NCIS (season 5)

The fifth season of the police procedural drama NCIS premiered on September 25, 2007 and marks the end of Donald P. Bellisario's involvement as show runner.[1] The new showrunner, starting from this season, is Shane Brennan. It concludes the La Grenouille storyline which ended with a cliffhanger in season four's finale, "Angel of Death". This season also reveals more background information about Gibbs.

NCIS
Season 5
Season 5 U.S. DVD cover
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes19
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 25, 2007 (2007-09-25) –
May 20, 2008 (2008-05-20)
Season chronology

The Writers Guild strike limited episode production and the DVD set had five discs instead of six. The season ended with its 19th episode on May 20, 2008; the strike-caused gap is between episodes 11 and 12. The season ended with a two-part season finale called "Judgment Day". The season featured the departure of recurring characters Colonel Hollis Mann and Jeanne Benoit, as well as the death of Jenny Shepard, one of the main characters.

From this season on, the opening sequence was shortened to 30 seconds instead of the normal 37–44 seconds that was present in the previous seasons.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
951"Bury Your Dead"Thomas J. WrightShane BrennanSeptember 25, 2007 (2007-09-25)50113.89[2]
Directly following the events from the previous episode, "Angel of Death", Tony is still undercover as Anthony DiNardo and meets Jeanne's father, La Grenouille, who is aware of Tony's true identity, which Tony later reveals to Jeanne, upsetting her. The team are also led to the assumption that Tony is dead, as while watching the security cameras, Tony's car explodes and Ducky's analysis indicates the body could be that of Tony, but realizes that it is not because of his lungs. Director Shepard reveals to Agent Gibbs and his team that she had given Tony an undercover mission to build a relationship with Jeanne in hopes of capturing La Grenouille after spending nearly ten years searching for him. Around the same time, Tony returns to NCIS Headquarters and is greeted first by Kort, who angrily shoves him against the wall of the elevator for worsening the situation. La Grenouille approaches Director Shepard for protection after deciding to quit the arms smuggling business against the CIA's wishes. However, Shepard refuses his plea for asylum out of pure spite and devotion to her late father. The team tries to track down La Grenouille again and find his boat, but not the man himself. They believe he made his escape and leave, but the camera pans to the water to show La Grenouille's floating corpse while also revealing that he has sustained a single gunshot wound to his forehead.
962"Family"Martha MitchellSteven D. BinderOctober 2, 2007 (2007-10-02)50216.43[3]
A petty officer is thought to have died in a car accident until inconsistencies at the scene indicate that the Petty Officer was murdered and was not the driver of the crashed car. When the car's driver is later found, Ducky conducts the autopsy and discovers that she had been beaten to death and had given birth not long beforehand, leading the team to believe that the killer has taken her child. Meanwhile, Tony tries to confront his feelings for Jeanne after her departure.
973"Ex-File"Dennis SmithAlfonso H. MorenoOctober 9, 2007 (2007-10-09)50316.36[4]
Two women find a dead Marine Captain on an Army base, one of whom is his wife, the other is Gibbs' third ex-wife. As Special Agent Gibbs and Lt. Colonel Mann conduct a joint investigation between NCIS and the Army into the murder, a DIA agent is sent to overlook Abby's handling of the Captain's laptop, which contains highly classified information. Gibbs becomes uncomfortable when he is forced into a confrontation with his ex-wife, Colonel Mann, and Director Shepard at the same time, much to the amusement of his team.
984"Identity Crisis"Thomas J. WrightJesse SternOctober 16, 2007 (2007-10-16)50417.55[5]
Ducky is angered when one of his research cadavers is revealed to have been a murder victim and was mistakenly tagged as a "John Doe" and donated to science. The deceased man is identified by the team as a career felon, who was working with the FBI to track down a man suspected of supplying people with new identities. They discover the man's murderer, an elusive individual known simply as "the Eraser", has ties with major terrorists organizations around Africa, Europe, and the U.S. With no face to ID "the Eraser", NCIS and the FBI join forces to find the suspect and Tony goes undercover with one of Fornell's rookie agents. Cameo appearance of the actual NCIS Director Thomas A. Betro.
