- Gibbs and the NCIS team continue to track down the Russian terrorist Sergei after two young Marines are killed in a bombing. Agent Fornell struggles to cope with the recent shooting death of his ex-wife at the hands of Sergei.
- The NCIS team suspects Gibbs' arch-nemesis is behind an explosion at a summit for global terror event, but Gibbs elects to sit out the investigation in order to help a grief-stricken Fornell, whose life is on the verge of imploding following his wife's murder.
- When there's an explosion on a Naval vessel, the team investigates. They discover that a Russian grenade was used, so they suspect, Mishnev. But before they can work the case, Fornell shows up and insists on being involved. But Gibbs knows that Fornell has been drinking. When Fornell refuses to let them handle it themselves, Vance wants to report him to his superiors. Gibbs asks Vance to let him take care of him. So he tells him that they're off to find Mishnev when in reality they end up in a cabin where Gibbs wants Fornell to face his problems. The team continues to work the case and Bishop's husband gives them some info that Gibbs asked for, which has some stuff on Mishnev and they discover what his motivation is.—rcs0411@yahoo.com
- DiNozzo and team soon find a gas explosion aboard a US Navy ship hosting a terrorism conference was a bomb, probably from Sergei Mishnev, plausibly against Gibbs, whom Tony suggests should keep distance, which he does to drag grief-crazy Fornel to a wood cabin for a multi-layered intervention and last stand. Russian counselor Anton Pavlenko insists he's the real target and plays an ambivalent part.—KGF Vissers
- A pair of state police pull over a car that's swerving wildly. There's a half-drunk bottle of bourbon open next to the driver: Agent Tobias Fornell.
The next day, Tobias tries to convince Gibbs that he was mostly out of it because of a beer with dinner mixed with pain pills. Gibbs is called away to a fire on a Navy ship.
The ship was supposed to host a summit on global terrorism. One female petty officer is dead with almost a dozen wounded. The team is already there and quickly concludes it was a bomb. They find a fragment that says "grenade" on it in Russian.
Gibbs immediately assumes it's his foe Sergey Mishnev and that Leon Vance was the target. Russian Counselor Anton Pavlenko was scheduled to attend but arrives late. Pavlenko says if Sergey was behind it, he was the target.
Pavlenko explains that Sergey thinks Gibbs saved his life from the Russian defector (whose death NCIS actually faked).
On the scene, Gibbs impatiently barks orders. The victim is Katherine Gomez. Tony gingerly suggests to Gibbs that he sit this one out.
Gibbs gets a call from Emily Fornell, asking to see him right away. At NCIS, she tells Gibbs she knows about her dad's arrest. She says he's been angry, bitter and self-destructive since her mom died and is drinking too much. She asks Gibbs to help him.
Gibbs demands a rundown moments after the team returns. Gomez was setting up food when the bomb went off. No one reported seeing Sergey. Fornell joins them, says he's not on leave anymore. Gibbs tries to talk to Fornell, but he barks back and Vance has to intervene.
Up in Vance's office, Vance accuses Fornell of letting his demons get the better of him. He asks Fornell to wait outside while he tells Gibbs they can't cover for Fornell and the FBI needs to know. Instead, Gibbs offers to step away from the case and take care of Fornell.
Gibbs hijacks Fornell and takes him to his electricity-free cabin the woods. He pours Fornell a giant bourbon and joins him.
At the office, McGee thinks Gibbs would only step away from the case if he had a plan. Gibbs calls for an update while Fornell retches in the background.
The team heads to the hospital to interview more victims. McGee talks to Frankie Boulos, an employee of Video Light and Sound and was only on the ship to run a teleconference of the summit for people who couldn't attend.
Tony talks to Gomez's fellow officer and friend Petty Officer Second Class Judy Sloan.
Ellie pulls Tony and McGee aside to tell them she found out Gibbs asked her husband Jake for intel on Russian-Palestinian relations, including Mishnev and Pavlenko. Gibbs just asked Jake to send everything he had to the team.
Back at the cabin, Gibbs makes coffee over the fire and tells Fornell he dumped the bourbon. Fornell is ornery and resentful. Gibbs asks him if he's done embarrassing himself and his badge and Fornell swings at him. Gibbs goads Fornell into swinging again and when he ends up on the floor, Gibbs says it's OK that Fornell blames him for Diane's death because Gibbs blames himself, too. But Fornell says it's his fault.
At the office, they comb the files from Jake and find that Mishnev and Pavlenko are old college buddies.
Meanwhile, Pavlenko meets with Mishnev in an alley and tells him he's convinced the Russian government to give him asylum -- if he kills Gibbs. Pavlenko knows NCIS faked the scientist defector's death. Pavlenko says he knows exactly where to find Gibbs.
Up at the cabin, Gibbs and Fornell freeze as they fish on a small row boat. Fornell can't help but be delighted when he snags one.
At the office, they find Sergey was born in Israeli. His father was a Russian officer stationed there and his mother was a doctor from Saudi Arabia. Suddenly they wonder if it's possible Sergey was Ari David's half-brother.
Down in the lab, Abby explains the grenade used a sheet of thin plastic for a detonator and it could have been triggered by sound. Abby suggests it could have been inside Boulos' sound equipment.
At the cabin, Fornell tells Gibbs about a voice mail he has saved from Diane. Gibbs gives him his phone and he plays it. It's from right before Diane went to meet Gibbs. Fornell blames himself for not calling her right back and the fact the last thing he ever said to her was in a fight the night before.
Gibbs tells Fornell he can prove how much he loved Diane by taking care of her daughter Emily. Back at the hospital, they should Sergey Michnev's picture to Frankie, but his father Nazar freezes when he sees it.
At the cabin, Gibbs doesn't have good enough reception to get a full update from Tony and Fornell is raring to go back. Gibbs keeps checking out the window and Fornell questions what Gibbs isn't tell him.
In interrogation, Nazar Boulos says he was friends with Sergey as a boy and then saw him a week ago when Sergey gave him a package to deliver to the ship inside the speaker. Then Sergey dropped in again today demanding a cell phone jammer.
Vance tries to call Gibbs.
Meanwhile, Sergey prowls the woods outside Gibbs' cabin with a long range rifle. Sergey busts in the door and finds Fornell by the fire. Sergey holds a gun on him and jabbers on until Gibbs sneaks up behind him and whacks him in the head with a log.
Sergey wakes up on a dark road mimicking the one in Russian where he faced down Gibbs. But this time Fornell is the one facing him. Sergey still has his gun but when he fires it, it's empty. Fornell shoots him dead between the eyes.
Later, back at the office at night, Fornell is reunited with his daughter. Vance confirms to Gibbs that Mishnev is really dead this time.
Back at his house with a beer, Gibbs gets a visit from Anton Pavlenko, telling him his ploy to trick Sergey worked. Anton, who was in on it, thanks Gibbs.
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