Grace Period (episode)

Grace Period is the nineteenth episode in NCIS Season 4 and the eighty-ninth episode of the entire NCIS series.
This episode also marks the final credited appearance of NCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy.
==Synopsis==
A tip concerning terrorist activity sends two agents into a trap that ends with their deaths along with that of the suspected bomber but things take a turn when Ducky discovers that the bomber was dead at least a day before he blew himself up, sending the NCIS team into a hunt for the true mastermind.
==Prologue==
In a small area of downtown Washington D.C., it's all hustle and bustle as civilians go around their daily lives.
At a small café, NCIS Special Agent Rick Hall, having gotten his sausage sandwich, rejoins his partner, fellow NCIS Special Agent James Nelson, at a table.
As Nelson wonders how Hall can eat that crap, Hall tells him, "Easy. Like this" before biting into the sandwich.
This has Nelson laughing.
Hall then remarks that their anonymous caller was supposed to meet them here three hours ago and as he takes a sip from his coffee cup, Hall suggests that they call it.
Their boss, fellow NCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy, is then heard saying that she'd love to but the caller claims that they have information on a terrorist attack so they'll just have to wait.
Hall then remarks that last Saturday, they dealt with a guy who thought his dog was a Taliban sympathizer.
Nelson then wonders why they're pulling this crap duty two weekends in a row.
In the car, via a headset, Cassidy is wondering the same thing.
Suddenly, her phone rings, causing her to tell the two Agents to hold on as this is their anonymous caller.
Grabbing her phone, Cassidy flips it open and now on speaker, states that they're here before wondering where the anonymous man is.
The caller remarks that he's close and that they should meet him at 408 Milestone Avenue before stating that he'll explain all inside.
Cassidy disagrees, stating that she prefers the meeting on the street.
The caller strongly refuses, stating that he is a dead man if they see him talking to them.
"Who?", Cassidy wonders.
"The people no one can see", the caller replies. "They are everywhere".
Cassidy hangs up.
At the table, Hall sarcastically remarks about invisible folks and that this should be fun.
Cassidy tells her team to find them.
Nelson then spots something and states that he thinks they just did.
In the car, Cassidy grabs a camera and looking through it, remarks that she's got him.
She then begins taking photographs of a Middle-Eastern man wearing a jacket, a coat and sunglasses crossing the street with Cassidy remarking that the sunglasses are a nice touch.
As they watch the man move elsewhere, Hall asks Cassidy how she wants to handle this.
Cassidy tells them to pick up and that she'll be right behind them.
With that, Cassidy throws the camera and prepares to move while on the street, both Nelson and Hall get to their feet and dumping their stuff in the trash, they stand outside the building the mysterious sunglasses wearing man just went into.
Drawing their SIG-Sauers, Hall and Nelson both enter the building.
Seconds later, the NCIS Dodge Stratus with Cassidy behind the wheels pulls up to a stop in front of the building and just as Cassidy gets out, slamming the door, a huge explosion rips through the building, sending debris flying everywhere while Cassidy herself tumbles to the ground.
It then cuts to Cassidy who's now standing up, examining the crime scene while behind her, a car pulls with its driver emerging, presumably to see what's going on.
==Act One==
==Act Two==
NCIS Director Jennifer Shepard is standing solemnly at her desk in her office when Gibbs arrives into the office, asking her if she's okay.
Her mood grim, Jenny tells Gibbs that she just got off the phone with Amy, Special Agent James Nelson's bride of two months or rather "widow" and now she has to call Tom and Mary, the parents of NCIS Special Agent Rick Hall.
She then states to Gibbs that she doesn't like making these calls.
"No C.O. does, Jen", Gibbs replies.
==Act Three==
==Act Four==
==Major Events==
*NCIS Special Agents Rick Hall and James Nelson are killed in a suicide bombing, leaving Paula Cassidy as the sole survivor.
*Cassidy eventually dies after sacrificing herself to stop a suicide bomber.
*As a result of Paula's death, a grief-stricken Tony gains the courage to tell Jeanne that he loves her.
==Trivia==
*The song playing in the background as Tony embraces Jeanne after arriving at her apartment following Cassidy's death is REM - "Everybody Hurts".
*Similar to the beginning of the previous episode, 'Iceman', Ziva is wearing Roy Sanders' orange hat.
==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 the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Abigail Sciuto 	Pauley Perrette 	Chief Forensic Specialist, NCIS.
Timothy McGee 	Sean Murray 	Junior Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Jennifer Shepard 	Lauren Holly 	NCIS Director.
Donald Mallard 	David McCallum 	Chief Medical Examiner, NCIS.
===Recurring Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Paula Cassidy	Jessica Steen 	An NCIS Special Agent.
Jeanne Benoit	Scottie Thompson	Tony's girlfriend.
Hollis Mann 	Susanna Thompson	A Lt. Colonel with Army CID.
===Guest Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Azid Abu Selom	Shaun Duke 	Head of Kertek Computing, a company that makes software for disabled people.
Abdul Wahid 	Haaz Sleiman 	A member of the Muslim Coalition for Peace.
Jamal Malik 	Dominic Rains	A member of the Muslim Coalition for Peace and also a suicide bomber. Attempts to stop the meeting but Paula Cassidy stops him from doing so although the two die in the process.
Rick Hall 	Sasha Roiz 	An NCIS Special Agent and a member of Paula Cassidy's team. Dies in a suicide bombing that leaves Cassidy injured and devastated.
James Nelson 	Jacory Gums 	An NCIS Special Agent and a member of Paula Cassidy's team. Dies in a suicide bombing that leaves Cassidy injured and devastated.
Salman Umar 	Ankur Bhatt 	A man who worked at Kertek Computing and who is responsible for killing Yahzeed Fahad.
Haaz Sleiman 	Abdul Wahid 	Uncredited role.
  v - [ e] - dNCIS Season 4
♦ Shalom (episode) ♦ Escaped (episode) ♦ Singled Out (episode) ♦ Faking It (episode) ♦ Dead and Unburied (episode) ♦ Witch Hunt (episode) ♦ Sandblast (episode) ♦ Once a Hero (episode) ♦ Twisted Sister (episode) ♦ Smoked (episode) ♦ Driven (episode) ♦ Suspicion (episode) ♦ Sharif Returns (episode) ♦ Blowback (episode) ♦ Friends and Lovers (episode) ♦ Dead Man Walking (episode) ♦ Skeletons (episode) ♦ Iceman (episode) ♦ Grace Period (episode) ♦ Cover Story (episode) ♦ Brothers in Arms (episode) ♦ In the Dark (episode) ♦ Trojan Horse (episode) ♦ Angel of Death (episode)
Category:NCIS Episodes
Category:NCIS Season 4 Episodes
Category:NCIS Episodes written by John C. Kelley
Category:NCIS Episodes directed by James Whitmore, Jr.
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Jeanne Benoit
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Hollis Mann
Category:NCIS Episodes featuring Paula Cassidy