NCIS returns with “The Enemy Within” set around three weeks after the events from the last episode. It begins with an image of Northern Syria where men are taken down by armed troops. The troops enter a room to find an American woman named Sarah Goode.
Gibbs is watching the news in his basement when Vance comes in. He tells Gibbs that they want his team to work with Sarah upon her return. Vance has a music box he wants to give to his daughter for her birthday and asks Gibbs to fix it. He is worried about Gibbs and learns Fornell is having a rough time.
In the suad room, Tony talks about a Corvette he wants and Tim mentions the car that he lost in a televised chase on the freeway. They notice Tony has been mellow, so Tim goes through his desk, but Ellie isn’t sure something is really wrong. Tim decides to show her by pouring coffee on his magazine.
Gibbs comes in to talk about the case. They are scheduled to interview Sarah at her hotel and Ellie tells him she had been volunteering at an orphanage when she was taken hostage for ransom money. After watching a video of Goode being held hostage, Gibbs leaves for a moment when Tony comes in and doesn’t react as expected to the mess Tim made.
In Abby’s lab, she tells Gibbs evidence from the Navy SEALS indicated another terrorist was involved, a weapon not belonging to the other terrorists killed. Prints came back to a Kyle Nasry from Maryland.
The team tells Gibbs about Kyle Nasry, whose father was born in Syria before coming to America. Nasry was in the notes for protesting against the war a few years previous. Gibbs sends Tony and Tim to talk to Nasry’s mother, who is in the area.
Sarah talks to Gibbs and Ellie, telling them about her work with homeless children and singing up with an international relief agency to help children in Syria. When Gibbs shows her a picture of Nasry, she doesn’t recognize him and tells them she only saw a few people who spoke little English. Ellie comments on her turning down requests from the media, and Sarah says the spotlight isn’t for her.
Vance talks with Chris Hegarty, Assistant Director of DHS via MTAC, who tells him about terrorists recruiting troubled youths in order to turn them over to their cause. He is concerned about Nasry’s information since they never knew about him and Gibbs tells him their forensics expert is working on information from the SEALs.
Tim and Tony talk to Nasry’s mom, who is unable to believe her son is working with terrorists. She claims that her son is in Greece. Tony sees a picture of Kyle with a young woman and she is identified as his ex-girlfriend, Chelsea. Mrs. Nasry offers to give them her number.
Ducky reads Ellie’s debriefing report at her request and lets her know she did a good job, but Ellie is concerned since while Sarah appears to be doing well, she knows it will hit soon. He tells her that it is most likely a delayed-onset for PTSD. When Ellie tells him Sarah wants to go back to Syria, he says this would be bad since she could end up breaking down.
Tim asks Tony why he has been acting strange and mentions that he hasn’t been abused in days. Tony makes a silly remark before they speak with Chelsea, who is grooming a dog. Despite her flirting with Tony, he doesn’t respond. She tells them the break up between her and Kyle happened after he began hanging out with a group of extremists with negative attitudes. After she asks about his pet fish, Tim suspects Tony is seeing someone.
In the squad room, Vance comes in to tells the team that Kyle went through customs at Dulles airport two days prior, meaning he is back in the U.S. The next day, the team is looking at surveillance footage of the airport where they see Nasry inside, but have no pictures outside. As they are talking, Fornell comes in. Tony goes over to hug him as Ellie and Tim give their condolences. He tells them he is there because he had cleared Nasry in his initial arrest for the protests and he feels responsible. Tim gets a call that Nasry’s mom is waiting to speak with Gibbs.
Fornell goes with Gibbs, who is hesitant since he had taken a leave of absence. Fornell counters he needs to get out of the house where he is left with a “hormonal, grief-stricken daughter” and a mother-in-law Gibbs remembers all too well. Gibbs allows him to come.
Nasry’s mother is telling Fornell and Gibbs that she had wanted to see her son in Athens, but he kept giving reasons why she shouldn’t make the trip. She doesn’t believe he would be in Washington without calling her and doesn’t know where he is. Abby comes in with news, but then gives Fornell a hug when she sees him.
She takes Fornell and Gibbs to the lab where she had been working to fix an external drive for a laptop. She found DNA on the cover that indicated another American named Randall White was working for the terrorists.
The team reveals White had been in the army, but was discharged after bad conduct and he had been arrested for assault before being put on probation. His last known location was in Turkey. Tim finds information from his passport telling them that White just arrived at the Dulles airport. Tony, Gibbs, and Ellie head for the airport while Fornell and Tim work in MTAC.
Facial recognition software informs Tim that White got into a cab, so he makes a call to dispatch in order to track the specific cab. When the cab driver gets a call asking his destination, White quietly makes a call to someone telling them to leave and asks the driver to drop him off.
