We open with Deeks’ old friend Tiffany arguing with her mom about violating her curfew. Cops break in and throw her on the floor, arresting her. They take her to court where Tiffany is charged with violating her bail.
Tiffany is furious, promising that she hasn’t done anything wrong. Kensi and Deeks are watching the whole thing and the LAPD agent is about as upset as the defendant. He tears into her court-appointed lawyer and when good ole’ internal affairs cop Ellen Whiting shows up, he isn’t subtle at all about how much he hates her. It’s great.
At the office, pretty much everyone has been subpoenaed about the Mexico situation. And most of the team isn’t anywhere to be found - Mosley is on administrative leave and no one seems to know where Hetty is.
Time to discuss the case of the week: About six months ago a man named Phillip Robins stole naval security software to sell to Iran. He liked prostitutes. Specifically, he really liked Tiffany. NCIS had been using Tiffany to get information on Robins but that all stalled after she was arrested on the “bogus” drug charge.
Sam points out that it may not be a bogus charge, but Deeks isn’t quite ready to trust the officer that arrested her, so he heads back to chat with his buddy Whiting. That doesn’t make him feel all that great since she just points out that Deeks is the one that stuck Tiffany - a vulnerable girl recently recovering from her partying ways - right back into that tempting lifestyle.
Deeks needs a moment to recover from this revelation, so he and Kensi sit on the beach for a while, staring out at the ocean. He feels guilty for putting Tiffany in the position that he did, thinking that maybe she did return to old destructive habits. “I think I should just stop believing in fairytales,” Deeks says, “And that breaks my heart a little bit.” Well, now everyone’s sad.
Sam and Callen visit Tiffany’s mom for some basic fact checking about the girl’s recent habits and their conversation reveals that Tiffany’s lawyer’s fees are being covered by a mysterious source. They call Eric to follow the money and sure enough, he’s getting paid from an account in the Caymans. Hmm… Seems legit.
The partners loop Deeks and Kensi in on the situation and decide they’re going to replace Tiffany’s lawyer. But since Deeks can’t be her lawyer, Callen will just have to play the part. And in this case, he’s literally playing the part since Deeks will be in his ear the whole time, telling him what to say.
By the end of this episode every single team member calls this plan “legal adjacent,” so you know they’re on the same page. Plus, all of their senior officers/bosses/literally anyone who could tell them “no” are gone, so… It’s all systems go for harebrained schemes.
(BTW, am I the only one who thinks that Kensi and Deeks’ season 10 looks are a little too casual? Deeks’ hair is extra shaggy and Kensi has yet to wear a top with sleeves at any point this season. I’m just saying, if Eric’s getting called out on his shorts, those two should definitely have to go home and change into something that looks even the slightest bit professional.)
Anyway. As I was saying, there are no bosses hanging around, but there is Nell, who’s basically Hetty Jr. She’s figured out their plan and already backstopped Callen’s lawyer ID. Gosh, I’d love to know Nell’s IQ.
While Deeks gives Callen a crash course in being a lawyer, Sam and Kensi hit up a local spin studio where the Cayman account was just used. The spin instructor plays a very accurate over-enthusiastic fitness instructor and I’m very impressed.
They spot Phillip Robins there with a woman whom they identify as former LAPD Vanessa Brown. Whiting and Deeks figure out that Brown, who stole drugs from the evidence locker, likely planted drugs on Tiffany during her bogus arrest weeks ago. Victory for Deeks and Tiffany!
At the hearing, Callen is Tiffany’s new, if slightly slow, defense attorney, since he’s editing everything Deeks’ says before repeating it in court. Tiffany still hasn’t washed off her very smeared makeup.
But none of that matters since they are able to get the charges dropped. As they’re exiting the courthouse, Robins shows up for Tiffany. Dang, they weren’t kidding when they said he was obsessed with her. Whiting and Deeks arrest him, but a car full of people pull up and start firing at Tiffany and Deeks. Sam and Kensi show up just in time and everyone makes it out alive.
Once the smoke clears, Deeks checks in with Tiffany and apologizes for ever putting her in that position. She thanks him for believing in her and gives him a hug goodbye. Seems like we’ve reached the end of our Tiffany storylines, at least for now.
Kensi and Deeks then have their 4,000th conversation in the last two years in which Deeks not-so-subtly mentions how nice it is to have a job where he “isn’t getting shot at every day.” In this instance, he’s referring to his brief return to law. I wonder if that’s the post-marriage job we’re looking at for Marty Deeks?
As the team starts to leave they pass by cops escorting a handcuffed Anna into the courthouse and she gives Callen a super devious look. Hmm...
