Heidi Cullinan

We come back from a holiday hiatus from Lucifer to quite an unusual episode: City of Angels takes us on a blast to the past, all the way to 2011 when Lucifer first comes to L.A. for a vacation. The entire show is a flashback, a look at how Lucifer, Amenadiel and Mazikeen came to L.A., and how Chloe made her way to detective. We also get some interesting insights into everyone’s character and fun parallels with the stories we’re being told now.

The show opens with Lucifer walking the streets of L.A., shocking homeless men with his wings, learning his suit is decades out of fashion but that he can still lure everyone with his good looks. His multiperson orgy is interrupted by Amenadiel, however, who arrives in his robes and announces it’s time for Lucifer to leave. Lucifer arranges for 10 more minutes to say goodbye, and Amenadiel goes outside to wait. While he does, he encounters a jogger who teases him about his dress (“It’s a robe!” Amenadiel insists,) and then a mugger in a face mask asks Amenadiel what he’s looking at, then shoots him. When Amenadiel wakes up, he discovers his necklace is missing.

DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

There’s now a change of plans: Amenadiel gets dressed with random human clothes from the room where Lucifer is and goes to the police station, where he meets Officer Decker and reports a robbery. He’s completely awkward and unable to deal with humans in a natural manner, and Chloe doesn’t really take him seriously. But just as he leaves, Dan, who is a detective at this time, says there was a murder at the same place Amenadiel reported his mugging.

Amenadiel returns to Lucifer and admits his necklace is gone and he needs Lucifer’s help getting it back. Lucifer says he’ll help, but Amenadiel has to follow him. Meanwhile, Chloe is on the case, looking for clues, and she finds one: a key fob with blood on it. Chloe is eager, but Dan is dismissive, clearly not wanting her in danger.

Lucifer takes Amenadiel to an outdoor bar, where they drink and Lucifer plays piano, and Amenadiel realizes Lucifer isn’t really helping him, only enjoying more time on Earth. Their argument is interrupted by a TV broadcast at the bar letting them know about Chloe’s investigation, and Amenadiel recognizes Aiden Scott, the murder victim, as the jogger who ran into him just before his necklace was stolen. They don’t know how to connect the two at first, but then the news shows a new picture, and Lucifer says he has an idea, but he wants something for it. Amenadiel says to name his price. Lucifer says he can’t think of anything right now, but to give him a blank check to cash for later. “Deal,” Amenadiel says. Lucifer steals from the parking lot what will become his car for the entirety of the show, and they’re off.

They end up at a porn shoot, because Lucifer recognized the breasts in a photo of one of his favorite porn stars, who was dating the murder victim. And it turns out when Amenadiel interrogates her, she does know the victim, and she’s upset to hear he’s dead. She also lets them know Aiden had been approached to throw an MMA fight but refused, which is information they can use for the next step in their investigation.

DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

However, there are more interesting moments in that scene worth mentioning. First of all, Amenadiel is mistakenly cast as the male lead in the porn scene and almost ends up showing his family jewels, much to Lucifer’s (and our) delight. Also of note, however, is Lucifer’s conversation with the porn star, who talks about how she loves her work and L.A., mentioning it’s the place to go if you want to rebel.

While the brothers are at the porn shoot, Chloe is at the gym interviewing the owner about Aiden, and he says yes, everyone knew him and was upset about his death. The owner knew Aiden quite personally, having trained him from when he was just a “skinny kid.” The owner says there was one guy he’d argued with recently, a promoter, and gives Chloe the address. It’s also the place Lucifer and Amenadiel head, and Lucifer and Chloe end up standing next to each other, studying the scene.

Lucifer leads his brother to the promoter — the same man Chloe was heading for — and when Amenadiel is mistaken for a fighter, Lucifer goes with it and sets up his brother for a fight the next night. This leads to a few days of Lucifer having to train Amenadiel, not to get stronger but to play at being strong as a human, or rather, weak as. While this is going on, the promoter comes up to Lucifer and offers him the same deal he did Aiden, to throw the fight, at which point Lucifer knocks him out.

Chloe never got ahold of the promoter at the fight (in part because Lucifer had him), but she did get an underling and brought him in on a lesser charge. She says she wants to talk to the promoter’s lawyer and try to work out a deal to get him to talk, thinking he had to have killed Aiden to fix the fight, but Dan warns this is a risky play.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer and DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Lucifer and Amenadiel have taken the promoter away, tied him up in a hotel and demanded answers about Aiden Scott and the necklace. This has gotten them nowhere, so while Lucifer watches Hot Tub High School starring Chloe Decker on TV, Mazikeen appears to do some torturing. She is nothing like the Maze we’ve known, not even from season one — this is the demon straight from hell who hasn’t yet tasted the human world. She goes into the bedroom to torture, but discovers how amazing the human world is, how flexible and ends up having sex with him instead, which turns out to be a better way to get him to talk. There is a great moment when she thinks a toilet plunger is a “stabbing object.” She discovers the promoter didn’t kill anyone and doesn’t know where the necklace is, just as he said to Amenadiel. She did find out that someone beat him to Aiden about fixing the fight, but he doesn’t know who. They decide to have Maze persuade the promoter to have that same someone gamble on Amenadiel instead, have him take the fall, then see who shows up to collect it.

