During Tony's task for the SecNav, Tony took gunfire and sustained a concussion, and he acquired the bloody badge of some other NCIS agent; however, he has no memory of his activities; Gibbs puts him in touch with a shrink. Flashbacks abound, and conversations with the shrink continue; Ducky tells Gibbs about EJ's having removed a microchip from Levin's body. In a flashback, while Gibbs talked with the SecNav, a Navy captain staggered toward the official, and the officer fell dead; the victim had an incision similar to Levin's. In another, Tony found EJ, and they took gunfire but evaded. Slowly, with coaxing, Tony begins to recall; he, EJ, and Cade met in a dark alley, with each believing that one of the other two had sent a summons to the meeting; someone else opened fire. Later the Metro PD found Cade's body along the Potomac River. Gibbs tells Tony the rest of the story, and Tony recalls who the shooter is. EJ remains missing. Written by DocRushing

A Marine private first-class returns from Afghanistan to his hometown in time for a welcoming party for him during homecoming week; however, when he arrives, he staggers in, mortally wounded, then collapses and dies; Gibbs and company investigate; Ducky says that death resulted from stab wounds. Ziva spots a piece of evidence, but it becomes hard to obtain it; Tony and Ziva find that the victim had started with a disadvantaged childhood, became adopted into a military family, then enlisted in the Marine Corps and established an impeccable record. Abby finds some interesting electronic evidence, then Tony and McGee find something while hiking, and McGee makes some new friends. Abby makes important discoveries; the gang learn about multiple identities, a forged letter, stolen funds, and a hidden relationship, and they rescue from death a man who then dies. Eventually they put the pieces together, and they get help for someone who needs help. Written by DocRushing

A Naval Reserve lieutenant in mufti dies of a single gunshot to his head in a public park in Washington, DC; Gibbs and company investigate; the victim has a business card bearing the name of Timothy McGee, who learns that his paternal grandmother, Penny, is involved with the vic; Tony and McGee intercept Penny and talk with her. The victim teaches math at a local university and works for a think tank in the boondocks of Virginia. Abby figures out the burns on his fingertips. Attention turns onto Penny, who survives three attempts on her life, and who proves to be a tough nut. The gang put all the pieces together and catch the bad guy, then Penny gets a ride home with Ducky, and McGee calls his father. Written by DocRushing

In Washington, DC, near the Capitol a van accidentally hits and critically injures a pedestrian, who proves to be The Cooler, a wanted contract assassin, whose next target appears to be a Navy lieutenant commander; Gibbs and company investigate the target, LCdr. Geoffrey Brett, and his circumstances, including the threat. The Cooler briefly regains consciousness in a hospital, then dies before an NCIS agent reaches him. Ziva acts as Brett's protective escort, but he ditches her. Tony and McGee meet a hot chick CPA, then she dies. The three musketeers gather pieces of evidence and, with Gibbs, put them together; Brett says that he needs a lawyer. Meanwhile Abby volunteers to become an organ donor, learns more about herself, visits a pet-rescue center, meets someone whom she admires, examines her own feelings, and has a serious chat with Gibbs. Written by DocRushing

At 02:00 in US territorial waters near Norfolk, Virginia, an inspection party from a Coast Guard cutter steps aboard an unidentified foreign-flag cargo ship; no crewmember is visible, but a hidden gunman shoots to death a petty officer. Under joint jurisdiction the NCIS and the CGCIS investigate; Gibbs, the gang, and Borin go to Norfolk and to the towed ship at the Naval Station. While examining the body, Ducky hears tapping sounds; the team then find a hidden Lebanese family of four, for whom the father requests asylum. Abby tells Gibbs that there was no crew other than the family; the SecNav enters the picture, as does a woman lawyer of Muslim extraction. The mother and Ziva identify with each other, but the father's past catches up with him. Tony takes off his pants for Abby, who makes a startling discovery. Borin, Gibbs, and the gang prevent destruction, hold one bad guy and grab the second one, and serve justice. Gibbs says that he's not lonely because he has kids. Written by DocRushing

