S13.E11: Spinning Wheel

[MyAimIsTrue]

After Ducky is attacked by a man claiming to have information about his half-brother who died decades ago, the NCIS team searches for the perpetrator, as Ducky recalls the final emotional days he had with his sibling.  Also, with the holidays approaching, Bishop and Jake discuss the future of their relationship.

[roseha]

I wonder if they will bring back the actor who played young Ducky last time?  He was excellent.

[jennifer6973]

I think I saw him in the cast list.

[St. Claire]

I think I saw him in the cast list.

Excellent! He was a very good match for David McCallum. I hate when the actor who plays a younger version of an established character looks nothing like him/her (totally different build, height difference, etc.). If I remember correctly, Adam Campbell also did a good job of getting similar inflections to his voice and such to match DM.

[Julia]

I didn't think he looked identical to young David McCallum, but I thought he was totally believable as someone who grew up to be Ducky.

[Julia]

Oh, Bishop, please. You never would have found out? You put your career and your freedom at stake stalking the man because you weren't willing or able to accept the consequences of the career decision you made unilaterally when you had no reason to believe he was cheating (and apparently back then he wasn't).

I have some fading hope that they're going to reveal that it's all a ploy, but wow, if they're going there, did they think it was going to make her sympathetic?

Poor Ducky. I hope we get more of the adventures of swinging sixties Dr Ducky. He's kind of awesome. And I kind of want Nicholas to move in.

[Trey]

It sure got misty in my living room by the end of the show.

[Reddust]

That was a beautiful show.  Misty here too.

[AimingforYoko]

I do like the Ducky episodes.

So how many eps 'til Bishop is back on the dating scene? Or will they put Jake in danger, leading to a tearful reconciliation? I have enjoyed this show, but we're in Season 13, not too many tricks left in the bag.

[BigBeagle]

Liked the Ducky stuff, didn't care for the Bishop stuff ... one of the lessons I've learned from NCIS is that federal agents have crap personal lives ... what a recruiting tool this show is.

[pcta]

Love Duckie but Alzheimer's is not a happy ending. I soooooooo don't care about Bishop

[clarkbar]

My first TV crush when I was in elementary school was David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin.  Still love him as Ducky.  My 11-year-old self would have never imagined that  of the 60-year-old me. 

[sinkwriter]

Damn NCIS holiday shows. It's like chopping onions. Suddenly my eyes get all watery, for absolutely no reason. None whatsoever. I'm not crying! YOU'RE crying! Shut up.

Edited December 16, 2015 by sinkwriter

[sinkwriter]

Also, I love you, McGee, but wow, were you ever nosy! Listening in on your colleague's private conversation. Tsk tsk...

[secnarf]

Love Duckie but Alzheimer's is not a happy ending. I soooooooo don't care about Bishop

I've lost siblings who died quite young, and also lost a grandmother to Alzheimer's. I definitely think Ducky got a happy ending.

 

It really sucks that his brother has Alzheimer's, and it kind of feels like a cheap plot tool because early-onset Alzheimer's is fairly uncommon and has such a strong genetic component, and Ducky has never mentioned a family history of AD (though it could have come from Nicholas' mother's side, I suppose).

 

However, Nicholas obviously recognized/remembered Ducky, and after all those years thinking that his brother was dead and that he was never able to keep his promise to find him/protect him, finally seeing him again - regardless of the Alzheimer's - would be amazing. I think it would have been sadder if Nicholas either hadn't recognized Ducky, or recognized him and was angry with him. But this situation wasn't like finding out a previously healthy sibling has Alzheimer's - Ducky went from thinking his brother was dead, to learning that he is alive - with early-stage Alzheimer's, and that instead of being dead for 40 years, he has had 40 years to grow up and live his life.

[JessDVD]

I'll be tearing up here on the couch until further notice...

 

So over Bishop and all of that. Just move past it, if nobody on this show is going to be in a decent relationship then let's just get to that point and end the drama.

