Cadence is the fourteenth episode of NCIS Season 12 and the 272nd episode of the entire NCIS series.
Synopsis
A Marine who was also a member of the Remington Military Academy, prompting the NCIS team to investigate. As this happens, DiNozzo finds himself remembering his day as a young teenage student at the Academy while Bishop and her husband, Jake, invite Gibbs and the team for a special dinner.
Prologue
At a lone forest with owls even hooting in the background, leaves are heard rustling.
It then shows a bloodstain being left behind in the snow as someone drags a bag along the ground.
The man then grunts, turning the bag before it reveals that an African-American man was inside the bag with the other man lying on the ground, dead, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.
On his hand lies a class ring from an Academy.
It closes up on the hand as time begins to pass.
The camera pulls over again as sirens are heard wailing in the background with a man yelling, "Hey! Over here!" and as a SUV, presumably the park police arrives, the unknown man rushes forward, stating that he's the guy who called.
It then cuts of a shot of the man talking to the police while the body lies there, untouched.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
Tony after arresting Gerald Tanner for the murder of John Wallis.
Act Five
Trivia
- This is the last episode of the entire NCIS series to be written by Christopher Silber as Silber left the NCIS writing team and subsequently joined the NCIS: New Orleans writing team, serving as a writer, producer and showrunner. Following NCIS: New Orleans's cancellation with the final episode airing in May 2021, Silber then joined NCIS: Hawaii as a co-creator, writer and executive producer, remaining there until the show ended in May 2024.
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 of 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. |
| Eleanor Bishop | Emily Wickersham | NCIS Probationary Agent. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Malloy | Jamie Bamber | NSA Agent and Ellie Bishop's husband. |
Other Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald Tanner | Steve Harris (actor) | A man who appears in the episode. |
| Travis Phelps | Brendan Patrick Connor | AKA "Piggy". |
| Frederick Cantor | Lennie Loftin | Mentor of the murder victim. |
| Lucas Craig | Robert Adamson (actor) | Senior Cadet. |
| Mark Golan | Cameron Jebo | Cadet. |
| John Wallis | Justin Wilson | The main murder victim. Uncredited role. |
| Christine Saunders | Courtney Akbar | Uncredited role. |
| Cadet in PTS | David Briner | Uncredited role. |