Better Angels is the seventh episode of NCIS Season 11 and the 241th episode of the entire NCIS series.
Synopsis
After Gibbs leaves mid-case to help his father reconnect with a former Luftwaffe pilot, Tony and McGee argue over who should run lead on the team’s investigation into the murder of a Marine Sergeant.
Prologue
At a department store, the NCIS team are busy photographing a crime scene.
NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee who's also taking pictures reveals to his boss, NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs that the victim is Marine Sergeant Michael Dawson, 28 years old and that the guy was on leave just doing some shopping.
Gibbs tells NCIS Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Mallard it's a robbery gone bad with Ducky looking through some suits.
"Yes, amidst a flock of fine wool suits, two for a hundred", Ducky replies.
Gibbs wonders if Ducky has any suggestions.
As he approaches the body, Ducky states at first glance, he sees two gunshot wounds to the chest, one directly over the heart.
Suddenly, Gibbs's phone rings and he examines to see that it's his father, Jackson Gibbs, calling him.
"Write it up. Let's get him back", Gibbs orders.
As Gibbs heads, NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo is busy interviewing the shop's owner, Sebastian Kim with Kim telling DiNozzo that he opened this store six years ago and that people call him Mr. Spiffy.
DiNozzo wants to start with Sergeant Dawson.
As Gibbs talks to a Metro cop while McGee examines the photos he's taken, Kim reveals that Dawson was over there, looking for a shirt and that all Dawson wanted was a shirt.
"I got the shirt part", DiNozzo replies before asking Kim what happens next.
Kim explains that a guy comes in a mask and a gun with the guy screaming at Kim to give him the money in the drawer and that Kim was going to do it...
"But Sergeant Dawson intervened?", DiNozzo asks.
Kim agrees, stating that Dawson went for the gun and that the robber shot Dawson before running off.
DiNozzo asks Kim if he's all right.
Kim clears his throat.
DiNozzo tells Kim that the body's gonna be removed shortly so why doesn't Kim take a minute?
He pats Kim on the shoulder with DiNozzo telling Kim that he'll be right back.
DiNozzo then heads over to McGee who stands up again with DiNozzo whistling and remarking that he got out just in time.
As Kim heads off, DiNozzo tells McGee that Mr. Spiffy's about to lose his lunch.
McGee then sarcastically comments that he sees that victim-sensitivity training really paid off and as McGee examines the photos, DiNozzo remarks that someone's been spending too much time watching Bette Midler movies before wondering if Delilah had McGee sitting down and watching Beaches again?
"Leave her out of it", McGee says.
Gibbs arrives, breaking up a potential fight and reveals that there are no other witnesses as well as the fact that Metro has seen three armed robberies in the area in the past month.
"Six-feet, ski-mask, working alone?", DiNozzo wonders.
Gibbs just looks on.
McGee announces that he'll have Metro send over the files.
As McGee and DiNozzo get back to work, Gibbs's phone rings but unlike before, this time, he answers it before telling his father that he's in the middle of something and can it wait?
On the other end, Ray Mitchell identifies himself as being an Officer with the Howard County P.D.
Meanwhile, Gibbs just listens, stunned as Mitchell apologizes for the confusion and that Gibbs was the only one programmed into the phone before wondering if Jackson Gibbs is Gibbs's father.
"Yeah. Yeah", Gibbs says before wondering if Jackson's okay.
Mitchell starts to say something but he's interrupted by Jackson shouting that he knows his rights and that he'll report an officer so damn hard their tears won't have time to hit the floor.
"Oh, yeah, you have him", Gibbs says.
Mitchell remarks that they do and that he's afraid that's been an incident.
"You think I'm kidding?!", Jackson says, furious before he demands to be shown that what law he broke.
It then cuts to Gibbs who's listening to the call, Gibbs's features full of disbelief.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four

Gibbs aiming his SIG at suspect, Aaron Connolly.
Act Five
As Aaron Connolly sits in Interrogation, Tony watches on from Observation when McGee arrives in.
Tony asks McGee how his back is with McGee stating that it's had better days.
Tony is disgusted by Connolly's actions, calling the closet launch a cheap shot before asking McGee if they got anything.
McGee says that they tore Connolly's place apart but they didn't find a murder weapon.
Tony then believes that Connolly must have tossed it and also wonders what Connolly was on, believing it to be bath salts.
However, McGee reveals that Connolly was on marijuana and PCP.
Cast
Series Regulars
Name | Portrayed by | Role |
---|---|---|
Leroy Jethro Gibbs | Mark Harmon | Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Anthony DiNozzo Junior | Michael Weatherly | Senior Special Agent and second-in-command of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Timothy McGee | Sean Murray (actor) | Special Agent for the the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Abigail Sciuto | Pauley Perrette | Chief Forensic Specialist for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
James Palmer | Brian Dietzen | Assistant Medical Examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. Despite being credited, Dietzen does not appear in this episode. |
Leon Vance | Rocky Carroll | Director of NCIS. Despite being credited, Carroll does not appear in this episode. |
Donald Mallard | David McCallum | Chief Medical Examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Recurring Cast
Name | Portrayed by | Role |
---|---|---|
Elaine | Connie Jackson | The Waitress at the diner where Gibbs gets his morning coffee. |
Jackson Gibbs | Ralph Waite | Gibbs's father. |
Guest Cast
Name | Portrayed by | Role |
---|---|---|
Karen Fox | Caryn West | DCS Department Head. |
Asabe Dawson | Jocelyn Ayanna | A woman who appears in the episode. |
Aaron Connolly | Josh Emerson | A man who appears in the episode. |
Sebastian Kim | Kelvin Yu | The head of a clothing store who also was a drug smuggler. |
Ray Mitchell | Rocky McMurray | Howard County P.D. Officer. |
Walter Beck | Tom Fitzpatrick | A fighter pilot. |
Hippie (Better Angels) | Natasha Kojic | Uncredited role. |
Military Doctor | Oscar Magana Jr. | Uncredited role. |
Michael Dawson | Judson Willie Pickard III | Marine Sergeant and the main murder victim. Uncredited role. |