[SeanC]

Ducky's father's second wife was a ridiculous caricature, I have to say.  She doesn't appear to have any motive beyond doing whatever will make her look the most heartless at any given moment (like demanding money in exchange for child custody, and then, once Our Heroes gather the money, deciding money doesn't matter for some reason and she just wants to take the kid away)

[BigBeagle]

 

Ducky's father's second wife was a ridiculous caricature, I have to say.  She doesn't appear to have any motive beyond doing whatever will make her look the most heartless at any given moment

You're so right, Sean C, and it's a testament to my enjoyment of the Ducky story that I completely forgot about shrew wife 5 seconds after her final scene.

[DrScottie]

A couple of things here:

 

Jethro and Ducky have been friends and colleagues for decades. He never told him about that?! 

 

I find it hard to believe that Ducky would have just believed that his brother and his evil stepmother had died in a car crash, knowing she was dirty handed. By his very nature of a physician and medical examiner, he'd need the evidence to confirm that. I also can't believe Victoria Mallard would have given up that easily without knowing the full truth about her step-son. I can't imagine she approved of that evil woman, but I would suspect she would have cared at least about Nicholas.  

Edited December 16, 2015 by DrScottie

[immortalfrieza]

Ducky's father's second wife was a ridiculous caricature, I have to say.  She doesn't appear to have any motive beyond doing whatever will make her look the most heartless at any given moment (like demanding money in exchange for child custody, and then, once Our Heroes gather the money, deciding money doesn't matter for some reason and she just wants to take the kid away)

Of course she's a caricature, she's Ducky's memory of a woman from half a century ago that he saw as a completely heartless shrew that in reality probably wasn't even close being as evil as his flashback depicted. Perhaps I'm just giving the writers too much credit though, that would be more nuanced writing than I'd expect from most writers I know of.

 

It really sucks that his brother has Alzheimer's, and it kind of feels like a cheap plot tool because early-onset Alzheimer's is fairly uncommon and has such a strong genetic component, and Ducky has never mentioned a family history of AD (though it could have come from Nicholas' mother's side, I suppose).

It's actually kind of ironic because Ducky's mother had Alzheimer's or some sort of form of dementia and his half brother ends up getting dementia despite not even being related to her. Ducky ended up dodging a pretty massive genetic bullet it appears.

[betsyboo]

Also, I love you, McGee, but wow, were you ever nosy! Listening in on your colleague's private conversation. Tsk tsk...

 

 

I've lost siblings who died quite young, and also lost a grandmother to Alzheimer's. I definitely think Ducky got a happy ending.

 

It really sucks that his brother has Alzheimer's, and it kind of feels like a cheap plot tool because early-onset Alzheimer's is fairly uncommon and has such a strong genetic component, and Ducky has never mentioned a family history of AD (though it could have come from Nicholas' mother's side, I suppose).

 

However, Nicholas obviously recognized/remembered Ducky, and after all those years thinking that his brother was dead and that he was never able to keep his promise to find him/protect him, finally seeing him again - regardless of the Alzheimer's - would be amazing. I think it would have been sadder if Nicholas either hadn't recognized Ducky, or recognized him and was angry with him. But this situation wasn't like finding out a previously healthy sibling has Alzheimer's - Ducky went from thinking his brother was dead, to learning that he is alive - with early-stage Alzheimer's, and that instead of being dead for 40 years, he has had 40 years to grow up and live his life.

I couldn't post last night - too many things rolling around my head. I'll start with the low-hanging fruit.

 

McGee. Really? Dick move, bro. I would have maybe expected that from early seasons Tony, but not current Tony, and certainly  not current McGee. I have been in situations like that, obviously, when you can't announce yourself - but he clearly had enough time to jump out of the van before they got deep into their convo. And he certainly didn't look uncomfortable - instead he settled in to get closer to the convo. Boo.  And he looked so self-satisfied with his remark "like a hot potato." Double boo. (This part of the 'Bish' storyline was the only thing I cared about. I still don't believe Jake and the whole thing was pointless. Unless endgame is her and Tony <which, ridic, obvi>, I don't know why they even had to introduce him just to have them break up.)

