S19.E01: Blood in the Water

[thewhiteowl]

As the NCIS team searches for Gibbs after wreckage from his boat is discovered, they find out he was tracking a serial killer with journalist Marcie Warren, who wrote an exposé on him.

[Grizzly]

I didn't want to tune in, I've got other things to watch on Mondays. Kind of tired of the lone wolf thing. But I got sucked in and besides the Ellie stuff, enjoyed the episode. Glad Gibbs will come back into the fold.

[Gramto6]

Forgot this show had moved to Monday, missed the first half...

How did they write out Ellie?

Edited September 21, 2021 by Gramto6
another thought

[MerBearHou]

I thought it was a good return episode overall.  

[stonehaven]

After 911, I was expecting this episode to put me to sleep but it kept my attention. My mom called and she swears that Jimmy isn't in the opening credits anymore? Is he?

I loved McGee keeping things real with Gibbs....

[GHScorpiosRule]

19 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

After 911, I was expecting this episode to put me to sleep but it kept my attention. My mom called and she swears that Jimmy isn't in the opening credits anymore? Is he?

I loved McGee keeping things real with Gibbs....

Yes, Brian Dietzen is in the opening credits.

[mommalib]

Loved at the end how Gibbs told McGee he was proud of him. Gibbs has watched McGee turn into a man. 

[Xeliou66]

Solid season premiere, but I hope they don’t drag the serial killer thing on all season, I prefer when they stick to a case of the week.

I liked how the search for Gibbs went down, and it was a well plotted episode, and I particularly liked the ending scene between McGee and Gibbs, I liked how McGee told Gibbs they did fine without him but convinced him to join the search for the the serial killer. I’m curious as to how many episodes Gibbs will appear in, and I highly doubt he’s ever rejoining NCIS.

I couldn’t tell if the couple who owned the barn were good or bad, good suspense there. 

The stuff about Bishop leaving seemed like tacked on filler and didn’t add much to the episode. Knight is a good addition to the team IMO.

Not enough Jimmy, his scenes are almost always enjoyable, and I miss Ducky, I guess the actor is staying home due to the virus but it would seem like Ducky would want to assist however he could in helping the team. 

[preeya]

1 hour ago, Xeliou66 said:

The stuff about Bishop leaving seemed like tacked on filler and didn’t add much to the episode. Knight is a good addition to the team IMO.

This ↑ mine too.

[mommalib]

1 hour ago, Xeliou66 said:

Solid season premiere, but I hope they don’t drag the serial killer thing on all season, I prefer when they stick to a case of the week.

I liked how the search for Gibbs went down, and it was a well plotted episode, and I particularly liked the ending scene between McGee and Gibbs, I liked how McGee told Gibbs they did fine without him but convinced him to join the search for the the serial killer. I’m curious as to how many episodes Gibbs will appear in, and I highly doubt he’s ever rejoining NCIS.

I couldn’t tell if the couple who owned the barn were good or bad, good suspense there. 

The stuff about Bishop leaving seemed like tacked on filler and didn’t add much to the episode. Knight is a good addition to the team IMO.

Not enough Jimmy, his scenes are almost always enjoyable, and I miss Ducky, I guess the actor is staying home due to the virus but it would seem like Ducky would want to assist however he could in helping the team. 

I already like Knight more than I ever liked Bishop.

[judyri]

I kinda have to disagree here. I don't get how the big drama of blowing up his own boat and faking his death, only to be on investigations the next week (from previews) advanced the story very much.  What did it buy him? A few days under the radar? Maybe I'm missing something?

[GHScorpiosRule]

8 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

I’m curious as to how many episodes Gibbs will appear in, and I highly doubt he’s ever rejoining NCIS

But he is rejoining NCIS. That was the point McGee was making, and the show  ending with the Gibbs' "What do you got?" whenever they got a new case.

28 minutes ago, judyri said:

I don't get how the big drama of blowing up his own boat and faking his death,

He didn't blow up his own boat. The serial killer planted a pipe bomb in the engine. I didn't see it as Gibbs faking his own death-but letting whoever tried to kill him, know he succeeded and to keep Marcie safe.

The couple who saved him, especially the wife, annoyed the ever lovin' last nerve I have. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Gibbs ended up on whatever body of water is another hick/podunk town with morons.🙄

And yay! Looks like Pam will be recurring for now! But like others, I don't want this serial killer plot taking over the whole season, because it will get old, really fast.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the premiere. But my darling Mark Harmon seriously needs a hair cut!

What?

[rr2911]

It was a good opening episode.  Someone said that they like Agent Knight better than Bishop already.  I agree!  Agents Kate, Ziva and now Knight fit the "kick ass" role.  Bishop never did....... at least to me.

Gibbs may be back on track with the team but there has been articles that he won't be coming out in many episodes.  Maybe things changed?

