Patriot Down (episode)

Patriot Down is the twenty-third episode in NCIS Season 7 and the 161st episode of the entire NCIS series.
==Synopsis==
The NCIS team investigate when the remains of a badly-charred body are discovered in a campfire and the team as well as the entire agency are left stunned and grief-stricken when the remains are identified as being those of an agent well known to Gibbs. As he struggles to come to terms with the revelation, Gibbs starts to suspect that the killing is an act of revenge against him. The team discovers that the final case that the victim worked on before her murder was the rape of a Navy Petty Officer Second Class and following the revelation in Borderland (episode), Abby tries to talk to Gibbs in the hope of getting him to open up about what happened in Mexico twenty years ago but he refuses, forcing Abby to take drastic measures to get Gibbs to listen to her with the two's professional relationship almost reaching breaking point as they engage in a very tense confrontation. Gibbs later heads to Mexico to save his mentor and his mentor's family from an old enemy, only to discover things aren't what they appear to be.
==Prologue==
The episode begins with a recap of what happened in the previous episode and ends with Abigail Sciuto quoting Rule 40: "If it seems like someone is out to get you, they are".
On a lone beach in Mexico, a horse roams the area.
On its back sits a man wearing a bandana with a poncho draped across his entire body while a mask covers his face with a cowboy hat on his head.
The horse continues galloping down the beach.
A while later, the rider and horse emerge onto a small area covered with nothing but sand and various plants.
They both come across a body which has had its head and arms removed.
Seconds later, the rider dismounts, heading over to the body in question and as he kneels down, the rider pulls his mask off, revealing that it's none other than NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Behind him, a lone figure emerges, their gun pressed against Gibbs's back as the figure sarcastically and mockingly welcomes Gibbs to Mexico.
Gibbs just sits there, stunned.
It then shows that Gibbs's right hand is reaching for the SIG-Sauer resting in Gibbs's own holster.
"Don't even think about it", the figure warns.
As the horse stands there, obvious, Gibbs sits there, the gun still pressed against his back.
A close-up of Gibbs's right hand which is slowly removing the gun from his holster before it's freed.
It then cuts to Gibbs who sits there, his features full of determination which suggests that he's not ready to back down without a fight.
==Act One==
==Act Two==
In the bullpen, McGee remarks that according to Macy's personnel file, she left the Los Angeles office last year under "special circumstances" and that she was transferred to the Force Protection Detachment in Marseilles.
As this goes on, Tony stroking an NCIS badge that has a black band pulled over it, signaling that the agency is in mourning remarks that they're supposed to feel safer on American soil.
"That could have happened anywhere to any of us", Ziva replies. "That is the risk we take".
Gibbs arrives and states that the agency is on alert and that the Director has ordered a threat assessment.
"So now what?", Ziva wonders.
"We assess", McGee explains.
"Figure out who killed another female federal agent", Tony states.
"And uphold justice to the extent of the law", McGee pipes up.
"Or whatever it takes", Tony mutters bitterly.
Gibbs then heads back, remarking that Macy was a Marine, an agent and a daughter.
He then announces that they're going to explore things from the daughter side and announces that Macy's mother lives on a farm in Cumberland, Maryland before ordering that Macy's mother is to be called and notified that NCIS will be visiting her.
"On it", McGee announces.
Ziva's phone suddenly rings and she answers it before remarking, "Right away".
She then hangs up the phone before calling Gibbs's name.
As Gibbs stops, Ziva tells him that a member of Macy's team from Marseilles is calling into MTAC.
==Act Three==
==Act Four==
==Act Five==
==Major Events==
*It's revealed that a year has passed since the events in Legend Part 1 (episode) and Legend Part 2 (episode).
==Trivia==
*The "Previously on NCIS" is missing on the Region 2 DVD.
*Lara Macy's Issue is #867-5309, which is a phone number referenced in a song by Tommy Tutone "867-5309/Jenny".
*The song playing in the background as Gibbs rides across the beach and eventually arrives at Franks' burned house is Johnny Cash "Ain't No Grave".