The back-and-forth between everyone, especially in this scene, is so incredible. It’s so fun knowing what’s coming in the future, but it’s just delicious to watch. And we have more in the next scene with Charlotte and Chloe — this is Charlotte before she was killed and then possessed by the Goddess of All Creation, and this is Chloe when she’s just starting to develop her detective instincts. At first, Chloe is clumsy about being able to get Charlotte to work with her, but when Charlotte slips up and gives something away as she taunts Chloe, Chloe picks it up right away and uses it against her, ensuring Charlotte will help.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer and DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Amenadiel gets ready for his fight, and things would have gone fine, except Amenadiel makes the mistake of casually calling Lucifer evil, saying that’s why he asked for his help. “I need a criminal to catch a criminal.” Upset, Lucifer replaces the human who was supposed to fight Amenadiel and steps into the ring with his brother.

Now the fight is real: No one holds any punches, and the brothers bloody each other, answering the age-old question, which of them is really stronger? Lucifer keeps baiting Amenadiel, but when he calls him out on his pride — “You’re just like me, brother” — Amenadiel stops fighting. “This isn’t who I am,” he says. “I am better than you are.” He taps out. Lucifer wins the fight.

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Dan and Chloe are watching the same lockers Amenadiel and Lucifer are the next day — Lucifer is sore about Amenadiel backing out of the fight, but he’s not dwelling on it. Amenadiel just wants his necklace so he can leave. Someone does come to get the money, and it’s the owner of the gym — but before Chloe can arrest him he runs, and Amenadiel and Lucifer whisk him away, literally — they fly him to what looks like Lux before it’s Lux.

The gym owner is stunned and confused, but quickly overwhelmed by the two angels interrogating him. He confesses to killing Aiden but says he didn’t mean it. He was like a father to Aiden and wanted to use Aiden’s losing the fight to make a lot of money. When Aiden refused, he panicked and shot him by accident. He tried to make it look like a robbery, which is what Amenadiel saw. Amenadiel asks for the last time where his necklace is and finally gets an answer: in the gym safe. Before he’s taken back to the beach where the detectives are searching for him, however, Lucifer takes a moment. “You killed your so-called son for refusing to play a part in your plan. Now that is just pure evil. And I should know, because I’m the king of evil.” Then he shows the man his devil face.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer and DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

The man screams, and seconds later he’s on the beach, gasping and confessing and giving Chloe what looks like the break she needs to make detective.

Amenadiel and Lucifer end up back at Rico’s, the bar where they fought, and Lucifer announces to Amenadiel he’s not leaving, because he’s not an angel any longer. He wants to know, Why is he still trying to please his father? He’s going to abandon his father just as his father abandoned him. He’s going to rebel and move to L.A., as a wise woman once told him. When Amenadiel says no, Lucifer smiles and says he’s calling in his favor: Leave him be. Amenadiel says their father will be furious, and Lucifer says that’s fine, he knows where to find me. Amenadiel leaves, and Lucifer smiles and leans over a railing, saying, “This place could use a piano.”

The show closes with Lucifer and Maze on the beach. Maze is still in her demon gear, still looking pretty demon-rough, not the softer woman we know now. Lucifer still has bruises from his fight. He has tears in his eyes and a stern expression, and Maze is openly weeping as he opens his wings and she tears off his wings with her dagger. But as they fall, he lifts his eyes in a truly evil grin at the skies, and that’s how the show ends.

DB Woodside as Amenadiel in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

I truly, truly enjoyed this episode in a way I hadn’t expected. I don’t often like these kind of throwback installments, but this didn’t stagnate the narrative for me; it enhanced it, answering old questions and giving us insight into things I’m sure are coming ahead with the Sinnerman and Cain. This wouldn’t be a bad place, either, for new viewers to jump in — they’d want to go back and start at the beginning after, but it’s just a fun place to start for anyone, really. So many in-jokes that I caught the second time I watched it, and I bet each viewing would provide more. This was a gift to fans on so many levels, but also a strong addition to the overall narrative. Do not miss that end beach scene.

As always, the acting was top-notch, and honestly, I left this fired up and ready for the rest of the season, which returns in three weeks. Which thankfully is locked and loaded now, no more waiting. Bring it on! I’m ready for the devil and all his companions.

