ncis
singled out (3/24)

Continuing this evening is the fourth season of the hit drama series following a team of special agents who investigate Navy and Marine Corps-related crimes. In tonight’s instalment, the team goes on the trail of a missing Navy lieutenant after her bloodied car is found abandoned; and Tony is secretly offered a promotion by NCIS director Jenny Shepard.

Still adjusting to Gibbs being back at work, Tony is thrown when Shepard calls him into her office and announces that she wants him to lead his own team. Surprised at the offer, Tony asks if he can think about it and leaves the room. However, the promotion has to be put to the back of his mind when a call comes in: a car registered to a Navy lieutenant has been discovered abandoned, with its interior covered in blood – but the driver is nowhere to be found.

An inspection of the vehicle reveals that a struggle took place inside it, but there is not enough blood to indicate that the car’s owner was killed. While Ziva and Tony head to the woman’s apartment to search for clues, Gibbs and McGee continue to analyse the scene and work out that the abductor forced the woman into another car before driving her to a new location.

At the apartment, Tony and Ziva discover that the missing woman, identified as Lieutenant Anne Sullivan, had apparently been profiling people, using information taken from public records. There are around 16 of these profiles on her computer – but what was she using them for? The agents also notice that someone else searched the apartment before them, which raises the possibity that Sullivan had profiled someone who did not want to be found.

The case takes a twist when notorious car thief Justin Farris turns himself in and admits stealing Sullivan’s car, but denies abducting Sullivan. “I’m just trying to do the right thing here, Agent Gibbs,” he protests. “Look, I’m admitting it, OK? I stole the damn SUV, but I didn’t kidnap anyone!”

Gibbs counters that Farris is lying in order to avoid kidnap and murder charges, but Farris insists that Sullivan was alive when he dumped her car. He then claims that he was trailed by a silver car, and suggests that the driver of that vehicle is the person who took –and possibly killed –Sullivan. “He must have followed me,” he says. “That’s who you should be looking for. I’m not a kidnapper!” “No,” replies Gibbs grimly. “You’re just the dirtbag who left her there to die.”

Meanwhile, Abby and McGee have been working on Sullivan’s computer files to find out more about the mysterious profiles. Was she identifying these people for blackmail, espionage or even assassination purposes? Any of these would be good reasons why someone would want Sullivan to disappear, but the truth is even more surprising: she was using the profiles to narrow down a search for a husband. Has Anne Sullivan’s quest for the perfect man led her instead towards her killer?