 

Ducky. Ducky, Ducky, Ducky. This storyline broke my heart over and over. Little boy gets snatched from big brother's arms! Driven away by shrew! (excellent word, everyone) He'll look for him foreverandeveramen! Nicholas is dead! He's alive! He's been kidnapped! He's dead! He's alive! Oh but he won't remember you! But he does!  WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

Storylines like this stay with me because I can never reconcile all that time apart. My therapist tells me I have a very high empathy bar (or low - we were never sure how to say it!! Meaning, if I see an elderly gentleman struggling to reach an item on a high shelf in the supermarket, I tend to burst into tears before I can offer to help him.) So this - the thought of all those years they were apart and Nicholas as a boy waiting and waiting for big brother to rescue him - well, it was a gutpunch. God bless Ducky and his ability to just be happy holding him again. I'm still stuck in the unfairness of it all.

 

Not to mention the elder Mallard being so indifferent. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

DMc was wonderful this ep. As was the actor as young Ducky. So are we to surmise (and maybe all of you already know this....) that Ducky is 75-ish? I can't believe he's still working. (Meaning that his cardiologist hasn't told him he's need to slow down.)

 

GIbbs looks so old. This isn't a knock on MH - clearly hair and makeup are indicating the toll this latest gunshot/recovery/"awakening" has taken on him. MH can still act an entire scene with his eyes, tho. Damn.

Edited December 16, 2015 by betsyboo

[MyAimIsTrue]

Is it wrong that I thought young Ducky and older Nicholas were both good looking?  That was good casting as I could see a resemblance between older and younger Nicholas. 

 

Yeah, I had some tears and always curse NCIS for making me cry.

 

I still don't care about Jake and would rather see Bishop's mom than that wooden character.

[twoods]

Damn NCIS for making me cry. That ending was beautiful. I really love the actor playing young Duckie- he's so good! Wouldn't mind having another flashback episode just to see him again.

I'm not invested in the Bishop storyline. All I see is pouting and bad acting.

[gazebo]

I rarely cry at TV shows anymore, and I was shocked, absolutely shocked at myself as I sat there watching the last scene with tears rolling down my face.  It was one of the most bittersweet endings I've ever seen on this show.

 

The actor playing young Duckie is all kinds of awesome!  His Duckie is a very lovely, very heartwarming, very compassionate young man who I utterly, utterly believe would give up his career to care for his little stepbrother.  The kid actor playing Nicholas was just wonderful and natural.  I felt so utterly heartbroken when Nicholas' mom literally dragged Nicholas away from Duckie and Duckie yelling and begging her not to leave with Nicholas.  I would love to see Young Duckie come back for more flashbacks.  The actor is just wonderful!

 

David McCallum's performance was also very moving as he desperately, desperately wants to find his little stepbrother again.  He looked so crushed when he saw "Nicholas Mallard" tied up in the chair was not the Nicholas he was looking for.  Absolutely loved the scene when Gibbs, DiNozzo, Bishop and McGee gave Duckie the best gift of all, proof that Nicholas was still alive and where to find him!

 

My husband, who rarely comments on any shows I watched, actually said, "Love really conquers all." and it really was the best way of summing up Duckie and Nicholas relationship.

 

This is the best Christmas themed episode of NCIS I've ever seen.

[Western]

Loved the Ducky plotline. I found his stepmother all to believable, had a similar sort in my family except she did leave the kid. Though it'd have been more believable if she left with the money and Nicholas.
 

I used to like Bishop, then she would not stop with wanting to know NSA secrets, putting Jake's career in danger when she chose to switch agencies. Then she didn't tell McGee that the weekend away was a surprise and he was the one in the wrong for telling Jake. (Only reason McGee had to apologise was answering her phone.)  Now I don't care about her and honestly think it'd be best for Jake to divorce her. This is even though I think the 'affair' was just a line because he's been told 'if your wife pokes her nose in this time for you classified mission we will arrest her'. He knew only way to get her to quit stalking him / nosing into his work was to get her mad enough to leave him. If they want my sympathy for her, they've gone the wrong way about it but then again I'm an adult who understands that 'hubby's work is classified' includes me as well!

