NCIS 14x21 "One Book, Two Covers" Review

SPOILERS

I really liked “One Book, Two Covers". After hearing so many little hints about Torres’s past as an undercover agent, it was nice to see his past catch up to him, in a way. Most of the episode was about him, and the title of the episode definitely refers to him. It’s not his first “focused” episode, but probably my favorite. The episode was pretty plot heavy as well, and since the focus was so much on Torres the other characters felt like they were barely there.

I do have to say, a dirt bike gang who robs banks is a first for me, and a first for the show too. Maybe I don’t understand the gang mindset, but “Rosewood Boyz” is a kind of silly name. Whatever. So when the leader of the gang went to prison, because of Torres and his “snitch”, Royce Layton, Royce was placed in Witness Protection for his own safety and Torres never checked up on him. He probably should have, because it turns out Royce took over as the leader of the Rosewood Boyz.

I predicted the wrong bad guy! I have yet to figure one out; maybe I will by the end of the season. I figured Royce Layton was not the bad guy. I guessed they would not even show him, but I was also not too surprised when they had Torres turn up on his doorstep; definitely in character, Torres broke the rules and did his own investigation, tracked him down, and chatted, not really suspecting a thing, and allowing for the line about him making pottery drop as a little hint for later. And he would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that pesky clay that sticks to everything! The whole scene at the end when Torres finally confronts him and then chases him down on the dirt bike was pretty cool. Though I did predict Royce would make a run for it as soon as Torres took his eyes off him. That’s a trope I’ve seen way too much of.

Royce shows Torres his pottery wheel.

Abby had a nice little bit of humor as well. Untraceable: “That word is blasphemous in the house of Scuito”.

Torres did have some nice moments with Gibbs, including an elevator chat which lets out a big secret about his old case. In typical Gibbs fashion, he says “you did the wrong thing for the right reasons…never do it again” and then he just forgets about it.

8/10