Is anyone else suffering from whiplash? NCIS Season 16 Episode 21 featured a case so farfetched that it was difficult to keep up with what was going on. It's bizarre that the case of the week kicked off thanks to Kasie doing some extra work, but it was perfectly in character for her to do so. If you watch NCIS online, you know that Kasie is still a relative new member to the team, and she's been a great addition as the replacement for Abby. The case against Crum was wild because he knew he should have been sent away for his part in the poisonings, but he also knew that he could get away with killing. Related: Enjoy UNLIMITED access to thousands of Movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video. WATCH ANYWHERE. CANCEL ANYTIME! 30 years had passed, and some could say that he's a changed man, but he never served his time for killing. It was somewhat intriguing that Crum would never have been caught if he had not been acquitted from a previous crime. His DNA being in the system was no surprise, but it was surprising that the case could be rendered over with ease even though he admitted his role in the killing. The case helped push Gibbs to his limit, and that was a good thing. Gibbs has been making a lot of changes of late, but he connected with the victim's father in a way that your typical agent could not. Related: CBS Confirms Fate of NCIS Gibbs lost a child as well, so he could understand what Tommy's father was going through much better than what anyone else in his team could. Lawyer: So, Agent Bishop. We are here today because of a federal initiative to get cold case DNA into modern systems. DNA which produced a match to the defendant, Stuart Crum, is that correct? Bishop: Yes, if you look to exhibit A, the so-called 1989 ice cream murder, six klowny kake ice cream bars were partially cut open and laced with strict nine poison. Five children fell critically ill. Lawyer: And Thomas Larson eventually died. Bishop: Yes, it caused a nationwide panic. Lawyer 2: Objection. How can agent Bishop speak to something that happened 30 years ago? Was this witness even alive in 1989? Bishop: Actually, I was. I was four-years-old, and I vividly remember my father forbidding me and my brothers from running after the ice cream truck. Permalink: Actually, I was. I was four-years-old, and I vividly remember my father forbidding me and my... Permalink: Actually, I was. I was four-years-old, and I vividly remember my father forbidding me and my... Gibbs wanted justice, but there wasn't much he could do if Crum was being let go on a technicality. It's crazy how legal matters shake out sometimes, but Gibbs persisted until he got some results. It was predictable that Crum wound up dead. He was smug, and didn't care much for his actions. In his mind, he wanted to be a free man and felt like he was entitled to that. There was a gut punch of a moment when the father of the victim was removed from the courtroom early into "Judge, Jury..." and it seemed almost too obvious that he was going to retaliate. Then again, the poor father was struggling with the fact that the person who murdered his son was determined to fleece the justice system into getting away with a heinous crime. Related: CBS Confirms Fate of NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans Tommy's sister stepping in to defend her father was a pivotal moment. She had not spoken to her father in a decade, but believed him to be innocent. It turns out, their relationship was more than a little fraught. So, who actually killed Crum? Was anyone else annoyed we didn't get a definite answer? The case joining with McGee's silicone valley arc came out of the left field, but at least it explained why it seemed like he wasn't being entirely truthful with everyone else. McGee seemed ready to move on from the NCIS, and while he would probably have enjoyed this new role, there was a government conspiracy at play. McGee being arrested by the company headhunting him was just par for the course. What did he expect when he was looking into things he was not supposed to be looking at? The Cayman island account being closed was no surprise. Everyone involved with that account and all of the dodgy dealings likely knew the net was starting to close in. The shocker here is that McGee was not sent away for his plan. As always, Gibbs was on hand to drop a can of verbal whoop ass over the phone to save his friend. Will there ever be a day in which Gibbs is not the hero? The revelation that all of this was even linked to that account in the first place was another development