NCIS In Review - Marine Down (Episode 1.9)

NCIS In Review - Marine Down (Episode 1.9)

Inapplicable. In this particular week, the time it takes for the body to become visible is prolonged, and the individual introducing the enigma at the outset is the spouse of the deceased Major. She is emotionally distressed and serves as a witness, but her significance isn't negligible in the grand scheme.

Episode: 1.9, Marine Down

Air Date:  December 16, 2003

Victim: Major Jim Kidwell.

Inapplicable. In this particular week, the time it takes for the body to become visible is prolonged, and the individual introducing the enigma at the outset is the spouse of the deceased Major. She is emotionally distressed and serves as a witness, but her significance isn't negligible in the grand scheme.

Synopsis of the Plot: The initial scene is integrated into the narrative rather than being the unearthing of the body within this episode. Consequently, we commence at the funeral of Major Kidwell. Narration from attendees, curious about his cause of death (the Marines are tight-lipped), and concerned about how his wife, Sarah, is coping, fills the air. The scene culminates as Sarah receives a phone call… from Major Kidwell!

The setting transitions to NCIS marksmanship training at the firing range. They are aiming at hostage targets: an image of a man gripping a woman in a chokehold from behind. Tony grazes the hostage's ear, but his shots strike the antagonist's face multiple times. Gibbs advises Kate to ease her tension and shoot with heightened confidence. Subsequently, Gibbs dons Tony's favored cap and positions Kate's palm pilot on the targets to motivate better accuracy. They conspire to covertly enter his basement and set his boat on fire. Gibbs comprehends that fueling resentment against the boss unites the team.

Returning to headquarters, Tony hands Abby his bullet-riddled cap (Kate's Palm Pilot is also in tatters). Abby aids Tony in his endeavor to access Major Kidwell's records, though his clearance in the security hierarchy falls short for viewing them.

Gibbs and Kate interview Sarah Kidwell. Accompanied by her children, Lisa Peary, the spouse of Major Craig Peary, the Marine who perished alongside Major Kidwell, arrives. Both wives seek answers. Lisa Peary underscores the perplexity arising from receiving a sealed casket and no explanation regarding their husbands' demise. She contemplates the possibility that the man on the phone might be authentic.

Returning to address authorization and access issues at headquarters, Gibbs' attempt is equally thwarted. Consequently, they journey to the Marine base in Quantico to attend a call from Kidwell and Peary's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Walsh. Walsh elucidates that the deceased Marines were serving as advisers in a foreign country. Their interaction with locals led to an altercation with a local brothel, resulting in their poisoning by a prostitute. To circumvent explaining that their husbands were killed due to a dispute with a prostitute, Colonel Walsh invoked the classified nature of the operation to obscure their deaths. Despite this, Gibbs remains insistent on obtaining the records. While Walsh feigns skepticism about their inquiry, he concedes to explore options. Meanwhile, Abby notifies Gibbs that during her attempt to trace Sarah Kidwell's phone, she detected a highly advanced tracking mechanism already embedded, transmitting data to Quantico. Gibbs hurries back to challenge Colonel Walsh. However, upon barging into a meeting to confront him, Gibbs finds an entirely different man, an African American, in place of Colonel Walsh. The individual with whom Gibbs and his team conversed was an impostor.

Subsequently, Gibbs engages in an interview with the genuine Colonel Walsh, who himself is unaware of how the Marines met their demise. While Gibbs faces obfuscation, he and Tony exchange insights, suspecting the involvement of powerful agencies like the CIA or NSA. Gibbs questions Colonel Walsh about inspecting the coffins, revealing that he hadn't done so. Consequently, Gibbs seeks further assistance from NCIS Director Morrow, whose intervention is often sought when a diplomatic interagency liaison is required.

Working in collaboration with Abby, Tony and Kate grapple with software to generate a composite sketch of the counterfeit Colonel. Despite challenges, Kate's artistic abilities shine through as she sketches the impostor while relaying a message to Gibbs to obtain Marines' Leave and Earnings Statements (LES). Impressed by her adeptness, Gibbs notes Kate's talents. While Tony playfully seizes Kate's sketchpad, he discovers caricatures of the team, only for Kate to reclaim it before he can uncover a caricature of Gibbs. Subsequently, Gibbs enlists Abby to conduct facial recognition searches using Kate's sketches in government databases.

Gibbs places bouquets on the graves of the Marines and detects someone photographing him. Upon his return, Sarah Kidwell is at headquarters alongside Major Danny O'Donnell, a fellow Marine of her late husband. Major O'Donnell has also received a call purportedly from Major Kidwell, with a recently discovered message on his answering machine. Handing the tape to Gibbs, Major O'Donnell insists the voice belongs to Kidwell. Abby conducts a technical analysis, revealing the voice's consistency with samples of home videos she cross-referenced.

NCIS proceeds to exhume the body. Opening the casket, Gibbs finds Major Kidwell inside, remarkably well-preserved. His wife is visibly traumatized. Ducky concludes that the body was professionally embalmed and expertly preserved. However, Ducky cannot ascertain the circumstances or time of Major Kidwell's demise. Despite the purported death in the line of duty, there is no evidence of external or internal injuries.

