TVSquad

(S07E03) Is it even possible that an NCIS team led by Jethro Leroy Gibbs would make a mistake that would leave the agency open to an investigation by a blogger with an attitude? Nah. Not our Jethro. Still, that was the premise for the case on tonight's episode.

Hard as it was for Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee to believe they'd screwed up, when the blogger -- BeltwayBurns.com -- turned up as a corpse, a whole can of worms was upended and a closed case was suddenly wide open. Fortunately, that meant a lot more chances for Ducky to interact with Gibbs, something sorely missed in the first couple of shows.

As usual with the NCIS crew, there were riddles wrapped in questions to be deciphered, but the more interesting stuff turned out to be about the characters. What happened in the polygraph room that warranted Tim having to be re-tested? Why was Gibbs restricting Ziva to desk work and why wasn't she responding to Ducky's offer to talk? How come Tony was flirting with the pretty Metro detective while Ziva was stuck back in the office? Did Abby cut her bangs? Oh, wait, that was just my question.

The thing about NCIS that always works for me is Gibbs. He's understated and serious, but he always knows more than practically anybody else in view. The interrogation scene was a perfect example. While the others try to figure out what methodology he'll employ to break down the prevaricating Naval officer, Gibbs surprises them all with a new tactic. Mark Harmon has this role mastered, from the glowering glare to the sly smile. It's a shame he gets no recognition at awards time, but procedural actors rarely get any Emmy love.

McGeek deserves kudos for connecting the deli man to the dead man by way of the train pass. The moment Tim said that they both rode the same commuter train, you knew Tony was going to see the Hitchcock reference. Like Strangers on a Train, Sutton and Arnett conspired to commit a crime knowing that it would be nearly impossible to find a link between them. The kicker, of course, was that once Sutton was confronted, Tony used the Jethro interrogation tactic -- lie to a liar -- to get him to incriminate himself.

Hopefully, McGee will return to the polygrapher and ask her out on a date. Gibbs had to spell it out for Tim, but he finally saw the light. Meanwhile, Ziva resigned from Mossad and asked Gibbs to approve her application to officially join NCIS. He didn't sign right away. In fact, it looked like he wasn't sure he wanted to sign at all. The previews for next week, though, make it look like he does sign and she's then rejected by Vance. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Other points of interest:

-- Didn't you just know that the casket would be empty when Ducky and Abby opened it?

-- On the other hand, what a great way to hear more about Abby's coffin.

-- The blogger as investigative reporter? Really. I thought bloggers never get out of their pajamas or their parent's basement.

-- The polygraph operator was pretty obvious about liking McGee. Is it believable that Tim is so smart at the job and so dumb with women?

-- The Metro detective, Sportelli, was a major jerk, but I could see him returning to irritate Gibbs. Same with Hanley, only I see her with Tony. He's going to ask her out on a date.

[Watch clips and episodes of NCIS at SlashControl.]