- Title: NCIS – Love Thy Neighbor
- wiki: link
It was the serial killer, in the cul-de-sac, with the hot tub. “Love Thy Neighbor” takes NCIS into the suburbs where the remains of a solider are found slowly cooking inside a hot tub (offering fans of the show one of the more gruesome murder scenes from the show’s 16 season run). The mystery plays into the suburb cliche of gossiping neighbors with hidden secrets and agendas, each of whom seems more than happy to point the finger at a different neighbor. Delving a bit into the victim not only helps NCIS find their killer but also catch a serial who has evaded capture for years.
While the episode’s B-story offers the unusual parring of Tores (Wilmer Valderrama) and Palmer (Brian Dietzen) getting into a fight at a semi-nude painting wine club, the writing of the subplot leaves something to be desired. The reveal of why Tores is so frustrated ties back into one of the recent losses, but there is no real depth here (of course giving the most superficial character on the show the storyline doesn’t do anything to help sell it). Still, Palmer’s enthusiasm both during and after the fight does provide some fun moments.