NCIS recap: How is Jack connected to the witness in the case?

NCIS Season 16, Episode 19 brought a storyline ripped from the headlines. With an active shooter on the loose, Jack had to face a decision from the past.

An active shooter in a Naval hospital means that it’s all hands on board. However, one of the witnesses has a connection to Jack and Bishop is dealing with a dead plant. It’s time to recap NCIS Season 16, Episode 19.

Jack’s connection to the case

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The active shooter kills one and injures a dozen more before an off-duty cop shoots at the guy. While the shooter gets away, he’s injured and that certainly helps with figuring things out later. More on that in a few minutes.

Let’s focus on Jack’s connection to the case. She initially recuses herself but Gibbs does some digging. He knows that one of the women working in the hospital is Jack’s biological daughter, the one that she gave up. The daughter isn’t just anyone who worked at the hospital, though. She’s the one who saw the shooter.

Her seeing the shooter means the team can get a sketch. From that, they manage to get an ID on the shooter, Evan Sykes.

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While it’s some good news for the team, it’s not good news for Jack and Faith. Faith knows all about Jack and wants nothing to do with her. By the end of the episode, Jack offers Faith her number and a photo of her with baby Faith. There’s progress and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Faith.

Dealing with the shooter

As for the case, NCIS wastes no time in throwing us for a few loops. The team manages to get to Evan’s house, where there’s a lot of blood. He was shot by the off-duty cop, so that’s not surprising.

The blood trail leads to Evan’s computer and printer, where there’s printouts of junk. The hard drive has been wiped clean, but McGee realizes that the computer was infected with a virus, which is the reason for the mess on the printouts. The last page of the printout has the top of a spreadsheet with three place names.

Is it possible Evan is going to shoot up an elementary school?

Evan’s dad can’t figure out why. There’s no connection to the elementary school. However, Evan’s dad points out that Evan’s brother, Christopher, had been arrested six years ago for drunk driving. Evan blames the military for not doing enough to get his serving brother get away with the crash.

Figuring out the truth

The military wasn’t Evan’s target, though. Gibbs is the one who breaks it all down. While talking to the off-duty cop, Mosby, Gibbs hears pancakes. This is the connection he needs to work out that Evan was after Mosby the whole time.

Mosby was the first officer at the scene of his brother’s crash and is the one that prevents Christopher from getting parole. Evan just wanted to help his brother get out of prison and thought killing Mosby would help.

NCIS also learn that Evan’s dad would do everything to protect his children. That means his dad knows where he is. Sure enough, Evan’s dad finally leads NCIS to the motel room Evan is hiding out at.
Evan is there nursing his injured shoulder. When Gibbs sends and on-edge Torres in alone, Torres manages to scare the teenager into handing himself in – after all, death is the easy one out.

Odds and ends:

• Bishop spent the episode trying to revive a dead plant. There’s no bringing it back from the dead but yes it was Ziva’s.
• Bishop keeps Ziva’s office space instead of clearing it out.
• Torres turns into a swan around mass shootings.
• Gibbs is struggling now that he’s burned one of his rules. McGee learns about this and is shocked Gibbs would burn a rule, especially the one about getting personally attached to a case.
• Bishop and Torres look to be on speaking terms again.

What did you think of NCIS? Did Gibbs make the right decision sending Torres in alone? What will Bishop does next? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

NCIS airs Tuesday at 8/7c on CBS.