In the Zone (episode)

In the Zone is the fifteenth episode of NCIS Season 5 and the 109th episode of the entire NCIS series.
== Synopsis ==
When a Marine Captain is killed during a suspected mortar attack, Ducky discovers that he was actually shot and that the mortar attack was cover for the murder. While the investigation continues in the U.S, both Tony and NCIS Intel Analyst Nikki Jardine are sent to Iraq to investigate what really happened.
==Prologue==
In downtown Baghdad, Iraq as numerous civilians go back and forth, under the watchful eyes of various groups of Marines, a large group of Marines are engaging in a game of basketball.
As one scores, Captain John Rankin tells his fellow Captain "Good shot" before telling his team to go.
One Marine shouts, "Ball out. Ball out".
Seconds later, the game begins again with both sides battling for control of the basketball with the ball being thrown to Allan Hayes.
Rankin takes it back and prepares for a shot he calls "The half-court martial" but the ball doesn't go in, prompting the other team to call foul.
The game resumes again for a few seconds but abruptly stops when someone yells "Incoming". This has everyone ducking for cover and seconds later, an explosion rips through a wall, sending people falling to the ground.
As the Marines get up, one curses about the Green Zone.
As one asks the other Marine if they're okay, the other Marine remarks that he is and that they should have renamed the Free Fire Zone.
As the group examine the scene, someone is heard yelling "Question your people".
As they stand there, examining the damage, someone asks about the Captain.
It then shows Captain Rankin lying on the ground, unmoving.
The other Marines rush over and roll him over, revealing that Rankin is bleeding on the right side of his body.
One Marine asks for a Corpsman with another yelling for a Corpsman.
It then cuts to show the two Marines examining Rankin's body while in the background, everyone else is still studying the damage from the explosion.
==Act One==
==Act Two==
A while later, Tony arrives into the bullpen, throwing a unopened packet of crisps into the air with Ziva behind him.
As they enter the bullpen, Tony glances at the plasma and asks McGee before wondering why there's no pictures of McGee's girlfriend.
"My dog's name is Jethro, Tony", McGee states. "Jethro. It's a boy, not a girl".
==Act Three ==
==Act Four==
==Act Five==
==Major Events==
*With Jenny taking a few weeks of personal leave (as mentioned at the end of Internal Affairs), Vance takes over the day-to-day running of the agency.
*It's revealed that McGee has officially adopted Jethro, the dog Abby exonerated in Dog Tags (episode).
*Nikki Jardine performs her first autopsy and overcomes her OCD.
*It is revealed that Nikki has a brother named Eric who was injured while serving in Iraq and is in a coma.
==Cast==
===Series Regulars===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Leroy Jethro Gibbs 	Mark Harmon 	NCIS Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Anthony DiNozzo Junior	Michael Weatherly 	Senior Special Agent and second-in-command of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Ziva David 	Cote de Pablo 	Mossad Liaison to NCIS and also a member of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Timothy McGee 	Sean Murray (actor)	NCIS Junior Special Agent and a member of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Abigail Sciuto 	Pauley Perrette 	Forensic Specialist, NCIS.
Jennifer Shepard 	Lauren Holly 	Director of NCIS. Despite being credited, Holly does not appear in this episode.
Donald Mallard 	David McCallum 	Chief Medical Examiner, NCIS.
===Recurring Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Leon Vance 	Rocky Carroll 	NCIS Assistant Director.
Nikki Jardine	Susan Kelechi Watson	A Tech Analyst.
===Guest Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Ike Varnai 	Josh Stamberg 	A Major in the United States Marine Corps who's stationed in Iraq who accompanies Tony and Nikki when they're in Iraq.
Kelvin Ridgeway 	Rick Hoffman 	A suspect.
George Stenner 	Patrick Fischler	A man who appears in the episode.
Dina Rankin 	Jennifer O'Dell 	Marine Captain John Rankin's wife.
John Rankin 	Tony Daly 	Captain in the United States Marine Corps and the main murder victim as well as the husband of Dina Rankin.
Allan Hayes 	Matt McTighe 	A man responsible for killing Marine John Rankin.
Jim Gilroy 	Brooklyn McLinn 	Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.
Hamida 	Anne Bedian 	A woman who appears in the episode.
Jameel 	Elie Khoury 	A young man who appears in the episode.
Iraqi Militia Guard at Road Block	Sammy Sheik 	A man who appears in the episode.
Iraqi Militia Guard at Shed 	Wolf Amer 	A man who appears in the episode.
Iraqi Woman 	Ektimal Shbib 	A woman who appears in the episode.
Nurse (In the Zone) 	Samantha Klein 	A woman who appears in the episode.
Tabina 	Aleene Khoury 	A young girl who appears in the episode.
Iraqi Militia 	Alex Parlar 	Uncredited role.
Iraqi Street Vendor 	Hash Patel 	Uncredited role.
  v - [ e] - dNCIS Season 5
♦ Bury Your Dead (episode) ♦ Family (episode) ♦ Ex-File (episode) ♦ Identity Crisis (episode) ♦ Leap of Faith (episode) ♦ Chimera (episode) ♦ Requiem (episode) ♦ Designated Target (episode) ♦ Lost and Found (episode) ♦ Corporal Punishment (episode) ♦ Tribes (episode) ♦ Stakeout (episode) ♦ Dog Tags (episode) ♦ Internal Affairs (episode) ♦ In the Zone (episode) ♦ Recoil (episode) ♦ About Face (episode) ♦ Judgment Day Part 1 (episode) ♦ Judgment Day Part 2 (episode)
Category:NCIS Episodes
Category:NCIS Season 5 Episodes
Category:NCIS Episodes written by Linda Burstyn
Category:NCIS Episodes directed by Terrence O'Hara
Category:NCIS: Los Angeles Episodes featuring Leon Vance
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Nikki Jardine