The explosive return and departure of Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) has rocked NCIS. It is not every day that someone returns from the dead…well, maybe on THE TWILIGHT ZONE or SUPERNATURAL…but not in the nation’s capital. (Yes, there is a setup for a joke there, but everyone’s imaginations can fill in that blank based on personal preference.)
The NCIS team tries to return to a more familiar dynamic, with Vance (Rocky Carroll) dispatching Jack (Maria Bello) to help the colleagues return to their version of “normal” with the offer of “a chance to talk” about their feelings. Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) recoils immediately at the proposal, rejecting any suggestion of therapy, but before the day is over, the agents will encounter something more than the undead. Yes, it is a truly disturbing, spectacularly horrifying creature that is involved in the death of a Marine Lieutenant…it is a garden gnome. While some might think that statement reeks of sarcasm, be assured it does not. Along with clowns (coulrophobia) and sharks (galeophobia), garden gnomes are on my personal list of things that terrify, and I do not terrify easily. Snakes, rats, spiders, the usual phobias…no problem. But garden gnomes are evil, and when the Lieutenant’s body is found hidden under an 18-wheeler, along with a suspicious gnome, I am not surprised.
As the NCIS team tracks the vehicle’s previous locations to pinpoint the crime scene, I thoroughly blame the gnome. I do not care that he is shattered into pieces…garden gnomes are eerie with their pointy hats and eyes that watch you from across the street.
And what did the producers at NCIS decide to do to reinforce my fears? They hired Thomas J. Wright to direct tonight’s episode, “Going Mobile.” For those who are unaware of Wright’s incredible career, look him up. Not only does he excel at examining the nuances of non-supernatural situations (NCIS, BULL, CSI and CASTLE among his many credits), Tom Wright handles “other world” characters with aplomb (SMALLVILLE, MAX HEADROOM, THE X FILES, and the aforementioned SUPERNATURAL and THE TWILIGHT ZONE). Chances are that some of your own phobias may have sprung from the imagination of Tom Wright. Not only is he a fabulous director, Wright is responsible for many of the chilling paintings seen on NIGHT GALLERY.
And now, Wright is directing a show with a garden gnome. I may never sleep again.
The guest cast includes Cliff Chamberlain, Frankie Jay Allison, Ellen Geer (“Gert Case” from SUPERNATURAL), Dylan Vox, David DeLuise, Tatiana Carr, David L. King, Michael Dunn and Paulina Bugembe. “Going Mobile” was written by Scott Williams.
NCIS airs tonight (October 8) on CBS in the U.S. and Global TV in Canada at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.