Back to the good, Ducky! I loved seeing young Ducky and would enjoy seeing more of his adventures.

[piedmontgirl]

Oh, Bishop, please. You never would have found out? You put your career and your freedom at stake stalking the man because you weren't willing or able to accept the consequences of the career decision you made unilaterally when you had no reason to believe he was cheating (and apparently back then he wasn't).

 

        

       Completely agree with this.

[MyAimIsTrue]

This is the second time we've seen Adam Campbell as Younger Ducky, right?  He's so good in the role I wish there was a way to have him appear more often.

[kimaken]

 

I also can't believe Victoria Mallard would have given up that easily without knowing the full truth about her step-son. I can't imagine she approved of that evil woman, but I would suspect she would have cared at least about Nicholas.

 

Nicholas was/is Duckie's half-brother (not step-brother) -- the son of  Duckie's father and his 2nd wife. Nicholas is/was no relation to Victoria Mallard (Duckie's mother), so he's not her step-son. I'm sure Victoria knew of Nicholas, at least from her own son perhaps talking about his little half-brother, but I don't know if she'd have ever met Nicholas.

[JessDVD]

Coming in for a few more thoughts. Adam Campbell as Young Ducky is simply amazing. I want a spin-off of his adventures. CBS, get on that.

 

I thought they could have come up with some kind of reason for Shrew Stepmom to be taking Nicholas, other than Shrew Stepmom is shrew, but there are some sick and demented people out there, so I can roll with it.

 

I'm still really over the Bishop thing. I was in the Affair Is Cover camp and I think I still am but I find myself caring less. I like it when they're all in committed relationships, that are all 99% offscreen, but if I can't have that, I'll take them all not being in relationships, that are all 99% offscreen.

[jaytee1812]

I was distracted by how wonderful young Ducky and Nicholas were by the father's painful accent.

[St. Claire]

This is the second time we've seen Adam Campbell as Younger Ducky, right?  He's so good in the role I wish there was a way to have him appear more often.

Yes, he was seen in a flashback episode from last season and I thought even then that he bears a good resemblance to David McCallum (although a friend at work says Adam C is way too tall to be young Ducky). More Ducky flashbacks, please!

[BigBeagle]

 

I'm still really over the Bishop thing. I was in the Affair Is Cover camp and I think I still am but I find myself caring less. I like it when they're all in committed relationships, that are all 99% offscreen, but if I can't have that, I'll take them all not being in relationships, that are all 99% offscreen.

Hear, hear. The only thing, IMO, that the special little snowflake had going for her was a stable home life, which is exceedingly rare in the NCIS-verse.Now, she doesn't even have that, which makes her totally vanilla. Don't care.

[betsyboo]

Yes, he was seen in a flashback episode from last season and I thought even then that he bears a good resemblance to David McCallum (although a friend at work says Adam C is way too tall to be young Ducky). More Ducky flashbacks, please!

i also thought he was too tall. then i told myself Current Ducky had shrunken in old age. :-)

[camussie]

I honestly feel that Bishop's snooping gets overstated here.  She did a little snooping/hacking into NSA for a couple of cases but McGee (usually on Gibbs orders), Dorney, and Vance have all done a lot worse.  I don't consider it stalking for her to use the resources in MTAC to find out if her husband has been blown up nor do I consider it stalking to try and surprise her husband for lunch.  

[AntiBeeSpray]

Damn NCIS for making me cry. That ending was beautiful. I really love the actor playing young Duckie- he's so good! Wouldn't mind having another flashback episode just to see him again.

I'm not invested in the Bishop storyline. All I see is pouting and bad acting.