An author of contemporary, historical and paranormal romances featuring LGBT characters, Heidi Cullinan is best known for stories of characters struggling with insurmountable odds on their way to their happily ever afters. Find out more about Heidi at www.heidicullinan.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Heidi’s Lucifer posts

Happy New Year to all my fellow NCIS fans. I hope your holidays were good and you’re keeping toasty in the middle of this deep freeze. (And those of you living in more temperate zones, how clever of you!)

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres and Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

We’re back with our favorite team of very special agents, as Torres and Bishop go undercover as a devoted couple with crime on their mind. Let’s find out how that works out, shall we?

We open with a young man on a yacht, getting ready to celebrate his birthday. He’s just waiting on his “date.” Enter Bishop, all call-girled up in her come-and-get-it heels and painted-on little black dress. Emphasis on little. She starts getting cozy, but not too cozy, with our Birthday Boy, and in walks her “ex-boyfriend,” played by a very testosterone-fueled Torres. Torres keeps Birthday Boy focused on his anger while Bishop clones BB’s phone with a handy little copying device. BB is more than willing to pay for the happy ending he didn’t get, so long as Torres doesn’t smash his face in. Our unhappy couple leaves, bickering all the way, the information they were after all safe and sound in Bishop’s lacquered-up fingertips.

Cue awesome opening theme song and credits.

We’re in MTAC with McGee downloading the information Bishop is transmitting from the car. She and Torres are still at the dock. Torres gives her a hard time for swatting BB’s hand away, and Bishop whips out her, “I don’t give free samples” speech, along with the backstory she created for her role, per Torres’ apparent instructions. (Three kids to feed and a sick nana back in Boca. Shingles. Oy.)

Enter Director Vance, who is perturbed that they didn’t bring BB in. Apparently, this is about drugs being smuggled on base from a civilian marina in Norfolk. Torres argues that BB is just a delivery boy and they should use him to nab the actual supplier. Then McGee intercepts a text to BB from someone saying a customer is going to drop by BB’s boat, but instead of selling to him, the text sender wants BB to put a bullet in his head. If Torres and Bishop intervene, they blow their cover. Vance orders them to intervene to stop someone from getting murdered. Torres starts to work on a new cover story, but the boat blows up before they get the chance to use it. Fade to a startled Gibbs black and white.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

It’s morning when we return, and the team, including Reeves, is working the scene of what is left of the boat. They find the heel off a lady’s shoe on the dock, but we learn that neither McGee nor Reeves has been able to locate or talk to Torres or Bishop. Reeves feels from the video feed they were watching that the pair hadn’t gotten close enough to be injured in the blast, but then … where are they? Just then, a boat pulls up with a body bag, body inside. The team waits to see if it’s one of theirs, but it’s BB. He didn’t fare well in the blast, but given the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, it’s unlikely he was alive by then anyway.

Enter the owner of the boat, a blustery as—er, arrogant jerk who stomps down the pier, claiming he owns four boats docked at that marina. “Three,” McGee corrects. Heh. Blustery Boat Owner says he rented out one boat to “some punk kid,” who he plans to kill when he finds him. “Too late.” This from Reeves. Heh, squared. Gibbs wants to know why he rented the boat if the kid was a punk, and BBO says BB’s money was green, which apparently was all that mattered to him. BBO relents a bit, says the kid actually seemed nice, and asks if anyone else was with him. Just then, McGee gets a text from Bishop’s burn phone saying they’re OK.

We shift to Gibbs’ diner as our “bickering undercover couple” enter. “Rough night?” Gibbs asks them. Ha. Torres apologizes for not messaging in sooner, but decided after the op went sideways to stay under until he knew which way was up. Bishop disagreed with this, which she makes clear. Gibbs just smiles through their explanation, then cuts them off just as Vance enters. He slides in next to Gibbs, startling both Bishop and Torres, and asks for the sitrep. Neither he nor Gibbs seem overly perturbed — or any perturbed.

Torres says after the blast, the two holed up and Bishop went through BB’s phone and figured out where the drugs are coming from. They want to go back in. Gibbs wants them to go to the hospital. Bishop assures him they’re fine. Vance says that it’s possible they were made. Torres laughs at that, until he realizes Vance is serious. “I don’t get made,” Torres says, “with all due respect.” Vance shoots back that Gibbs told them to report to the hospital. “With all due respect.” Zing! The pair exit, stage left, hospital bound.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Sean Murray as McGee in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

Over in the Bull Pen of Orangey Goodness, Reeves is giving Gibbs and us the update on BB. We’re at the Screen of All Knowing, learning BB was a petty thief who had apparently moved up enough in his world to rent a yacht. We learn his supplier is a guy who owns a boat and supply store on the civilian marina in Norfolk. McGee has a stream of texts between the two from BB’s phone dump setting up drop-off and pickup times. Supply Store Guy looks to be a middle man, not the Big Boss, but one step closer. McGee and Gibbs go to pick Middle Man up. McGee comments that the quiet little marina hardly looks like a “hotbed of drug distribution.” Gibbs replies, “That’s why they call it a front.” Heh. Before they can go in, they spy Torres down on the docks, heading into the supply store. Gibbs is not happy about that. To say the least.