I think the serial killer plot will probably drag on all season.  Why?  Because that character must make us trust and believe in them.  Maybe even like them.  Perhaps another agent? (No, not Knight)  Perhaps a possible "love interest" for Gibbs that turns out to be the killer? Perhaps.......MARCIE?   

[HurricaneVal]

I spent the episode convinced that the old couple with the barn were the masterminds of the drug ring, and also the serial killers.  I was half expecting a camera pan to a box full of junk behind an old barrel containing dusty old veterinary supplies and a shiny red roll of  duct tape.

I liked Bishop just fine when she first came on as the quirky but brilliant analyst who brought disparate facts and clues together to break the case.  Like Tony would.  But then she got all agent serious, then just flat out humorless during the last year when she was secretly training to be the next Ziva.  I like Knight just fine too.  Hopefully the writers won't ruin her character.

McGee is coming along nicely, isn't he?  And I love it that the Autopsy Gremlin is becoming the team's "father confessor" Ducky.  He just oozes compassion and caring.  I'm glad Palmer has found his niche with the team.  There is a character development that must have happened in spite of the writers.  I think the actors themselves work to shape their characters in order to make sense.  Tony, for one, was written very inconsistently, but I think that Michael Weatherly figured out how to do some actorly bits with sharp glances and quick looks to tie goofy!Tony together with arrogant!Tony with competent!Tony to make it all seem like a plan that Tony had to keep people guessing.

And holy cow did that probie come out of central casting after a call for "young pup, wet behind the ears" or what?

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I spent the episode convinced that the old couple with the barn were the masterminds of the drug ring, and also the serial killers.  I was half expecting a camera pan to a box full of junk behind an old barrel containing dusty old veterinary supplies and a shiny red roll of  duct tape.

So did I! Any minute I thought the harridan of a wife was going to shoot Gibbs...or something.

3 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I think the actors themselves work to shape their characters in order to make sense.  Tony, for one, was written very inconsistently, but I think that Michael Weatherly figured out how to do some actorly bits with sharp glances and quick looks to tie goofy!Tony together with arrogant!Tony with competent!Tony to make it all seem like a plan that Tony had to keep people guessing.

Yep. And I happened to catch this show on Sundance and they're airing the Tony years, and it just makes me miss Tony even more.

Sue me.

[Magnumfangirl]

Ok episode, but Ducky was listed in the opening credits and he did not appear.  Don't know how much I'll watch if Gibbs  is gone even thou I haven't liked Mark's portrayal of him in years.  Plus, I don't like Gary Cole.  

Edited September 21, 2021 by Magnumfangirl

[mommalib]

2 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

Ok episode, but Ducky was listed in the opening credits and he did not appear.  Don't know how much I'll watch if Gibbs  is gone even thou I haven't liked Mark's portrayal of him in years.  Plus, I don't like Gary Cole.  

Yeah I've been annoyed with Gibbs for a while now.

[Runningwild]

20 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Yes, Brian Dietzen is in the opening credits.

I think he moved up in the credits. 
 

I enjoyed the episode. I like the new agent. And I’m glad Pam is back for more episodes. 

[maggiemae]

I so miss the Gibbs, DiNozzo, David, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, Abby days. The family they created and the humor.

But then I think some of the best tv characters ever were Magnum (Selleck) and DiNozzo.

[rr2911]

10 hours ago, maggiemae said:

I so miss the Gibbs, DiNozzo, David, McGee, Ducky, Palmer, Abby days. The family they created and the humor.

 

Yeah, I miss Abby.  Abby was pretty and cute and you just wanted to give her a big hug.  Her replacement gets on my nerves, especially when she tries to be funny.   

[HurricaneVal]

I don't mind Kasie.  I like her just fine.

I miss Abby too...but I miss the quirky, Goth, serious, and compassionate Abby.  I do not miss manic Abby, girlish Abby, whiny Abby, wheedling Abby, or very special Abby.  In an earlier post I speculated that it was the actors making specific actor-y choices that filled out their characters and maintained continuity in the face of uneven riding, so that makes me wonder if all those Abbys was a choice from Pauly Perrette and she's just scattered, or if she went with what the writers wrote on the page and amplified it.  Like the script would say "Abby is anxious" and then Pauley would do one of her "Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!" thing.

But it takes a long time for an actor to inhabit and to have the power to influence a character for those actor-y choices to be done.  You can see that in Palmer, Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Vance.  I don't think Kasie or Torres have been around long enough for the actors to have that sort of feel or latitude for their character, but I think they're trying.  Knight, unfortunately, for at least this season is going to see-saw with the whims of the writers. 

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

19 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

Plus, I don't like Gary Cole.  

I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing - is Gary Cole rumored to be joining NCIS?

