with coach Tanner he said that was 20 years ago. Does that mean that Tony is 37 years old? That makes him 25 at the beginning of the series. Isn't that a bit young?
-We saw in a flashback that coach Tanner made a movie reference to the film The Godfather. Young Tony doesn't know the film. I am 100% certain that Tony has also made this reference once in the series, but I can't remember when. Does this imply that Tony's inspiration for always quoting movies comes from coach Tanner?
-Palmer is on paternity leave. Aww.
-Abby mentioned that she and Burt spend a lot of time with Bishop and Jake. I would love to see that!
What did you think of "Cadence"? What are your thoughts on the case of the week? How do you feel about Tony trying to bury his past? Is he doing the right thing, or should he accept that his past made him the man he is today? And finally, what did you think of the dinner with Gibbs and Jake, and what will Gibbs' question about the relations between Russia and Palestina propel? Tell me your opinions and theories in the comment section below.
The next NCIS episode airs Tuesday at 8/7c. Here is a promo for the episode:
About the Author - Daniel van der Veer
Daniel van der Veer is a Dutch university student studying Psychology. On SpoilerTV he is a reviewer of NCIS, The 100, Stalker, Madam Secretary and the upcoming shows Battle Creek and Odyssey. He also enjoys LOST, Arrow, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Nikita, The Blacklist, Scorpion and How To Get Away With Murder.
Thanks for the review. I was surprised that the 17 year old Tony was not yet into film trivia and was not the least bit as clever with comebacks as Tony is now. The flashbacks just did not seem to me like it was Tony, even years ago. Maybe that was the point but I would have thought DiNozzo would have always had his special personality and not developed as he grew older. Anyway, I was disappointed in the flashbacks. Interesting development between Gibbs and Jake - I had been thinking something like this was coming to make Jake more relevant because otherwise it is a big waste of hiring a well known actor.
ReplyDeleteNice review. I like the episode and flashbacks. Tony DiNozzo is so different this season. I don't know how rest of you sees him but he became much more serious to me than what we used to see from him in the past seasons. He is best character on NCIS for me so I don't know how to react on that. I like him goofy and when he quote movies, which btw he does that rarely this season. In the past seasons he was serious only when he was lead in the case which I like that aspect too. Maybe his character is growing and he becoming more like his mentor, Gibbs.
ReplyDeleteWow I always wanted to know how old is Tony. And yes, 25 is very young, considering he was a cop in Baltimore even before NCIS.
ReplyDeleteIt was just my interpretation, but he said he was 17 in the flashbacks and then when he confronted Tanner he said it was 20 years ago. It's possible that it's twentysome years ago, and I think Tony is currently around 40. As far as I know, his age has never been confirmed in the series.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the flashback obviously showed us a very different Tony but I suppose that was the point. They showed how Tony has changed over the years, something that kind of started at RMA. I understand your disappointment in the flashbacks, but to me, characters (and real people) always change throughout their lives.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Jake must give some information on Sergei. I reckon he might be of some help in future cases as well.
Yes, I got that, I know is just your interpretation but I saw the episode myself and it didn't came to my mind that you can calculate that... so great job. And Michael Weatherly is 46 years old, so his character can't be much younger...
ReplyDeleteHere's an interesting question though... do we know how old is Gibbs?
I think we have seen a bit more of the serious Tony this season but then again, in past seasons he also had his serious moments. For example when Ziva's father died, he was really there for her. But it's possible he might start to look more and more like Gibbs since they have spent a lot of yeara together. As long as he doesn't get as stoic as Gibbs, I am good with that.
ReplyDeleteI guess I was just disappointed Tony did not come out of the womb wisecracking as I had always thought.
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice you were the same commentator as the comment below, but since this is a different topic I'll reply here.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite possible, even likely, that they will kill off Jake at a certain point. Family members and spouses always tend to end up dead on this show, even an ex-wife. And obviously we would see a completely different side to Bishop. I say Jake will be dead in 3-4 seasons (if the show continues to run that long).
Ah, thanks! Gibbs doesn't age lol. I suppose he is late 50s to early 60s.
ReplyDeleteWell you did notice it now ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you, in fact I think he will be killed off in season 14 because on every second season in last years someone big dies (Mike Franks S8, Eli David and Jackie Vance S10, Diane S12... Jack S14?)
Or maybe kidnapped, so she would be very motivated to found him alive...
Hahaha I really laughed at your statement that Gibbs doesn't age. This is something that DiNozzo would say whit a creepy voice to Bishop when she asked how old is Gibbs. And then Gibbs would be behind Tony ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha I can already see that scene in my head. And then a headslap for Tony would make it complete!
