You'd be hard pressed to find an NCIS episode that isn't very good at this point. The characters are all familiar, well-written, nuanced and capable of carrying stories themselves.

That's what makes it TV's #1 show (sorry, American Idol fans ... #1 non-scripted drama), and at times, the actual criminal investigations seem secondary for exactly this reason.

Last night's was pretty fun, though, especially with the anti-Gibbs (or is just the female Gibbs?) thrown in the mix Our episode recap has the plot details. Now, for TVF's review ...

Lt. Michael Jensen washes up decomposed on Virginia Beach. Or so we are led to believe. When a boat found offshore with a body is linked to Jensen, NCIS is linked to CGIS.

That would be Coast Guard Investigative Service, and Special Agent Abigail Borin (you can call her Abby, she says ... Gibbs won't) certainly shares traits with our fearless leader.

This place is only big enough for one Abby.

Agent Borin (guest star Diane Neal) doesn't hesitate to mix things up, and while he bristled at sharing a case with CGIS, you could tell Gibbs was intrigued by her, to say the least.

Maybe it's because she's a redhead? And kind of an authority figure? Either way, their teamwork set off sparks, but not necessarily fractious ones. A fun, uneasy dynamic to watch.

It was Ducky who offered the major clue to Lt. Jensen's demise. Because his body was so ravaged by death (and the Atlantic Ocean), it took some time to realize it wasn't even him!

The corpse's liver disease not only didn't belong to Jensen, but it did belong to someone he knew - a surgeon financing the treasure hunt he was apparently on when he met his end.

Dr. Joseph Marvey loved sunken treasure and funding the expedition was his passion. Further autopsy evidence reveals the dead marine is actually Dr. Marvey ... so how did he die?!

The wife did it. We're still waiting for Tony's I told you so. Jensen seduced Audrey and conspired to steal her husband’s fortune, whacking the doctor and dressing him in his Navy suit.

Nice try, man. Maybe 25 years ago. In this age of DNA evidence and all the amazing things Ducky and Abby can find out postmortem, don't try to pull a fast one on NCIS. Hopeless.

There were, as always, quality character moments interspersed with the unraveling mystery. Abby was off her game due to a Cafe-Pow situation. It was bound to happen at some point.

As for Tony and Ziva, we're really beginning to think we may never learn what happened in Paris, and that's okay. We still enjoy the dynamic a lot. Maybe the uncertainty is partly why.

Perhaps awkward flirting is all they're up for. That and the occasional pirate flick.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• Ducky and Sophie are over already? That's a shame.
• Tony's Jaws quotes were classic, albeit predictable.
• Wouldn't it be funny if they did a CGIS spinoff?

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.