NCIS Database
Advertisement

Cover Story is the twentieth episode of NCIS Season 4 and the ninetieth episode of the entire NCIS series.

Synopsis

While investigating the murder of a Petty Officer, McGee's stunned when he discovers that the death is connected to his new unpublished book.

Prologue

As numerous passers-by or civilians look on, a fire engine arrives outside a house where smoke is coming from and as the firefighters get out, the team leader Rick Green states, "Let's move. Let's go".

Green also yells to get those BAs up and pull a cord in half before telling his team that they should get ready to roll.

"Pulling two and a half", a fellow firefighter calls back.

Green tells Davis to get those utilities turned off quickly and tells Davis to move it with Davis stating, "I'm on it, sir".

As everyone grabs their equipment, Green states that they're in front and the others are to start at the back with someone telling Scotty that they're with him.

Reaching the front door, Green knocks on it, yelling that they're the Fire Department before telling his team to move.

With that, Green then barges in and as his two colleagues follow him in, Green tells them to spread out, clear the bedrooms while Green himself takes the kitchen.

As the two men head off, one states that they'll cover these down here with his partner stating that he's got the right.

While they head off, Green heads for the kitchen and through his mask, it's shown the area is completely engulfed in smoke.

Green then spots the problem and putting his axe to one side, heads for the oven, opening it and pulling out some food.

As he places it in the sink, Green grumbles, "Every damn time" before shouting to his men that it's a false alarm and that it's just another overcooked bird or something.

Green then reaches up the ceiling and turns the smoke detector off.

He then removes his mask and begins to say that it's tough to tell after six hours in the oven before stopping and realizing the room has been thrashed while also revealing that there's blood lying near one of the overturned tables.

Green just looks at his men who are staring down at the same thing.

It then cuts to show the blood of pool in the center of the room.

Act One

Vlcsnap-2021-04-28-16h01m41s327

Abby, Gibbs and Ziva after learning that the drink is not only one McGee created but that the missing Navy Petty Officer the team are searching for is a character in McGee's next book.

Act Two

Act Three

With the area now a crime scene, the team begin processing with Ziva taking photographs of both victims.

Ducky who's examining one body remarks that it's two bodies and that both have nearly identical stab wounds in both their chests and abdomens.

Act Four

Major Events

  • McGee finally admits the characters in his book, Deep Six, are all based on members of the team.

Trivia

  • Jayne Brook (Lyndi Crawshaw) and Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs) previously appeared together in the TV series Chicago Hope.
  • The café in the beginning of the episode that McGee refers to as "his" café where he works on ideas for his book is the same café from the Season 1 finale episode Reveille (episode) where Gibbs grilled Caitlin Todd about creating a profile about Ari.

Cast

Series Regulars

Name Portrayed by Role
Leroy Jethro Gibbs Mark Harmon NCIS 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.
Ziva David Cote de Pablo Mossad Liaison to the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Abigail Sciuto Pauley Perrette Chief Forensic Specialist, NCIS.
Timothy McGee Sean Murray Junior Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Jennifer Shepard Lauren Holly NCIS Director. Despite being credited, Holly does not appear in this episode.
Donald Mallard David McCallum Chief Medical Examiner, NCIS.

Guest Cast

Name Portrayed by Role
Lyndi Crawshaw Jayne Brook A publisher.
Landon Grey Steve Braun The killer.
Todd Ryder Wilson Cruz Lyndi Crawshaw's assistant.
Rick Green Nynno Ahli A firefighter.
Johnny Smokerson Chris Akers A man who appears in the episode.
  v - e - dNCIS Season 4
Shalom (episode)Escaped (episode)Singled Out (episode)Faking It (episode)Dead and Unburied (episode)Witch Hunt (episode)Sandblast (episode)Once a Hero (episode)Twisted Sister (episode)Smoked (episode)Driven (episode)Suspicion (episode)Sharif Returns (episode)Blowback (episode)Friends and Lovers (episode)Dead Man Walking (episode)Skeletons (episode)Iceman (episode)Grace Period (episode)Cover Story (episode)Brothers in Arms (episode)In the Dark (episode)Trojan Horse (episode)Angel of Death (episode)
Advertisement