NCIS season 18 episode 2: Mark, Sean Harmon shine in 400th episode
If you thought that this episode was going to completely alter the CBS show forever, maybe you were surprised by what you got … but hopefully still in a good way. The truth is that this was a perfect episode for all fans of NCIS’ lore, as some much-needed questions from the past were finally answered.
After all, we now know just how Gibbs and Ducky met! The latter accidentally saved the former (by driving on the wrong side of the road, no less), and it kickstarted a storyline where the two tried to look into the Zucado family — a collection of pretty-dangerous people. This was before Ducky was Dr. Mallard at NCIS, and back when Gibbs was a Marine debating whether or not to be with the woman he loved in Shannon.
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It was Ducky who convinced Gibbs to stay in that relationship, and ultimately make a larger commitment. He brought out the inner romantic in Jethro, and in turn Gibbs seemed to open Ducky’s eyes more as to the career opportunities that existed for him. While the two weren’t exactly a part of the NCIS team in the past, this put them on the road to where they are in the present — and also reminded us of their respective drinks of choice.
In the present (or, at least in December 2019), Gibbs and Ducky finally had a chance to pin down a Zucado after forty years — and this time around, they were successful. This closed a door that had long been left ajar, but to be honest, this episode wasn’t really about the case for us. Instead, it was seeing great moments from Mark and Sean Harmon as the two men showcased Gibbs’ subtle vulnerability across two different eras. You could see older Gibbs reflecting on his life with Shannon as he worked on his latest boat in the basement; meanwhile, his friendship with Ducky helped to remind him further that it’s okay to not be alone. There was something greatly satisfying about seeing him call up McGee and make it clear that he wanted to head out for drinks with the team, a celebration of McGee celebrating a work-related milestone.
This was a fun episode — perfect escapism from the outside world, and a chance to see a great performance from two people within the Harmon family. It didn’t try to do too much as a 400th episode, but celebrated the two longest-tenured characters on the show in fine fashion.
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What did you think about the 400th episode of NCIS?
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This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.