995"Leap of Faith"Dennis SmithGeorge Schenck & Frank CardeaOctober 23, 2007 (2007-10-23)50517.26[6]
When a Navy lieutenant who worked at the Pentagon as an intelligence officer attempts to commit suicide by jumping off a rooftop, NCIS is called in to consult the officer. After Gibbs is able to persuade the officer to step down from the ledge, the officer is shot dead, falling to his death from the rooftop. Each member of Gibbs' team has a different theory on the murder, one of which includes the officer being a mole. Meanwhile, the team believes Abby is considering a job offer in the private sector.
1006"Chimera"Tony WharmbyDan E. FesmanOctober 30, 2007 (2007-10-30)50716.33[7]
Gibbs' team is sent to investigate a death aboard USNS Chimera, a top-secret naval research ship sailing in the middle of the ocean. After boarding the ship, they find it abandoned except for a dead U.S. Navy scientist, who died from viral hemorrhagic fever. However, they suspect that they are not alone. Their investigation is further complicated by the Navy's reluctance to share information regarding the research which took place on Chimera. However, they quickly discover that the Chimera is not a research ship, but is in fact transporting a salvaged Russian nuclear warhead. A mole in the crew staged a viral outbreak to get the crew to abandon ship in preparation for the Russian strike team. The NCIS team sabotages the Chimera and steals the Russian strike team's boat, taking the warhead with them. As the team leaves, Navy jets destroy the Chimera to cover up any evidence of Navy involvement.
1017"Requiem"Terrence O'HaraDan FesmanNovember 6, 2007 (2007-11-06)50618.15[8]
The episode begins with Tony retrieving Gibbs from the water and trying to revive him. It is revealed that Maddie, a childhood friend of Gibbs' deceased daughter Kelly, comes to him for help after being stalked which leads to the events of Gibbs' car driving into water. While unconscious, Gibbs has a vision that he is visited by his dead wife and daughter and is reassured that everything is fine. This was planned to be the 100th episode, but it was decided that Chimera was more fitting for Hallowe'en week, so the two were switched.
1028"Designated Target"Colin BuckseyReed SteinerNovember 13, 2007 (2007-11-13)50817.39[9]
Gibbs and his team investigate the assassination of a Navy admiral and meet a woman whose search for her husband, a political refugee from Africa, is related to the case. It turns out that a death squad by an African dictatorship who fear that the missing husband (who they only have a vague description of) will return to lead the opposition in the country. They discover the identity of the assassin and arrest him before he can finish the job.
1039"Lost & Found"Martha MitchellDavid J. NorthNovember 20, 2007 (2007-11-20)50917.34[10]
While a group of boy scouts are on a visit to NCIS, Abby discovers that one of the boys was reported to have been abducted in 1998, leading the team to search for his father who is running from a murder he was accused of committing in 1998. The team launches a manhunt for the father, but are hindered by the son who warns his father in advance. Meanwhile, the team watches over the boy, who all (but Tony) realize that he is a mini-DiNozzo.
10410"Corporal Punishment"Arvin BrownJesse SternNovember 27, 2007 (2007-11-27)51017.04[11]
The NCIS team pays a heavy price when they try to track down a Marine who believes he is still in Iraq. After a violent confrontation in which DiNozzo, McGee, and Ziva are injured, the team realizes the Marine is the subject of an experiment. Things are further complicated when a Senator's aide begins interfering with the investigation, since the Marine was due to be awarded a medal by the Senator and such an incident would be bad for his public image. The team suspects that the Marine was an unknowing subject of a secret super soldier experiment, until they discover that he had been secretly taking steroids in order to qualify for the Marines. Due to drug use, the Marine is bound to be discharged and his medal withheld. Gibbs, sympathetic for the young Marine, gives him one of his own unused medals instead.
10511"Tribes"Colin BuckseyReed SteinerJanuary 15, 2008 (2008-01-15)51115.82[12]
The NCIS team investigates when a Muslim Marine is found dead near a mosque that is suspected by the FBI of terrorist recruitment. But the investigation hits a snag when Ducky refuses to autopsy the Marine in deference to the Marine's family's religious beliefs as that the father believes that if Ducky cuts into his body, then his son will never find in peace in Heaven. Meanwhile, the investigation leads the team to Hans Staiger, a terrorist known as "the Recruiter".
