Episode Recap: Mother's Day 3/2/10

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Episode Recap: Mother's Day 3/2/10

This episode begins, like most do, with a murder. Naval Captain Joseph Norton is fatally shot three times while walking with his new fiancee at night. Upon visiting the scene, the team discovers that the fiancee is Gibbs' former mother-in-law, Joann Fielding. This would be the mother of his first wife Shannon, and grandmother of his daughter, Kelly. Apparently, Gibbs and Joann haven't been in touch since the funeral of Shannon and Kelly. There is obvious tension and a sense of mistrust between the two.

Joann claims that Norton had just proposed to her, and she had put on the ring, when an assailant came up and shot Norton. She says she was standing behind him when the shooting occurred.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Palmer, Ducky's assistant, is excited about his upcoming date with an embalmer, and of course, DiNozzo takes the opportunity to make jokes.

Director Vance asks Gibbs to step aside from the investigation due to his personal connection with the main witness. As expected, Gibbs declined to back down, but assures the director that he will remove himself from the case if he senses his own feelings getting in the way. The director grudgingly allows this.

Joann sits down with a sketch artist to create a picture of the assailant. Once complete, Gibbs realizes that the face Joann described is that of Kyle Buckley, who Gibbs went to high school with, and who had died in a car accident 3 years earlier. This leads to doubt that Joann saw the shooter.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team finds that Norton had been involved in some drug trade. Further, it was determined that Norton had some connection to the Rinosa cartel, which was the group that killed Shannon.

Suspicious evidence begins to mount on Joann. Abby finds that blood spatter patterns on her coat don't match where she said she was standing when the shots were fired: Behind Norton. Joann's phone records and financial records show phone calls to a Martin Hendrix in Nogales, AZ, and, over time, $28,000 in payments to him. DiNozzo and David travel to Arizona to find Hendrix. They find him, in his house, "baked to death" (Palmer).

Norton's phone was found, and had calls on it from Lt. David Shankton, who just happens to own the same model of gun used to kill Norton. In interview, Shankton reveals that not only did he serve in the Navy under Norton, but he had actually met him years earlier on a fishing expedition. Credit card records show both Norton and Shankton in the same city in Mexico 18 times, for which Shankton has no explanation other than coincidence. When asked about the gun, Shankton claims it was stolen recently. Realizing he's in trouble, Shankton tells DiNozzo and Gibbs he's being framed.

Gibbs comes to suspect that Joann had more to do with Norton's death than first appeared, but Joann won't tell him anything. She blames Gibbs for the deaths of Shannon and Kelly, because he should've been home to protect them. Gibbs asks attorney M. Alison Hart to take Joann as a client for her own protection; Hart agrees.

Ducky tells Gibbs that based on the blood splatter pattern, Joann not only wasn't standing behind Norton, she had to have been standing in front of him when he was shot. Ducky is certain Joann was the shooter.

Gibbs orders Lt. Shankton to remain in custody while Abby checks fibers on his coat against fibers under Joann's nails after reportedly struggled with the shooter. Gibbs then questions Joann in his basement. He offers his theory: Joann killed Norton because he was as close to the real killer of Shannon and Kelly as she could get, and she also framed Shankton. Thru flashback, it is revealed that Gibbs used his sharpshooting skills to kill the person who killed his family. Gibbs and Joann seem to come to an understanding, and Joann confesses that she did kill Norton, but thinks they can keep it just between the two of them.

Gibbs then proceeds to arrest Joann, but is interrupted by the appearance of Hart coming down into the basement. Hart names several laws that he's in violation of by questioning and arresting Joann in such a manner. Gibbs "gives in" and let Joann go, though it seems implied that this was his intention all along.

Gibbs returns to NCIS, and will let Shankton take the fall, rationalized by the fact that Shankton is a drug dealer, and deserves to do time. Director Vance follows up by stating, "Joann Fielding is no longer a suspect or person of interest in this investigation." He and Gibbs share a knowing look that implies that the director has an idea of the truth, but understands the circumstances and will let Shankton take the fall.

As David, DiNozzo, and McGee are leaving for the evening, Jimmy pops in with his date, and introduces her to everyone. To DiNozzo's dismay, she's both smart and hot.

Final scene: Gibbs burns Joann Fielding's file, with the incriminating information trying her to Norton's killing, in his fireplace.

Mazii
Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:10:30 +0000

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