NCIS In Review - Left for Dead (Episode 1.10)

NCIS In Review - Left for Dead (Episode 1.10)

For the second consecutive episode, there is a delay in revealing an actual body. The young woman who emerges from the ground is rescued by a passing driver. While the narrative could generate an intriguing story, it's doubtful that the situation would cause significant emotional trauma. The driver's wife's reaction to calling the authorities is also apathetic. Perhaps she has seen a similar episode before.

Episode: 1.10, Left for Dead

Air Date:  January 6, 2004.  

Victim:  At the beginning, the situation is not immediately clear. A woman emerges from a shallow hole in the forest, accompanied by a sinister melody.

For the second consecutive episode, there is a delay in revealing an actual body. The young woman who emerges from the ground is rescued by a passing driver. While the narrative could generate an intriguing story, it's doubtful that the situation would cause significant emotional trauma. The driver's wife's reaction to calling the authorities is also apathetic. Perhaps she has seen a similar episode before.

The woman freshly emerged from the ground suffers from amnesia but recalls there being a plan to place a bomb on a Navy ship. This leads the protagonists to become involved in the plot.

While the plot sometimes strains too much, the next scene shows Gibbs falling asleep in the basement while a news program echoes in the background. A call from Tony wakes Gibbs up. The latter is at work because his boiler broke, but Gibbs doesn't allow Tony to stay at his house, reminding him of the previous incident.

Gibbs sends Kate to the hospital where the memory-less woman is staying, while he, Ducky, and Tony investigate the supposed burial site. Ducky's presence there even seems strange to him. Meanwhile, Kate is at the hospital with the unknown woman. The doctor, in a charmingly eccentric way, goes on medical tangents, leading Kate to question if he's related to Ducky. There's no luck in that possibility.

Kate and Gibbs debate over the phone whether they should show the face of the unknown woman on television. Gibbs wants those responsible for her burial to believe she's dead. Kate, on the other hand, develops a bond with the victim and wants to help her in any way possible. Gibbs teases Kate to Tony after the phone call, expressing his disagreement with Kate's approach.

After an interview with the victim, Kate collects her fingerprints, a procedure the woman had been involved in before. The victim believes she's a terrorist. Kate tries to convince her that her knowledge of the bomb on the ship doesn't mean she's responsible for it. The victim has a memory flash related to a church.

Gibbs discovers a key and hands it over to Abby for analysis. The key is magnetic, which leads Abby to trace it through its magnetic signature. Kate returns and shares the interview with the victim. Tony, upon hearing about the victim's connection to words like "terrorist," becomes concerned. Kate assures him that the woman doesn't fit the terrorist stereotype.

The results of Abby's analysis of the clothing reveal the presence of substances used in high-quality explosives. The woman still believes she's a terrorist, while Kate continues trying to find alternative explanations for the chemicals on her clothes. The fact that she knows the German word for "bomb maker" becomes relevant. Kate then decides to take the woman out of the hospital, deceiving the doctor by having her pretend to have regained her memory. Gibbs intervenes and criticizes Kate for her actions, reminding her of the legal implications. He questions why Kate would let the victim stay at her house. Kate tries to justify her action as an attempt to quickly solve the case, but deep down, she reveals her compassion. Gibbs doesn't entirely agree but shows confidence in his agent.

Kate provides clothes to the victim and continues pressing her for information about the bomb's location. During a dinner outing, the victim recalls owning a coat similar to Kate's. This leads them to identify some stores that sell this unique coat. While in one of these stores, the victim spots a bald man and relives a moment when she felt threatened by another bald man.

While Abby traces the key, Tony notices microscopic laser etching on it. This leads them to a local hotel called Jackson, which has residential apartments. Surprisingly, one of Gibbs's ex-wives had lived there. Tony's joke about this is ignored by Gibbs. In the room corresponding to the key, they find a bald corpse surrounded by money. Later, Gibbs and Tony manage to outmaneuver a DC homicide detective, while Ducky interacts with the medical examiner to take full control of the crime scene. The victim is identified as Walter Richter, whose cause of death was a head injury, similar to a cheap image of President Kennedy. The time of death indicates that Richter wasn't responsible for burying the woman.

