Directed by Leslie Libman
Written by Steven D Binder & David J North
NCIS takes custody of a 10-year old orphaned refugee when it is revealed that she is the target of a violent armed gang.
Tropes:
- Big Eater: Elena, the girl NCIS watches over, has a hankering for hamburgers.
- The Bus Came Back: The gang hunting down Elena is La Vida Mala, who appeared all the way back in the Season Three episode "Iced". It seems that in the last twelve years, they've gotten a lot bigger and a lot more dangerous.
- Bittersweet Ending: NCIS manages to get enough evidence to arrest one of La Vida Mala's leaders, and they also found out how stolen weapons are being smuggled into El Salvador, weakening the gang's power in the process. Father and daughter are also reunited for the first time in years, and both of them will be allowed to stay in the United States for the time being so Rico can testify against the leader. However, it's very likely that Elena and Rico will be deported back to El Salvador once the trial is over because both of them are still illegal immigrants, and La Vida Mala still has a lot of power. Lampshaded by the last conversation in the episode:Bishop: [As the agents watch Elena and Rico's reunion] Well, that is one hell of a happy ending.
McGee: You know, somedays I really like my job.
Bishop: I hear that.
McGee: [Suddenly notices Gibbs' troubled expression] Everything okay, boss?
Gibbs: No. What happens now? - Felony Misdemeanor: When a suspect breaks into Gibbs's house (alerted by McGee's motion sensor), Gibbs is more upset that McGee put a motion sensor on his door without his permission.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Rico didn't want to help La Vida Mala steal U.S. Military weapons, but as he points out to Gibbs, it was the only way for him to sneak onto the Navy Base where his daughter was staying and reunite with her without both of them ending up deported back to El Salvador. His case is helped by the fact that Rico deliberately disabled the weapons that he helped steal to guarantee that even if they fell in the wrong hands they wouldn't hurt anybody.
- Ma'am Shock: Bishop is annoyed that a barista called her "Ma'am". Later, McGee, while speaking to a woman to ask her about the case, initially calls her "Ma'am" before changing it to "Miss", with Bishop's rant no doubt on his mind.
- Spotting the Thread: Gibbs notices that the latch on the guest room window (Elena's room) is unlocked; since Elena says she hasn't opened it, he knows that it was her stalker, because Gibbs himself hasn't opened that window in over a decade.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Elena really likes hamburgers.
- Wham Line: When it's revealed that the guy that's been stalking Elena is actually her long-missing father when NCIS catches him breaking into Gibbs’ house.Rico: Why on Earth would I hurt my own daughter?