Gibbs receives a call from Lisa Peary, Major Peary's wife, expressing dissatisfaction with the unpleasant interrogation conducted by... DiNozzo? Observing DiNozzo while conversing, Gibbs finds this improbable. As Lisa addresses "DiNozzo," she speaks to Gibbs, revealing the true identity of the impostor. Gibbs advises her to keep the impostor engaged. Subsequently, Gibbs heads to the park, pursuing the criminal through the forest. A shootout ensues, and Gibbs sustains injuries. In a world where the car pursuing the impostor isn't bulletproof, this encounter might have ended differently. Nonetheless, the criminal manages to escape, leaving Gibbs with a promise of retribution.

With Gerald's assistance, Ducky identifies old newspapers used to pack Major Kidwell's embalming incision. Notably, Ducky discerns that the carotid artery of Major Kidwell shows no signs of decay. Further examination of the eyes reveals the absence of poisons. Astonishingly, Ducky determines that Major Kidwell was alive when he was embalmed. Abby investigates the embalming site newspaper, revealing its origin in a Spanish-language publication. The publication date indicates that Major Kidwell was embalmed two days ago. This implies that the perpetrator anticipated NCIS's plan to unearth the coffin and killed Major Kidwell, hoping the deception would go unnoticed.

The team now embarks on a mission to ascertain Major Peary's status. This leads to a visit to the cemetery and the utilization of ground-penetrating radar to assess Major Peary's grave. Following calibration using an elderly lady's grave, they discover a buried dog skeleton. While Tony jests, Gibbs ponders whether the lady was a solitary soul or owned a particularly irate poodle. Transitioning back to their mission, they investigate Major Peary's grave and find it filled with blocks of cement.

Employing facial recognition databases, Abby identifies the impostor as CIA Agent Jack Canton. Tracking the newspaper's origin, Tony and Kate pinpoint its source to a specific location—Colombia. This prompts Director Morrow to engage with the CIA Director via MTAC. According to the CIA Director, the Marines were tracking a drug lord; insurgents kidnapped them, and although the US paid the ransom, the insurgents poisoned the Marines. Despite Gibbs' suspicions of Canton's involvement and cover-up, the CIA dismisses the claims, asserting their intention to handle the matter internally and advising NCIS to stay clear. While Morrow acknowledges the situation, after the call ends, he instructs Gibbs to retrieve Major Peary.

The narrative now shifts to Colombia, where the team arrives in one of those prioritized planes favored by Gibbs, laden with cargo. Amid stormy weather, Kate battles nausea during the flight. Tony indulges in food and reading, while Gibbs takes the opportunity to rest. Upon waking the following morning, Gibbs nonchalantly resumes his composure and teases Tony and Kate. He then informs Kate that relieving herself would necessitate using a bag. Kate wistfully recalls Air Force One.

The team proceeds to interview Canton's partner, Agent Gonzalez, who vehemently denies involvement. Despite Gonzalez's skepticism, he leads them to a funeral home in the city connected to the embalming newspaper. There, they discover Canton's vehicle. As they approach Canton, Agent Gonzalez, exasperated, joins them. Easily identifiable in his vibrant red Star Trek-style uniform, Gonzalez accompanies them.

Through a window, Gibbs observes Major Peary, alive and bound to a gurney, under the watch of a henchman. Upon Gibbs' whistle, the henchman turns toward the window, and Gibbs eliminates him with a shot to the head. Due to the window's size, they are forced to navigate around to enter the room. This delay enables Canton to seize Major Peary, using him as a shield. Canton hurls a grenade toward the team, injuring Gibbs. Gonzalez, against Gibbs' advice, attempts to reason with Canton and pays the price with a gunshot to the chest. Canton insists on a face-to-face conversation with Gibbs, stipulating the disarmament of both parties. Gibbs signals Kate to maintain her composure. Displaying his firearm, Gibbs enters the room where Canton holds Major Peary captive. As Canton readies himself to shoot Gibbs, Tony and Kate simultaneously intervene, firing their weapons.

The scene fades into a bright light and transitions to Frosty and Santa Claus garden ornaments, evoking humor. Children play in the front yard, and Lisa Peary emerges to observe a car's arrival. Accompanied by his team, Gibbs delivers Major Peary home in time for Christmas. A heartwarming embrace ensues between Major Peary and his wife. As she notices the conspicuous bandage on his right ear, she inquires about its origin. With resilience, Major Peary asserts, "I'll survive." Tony and Kate jestingly debate the origin of Major's ear injury, turning to Gibbs for resolution, only to witness him departing in the convertible with his redhead.

The recurrence of deceitful agency plots is a characteristic of NCIS, often involving the CIA. Such storylines occasionally become intricate and unsatisfactory due to the shallow motivations driving dishonest actions. While this episode's mystery is multifaceted, it avoids becoming exasperatingly convoluted. Rich in action, it culminates in a gratifying resolution, particularly for the Pearys, though Sarah Kidwell might have been left with a different sentiment.

Six Abby´s