DNA isn’t everything, as Gibbs says in episode four of season nine. He’s right. It’s a lot of things, but not all. (For instance, I watched this episode again during an evening when I had actively chosen not to go to a DNA-related weekend with people I don’t know so well, despite sharing their DNA. It doesn’t prove anything, but it’s worth thinking about what matters.)
Seven months ago I had opinions on this episode. Now that I’m equipped with hindsight, or at least the knowledge of what happened (or rather, didn’t happen) in the rest of season nine, I know I was right. We needed more on Abby and her unknown brother. And this past winter was when we needed it.
Pauley Perrette did a very good job of the shaken Abby and all the strange thoughts that go with the discovery on who she is, or had hitherto thought she was. It looked like a thread that might be continued later. Maybe it was intended as such. Why go to such lengths to find a well matched actor for the brother if not?
They were wrong if they decided to leave it, and they were wrong even if they are intending to get back to it in season ten. It can continue, but needed feeding once more this season.
It’s not very likely that Abby was adopted, if we are to believe the back story she has been given up till now. I really don’t believe deaf parents would have been allowed to adopt in those days. But assuming it happened, there is a lot the scriptwriters could do with this story. In fact, it might even have prevented them from going crazy with Dr Ryan.
This was a typical example of their meaningless ‘capers’ which is coupled with important stuff happening to the little NCIS family. I just don’t understand why they thought it up in the first place, only to ignore it immediately after. Compare this with when Agent Lee died. Gibbs wore a plaster in the next episode, even if they didn’t keep alluding to Lee. You could tell something had happened, and it was remembered in the details for a week or two.
The ending of Enemy on the Hill is a strong one. And they wasted it.
(Photos © CBS)
