Emotions are running high at the NCIS offices immediately following Caitlinlin’s murder. Every person working on Gibbs' team had a different relationship with her and become lost in their memories. However, no one is having a more difficult time than Special Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon), whose life Caitlinlin was protecting after an assassination plot was put into motion by Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin), a mysterious double agent. Finding it hard to accept that Caitlinlin's life was lost when he was in plain view of the sniper’s shot, Gibbs begins piecing together her death only to realize it was no accident. If he wasn’t convinced before, after an attempt is made on Abby’s (Pauly Perette) life, he’s sure of his suspicions. This prompts him to put bullet-resistant glass in her lab and post McGee (Sean Murry) as a sentry. Into the midst of this grief-stricken, team walks the new NCIS director in the form of Gibbs’ former lover, Jenny Shepherd (Lauren Holly).

Dealing with grief the “only way” he knows how, Tony (Michael Weatherly) becomes intrigued by Israeli agent Ziva David (Cote De Pablo) when she appears at their offices with information from "higher up" that might prevent them from bringing Ari to justice. And before the dreadful day is over, Ducky (David McCallum) finds himself at Ari’s bidding when the life of another is at stake.

Even while bemoaning the loss of Caitlin, I found the premiere an interesting way to start a season. It was a brave move on the part of the writers while at the same time being the most logical choice: audiences would not have been forgiving had her character simply been forgotten. A few of the quiet scenes between Caitlin and the others almost left me in tears before they become a bit odd in fabricating dream-like scenarios. Gibbs remembers her by a guilty conscience in which he imagines her death his fault, Abby recalls her as a “Goth” and most of all a friend, and Tony, well, we can imagine his memories. At the risk of contradicting myself, I will say though that these scenes were special, as it allowed both the viewers and characters a chance to say “good-bye” while honoring her memory. Concluding at the funeral potentially may leave audiences in tears, but also prompts a small smile. There is laughter among the tears when recalling the good times and above all, each of her team members want her death avenged, even if it means going against the rules. No other episode is solely related to Caitlin, but references fondly bring her to mind as her friends continue to come to terms with her death; this continues only for a handful of episodes before eventually fading into other season arcs. I appreciated the writers’ sensitivity in bringing her to her teammates' minds, as it humanizes them.

Any disturbing material is interspersed through various episodes, making it difficult to skip parts here and there in order to watch with younger viewers, which I do not recommend. The opening shows flashbacks of Caitlin's death a few times (she was shot in the head) and we see her lying in an autopsy room. “Mind Games” involves a mentally ill criminal about to be put to death; his victims were tortured by having shapes carved into their backs, and we see crime photos. A woman is chained naked to a tree and shown from the lower back up. He threatens another woman by ripping her shirt open and knocking her around.

“Silver War ," “Switch," “The Voyeur’s Club," “Frame Up," “Model Behavior,” “Head Case” and “Ravenous” each graphically depicts autopsies and/or a body, sometimes with detached limbs (severed arms, legs, and the gruesome aftermath of a bear attack). Torture is implied but unseen. In blurry flashback sequences, we see a couple having sex (some movement), likewise McGee envisions Caitlin in a sexy, leather outfit complete with a whip. Tony “sees” her in a Catholic school uniform (her skirt reveals a lacy panty) and following there’s conversation about “phone sex” and imagining people naked. “The Voyeur’s Club” involves a porn site (we hear moaning) -- the episode opens with a woman filming a live feed (she’s dressed in lingerie and suggestively removing her clothes before a man slits her throat). Abby is “forced” to watch it for the investigation and references the twenty hours of porn she sat through (one instance references “girl on girl action” as one video involves two females). During an undercover mission, agents pretend to maintain a passionate love life (moaning, movement, etc.), which is for the benefit to preserve cover. Characters wear plunging necklines. Extra-marital affairs are referenced, along with sexual innuendo (meant comically, there is a joke about birth control), blackmail and profanity (bas****) areused throughout.

The characters continue to become stronger and all the more wonderful. Abby and Gibbs’ relationship remains a highlight of the show, with an almost father/daughter twist (their scenes together are priceless). Abby, in all her quirkiness, remains Gibbs' “cheerleader," and he is fiercely protective of her. It does take a bit of adjusting to get used to the new cast members and to see the smart opening credits show different faces, but I found it rather entertaining to see Gibbs have a romantic interest this time around. I also wished we had been able to see more of Special Agent Paula Cassidy (Jessica Steen), as she and Tony had some engaging conversations. The minor character of Palmer (whose infatuation with Abby is so cute!) had the misfortune of being a more recent hire and therefore the brunt of many jokes and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him at times. And Ziva, what can I say about her? She’s quite a character. Her persona appears innocent and in one moment she is rather innocent (questioning what American phrases mean and using wrong words) and in the next she’s sassier than ever and can hold her own against “the boys." The scenes between her and Gibbs are particularly well written, showing their character’s true colors. 

Much of this season is built around flashbacks and relies on that as a way of informing the audience or recalling previous events. As a way of reintroducing Ziva, we experience again the reasons behind Gibbs' trust of her. It can be annoying and at the same time creates new structure that changes things a bit in terms of camerawork, so as not to remain “stuck” in a usual pattern. “Honor Code” in particular shows a touching flashback that will leave casual viewers curious as to a character’s past. Episodes that remain memorable include “Under Covers," “Model Behavior," and “Family Secret," while “Ravenous” and “Bait” are clever and "Jeopardy” is a moving episode involving Abby. The finale provides interesting dynamics between Ziva and Gibbs, supplying the foundation for season four; it’s a tense episode that allows characters to gain knowledge of Gibbs instead of the other way around. HSM fans will notice a familiar guest star (“Ravenous”).

Not only does NCIS provide a great deal of wonderfully written humor and tense mysteries that are challenging to solve, but at the heart of the series is a team that rallies around each other, no matter how they pretend to dislike each other. Whether it’s Abby, Tony or McGee, occasions depict individual team members receiving support. It’s the subtle things that make this rare. The subplots that occur during the cases are what makes this entertaining, and I’ll wager if nothing else will, Gibbs' newly discovered mysterious past will leave you enticed.