When a Navy Captain is killed in a florist shop in the middle of Washington DC, the NCIS team is called in to investigate. What they discover is that the service dress blues isn’t all the captain has been sporting; the good captain has been masquerading as Captain Code, a member of the Real Life Super Heroes. But when the clues lead to another member of the Real Life Super Heroes, can Gibbs and his team sniff out the traitor before another body turns up dead?
I’ve been a sucker for NCIS since the end of season two and the shocker of Kate’s death. Despite all of its flaws, I’ve enjoyed the quirky character flaws, the tongue-in-cheek in-jokes, and Mark Harmon’s stoic yet heroic portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Though I’ve fallen off the horse as of late, catching up on the episodes as they hit DVD as opposed to tuning in every Tuesday, when I learned that tonight’s episode was super hero themed, I had to watch.
In the episode “Secrets”, the Real Life Super Heroes are a team of regular Joes, and Janes, that have teamed up to form a costumed neighborhood watch all over DC. Spandexia, Whipcord, and Bolt Cutter all patrol their areas keeping an eye out for crime and thwarting it before the police need to get involved. How a team of vigilantes is able to patrol the streets without fear of arrest is beyond me but, hey…it’s television. The DC police seem to be OK with it so who am I to judge?
As a comic fan, I was really disappointed to see that the super hero aspect wasn’t the driving force behind the episode. With the perfect opportunity to really attract comic book fans into the fold, the writers instead to make the idea seem hokey, which it is, but that’s beside the point. Clever writers could have peppered the script with snippets and references, but instead, fans are treated to one small in-joke as a character refers to “Earth Six One Six”. Given the lack of any other allusion to comic-related trivia, the tease just seems to fall flat.
However, it’s episodes like “Secrets” that show how NCIS is a strong, character driven drama. The episode focuses on Tony DiNozzo and his past loves. Any NCIS fans know about Tony’s ex-fiancée, Wendy. When Wendy shows up as a reporter looking for information on the killing of two “super heroes”, Tony is assigned to be her NCIS liason. And with their strained history together, it forces Tony to evaluate the last nine years of his life. For the past 9 year, fans have known Tony as a movie-quoting womanizer, but this episode changes that.
The rest of the team make an appearance, but they’re given supporting roles. The title “Secrets” acts as a double entendre for the episode’s themes. Not only does it refer to the secret lives the Real Life Super Heroes uphold, but it’s about the secrets that Tony DiNozzo keeps from his friends, as well as himself…the hurt that he suffered when his one time betrothed left him at the alter.
“Secrets” does a wonderful job of shining the spotlight on Tony. Michael Weatherly brings a humanity to the character that really brings him to life. Tony is the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with but wouldn’t leave alone with your sister. There are times when he’s annoying, but when you see how he’s evolved from his pain, you really get a sense of why he is the way he is. While I didn’t feel this episode was one of the best in the NCIS catalog, as long as the writers keep expanding on their characters in a classy way like this, then they’ll always have a fan in me.
Tags: Cote De Pablo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Michael Wirth, NCIS, Pauley Perrette, Reviews, Sean Murray, Secrets, Super Heroes, Television, Tony DiNozzo
About the Author
Written by Michael Wirth
Hailing from the armpit of America, New Jersey, Michael has been collecting comic books since the age of 10. Now, he deigns to keep his finger on the pulse of pop-culture, keeping up with every passing fad or iconic innovation, never losing sight of his comic book roots.
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