Past, Present, and Future is the second episode of NCIS Season 11 and also the 236th episode of the entire NCIS series.
This episode marks the final appearance of Cote de Pablo (Ziva David) in the opening credits and also as a series regular as de Pablo departed the NCIS series shortly after this episode aired up until her reappearance six years later which occurred in the last few seconds of the NCIS Season 16 finale episode, "Daughters".
Synopsis
As Gibbs, McGee and the rest of the NCIS team tackle other aspects in the current case while also hunting down wanted terrorist Benham Parsa and Parsa's terrorist group, the Brotherhood of Doubt who have left nothing but a trail of death and destruction in their campaign against Gibbs's team, Tony finds himself heading to Israel in the hope of finding Ziva before it's too late.
Prologue
The episode opens with a recap of what happened in the previous episode and ends with NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Junior looking at a childhood photo of his partner, former NCIS Special Agent Ziva David with her half-brother, Ari Haswari with Tony wondering where Ziva is.
It's late May and on a flight presumably to Israel, Tony sits on the plane, glancing out the window, lost in deep thought. He turns away and sees Ziva sitting in a chair a few inches away from him.
"Ziva", Tony whispers.
She tells him not to worry and that they will be okay.
Tony just stares back at her, lost for words.
Suddenly, a voice asks him if he's okay.
It then reveals that there's a young woman sitting there and that the Ziva he saw there was likely an image in Tony's mind.
As this goes, the real woman asks Tony if he's okay and if he wants to get out.
Tony swallows, takes a deep breath and turns away, assuring the woman that he's good.
As the woman settles back into her seat, it cuts to Tony who glances up at the ceiling, lost in deep thought.
Act One
Act Two
Gibbs upon finding Lisa Pierway's body.
Act Three
At the crime scene, as Gibbs and McGee begin examining the scene, NCIS Medical Examiner, Dr. Donald Mallard remarks that there are signs of an intense struggle before Lisa Pierway was strangled.
As Gibbs looks out a window, McGee remarks that the shooter didn't bother to make it look a robbery and Pierway was a pharmaceutical rep and that there are boxes of drug samples left untouched in her closet.
Gibbs remarks that the guy was a pro as he cleaned up after himself and left no prints.
Ducky tells Gibbs not to be too sure and states that what he, Ducky, thought at first was petechial in Pierway's eyes were actually subconjunctival hemorrhages, likely caused by the killer's thumbs.
Gibbs then realizes that the killer eye-gouged Pierway.
Ducky remarks that it's a bully tactic indeed but it's one that may prove perversely fortunate.
"Thumbprints", McGee states.
Ducky reveals that Pierway's wearing contact lenses and that if Abby can get a partial print off one of them, they may get their killer.
Act Four
Act Five
Major Events
- Sarah Porter, the new SECNAV is introduced for the first time.
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-comand of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Ziva David | Cote de Pablo | Former Junior Special Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response Team who resigned from the team in the last few seconds of the Season 10 finale episode, "Damned If you Do" and is now a civilian residing in Israel, having gone into hiding to avoid members of the Brotherhood of Doubt. |
| Timothy McGee | Sean Murray | Special Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Abigail Sciuto | Pauley Perrette | Chief Forensic Specialist of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| James Palmer | Brian Dietzen | Assistant Medical Examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Leon Vance | Rocky Carroll | Director of NCIS. |
| Donald Mallard | David McCallum | Chief Medical Examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Recurring Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Tobias Fornell | Joe Spano | Senior Supervisory Agent with the FBI. |
| Orli Elbaz | Marina Sirtis | Director of Mossad. |
| Young Ziva David | Gabi Coccio | Ziva as a young thirteen year old girl. |
| Adam Eshel | Damon Dayoub | A friend of Ziva's. |
| Dominick Wayne | Allan Louis | Captain in the United States Navy. |
| Tomás Mendez | Costas Mandylor | A man under protective custody who was later revealed to be working for the terrorist cell targeting Gibbs and his team. Later dies after Gibbs shoots him with a sniper rifle. |
Other Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Porter | Leslie Hope | A female politician who is also the newly appointed Secretary of the Navy, succeeding Clayton Jarvis who died in an explosion in the previous episode. |
| Vernon Dale | Omar J. Dorsey | A man who appears in the episode. |
| Deena Bashan | Lena Georgas | A Doctor and also a childhood friend of Ziva David. |
| Henry Coldwell | Keenan Henson | A man who appears in the episode. |
| Young Woman (Past, Present, and Future) | Nell Teare | A woman who appears in the episode. |
| Waitress (Past, Present, and Future) | Brenda Vivian | A woman who appears in the episode. |
| Thomas Reynolds (Past, Present, and Future) | Jermaine Brantley | Uncredited role. |