*Abby matches the bullet fragment to Gibbs' sniper rifle. Unless his rifle has been in storage all that time, not possible. In twenty years, it would have been re-issued to a stream of marine snipers, who would train with it or use it on deployment. The wear would change the rifling marks. In twenty years, it would probably have had a worn barrel replaced at least once, completely changing the rifling marks.
*The officer who was killed in this story was named Lara Macy. On a couple of occasions, when people are talking rapidly, they accidentally call her "Officer Lacy" (for example, Abby, when speaking to Gibbs in her la about Mexico).
*In real life. Cumberland, Maryland, is a former industrial small city. The farms near their are in small numbers but contains a Cumberland address. Only 1 farm exist on the city line but contains some hills but is preserved from development likely the source of where Macy resides. This episode with the mention of Cumberland is likely due to the large fan base of the show and a location on the famous C&O Canal.
==Cast==
===Series Regulars===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Leroy Jethro Gibbs	Mark Harmon 	Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Anthony DiNozzo 	Michael Weatherly 	Senior Agent and second-in-command of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Ziva David 	Cote de Pablo 	NCIS Probationary Agent and also a member of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Timothy McGee 	Sean Murray (actor)	Junior Special Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Abigail Sciuto 	Pauley Perrette 	Chief Forensic Specialist of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Leon Vance 	Rocky Carroll 	Director of NCIS.
Donald Mallard 	David McCallum 	Chief Medical Examiner of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
===Recurring Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
James Palmer 	Brian Dietzen 	Assistant Medical Examiner.
Margaret Allison Hart	Rena Sofer 	Attorney.
Camila Charo 	Susan Santiago	A woman who brings groceries to Mike Franks.
Alejandro Rivera 	Marco Sanchez 	Mexican Justice Department official.
Lara Macy 	Louise Lombard	NCIS Special Agent, the former head of the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles and also the murder victim. Archive footage and uncredited role.
===Guest Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Randall Hammond 	Richard Burgi 	Tyler Hammond's father who along with his son raped Petty Officer Kaylen Burrows.
Tyler Hammond 	Nick Niven 	Randall Hammond's son.
Jason Paul Dean 	Dylan Bruno 	A former Army Ranger-turned-Mercenary and also the one responsible for Lara Macy's death.
Kaylen Burrows 	Courtney Ford 	A Petty Officer Second Class in the United States who was also the victim of a rape by Tyler Hammond and his father, Randall.
Emil Mineoux 	Sterling Sulieman	NCIS Special Agent.
Marshall Tomko 	Jeffrey Doornbos 	A man who appears in the episode.
George Capetanos	Joe Williamson 	Navy Seaman in the United States Navy who is currently assigned to the USS Majestic.
Philip Bosch 	Christopher Foley	Ensign in the United States Navy.
Karl Wachter 	Ryan Caltagirone 	Navy Seaman in the United States Navy who is currently assigned to the USS Majestic.
Elisabeth Macy 	Toni Sawyer 	Lara Macy's mother.
Paramilitary 	Jon Tognacci 	Uncredited role.
  v - [ e] - dNCIS Season 7
♦ Truth or Consequences (episode) ♦ Reunion (episode) ♦ The Inside Man (episode) ♦ Good Cop, Bad Cop (episode) ♦ Code of Conduct (episode) ♦ Outlaws and In-Laws (episode) ♦ Endgame (episode) ♦ Power Down (episode) ♦ Child's Play (episode) ♦ Faith (episode) ♦ Ignition (episode) ♦ Flesh and Blood (episode) ♦ Jet Lag (episode) ♦ Masquerade (episode) ♦ Jack-Knife (episode) ♦ Mother's Day (episode) ♦ Double Identity (episode) ♦ Jurisdiction (episode) ♦ Guilty Pleasure (episode) ♦ Moonlighting (episode) ♦ Obsession (episode) ♦ Borderland (episode) ♦ Patriot Down (episode) ♦ Rule Fifty-One (episode)
Category:NCIS Episodes
Category:NCIS Season 7 Episodes
Category:NCIS Episodes written by Gary Glasberg
Category:NCIS Episodes directed by Dennis Smith
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring James Palmer
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Margaret Allison Hart
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Camila Charo
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Alejandro Rivera
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Jason Paul Dean