A charred body found lying on the grave of a well-known soldier leads Booth to investigate the possibility of a coverup involving a U.S. Army detachment back in Iraq. Meanwhile, Brennan worries that Booth's involvement may be forcing the veteran to relive some of his own unpleasant war memories.
Tropes
- Dark and Troubled Past: Booth is forced to face memories of his past in the army, which includes how his final assassination saw him kill a dictator and leave the man's body where his young son could find it.
- Revealing Cover Up: Marshall's murder is covered up in a very high profile fashion, drawing attention and showing that he was murdered, which leads further to reveal the cover-up of a friendly fire incident.
- Shout-Out: Brennan does a horrible, but confident, impression of John Wayne.
- Villain Has a Point: William Fuller points out that if word had gotten out about his unit killing an innocent family the entire town they were stationed in would've exploded.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The murder leads the team to discover that a military operation in Iraq was actually a cover-up for the accidental murder of a civilian family. Booth confronts the officer responsible for the cover-up, and his superiors come by to confirm that they are cooperating with Booth in this matter.