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NCIS 400: See how Gibbs and Ducky first met in Season 18, Episode 2

By Elizabeth Learned

"Perennial" -- Following an active shooter lockdown at a naval hospital, the NCIS team searches for a suspect who fled the scene. Also, someone from Sloane's past was inside the hospital and is a key witness in the case, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Mark Harmon. . Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
"Perennial" -- Following an active shooter lockdown at a naval hospital, the NCIS team searches for a suspect who fled the scene. Also, someone from Sloane's past was inside the hospital and is a key witness in the case, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Mark Harmon. . Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved /
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Episode 400 of NCIS reveals how Ducky and Gibbs’ friendship all began

The relationship between Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard and NCIS Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs has always been a special one. Plus, NCIS Season 18, Episode 2 episode also marked a milestone. 400 episodes is an amazing number for the CBS series, don’t you think?

For 18 seasons, we have watched their friendship flourish, always wondering how these two crossed paths. This episode, we got to see firsthand what brought them together and how their meeting forged their futures. See how it all began for one of television’s lasting friendships.

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A special NCIS 400 celebration

It all came to a head when a body was discovered in the sub-basement of the NCIS headquarters. Further examination and investigation revealed the man to be Maurice Zucado, a man who has ties to both Gibbs and Ducky.

Forty years previously, a much younger Gibbs (Sean Harmon) was in D.C. to attend a wedding when he was abducted at gunpoint. His assailant, Ringo Zucado, was then involved in a car accident, although he was a dead man running anyway due to multiple stabbings. Who happened to run into him? It was a young Ducky (Adam Campbell) himself, who was still learning how to drive American roads.

Having basically saved Gibbs, who was trapped in the trunk of the car, the two went out for drinks that turned into multiple days of getting to know one another. It turns out Gibbs was also nursing a broken heart, having broken up with his girlfriend, Shannon, over the phone.

They don’t have time to ruminate over this when they were taken, at gunpoint again, to Johnny Zucado, the carjacker’s cousin. Apparently the man stole something from him and he believed Gibbs and Ducky knew more than what they were saying. Ducky managed to save the day, and Gibbs’ life. They soon realize there is a mole giving Johnny information, but it’s hard to investigate when neither officially works for NIS at this point.

Watching a friendship develop

We learn that Ducky was the one who encouraged Gibbs not to give up on love because of the fear of leaving Shannon. Of course, at the time, Ducky had no idea what would actually transpire. He felt, inaccurately, that Gibbs blames him for what would happen later on. Gibbs pointed out Ducky was the one that allowed him to have the time he had with his family.

Another development in their relationship is we discover the house Gibbs lives in actually belonged to Ducky. Seeing how quickly they become enmeshed in each other’s lives after just a short period shows their friendship truly has been remarkable.

A current mystery

Having been unable to catch Zucado for so many years, Gibbs wanted to do all he could to put the man behind bars. It’s clear he was struggling with the memories being dredged up, especially as his wedding anniversary to Shannon recently passed.

Once they unearth a witness that died before testifying against Zucado in a bribery case, Jimmy was able to determine his time of death did not match up with the break-in by Maurice Zucado. He was apparently looking for something important that was left in the building.

Let’s go on a mole hunt

If you couldn’t keep the number of Zucado’s straight before, another one popped up in another cousin, Emilio Zucado. He had been at the NIS building back in 1980, acting as a painter and watching the events unfold. When Ducky figured out the identity of the mole feeding information to Johnny, Emilio discarded the item he had been told to locate and left.

Solving a 40-year-old mystery was the icing on the cake for Ducky and Gibbs, although McGee clearly got to have a little fun in cutting open a piece of wall to find said object. Seeing the trajectory of both Gibbs and Ducky’s lives over the years, and how they both bonded so quickly, gave longtime fans something special to enjoy. This special NCIS 400 milestone episode was well done and perfectly executed.

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What did you think of Gibbs and Ducky’s first meeting? Let us know in the comments below.

Catch a new episode of NCIS in two weeks on CBS.

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