Shabbat Shalom is the eleventh episode of NCIS Season 10 and also the 221st episode of the entire NCIS series.
Synopsis
The NCIS team investigate when the body of a Petty Officer is found by a father and a son duo on a fishing trip but the team soon discover that the supposed "Petty Officer" in question is actually a civilian as well as an investigative journalist while Ziva gets a surprise when her estranged father who she hasn't seen in two years secretly arrives in the U.S., prompting Ziva to question her father's true reasons for being in the country in the first place although he insists he's arrived to see Ziva for a Shabbat dinner but tragedy lies in wait, threatening to change the lives of both Ziva and Vance forever.
Prologue
At a small lake with numerous geese flying in the background, Austin and Randy, a father and son team are busy fishing.
Randy tells his son, Austin that he's disturbing the fish.
Austin, slightly bored tells his dad that it's January and that they are long gone.
Randy wonders where does Austin think the fish went.
"South. Duh", Austin replies before wondering if they can go now.
Randy sighs heavily before explaining that his father used to bring him out here while Austin says the health teacher said that abuse is passed down.
"I'm just saying this is a good time to talk", Randy insists. "Man-to-man".
"About what?", Austin wonders.
"School, girls, sex", Randy replies.
"Not this again", Austin states.
Randy tells his son that he's here for him.
He then examines his fishing line, remarking that the thing must be a monster and as he struggles with the fishing line, Randy tells Austin that he shouldn't be afraid to tell him things.
"I'm not a virgin anymore", Austin replies.
This causes Randy to fall off his seat and go "What?".
Austin just laughs, telling his father that he was just kidding.
"Very funny", Randy sarcastically says.
He then pulls out his line but then drops it, going "Oh my God".
It then shows that the item in question is none than a human ear.
Austin looks down, remarking that there's probably a dead guy there and that it's cool.
It then cuts to Randy who looks annoyed.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
Gibbs after hearing gunshots at Vance's house.
Act Five
As soon as the gunfire has died down, Ziva gets off the floor, drawing her gun.
She then heads outside to the neighborhood area where she spots the shooter fleeing and heading to a car.
Ziva identifies herself as a federal agent and yells at him to stop but he just keeps on going, causing her to fire two shots at the car.
The shooter then gets into the car and just as he starts the engine, preparing to drive off, Ziva reaches the entrance to the house and fires one shot which shatters the back window of the car before firing two or three more shots which miss while the car then turns a corner, disappearing from sight.
Ziva then heads back inside and jumps over a gate, reaching the road just as the car appears although it doesn't appear to be stopping.
Firmly standing her ground, Ziva, glancing at the car and without even blinking then fires four more shots into the main window of the car which sends the car off-course and crashing into some parked cars.
"Hands in the air!", Ziva yells, cautiously approaching the car and as she approaches, it's revealed that the driver has escaped via the passenger door of the car.
As Ziva looks around for any sign of the shooter, her cell phone rings.
It's Gibbs who's busy heading to the Vance household and as he does that, he wants to know what happened.
Ziva tells him that she doesn't know before adding that she saw the shooter and that she went after him.
Gibbs tells Ziva to get back to the house but Ziva states the shooter's injured and that she's not gonna lose him.
In the car, Gibbs informs Ziva that he's coming to her before increasing the speed.
Back at the Vance household, the windows and living room have been completely destroyed by gunfire just as Tony and McGee arrive in a second NCIS Dodge Charger.
As they get out, McGee spots something and calls for Tony with Tony who's already drawing his own gun telling McGee to call an ambulance.
Meanwhile, Ziva's at an alleyway, her gun drawn and flashlight out just as Gibbs arrives to join her, carrying his own flashlight.
Gibbs wants to know if Ziva's alright with Ziva assuring him that she's fine.
As they both walk up the path, Gibbs draws his own gun and as Ziva spots drops of blood on the path, she remarks that he (the shooter) isn't.
