Let's all acknowledge something right off the bat: NCIS Season 14 Episode 14 is not realistic. Any decent defense lawyer would have a field day tearing apart the legitimacy of evidence collected by the Sherlocks.
Sometimes, though, you just want to set aside actual logical considerations like that in favor of just having a good time and enjoying the episode.
Certainly, the actors seemed like they were enjoying themselves. And it is always a pleasure to have Robert Wagner (DiNozzo Senior) back on our screens!
As you may recall, The Sherlocks previously appeared in NCIS Season 13 Episode 7, “16 Years,” which concluded with Jimmy being welcomed into the group.
They returned in this episode to drive Gibbs completely batty and dish out some absolutely hilarious moments throughout the episode.
Bishop: Gibbs, where are you going?
Gibbs: Overboard!
I'd imagine viewers' mileage may vary on how much they liked "Nonstop" based on how much they enjoyed the Sherlocks, who played a significant role in the story.
Dear, oh dear. I was actually rather surprised (if amused) that the show got away with some of the particularly, ah, descriptive things Judith said throughout this episode. Like this little gem:
Don’t dance around it! Agent Bishop is saying this ship is full of seamen!
Judith McKnight
Once you hear it, you can't unhear it! That certainly seemed to be what Senior thought, to judge by the expression on his face a few seconds later.
Senior also shared a sweet scene with Gibbs at the end of the episode, when Gibbs remarked that Senior deserved the good things he was finding in his life.
There was a remarkably heartwarming moment between Jimmy and Ducky in Autopsy, too: when Ducky first calls Jimmy "Doctor," our beloved Autopsy Gremlin couldn't help but smile. And even Gibbs gave credit where credit was due.
And making the scene even better was the fact that Jimmy was showing just how competent he was at his job, trading off with Ducky as they described the results of the autopsy.
That's not to say that Jimmy wasn't also a source of comic relief, too: I laughed out loud when Jimmy realized that Gibbs was behind him at the beginning of the episode and later when he walked in on Senior and Judith's flirting.
While the case itself was not exactly rocket science to untangle, I still found it a fairly enjoyable ride.
Though I fully confess to forcefully pointing out to my TV screen that the team didn't see Michael Kettering board those flights, they saw a guy wearing a very distinctive blue hat. Plus, that extremely telegraphed bathroom break.
(On a side note, it sure was convenient that Michael was able to find some complete stranger with a similar height and build who was willing to go along with his plan.)
There wasn't exactly a huge suspect pool (really, only Michael, Darlene, and Taj stood out), and once they showed the security footage of Michael and that blue hat, it was an easy pick.
It was only fitting that the team pulled the same gag on Kettering in order to trick him into confessing. Turnabout is fair play, yes?
Taj, the less-than-brilliant security system technician/burglar, was also good for a few good laughs, especially when he gave his alibi in the interrogation room. Okay, he was an idiot, but at least he wasn't a murderer?
Were the laughs in this episode able to overcome the incredible stretch of the suspension of disbelief? Well, I know that I had fun. Poor Gibbs.
A few final thoughts in closing:
- The title of the episode, "Nonstop," rather gives something away, doesn't it?
- Chekhov's (stun) gun?
- Senior asking Gibbs for his "blessing" to woo Judith was extremely reminiscent of the time Fornell asked the same over Diane. Elicited pretty much the same reaction, too!
- "Not a chair in sight" in Abby's lab, Torres? He obviously wasn't looking very hard, because there's one behind her desk in the inner room.
- I am informed that an IP address is not like GPS and will not give you a specific location for a computer the way they did in this episode.
- Be sure to check out our NCIS quotes page for this episode. Oh, boy, it's worth it.
If you missed this episode, fear not! You can always watch NCIS online to catch up! And be sure to tune in February 14, 2017 at 8/7c on CBS for NCIS Season 14 Episode 15, "Pandora's Box, Part 1"!
So, what did you think of "Nonstop"? Did you enjoy seeing the Sherlocks again? Is Senior a good fit for them? Did you untangle the case before the team? Let us know in the comments section below!
