Frame me once, shame on you.
Frame me twice, shame on me.
What happens when a desk jockey ventures into the field?
Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
Just a Tuesday, in other words.
Whats more surprising is that hes missing his right eye.
Vance get involved in the case via someone from his past, of course.
Every person on this show has a shadowy figure from his or her past just a-waitin to pop up.
This one is Kip Klugman, a former NCIS agent Vance busted for stealing cash and drugs years ago.
Klugman served his time, and how hes knocking on Vances door with information on the Dokes murder.
Also, Klugman keeps calling Vance Leon, which is weird.
Anyway, Klugman wants NCIS to know that a bookmaker named Beef killed Dokes.
Just…just let that soak in for a second, you guys.
Now we cut to Vance going nuts on his home punching bag when the doorbell rings.
Its a badly beaten Klugman, who chokes out, You did this, director.
As it turns out, a framing leopard doesnt change his framing spots.
Klugmans story is that he came to apologize and Vance attacked him.
Gibbs points to Vances banged-up knuckles (it was the punching bag!)
The case now needs to be handed off to the awesomely named Detective Stradivarius with the Alexandria PD.
Gibbs accepts and immediately asks, What are you waiting for, probie?
Come on, who doesnt jump at the chance to boss around the boss a lil bit?
Unfortunately, we dont get to hear the two of them squabble about that for 20 minutes.
Instead, they follow Klugman to his lawyers office.
Shes also Beefs lawyer.
She assures Batman and Robin that her representation of two suspects in the case is coincidence only.
They find a safe with pills, cocaine, and LSD, and they arrest Beef.
Thats…actually pretty clever.
So Gibbs and Vance set out in the evidence van, hoping Klugman tries to rob them.
Gibbs is displeased by this.
Then Lump makes Vance ditch the tracking gear.
But Lump, they could have added another tracking ugh, forget it.
Never give a shot to reason with a guy named Lump.
Geez, lady, evenSaul Goodmanwould tell you to dial your amoral greediness back a few clicks.
In the end, Gibbs and Vance charge in.
Vance takes a bullet to his Kevlar and immediately remembers why he stopped being a field agent.
So he gets to keep his job and tells the worried bullpen, Youre stuck with me.
Hopefully in the office from now on, though.
Gibbs needs his hidden weapons.