In the distance, sirens are heard wailing but Gibbs and Ziva push on.
As they continue, the two Agents spot a big pool of blood beside a pole with Gibbs realizing that the shooter stopped to rest and as Gibbs checks the area, Ziva examines the blood before remarking that when a wounded animal has lost too much blood, it knows it can no longer run.
"Yeah, so he hides", Gibbs states.
Back at the Vance household, Tony enters the house, his gun drawn with McGee aiding him as they search for any signs of impending danger.
Tony then tells McGee that he has blood on the wall and as they enter the dining room, they pause upon hearing a object rattling.
Tony then calls out Vance's name with Vance stating, "DiNozzo".
The two agents then reach the kitchen and as they come in, Vance stands up, blood on all over his shirt with Tony remaking that Vance is bleeding.
Vance tells him that it isn't his and that he needs more towels before kneeling back down again and as Vance mutters, "Hold on", Tony and McGee approach the scene and are left stunned at the scene before them (presumably that of Jackie Vance lying on the ground, bleeding heavily although it isn't shown).
A helicopter is up in the night sky and it's using its light to search for something, the lights of which flash into a shed where the shooter lies against a wall, bleeding heavily before he produces something from his pocket.
Outside the door, Gibbs pounds at the door and yells "Federal agents!".
Ziva shouts that they know that the shooter's in there and that they're coming in before stating that the shooter should keep his hands where they can see them.
As this happens, the shooter produces a lighter from his pocket.
The door then slowly opens and Ziva and Gibbs enter, carrying their flashlights and guns with Ziva shouting "Hands!".
The shooter weakly states that he did not expect Ziva to come after him, rather than checking on her father.
Ziva asks her father as Gibbs demands who the shooter is.
The shooter then states that he's a man with one last job to do before asking Gibbs if he has a light.
When Gibbs doesn't reply, the shooter then places the cigarette in his mouth and Ziva instantly realizes that there's poison in the cigarette as she quickly holsters her gun.
Gibbs then tells the shooter to spit it out but it's too late as the poison is already taking effect. Gibbs and Ziva try to stop the poison.
Unfortunately, it's too late as the shooter instantly succumbs to the poison, dying within seconds.
Frustrated that their only lead is now dead, Ziva kicks the shooter's back and swears.
Gibbs, restraining Ziva tells her that that's enough and that they should go before they both leave the shed.
Back at the house, the whole neighborhood area has been shut down with numerous cops patrolling the area while an ambulance leaves just as Gibbs and Ziva arrive back.
Gibbs gets out out of the car with McGee telling him that the Director just left in the ambulance and that the Director's okay before telling Gibbs that Jackie Vance was hit and that they're not sure how bad it is.
Ziva then rushes in, asking about her father.
McGee just stares at the two of them, saying nothing while a frustrated Ziva grabs his coat.
Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Ziva lets go and rushes into the house with McGee staring after her.
McGee then exchanges a silent look with Gibbs before Gibbs heads into the house with McGee following her.
In the house, Tony stands in the main area, silent and staring at the sight in the corner just as Ziva rushes in.
At Tony's look, Ziva mutters, "No" before the camera pans out to show Eli lying slumped against a wall in the corner, dead, the wounds on his lower body still evident.
"Abba!", Ziva screams, her face converted in grief and despair.
She then repeats "Abba" again as she heads over to the corner to see the sight for herself.
It's then shown that in addition to being slumped against a wall, Eli is also dead, his lifeless eyes still open yet staring at nothing as Ziva approaches her father's body and begins grieving.
As this happens, Gibbs and McGee enter the house with Gibbs left stunned by the development while Tony looks at the two men, a pained look on his face before he approaches Gibbs, asking "Who did this?".
Gibbs just stares at the scene, too stunned for once to answer and as he does so, Ziva's pain-stricken voice saying, "Oh, Abba" is heard.
It then cuts to Ziva who's clinging to her father's body while saying something in Hebrew.
