What I’m Watching: NCIS (Season Finale)

NCIS: Season 7, Episode 24 “Rule Fifty-One” (B+)

This season finale once again finds Gibbs in Mexico looking to make contact with his old friend Mike Franks and to come to terms with the murder of his wife and daughter. Fortunately, this is one of his better trips, since he manages to discover that he’s dealing with not one but two children of the man he killed but doesn’t weaken his resolve at all in taunting them to ensure that he has the upper hand. Gibbs’ phone ringing just as Tony and Ziva are tracing a call was quite an intense moment, and the angry yelling between Vance and Gibbs was fantastic (“my life does not revolve around you!”). Vance’s stories about Hollywood Studios, “Casablanca,” and the fateful nod were great, and I like to see the relationship between him and Gibbs, even if it can never be quite as terrific as that between Gibbs and Vance’s predecessor Jenny. The revelation that the impossibly annoying Margaret was the one who stopped the file implicating Gibbs at least does something to validate her as a character, and it was good to see Gibbs refusing to apologize to her because of his preexisting rule. The writing of his 51st rule, “sometimes you’re wrong,” was a poignant way to close out the season. It was also good to see Franks take over for Tony as a tail in Mexico, and to see Ziva receive her citizenship with all of her fellow agents watching. Not so lucky is the elder Gibbs, who will find himself in quite a dangerous position at the start of next season.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Sean Murray