Head Case (7 Feb. 2006)
"NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" Head Case (original title)

A raid on an auto chop-shop leads to a severed head - without its body.

Director:

Dennis Smith

Writers:

Donald P. Bellisario (creator), Don McGill (creator),

Stars:

Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Harmon	...	Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Michael Weatherly	...	Anthony DiNozzo
Cote de Pablo	...	Ziva David
Pauley Perrette	...	Abby Sciuto
Sean Murray	...	Timothy McGee
Lauren Holly	...	NCIS Director Jenny Shepard
David McCallum	...	Dr. Donald Mallard
Chelsea Field	...	Jocelyn Wayne
Scott Atkinson	...	Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Ross
Stephanie Michels	...	Sean Oliver
Brian Dietzen	...	Jimmy Palmer
Bruce French	...	Floyd Vernon
Jamie Martz	...	Petty Officer First Class Marc Hobie
Ivar Brogger	...	Simon Katz
Thea Rose	...	Chrissy Wayne

Storyline

While busting three sailors-car thieves, NCIS stumbles upon Navy captain Parker Wayne's severed head on ice in female attorney Sean Oliver's Mercedes. Wayne died from a heart attack in hospital months ago, his body was cremated. The funeral director now discovers his furnace operator, Martin Broussard, was into voodoo, and just went missing. The ashes aren't human. Tying these ends involves more secrets.

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Plot Keywords:

washington d.c.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

7 February 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Belisarius Productions, CBS Paramount Network Television

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

The Director says, "Reminds me of our op in the former Czech Republic." There is no "former Czech Republic". There's the current Czech Republic. There's the former Czechoslovakia.

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Quotes

NCIS Director Jenny Shepard: Do you think it would be inappropriate if, as Director, I went in there and smacked that smile off her face?
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs: [chuckles] Yeah, it would. But that's what you have me for.

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Connections

References Voodoo Island (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Twisted Transistor"
(uncredited)
by Korn

User Reviews

"Fair winds and following seas, ma'am."

This is one of my favorite NCIS episodes. The team raids an illegal automotive body chop shop run by some sailors, only to discover a disembodied head in the trunk of one of the cars. Turns out the head belongs to a Navy captain who died of natural causes and whose wife believes was cremated. His ashes are supposed to be scattered at sea from the last ship he commanded when it sails next.

Gibss and the team must solve the mystery and return the correct ashes to the widow before the ship sails, so her husband's last wish can be fulfilled.

The best part of this episode is the relationship between Gibbs and the widow, (under)played nicely by Chelsea Field - aka Mrs. Scott Bakula. It really gives Mark Harmon a chance to show some real tenderness to the widow and the young daughter, while sparing her gruesome details she doesn't need to know. Their final scene, where each shares a blessing that is special to the other, is one of Gibbs' best, IMHO.

Thanks for reading.