Gibbs then turns around and leaves with Tony and McGee following him while Ziva sits in the corner, cradling her father's remains and crying.
A while later, in the Bluemont Medical Center, as Gibbs stands at the entrance to the ER, Tony's a few meters back as the three NCIS Agents all wait for news of Jackie Vance.
Gibbs's cell-phone rings but he ignores the call.
McGee then comes in, asking if there's any word on Jackie.
Tony shakes his head and states that she's still in surgery with McGee saying that it's been two hours.
As both men look at Gibbs, Tony remarks that Gibbs hasn't moved with McGee stating that Gibbs hasn't answered his phone before telling Tony that the SECNAV started calling him too.
Tony wonders if McGee answered.
McGee states that he didn't and that he didn't know what to tell SECNAV Jarvis because Jarvis wasn't supposed to know that Eli David was in town.
"No-one was", Tony replies grimly.
McGee then remarks that if the wrong people found out what happened, this could be taken as a declaration of war.
"Maybe that's what it is", Tony grimly replies.
McGee then states Israel, Iran before saying U.S, Iran, U.S, Israel.
Tony just nods while McGee stays silent.
The two agents then turn around upon Tony seeing Abby and Ducky approaching them from behind.
Abby says Tony's name and tells them that she and Ducky came as soon as they heard.
They then all look at Gibbs who looks at them.
Ducky picks up on the sign and suggests that they should wait in the lobby.
Tony states that's a good idea.
With that, the four then head off, leaving Gibbs alone.
As they leave, an unnamed male doctor soon emerges from the ER, obviously exhausted but he doesn't stop or talk to Gibbs, instead choosing to keep on walking.
Gibbs takes a deep breath and then turns back to the door before sighing heavily just as his cell phone rings again.
He then grabs the phone, slips it open, revealing that the caller is SECNAV.
Gibbs hits a button that ends the call.
Gibbs also presses a few buttons on the keypad before closing the phone again.
At the ER doors, Vance later emerges in a daze, still wearing the blood-stained shirt, his eyes full of tears.
Gibbs then approaches Vance and calls Vance by his first name.
Still looking Gibbs in the eye, Vance seems completely numb, unable to say anything or even operate for a few seconds. Then, in a voice laced with pain and grief, he then tells Gibbs, "She's dead. My wife is dead, Gibbs".
It then cuts to Gibbs who looks devastated at the news.
Major Events
- Eli David and Jackie Vance both die after being shot.
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. |
| Ziva David | Cote de Pablo | Junior Special Agent 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 of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| James Palmer | Brian Dietzen | Medical Examiner Assistant. |
| Leon Vance | Rocky Carroll | Director of NCIS. |
| Donald Mallard | David McCallum | Chief Medical Examiner of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Recurring Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Eli David | Michael Nouri | Director of Mossad and Ziva's estranged father. Later dies from injuries sustained in the shooting, devastating Ziva. |
| Jackie Vance | Paula Newsome | NCIS Director Leon Vance's wife. Later dies from injuries sustained in the shooting, devastating Vance. |
| Shmeil Pinkhas | Jack Axelrod | A friend of Ziva's. |
Guest Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Grismer | Scott MacArthur | Petty Officer Second Class in the United States Navy. |
| Dion Kelso | Joe Martin Thomas | Petty Officer Third Class in the United States Navy. |
| Bruce Smith | Bryan Lugo | Petty Officer Third Class in the United States Navy. |
| Judd Norwood | Russell Charles Pitts | Petty Officer Third Class in the United States Navy. |
| Nathan Thomas | Brent Chase | Petty Officer Third Class in the United States Navy. |
| Arash Kazmi | Nasser Faris | A friend of Eli David. |
| Roland Ames | Ryan Locke | Gunman. |
| Austin | Mateus Ward | Randy's son. |
| Randy | Cameron Watson | Austin's father. |
| Tyler Wilkes | John Hanlin | A journalist and the main murder victim. Uncredited role. |