NCIS plot hole: Huge Gibbs and Shepard error exposed
As countries around the world enter a lockdown period to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, TV fans will be looking for their next bingewatch. The longrunning serial NCIS may be the answer.
NCIS: Los Angeles ‘Watch Over Me’ trailer released by CBS
The CBS crime procedural has made for reliably thrilling viewing for over ten years. However, as NCIS fans look back on old seasons, the rip-roaring plots of some pivotal episodes are not so airtight as they once appeared.
Related articles
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service have cracked many perilous cases over the years, with fans still tuning in as it draws to the close of its 17th seasons.
Most fans of the series were crushed when fears amid the spread of COVID-19 shut down production of the final four episodes of the ongoing season.
With some surprising symmetry, the Writers’ Strike of 2007 and 2008 reduced season five’s episode total to just 19.
During the climactic two-part finale, Judgement Day, NCIS Director Jenny Shepard (played by Lauren Holly) is spurred by the murder of an LA special agent to dig into one of her old cases.
READ MORE: NCIS plot hole: Major blunder in Ducky's medical work uncovered
While the finale is considered a high point for the show as a whole, one fan wasn’t too impressed with some leaps in continuity logic made in the midst of the action.
They said: “There is a big deal made about Gibbs giving Shepard one of his magazines in the study with La Grenouille. It is implied that that magazine was used in the gun to kill La Grenouille on his yacht.”
La Grenouille (Armand Assante) is a French arms dealer who Shepard hunts down, due to her believing he killed her father, Colonel Jasper Shepard (Webster Williams).
In the 14th episode of the season, it is implied Jenny killed La Grenouille out of revenge for her father’s death.
However, this fan has spied a potentially logic-shattering mistake with the antagonist’s demise.
They continued: “The magazine he gave her was for his department issued Sig Sauer P228, however, he was killed with a Glock 19. The magazines are not compatible.”
Glaring errors like this made it obvious that popular television series were suffering from the loss of their writers during the strike of the late noughties.
This error could have easily slipped into the script’s first treatment and been missed by the usually vigilant editors.
DON'T MISS:
Game of Thrones: Maisie Williams addresses secret ending rumours [INSIGHT]
Love Is Blind: Amber opens up about deleted scenes [INTERVIEW]
Lucifer season 5: Malcolm knew Dan would discover Lucifer’s identity [THEORY]
Related articles
Luckily, most viewers glazed over mistakes like this and NCIS stuck around for twelve more glorious seasons, with many more cases to come.
Season 17 was tragically cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, with CBS set to air the twentieth and final episode of the season next month.
Among the episode block for the current season, NCIS was set to broadcast its 400th episode, so fans were hoping for a special anniversary celebration.
Dr Jimmy Palmer actor Brian Deitzen confirmed fans’ concerns when he took to Twitter and said: “Unfortunately we’ll be shutting down production of NCIS for the remainder of the season after we wrap tomorrow. We’ll produce 20 of our 24 episode order.”
He added: “We can’t do this show without you all watching and I appreciate you so much. I hope you enjoy the remaining shows.”
Thankfully, with a series as established as NCIS, an 18th season following on its heels is all but guaranteed, and Brian confirmed plans to roll over the 400th episode to the next instalment.
NCIS will therefore air the 20th episode of the season, The Arizona, as a potentially unconventional finale for the ongoing era of the show.
NCIS season 17 airs weekly on CBS on Tuesday evenings.
