‘NCIS’ Season 15 Episode 15 Recap Hicks is Back in Prison, McGee Found New Friend

“NCIS” Season 15 is back after a brief hiatus and the hunt for serial killer Gabriel Hicks continues. NCIS Special Agent Jack Sloan survived the blast but her friend Atty. Jessica Shaeffer’s (Hilliary Ward) did not. The NCIS team will work with a convicted felon to catch Hicks once and for all, while NCIS Special Agent Tim McGee finds a new friend.
In the episode, titled “Keep Your Enemies Closer,” Jack revealed to NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and former FBI agent Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano) what Jessica told her about Hicks before her car exploded. NCIS Special Agents Eleonor Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) bring Hicks in. He, however, denies involvement in Jessica’s death. Hicks says he was the one who fired Jessica as his lawyer so she could work for her other clients. NCIS releases him due to lack of evidence linking him to the blast.

Convicted Murderer Paul Triff is Back in “NCIS” Season 15

Abby (Pauley Perrette) discovers a bug implanted in Jessica’s cell phone. Bishop finds out that Jessica talked to Hicks’ cellmate in prison, Paul Triff (French Stewart), hours before her death. Triff tells Jack and NCIS Special Tim McGee (Sean Murray) that Hicks shared some information when he is still behind bars and also confessed to more than one murder. Triff is willing to share it all with NCIS but for a price. As a sign of good faith, he gives one piece of information for free – Hicks is tying up some loose end by killing a certain witness on Lieutenant O’Connell case, Mary Smith.
NCIS, however, gets to Mary too late as Hicks has already taken her. Fornell confronted Hicks about Mary. Gibbs allows Fornell to punch Hicks to plant a bug on him. However, their play doesn’t work out as planned as Hicks is always one step ahead of them. They didn’t need to track him to find Mary as he had delivered her back to the nursing home his cellphone.
Director Vance approves Triff’s demand for 48-hour furlough at his former apartment, the same apartment where McGee, his wife Delilah and the twins live. It is also the same place where Triff murdered three individuals using an electric carving knife and killed another man and buried him right under the floor in the bedroom. In exchange for his furlough, Triff tells McGee and Reeves to search inside the van that Hicks used when he murdered O’Connell 10 years ago.

Gibbs Finds Evidence Against Hicks

Gibbs finds a large lead pipe that is covered with blood. Abby is able to match the blood traces of blood to O’Connell and the other traces to four other unsolved murder cases. While talking to Jack about Jack’s past, Gibbs realizes that by bringing Mary back to the nursing home, Hicks’ was able to split up the team. Hicks is planning to get his revenge on Fornell all along. Gibbs tries to call Fornell, but there is no answer. Gibbs fails to get to Fornell’s in time. He is also taken by Hicks.
At McGee’s apartment, the agent is greeted at the door with Hicks’ gun in his face. Hicks isn’t pleased that Triff has been giving NCIS information. As Hicks about to attack Triff, he pushes the cage door, giving McGee enough time to grab a second gun. In the gunfire, Triff takes a bullet for McGee while Hicks escapes.
Fornell, who is tied up in the trunk, manages to get out of his restraint and attacks Hicks from behind, causing Hicks to crash the car. As the two fight on the ground, Gibbs comes up behind Hicks and shoots him with the taser.
Hicks is back in jail and so as Triff. But before he goes back in prison, McGee thank Triff for saving his life. Triff cuts him off by declaring that he would love to be the godfather to McGee’s children. Meanwhile, Fornell informs Gibbs that the FBI is considering reinstating him, but he is happier being a private investigator. Fornell gives his friend a chance to work with him right before he hands Gibbs an invoice for the work that he performed on the case.
“NCIS” Season 15 will be back on Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.