10612"Stakeout"Tony WharmbyGeorge Schenck & Frank CardeaApril 8, 2008 (2008-04-08)51214.05[13]
When a high-tech naval radar goes missing but is found again, the team stakes an abandoned warehouse to catch the thief – using the radar as bait. But the plan goes wrong and the radar is stolen – and a man is murdered nearby. In the end, the team manages to connect both cases – and reveal the truth behind the reason of the theft. The true culprit was the designer of the radar, because he knew that the radar was not complete and if the Navy found out, he would lose his contract. Meanwhile, Ducky has Abby and Jimmy run some anonymous blood work, and when Gibbs finds out, he realizes Ducky is holding a secret for Jenny.
10713"Dog Tags"Oz ScottDan E. Fesman & Alfonso H. MorenoApril 15, 2008 (2008-04-15)51315.13[14]
When the NCIS team investigates a fatal dog mauling of a suspected drug smuggler within the K-9, Abby risks her career in hopes of proving the victim dog's innocence to save him from being put down. The team struggles with the case, with the director threatening to end their case, when they find a new victim and finally manage to track down the drug trafficker. The trafficker was one of the K-9 trainers, who secretly replaced her drug sniffing dog with an attack dog in order to smuggle drugs. Meanwhile, Abby befriends the "killer" dog, names him "Jethro", and works to keep him from being put down as she attempts to prove the dog is not guilty. However, her landlord doesn't allow pets, so she instead forces McGee to adopt him which he grudgingly agrees to do despite the fact that the dog attacked him at the beginning of the episode.
10814"Internal Affairs"Tony WharmbyJesse Stern & Reed SteinerApril 22, 2008 (2008-04-22)51414.24[15]
The discovery of the dead body of La Grenouille causes the Washington office of NCIS to be investigated by the FBI, with Jenny as the prime suspect for his murder, the NCIS building being shut down by the Bureau and Assistant Director Vance relieving the Director and taking her place for the time. The team assembles discreetly at Gibbs' house and investigate for themselves and confirm that he was indeed murdered. After evidence comes to light exonerating Jenny, Jeanne Benoit reappears and blames Tony for the murder, at first, but Trent Kort (who has since, with the blessing of the CIA, taken over La Grenouille's business) arrives and claims responsibility. At the conclusion of the episode, Gibbs tells Jenny that the story she told wasn't accurate, and it is inferred that Jenny killed La Grenouille, due to Gibbs having seen the arms dealer putting the gun on the director's home desk although Gibbs does not take any action, simply stating, "Long live the queen".
10915"In the Zone"Terrence O'HaraLinda BurstynApril 29, 2008 (2008-04-29)51514.76[16]
When a Marine captain is killed during a mortar attack, it turns out that he was shot. Tony and Intel Analyst Nikki Jardine are sent to Baghdad to investigate, while the rest of the team assists by investigating stateside. The team uncovers that the man he contracted to provide soil testing hired a civilian contractor in Iraq to murder him when the captain discovers the soil sample was faked. While in Baghdad, Nikki tries to make up for a Marine mistake that led to the death of the man who helped her brother when he was wounded.
11016"Recoil"James Whitmore Jr.Teleplay by: George Schenck & Frank Cardea
Story by: Dan E. Fesman		May 6, 2008 (2008-05-06)51614.04[17]
Ziva is working undercover to find a murderer who killed five women and cut off their fingers after they died. She leaves with the killer, when Tony finds the fifth victim and the killer, having found out about Ziva, directs her to an abandoned warehouse. Before he can kill her, she manages to get into a fight with him and then shoot him with his own gun. The team is happy with the killer dead but some things are still unclear. A partial fingerprint from his weapon finally leads to a Marine who killed his wife copying the killer. Meanwhile Ziva has an affair with one of the men suspected to be the accomplice of the killer.
11117"About Face"Dennis SmithTeleplay by: Alfonso H. Moreno & Reed Steiner
Story by: Jesse Stern		May 13, 2008 (2008-05-13)51714.88[18]
When investigating the death of a man at a building site, Jimmy Palmer follows a suspicious man who is snooping around, only for the man to shoot at him. Left shellshocked, Jimmy struggles to remember the man's face and thus identify him. In the end, the team finds him but the shooter tries to flee but Jimmy manages to stop him in his car.
