The action continues from season 7, with Ziva missing and presumed dead. However the team mount a daring raid to get her back, with Tony being held hostage. A bit of a 'clip show' for newcomers.
Somalia, Horn of Africa. Tony (Michael Weatherly) is tied up and being held hostage by Saleem (Omid Abthai). He demands Tony tell him everything. Tony..."because I'm gonna tell you anything." Well, yes Tony, don't think you won't. Saleem has concocted his own formula of sodium pentothal and other agents to get the truth. Tony comments Saleem will die soon, "Truth or not?" Saleem has studied America, as well as studying in America. He's a great believer in knowing his enemy. As he hadn't heard of NCIS until now, so where's he been then, that's a bit ignorant coming from someone who studied in the US.
In Tony's questioning, we get a rundown of the premise of the show and introduction to the team, just so we don't forget, ha! Into season 7, it was more a potted history for new viewers. I hate we're a year behind!
May. Tony mentions the team as the "gang of 4." You have to ask why Tony was so calm at being in the hot seat and injected with truth serum, since he was either really cool, or there was more to his capture than was being shown at this point.
The team is pretty close. McGee (Sean Murray) has the heart of a lion. Their team leader, he doesn't call Gibbs (Mark Harmon) boss here, is a "coffee aficionado and functional mute." McGee and Tony work on an investigation together and get their man after a fight. The two have really bonded this season, though Tony is still mean to him. But if that changed so would the heart of the show and the character of Tony. The fourth member of the team was lost, meaning Kate (Sasha Alexander) but was replaced by Ziva (Cote de Pablo). Saleem finds it difficult to believe there was a Mossad agent in NCIS. Which was hard to believe and for the purposes of the show, reality had to be suspended. As in the real NCIS, no foreign nationals are allowed, so Ziva certainly wouldn't be. Not to mention that Shane Brennen hasn't been to the real NCIS building either as he's Australian.
Anyway, Tony mentions Gibbs as as sniper for purposes revealed at the end. Tony wishes Jack Nicholson had been in the Spencer Tracy movie, Bad Day at Black Rock (1955). He would've liked to have seen that. To Tony, there's only "one force in the world to make a man die - vengeance." He's here to kill Saleem. Tony should've said "Saleem" in his Sean Connery accent!
Saleem says he got his BS from Yale and Tony replies he got his BS from the streets. Well it's apparent what he means by BS. Tony missed Saleem's impression of him and comments: "his essence is all in the voice."
June. Tony wants McGee to fix his streaming film account. Mentioning Bad Day at Black Rock. McGee wants money in return for fixing his TV. Tony: "If I had a thing, I would show it off all the time."
Gibbs' first line of the episode: "Rules against that DiNozzo." McGee asks Gibbs about filling Ziva's desk right about now. Gibbs wants Tony to find a replacement, as long as their files have photos. McGee thinks that's unfair, but Gibbs doesn't want a casting couch. McGee can help him too. Oh come on, it was just another babe fest for Tony in the guise of attempting to find a replacement. Cos Ziva's irreplaceable.
Tony then refers to Ducky (David McCallum) who is the essential element to their team, with his "encyclopedic mind" which never stops working and sometimes it's like his mouth is connected to his brain. It is isn't it. Leading to another of Ducky's stories. Ducky asks if anyone's heard from Ziva. Tony and McGee 'interview' Claire, (Noa Tishby) a former DEA agent, she was involved in a personal relationship at work. Tony doesn't like clingy girls or men. McGee replies Tony didn't ask, so Tony replies: "Don't tell." There's plenty of references to the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy over the seasons. Tony alludes to how women with glasses are portrayed in movies, who then let their hair down to be seen as hotties. I thought of The Big Sleep (1946) here, for an obvious example. Gibbs has the final word and she leaves in tears after Gibbs is through with her. Wonder if he was stern on purpose, wanting and waiting for Ziva to return and for her shoes not to be filled by someone else.
Tony back in captive mode again, refers to Ziva as being irreplaceable, she's dead and she can't be brought back. He would if he could. Saleem drinks from a flask, he's addicted to caffeine, but it's not coffee. Another clue here, knew that wasn't coffee in there cos you don't use those sorts of flasks for coffee. Tony goes on to Vance, (Rocky Carroll) that it's lonely at the top. He's not liked or trusted by everyone. We've never got any input on what Tony thinks of Vance, or even McGee.
July. At least they were working on a case which was new. The question being who stabbed the petty officer. Gibbs says they're a member short and it's confirmed Ziva is part of Mossad again. Her father, Eli, sent her back in the field. Tony never liked 90210. Not really his kind of show. Another new candidate for agent, Becky, (Sonita Henry) stands with Tony behind the glass in the observation room. Tony tells her McGee is questioning Petty Officer Dominic Dimarco (Marcus Brown) as he's softening him for Gibbs.