Tim lets Gibbs know that White had the cab driver let him out and Gibbs mentions they are close to the location. Tony and Ellie get out to walk on the streets while Gibbs drives around to look himself. When Gibbs stops the car in front of White, they ask him to hold up his hands, but instead, White shoots himself in the head with a plastic gun.
Gibbs and Fornell are at the scene when Tim tells them he got information that White went through airports in Turkey, Athens, and London. Gibbs tells them to keep the media at bay just as Ellie and Tony tell them that Nasry was at the Chesterfield Hotel where White was going, but left before their arrival.
In the morgue, Ducky tells Gibbs that evidence from White’s body indicate he had recently shaved his face and that he covered up a “death by dishonor” tattoo. He tells Gibbs that likely due to his gang history and not doing well in the army, then being involved in a terrorist group seemed appealing.
Tony is reading in the squad room when Zoe, his co-worker from Philadelphia, comes in. She mentions Abby called her thinking ATF may want to have a look at the gun. He asks why she is up there and apparently, she is returning his cuffs. They are in a relationship that Tony wants kept secret to avoid the gossip mill. He takes her to Abby’s lab just as we see Tim and Ellie are eavesdropping.
Zoe looks at the plastic gun, which she says is able to be produced on any 3D printer, much to Tony’s surprise. Abby says the only piece of metal on the gun was the metal pin for the trigger and it can only hold one bullet. They turn to see Tim and Ellie, who are both looking very sure of themselves. Tim says they are here because Abby needed help, but she’s confused. However, seeing their looks, she realizes something is up. Once Tony and Zoe leave, Abby asks them what the deal is and Tim reveals they are dating. Abby is in shock, especially when Tim says that Tony may find this relationship serious.
Fornell and Gibbs talk to Vance about the case to let them know they are watching for any calls that could be made from Nasry. As they speak, Fornell gets a reminder on his phone to pick Emily up. Before he leaves, Vance tells him he’s available to talk since they both have “a lot in common.” Vance asks Gibbs how Fornell is, who knows that his friend is just trying to keep a brave face.
Gibbs goes to talk to Sarah to let her know Nasry is back in town, but he assures her she is not in danger. He shows her a photograph of White, but claims not to recognize him either. When he leaves, she goes back inside and calls someone named Faheed. It turns out to be Nasry and they are working together.
Gibbs is at the office and asks Tim why Tony is late. He surprises Tim by bringing up Zoe and is curious why Tony is keeping the relationship secret. Vance comes down to let them know he will be at a luncheon for a talk that Sarah had brought up earlier in the episode.
Ellie and Fornell are sitting in a car talking about Emily. Fornell is worried about fathering a teenage girl so Ellie offers to help out. She asks how he’s doing since they are focused on Emily and not him, but he rebuffs, saying that it’s about his daughter and not himself. Fornell gets a call to tell them Nasry called his mother. Ellie sees the woman leaving her house. It turns out she knows they are there and tells them her son asked for money.
Abby tells Gibbs she got through the external hard drive, which contain video files. Tim comes to tell them about Nasry wanting to meet his mother, so they head for the area. Nasry is seen walking toward the car he thinks his mom is in, but it’s Ellie. Fornall and the team arrest him as Vance meets Sarah at the meeting place where the luncheon is being held, where they will also hear a talk from the Imam.
Gibbs interrogates Kyle, who insists on being called Faheed. He refuses to talk to Gibbs, though. Kyle looks at Gibbs’ watch and mentions being hungry. Gibbs leaves to go into the watch room where Ducky and Fornell are viewing the interrogation. Ducky doesn’t see Nasry as a jihadi terrorist since he didn’t martyr himself. Ellie comes in to say Abby got something, but she refuses to steal her thunder.
Abby shows Gibbs the video of Sarah’s plea, which had been edited to get rid of the part where she thinks she can do a better job of begging as Nasry is seen unbinding her. Gibbs realizes that Nasry was throwing them off Sarah’s trail.
The team is working to figure out where Sarah is when they mention they should tell Vance. Gibbs immediately calls Vance, who answers just as he goes through security. He turns around to show his badge before making a desperate run back toward the Imam where Sarah is walking up to him. Just as she reaches him and begins to pull her weapon, Vance arrives and grabs her arm, preventing her from shooting the Imam.
Back at NCIS, Fornell is on the phone to let his daughter know he is on his way home as Tony asks Ellie for help with paperwork since he apparently has plans. However, Tim comes up with Zoe, who reveals the whole team knows, much to Tony’s dismay. Zoe says Tony will buy them drinks and only Ellie and Tim take the offer. Fornell and Gibbs walk toward the elevator, where Fornell tells Gibbs how much he loved Diane. As they look at Sergei’s photo on the Most Wanted wall, Fornell asks Gibbs to leave a piece of Sergei for himself.
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