At 04:19 in northern Virginia an 18-wheel truck accidentally and fatally hits a Naval Reserve lieutenant who had swerved and woven on a freeway, parked on the left side, and walked toward an emergency call box on the right side; Gibbs and company investigate. Ducky sees telling evidence at the site, finds an explanation in his workshop, and offers a theory. The gang check out the obvious leads; Ducky meets and courts an attractive and interesting new ladyfriend. While hiking through a state park, the team find a dead SUV and a dead body under circumstances similar to those of the other victim; this vic is a civilian, but his estranged wife is a Marine on active duty in Afghanistan. When Duckman again sees his new honey, he gets two real surprises. Meanwhile, Gibbs and the gang figure out what's happened, so they head out to help; they wrap up some loose ends; Gibbs offers Duck a ride home. Written by DocRushing

Both Gibbs and Fornell answer a call for help from Diane, their mutual ex-wife; her current husband, Victor (an employee of the US Department of Homeland Security), has disappeared; Tony reports a hit on Victor's credit card at a burger joint the night before, then McGee reports a recent 911 call about a bloodbath at the same place; the gang investigate. Tony and Ziva say that Victor appears to be a suspect rather than a victim; Abby and a friend announce what Victor stole; McGee finds more secrets; Gibbs, Fornell, and Tony find Victor, who expresses relief and reveals the intent of the bad guys. The team plus Fornell go to a football stadium just before a major game; they find the bad guys, and they deal with them. Fornell tells Vance the motive for the criminal activity. Later Diane approaches Gibbs in his basement, and they have a concluding chat, during which she hands him a watch. Written by DocRushing

A Marine Corps C-130 Hercules aircraft crashes while en route to Dover AFB, Delaware, while returning the remains of six Marines to the USA from Afghanistan; four more die; only one person, a crewmember, survives; Gibbs and company investigate the possibility of criminal activity. One father expresses much concern; Abby confirms the DNA of five of the KIAs, but she does not find the DNA of 1Lt. Gabriela Flores, who is said to be one of the six aboard the aircraft. A Navy woman chaplain, LCdr. Melinda Burke, enters and helps; the team learn about a civilian boyfriend from the USA in Afghanistan; the Marine unit unsuccessfully continue to search for Flores or her body. Ziva interprets a conversation in Pashto; Gibbs sees and pursues a small detail, and McGee reexamines satellite footage; the team see a trail, possibly that of Flores. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, a four-star general, gives Gibbs a direct order. [To be continued.] Written by DocRushing

Gibbs and Ziva fly to Afghanistan to seek 1Lt. Gabriela Flores or her body. Meanwhile in Washington, DC, Tony and McGee find the brother of a suspect in Afghanistan, and Tony chats with him. Gibbs and Ziva meet the two girls whom Gabby saved; the girls imply that Gabby may still be alive. Abby (by remote control) deduces where Gabby might be; Tony speaks to someone else; the Marines muster an extraction team, who take part in a firefight and find Gabby. One Marine, Gabby's CO, dies, and Gibbs, Ziva, and Gabby escort his remains back to the USA. Gibbs holds a family reunion in his chat room, and he catches a factoid; then he and Vance do a number on one of their guests. Gibbs and the gang figure out what's next, and they act to prevent it from happening; they find and bust a man said to have been dead two years. Gibbs tells Vance that he has fun, Tony makes a visit with the happy chappy, and Gibbs returns to a grave in Arlington. Written by DocRushing

On the waterfront in Washington, DC, two Metro cops find DiNozzo Sr., asleep, amnesic, and hung over at the wheel of a parked rented Rolls-Royce saloon; one of them finds a body inside the boot; the victim, wearing dress blues, was a Naval Reserve lieutenant and aviator but not on active duty; Gibbs and company investigate; at the scene they see who the suspect is, so Gibbs excuses Tony Jr. from the case. While talking in the chat room, Senior tells Gibbs about his relationship with the victim; an officer in the JAG Corps approaches the Gibbs team with useful information; Gibbs, McGee, Ziva, and Abby look under many rocks and talk with many people. Senior mentions a factoid to Gibbs, who offers a bit of advice; Gibbs, Duck, and Abby pursue and persist, then they produce and persuade. Tony, against orders, finds important evidence, then the gang figure out the whole thing and nab the bad guy and a helper. Gibbs, Senior, and Junior prepare for Thanksgiving. Written by DocRushing

