After an underwhelming Halloween detour, NCIS returns to fine form with Season 23, Episode 4. “Gone Girls,” directed by star Rocky Carroll and penned by multi-hyphenate Amy Rutberg, is a very serious story that tugs at the heartstrings. It also gets a serious boost from its guest stars Denise G. Sanchez and Nazneen Contractor.
Sanchez, who recently wrapped her starring role as Reina Vasquez in Bosch: Legacy, is just as tough playing Marine Sergeant Molly Delgado. She has a fantastic introduction, easily defending herself against a man who seems like he’s about to assault her—only for the audience to learn he was trying to warn her about the real threat in the back seat of her car. Even when Molly is giving NCIS the silent treatment, Sanchez creates a character with strength and poise. It’s a shame that because Molly has to be so tight-lipped, Sanchez doesn’t get to completely show off her range, but the end result is someone that the viewer wants to see return someday… which is a pretty big accomplishment on a procedural, where “case of the week” characters usually have finite development. NCIS would be wise to bring her back, if someone else hasn’t scooped Sanchez up to be a series regular again.
Contractor (best known for her work on 24 and in the Chicago PD episode that served as the backdoor pilot for Chicago Justice) is stuck initially with a stereotypical FBI agent character. It’s also a habit in the procedural genre that most characters working for any outside agency are antagonistic, and Contractor’s Agent Beth Rollins is no exception. (The later scene where Jessica Knight and Alden Parker try to distract Rollins and her team with baked goods is groan-worthy in how it utilizes that cliche.) But as “Gone Girls” goes on and the plot unspools, Rollins becomes more three-dimensional.
If you’re a fan of NCIS, you know how hard it is for a long-running procedural to stay fresh and compelling. In Season 22, Episode 4 (“Sticks & Stones”), the show takes a bold swing — featuring a potential global crisis, strong character beats, and a team that feels reborn. In this deep dive, we’ll explore how this episode marks a return to form, why it works (and where it wobbles), and what it suggests about the direction of NCIS moving forward.
Why Episode 4 Stands Out in Season 22
High Stakes from the Jump
Right out of the gate, Episode 4 wakes us up at 3:37 a.m. with a major threat: intelligence suggests a coordinated ballistic missile attack that could trigger World War III. The urgency is real — and for a show that often deals with murder investigations and low-level conspiracies, this feels big.
The Team Works — and It Shows
One of the best things about this episode: the ensemble cast isn’t just shuffling in the background. The team—led by Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and including agents like Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), and forensic expert Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) — execute in tandem. ScreenRant says, “the Major Case Response Team … neutralizes what could have been World War III.” That’s intense — and we can feel the team’s unity.
Leadership Shift = Fresh Energy
One of the subtler wins: Parker isn’t a clone of former leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and that’s a good thing. Reviews note this episode proves Parker is his own man, leading the team with his own style. That fresh dynamic helps the show avoid feeling trapped in its past.
What Works – Deep Dive
The Plot’s Boldness
The writers didn’t play small here. They device a decrypted message from Belarus suggesting multiple European targets and the U.S. gets involved. It’s grand, and it ups the stakes from typical NCIS fare. The episode becomes about more than one murder — it becomes about whether the team can stop a war.
Character Moments That Matter
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Parker’s urgency: He wakes everyone up, makes tough calls, and doesn’t bow to bureaucracy. CBR notes Gary Cole “sells the premise and keeps pushing the episode along.”
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Knight & Palmer: We get some closure, or at least active acknowledgment, of the relationship between agents Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). While they don’t jump back together, they talk. CBR: “They admit they still love each other… and that there’s room to rediscover what brought them together.”
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Team chemistry: Critics point out the quips between McGee and Parker, Torres’s input, Kasie’s role. Even if the tension doesn’t hit nuclear-level, the rapport is effective.
A Return to Classic Procedural Roots
Fangirlish declares this the “best episode of the young season so far … the kind of episode NCIS has excelled at for over two decades.” It taps into what made the show great: tight focused story tied to the characters rather than sprawling plot threads that bog everything down.