Inside the Supply House, Middle Man is happily busting two underage girls trying to buy beer, but in a kind way. They exit and Torres steps up, all friendly guy. Middle Man wants to know how he can help Torres, but Torres just smiles and says it’s he who can do something for Middle Man. He puts the gadget Bishop used on BB’s phone on the counter and smiles as he tells MM just whose phone has been cloned on that device. MM stops smiling. Torres explains how he and his main squeeze have been running this grift for years, with Bishop playing call girl so she can clone a guy’s phone, allowing her and Torres to steal his identity. Only last night, well, it looks like maybe they hit pay dirt. MM reaches under the counter, and Torres tells him to put the gun away. He’s not there to blackmail MM. He’s there to ask for a job. Fade to a smiling Torres black and white.

We come back to Torres getting his … fanny chewed out by Vance. Torres says he made a judgment call and it paid off. He netted a job for himself and Bishop on MM’s crew. Torres says the drug deaths on the base are climbing and they don’t have very many leads. This gets them one step closer to the drug boss. Gibbs says the dive team found the gun used to kill BB. The serial number was filed off. Vance wonders out loud if perhaps Gibbs knew Torres was going to go rogue. He tells Torres to proceed, but that he’s skating on thin ice. As Torres and Gibbs leave Vance’s office, Torres asks Gibbs if he knew Torres’ plan, and Gibbs just chuckles. Heh.

Down in Abby Lab, Bishop is test-firing the gun used to kill BB, angrily relating how Torres left her at the hospital to continue their mission on his own, punctuating the story with bullets, until Abby carefully takes the gun away from her. Abby assures Bishop that Torres probably feels bad for what he did, just as Torres comes in all, “Who’s the man,” talking about getting Vance’s approval. Bishop storms out. Abby follows her, telling Torres he should be glad Abby took away the gun. HA.

Torres tells Bishop he had to make his move and do what needed to be done. He explains how things move fast undercover and you do what you have to do, when you have to do it, which is how he’s stayed alive. Abby takes a Polaroid of their “moment,” then confirms that the gun the divers found was the murder weapon. She goes on to explain the new technique she used to figure out who owned the gun despite the file number being filed off. Turns out the gun belongs to a science teacher on base, whom Bishop calls “more band camp than badass.” Heh. (Nice to see the humor looming large this week!) Bishop sends the teacher’s address to McGee so she and Torres can go sell some dope at their new job.

We finally get to spend time with Sloane, who is throwing darts at a dartboard in her office, for reasons I suppose we’re going to find out as Vance enters. And we do. She normally clears her mind punching the bag, but since she has plans that night, she didn’t want to sweat — yet — so darts it is. TMI. Sloane says her check on School Teacher turned up nothing that points to her involvement in anything shady. Squeaky clean.

Vance says he’s there on another matter, and Sloane invites him to sit. Vance is worried that Torres is taking too many chances and Bishop might pay the price. Sloane reminds Vance that NCIS trained Torres to go with his gut and take chances, and so far, it’s paid off. Smiling, she asks Vance if that reminds him of anyone. Gibbs, perhaps? Vance groans. That comparison is not easing his worry. He leaves with a yellow lollipop in hand.

Down at the docks, Blustery Boat Owner is not happy with how they are comping him for his destroyed yacht. Young Punk behind the counter tells him Boss Man (aka Middle Man) is down on the docks, but he can come by again later. BBO says he’ll do just that. He stomps off as Bishop and Torres come in, all, “What up?” Turns out Young Punk knows they are the new hires. He’s Middle Man’s assistant. He tells them MM is in the back, but says he only wants to see Bishop. Torres protests, but Bishop sidles up to him, tells him to pick her out a new bathing suit, then plants a hot one on his surprised mouth. HA. Bishop for the win. Young Punk directs Torres to help him carry dive tanks out to the truck. Torres protests that he didn’t sign up for that. YP just shrugs and says he didn’t either, but someone has to do it, and the other guy blew up.

