NCIS Season 13 (2015)
Season 13 of NCIS opens in the aftermath of Gibbs being shot by Luke Harris, a kid he has been helping to de-radicalise after an international operation named ‘The Calling’ is recruiting youth for terror missions. The season originally aired between September 22nd 2015 and May 17th 2016, and the first half deals with themes of purpose and identity, as Leroy struggles with his health and Bishop’s relationship breaks down after Jake cheats on her while stationed abroad.
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We revisit Ducky’s past in Season 13, learning about his younger brother who became estranged many years before when his stepmother took him away, but a case reunites them once again. This isn’t the only sibling reunion we see, as Abby’s brother Luca is swept up in a murder investigation on an airplane, spawning the first series crossover event as the case leads the team back to New Orleans. An old face reappears too for Tony, as a mission linked to South Sudan brings Jeanne Benoit back into his orbit. She’s also later seen in in the episode ‘Loose Cannon’, after a case involving the theft of weapons is traced back to her late father.
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One of my favourite episodes from this season was ‘Lockdown’, as Abby travels to another laboratory and gets trapped inside by a hostage situation. It’s really cool seeing her use her own skills to navigate this and even work out who within the building was in on the operation. I also really loved the episode ‘After Hours’, seeing how work impacts relationships for McGee and DiNozzo, and the episode ‘Reasonable Doubts’ when a case has the whole team divided and they all argue their defence in a style quite similar to HTGAWM.
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The season ends with a 4 episode arc, as a list of NCIS agents are targeted by Trent Kort, who is framing former MI6 spy Jacob Scott who was put in prison by Tom Morrow. Morrow loses his life, and a later chase pursues as it’s revealed Ziva is the next target and her farmhouse is blown up, leaving only a daughter Tony didn’t know existed. Kort is eventually captured and Scott’s name is cleared.
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This chain of events leads to DiNozzo leaving at the end of Season 13, and I think the way his character was written out is a very beautiful tribute to so many years given to the show by Michael Weatherly. I enjoyed this season much more than the last - I think the storylines were more varied and original, with one of the best endings we’ve seen in a while.
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The special features includes lots of deleted scenes and commentaries, alongside a further look at the explosives department, a clip commemorating 300 episodes, an overview of Season 13 and a short film honouring Anthony DiNozzo.