that came out of nowhere. Related: Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautfiul Among Renewals at CBS Tying the two plot threads together made it feel like the creative forces realized the end of the season was approaching and that they needed to find a way to make the mystery gather steam. I do like the question being asked about why the bailiff would be paid $3 million from that account. It would suggest that the person was the one to carry out the killing of Crum. For now, we have the dead body of Clarke and Mallory leering over his body to go on. Just like that, we have the mystery that's going to carry us through the rest of NCIS Season 16, NCIS Fanatics! What are your thoughts on all the twists in the case? Were they too far? Did you really think McGee was gearing up to leave the team? Hit the comments below. NCIS continues Tuesdays on CBS. Judge, Jury... Review Editor Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 3.0 / 5.0 1 2 3 4 5 User Rating: 4.3 / 5.0 1 2 3 4 5 Rating: 4.3 / 5.0 ( 21 Votes) 3.0 / 5.0 Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.<doc-sep>"Judge, Jury--ÃÂ¦" -- After entering cold case DNA into the system, Kasie solves a 30-year-old murder case, but a loophole in the legal system may set the suspect free. Also, McGee visits an elite technology company in Silicon Valley that is offering him a highly paid position, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Erik Voake/CBS ÃÂÃÂ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved Kasie enters DNA evidence that solves a 30-year-old cold case. When the guy gets off on a technicality, can the team help put him away permanently? Here’s what happened in NCIS Season 16, Episode 21. After a cold open of the 30-year-old cold case, we jump straight to the present day. After Kasie enters DNA evidence that solves the case, she gets her day in court. What could possibly go wrong in NCIS Season 16, Episode 21? Well, it’s clear that this case isn’t going to happen as easily as anyone ways. The defendant immediately makes it clear that he has rights, wanting a private entrance to the court because of the media coverage. You’ve got to feel for the father of the victim, who is forcibly removed from the courtroom after shouting “murderer” at the defendant. Not about the actual arrest The court case is a special one. This isn’t about a murder trial but about getting old DNA entered into a modern day system. It’s not as easy as anyone would expect. Interestingly, we also don’t get to see the collection of the evidence or the capturing of the suspect. This is about the court case afterward, seeing a different side of NCIS. When the defense receives a piece of evidence, all DNA evidence is removed from the trial. Even though Crum admitted to the crime, the only reason he was captured initially was because of DNA evidence so the guy gets a mistrial on a technicality. It turns out the DNA match only happened because Crum’s DNA was in the system from a previous arrest. However, he was acquitted of that crime and the evidence should never have been in the system. Watch your favorite shows on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial! Finding a way to prove Crum guilty It’s a huge disappointment for the team and Gibbs is visibly angry at the whole situation, but he needs to play by the rules. He needs to play by the rules so the next time Crum is pulled in is a success. Things go from bad to worse when Crum is attacked and killed in his car the night he’s released. The murder is made to look like an oxycodone overdose but Jimmy realizes that probably isn’t what happened. Think it couldn’t get worse than that? Well, it does when the reporters get a shot of the previous victim’s father threatening to kill Crum. It all becomes a question of morals. Is it right to take justice into your own hands? Even though it doesn’t seem like the father did it, is it that bad a thing that a child killer is dead? Gibbs goes on a mission to find out who killed Crum, which brings the sister of the previous victim comes into play. After 10 years, she finally spoke to her father on the phone and she’s sure her father didn’t do it. McGee considers leaving NCIS…or does he? While the court case takes place, McGee heads to Silicon Valley, looking at the job he’s being headhunted for. It certainly looks like he’s considering the workplace until Vance gets a visit from Officer Clarke. Remember the Cayman account storyline? Well, that’s back. There’s still no information on the account, except that the Secretary of Defense is connected