NCIS In Review - Dead Man Talking (Episode 1.19)

 NCIS In Review - Dead Man Talking (Episode 1.19)

A Security Officer, Emotionally Affected but Ultimately Inconsequential, Discovers the Body: A security personnel member detects a fire alarm, and alongside a janitor, they stumble upon the lifeless and disemboweled body of Agent Pacci within the elevator.

Episode:  1.19, Dead Man Talking

Air Date: April 27, 2004

Victim: Christopher Pacci, a Special Agent with NCIS. Pacci's presence was relatively unknown among the team.

A Security Officer, Emotionally Affected but Ultimately Inconsequential, Discovers the Body: A security personnel member detects a fire alarm, and alongside a janitor, they stumble upon the lifeless and disemboweled body of Agent Pacci within the elevator.

Tony and Kate, thinking they were about to wrap up work, with Kate having plans to meet someone and Tony eager to watch TV, get halted by Gibbs on their way out. Gibbs informs them that Agent Pacci was the victim of a murder. After some exposition and a flashback to a prior episode, the audience is reminded of Agent Pacci's involvement with the team. He had sat behind Kate, assisted in dealing with the terrorist (Episode 1.16 - "Bete Noire"), and notably, in this episode, sought Gibbs' assistance with a cold case towards the end of "UnSEALed" (Episode 1.18), which Gibbs had brushed off.

The team heads to the crime scene. Given the circumstances, the local law enforcement transfers the lead in the investigation. Ducky reflects on the difficulty of maintaining detachment when the victim is one of your own, a sentiment shared by Gibbs as he interviews the security guard and janitor, almost referring to the victim as "Chris" instead of "the victim."

Ducky suggests that Agent Pacci died before being disemboweled, likely from a gunshot to the carotid artery, which would have killed him in less than a minute. He speculates that Agent Pacci was shot elsewhere and then disemboweled in the elevator but can't determine whether the disemboweling was motivated by anger or ritual. Gibbs confesses to Ducky about ignoring Agent Pacci's request for help, and although Ducky reassures him, Gibbs can't shake the feeling that he bears responsibility for this tragedy.

Kate calls in with a discovery - she has located the blood spatter from the gunshot and describes the sequence of events leading Agent Pacci to the elevator.

Back at NCIS headquarters, the team investigates Agent Pacci's desk. Inside, they find his firearm, and Gibbs deduces that Agent Pacci must have been tailing someone, opting not to carry the gun to avoid detection by metal detectors or potential identification. This scene effectively conveys the somber mood, with the dimly lit office, Agent Pacci's empty desk, and the team's shared grief, even though he was a relatively unknown member.

Tony and Kate proceed to Agent Pacci's residence, where Tony recalls limited interactions with him, primarily revolving around softball games and post-work drinks. He expresses restrained anger to Kate, wondering if he's invading Agent Pacci's privacy, but he provides a graphic description of the state of Agent Pacci's body to convey his perspective. However, their conversation gets interrupted when the phone rings, and it's...

McGee!

McGee had been working on a project for Agent Pacci, involving civil court records related to a cold case. Tony instructs him to bring the materials to NCIS headquarters.

Gibbs visits Abby to inquire about the bullet. Abby, who has been working since 4 AM, shares her findings. The bullet came from a handgun, but she can't match it to a specific weapon yet. Gibbs also instructs her to search Agent Pacci's computer hard drive.

Ducky provides the cause of death as the loss of blood from a ruptured carotid artery. The disembowelment occurred post-mortem but wasn't driven by anger or ritual. Instead, it seems the assailant was searching for something. Ducky makes a discovery in Agent Pacci's stomach - a memory card from a digital camera. It becomes evident that Agent Pacci, aware of his impending death, deliberately swallowed the memory card, anticipating that Ducky would find it.

