NCIS: Collateral Damage (Season Six)

A bank robbery at Quantico which results in the death of a security guard brings in NCIS, with Vance insisting that they keep control of the investigation over the FBI. He also appoints a new propationary agent to the team who points out that if the robbery three days later the robbers would have made an extra hundred thousand, and Gibbs realises that the security guard was the true target. As Agent Wilson and DiNozzo uncover a former robbery that has a strange similarity to their current case, and Abby notices a distinctive tattoo that sparks a memory. Meanwhile, Gibbs self confidence begins to restore and he begins to think further about Langer's betrayal.

This episode's plot doesn't center around it, but it's nice to be reminded that Special Agent Michelle Lee is not playing straightball with the agency, something which Director Leon Vance seems completely oblivious to. The fact that Gibbs believes he chose a traitor to join the agency (Agent Langer) has obviously been playing on his mind, and when he gets Ducky to do a psychological evaluation on the probationary teammember that has been assigned to him, Ducky in fact does one on Gibbs himself, pointing out that he is human and prone to making mistakes as well. But what is nice is that Gibbs actually sees this as a reaffirming of his own confidence and as such a belief that he didn't make a mistake about Langer. What adds to this is an interesting exchange between Vance and Gibbs:

Vance: Our agents should be more like McGee than DiNozzo.

Gibbs: You mean more like me than you, Leon.

Firstly it's interesting that he sees DiNozzo as being a younger Gibbs (and thank God - Todd may have given DiNozzo a hard time, but she still essentially liked him, as did McGee when she was around. Since Ziva's shown up it seems that no one outside of Abby actually likes DiNozzo, let alone respects his abilities. It's nice that Gibbs affirms to Vance that he has time for DiNozzo and his methods), but more interesting is that Gibbs sudden desire to validate Langer seems to stem from an urge to invalidate Vance.

Back onto the episode itself - once again Ducky has virtually nothing to do, while Abby gets a little less herself this time round, although it's great to see that her recognising a tattoo is essential to the solving of the case. What's also great is that DiNozzo is not sidelined and gets the opportunity to prove why he is the senior agent (not least noting that when the two men are shot at the end, they are taken down by Gibbs and DiNozzo). The probationary agent lends a nice touch to the episode, and everyone else plays their part competently.

A good episode.

"B"