NCIS - Blood Brothers - Review: "Rule #28: If you need help, ask"

The NCIS team was looking for a bone marrow donor in its latest episode, while Bishop went home to Oklahoma after learning about her husband's extramarital affair.

Navy Lt. Alex Quinn is suffering from leukemia and his health is quickly getting worse. He and his mother receive word that his sister has been killed in the line of duty. Also, Alex' other brother William has died nine months earlier. Therefore, Vance tasks Gibbs with finding Alex' estranged brother Sean, who could be a viable bone marrow match to save Alex' life. Tony and McGee head to Sean's apartment, where the building manager watches as they uncover fake passports and fake money. That counterfeit cash has been found in various casinos all over the East Coast. However, Fornell comes in and reveals that the FBI and Secret Service are tracking down a counterfeit ring and Sean has been working with them as an informant. Gibbs, Fornell and Ducky head to the FBI safe house to see if Sean is a match for his brother, but they find that Sean's handler has been killed. At first, it looks like Sean shot the agent, but Abby deduces that Sean has also been shot. Gibbs asks Sean's mother where he might be hiding, and she refers him to a storage unit where Sean was holding a boat with his brother William. Tony and McGee find Sean there, but he's barely alive. He is expected to fully recover, but it turns out he's not a viable donor for Alex.

There is one other option in the form of Former Army Sergeant Richard Doogan, but he is currently serving a life sentence for murdering two Iraqis. Bishop goes to visit Doogan and he is willing to provide the bone marrow, but in exchange for that he wants to leave prison immediately. Bishop can't do that, but she does offer him a possibility of parole in 40 years, which Doogan declines. Meanwhile, Abby goes through footage of the casinos and discovers Sean's building manager is part of the counterfeit ring. Following an interrogation by Tony and Fornell, he confesses to the murders and offers to help take down his boss Michael Turro. Turro's operation is based out of a warehouse, so the NCIS and the FBI storm the compound and arrest the counterfeit ring, including Turro. However, this still leaves Alex without a bone marrow donor. Bishop once again heads to Doogan to convince him to donate his bone marrow. She tells him he's a good man who has made mistakes. Doogan thinks he saved lives by murdering the two Iraqis, because they were targeting US troops. Bishop tells him he can now save another life and Doogan finally agrees to donate his bone marrow.

Meanwhile, Bishop has traveled to Oklahoma after finding out about Jake's affair, where she is now chopping wood. However, Jake won't stop calling her so Bishop's mother Barbara tells her she needs to talk about their issues. Bishop subsequently uses the ax to destroy her phone. Her brother George has arrived early for Thanksgiving, and he and Bishop bond over the situation. George says he wants to go after Jake, but notices that Bishop still wears her wedding ring. Ellie tells her brother that marriage can't just be thrown away, to which George replies that trust is a vital component of a relationship. In the meantime, Gibbs has traveled to Oklahoma as well and has diner with the Bishops. Jake calls Ellie again, but she tells him not to call again and go spend Thanksgiving with whomever he wants to. George again steps up and wants to call Jake, but Ellie tells them all to back off her life and her marriage. Later, Gibbs waits for Bishop outside when she goes for a run. He tells her to stop running and to talk about things. Bishop is surprised to hear this from Gibbs, but then he confesses that he is talking to Dr. Taft and also quotes rule 28: If you need help, ask. Barbara later has a short conversation with Gibbs and tells him she trusts him, because her daughter trusts him. If she had it her way, Ellie would live close to them and be a teacher or something, but she is happy to know Ellie is surrounded by people who care about her. Ellie says she is ready to go home at the end of the episode and Gibbs will be travelling with her.

The best thing about this episode was definitely meeting Bishop's family. What we saw in episode 9 was that the team was really standing up for her and protecting her, and now we see it again with her family. I enjoyed how George stoop up for his little sister and wanted to go after Jake for what he has done. I don't know about the other two brothers, but Bishop definitely seems to have a good relationship with her sibling. Bishop might have the biggest family of all the main characters: she has both her parents, three older brothers who have families of their own and also at least two grandparents. Hopefully we will be seeing more of her family in the future. Her mother seems to be a great mother who is probably quite concerned for her only daughter. It looks like Barbara is quite supportive of Ellie even though she would have prefered a different route for her daughter's life. I am glad Gibbs followed Bishop to Oklohama and wouldn't leave without her. The case of the week was OK, it was fun seeing Fornell again and great to see him inviting Tony for Thanksgiving diner. I did feel quite bad for that family and especially the mother, who at a certain point was close to losing her two last living children. Fortunately, that didn't happen for her. The prison inmate had a very quick change of heart of course, but I guess that was necessary for the story.

What did you think of "Blood Brothers"? How do you feel about the case of the week? What are your thoughts on Bishop's family? Did you enjoy seeing her mother and one of her brothers? And lastly, do you think Bishop should give Jake another chance or would you have prefered George going after him instead? As always I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

The next episode airs December 15 at 8/7c on CBS.

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, Madam Secretary and Quantico. He also enjoys LOST, Arrow, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Nikita, The Blacklist, Scorpion and How To Get Away With Murder.

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