Back at home base, Squeaky Clean is in interrogation. They picked her up at a science fair, baking mint chip cookies in a solar oven. McGee just doesn’t see her as a stone-cold killer. Inside the room, Squeaky confesses to making that fake ID as a joke for a student, and oh, that cannabis she grows? She has a card for that. HA. They show her a photo of BB, alive, then dead. They tell her she went on board, shot the guy, then started a fire to cover it up. She just looks at them, then laughs and says they can’t be serious. Gibbs shows her a photo of the gun, asks if it’s hers. She sighs. Turns out the gun was stolen over a year ago, but she didn’t report it because her sister-in-law had stolen in. She calls SIL a “crazy bitch,” and so hey, Squeaky doesn’t sound so clean no more. Ha. Gibbs asks if the crazy bitch has a name. HA! She tells him, then points her out in a photo, asking who wears a “Red Fang” T-shirt to a family Christmas party?

Middle Man is on the phone talking about drug dealer stuff when Bishop knocks and calls out, “Any day now.” Heh. MM invites her in. She acts kinda snotty, he kinda likes it, but says that while he checked out her partner and found out he’s legit, he needs to know a bit more about Bishop. She sits, still annoyed, but willing to answer whatever MM thinks he needs to know. Instead he gets up, walks around behind Bishop to where a woman is sitting in a chair with a hood over her head. He pulls off the hood to reveal crying and scared Sister-in-Law. We’ll call her Red Fang. MM tells Bishop he’s loyal to his crew and expects the same in return. MM wants to know why Red Fang shot BB. She says BB pulled a gun on her. MM isn’t having it. He tells Bishop that Torres proved himself by returning BB’s phone. MM takes a gun out of the drawer and tells Bishop it’s her turn to prove her loyalty. Fade to a concerned Bishop black and white.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

MM tells Bishop to shoot Red Fang. Bishop says if he wants her dead, he should shoot her. MM says that to work for him, she has to be willing to get her hands dirty. “And if I don’t?” Bishop asks. MM pulls another gun from his waistband and says she doesn’t want to find out. Bishop gets up and goes to pick up the gun, looking like she couldn’t care less. MM tells her not to miss, there’s only one bullet. Suddenly, the fire alarm goes off. MM tells Bishop to hurry. Bishop takes aim. Torres comes in, takes in the scene and asks what he missed. MM says they’re tying off loose ends and demands Bishop finish it. She aims again, but Torres knocks her arm away and she shoots the bullet up toward the shelves. MM gets angry, and Torres says the alarm will have the authorities coming, and they can’t be leaving a dead body on base. MM says they can’t leave a live one either, and Torres tells him to use his head, they’re on a military base. Bishop says they’ll take Red Fang off base, put a bullet in her head and dump the body. Torres is surprised by her quick thinking, but agrees. Sirens are blaring now, so I assume that will be the plan.

But we head back to the Bull Pen. Reeves tells Gibbs that McGee is checking out Red Fang’s apartment, but they haven’t picked her up yet. The phone rings, and I’m guessing they’re about to learn that Bonnie and Clyde are bringing her in. Bishop is in character, telling Gibbs all about how she’s going to put a bullet in Red Fang’s head and send photos to MM’s phone to prove the deed before dumping the body. Gibbs wants to know if Bishop is OK. Still in character and freaking Red Fang right the heck out, Bishop is all, “I’m better than OK. Who knew dropping bodies could be such a rush?” Torres is still back on the docks, they haven’t seen any drugs yet. She says she gets why Torres loves undercover work. Red Fang realizes she’s a cop and demands to know why Bishop was going to kill her. Bishop tells her it was a plan with Torres that he used in the past with a previous partner. He was the one who pulled the fire alarm, comes in and blocks the gun going off at the last second. All planned.

Bishop tells her she’s still going to have to kill her, and we flip to photos of a “dead” Red Fang. All Abby, I’m assuming. And yep, we’re in the garage as they take photos, then Red Fang gets out of the van. They want her to tell them everything in exchange for a deal, but she refuses, saying she’ll just be dead for real if she does that. Enter Sloane, who did a profile on Red Fang and might have some insight on how to get her to tell all. Sloane walks over, writes snitch on a sheet of paper, holds it up in front of Red Fang and takes a photo. Then she asks RF which photo they should send to Middle Man. The one of her with a bullet in her head? Or the snitch shot. Hm?

Back at the supply shop, Torres is about all done hauling tanks back and forth. I wonder when they’ll realize that the drugs are in the tanks, but I’m patient. Young Punk tells a disgruntled Torres they still have inventory and other things to do, but then he’ll be sent out with some product to see if he can earn his keep. A photo of dead Red Fang comes through on Young Punk’s phone. Torres sees it and asks if that’s what happens then you don’t earn your keep. YP says Red Fang wasn’t part of the crew. She was a customer that got in too deep, owed too much, became a liability. Torres says that’s what they signed up for. YP says he didn’t sign up, it signed him. He turns all charming and boyish, saying he wanted to be a fireman, then a teacher, maybe even a cop, but his mom got sick and they needed fast cash, so he got in, but it wasn’t fast enough. His mom died, but there was no way back out for YP. You can see his story has an effect on Torres, who tells him it’s never too late. To become a teacher.

