NCIS In Review - Minimum Security (Episode 1.8)

NCIS In Review - Minimum Security (Episode 1.8)

A motorcyclist is taking his girlfriend for a ride when their bike breaks down. Just like in that episode "Hung Out to Dry," there's this guy approaching a woman, but her father wouldn't approve, and she just wants to get home before he finds out. Then, a car shows up and ends up wrecking the guy's bike. He's really angry, but there's no point in mistreating someone who's already dead.

Episode: 1.8, Minimum Security

Air Date:  November 25, 2003 

Victim: Sergeant Khalil Sa’id, a translator at the United States base in Guantánamo, Cuba.

A motorcyclist is taking his girlfriend for a ride when their bike breaks down. Just like in that episode "Hung Out to Dry," there's this guy approaching a woman, but her father wouldn't approve, and she just wants to get home before he finds out. Then, a car shows up and ends up wrecking the guy's bike. He's really angry, but there's no point in mistreating someone who's already dead.

Come on, you know you can't get tired of this opening tune, right?

After the credits, we quickly move on to the autopsy, where they're already investigating the poor guy's body. The guy died due to a massive internal bleeding in his abdomen because he swallowed some emeralds.

The deceased's name is Khalil Sa’id, a translator at Gitmo, and he was an American citizen, even though he was born in Egypt. While snooping through his things, Abby thinks his shirts smell like cologne, she finds half a box of condoms, and several letters stamped with Gitmo from Special Agent Paula Cassidy. That's when Gibbs decides: NCIS is going to Cuba! They arrange priority Navy transport, which Gibbs thinks will be like traveling in a supply crate as real soldiers. But he's taken aback when they get a Navy jet instead. Meanwhile, Tony is thrilled.

This Paula Cassidy is an interrogator at Gitmo. Gibbs is insistent that no one tells her that Sa’id died. Gibbs is suspicious of her because of those letters. When they arrive there, Paula also becomes a bit wary because suddenly people started treating her differently, and they even pulled up records of her interviews.

Abby notices a different scent on Sa’id's clothes. It's definitely women's perfume, so Abby manages to convince Gibbs to let her buy some perfumes for comparison. After spending a bunch of money...

The team arrives at their accommodations, and Kate and Tony start arguing over the room. But Gibbs arrives, takes their room, and throws Tony's bags out. That's just the beginning of his troubles in this episode.

In one of the most comical scenes of the episode, Tony is jolted awake to discover a massive iguana nonchalantly perched on the pillow beside him. Springing into action, he swiftly jumps out of bed and readies his firearm, firmly stating, "Hold it!" At that precise moment, Gibbs and Kate appear, both donned in their pajamas, and without hesitation, they direct their weapons at the unsuspecting reptile. The situation unfolds as an undeniably amusing spectacle.

Abby meets a guy who knows about gemstones. He checks out the emeralds and says they're from Afghanistan.

Back in Cuba, this guy Bill, another translator, arrives with transcripts of Paula's interviews. The investigation now focuses on a guy named Nasser Al Jazair, one of the individuals Paula was interviewing. Gibbs sends Tony to investigate Paula. Tony returns, saying that Paula has several male friends and tends to visit a local club. So, Gibbs instructs Tony to observe Paula in her natural habitat, but with one condition: no alcohol.

After that, the episode alternates between Gibbs interrogating Nasser and Tony at the club with Paula.

During the interrogation, Nasser inquires about Paula's where abouts. Gibbs doesn't provide the information, but ends up revealing to him Sa’id's death. Additionally, Gibbs informs Nasser about how Sa’id died, shows him the photo of the emeralds, and raises the suspicion that Sa’id took them from Nasser. Nasser tries to conclude the interrogation, requests to return to his cell, but Gibbs sends him to solitary confinement. Nasser becomes upset, claiming that Paula promised he would be safe.

Meanwhile, Tony meets Paula at a bar where she's drinking soda. She seems to be trying to interrogate him, but she's not in the mood for flirting. But that's all part of the game. She dances with some guys and then returns. She tells Tony that she enjoys this little game. Tony doesn't care about Gibbs' orders not to drink while working and asks her to dance.