11218"Judgment Day (Part 1)"Thomas J. WrightSteven D. Binder & David J. NorthMay 20, 2008 (2008-05-20)51816.52[19]
Two boys discover a dead man, which is later identified as former NCIS Special Agent William Decker. Director Shepard attends his funeral in Los Angeles, with Tony and Ziva tagging along as protection. Agent Decker's death was ruled a heart attack, but an encounter at the funeral leads Jenny to suspect it was murder. Jenny sends Tony and Ziva away. The Director secretly brings in Mike Franks to help her investigate, believing the murder is related to a covert mission in Paris nine years ago, involving herself, Decker, and Gibbs. While searching an abandoned diner, four hitmen track Shepard and Franks down and a shootout ensues inside. Jenny and Franks manage to kill all of the men, but Jenny dies from injuries she receives during the gunfight and her body is found by Tony and Ziva.
11319"Judgment Day (Part 2)"Thomas J. WrightTeleplay by: David J. North & Christopher J. Waild
Story by: Steven D. Binder		May 20, 2008 (2008-05-20)51916.52[19]
In the aftermath of Jenny's death, Assistant Director Vance searches for Franks, who escaped the diner after killing the fourth gunman. Meanwhile, Tony and Ziva try to locate the one responsible, while dealing with the fallout of failing in their assignment to protect the Director. The trail points to a former hitman called Natasha, who Jenny failed to assassinate in Paris nine years previously while on an assignment that she and Gibbs were working on together. Since Gibbs killed Natasha's lover, Natasha has returned to the U.S. seeking revenge. Natasha, who never saw it coming, is killed by Franks, after Gibbs set a trap for her at Jenny's house. Gibbs burns down the house to cover up Jenny's death, making the public believe she died of smoke inhalation. In the fallout of Jenny's funeral, newly appointed Director Vance shreds a page from his personnel file in the Director's office and terminates Ziva's liaison status (sending her back to Israel), reassigns McGee to the cyber crime division, and sends Tony to the USS Ronald Reagan. Vance then gives Gibbs personnel files for his new team members.

DVD special features
  • Cast and Crew Commentaries on Selected Episodes
  • Requiem Revisited
  • N.C.I.S. Season 5: Stem to Stern
  • The Dressing Room: The Costumes and Wardrobe of N.C.I.S.
  • N.C.I.S. on Location
  • From Pauley to Abby: Hairspray, Lipstick and Tattoos
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References
  1. Michael Ausiello (May 5, 2007). "Exclusive: NCIS Boss Exits!". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2009. (subscription required)
  2. "The Eighth Season Premiere of "Csi" is the Number One Show of the Week". CBS PressExpress. October 2, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  3. "CBS Wins Week Two In Viewers and Adults 25–54". CBS PressExpress. October 9, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  4. "CBS Completes a Trifecta in Week Three". CBS PressExpress. October 16, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  5. "A Week of Growth For a Dozen CBS Programs". CBS PressExpress. October 23, 2007. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  6. "CBS's Ratings in a Most Atypical Week That Included Four World Series Games". CBS PressExpress. October 30, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  7. "CBS Places First in Viewers and Adults 25–54; Strong Second in Adults 18–49". CBS PressExpress. November 6, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  8. ""CSI"/"Without a Trace" Crossover Episodes Are Number One and Number Two in Weekly Ratings". CBS PressExpress. November 13, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  9. "CBS Wins the Week in Viewers With Six of the Top 10 Programs". CBS PressExpress. November 20, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  10. "CBS Gives Thanks For Another Weekly Win in Viewers". CBS PressExpress. November 27, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  11. ""Two and a Half Men" Hits Season High Ratings in Viewers, Matches Best Adult 18–49 Rating and Tops "Samantha Who" in First Head-To-Head First Run Matchup". CBS PressExpress. December 4, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  12. "CBS Has the Week's Top Four Scripted Programs". CBS PressExpress. January 23, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  13. "CBS's Scripted Series Remain Strong in Their First-Run Return". CBS PressExpress. April 15, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  14. "CBS's Scripted Programs Dominate Series Programming". CBS PressExpress. April 22, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  15. "CBS Reclaims Number One Spot Among Viewers". CBS PressExpress. April 29, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  16. "CBS is Number One in Viewers For the Second Consecutive Week". CBS PressExpress. May 6, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  17. "CBS is Number One Among Viewers For the Third Consecutive Week and the Fourth Time in the Last Six". CBS PressExpress. May 13, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  18. "CBS Wins May Sweep". CBS PressExpress. May 20, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  19. "CBS HAS 7 OF THE TOP 10 SCRIPTED PROGRAMS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK". CBS PressExpress. May 28, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
General references


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