On Christmas Eve two gunmen with silenced pistols kill a Navy captain in the doorway of a hotel room; Gibbs and company investigate; in the room Gibbs receives an unusual call on the landline telephone, which the gang pursue; Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva visit a mall and find Emma, the woman friend of the victim, who is a pregnant Marine first lieutenant, and who says that she's the real target. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, McGee and Abby figure out why attention turned to Emma and her unborn child; then a Russian bad guy turns up at the mall, but the gang and Barney Fife handle him. In the chat room Tony and McGee use an unconventional method by which to obtain answers. Gibbs, Ziva, and Emma have trouble with their car, and Emma has trouble of her own. Two more Russians show up, so Ziva looks after them while Gibbs looks after Emma and her child. Tony and McGee help. Everything works out. Palmer talks with his future father-in-law, and Tony talks with Gibbs. Written by DocRushing

Two boys, playing in their quiet suburban neighborhood, respond to the sound of a nearby crash of a pickup truck, and they find the body of the dead driver with a gunshot wound; the victim is a Navy commander, so Gibbs and company investigate. A neighbor tells about a woman and an SUV, and the widow tells about an old friend of the vic from a previous duty station; Abby says that the killer is a careful professional. The gang pursue and find a suspect. EJ Barrett reappears from her hiatus after the resolution of the P2P killer; Tony and EJ bicker with each other. Abby provides a lead to the shooter, so Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva pursue it, and they find him. Gibbs speaks with the SecNav about the Phantom unit and the Watcher fleet, and Tony takes EJ to a safe house, then another man dies. Fireworks break out in a woods, then Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva find and catch the loose cannon. EJ goes to an even safer place, and Ziva receives a phone call. Written by DocRushing

A real-estate agent and two clients find the body of a Navy woman lieutenant commander, Maya, who has served as a Naval attaché overseas (most recently in Cairo, Egypt), and whose husband, Nick, is a detective for the Metro PD, Washington, DC; Gibbs and company investigate. Nick tries to help, but his help does not help; however, Gibbs and Nick find a common ground, as do Tony and Nick, who gives Tony a slip of paper. Ziva poses several questions to CI-Ray, and he poses one to her. Maya made a number of trips between Cairo and Islamabad, Pakistan. Gibbs sees one clue, and McGee and Abby pursue it, then Tony and Ziva find something. Gibbs and Abby learn that Maya caught a bad guy after he committed a major crime. Ziva figures out several things, and she extracts a confession. Nick offers some personal advice to Tony and Ziva. Written by DocRushing

At a diner an unknown person approaches Gibbs with a drawn pistol; Gibbs immediately draws his piece, identifies himself as a federal agent, and challenges him. That sequence begins a series of flashbacks and fantasies from Gibbs's life, with Mike Franks as a narrator, who explains to Gibbs the purpose of the exercise, while other significant people appear inside the diner. The review starts with the case handled the day before aboard a Naval ship and elsewhere. Franks talks with Gibbs about what might have happened or not happened if Gibbs or others had made some different decisions and taken some different actions; he says that sometimes people do the wrong things for the right reasons. Eventually, in the present, Gibbs realizes who the assailant is, then he deals with him, then Franks suggests to Gibbs that maybe he had not yet finished. Finally, the next day, McGee announces a decision, then the gang gear up and head out. Written by DocRushing

