'NCIS' Season 18 Episode 2: Why does Gibbs owe his life to Ducky? Here's how the Brit changed his view on love
Spoilers for Season 18 Episode 2
It is finally time for the highly anticipated mot talked about episode of CBS' longtime procedural 'NCIS' 400th episode. We see a young Jethro Gibbs and his close friend from over the pond, Ducky, and the inception of their tight bond. Not just that; young Gibbs n' Ducky reunite to go over a 40-year-old case that had once threatened Gibbs' life. Years down the line, however, Gibbs admits to Ducky that he values his friend's advice the same way he did all those years ago. Parallel scenes are drawn between flashbacks and current times and girl problems aren't the only reason why Gibbs owes Ducky big time.
According to the official synopsis of 'Everything Starts Somewhere', that is 'NCIS: Season 18, Episode 2', "Flashbacks reveal the murder case that first introduced young Gibbs to NCIS and to Ducky." But the two's friendship also digs deep into the curious case of a man called Johnny Zuckado, who uses his cousins as moles into the NCIS. As the case unfolds, Gibbs and Ducky spot that things haven't changed much 40-years later. The moles are the same and so are Gibbs' intense levels of involvement with the case, which had propelled the team lead to rain his relationship with the love of his life all those years ago and now repeat the same with Jackie Sloane, half a century later.
All of this is brought to light to Gibbs through the expert insights of Ducky, who tells Gibbs he can't run from things that matter to him the most. That, and also how none of this is worth risking his life for. Sure, 40 years down the line Gibbs regrets not going after Zuckado when he has the chance, but as Ducky reminds him, he would have so obviously died at the time. And Gibbs, too, agrees that he owes his life to Ducky. If his slightly older friend's advice wasn't hovering over his head, he wouldn't be hovering over the NCIS now.
At the end of the episode, flashbacks also reveal that it was Ducky who pushed Gibbs into committing to the love of his life 40 years ago when he was ready to throw it all away out of fear of losing love. Looks like the man, although aged beyond wisdom now, is still afraid of the same things. As e solves the curious case of Johnny Zuckado, he also solves his own curious case of commitment issues and we finally have some hints at how the Gibbs-Sloane romance would unfold this season until Maria Bello exits.
'NCIS' Season 18 airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm only on CBS.