Enter Blustery Boat Owner, demanding to see Middle Man. YP heads outside to get him, leaving BBO to bluster all over an unimpressed Torres. Unimpressed until BBO reveals he brought a gun to the party. Over at HQ, Red Fang is convinced she’s signed her death warrant by confessing. Bishop tells her they’ll protect her. Now she’s the one unimpressed. They take her out, and Bishop and McGee tell Gibbs that Red Fang gave up the leader. Who is none other than? Blustery Boat Owner. He rents boats out from the marina, but he has an offshore account that shows he’s making a whole lot more money than that. Bishop gets a signal from Torres that BBO is at the marina and something is about to go down, and it’s grab your gear time.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

Nothing much seems to be happening down at the supply store, which is dark. No word from Torres. The door is unlocked. Gibbs puts Bishop on covering the front, and he and McGee head through the store to the back. McGee notices blood on the floor, just as MM comes out from the back. He acts all innocent, putting his hands up, asking what the problem is. McGee wants to know whose blood is on the floor. MM doesn’t see any blood. Enter Bishop, back in character, saying she doesn’t see any blood either. Then she aims her gun at Gibbs and tells him to drop it. Fade to a what-the-heck black and white.

When we come back, Gibbs and McGee are tied to chairs while MM is talking to Boss Man, saying he doesn’t know how the feds caught on to them, but how the new girl saved his bacon. He wants to know what to do next. Bishop is tying Gibbs’ hands behind the chair but giving him the end of the rope so he can untie himself. He asks if she knows what she’s doing, and she says no, but it feels right. Heh. MM comes over, says Boss Man wants them to take the two off base, kill them and bury all three bodies together. Bishop wants to know who is the third body, and where the hell is her boyfriend? MM says he lost him, then heads outside. Gibbs turns to Bishop and tells her to talk. She said Torres might be in trouble and so she thought keeping things going might be their only way to find him. McGee tells Gibbs that clearly Torres has been a bad influence on Bishop, making Gibbs laugh. Bishop says MM will never willingly tell them what happened. Gibbs says he trusts her, and Bishop says they can’t find out she’s an agent or Torres is for sure dead.

We jump to Torres driving YP’s car. Blustery Big Boss apparently shot YP in the arm and Torres is taking him to the hospital. YP says he really should have become a fireman, but says no to the hospital. Too many questions. YP mentions a safe house, but Torres mentions “what happened back there,” saying it’s a blood bath between rival drug dealers and they can’t trust a safe house. YP wants to know what options they have, and Torres pulls over near an intersection. Surprised, YP asks what’s up. Torres is silent for a moment, then tells him he wanted to be a fireman when he was little, too, along with a million other things. And, in the end, he got to do them all. You can see him struggling with whether to tell YP who he really is, but you know he’s gonna. Torres says he has something to tell YP … but we go back to the docks before we hear what that is.

MM rushes back in, says they have to leave right now. Bishop says she’s not going anywhere until he tells her where her boyfriend is. McGee demands MM tell her, and Gibbs says her boyfriend is dead, earning a smack across the face from MM. MM tells Bishop to ignore them, that they’re just trying to drive a wedge between them. MM tells her that her boyfriend is fine, but YP was shot and they’re on the way to a safe house. MM is taking wads of money out of a safe, and Bishop demands to know what happened. MM says someone came in and tried to disrupt their flow. McGee guesses BBO and MM is all, “Oh, you know him?” MM says BBO overstepped and MM shot him when he pulled a gun on him. He opens the door to the closet to show them BBO’s dead body. Gibbs wants to know if MM is making a play to take over the business. MM laughs at the idea of BBO being the boss and hopes the agents haven’t been working the case that long, seeing as how lost they are. Bishop asks if BBO was the supplier, and MM tells her that all BBO did was rent them his boats so they could pick up their product. And, sure enough, he unscrews the end of one of the air tanks, and voila, bag of fentanyl. He says they send the tanks out empty, they come back full of high-grade drugs, and the money just pours in. Bishop comments that he’ll need to find a new way to smuggle drugs now as Gibbs unties himself and comes up behind MM and whacks him on the head, dropping him to the floor. Buh-bye, MM.

Back in the car, YP wants to know if Bishop isn’t his girlfriend, then who is she? Torres comes clean that they are both federal agents and tells YP his real name. YP looks momentarily surprised, then claims how Torres lied to him. Torres says he’s sorry for that and that he thinks YP is a good guy who got caught up in a bad situation. He says if he’s willing to testify against his boss, they can help him out. YP smiles and regretfully says he can’t testify against the boss. He pulls a gun out of his pocket and aims it at Torres and says how, you know, he’s the boss. Oh, you baby-faced YP. Why you gotta do us like that? YP tells him to drive.