 

Yea I was tearing up as well. That Ducky story line had me hooked from beginning to end. Bravo to the actors on that one. Bravo. Hope they get nominated for an Emmy.

[stonehaven]

I'm not a fan of the Bishop drama but since we had the whole "affair" storyline, it's best to just drop it totally...

What I did like about the Jake/Ellie drama was that it brought out the  protectiveness in McGee and Tony....and also in Abby(via that game)....and a quiet weariness of understanding to Gibbs...

Bishop, the character needs a bit more fleshing out..she's still new compared to the rest of the cast...but the ways she's impacting the others is interesting...

Overall, I loved the storyline and loved the ending..and I started to get misty when the team gave Ducky presents as information....That showed love and support...

Great..great episode....and this show continues to be a blast to watch...

Edited December 16, 2015 by stonehaven

[Julia]

I honestly feel that Bishop's snooping gets overstated here. She did a little snooping/hacking into NSA for a couple of cases but McGee (usually on Gibbs orders), Dorney, and Vance have all done a lot worse. I don't consider it stalking for her to use the resources in MTAC to find out if her husband has been blown up nor do I consider it stalking to try and surprise her husband for lunch.

She hacked the NSA from a government machine to get access to information about a classified mission she wasn't cleared to know about and then repeatedly discussed the results in an open-plan office space with other people who weren't cleared to know about it. For personal reasons. At best, she'd lose her security clearance, but it more than crosses the bar for prosecution.

Pretty sure whatever the others did, it was largely internal to their own agency systems, it was government business, and they didn't discuss it with their social group of uncleared people. Still, if you discount all that, it doesn't leave you with Bishop being not so bad. It leaves you with a rogue agency which enabled her in being every bit that bad.

JMO, of course.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Julia

[camussie]

McGee has hacked into at least the FBI and CIA and I believe NSA (when they were looking for Ziva).  That wasn't government business either as Ziva had left the agency.  Her "hacking" while Jake was in Dubai was looking for traffic cam footage to see if he was alive.  It wasn't digging into the details of a classified mission.  

[catray]

My living room was also pretty misty at the end of this episode. Thanks, NCIS. I was heartbroken when Ducky announced the kidnapped man wasn't his brother, then ecstatic when they found him... and then heartbroken and ecstatic again with the Alzheimer's/meeting. Personally, I feel Alzheimer's can be devastating and in some ways worse than losing a loved one unexpectedly, so I was really glad that Nicholas still remembered Ducky, if only we because we needed a feel good moment for the holidays. However, like some of you, I find it hard to believe that Ducky would have stopped looking-- or potentially not used resources at NCIS to see if he could find out what happened to his younger brother (everyone else does, right?), so that seemed a bit off but I liked the team bring their investigative skills to bear in the end so they could find Nicholas for Ducky. It was very sweet and well done.

 

I think young Ducky was cast very well and I enjoy seeing him on my screen. It definitely makes me want more Ducky flashbacks. I wouldn't mind a show with Adam Campbell running around 1960's London. I will agree that Ducky's step mother (and father for that matter) seemed very one dimensional, but ah well. The relationship between young Ducky and Nicholas was sweet.

 

I'm still not happy about Jake having an affair, but I'm glad he and Ellie finally put words to what the real problem was. I'm sad at the waste of Jamie Bamber though, so I'm still hoping the affair is a red herring and Jake is pushing her away to keep her safe (or something). That said, I'm not sure why they needed to do this to her character. Because everyone must have some tortured backstory? Blargh. I'll be happy if this storyline is dropped next season, though I suspect that this isn't the last we will see of Jake.

[Julia]

Actually, there was more to it than that, but since the basic difference in our perspective here appears to be that you believe Bishop's behavior as a wife and an agent was appropriate and I don't, I don't think the details matter all that much. Suffice it to say that I think she was absolutely correct that their marriage was broken, I think she owns a big piece of that, and we can leave it at that. 