to it. Because of who it is, NCIS can’t use the usual information to pull information, so they need to go through the backdoor. That’s exactly what McGee is doing since the company that’s headhunting him has access to the information needed. Unfortunately, McGee finds out the account is now closed and the money has been withdrawn. Before McGee can find out more information, he’s arrested. The two cases join together To be able to catch Crum’s killer, they need to get into his emails. They were deleted but are backed up on a server, which happens to be with the Silicon Valley company that is currently holding McGee. Who could possibly help? How about the judge that presided over the original case. With the info from the tech company, Bishop finds out that McGee’s privacy fears for “Mary Beth” (pretty much the company’s version of Alexa) catches the bailiff from court snooping around Crum’s house. The case gets deeper and even more connected. The bailiff was paid $3m that happened to come from that Cayman account. Why would a government agency want a low-life criminal dead? Leaving us on a cliffhanger, Gibbs and Vance head to Clarke’s house, where Mallory happens to be standing by Clarke’s dead body. It’s far too easy that she had something to do with this right? Odds and ends: Kasie gets nervous about giving testimony and she’d also love to co-host a podcast with The Rock. Torres goes to confession before giving testimony in court. McGee’s job offer is off the table. Looks like he’s sticking with NCIS. What did you think of NCIS Season 16, Episode 21? Who wanted Crum dead? Share your thoughts in the comments below. NCIS Season 16 continues on Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.<doc-sep>NCIS S 16 E 18 Close this dialog window Streaming Options Wow, did those diamond smugglers pick the wrong NCIS agent to drug and kidnap. At first, everybody’s surprised that Torres is standing them up that morning, but as McGee says, “It’s Torres. I’m sure he’s got a story.” Still, it’s odd that he wouldn’t pick up the phone for Gibbs, or for any of Bishop’s thirteen calls. (She claims it’s because she wanted his help with paperwork. Sure, girl. “Paperwork.”) When they ping his phone, it shows him at a Virginia Beach marina, three hours away. Cut to the marina in question, where Torres wakes up on a boat, shirtless, disoriented, and nursing a pounding headache. And who’s the first person he bumps into? Yep. Gibbs is there to get to the bottom of things. Torres remembers going to his gym and then…nothing. He swears he didn’t have any alcohol, and his wallet’s intact, his motorcycle isn’t at the marina, and his discarded shirt’s spattered with blood. Gibbs suggests that he was drugged and orders him to hydrate because Gibbs is the best. In-house doctor Palmer looks Torres over, diagnoses him as having “striking eyes,” and orders him not to leave the building. Torres ignores him and shrugs on a plaid button-up shirt from McGee’s go-bag. That’s how off his game he is, friends. Torres’ trainer didn’t show up for his session the night before, so Gibbs and Bishop head to the gym to talk to him. He knows all about them both and says Bishop’s “been coming along lately,” according to Torres. He said it was weird that Torres didn’t wait for him when he got there an hour late because “it’s not like him to skip bis and tris day.” Oh, we saw. When Gibbs and Bishop head to the parking garage, they find Torres, who seems…lost. He’s looking for Betty, his motorcycle, and is horrified to find her on her side behind a dumpster. That’s actually not the worst news, though: Underneath that, covered in cardboard, is the body of a young woman. Her name is Jessica Ho, who was at the gym on a day pass and was killed with a gunshot wound to the neck. Torres offers to take the bullet to Kasie, prompting my lawyer husband to shout, “NO!” Thankfully, everybody else in the room was also thinking about chain of custody, and it’s handed to Bishop instead. In the lab, Kasie reports that somebody slipped a roofie into Torres’s protein shake, and here’s where I start to see red: Torres calls himself stupid for getting roofied, and Bishop agrees that he’s not an easy target. HEY THERE, GATHER ‘ROUND, BOYS AND GIRLS: Do you know who’s to blame when a person gets roofied? The person who did the roofie-ing. That’s it. Full stop. Sure, be aware of your drink and choose a closed container and all of that. But you. Are not. To blame. If somebody. Drugs you. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Speaking of the drug cocktail, Palmer notices something strange and heads to Ducky’s new office to discuss it. And wow, did Ducky do some excellent work in kitting up his new space! He’s got big, interesting art and a treadmill desk and a VR set up. Also, he agrees with Palmer that it’s odd that Torres’ pupils were constricted when the drugs in his system should’ve led to dilation. Remember this. It’s important later. Another piece of the puzzle is the boat that Torres woke up on. It’s been abandoned at the marina for months and is registered to three different owners. Sam Hendrix, commander of the Coast Guard and owner of an actual pet shark in a huge tank, video-calls in to explain that it’s a ghost ship, one of the workaday vessels that meet speedboats a few miles offshore and carry smuggled goods to land in plain sight. Unfortunately for Torres, the team’s recovered parking garage security footage showing him walking out of the gym with Jessica, and forensics matches her blood to his shirt. Bishop immediately asks if there’s any chance he could’ve, you know, murdered her while he was drugged. NO, BISHOP. BAD, BISHOP. HOW DARE YOU, BISHOP. (Don’t worry. I’ll circle back to this, too.) They get some movement on the case when Gibbs holds open Jessica’s eye (hork!) for Kasie to unlock her phone, and in it, they discover the only calls are to Torres’s trainer, Jordan. In interrogation, Torres shows Jordan a photo of Jessica’s body, and Jordan yells, “You know my whole thing with night terrors!” Ha! Jordan explains that Jessica cold-called him with an offer of $10,000 to be late to his training session with Torres, and he took it. Yeah, uh, time for a new trainer, Nick. As the pieces start to come together, Torres refers to Jessica as a Mona Lisa—not the painting, but the woman in the Lil Wayne/Kendrick Lamar song who lures men into dangerous situations. Of course, that Mona Lisa didn’t end up dead. The case finally comes together when they trace Jordan’s payment to Brueger Marine Lines out of Belgium, and Kasie announces that a broken blade on the abandoned ship is the kind used to cut diamonds. Torres recalls that when he was undercover, he worked with the Coast Guard to recover $12 million of smuggled diamonds on container ships leased by Brueger. This means it’s time to visit Hendrix and his shark in person! He warns Torres not to knock on the shark tank glass, and as an aside mentions that she recently ate the male shark in the tank with her. “Beware the female shark” is advice everybody should’ve heeded this week, tbh. Hendrix lets them review the evidence on the Brueger case, which is kept in a room secured with an iris scanner. When Hendrix’s assistant Nena Easterling opens the box containing the diamonds, she’s shocked to find it empty. And when they look at which of the four people with access to the room had been inside since the diamonds were last inventoried, the answer is one person: Torres. Once he’s back at NCIS, Torres rips apart his desk drawers in case the diamonds are there. But Gibbs tells him flatly that he’s not a thief or a killer. And Palmer and Ducky come through with the final answer: Torres was given a drug that optometrists use to constrict pupils. This allowed the kidnappers to take a high-res photo of his iris to make a contact lens that would let them access the evidence room. And who would give them directions once they were inside the Coast Guard facility? That would be civilian employee Easterling, who smugly suggests they search for the diamonds in her apartment and her car and everything she owns. But Gibbs knows exactly where she stashed the goods: in her boss’s shark tank, where they just looked like clear little rocks. “Didn’t I see that in a movie once?” Bishop asks once they’re back at HQ, but Torres is in no mood to joke. She invites him to grab dinner, and he asks, “You sure you want to break bread with a killer?” And then GET THIS: Bishop tries to joke her way out of it: “You accuse your buddy of being a killer one time…” She offers to apologize, but all Torres wanted from her was faith. She argues that he looked guilty as hell, and he would’ve asked the same questions of her. “No. I wouldn’t,” he tells her. When she asks one more time if he’s okay, he says, “I guess I’ll find out,” and walks away with Sloane, hopefully to sort through all the troubling things that happened to him this week. I would now like to speak directly to Eleanor Bishop: You, madam, did a terrible thing tonight. While the rest of your team offered Nick Torres their unwavering trust and support during one of the worst, most confusing days of his life, you straight-up asked him to his face if he was a murderer, and then you acted all surprised that your words wounded him.<doc-sep>