Kate and the victim go out to dinner, and Kate's empathy for her becomes more evident. During the dinner, the victim recalls a memory of loneliness in a restaurant.

Abby examines a Kennedy sculpture and finds a partial palm print but doesn't lead to identification. Latent prints in the hotel room match those of the victim. Tony discovers that Richter worked for a German company called BFF, which manufactures bomb detection devices for the US Navy. This leads Gibbs and Tony to investigate there. The interview with the company's CEO, Dr. Stephen Brauer, reveals that the victim is Suzanne McNeil, a bomb maker from BFF. The twist happens when Gibbs and Tony surprise Brauer by informing him that Suzanne is still alive. The scene is effectively portrayed and is one of the highlighted moments of the episode. Brauer regains his composure but shows weakness.

Kate takes Suzanne, now identified, to see Richter's body. Suzanne recalls the moment he offered her money as compensation before killing him. The narrative then shifts from something vaguely irritating to something confusing. Suzanne denies everything to Kate, claiming not to remember, and leaves the autopsy room.

Gibbs calls Kate with the good news about Jane Doe's (Suzanne's) identity. He expresses surprise that Suzanne doesn't recognize Richter, even though she shed tears for his death. Gibbs teases Kate for defending Suzanne, but he should perhaps be more proactive. Gibbs is convinced that Brauer tried to bury Suzanne, but the reason is still a mystery. Tony suggests that Brauer is concerned about BFF's new bomb detector failing Navy tests. So, Gibbs decides to visit the testing facility and pretend to be interested in terrorist matters.

Kate shares Suzanne's personal file with her. Unexpectedly, Kate mentions that Suzanne has a lot of time for a husband and children. From there, the narrative moves to a scene in which Suzanne reveals her dark past involving a relationship with Brauer and the murder of Richter.

Gibbs and Tony engage Brauer in a lighthearted conversation about his involvement with Suzanne, which, despite his denials, is evident to the audience. In an attempt to extend the plot, Gibbs and Tony attend a demonstration of BFF's new bomb detector, which turns out to be unsuccessful.

Kate confronts Suzanne with the assertion that she placed a bomb on a Navy ship, but it was actually just a simulation. Suzanne, apparently simulating amnesia, agrees. However, she lets slip details that suggest otherwise. Kate then takes her to BFF, where Suzanne hopes to recover more memories. Gibbs realizes that Kate is giving in to Suzanne's wishes but still trusts her.

The team gathers in the BFF lobby, and only Brauer seems concerned that Kate allowed Suzanne to go up to her office in the bomb factory alone. Tony questions how Suzanne would have found the office, to which Kate responds with a sarcastic comment. Suzanne appears and approaches Brauer, recalling an incident where he hurt her. The plot reaches its climax as Suzanne reveals her final trump card: a ball of highly explosive material. The team reacts promptly, but the ensuing explosion is directed only at Suzanne and Brauer.

The plot moves on to the aftermath, with a visibly emotionally affected Kate. Tony wants to help her, but Gibbs points out that there isn't much that can be done in that regard. Gibbs offers Tony his home, but Tony already knows. The final scene is accompanied by the melancholic melody of the NCIS theme on the piano, focusing on Kate, wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by emergency teams and floating ashes.

The episode features sharp dialogues and engaging interactions between the characters, especially Harmon and Weatherly. The resolution of the plot is tense and unexpected, contributing to one of the few standout moments. However, the episode falters by relying on the protagonists' naivety and underestimating Kate's ability to read people. The plot also presents some inconsistencies and unrealistic aspects regarding the investigation and legal procedures. Additionally, the final twist is somewhat exaggerated, with an explosive ending that could have been more subtle and well-founded. Overall, the episode doesn't live up to the potential of the characters and the series, leaving the impression that the narrative forced certain elements to maintain the plot.

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