At HQ, Reeves says they can’t track down the location of the Baltimore safe house, but they pulled YP’s registration so they know he and Torres are in a green Jeep Cherokee. No luck with the BOLO yet. Sloane comes out of interrogation with nothing on the safe house from MM, who is not talking. Gibbs tells Sloane she can go upstairs, no need to watch from the other side of the glass. He tells her he’s got it from here and goes in. Ruh roh, MM. (Sloane pretends to leave, then goes in to watch anyway.)

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres and Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Back in the Jeep, YP confesses he’s surprised about Torres being a fed. Torres says likewise on the surprise factor. YP says he should have known, given his girlfriend was way out of his league. He says when they get to the safe house, Torres will tell him everything he knows about the NCIS case against him. Torres says how YP is clearly not real good at reading people. YP counters that he doesn’t think Torres is all that invested in being on the right side of the law, that he loves being in the field a little too much and being behind a desk is killing him. YP wants him to join the crew for real. Torres says he’s going back to the desk, he left a candle burning.

In the interrogation room, MM is not budging. Gibbs is leaning against the wall behind MM, smiling. MM assures him YP will make Torres and kill him by the time they reach the safe house. He says Gibbs will have to do better if he wants to scare MM. Gibbs laughs, says OK and walks around to face MM across the table. Then he messes up the camera in the corner so there’s no recording, making Sloane shake her head.

In the Jeep, YP keeps up the sales pitch, banter ensues, but Torres makes it clear he knows YP just wants to know what NCIS has on him before putting a bullet in Torres. YP says how he can’t help it, he sees an opportunity, he has to jump on it. They arrive at the safe house, and YP tells Torres to slow down. Instead, Torres speeds up and rams them right into the front of a front-end loader, ejecting an unseat-belted YP through the windshield and onto the ground many yards in front of the Jeep. Torres, clutching his chest from the impact of the air bag and the impact of the impact, climbs out and says how he saw an opportunity and had to take it, before kicking the gun out of YP’s bloody hand. YP laughs and says it doesn’t matter. There are three guys inside who will kill Torres. Torres kicks YP to keep him down, grabs a gun and positions himself behind the loader, aiming at the door to the safe house.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

Which opens, and the three guys come out with their hands behind their heads, followed by a gun-toting Gibbs, who gleefully calls out to Torres, complimenting him on his mad driving skills. Torres laughs in shock as Bishop comes out, gun drawn, saying how she’s so glad Torres could make it. Back at HQ, Bishop and Torres run down to Gibbs and Vance how YP purposefully set up the ring so no one would ever guess he was the leader. Torres says how that’s how he’d do it, earning some side-eye from Vance. Vance recalls Torres’ earlier insubordination and comments on how there are 50 scuba tanks that need unloading from the evidence truck. “Muscles,” Gibbs says with a smile. Vance then tells Bishop what a great job she did and heads out, leaving her smiling and Torres with his mouth hanging open. Gibbs heads out, and Torres and Bishop jockey about a bit on who was most instrumental in taking down an entire drug ring, but he relents and tells her she was good. Really good. She counters that she had a good teacher. He says she taught him things, too. Like how he shouldn’t have eaten garlic pasta before going undercover with her. She says she wasn’t going to comment, but it was a little rough. He says how she got a little “toothy.” Ha. He says how they have weird jobs. She says, “Weird, but awesome.” She’s all amped up and wants to do something, like go to the firing range. Or go base jumping. HA. But he’s got those tanks to unload. So, she gets on the elevator, says good night to “Luis.” He says good night to “Charlie.” And we fade to a final black and white.

Good return! Nice caper, funny banter. It’s like my NCIS is back in the new year.

Speaking of a brand-new year, that should also come with a brand-new giveaway to celebrate! How about a copy of the first book in my bestselling (thank you, readers!) new Blue Ridge Mountain series, Blue Hollow Falls, and a lovely little bookmark charm designed exclusively for this series by the fabulous Joyce Taber of The Cotton Thistle?

Want in? Drop me an e-mail with “I want to go to Blue Hollow Falls!” in the subject line and you’re in the running! If you want to include your thoughts on this episode, or the season thus far, please do — I always love hearing your thoughts — but it’s not necessary to enter.

I’ll announce the winner in next week’s recap. We get a blast from the way past next week when Captain Bud Roberts returns (remember him from JAG, the parent show to NCIS, all those years ago? I know! Fun!)

Stay warm, and I’ll see you right here next week!

Donna Kauffman is the USA TODAY (and Wall Street Journal!) bestselling author of 70-plus titles, translated and sold in more than 26 countries around the world. Born into the maelstrom of Washington, D.C., politics, she now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, thankfully surrounded by a completely different kind of wildlife. You can check that out for yourself and more at www.donnakauffman.com. She loves to hear from her readers (and NCIS viewers!). You can write to her at donna@donnakauffman.com or visit her on Facebook or Instagram.

