NCIS returns tonight from its holiday hiatus riding the glow of the tour de force performances and storyline of its fall season finale, in which David McCallum, Mark Harmon and company showed how seasoned professionals can turn words on a paper into warm, emotional memories. Kudos to all.
The excitement continues tonight when the show addresses a growing real-life trend…terrorism designed to influence a particular policy. In a time when foreign governments hack into elections and utilities, and social media is helping to spawn home-grown terrorists, it is not impossible to believe that a businessman might resort to using acts of terror to manipulate the stock market.
Reeves (Duane Henry) goes undercover in James Bond-ian style in an operation with the codename, “Willoughby,” to bring down the manipulator. (For those who love a man in uniform or a man with a British accent, you get both of those rolled into one tonight.)
Rafi Silver returns as Qasim Naasir, the translator who works with NCIS. (Qasim’s brother, Rasheed, was a terrorist pursued by the team before his demise last season.) It also was revealed recently that Qasim and Bishop have begun dating, and the two are working together to find a break in the stock manipulation case.
When the undercover operation is compromised, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Vance (Rocky Carroll) must act quickly to save Reeves. Is anyone aboard that exploding plane?
NCIS also stars Pauley Perrette, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Jennifer Esposito, Brian Dietzen and the fabulous aforementioned McCallum.
Guest stars on tonight’s episode, also titled “Willoughby,” are Claudia Christian, Travis Schuldt, Lanny Joon, Elise Robertson, Rick Hall, Neil Sandilands, Shaan Sharma, newscaster Pat Harvey, Monica Lawson, Jill Czarnowski, Ravi Naidu, Allyssa Amelia Entz and Bruce Locke. “Willoughby” was written by Gina Lucita Monreal and directed by Tony Wharmby.
NCIS airs tonight (January 3) at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS in the U.S. and on Global in Canada.
