NCIS – Recap & Review – Psych Out

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NCIS
Psych Out

Original Air Date: Feb 21, 2012

Maria – Sr. Reviewer
maria@thetwocentscorp.com

Two burglars are robbing a house, when the tenant appears in front of them; dead with a noose around his neck. The dead man is Navy Reservist Dr. Robert Banks, and he knows a familiar psychologist who insists Doctor Banks was incapable of suicide. Kate Todd’s sister, Rachel Cranston, knew Dr. Banks well… as does (did) the Director of PsyOps, Dr. Samantha Ryan (Jamie Lee Curtis!)

Which came first, the bullet or the broken neck? The two burglars who shot the deceased are easily captured, but Robert Banks knew the quickest and most efficient way to hang himself. Rachel Cranston insists that it wasn’t suicide, and Gibbs isn’t going to ignore the intuition of Kate Todd’s sister.

Meanwhile, Tony “accidentally” opens Timothy’s mail and becomes obsessed with the fact McGee is making more money than him. This makes for possibly one of the most hysterically ironic moments ever, as film buff Tony DiNozzo mistakes Jamie Lee Curtis’ character as being from the finance department. She’s actually the Director of PsyOps. Rather appropriate since she plays the Queen of mind games. Usually, I’m not a fan of mind games, but JLC is so charismatic she manages to play the mind games whilst still making me (and more importantly, GIBBS!) smile.

Gibbs is challenged with the unfortunate task of telling Dr. Banks’ wife and daughter about his death whilst Rachel Cranston sits in. Banks’ wife, Beth, tells Gibbs about the recent differences in Robert’s behavior. Beth seems genuinely upset but the daughter, Amber, seems a little angry. Then Gibbs tells them about Robert’s life insurance policy, the one that guaranteed them $4 million despite his death being a suicide. Beth seems genuinely surprised. Amber doesn’t though.

There are a lot of characters to introduce/reintroduce, and NCIS does it well. Ryan mentions another name that the Agents should check out: Brian Mitchell, a former Navy Commander who was working with Banks. Under a court order, Mitchell provides our NCIS team with the name of an ex-Marine who was discharged about six months ago as a result of Banks’ psych evaluation: Kyle Baxter.

Meanwhile, Abby has found some evidence which supports Rachel Cranston’s theory that Dr. Banks was incapable of suicide. Abby’s examination of Banks’ computer shows that it had been hacked, Banks was being redirected to misinformation, disorienting him and disassociating him from reality. His blood pressure meds had been switched with drugs that cause depression and induced mental instability. Ducky also concludes that the drugs damaged Dr. Banks’ kidneys so badly that he would only have lived another six months. It was murder by mind games.

There’s no shortage of suspects, as we then meet the Director’s Assistant of PsyOps: Ross Kilmer. He’s clearly withholding information about Baxter. Kilmer also makes the mistake of trying to give Gibbs a funky looking USB stick. Any long-time viewer knows that Gibbs would prefer paper. This episode shows that there’s a very good reason for that.

So many mind games! Gibbs finds a bug in his basement, and smashes it but not before telling Ryan goodnight over the device. Gibbs gives as good as he gets though, even playing a little foul when he shows up to her son’s school. Of course Gibbs isn’t a threat, but it gives Ryan an idea of who she’s messing about with.

All the subterfuge is rather pointless, because McGee (even though he’s not supposed to be using technology) gets a hit from Baxter’s phone. It’s actually in Kilmer’s possession, but that’s just another mind game. Kilmer walks away, but not before leaving a matchbook with a destination, and a name written on: James Dresden.

Kyle Baxter, aka, James Dresden is the number one suspect. It’s revealed that it is Baxter who has been messing about with Banks’ laptop and messing with the poor guy’s life. Tim, thankfully, is now permitted to use a search to find Baxter via his alias. He’s working undercover as a bartender in Georgetown. Baxter claims that he is just the fall guy, and proves it. He never left his cellphone, or the matchbook. Baxter has been working with the DEA for about a year. PsyOps set him up.

Ryan knocks on Gibbs’ door, offering him Rachel’s sessions with the victim. Whilst Ryan is there, Gibbs takes her phone, having McGee cross-reference the numbers later. Only one number continually contacted Ryan and Banks: Mitchell! Mitchell also repeatedly contacted Banks’ daughter.

After all those mind games, the motive is love and greed. Mitchell was in love with Amber, and Amber used Mitchell to murder her father and make it look like suicide, so she could claim the life insurance policy. Rachel Cranston never suspected, just thought Amber was just a regular teenager. Amber had everybody fooled (not me though. I just knew her reactions were a little off in the first interview).

The case may be wrapped up, but the episode still has a few threads to tie. The finance situation is resolved, because McGee has been overpaid slightly, but Tony has also been overpaid for the past five years and therefore owes more money. Ha!

Later, at four am, Ryan calls Gibbs up on her brand new cellphone because the last one was stolen. They banter for a bit, before she asks him to breakfast. Gibbs accepts!

I love this episode. Jamie Lee Curtis manages to create fantastic chemistry with all the characters; Rachel Cranston, DiNozzo, Gibbs and Vance. The case was interesting to watch too, and although I don’t usually approve of mind games, this episode was very well played. The plot (driving a sane character insane) may have been done by NCIS before, but because of the new characters, I didn’t mind.

What did you make of Jaime Lee Curtis’ appearance? Were you pleased to see Kate Todd’s sister return? Did you suspect the Amber, the victim’s daughter? Did you suspect Mitchell? What are your thoughts on the characters, the case and the episode? Please, leave your TwoCents in a comment.