Two men die of gunfire inside a flower shop in Washington, DC; one victim is a Navy captain named Wallace, and the other is a civilian; Gibbs and company investigate; the Duck sees unusual undergarments, which are also costumes. Both victims are community activists who do neighborhood watches, community service, and fundraising; Gibbs hears a significant clue, so the gang pursue it. Vance reintroduces Gibbs and Wendy, a newspaper reporter, who has information about Wallace. Tony provides liaison with Wendy on the Wallace case; Tony and Ziva meet another superhero, who provides a clue, which produces; Abby finds and interprets a piece of evidence, which also produces. Someone makes an attempt on Wendy's life; Tony provides protection. Tony meets Fred, Ziva meets Wendy, and Gibbs and the gang meet even more superheroes, one of whom is a suspect albeit one with an alibi. The team figure it out and act on it, then Wendy makes a revelation to Tony. Written by DocRushing

When two burglars enter a home in Arlington, Virginia, in the burbs of Washington, DC, they find the hanged body of a man; the victim proves to be that of a psychologist (with a PhD degree), who was also a Naval Reservist on active duty, and who held a high-level security clearance for his work, which included consulting with the US Department of Defense (DoD) on a psy-ops program; while Gibbs and company investigate, they soon encounter Dr. Rachel Cranston, who was a colleague of the victim, and with whom they've dealt before. Another mind-gamer shows up, and Abby finds a mind game. McGeek plays with some electronic toys, and the other members of the gang pursuit other leads; Gibbs orders the team to concentrate on paper, and he kills a bug. Despite much interference and misinformation, the gang solve the puzzle and bust the people responsible. A payroll clerk discovers a number of mistakes, and Gibbs receives an interesting phone call at 04:00. Written by DocRushing

When Gibbs meets with a Navy chief petty officer and his attorney (to make a deal), the CPO collapses and dies; the gang investigate; Ducky feels confused about the cause of death; Abby finds the reason and explains it. The victim offered information about an illicit arms dealer, with whom Gibbs then talks, and whom McGee then tracks. McGee also finds a connection between the vic and the dealer. Gibbs and McGee take some flak from the Defense Intelligence Agency; McGee and the probie pick up a hot British chick, and Gibbs catches a smart kid. The more Gibbs learns, the more frustrated he feels. McGee and the probie run into trouble, but that works out. Gibbs finds out and figures out what happened, then he has an interesting chat with the dealer. Written by DocRushing

While Gibbs and Tony man a protective detail for the SecNav, a gunman shoots the secretary in his chest and inflicts what appears to be a serious injury; the NCIS starts a quiet investigation, trying to avoid media attention. Vance and Gibbs join the victim at his hospital, where they take part in an unusual gathering. Shortly afterward the gang confers in the MTAC with Vance and Dr. Ryan (the psy-ops wizard); the team has orders to investigate a huge blackmail scheme with profound implications related to national security for the present and for years to come. Ziva and Ryan's lead investigator find a body; Abby and McGee make contributions; Gibbs and Ryan find computers running without people; the three musketeers watch the dynamic duo; Tony and Ziva grab an unkempt hacker and her gear. Gibbs figures it out, then he nabs the bad guy. Ryan invites Gibbs to play charades. Written by DocRushing

While on liberty in Baltimore, Maryland, two sailors of the US Navy find the body of a buddy, a boatswain's mate second-class, who died from a stab wound; the Baltimore PD soon finds a suspect, who is not only a mechanic at a nearby automotive shop but also a brother-in-law of Vance, the director of the NCIS; Gibbs and company investigate. McGee learns that a second sailor failed to return from liberty; Tony and Ziva meet another shipmate; Ducky says that the victim took part in a fight several hours before he died; Tony and Ziva meet also a girlfriend and yet another shipmate. McGee finds a lie, Gibbs pursues it, and Vance and Gibbs have a chat; Vance's wife shows much anger, but she gets over it. Abby produces good stuff, McGee gets a good tip, then Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva make a good bust. Abby solves the case, then Vance gets a confession, and Gibbs and Tony take the bad guy into custody. Vance learns how to play a game. Written by DocRushing

