NCIS recap: McGee gets McMemed
Photo Credit: NCIS/CBS, Monty Brinton Image Acquired from CBS Press Express
We learn more about Reeves’ life in NCIS this week, as he learns not to take everyone on face value.
We’re only as sick as our secrets. That’s something Bishop says to Reeves tonight and it’s poignant for the case of the night. It’s been a long time coming, but we finally got more insight into Reeves in NCIS tonight, and not just a brush over that he’s MI6 and been in foster care. There’s hope for far more in the future.
Reeves is an alcoholic
Let’s start with the biggest reveal of the night. NCIS opens with a girl called Melissa at an AA meeting. It just so happens that Clay is there and he isn’t ready to talk just yet. In fact, after the meeting we learn that Clay hasn’t spoken for the whole month that Melissa has been there, but that hasn’t stopped her latching onto him and telling him about her life. After this meeting, she tells him that she’s finally left her abusive boyfriend
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These facts are important, as the case unravels. Straight after the AA meeting, Melissa is kidnapped by an unseen assailant. Reeves wastes no time in going to NCIS HQ for help. Despite it not being in their jurisdiction, Gibbs is willing to help out one of his team members. Reeves already knew that, since he has already sent a picture of Melissa to Abby. See, he knows her first name but nothing else. That information isn’t revealed in AA meetings.
Abby quickly guesses how Clay knows her and so does Gibbs, and Bishop already knows because he told her the truth while in Scotland. Torres and McGee spend about half of the night trying to figure it out, before Reeves tells them the basics. He doesn’t go into the details, until Bishop tries to push for some information later. She lets him know that “we’re only as sick as our secrets,” suggesting that he stops keeping himself so guarded.
Back to the case
After being kidnapped, Abby is naturally able to find out the full name of the victim and her boyfriend’s identity. It doesn’t take long to find out that the boyfriend is in Naval Intelligence and was working on a major, confidential project. It’s so confidential that NCIS isn’t allowed all the details.
They do have enough to find the Intelligence Office. However, it’s after he’s been killed at his cabin. How did Melissa overpower him? Well, he was slurring and stumbling as if he’d been drinking. There was a fight and the gun went off. It all seems like the murder was in self-defense and the case is closed. Except that there’s a missing laptop and Melissa has no idea where it is.
Sloan suggests that Melissa’s mind is blocking out a crucial piece of the puzzle because her subconscious doesn’t really believe that she’s safe from harm. So, after a visit to the morgue, a talk about changing the locks on her storage unit suggests that the laptop is there. Sure enough, it’s in the Christmas decorations box.
The case further evolves, as the code for the top secret project is partially available on the dark web. Someone was looking for a buyer for it, but Sloan is certain that it’s not the Intelligence Officer. Nothing about his profile points to him being abusive. There are three things that help the team realize that Melissa isn’t as honest as she initially seems:
- Palmer realizes that the amount of drugs in the boyfriend’s system and way they were there indicate that he’d been slipped them (and through chicken pot pie)
- Sloan realizes that Melissa’s profile is that of a narcissist
- Reeves knows that Melissa makes chicken pot pies
- The boyfriend was cheating on Melissa with her AA sponsor
- She paid her landlord $10,000 to kidnap her
Despite not initially wanting to believe it, Reeves realizes that his “friend” is a murderer and thief. He’s able to find Melissa and breaks down all her steps:
- Melissa knew her boyfriend was cheating on her with her sponsor
- She made up her alcoholism (she was drinking whiskey and coke in the bar) to get close to her sponsor
- She opened up to Reeves because he was a federal agent and would be a good witness
- She paid her landlord to make it look like she was kidnap and the victim
- She drugged her boyfriend to get his laptop and sell the code
It’s all very simple, but she doesn’t get away with it when NCIS is involved.
Photo Credit: NCIS/CBS, Monty Brinton Image Acquired from CBS Press Express
McGee and his McMeme
The comical element of the episode just happened to be a meme that was sent to McGee. It’s an embarrassing photo of him from his childhood and gets almost 200,000 views by the end of the episode. Throughout the episode, we’re left wondering who made it with a lot of fingers pointing at Torres.
This is another case solved at the end of the episode. It turns out the email that sent McGee the meme originated in Paris and there’s only one person who lives in Paris that we all know…
Yes, it was Tony DiNozzo (and yes, there was a Bull reference) and McGee is able to get his own back. All it leaves is Torres asking one question: Who’s Tony? Someone may need to tell him about the shoes he is currently attempting to fill.
Next: NCIS recap: A murder mystery turns deadly
Overall, it was interesting to get another look into Reeves life and I look forward to learning more. Duane Henry plays the role believably. The touch with Tony was needed. With knowing Abby is leaving, I’ve been feeling the need for him more recently. Having a case that wasn’t solely based on a murder of a sailor or marine was definitely different and added another level of intrigue to the episode. NCIS doesn’t get stuck in a rut like many other similar shows.
NCIS continues on Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
Did you guess Melissa was the guilty party? Was the McMeme the best moment of the episode for you? Share in the comments below.