The latest two NCIS episodes were enjoyable episodes. Episode 12.18 "Status Update" focussed on the long-distance relationship between McGee and Delilah, while episode 12.19 "Patience" saw a 40-year old cold case heat up pretty quickly. Sorry it's a double review, but I didn't have the opportunity to do 12.18 before 12.19 aired. So here they are both.
A woman is murdered in the garage of a Marine Gunnery Sergeant. However, the Sergeant is relieved to find out that the deceased is not his wife. It turns out that his wife was in a spa and had been posting on social media that the house is empty. Hence, the dead woman had every opportunity to live in the house unnoticed. Now she is killed and Ducky finds a paper with a logo in her bra. McGee recognizes the logo and calls his girlfriend Delilah, who has been tracking a terrorist group with her task force leader Rafi Ali. The terrorist they are after is Omer Malik, a cousin of one of those involved in the bombing that paralyzed Delilah a year ago. Malik has been making online contact with someone called Pistachio. The team heads to Malik's apartment and enters with the help of a pizza delivery boy. When Pistachio turns up, it is revealed that Pistachio is really... Delilah!
Apparently she had been undercover to catch Malik and has been back in the US for a week. In order to scare people, Malik is making videos in military houses when they are away. However, the team realises he has an accomplice which turns out to be the pizza delivery boy. He tells them Malik is obsessed with Pistachio and that he is trying to turn her against the US. Malik shows up at Delilah's apartment when she is in a conversation with McGee. The latter tries to convince Malik that Delilah is turning on the US, but Malik says he will only belive that if she shoots McGee. She refuses to do that, but instead remembered rule #9 and pulls a knife from her shoe and stabs Malik in his leg. This buys them just enough time for the rescue party to arrive.
It was good to see Delilah back in this episode. The relationship between her and McGee was one of the more interesting aspects of season 11 and I'm happy they are no longer doing their long-distance relationship. The case was good though I feel like some aspects could have been explored further. The fact that Malik was connected to one of the bombers that paralyzed Delilah was interesting, but didn't add anything of significance to the terrorist story. Also, the aspects of social media that were presented in this episode could have been played further. So when people are away from their houses and they post it on social media, a burglar and a terrorist come into their homes? The first one is more believable than the second one. All in all, I get the feeling that the status update that the episode's title refers to, is McGee and Delilah's relationship status on Facebook: from "It's complicated" to "In a relationship". And I'm very content with that!
The episode starts with a man and a prostitute being shot to death. When the team enters the crime scene, they learn the identity of the male victim: Petty Officer Second Class Daniel Harvey. They later find out the female victim was Lolita Cortes, who had just returned from a trip to Columbia. However, much to their surprise, Bishop finds there is no Daniel Harvey enlisted in the Navy. His vehicle is registered to the Department of Defense and at HQ, McGee finds out it is connected to something named Lex Talionis. This puts Gibbs and Tony on high alert and they immediately run to MTAC, with McGee and Bishop being locked out. Vance, Gibbs and Tony talk to Vice Admiral Dawn Tyson, but she denies any recent activity in the operation.
But what exactly is the operation? There was a bombing in 1979 at Metropolitan International Airport, but the culprit was never identified nor caught. Two years ago, a similar bomb was discovered in Columbia and it was made by the same person: drug lord Tomas Orlando. Vice Admiral Tyson created an operation to find Orlando and put Gibbs in charge, who brought Tony in as well. The dead Petty Officer, whose real name is Lieutenant Louis Freston, had recruited Lolita to be an asset. Lolita's family knew the location of Orlando's barber and they were able to get a hair sample from Orlando. If they match the DNA to that of 40 years ago, they can finally arrest Orlando. Ambassador to Columbia Olivia Edmunds has learned that Orlando is meeting with his top men and she has found out their location. After Abby matches the DNA sample, a SEAL team prepares to arrest Orlando, but find nothing at the location where he was supposed to have a meeting. They are hot on his trail, but he is nowhere to be found.
Abby learns that Orlando has a niece in the US, so Tony and Bishop go undercover to her parenting class to get a copy of her hard drive. And while everyone is trying to find Orlando, Tony finds him in the squad room. Orlando wants asylum and claims he is being framed. He gives Gibbs a hair sample and Ducky and Jimmy find out it is not a match to the DNA from 40 years ago. Meanwhile, Abby finds out that someone has been spying on Orlando, and that someone is none other than Ambassador Edmunds. She admits to working for another drug lord named Arman Luna, who was responsible for the 1979 bombing. A drone strike is ordered and Luna is killed. The cold case is finally closed.
What did you think of "Status Update" and "Patience"? How do you feel about their respective cases of the week? Are you happy that Delilah is back in the US? And what do you think about McGee's behavior in "Patience"? Sound off with your opinions in the comment section below.
The next episode of NCIS airs Tuesday at 8/7c. Here's a promo for "No Good Deed":