 

Sadly,

unless it's some kind of a bizarre meta triple bluff, the actress gave an interview to EW about her character's upcoming divorce and how she's going to miss working with Jamie Bamber when the episode with her family aired, so I guess the show is looping back around to woobie snowflake Sue land. Which is a shame. I was liking her better this season, and I was really hoping she'd be forced to grow up.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Julia

[MyAimIsTrue]

I wouldn't mind a show with Adam Campbell running around 1960's London.

 

Agreed, no doubt because he was so good as a Savile Row type in the 1960's with his first appearance last season.  And if all else fails he could play Niles Crane in a "Frasier" reboot as he also reminds me of David Hyde Pierce.

[jaytee1812]

How the hell is Bishop's fault her husband had an affair? Yes, they had problems but she was shown trying to work at them. She's not at fault if he can't keep his trousers fastened.

[camussie]

Actually, there was more to it than that, but since the basic difference in our perspective here appears to be that you believe Bishop's behavior as a wife and an agent was appropriate and I don't, I don't think the details matter all that much.

 

 

I don't think her behavior was appropriate but I also think in the world of NCIS her hacking is barely a blip compared to what others have done.  I also wonder why things like checking cameras to see if her husband has been blown up is seen as hacking considering how many times our intrepid team has done much the same thing, often without authorization of those who owned those cameras.  

 

Then she didn't tell McGee that the weekend away was a surprise and he was the one in the wrong for telling Jake. (Only reason McGee had to apologise was answering her phone.)

 

 

I also wanted to address this from another post.   Yes McGee was wrong.  He shouldn't have been answering her phone.  She had no reason to think he would interact with Jake and spill the beans about the trip

Edited December 16, 2015 by camussie

[Sharpie66]

I was a little freaked out when they turned on the murderer's phone mic to listen to him and his activities. Just the idea that any law enforcement organization can do that really creeps me out!

[Julia]

How the hell is Bishop's fault her husband had an affair? Yes, they had problems but she was shown trying to work at them. She's not at fault if he can't keep his trousers fastened.

 

As Bishop herself sagely acknowledged, the affair was not the problem in their marriage, it was a symptom of the problems in their marriage. I don't consider her to be at fault for the way he reacted to the problems in their marriage.  I consider her responsible for her share of the problems in their marriage and the way she reacted to them. 

Edited December 16, 2015 by Julia

[Clanstarling]

Yes, he was seen in a flashback episode from last season and I thought even then that he bears a good resemblance to David McCallum (although a friend at work says Adam C is way too tall to be young Ducky). More Ducky flashbacks, please!

I just watched "The Great Escape" with a very young and handsome David McCallum. And yes, Adam may be too tall - but since they weren't standing him next to any current day characters, I couldn't care less. He's just as (if not more) handsome than the young DM, and he has a lot of charisma. I hope to see him again, whether on NCIS or on other shows.

 

I have always liked Bishop, so I don't really mind the current story line. I find some of the struggles understandable - even if I'm shaking my head and saying "don't do that."

Edited December 16, 2015 by clanstarling

[Trey]

Agreed, no doubt because he was so good as a Savile Row type in the 1960's with his first appearance last season.  And if all else fails he could play Niles Crane in a "Frasier" reboot as he also reminds me of David Hyde Pierce.

 

He was also very good as an English doctor who was in love with bridesmaid Chloe on Harper's Island some years ago.  He was my favourite character on that mini-series..

 

 

[Julia]

I just watched "The Great Escape" with a very young and handsome David McCallum. And yes, Adam may be too tall - but since they weren't standing him next to any current day characters, I couldn't care less. He's just as (if not more) handsome than the young DM, and he has a lot of charisma. I hope to see him again, whether on NCIS or on other shows.

I think he's a little warmer than David McCallum's characters were back in the day - as much as I loved Ilya Kuryakin, he wasn't quite as evolved emotionally as we expect men to be these days - but I absolutely buy him as the young man who grew up to be Ducky. AAR, he's very charming.

