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'NCIS' Season 18 Episode 3: Where is Tobias Fornell? Fans complain it's 'longest frame story in TV history'

Did the manager at the burger joint have something to do with Fornell's disappearance? Is Fornell alright? Is he missing? The questions are many

Spoilers for Season 18 Episode 3: 'Blood and Treasure'

The end of yet another NCIS episode ended on yet another total cliffhanger. In the final moments of the show, we saw Jethro Gibbs get a call from his old mate Tobias Fornell who's been tracking down an opium kingpin out of vendetta over his daughter's tragic struggle with substance abuse. But Fornell has once again gone missing and while people an't quite fathom if he is in hiding or has been purposely stopped from meeting Gibbs when and where he promised he would, several fans are complaining about how long this plot is being dragged on the show.

According to the official synopsis of this Episode 3 of Season 18, titled 'Blood and Treasure', “The discovery of two dead bodies in a forest leads the NCIS team into the wild world of modern-day treasure hunting. Also, Gibbs and Fornell get deeper into their search for the opioid kingpin.” The latter half of the synopsis is addressed first as the episode opens with Fornell chasing the man he thought was a peddler who could lead him to the root of the ring. Unfortunately, when Fornell reached this man, he was already dead. But that doesn't stop Fornell as he gets a job at the dead peddler's workplace which happens to be a fast-food burger joint, just to figure out why he was working a minimum wage job while earning thousands in drug money on the side.

Fornell's best guess was that the burger place was working as some kind of a makeshift front for a bigger drug ring and during his work there, he almost got caught by the people running the joint. When Gibbs tried to warn him, Fornell insisted they were going to go things his way shortly before disappearing. In the end of the episode, he gives Gibbs a call saying he's figured out who the kingpin in and asks him to meet him at the burger joint in two days because he claims to not have much time at the moment. But when Gibbs shows up t the designated tie, the workers at the place inform him that Fornell's been MIA for two days as well. Did he get taken by the people running the pill mill? Did he run off to pursue another lead? Is he hiding for his own safety? the questions are plenty, but fans are getting a little impatient with how long the plot is being stretched.

Taking it to Twitter, a viewer wrote: "Are we trying for the longest frame story in TV history?" another shared: "Thank you for an entertaining episode. Just hate having to wait to see what happens next. Happy Holidays to all you talented hard working folks in the cast and crew. Stay safe." A third fan complained: "Nah, you aren’t allowed to do this @NCIS_CBS First, you have Gibbs shoot McGee and give us NO ANSWERS And now, you let Toby disappear without a word to anyone?" Another fan remarked: "Tobias skipped work... or did the manager do something with him???" Others feel "This writing just sucks. And who cares about idiot Fornell? Just solve cases, please!" For most it was just about how "The storyline with Fornell now is going to go on all season!"

Before going AWOL Fornell did mention something called "Maryweather", some sort of an alias that he asked Gibbs to note down before he seemed to have disappeared off the earth. Fans think, "The little intense music right there with the phone call from Fornell seems ominous. #NCIS soon we will have answers from that opening scene?" Others are just frustrated that, "Something has happened to Fornell and now we have to wait til next year to find out what?! I can’t take the long wait!"

'NCIS' Season 18 will return from its winter break on Tuesday, January 5, at 8 pm only on CBS.