The memory card contains images of an attractive woman, all candid shots taken in recent days. Meanwhile, Kate returns from interviewing people at the crime scene, revealing that nobody remembers anything significant. However, she mentions discovering an NCIS camera at the bottom of a stairwell. McGee arrives with court records related to a civil investigation into an auto accident. Gibbs recalls the case involving Lt. Commander Hamilton Voss, suspected of embezzling $10 million from the Navy. Voss died in a car crash before charges could be filed, and the money remained missing. Gibbs believes that Agent Pacci had found a lead related to this case, potentially linked to the woman in the photographs. He assigns McGee to delve deeper into the investigation and sends him and Tony to track down the woman.

Kate suggests Ducky examines the autopsy report, emphasizing that Agent Pacci had a reason for pulling it. Simultaneously, she and Gibbs visit Captain Graves, Commander Voss's former commanding officer. Commander Voss had been a command supply officer in Norfolk, setting up a fraudulent company that made small charges against numerous Navy credit accounts, ultimately embezzling money for four years. Although he was caught, the missing funds were never recovered. Captain Graves, however, cannot provide any information about Commander Voss's personal relationships, only that Agent Pacci had inquired about it.

McGee and Tony embark on a computer search for the mysterious woman. While Tony attempts to extract information, he engages McGee in conversation, trying to glean information about McGee's relationship with Abby. McGee eventually finds the woman's street address by cross-referencing the photos from Agent Pacci, an oak tree seen in those pictures, and extensive research into botanical registries and USPS data. The woman is identified as Amanda Reed. Gibbs assigns Kate to research her background and takes a coffee from McGee, only to realize it's Tony's coffee, complete with sugar and hazelnut, and promptly spits it into a nearby trash can.

Gibbs and Tony visit Ms. Reed's neighborhood but decide to maintain their distance until they understand why Agent Pacci had been keeping an eye on her. They discern that Agent Pacci had been taking pictures from a specific window with a "For Rent" sign, so Gibbs rents the property to set up a stakeout. Tony, despite his enthusiasm for the operation, admits to Kate that he wouldn't be as excited about surveilling a 300-pound bald man.

Kate struggles to find any negative information about Ms. Reed, discovering that she doesn't even possess a driver's license. However, Tony links her townhouse to one previously owned by Commander Voss's family.

The stakeout begins, utilizing equipment that McGee points out was requisitioned by Agent Pacci but never collected. While Kate monitors Ms. Reed on the street, Gibbs operates the camera. Tony checks in with a chain-smoking real estate agent who handled the sale of the townhouse to Ms. Reed. The transaction was swift, involving an all-cash payment with no contingencies and closing recently. The agent recalls that Agent Pacci had called her about the property three years ago, expressing interest in purchasing it himself. She had forgotten to contact him until after it had been sold. Surprisingly, Agent Pacci had responded with excitement rather than anger, which reignited his interest in the cold case.

Abby informs Gibbs that she has extracted Agent Pacci's computer files but hasn't found anything significant, except seemingly random information related to the Bangkok tourism bureau. McGee and Tony arrive for stakeout relief and reveal that Amanda Reed and Commander Voss appeared to be inseparable, with Ms. Reed maintaining residences in every location where Commander Voss had been stationed over the past decade or more.

Gibbs visits Ducky, asking him to retrieve the DNA material used for identifying Commander Voss's body, as Abby needs to re-run the analysis. In the conversation, it becomes apparent that the Director had asked Gibbs to speak at Agent Pacci's funeral, but Gibbs declined, possibly due to the belief that Agent Pacci's death might have been prevented if he had taken the time to speak with him.

Tony assigns McGee the task of sifting through Ms. Reed's garbage, while he uses the camera to observe her through the window, where she appears in her bra. McGee doesn't discover much in the trash, aside from evidence of Ms. Reed's use of various beauty products. When Ms. Reed steps outside to tend to her flowers, Tony hastily vacates the room.

Ducky visits Abby, delivering blood and tissue samples used to identify Commander Voss. Together, they watch the surveillance feed to Abby's lab and observe Tony striking up a conversation with Ms. Reed. McGee discreetly places a laser microphone on Tony, capturing their conversation about local historical society restrictions on renovations. Abby cringes at Tony's use of the alias "Stringfellow," but McGee explains it's to help Tony remember it. Abby instructs McGee not to volunteer any information to Gibbs but also warns him not to lie, as Gibbs has a knack for detecting deception.

