‘NCIS’: Tony Reveals His Version of Gibbs’ Rules — and McGee’s Future?!

So, how is Tony DiNozzo’s (Michael Weatherly) first episode as NCIS director? Well, it’s a bit of a learning curve for all involved. For instance, he’s more than happy to get very involved in the team’s case, including joining the interrogation. But what’s especially intriguing is the plan revealed for McGee’s (Sean Murray) future in the final moments. Warning: Spoilers for NCIS Season 24 Episode 2 ahead!

Tony starts the episode by, as is revealed by the end, being the one to pull the biohazard alarm to test who runs towards and away from danger, and then holding his all-hands meeting outside after the evacuation. And to say it’s weird is an understatement, especially when he leads everyone in clapping for the team when they head out on their case.

“Maybe I don’t have a vision [as director],” he admits. “That’s not what’s important. You don’t need to understand me; that’s not your job. Your job is to solve cases, and my job is to make sure nothing gets in your way. Of course, I am going to screw things up, probably before lunch, but you won’t have time to worry about me. You’ll be too busy solving cases, busting bad guys, and being heroes.”

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The case is also odd: All but one dinner guest is knocked out by gas while mercenaries search a house but seemingly don’t take anything. Then, a storage unit full of pig eyes in jars is found, one of the homeowners ends up dead, and it seems to all be linked back to a formula to cure baldness, which could bring in a lot of money. But it’s when the team discovers that the CIA is involved that the pieces come together.

During the course of the investigation, Tony makes it clear to Parker (Gary Cole) that he knows what it means to be replacing Vance; reminds Kasie (Diona Reasonover) that the weirder, the better (think quirks like Abby’s coffins, farting hippos, and roller skates); has McGee calling him his probie since he has served as acting director and insists the senior field agent get his own probie; visits his “favorite autopsy gremlin,” no, “medical examiner,” with a condition of Tony staying with Palmer (Brian Dietzen) that he not call him that; and has Knight (Katrina Law) watching his diet after a call from Ziva. Plus, Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) wants McGee to put in a good word with Tony about letting him have more tactical assignments. And, in a moment that feels like it has to be setting up the Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly reunion to come in the October 20 episode of NCIS: Origins, Tony seems to mistake Parker for Gibbs without naming him in MTAC, just commenting on the silver hair coming out of the dark.

Tony even brings up his “tenets,” specifically the fifth one, “Always good to have a second set of eyes,” a clear nod to Gibbs’ rules. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he says when Knight calls him out on it.

As it turns out, the commandos that gassed the dinner guests were CIA. The agency became aware last year of a potentially massive infiltration of their country by long-term deep cover operatives. He was one of them. The CIA went in when a software update corrupted the video data on a robot vacuum they were using to watch him. But it wasn’t the CIA who poisoned him — his wife did. They weren’t really married (it was just a cover), and she risked exposing them because of his hair loss drug.

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However, they’re not going to arrest her, Tony tells McGee. They’re instead hoping that her handler keeps her in the field. “I know something’s coming down the pike, something bad, very bad, something a lot of very smart people are very worried about,” Tony explains, and she’s the only lead. “I’m not happy about letting her go, but we’ll get her eventually; this is good for us, Tim.”

Tony also explains why he’s been so involved in the investigation: “This job is like the drummer from Spinal Tap. It kills people, but it’ll kill your soul first unless you find a way to blow off some steam. Vance boxed. Jenny lit up the town. You know what I like to do? I like to bust bad guys. So I’m going to do my job as director, and when I need to take a little break, blow off a little steam, I’m going to go bust some bad guys with you. And it’s not a distraction; it’s the only way I know how to survive this job. Can you live with that?”

McGee can. Then, to end their conversation, Tony reveals that McGee doesn’t have his job because SecNav has another one planned for him: hers.

What did you think of Director DiNozzo? And do you want to see SecNav McGee? Let us know in the comments section below.

NCIS, Tuesdays, 8/7c, CBS