[Western]

The Ellie / Jake stuff is bugging me, so I did a quick re-look at the last few eps. -- I think they need to divorce because I think the only 'truth' he's said is about being investigated for being a leak or that they're looking for such. (its late here,  I'm not well & I was fast watching so might be a lil off on wording etc.). He did give Gibbs? a thumb drive with info on it, so Ellie could be seen as complicit. He was the one who mentioned their favourite lunch place and now eating alone each day, so setting Ellie up to see him with 'IA' lady and jump to the correct conclusion. Then I think he decided it was better to protect her and take all the blame for being an NSA leak.

 

I think Jake's been lying about being 'just a lawyer' for years but its only with them now having distance of different jobs that Ellie's picking up on things not gelling.
We know Gibbs' gut is normally fine with men and non red-haired women and that he chats often with Jake. He's seen nothing 'off' in them as a couple, which doesn't make sense if Jake's playing around. -- Plus his 'you know me' to Gibbs when he was being thrown out of the NCIS building, is suspect IMO of something else going on.
None of Ellie's NSA friends saw anything 'hinky' to warn her about.
I recently watched some Superman and it just clicked that Jake is too 'Clark Kent' when we see him. 

Dubai -- that seems to have been a real NSA thing, and easy to check up on it being a legit trip for Jake and IA lady. -- I think Jake and IA Lady were there for other NSA reasons. At this point I'm thinking IA is actually the lady's cover as his is lawyer and the heated conversation is Jake wanting to come clean to Ellie, hence putting the idea of their lunches together into her head. -- At that point 'IA' lady could tell him she's heard of the leak so his plans change to 'protect Ellie.'

Even though I still think that warrants re-evaluating the marriage / divorce, I really hope the above is what they're actually pulling because 'affair' is just a disservice to Ellie. I do think she has boundary issues with the NSA side of Jake's life (I don't care about McGee's hacking etc. because that can't get a loved one in trouble only himself.), but they could have done a moment of telling Gibbs / Vance to go through channels because she'll not risk Jake's job any more.

 

I've gone from liking Ellie to being annoyed by her for silly reasons that I've decided that no matter what the reality is, I'm going with my 'head canon' because then neither Ellie (or Gibbs' gut) were too gullible / naive.
I'm annoyed at the writers for deciding that they can't have a normal, happy marriage for an agent / former agent on the show again after killing off Mrs. Vance. This also makes me worried about Jimmy's family. :(  

Sorry for the ramble/ rant (if its in the wrong place let me know where to place it.)
 

[Lebanna]

Ducky's background really is a litany of missed opportunities, isn't it?

I mean, he fell in love with a girl and she dumped him, he fell out with his best friend (who actually came off much better this time - although I thought they never met again after their big fight? Whatever.) And now it turns out the kid he might have raised was stolen from him and he wasted half his life trying to get him back when he was living in Philly since the late eighties. It's tragic.

I agree that Mallard Sr.'s accent was horrific, in the two lines he had. It took me a moment to realise it was even supposed to be Scottish. Even James Doohan would have thought it was bad. The scene at the end, where Sr. just sat around silently was much better. And there was no reasoning or excuse for it, Hollywood doesn't have a shortage of elderly Scots, surely. I mean, actually there were a few dodgy accents happening here, but his was egregious.

The real question I had was - is the evil mother supposed to have poisoned Nicholas's mind against his family somehow, and he only tried to find Ducky when he forgot her conditioning? Otherwise I'd think you'd just write to the British army and get them to pass on the letter. I'm sure Ducky is on a bunch of donation lists and involved, at least long-distance in veterans' activities, even if he did eventually move to America. Or (since they're British) just go on the show 'Surprise, Surprise' in the 80s and have Cilla Black find your brother for you.

I know. Overthinking it. But however it went down, it was a very beautiful story and first-rate acting all around - and as everyone has said, DMc is always fantastic, but little Ducky was brilliant too. I wonder if Nicholas ever had kids? It might be nice for Ducky to have some more nephews or nieces to spoil, as well as Jimmy's daughter.