Directed by Leslie Libman
Written by Steven D. Binder
A British citizen is killed in D.C., and Ducky is shocked to hear the man's name: his former best friend, Angus Clarke. He and Bishop travel to London.
Tropes in this episode:
- Better as Friends: What Maggie realized she and Angus were - unfortunately not until after they were married.
- Call-Forward: Plenty in the flashbacks, mostly from Ducky:
- "Bloody old fool, I thought he'd never shut up."
- "If I never see another cadaver again, it'll be too soon."
- Victoria Palmer has been keeping Welsh Corgis for over forty years.
- Chekhov's Gun: The surgical scalpel that Angus gave Ducky as a going-away present, but Ducky never took with him, saves his and Maggie's lives forty years later.
- Continuity Nod: The "origin story" of Ducky's lifelong habit of wearing bow ties.
- Cool Old Lady: Bishop, after meeting Maggie:I wanna be her when I grow up.
- Deadly Doctor: Ducky makes a small nick in the crook of an assassin's elbow with a small scalpel. The assassin laughs it off and complains about Ducky ruining his favorite jacket... then collapses into a chair, dizzy and short of breath. Ducky informs him that the nick in his brachial artery will kill him in about a minute and a half.
- Deadly Scratch: An assassin scoffs that Ducky will defend himself with a surgical scalpel that has been a paperweight in Angus's office for the last forty years. Ducky says, entirely seriously, that since the blade hasn't been cleaned, a scratch would very likely kill him... eventually.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Bishop, after remarking how "hot" Ducky was as a younger man.
- I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder: During his going away party, Ducky answers an "urgent" call - which turns out to be his mother complaining about her Corgis getting into the liquor cabinet (again).Donald: How should I know? I'm a doctor, not a veterinarian, Mother!
- Naked People Are Funny: While Ducky and Bishop are examining Angus's office, a blonde woman in lingerie pokes her head out of the attached bedroom, starts jabbering in a foreign language, and bolts for the door. Becomes less funny with the knowledge that Angus was being forced to host a prostitution ring in his hotel and she was most likely one of the (possibly unwilling) prostitutes.Bishop: [giving chase] No wonder Angus and his wife were having problems!
- Rewatch Bonus: The half-naked girl in Angus's office seems like nothing more than a Fanservice Extra whom Angus is implied to be cheating on Maggie with, given how bad their marriage is. On subsequent viewings it becomes apparent that she was part of the prostitution ring Angus was forced to host in his hotel, and she was likely being truthful when she said that Angus was letting her crash in his office.
- Stiff Upper Lip: Played for Black Comedy in the teaser:Samuel Colpepper: [over the phone] Just when you think you've seen everything...
[sees an anti-tank rocket streaking towards his car]
Samuel Colpepper: Oh, dear...
[BOOM!] - Sweet and Sour Grapes: Eddie Kowolski swallowed his pride and accepted Peter Velo's offer to buy out his flagging business, but the deal falls through when Gibbs and Tony arrest Velo for being involved in the Albanian mafia's scheme, and Angus's murder. Gibbs offers a half-hearted apology, but Kowolski says he's more than satisfied to see the Smug Snake get hauled off to jail.Eddie: Back to square one, I guess.
Gibbs: Sorry about that.
Eddie: (laughs) Oh, works for me! - Tragic Keepsake: Angus kept the antique scalpel intended to be Ducky's going away present which was left behind after their falling out, holding onto it for over 40 years and eventually having a stand made for it and displaying it in his office.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: After being led to believe that his old friend has been murdered, Ducky is elated to discover that he's still alive... only for him to wind up murdered for real (offscreen) a few days later, before they can reunite.