What Could Have Been Better
Suspension of Disbelief Is Pushed
When you’re saying “possible world war,” you demand more rigor from the plot. CBR noted the episode “threatens to start a war” but never quite hits the tension it promises. ScreenRant likewise acknowledges some of the “unconventional tactics” feel like classic NCIS but perhaps stretch plausibility.
Bottle-Episode Feel & Economy
Despite the high stakes, this ep has been labelled a “bottle episode” (limited settings — headquarters + RV) meant to save budget. That’s not inherently bad, but when you aim big (possible WWIII), the visuals and pacing could maybe match the ambition more.
The Romance Subplot Is Subdued
The Knight & Palmer arc is addressed, yes — but some viewers might feel the payoff is delayed. Fangirlish: “We don’t get the resolution we would have wanted… but the show is setting up what might come.” For fans wanting immediate payoff, this might be an intentional tease but could feel frustrating.
Thematic Underpinnings and Why They Hit Home
Duty vs. Obedience
One of the deeper themes: Parker and his team risk defying orders in order to do what’s right. For example, instead of rubber-stamping an order to launch, the team hunts for the second message. ScreenRant: “the team … relying on some pretty unconventional tactics.” This raises the idea of moral courage over blind obedience — always a solid theme for NCIS.
Legacy, Change & Identity
With Gibbs gone, the show has to redefine itself. Parker stepping up — without being a “Gibbs clone” — shows a series willing to evolve. As Fangirlish puts it: “the character they picked … works as well within this team as Gibbs ever did.” It’s like a legacy car being re-designed for modern roads — familiar shape, new engine.
Teamwork Under Pressure
The best moments come when the agents pool their strengths: decrypting, field work, logic, trust. The message: no one is heroic alone. In a time when many shows glamorize the lone wolf, NCIS reminds us of the team. That feels like a return to form.
How This Episode Impacts the Season and the Series
Momentum for Season 22
This episode gives the season a shot in the arm. After early episodes that might have felt a bit slow or transitional, Episode 4 shifts the gears into a higher speed. Reviewers agree it stands above what came before.
NCIS has many spin-outs and imitators; what makes the original work is consistency: character, procedure, smart writing. This episode checks those boxes. It reminds fans why they tuned in in the first place.
Setting Up Future Storylines
The fact that the romance subplot doesn’t conclude, the plot subtly hints at deeper institutional issues (moles, trust in agencies) — all this gives narrative threads to follow later. It sets the chessboard.
Fan Reactions & Critical Consensus
Mixed but Leaning Positive
While not universally lauded as perfect, critics lean positive. CBR gives the episode credit for acting and team work but calls out tension deficits. Fangirlish praises it as “the best episode of the young season so far.”
Viewers on Reddit
On Reddit, one user writes:
“This episode is kind of hilarious on the premise alone due to everyone relying on god-damn NCIS to solve everything…”
Here we see some viewers finding humour or disbelief in how vast the scope is. That kind of feedback underscores how high the bar is for believability in a network procedural.
Final Verdict – Did NCIS Hit a Home Run?
In short: yes, but with caveats. This episode doesn’t reinvent the procedural wheel — it refines it. It nails many of the core strengths of NCIS (team cohesion, moral dilemmas, high stakes) and does so in a way that feels energised. The plot demands some suspension of disbelief, and a few subplots (romance) leave you wanting more, but it’s a strong hour that delivers. For anyone wondering if NCIS still has it, Episode 4 is a confident, welcome ‘yes’.
Why This Story Should Matter to You
If you watch NCIS (or like well-crafted procedural drama), this episode is more than weekend TV — it’s an example of how a long-running series stays alive by blending legacy + innovation. If you don’t normally watch NCIS, this is a gateway: not bogged down in continuity, full of stakes, human characters, and ethical tension.
So yes: pull up a chair. Episode 4 invites you into the action, gives you a reason to care, then walks away leaving you curious for more.
Conclusion
Episode 4 of NCIS Season 22, “Sticks & Stones,” marks a revitalising moment for the show. With big stakes, a strong leading team, and a recognition of what makes NCIS work, it feels like a true return to form. It may ask a few leaps of faith, but the payoff is worth it. If you’ve been doubting whether NCIS still has the fire, this episode reminds you: the team is back — and they’re ready.