ReplyDeleteI also hope the show runs that long! It would be a good storyline if Jake were kidnapped, or any other family member from the team (like McGee's sister or grandmother). In fact, it would be even better if that kidnap lasted for month and we would watch that character desperately searching for him/her, stopping at nothing to uncover the truth.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, there have been big deaths over the past few seasons. Also Jackson died of natural causes in S11 and the minor character of SecNav in the S11 premiere. Last year we also had Delilah's paralysis. No doubt there will be something big happening in next season's first post-holiday episode of 2016.
I forget what episode it was, but it was one with Tony and his father, where it was revealed that Tony's mom had a love of movies, and that's where Tony got his love of movies and quoting them. It was a poignant moment to realize that his mom has so much influence over his life and his likes, and also underscores just how painful her death was and still is for him.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think kidnapping storyline would be very good. Like whit Dominic Vail and Sam in NCIS: LA.
ReplyDeleteYes I know, but Gibbs's father died because of the heart attack and SacNav...oh well he wasn't really important to anybody in the team.
I'm glad that you also notice that the post-holidays episodes are big. Most of the shows have fall finale, but not NCIS ;). They have an awesome and intense episode after hiatus.
Tony was 32 on season 1. It was said during a conversation with Kate, I guess. At this point, the writers are simply lost in the show's canon.
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently in this episode the writers completely ignored that memorable piece of information.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember that...episode name?
ReplyDelete+ I think Tony was more focus on interrogation than math, so he just might said 20 years ago, but in reality it was a few years more...
I just googled it: Split Decision (1.21).
ReplyDeleteThere's even a file stating his birthdate as July 8th, 1972.
Tony is either awful at math or the writers just decided to ignore the show's canon, because no viewer could possibly remember something that aired 11 years ago.
I think it was the episode "Shell Shock Part I". It wasn't an epiode with Tony's father but it was the one where he showed the picture of her and told Ziva something about her.
ReplyDeleteI found it... so if Tony was 32 in S1, he is now 43 in S12... considering he was 17 when he started RMA, that was 26 not 20 years ago ;)
ReplyDeleteTony was 32 in S1, he is now 43 in S12... considering he was 17 when he started RMA, that was 26 not 20 years ago ;)
ReplyDeleteSource: http://nciswiki.wikifoundry-mobile.com/m/page/Anthony+DiNozzo
So that would make Tony 44 now. I'd like to believe the writers are not ignoring the show's canon, though it's possible they forgot about it. There are two alternate explanations:
ReplyDelete1. It was 27 years ago so Tony roughly guessed how long ago it was and therefore he said it was 20 years ago, but he actually meant 20ish years ago.
2. Tony referred to the year he left RMA, which means he was about 24 when he left. That could be right I guess. After all, he became a model cadet according to cadet Craig, and we didn't really see him as a model cadet in the flashbacks. So I suppose he must have spent a few years at RMA.
Well, he got his love of movies from his mom. But was he quoting movies then? Immersing himself in every detail about the movie and every quote from the movie? And what movies did Tony and his mom watch? We know Tony was watching an old classic at the time of his mother's death. But The Godfather came out in 1972, the year Tony was born. And I doubt his mother would take him to those kind of movies while he was still in preschool and early elementary. And she was dead by the time Tony was in second or third grade. And after that Tony's whole life changed. What were his movie choices in the 80s? Obviously, not The Godfather.
ReplyDelete.
And you're right. It was a poignant moment to learn about the influence his mom had on his life in that area (but his mom also had her quirks - drinking; dressing him in sailor suits, etc.). My mom taught me my love for dance, but it was my dance teachers later in life who refined that love into knowledge about dance and how to perform it. Why can't Tony's love of movies come from his mom, and his quoting of movies come from Coach Tanner?
I agree very much with this. The kid was a terrific actor. I think it was more a writing issue. As written, the character did not feel like a young Tony to me.
ReplyDeleteAbout Jake, I think it really is a waste of a good actor, at least so far.
I am not liking the more serious Tony. He always had serious moment, but now it's like he turned into a middle aged man overnight.
ReplyDeleteHe was a cop in Philly AND Baltimore before NCIS.
ReplyDeleteThat use of Jake is very sloppy. You can't just phone up a buddy at the NSA and ask for whatever classified info you want. Not even Bishop can do that even though she's his wife and ex NSA.
ReplyDeleteRight. I agree. I wasn't blaming the young actor playing 17 year old Tony--- the writers penned in a young Tony that I do not think was accurate for the character - people do not go from sullen to wisecracking , too big a personality change. And for goodness sakes, the same actor playing Jake had one of the lead roles on the British version of Law and Order and they have him playing Jake as a bit goofy.
ReplyDelete