The second part of a four-episode arc builds upon the emotional torque of the first one that centered on Abby and Gibbs' daughter - father-like relationship. Now, the momentum increases as pieces start to come together and things start to look rather bleak. So bleak, that the resolution of the previous episode's cliffhanger has to be postponed. Again, the case of the week works well together with the arc plot, and like in the first part, we get a fan-pleasing guest star.
The case of the week turns out to be a rather complex one, which is a definite plus. Meanwhile, the arc plot delivers turns which, unless the writers make the characters forget about them in Season 8, will affect the inter-character dynamic permanently. Also, turns out the big picture is not what it has seemed to be. Whether this was planned all the way from the beginning of Season 7 or whether it is a case of Retconning does not matter: the result works. And then, as a counterpart for the previous episode, the episode ends up on an action-based cliffhanger, as opposed to an emotional one. Great stuff, another 8/10.
The case of the week turns out to be a rather complex one, which is a definite plus. Meanwhile, the arc plot delivers turns which, unless the writers make the characters forget about them in Season 8, will affect the inter-character dynamic permanently. Also, turns out the big picture is not what it has seemed to be. Whether this was planned all the way from the beginning of Season 7 or whether it is a case of Retconning does not matter: the result works. And then, as a counterpart for the previous episode, the episode ends up on an action-based cliffhanger, as opposed to an emotional one. Great stuff, another 8/10.