A picnicking couple encounter a dead body, which proves to be that of a first lieutenant in the US Marine Corps; after Gibbs chats with Dr. Ryan, he and the team investigate; the gang see that the victim had plummeted from somewhere in the sky after he had first been beaten, stabbed, and shot; in one of his pockets they find a challenge coin, which they trace to a woman commander in the Navy Chaplain Corps, who is on duty with a relief team in Colombia. Ducky finds curious clues, and Abby interprets them (connecting to Colombia); Ziva communicates with Monique, a contact in Colombia, who repeats a rumor about the disappearance of the Marine and the chaplain; Ryan gives Gibbs a tip. Tony, Ziva, and a second woman chaplain join Monique in Colombia; someone else provides fireworks; then Gibbs interviews a mule. McGee continues to dig, then Ziva and Monique meet a couple and get answers. Tony, Ziva, and two chaplains fly back home with their new friends. Written by DocRushing

After putting out a fire in a warehouse used for storing old business records, the Baltimore FD calls the Navy because of classified Navy documents found inside the building; Gibbs and company investigate, and they look into the presence of skeletal remains; McGee identifies the victim as an employee of the owner firm, which does classified work for the US Navy. The victim is also a member of the Phantom Eight, related to the Watcher Fleet; he is the third such person to die within the past nine months. An arson investigator from the BPD, Jason, works with the gang; he and Tony met each other 20 years ago. Abby finds and explains much about the residue of the fire; McGee finds a promising lead; Abby meets Jason, they work together, and they produce results. The gang plus Jason pursue a lead, but it blows up in their faces; still, though, they find evidence and a lie. Then a fire occurs aboard a Naval vessel. [To be continued.] Written by DocRushing

Gibbs and company continue to investigate an explosion and a fire; McGee goes to the carrier involved; Abby finds a clue, which opens a whole set of new questions; Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva meet McGee when the ship arrives in Norfolk from the sea. Abby finds also a connection between the two shipboard thermite fires; Ducky too finds such a connection; McGee and Abby break a code. Next Tony and Ziva fly to Naples, Italy, and meet another NCIS special agent, then they all go aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, where they nab a bad guy (before he does his dirty work), who tells who hired him and why; McGee and Abby figure out which particular person with a certain name is the man behind the scheme. [To be continued.] Written by DocRushing

Probie Dorneget gets a small surprise in a dental office. Gibbs and company continue to investigate Harper Dearing and the thermite incidents, and the gang continue to hassle Palmer about Abby's plans for his bachelor party. While Gibbs and Dr. Ryan chat with another dentist, Dearing calls, so all of them talk with him; later the second dentist sings. Dearing visits the Navy Yard, Washington, DC, and he messes with Gibbs. The gang find a messenger, but suddenly he dies from a single shot; while examining his body, Abby finds something, and Ducky finds something else. Gibbs and the gang find a bag man with a loaded cart. While the whole team watch, the bag man makes a delivery, and they catch someone, but they get a surprise, then they figure out the surprise. Gibbs receives a one-word text message from Dearing, and the gang learn that Vance has disappeared while driving home alone after returning from a NATO conference in Europe. [To be continued.] Written by DocRushing

Gibbs and the gang continue to investigate Dearing, the thermite explosions, and the disappearance of the director; Vance regains consciousness inside a sarcophagus inside a family mausoleum with a message and beside the decomposing body of a Navy lieutenant; he calls Gibbs, who meets him. Ducky finds an object message, which Dr. Ryan interprets for the group; Gibbs meets Parker; Gibbs asks Samantha for more information, so that he can return a favor. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva visit the home of a retired NCIS agent in time to see fireworks; Dearing seeks to instruct Gibbs, and he messes with Ryan, who produces a name, Cole, who's both a federal prisoner and a member of the Phantom Eight; Gibbs and Ryan spring the con and try to turn him. Cole goes to see Dearing, but the latter turns the meet his way; Gibbs realizes what's about to happen; Cole helps, but disaster strikes. Ducky receives a phone call, hears bad news, and encounters trouble. [To be continued next season.] Written by DocRushing