Ducky has been off the entire season, and we finally learned why he's so different. The actress who played Ducky's mother, Nina Foch, has been dead since 2008. Ziva and Abby suspect something when he starts wearing ties, and Abby trails Ducky to the cemetery, finding him looking at his mother's headstone. While I wouldn't expect Ducky to hide the news from everyone, David McCallum sold it well.
NCIS isn't a subtle show, but it is more subtle than most procedurals which is why the show is so attractive to a large audience. The writing of dialogue can be clever, and the characters aren't always stagnant. That doesn't result in good television at times, but at least the writers try. In the case of "Double Identity," it paid off.
The case of the week was typical stuff. The two wives stuff has been way overdone, so I didn't care much for it. Marines stealing large sums of money while overseas has also been done before. The one thing that caught my attention was Tony talking to John Mayne even though the doctor strictly told him not to. Tony was really callous in that instance, and wasn't rebuked by anyone.
Score: 8.9/10