During a dance, Kate calls, and Tony has to get back to work. He tells Paula that she's on duty too and escorts her back to their accommodations. Gibbs pushes Paula to find out what was going on between her and Sa’id. She explains the letters, saying she asked Sa’id to deliver some letters for her when he went to the United States because the mail is slow outside Gitmo. Gibbs tells Paula that Sa’id died and how he died. Paula gets angry, but she lets Gibbs open the letters and even lets Tony take a look at her apartment. Tony apologizes to Paula. Gibbs instructs Tony and Kate to search Sa’id's apartment as well.

Gibbs reads Paula's letters and realizes they're not suspicious. In his sarcastic manner, he tells Paula to let go of her resentment. It's funny because Gibbs sort of caused the resentment by treating her as a suspect from the start. It's a kind of psychological game, right?

Abby analyzes Sa’id's computer. She informs Gibbs that Sa’id deleted a bunch of pornography from his computer. She also mentions that one of the perfumes she purchased is from the brand Escada, and Tony remembers seeing that brand in Paula's apartment. Gibbs suspects that Paula and Sa’id were having an affair, but Tony argues that the club bartender said Paula always returned home alone. Gibbs devises a more intricate theory that Sa’id copied Paula's key without her awareness. Tony replies, "Who else would've thought of that, DiNozzo?" Then Tony states he's going to bed, exits the room somewhat annoyed, and the scene concludes. He appears quite irritated with Gibbs.

Gibbs says his intuition tells him Paula is telling the truth. But he continues to pressure her throughout the episode. He invites Paula for coffee, and they talk about the key to Sa’id's room. Gibbs keeps needling her, but his actions make Paula start to question why on earth Sa’id would have taken her key. Paula starts connecting the dots and talks about how Sa’id's conversations with Nasser seemed longer than the translations indicated. She noticed this on her computer. The day after, Sa’id departed for the US, so he definitely got the message. Paula starts to realize her own mistake, and Gibbs smiles. It's that rough style of his that's sometimes irritating but ultimately serves as a teaching tool.

Abby continues analyzing Sa’id's porn and finds hidden files with diagrams of the camp, documents in Arabic, and such. And, for some reason, the scene changes with somber music and a close-up on the iguana sitting on a rock.

The translator Bill examines the hidden documents in the porn and discovers that one of Osama bin Laden's sons-in-law is detained in Gitmo, and Nasser's mission was to kill him. The whole point was to get Nasser transferred to a more peaceful location due to his "collaboration" with Paula, and then he would kill the son-in-law. Sa’id received emeralds as payment for helping with this, and he left when Paula started suspecting. He wasn't very clever in hiding the emeralds.

To find this son-in-law, Gibbs takes the harder route and has Nasser transferred to the more peaceful place so he can show them where it is. The base's security chief must have been like, "Are you telling me to do what?!" Gibbs persuasively argues that once the son-in-law knows that Osama ordered his death, "he'll sing like a bird in the Islamic paradise, and maybe we prevent another 9/11." Of course, no one has the guts to fire Gibbs if things go wrong, so the security chief is a bit worried.

But Nasser needs to believe the reason for the transfer. And that's where Paula comes in, saying she can convince him. There are some hiccups, but Paula admits she was wrong to ignore her suspicions about the plan that was right in front of her. Gibbs agrees with her, says she did mess up. And even though he's tough, Gibbs supports her and is willing to give Paula a chance at redemption. He hopes she's a good actress and gives her the opportunity to prove it. It's his rough way of doing things, but in the end, it helps people learn.

Paula starts interrogating Nasser. She tells him, against the translator's reluctance, that Gibbs lost his temper and was recalled. She apologizes to Nasser but also questions him about conscience and trust. The context isn't very clear, but she leaves, leaving Nasser wondering about the transfer. Paula says she'll do her best.

The team prepares for the operation and transfers Nasser to the peaceful location. They're watching, have snipers, and even a discreet camera on his clothing. They think the attack will happen in the exercise yard. And, of course, Nasser stirs up trouble with a soccer ball, enters the wrong barracks, and tries to kill another inmate (who makes a funny face and a childlike noise). Paula arrives in time and shoots Nasser. Tony might have shot him, but Paula thinks him being wounded by a woman and failing the mission is worse than dying as a martyr.

The episode ends on Tony's favorite Gulfstream jet. Paula is with them, which probably means she's being reassigned. Gibbs isn't very enthusiastic, but Kate thinks Paula is feeling alone. Tony goes over to chat with her to lighten the mood, and it seems like they're getting along as the end credits start rolling.

Who doesn't like this episode? 9 Abby´s without much thinking :-)