The NCIS recap from the January 14 episode has to start with mentioning all of the great guest stars that were along for the ride. Season 17, Episode 12 was called Flight Plan and it all began with an F-18 crashing.
Following the opening credits, McGee was speaking with Torres about his plans to have a vasectomy. They stayed behind when Gibbs and Bishop went out to the carrier where the F-18 had taken off from. It served as some humor when McGee met with Jimmy a bit later and got worried.
When Gibbs and Bishop got on the carrier, they found a dead body almost instantly. It was someone who had been dating Navy Lieutenant Rebecca Weeks (played by Lyndon Smith) — the pilot of the missing F-18. The question was whether he had been murdered or committed suicide and why.
The episode soon revealed that the pilot had faked her own death while ditching the plane. The NCIS team found the crash site and learned that she had stolen a motorcycle from an island she had crashed near.
Talk to us. Give us the update. #NCIS pic.twitter.com/FJnkU84KDv
— NCIS (@NCIS_CBS) January 14, 2020
It turned out that she crashed the plane in that location because it was where her Godfather lived. That was where Patrick Duffy surfaced as Retired Navy Lieutenant Commander Jack Briggs. He wasn’t exactly helpful with the investigation and stalled everyone as she prepared to get away. She did — she flew off in his plane.
Later, Weeks called Gibbs, hinting that she was doing his job and trying to find out who killed the man who had turned out to be her boyfriend. She let the NCIS team trace her phone, drawing them to North Carolina and letting viewers know she wasn’t really a murderer after all.
Weeks figured out that her commanding officer had conspired to kill his wife. Or so she thought. It turned out that the commanding officer had a girlfriend, and it was that woman who used the CO’s laptop to kill his wife. Then, she poisoned Weeks’ boyfriend and tried to frame Weeks for that murder. The NCIS team figured it all out and cleared Weeks.
The episode ended with McGee getting ready to go have his procedure.
Ending tonight with a smile! Thanks #NCIS fans. pic.twitter.com/0tcylEKsgy
— NCIS (@NCIS_CBS) January 15, 2020
NCIS guest stars tonight
Lyndon Smith, Patrick Duffy, and Megan Gallagher were great guest stars during the January 14 episode.
Lyndon Smith played Navy Lieutenant Rebecca Weeks and she has been seen on shows like Sorry for Your Loss (Lacey), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Mona), Parenthood (Natalie), and 90210 (Michaela) over the years.
Patrick Duffy played Retired Navy Lieutenant Commander Jack Briggs and he is best known for his role as Bobby Ewing on Dallas. That role has stuck with him in every project after it. It was fun to see him join the NCIS cast.
Actress Megan Gallagher played Under Secretary of the Navy Jennifer Leo. She also played Jeannie Sanders on The Larry Sanders Show and Catherine Black on Millenium. Gallagher is also known for playing Wayloo Marie Holmes on China Beach. The character was asking for updates from NCIS Director Leon Vance during most of the episode.
NCIS airs Tuesday nights at 8/7c on CBS.