Also, I might have been multi-tasking while watching so I have a question that might be obvious, but here goes:

Blonde drug guy (Lonnie) was dating grocery delivery girl that had been missing for two weeks and the elderly couple was worried about her.  She was the body that was pulled from the lake and was a victim of the serial killer, correct?  If so, then who was the young lady that hit Lonnie with the flashlight when NCIS was arresting the drug gang?  Just some mysterious girl that Lonnie brought along?  I thought maybe she was the grocery delivery girl but was then confused since I thought she was the body in the water.

 

[NYGirl]

2 hours ago, Mrs. Stanwyck said:

I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing - is Gary Cole rumored to be joining NCIS?

Also, I might have been multi-tasking while watching so I have a question that might be obvious, but here goes:

Blonde drug guy (Lonnie) was dating grocery delivery girl that had been missing for two weeks and the elderly couple was worried about her.  She was the body that was pulled from the lake and was a victim of the serial killer, correct?  If so, then who was the young lady that hit Lonnie with the flashlight when NCIS was arresting the drug gang?  Just some mysterious girl that Lonnie brought along?  I thought maybe she was the grocery delivery girl but was then confused since I thought she was the body in the water.

 

I don't know anything about Gary Cole but I know that the grocery girl that the pain in the neck old people were worried about was the girl in the car with the flash light.  Her name is Sandy.  The dead person's name was Camila and was identified by Marcie.

On a shallow note I hate the colors of Pam's hair.  Keep it one color girl.  It looks like the blonde was growing out.  I speak as someone with silver gray/white/dark hair, all natural.  Embrace the gray Pam!!  you don't look like an old lady with it.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

Thanks so much for the clarification!  Regarding Gary Cole, I just went to the media thread and sure enough there is a possibility that he will be joining the cast.

So now all my mysteries have been solved!  😀

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

43 minutes ago, Mrs. Stanwyck said:

Thanks so much for the clarification!  Regarding Gary Cole, I just went to the media thread and sure enough there is a possibility that he will be joining the cast.

So now all my mysteries have been solved!  😀

 

There is no possibility. Gary Cole will be joining the show. Just no word what is role will be, exactly.

I've loved him since Midnight Caller, so I'm thrilled about this news.

[HurricaneVal]

2 hours ago, NYGirl said:

On a shallow note I hate the colors of Pam's hair.  Keep it one color girl.  It looks like the blonde was growing out.  I speak as someone with silver gray/white/dark hair, all natural.  Embrace the gray Pam!!  you don't look like an old lady with it.

I think what we're seeing here is "COVID hair" where regular visits to a salon to touch up roots or for full dye jobs were not possible during most of 2020 and 2021.  I'm trying to figure out if that is a statement that Pam Dawber is trying to make, that even though she is rich and famous, she didn't take advantage of that to sneak in hair appointments, or if it is a character statement to show that the Marcie character was so dedicated to her investigation that she sacrificed expensive beauty treatments so she could use the money and time to further the investigation.

[MissLucas]

Well, I had stopped watching last season when the whole Gibbs-suspension plot started but thought I'll have a look at how the season starts.

Not going to miss Bishop, I lost interest in the character when they made her single and then turned her into Mini-Gibbs. Katrina Law is always a welcome addition. Love Jimmy in a dapper suit and couldn't care less about Torres' main pain.

The old couple were rather annoying. If you pull someone out of the water who tells you 'no cops' you either call the cops immediately or you help them because for whatever godforsaken reason you trust them. But you do not patch them up and then threaten to kill them. What exactly was their plan or reasoning? The actors tried their best but the characters were annoying.

Gibbs pulling a McGarrett was really pushing the limits of make-believe. Whatever age he is supposed to be (Harmon just turned 70 and I thought it showed in the opening scenes) he's too old to nearly bleed to death, then drive a bike over country roads, climb a tree and perform some sniper magic. And then instead of getting proper medical attention he returns to the vet with poor eyesight for some patching up *eyeroll* McGee was way too kind but that's how this show rolls and after 18 seasons it's not going to change. So, welcome back show!

[Daff]

17 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Embrace the gray Pam!!  you don't look like an old lady with it.

From the looks of it, she agrees with you. That, or, she’s avoiding an up-close encounter with a stylist. 

[Daff]

On 9/21/2021 at 8:38 AM, judyri said:

I kinda have to disagree here. I don't get how the big drama of blowing up his own boat and faking his death, only to be on investigations the next week (from previews) advanced the story very much.  What did it buy him? A few days under the radar? Maybe I'm missing something?

The response to you above is correct. Finding the bomb (I couldn’t see how he wouldn’t have, as he built the boat), and somehow weakening it’s impact, ie. “blowing up his own boat”, was a theory I proposed after last season’s closing episode. Obviously, I was wrong, but I still think it made better sense in terms of story. Gibbs surely would have made numerous “final checks” prior to his first launch. Kudos to all you who saw the joy on his face for just what it was-skimming across the water in his hand-built craft!

