‘NCIS’: Who Tried to Kill [Spoiler] in the Season 18 Finale?
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the NCIS Season 18 finale “Rule 91.”]
One of the major questions as NCIS neared the end of its 18th season was simple: What is Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) future with the show? The finale may have hinted at what’s to come.
Amidst rumors that Harmon could be only around part-time in Season 19 — which started back before the series was renewed — the final scene of “Rule 91” may have set him up for just that. Since his suspension (he beat up a man who was killing dogs and expressed zero remorse), Gibbs has struck up a friendship and partnership with investigative reporter Marcie Warren (Pam Dawber). Together, they’ve been looking into a serial killer responsible for her friend’s death.
In the finale, Marcie seemed to have discovered the killer’s pattern and determined there was a victim they’d missed. Despite Gibbs telling her he’d been followed and finding bugs in his basement and her office, Marcie insisted on continuing to pursue her investigation. Separately, both found the boat likely used to dump the fourth victim’s body, and thanks to pine cones Gibbs found, had an idea where that was. That’s when Gibbs refused to let Marcie go any further.
And in the final scene, he was on the water, in his boat (named Rule 91 — “when you decide to walk away, don’t look back”), happy, smiling… when it exploded (the back, first). Gibbs was floating, leaving us to wonder if NCIS wanted fans to think he could be dead all summer, before he began swimming away.
However, we are left with the question of who put the bomb in his boat. We have a few theories.
Cliff Lipson/CBS
The Serial Killer
It’s simple: Gibbs and Marcie have gotten too close, and the serial killer decided to (try to) take them out. Someone was following Gibbs and did bug his basement, where he was building the boat, after all. And Gibbs did stop at a gas station. Maybe the serial killer was following him (again) and took advantage of an opportunity. But that seems too obvious and there are a few problems with that logic (keep reading).
An Enemy From Gibbs’ Past
Though some of the same problems arise with anyone being behind the bomb, we can’t rule out that one of Gibbs’ many enemies could have used any opportunity to go after him. With another season coming — and with NCIS closer to the end than the beginning — why not explore another part of his past?
A New Threat
Right now, Gibbs is indefinitely suspended from NCIS. Bishop (Emily Wickersham) may have questioned if he’s ever going to return in the finale, but maybe this is the beginning of his way back to the agency. Maybe the bombing is unrelated to anything from his past or present. Maybe it’s a new threat that will require him to return to his old workplace and team.
Cliff Lipson/CBS
Gibbs Himself
Honestly, we may be leaning towards this one. Gibbs knew he was being followed. He was moving around his tools in his house when McGee (Sean Murray) stopped by and was vague about what he was doing. The bomb seemed to be placed just right to destroy the boat but not kill Gibbs. Who would know better where to put it than Gibbs himself?
Gibbs knew he was being followed and he found a bug in his basement. Would he really not check the boat to make sure there was nothing inside it or then leave it unattended and not check it before going out in it? He may have been suspended, but he’s still a seasoned agent.
We have a feeling this is part of Gibbs’ plan to track down that serial killer himself and can be used to explain any absences from Harmon, depending on how much of Season 19 he’s in.
Plus, he named the boat “Rule 91.” Doesn’t blowing it up suggest that he’s not walking away?
NCIS, Season 19, Fall 2021, CBS
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O
There is a big preliminary issue to be resolved. How did Gibbs get the boat out of his basement?
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G
Possibly, but he was so enjoying himself right before it blew up. I would think he would be more aware of his surroundings and how he was going to get out it.
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C
That is the part that I don't get. Gibbs put so much into that boat -- care, work, time --- it doesn't make sense that he would be joyfully whooping it up and enjoying that ride like he was --- only to blow it up a moment later. Could it have been a decoy copy of the boat? And wow, Mike Frank and Gatorgal make a great case that Marcie is the culprit!
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G
Marcie did it. She planted the bugs and the bomb that blew up the boat. She had access to Gibbs' basement and apparently knew enough about boats to know how to blow it up.
She is the serial killer and Gibbs knows it.
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G
She does know a lot about boats as the first time she showed up at his house, she identified the boat part in his hand, which made him drop his guard and allow her "in"; I think she is a plausible candidate, but why? Does she have something against Gibbs? She brought him into the case, so it's not like she wasn't thinking he would figure it out. That's the wrinkle for me. What would be her motive in involving Gibbs in the first place if the goal was to kill him?
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B
She makes her living writing stories about crimes. She already wrote the story about Gibbs getting suspended. Now she blows him up and tries to make him look like the serial killer.
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O
yes, I think she is out for revenge for a past case that Gibbs handled, and caught someone she cared about and she blames Gibbs and possible others at NCIS. How fun that would be considering that Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon are married in real life.
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G
Gibbs blew up the boat himself. Gibbs suspects the missing victim is in the lake at the north end where the police didn't search. How could he get the police to search the north end of the lake without letting the serial killer know? If the boat blows up and they don't find a body then the police will search the lake and instead of finding a missing Gibbs they find the missing victim.
And with Gibbs being "dead" he can search for the killer without interference.
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G
Excellent scenario! Hope Bishop returns though. If not, maybe Ziva will return to replace Gibbs. It's going to be a long wait. Love NCIS!!
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C
Exactly. Especially the end --, thinking 'oh no' they are not going to make us wonder all summer if Gibbs is dead or alive! And then, 'whew' when he swam strongly away -- he's alive. Much more fun to speculate on the possibilities of all those other scenarios!
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G
Gibbs did it to fake his death. That way he can stay part-time on the show just like his old pal Fornell.
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P
Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone all over again!!!
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D
There's a big part of me that thinks Gibbs did it,the way he swims away as if he was faking being harmed and really was totally unhurt,it just feels like a Gibbs fake out.
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G
Okay with Bishop leaving the show to go "deep" undercover as a dirty NCIS former agent...lets broaden this window a bit and say perhaps Gibbs is also needed in this deep, dark undercover operation. He is already an "indefinitely" suspended NCIS agent with a past that contains many unanswered questions, he would be a perfect candidate, dead or alive. Perhaps his "faked" death is the the closure his remaining team needs to move on, while actually pursuing an investigation that will pull him back into their lives toward the end of season 19...to say a proper goodbye. Just thoughts.
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