Just in time, Gibbs enters the scene. Well, not exactly in real time, as Tony is already back, and Kate and Gibbs have attended Agent Pacci's memorial service. Kate mentions that the Director delivered a eulogy, though she humorously suggests that he might have referred to the deceased as "Ken Pacci" or "Carl Pacci" a few times.

Gibbs senses something amiss with his agents but has yet to figure out what. Kate takes a call from her new acquaintance, and Tony places a laser microphone on the call, overhearing her promise to make it up to him over the weekend. This exchange prompts Tony to imagine Agent Pacci's ghost looking forlornly at the floor, but Gibbs appears to grant Kate permission to deal with Tony as she sees fit, potentially moving the investigation forward.

Returning to the case, Abby calls with new information. Gibbs is in no mood for her usual banter but appreciates the revelation that the body initially identified as Commander Voss didn't have the correct blood type. This means that the real Commander Voss is alive.

Gibbs and Kate set out to locate the technician, Josh Lurie, who certified the burned body as Commander Voss. However, they discover that he died in a car accident two years ago.

Back at the stakeout, Tony and McGee attempt to bond when a mailman delivers a package for Ms. Reed. Tony notices her painting her nails and decides to investigate the package, but she catches him in the act. Left with no better option, Tony confesses that he simply wanted to see her again, a tactic that surprisingly works. Ms. Reed invites him inside, and he signals McGee to confirm their success.

Back at NCIS headquarters, Kate determines that Josh Lurie and Commander Voss graduated from high school together, suggesting that Commander Voss is still alive, having faked his death and potentially killed at least three people - Agent Pacci, Josh Lurie, and the unidentified individual in the car crash. Gibbs now realizes the heightened danger of the case, suspecting that Commander Voss is observing their every move. He calls the stakeout team to stress caution but quickly learns from McGee that Tony has plunged headfirst into danger.

Ms. Reed invites Tony to a nearby pub, and he suggests waiting outside while she changes. However, Tony is disheartened to see Gibbs calling, and Gibbs delivers the unexpected revelation that Ms. Reed is actually a man. Tony's reaction is more out of shock than personal disgust, as he knows that Kate and McGee have likely stored up plenty of jokes at his expense.

Upon Ms. Reed's return, Tony pulls out his gun, insisting on inspecting her purse to determine if it contains the weapon used to kill Agent Pacci. Ms. Reed manages to disarm Tony and shouts "Terrorist!" before fleeing. The bar patrons, always eager to assist a distressed woman, attack Tony, with McGee trying to intervene. As Ms. Reed heads for the exit with her gun drawn...

She nearly collides headfirst with Gibbs, who has his weapon ready. Gibbs provides a brief explanation about Agent Pacci, and realizing the dire consequences she faces, Ms. Reed attempts to raise her gun. In response, Gibbs shoots her, a moment portrayed with emotional depth by Jamie Luner, evoking a sense of sympathy despite her character's calculated acts of violence. Although her actions are ruthless, there's a tinge of pity, which might not have been the case if she were portrayed as a 300-pound bald man.

Kate, seemingly disturbed by the incident, watches in silence. It's possible she has never witnessed Gibbs taking a life before.

The scene shifts back to NCIS headquarters, where Kate, still affected by the events, questions why Gibbs is going through Agent Pacci's belongings before packing them up. Gibbs attributes it to a force of habit, wanting to ensure Agent Pacci's family doesn't stumble upon any unpleasant surprises. The team engages in a brief post-operation discussion, revealing that Ms. Reed was scheduled for gender reassignment surgery in Bangkok, explaining the reference found on Agent Pacci's computer. Before leaving the room, Kate teases Tony about his encounter with Ms. Reed, leaving him dejected.

Overall, this episode is a compelling mix of crime investigation, character development, and moments of humor. It stands out for its daring approach and handling of sensitive subjects, showcasing strong performances and an intriguing mystery. Jamie Luner delivers an excellent portrayal of her character, making her relatable despite her villainous actions.

Eight Abby´s