NCIS season 20 episode 17 recap: Nick finds a connection with a refugee

NCIS season 20, episode 17, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” was all about the murder of someone attempting to help refugees overseas. Investigating the death of William Huxley, who was previously part of a recon team who was helping to bring refugees to safety, the team must find out who killed him. Huxley had been demoted after he deserted the military to return to Afghanistan to continue trying to help those in need.

During the course of the investigation, NCIS discovered that William had not stopped trying to help. He became part of a community center devoted to helping refugees get back on their feet and learn how to live their lives in a new country. The pastor there, Eddie, told the team he did see an argument between William and a young man named Mateen, a refugee whose parents had been killed before Huxley could help them escape.

They went to find Mateen to talk to him at a shop, but he ran before they could catch him. Nick ended up getting hurt and a young woman, Veeda, came to his aid. She was a doctor back in Afghanistan and was quick to provide care for his head injury.

While Nick was at the hospital with McGee, the rest of the team found evidence of clothing left behind that Mateen worked with motor oil and ingredients used to make an explosive. Once they caught up to him, he told them that he was being blackmailed to make the bomb. He has a fiancee, Asal, who was supposed to be brought to the U.S., but she has been trapped at a camp. Someone sent a photo of her and told him to make a bomb or she’d be killed.

NCIS season 20 episode 17 recap: Nick makes a connection with a refugee

He had gone to William for help out of desperation, but William was killed, likely for trying to assist him. Mateen tells them he had designed a fail safe so the bomb would not go off. The team too this into a new direction, finding a link to a white nationalist group led by Robert Whitlock. Whitlock’s fingerprint had been found on a shell casing in Eddie’ car after they found him dead. They found him training and as they were locked in a standoff, the bomb somehow went off.

Mateen was brought to the NCIS garage to determine why the bomb went off. Apparently, someone had fixed the remote detonator. So this meant someone else was involved. At first, they thought it was Eddie, but he wasn’t at the center at the time communication with Whitlock was happening. As it turns out, the overly sweet volunteer from earlier in the episode was actually Whitlock’s girlfriend and had been sent undercover to infiltrate the center.

The episode also brought Nick and Veeda together in a way where they could share each other’s stories about living in a new place and dealing with similar histories. They had such a strong connection that we would love to see Veeda return.

In the end, Veeda was asked to run the center and it could not be a better decision! Plus, Mateen was grateful to learn that Asal was on a plane to come to America.

While all this was going on, Jimmy had his own plot dealing with his daughter growing up. When she was set to go on a group date, he was ready to interrogate a boy she likes. Seeing how much he was spiraling, Jessica went to Vance for help.

After telling Jimmy that he was not giving the boy and his family a tour, Vance turned things around to commiserate over raising a teenager. It was striking to remember their similarities, that both of them became single fathers after losing their wives and had to raise teenagers as well. Vance gave Jimmy great advice about learning to step back and let his daughter find her way in the world. It was such a great way to cap off the episode and we enjoyed every moment of it!

Let us know in the comments below your thoughts on NCIS Season 20, Episode 17. You can catch up on the episode on Paramount+.