Agent Chad Dunham (Todd Lowe) tells them of a woman being held in Somalia. Tony asks who the captive woman is. McGee and Tony have dinner and Tony's not listening to him when he says he's thinking of buying some red leather pants. Yeah they'd look good on him (thought not his forte). Sean Murray's looking rather trim this season. Tony doesn't think it's normal not hearing from Ziva. With Ziva on his mind, you'd think he really does have deeper feelings for her, but I hope they don't get together, cos that'll change everything. McGee thinks she's making a clean break. Tony wonders if McGee's done something to her. He ponders if she can't contact them and asks McGee to help him nose around. Cue McGee on the floor, tied up with Tony. Clever the way this episode was written and filmed. From the references and flashes it feels as if everything Tony is saying as a captive, is actually happening with them right now in DC. Almost like his subconscious talking. Even though it's in the past and already happened.
Abby (Pauley Perrette) can't believe they weren't going to let her in on finding Ziva. August. Abby's turn to be described by Tony: "A paradox wrapped in an oxymoron, smothered in contradictions and terms." Sleeps in a coffin and is a forensic scientist, 'heart and soul.' Ziva took Michael Rivkin's place on the 'Kidon' mission. As explained in NCIS: Los Angeles Legend Part 2 intro ep; Kidon means 'bayonet' in Hebrew and is a secret department in Mossad formed after WWII for tracking down Nazis. Now they go after the enemies of Israel. Abby and McGee ponder the two options they have, of either hacking into Mossad or into Vance. Becky hears that, is disgusted and leaves. Tony receives word on the ship Ziva was on, the Damocles, for a future episode.
Heather (Mercedes Masohn) is from the Seattle PD and startles Tony. Tony doesn't know if they need her here. Gibbs questions Dominic, who claims he was slipped drugs (like Tony with the truth serum.) Tony and Gibbs both say at the same time, that the he is the dealer. Tony and Gibbs both give each other a look.
Abby and McGee got info from Ziva's burnt out laptop from last season. Her father sent her on a mission on the Damocles, which Gibbs says was lost at sea. No survivors. Tony: "After that, everything lost all meaning." So Tony, in the office, refuses to grab his gear. Gibbs asks him to make his case. McGee mentions personal items moving through Africa. Damocles was being used to carry cargo and Abby used a cipher to break the code. Caf Pow was imported from the US and is listed on its manifest. What's the bet Saleem would have an addiction to Caf Pow akin to Abby, so that's what was in his flask.
McGee is awake on the floor of the cell. Tony asks how Ziva's summer was? Ziva can only say, out of all the people in the world, "it had to be you." McGee didn't think she was dead. Tony replies, "Couldn't live without you, I guess." So he'll die with her. I was just about to say, seeing as Tony was drugged, they could've asked him anything now and he'd have to be honest but no such luck, oh Tony mentions that too. Also he tells Saleem that they have "one man." Hint, hint.
September. Vance comments no SEAL team will be sent on a mission on foreign soil. Gibbs thinks they should send agents to gather Intel. Tony volunteers himself and McGee and are both taken hostage, on purpose. Tony failed to tell Saleem about himself. Leaving the best to last! He's the wild card. Think True Lies (1994). Gibbs fires and shoots Saleem from a distance. That was the entire reference to him being a sniper. Gibbs got to the camp ASAP.
Vance et al clap on their return home. Abby hugs Ziva and Tony can only sit at his desk and watch. There was so much going on in this episode, but we had to get Ziva back. Looking back to the season 6 opener, Ziva was on a mission and separated from the team, after Vance had broken them up and she was in danger too, with her supposed agent/friend, Rivkin with her. In this opener, she's not part of their team anymore either and is held prisoner and again in danger.
Some great touches in this episode, Michael is so superb as Tony keeping the tension and the momentum going and even being under the truth serum, the jokes don't stop. McGee and Tony have really bonded without Ziva being around, but McGee still expects Tony's jokes, criticisms and comments to fly, otherwise he wouldn't be Tony. Also seems ties are no longer part of the wardrobe anymore for Tony and McGee. Can't tell if Ziva was glad to be back or not. She really appeared dejected and ready to die, as she had given up all hope. So why didn't Saleem inject her with truth serum, or were we just not told since at the close of season 6, when Ziva was taken hostage, he was asking her about NCIS. Take it she didn't break then and reveal all even though she would have gone under rigorous training to resist all forms of torture; as well as being able to inflict it. Which is why I mentioned the truth serum.
With the months being shown on screen, it was like Tony telling us what they did over the Summer, so it was only natural he'd ask Ziva what she did over the Summer too; aside from being caught and tortured. No nicknames for McGee this episode from Tony, so in effect he left out an important piece of Intel for newcomers, that he calls McGee a certain name he deems suitable for him. The film/TV references were mentioned since that's what Tony does, just so everyone knows and no show would be complete without them.
Excellent start to the season.
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