‘NCIS’ season 14, episode 11 review: Agent Gibbs takes on Operation Willoughby with death, mystery
Tonight’s episode of “NCIS” almost shocked viewers right off the sofa. While the first episode of 2017 on Tuesday was expected to be surprising, many “NCIS” viewers felt they had their heart ripped out by the end of the episode. It’s probably one of the biggest shockers so far this season and if another show is expected to top it, they are going to have to work incredibly hard to beat this surprise.
Two words kicked off the episode: Operation Willoughby. An undercover operation that had an airplane blow up in the first few minutes as multi-agencies lead an undercover operation to apprehend, Kai Chen, a businessman who is very careful not to get caught. While the criminal is evasive, he uses acts of terrorism to manipulate the stock market. With several countries trying to catch him, it appears he is one step ahead on every turn.
While the team repeatedly gets close to Chen, he makes his next move never quite getting caught. This cat and mouse game has serious repercussions as the team moves closer to the answer they are looking for and every time they corner someone who could help the case, they end up committing suicide as they are too scared to talk.
The case seems to have hit a goldmine when Qasim Naasir has unlocked surprising information while translating calls between two individuals. While Agent Gibbs’ team doesn’t know the parties involved initially, Abby cracks the voice decoder and recognizes there is a familiar voice.
In what was a shocking ending, the task force confirms they had a mole. Belgian Vsse Officer Louise Moreau was feeding Chen for months and months prior with the plane explosion to take out the undercover officer who was keeping track of the criminal. The confession is made and all seems good, except Chen hasn’t been located.
While most of the viewers thought the show was over, the biggest surprise was saved until last. Qasim Naasir was in the library with Probationary Agent Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop. Gunfire blew out the window, missed Bishop, and struck Naasir. Three bullets take out the translator and he ends up in the hospital on life support. Left to say goodbye, Bishop looks to M16 Officer Reeves for advice on saying goodbye. As the world turns in “NCIS”, Reeves quotes Gibbs, who offered advice only days before.
As this episode of “NCIS” didn’t catch a bad guy, it definitely caught our attention. Giving viewers a reason to return to the show, Chen is still on the run and the team still has a mission. What happens next is why viewers will be tuning in when the show returns after hiatus! Episode Grade: A-.
This review was written by Jodi Jill. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter! (Photo: CBS.)