NCIS Round Table: The Wheels on the Bus
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There's a temporary truce between Bishop and Malloy - but will it last?
Meanwhile, the NCIS team tried and failed to stop a teenage bomber from blowing himself up on NCIS Season 12 Episode 22. At least Gibbs got the other bus passengers off safely.
To add to that, Emily Wickersham mentioned in our exclusive TV Fanatic interview that a "fan favorite" is going to buy the farm.
Below, TV Fanatic panelists David Taylor, Tanya Moat, Christine Orlando and Douglas Wolfe discuss all of the above and more. Ready to join the discussion?
How would you describe this episode in a few words or a sentence?
David: The Lost Boy.
Tanya: The Dark Web.
Christine: Children of the Damned.
Doug: Suffer the children.
Is the Bishop-Malloy crisis past, or is there more to come?
David: Oh, there's more to come. Jake gave in a little too easily. I have a feeling he's more than just an "attorney" and that we and Bishop are in for a shock.
Tanya: It took me by surprise because I don't recall any set-up to them having marital problems, so I assume there is more to come. If there is something "more" to Jake or he actually suffers some real repercussions to his actions, then I'm intrigued. Otherwise, not so much. Harsh, I know.
Christine: Marriage is always a work in progress and Bishop coming to NCIS as an agent has changed their dynamic. This is bigger than a one time conversation so it will definitely continue, especially since they can’t always be completely open with one another about what they’re doing at work.
Doug: I agree with all of you. I think Jake tried to do the right thing by her by caving to her demand, although I agree with David it seemed too pat at the time. Bishop is more complicated than that, so I'm sure there are some more serious discussions on the way.
Who do you think is going to bite the bullet in the final episode? Why?
David: I didn't realize this was an arc that would set us up for a death, but with Mishnev out of the way, I suppose they've got to find another cliffhanger for us. I have a hard time believing they'd bring Dorneget back just to kill him off. As much as I hate to consider the prospect, I have to wonder if it'll be Delilah. She recently transferred back to the U.S., and this case seems to dovetail with her new role.
Tanya: I've been trying to figure it out. My best guess is Ducky. He's acting odd, so it's possible he is ill or something. If someone dies in a hail of gunfire, then Ducky doesn't really fit, so my next guess would be Dorneget. It does seem cruel to bring him back to kill him, but NCIS does like to bring back secondary characters (Franks, Paula Cassidy, Diane, etc) to kill.
Christine: I’m afraid it’s going to be Ducky, whom I love. It’s horrible to say but I hope it’s Dorneget as I’ve never really liked him that much. I was a bit worried about Gibbs there for a moment. He was awfully close to that bus explosion.
Doug: Since Dorney wasn't around long enough to become a "fan favorite" I doubt it will be him. Right now, my money is on Vance. On the plus side, it would set Gibbs up to take over as director. Of course, that might just be some wishful thinking on my part.
Could Gibbs have said or did anything different to prevent the boy from killing himself?
David: I doubt it. I think he was too far gone, even in his own head, that there was no talking him down.
Tanya: No, I agree with David. He wanted to die.
Christine: I don’t think so and that’s the scary part. That a 16-year-old kid could believe that he’s better off dead and that he should take as many people with him as possible.
Doug: I tried to figure out another angle to it, and just can't come up with one. As soon as the boy was startled by that siren, we all knew he would do it. Despite the inevitability of it all, Gibbs will take this as a personal failure, so you can expect he'll be riding the team hard to get to the bottom of it. Even more than usual.
What’s your favorite scene or quote?
David: I'm not familiar with Skyrim, but I thought the references were brilliant coming out of reclusive, non-techie Gibbs' mouth.
Tanya: The idea of Jake and Gibbs talking on the phone and playing racquetball makes me giggle. Of course, maybe they are not "chatting" but working. Who knows!
Christine: Gibbs talking the kid out of the bus. I really thought he had him until that very last moment.
Doug: I liked the scenes you all mentioned. My favorite though was Bishop and Malloy having it out in the car. Until that point, their marriage seemed too good to be true. There wasn't much weight to it. Now there is.
Douglas Wolfe was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He retired in 2016. Follow him on Twitter
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