[rr2911]

On 9/22/2021 at 11:09 AM, HurricaneVal said:

I don't mind Kasie.  I like her just fine.

I miss Abby too...but I miss the quirky, Goth, serious, and compassionate Abby.  I do not miss manic Abby, girlish Abby, whiny Abby, wheedling Abby, or very special Abby.  In an earlier post I speculated that it was the actors making specific actor-y choices that filled out their characters and maintained continuity in the face of uneven riding, so that makes me wonder if all those Abbys was a choice from Pauly Perrette and she's just scattered, or if she went with what the writers wrote on the page and amplified it.  Like the script would say "Abby is anxious" and then Pauley would do one of her "Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!  Gibbs!" thing.

But it takes a long time for an actor to inhabit and to have the power to influence a character for those actor-y choices to be done.  You can see that in Palmer, Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Vance.  I don't think Kasie or Torres have been around long enough for the actors to have that sort of feel or latitude for their character, but I think they're trying.  Knight, unfortunately, for at least this season is going to see-saw with the whims of the writers. 

Thanks for mentioning Kasie's name.  I couldn't remember her name at all.  Going back to Pauly Perrette, I'm sure she adlibbed several times and that made her character more likeable.  The problem I see with Kasie is in my opinion, the show is trying to sort of make her quirky or Abby-like.  For example, Agent McGee wanted some info and Kasie was blabbing away about something irrelevant and McGee had to stop her.  This is something that would happen to Abby a lot.  I would've been fine if Kasie was more of a serious character with perhaps a dry sense of humor.

I would love when Abby would do her "Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!"     

[rr2911]

On 9/22/2021 at 2:49 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

There is no possibility. Gary Cole will be joining the show. Just no word what is role will be, exactly.

I've loved him since Midnight Caller, so I'm thrilled about this news.

Gary Cole will be cast as a new series regular FBI Special Agent Alden Park.

So the series has Marcie and Alden Park as new characters, although Marcie probably isn't a regular.

So who planted a bomb on Gibbs boat?  This is where the writers should be careful into making this plot too complicated.  It has to be someone who blames Gibbs for .....

. Arresting them or a family member and spending years in prison. 

. Killing a spouse or other family member.  The revenge card if you will.

This serial killer has to be introduced to us maybe a recurring character.  Maybe someone we learn to like.  Someone who we least expect to be the killer.  It just can't be a "Joe Smith"  The character has to surprise us or even shock us.  That's why I think this serial storyline will last the whole season. So far we have .....

Marcie - We don't really know anything about her other than she is a reporter covering this case.

Agent Parker - We will find out soon!

Edited September 27, 2021 by rr2911

[GHScorpiosRule]

8 hours ago, Daff said:

From the looks of it, she agrees with you. That, or, she’s avoiding an up-close encounter with a stylist. 

Seriously, Pam (I know she can't see this), just go to a CVS, Walgreens, etc., grab a box of hair color and do it yourself. It's not that hard. Assuming she hasn't just decided to go...White.

[enoughcats]

On 9/23/2021 at 8:51 AM, Daff said:

in his hand-built craft!

Except if you love boats and especially wooden boats, you'll recognize that as a classic Cris Craft. Which is a beautiful thing when kept in Bristol condition.  When it appeared to catch fire and blow it, it wasn't Gibbs' but was a classic CC which I'd give my eye teeth for. 

[Daff]

5 hours ago, enoughcats said:

Except if you love boats and especially wooden boats, you'll recognize that as a classic Cris Craft. Which is a beautiful thing when kept in Bristol condition.  When it appeared to catch fire and blow it, it wasn't Gibbs' but was a classic CC which I'd give my eye teeth for. 

Aha! So it didn’t come out of the basement after all! Just pretended to ……

[LuvMyShows]

On 9/21/2021 at 10:29 AM, rr2911 said:

It was a good opening episode.  Someone said that they like Agent Knight better than Bishop already.  I agree!  Agents Kate, Ziva and now Knight fit the "kick ass" role.  Bishop never did....... at least to me.

That interrogation scene where the assassin slammed the table causing Knight's head to break the glass was startling.  But the whole time he was in there, I kept wondering why he wasn't handcuffed, especially when no one was in there with him at all (and IIRC, at one point no one was in the observation room either).

[UnikornRainbowz]

My favorite scene? When the girlfriend whacks the bad guy who was blubbering over himself to surrender with the maglite, and she says, I'm not with him, I swear. LOL!!!!!!

I actually like this episode more than most of the last season.

 

They moved Rocky and Ducky in the credits so it ends with Ducky now.