"Judge, Jury--ÃÂ¦" -- After entering cold case DNA into the system, Kasie solves a 30-year-old murder case, but a loophole in the legal system may set the suspect free. Also, McGee visits an elite technology company in Silicon Valley that is offering him a highly paid position, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Emily Wickersham as NCIS Special Agent Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop, Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Photo: Ali Goldstein/CBS ÃÂÃÂ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved "Judge, Jury--ÃÂ¦" -- After entering cold case DNA into the system, Kasie solves a 30-year-old murder case, but a loophole in the legal system may set the suspect free. Also, McGee visits an elite technology company in Silicon Valley that is offering him a highly paid position, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 30 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Emily Wickersham as NCIS Special Agent Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop, Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Photo: Ali Goldstein/CBS ÃÂÃÂ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved NCIS S 16 E 21 Close this dialog window Streaming Options How’s an ice cream poisoner from the ‘80s related to the Secretary of Defense’s $250 million secret slush fund? And why did NCIS’s legal consultant take this week off? In 1989, industrial rat poison in Klownie Kake ice cream bars sickened five kids and killed one of them, Tommy Larson. The poisoner was never caught, until Kasie volunteered her weekends to a federal initiative adding cold case DNA into the computers. A hair found in one of the Klownie Kake wrappers matched DNA in the system and led to the arrest of Stuart Crum, who confessed to the act during NCIS interrogation with Gibbs and Sloane. His day in court is finally here, and under the watchful eye of Judge Deakin, Crum browbeats his lawyer and generally behaves badly, while Kyle Larson, the victim’s father, breaks down in court and has to be escorted out. Gibbs does the honors, and in the hallway, they have a somber conversation about both losing their children 30 years ago. “That’s a long time to bleed,” Larson says. Gibbs then returns to the courtroom, where Bishop testifies to the DNA match and tells the defense attorney that in fact, she is old enough to remember the Klownie Kake crisis of ’89. (Not that that matters; do you even science, bro?) Crum, whom NCIS admits wasn’t a suspect in ’89, laughs as he watches his confession play in court. Sloane then testifies that his dead-end job and divorce left him powerless, so creating a public panic made him feel in control. Under cross, she acknowledges that Crum’s only prior legal trouble was being suspected in a robbery two years ago. Kasie, who’s nervous on the stand, charmingly testifies about what a slam-dunk the DNA sample was, but when an officer enters the courtroom to hand the defense attorney a file, he requests a sidebar that has the judge immediately ruling that all DNA evidence be suppressed and all related testimony be struck from the record. Judge Deakin grants the defense’s request for an immediate mistrial, and in his chambers afterward, Deakin explains to the prosecutor and Gibbs that Crum gave a DNA sample during the robbery investigation two years ago that should have been destroyed. Instead, it was entered into the law enforcement database, and without that error, Crum would never have been pegged as a suspect and would never have been pulled in to give that confession. Deakin orders NCIS to start the investigation from scratch and to pretend they don’t know Crum exists. A few thoughts at this point from the defense attorney sitting next to me on the couch: Judges don’t get involved like that, the defense was way too late in arguing to suppress the DNA evidence, and witnesses for sure don’t sit in the courtroom to hear the testimony of the other witnesses. Anyway, Crum mugs for the news media afterward, and Larson threatens to take justice into his own hands since Gibbs couldn’t do his job. Back at NCIS, the team frets about how to get Crum without DNA, and Gibbs orders them to do things the right way. Still, he’s clearly furious about today’s outcome. (Geez, you torch rule 10, and it’s all angry involvement, all the time.) At a loss, Bishop calls McGee, who’s on a personal day with his family, to ask for his help.