And so NCIS finishes with another death and the team disbanded. There's a vague House feeling to this end of season, as though Chas Floyd Johnson was inspired by watching the finale of season 3 of House and decided to do the same for NCIS. We even have a new black boss leading the orgnaisation (although to be fair that happened in Season 2 of House).
One of the problems with this two parter, and indeed the problem with most of this season, is the hinting at ideas that are not really clarified. I think that, in this day and age, it's rare and nice for a television show to force the audience to think for themselves - hence the hint in the first part that Shepard killed La Grenouille which is never actually clarified in the second. Indeed Gibbs' brooding in the first part is completely forgotten about as he sets off after Mike Franks...quite why he does this is never really explained; there certainly seems no reason for Gibbs to believe Franks is involved.
Recycling plots of previous seasons is also a hallmark of this season, and as such we get the recycled idea that Mike Franks is the bad guy. It was done last season, here it is again, and to no one's surprise Franks turns out to be a good guy. Just a thief.
And the theft is Dekker's insurance policy which Franks refuses to hand over to new NCIS Director Leon Vance. There seems to be a conclusion vibe to this particular story line, which is perhaps a shame as Franks seems to be very familiar with Vance and seems to bear a grudge against the man. Given that Vance's first act as director is to destroy something from his file perhaps there is indeed more to this story.
Not the greatest season in NCIS' history - perhaps Harmon should have let Bellisario keep control - but it's still been very entertaining, and it's nice to have such a good cliffhanger to end the series on. With TEN promising to show the next season in two weeks time, perhaps the mediochrity of season 5 will be quickly washed away.
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