NCIS In Review - The Truth is Out There (Episode 1.17)

 NCIS In Review - The Truth is Out There (Episode 1.17)

A young man inside a nightclub/party bathroom observes red liquid dripping onto him from the ceiling. Acting impulsively (or perhaps under the influence of drugs), he positions himself over a garbage container and pushes the ceiling, resulting in the fall of a deceased Petty Officer First Class.

Episode:  1.17, The Truth is Out There
Air Date: March 16, 2004

Victim: Petty Officer First Class Chris Gordon

A young man inside a nightclub/party bathroom observes red liquid dripping onto him from the ceiling. Acting impulsively (or perhaps under the influence of drugs), he positions himself over a garbage container and pushes the ceiling, resulting in the fall of a deceased Petty Officer First Class.

The night is marked by partying, intoxication, military secrets being hidden, and shaken witnesses. We're back to the roots in this episode.

After a musical interlude...

The scene begins at the crime scene. Tony tries to divert Kate's attention from the terrorist she hesitated to eliminate in the previous episode by mentioning Captain Crunch cereal. While it's an improvement over inappropriate compliments, it doesn't have much effect. Kate also notices that Gibbs is acting differently since the incident.

Ducky provides updates on Gerald, who will be in rehabilitation for months, and the team begins the investigation. Ducky establishes the time of death at 1:00 a.m. and identifies the victim as Petty Officer First Class Gordon, stationed at Pax River Naval Base. The victim has multiple traumatic injuries and was dressed after his death.

A blood trail leads to the parking lot. The agents conduct a search within a 100-meter radius and identify skid marks indicating that a vehicle struck the victim. The team suspects someone hid the body after the hit and run.

Gibbs decides to interrogate the nightclub owner and determines they need to find a young up-and-coming businessman from his high school. The nightclub owner, Darin Spotnitz, doesn't have much information but reveals the name of the man at the party's entrance, called Mann.

The team investigates Petty Officer First Class Gordon's quarters, but it has already been ransacked. Gibbs examines the stereo speakers and finds a large sum of money - $40,000.

Gibbs goes to the supply depot where Petty Officer First Class Gordon worked and talks to his commanding officer, Master Chief Nutter. Master Chief Nutter describes Petty Officer First Class Gordon as playful and close to four other first-class sailors. However, Master Chief Nutter has no information on how Petty Officer First Class Gordon came into possession of $40,000. He rules out drug involvement and denies any high-stakes card games. Petty Officer First Class Gordon's supply role also doesn't justify such a large amount of money, as he didn't hold a high-ranking position.

Ducky becomes intrigued. Petty Officer First Class Gordon's injuries suggest a vehicle hit-and-run, but there is talcum powder on his hands and safety glass fragments on his head, with latex residue on the glass. This indicates that Petty Officer First Class Gordon was wearing some kind of rubber material on his head when he was hit. Abby confirms it's latex and suggests the possibility of bondage equipment. She also matches the tire pattern to the marks at the scene. The blood samples belong to the victim, who was not intoxicated but legally drunk. Abby confirms Ducky's suspicion of talcum powder but can't explain why the victim had traces on his hands.

Tony and Kate interview Petty Officer First Class Gordon's colleagues. Gibbs questions them individually. Their stories are surprisingly consistent, suggesting prior rehearsals. They recount the events of the night and claim that the last time they saw Petty Officer First Class Gordon, he was with a woman. One of them drives a Taurus, matching the tire pattern found by Abby. Petty Officer First Class Wong, the owner of the vehicle, claims his car is currently in Phoenix, Arizona, with his brother for a few days. Gibbs is suspicious of the story, while Kate defends the sailors, displaying some naivety.

Tony and Kate interrogate Antwane Mann, the security guard who was at the party's entrance. Mann remembers the presence of the sailors but claims Petty Officer First Class Gordon didn't leave with a woman, contrary to Petty Officer First Class Wong's account.

Abby presents Gibbs with her accident reconstruction program, which confirms that the latex does not come from the car (the rubber fragments are on the car's underside, which Petty Officer First Class Gordon would not have hit during the hit-and run). Furthermore, evidence suggests that the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run was definitely a Taurus or Mercury Sable.

The team reviews the evidence, and Tony suggests that the money doesn't seem to be a direct motive since there is no clear connection to the case. Gibbs instructs Tony and Kate to investigate the money. Since the bills are not sequential, they speculate that Petty Officer First Class Gordon withdrew them from a bank. Tony also finds a prepaid phone card in the victim's wallet, allowing them to trace the calls. Most of the calls lead to Bartex Corp, a company recently contracted by the Navy. This raises suspicion that kickbacks may be involved again, or Petty Officer First Class Gordon was blackmailing Master Chief Nutter about kickbacks. Base records indicate that Master Chief Nutter owns a Mercury Sable.

Master Chief Nutter's vehicle is not parked in its usual spot, so the team asks Abby to track his cell phone. They locate Master Chief Nutter at Bartex Corp, where he is attending a job interview. His car shows no apparent damage and has not been recently repaired.

The team is on the road, and Gibbs appears thoughtful. He angrily states that the team will not fail again, makes an illegal U-turn, and returns to the party depot for a new investigation in the area. This time, they expand the search area. Kate discovers latex stuck to a fence, Tony finds recent cigarette butts and a tripod mark.

Gibbs takes the four first-class sailors to the autopsy room to view the body, seeking to elicit guilt. He then gathers them in the interrogation room, where the agents begin to pressure them. Petty Officer First Class Carter breaks first, while Petty Officer First Class Wong requests a lawyer and advises the others to remain silent. Gibbs shows a video that makes the sailors start sweating. He makes it clear that there will be no benefits unless they confess, knowing that smart criminals would insist on having a lawyer present. Two first-class sailors begin to tell the truth. Petty Officer First Class Gordon planned a prank to get back at Petty Officer First Class Wong for setting him up on a blind date with a transvestite. They hired a call girl to seduce Petty Officer First Class Wong and lure him to the parking lot. Petty Officer First Class Gordon wore a monster costume, set up a camera, and disrupted Petty Officer First Class Wong's encounter with flashing lights and dry ice. Then, Petty Officer First Class Gordon approached the fence dressed as an alien, while Petty Officer First Class Carter filmed the scene. Unfortunately, Petty Officer First Class Wong panicked, accelerated, and ran over Petty Officer First Class Gordon.

But did things happen that way?

As for the $40,000, everyone claims ignorance of its origin except Petty Officer First Class Wong. However, the video Gibbs possesses is not of the incident but rather shows Petty Officer First Class Gordon cashing inheritance checks, with Petty Officer First Class Wong in the background. A mistake. Additionally, somehow, NCIS locates the call girl, who enters the interrogation room and alleges that Petty Officer First Class Wong was aware that it was all a prank, ran over Petty Officer First Class Gordon to steal his money, and then paid her $1,000 to remain silent. Petty Officer First Class Wong's friends are shocked, but the call girl's testimony is questionable enough that Petty Officer First Class Wong can likely be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Tony suggests that he and Kate order Chinese food. She agrees and suggests asking Gibbs, but he's busy looking at the computer while searching for the terrorist. And so it ends.

This episode served as a necessary comedic relief after the intensity of the two previous episodes. While it's a bit absurd and inconsistent, it was probably what the audience needed.

Six Abby´s