MORE ON HEA: See a fun Down & Dirty interview with Donna and read what she learned while writing Blue Hollow Falls

EVEN MORE: See more of Donna’s NCIS posts

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season, filled with fun, family, and … bingeing?! I know I did. For the most part, however, those shows I binge-watched over the last month were ones I’ve seen before. I don’t know if it’s that I don’t want to get hooked on new shows (because I’m afraid they won’t last very long) or because there isn’t much that appeals. Either way, it’s been a bit of a dodgy TV-viewing month for me.

Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Last Jedi. (Photo: Jonathan Olley)

I’ll forgo my rave of the new Star Wars movie. Yes, I loved The Last Jedi (hint, I used the word rave in the previous sentence). As I’ve previously discussed, I’m a Star Wars fan from way back. I saw A New Hope in the theater in 1977. I’ve worshiped Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia for as long as I can remember. Episode IV was the movie that changed everything for me. I was obsessed with the original trilogy. I loathed the prequels. I enjoyed Rogue One and was fine with The Force Awakens. And I loved The Last Jedi despite it being emotionally gut-wrenching for me and so many others to watch Carrie Fisher’s final performance.

I didn’t read reviews ahead of time because what they said didn’t matter to me. Just like my opinion of the film doesn’t matter. I went in wanting nothing more than to escape into the world I love, revisiting old characters and discovering new ones. Was it perfect? What does that matter? I’m tired of people “choosing sides” and berating one thing or another because it doesn’t fit into what they think things should be. Everyone gets an opinion. I had a great time watching it. I look forward to the next one. I’m tired of having every little plot point and character dissected as if movies are supposed to do more than take us out of our lives for a few hours. So there you have it. My new mind-set for 2018. To try and simply enjoy.

Iain De Caestecker as Fitz in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Photo: Matthias Clamer, ABC)

As previously discussed on this blog, I have a love/hate relationship with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wow, my new mind-set didn’t last long, did it? I’ve watched sporadically over the last two seasons. I like the actors and the characters, but after the Ghost Rider story line went sideways and they headed into android oblivion with Fitz, I was pretty much done. Cut to this season’s premiere and I was out of town, nothing else to watch, so I gave it another shot. (Confession: That weekend I was actually at a fan convention with one of the actors, so I kinda felt obliged.)

Coulson and team are where? They’re when? Oooookay. That’s different. And these days, different is what I thirst for (I am so tired of formulaic procedurals I could gnaw off my own fingers). The next few episodes got strange and disturbing and again I asked myself why I continued to watch. And then, as happens occasionally, an episode presents itself where I am pinned to the screen. If you’ve given up on S.H.I.E.L.D. and are looking for an excuse to try again, watch Rewind. Trust me. Just … watch.

This Fitz-centric episode was phenomenal. Not just because this is one of my favorite characters (who had yet to make an appearance in season five), but it also features the return of Lance Hunter. Witnessing Fitz’s devastation at being left behind — and the lengths he would go to find his friends — was one of the best episodes they’ve done yet. I’ve lost track of how all this story fits into the Marvel Universe. I’m not entirely sure I care anymore, because, remember, trying to just enjoy. But instead of me wishing for an episode to be over, I didn’t want this one to end. And I can’t wait to see where they go from here. I think I have enough hope left that I won’t be too disappointed. So on Friday nights, I’ll be sitting back and enjoying.

Mary McDonnell as Sharon and Tony Denison as Andy in Major Crimes. (Photo: Eddy Chen, TNT)

What I’m not currently enjoying is the final few episodes of Major Crimes. I’ve loved this show ever since it spun off from The Closer. The character of Sharon Raydor (the always exquisite Mary McDonnell) had been one of my favorites even when she was an antagonist to Kyra Sedgwick’s Brenda Leigh Johnson. If you follow the show, you know this last season they gave Sharon some health issues right when she’s about to earn her HEA with Andy. What I didn’t expect (possible spoiler alert from a few weeks ago) was for them to kill her off. Dead. Gone. Just like that. A lot like TNT killed the show (canceled when it was still high in ratings).

At a time when strong female role models are longed for, ending this show in this way seems particularly cruel. Killing off the main character, at least for me, was as well. (Was it not enough for McDonnell’s character to die in Battlestar Galactica?!) Which is why, in my mind, Major Crimes will have ended with the wedding episode. It was a good run. I just wish it didn’t taste quite so bitter.

I have, in the midst of all the turmoil and re-mind-setting, come across a gem from quite a few years ago and I have to say, it saved my sanity this holiday season (two deadlines in two months). I bit the bullet and subscribed to BritBox. I’ve been wanting to revisit an old favorite, Waking the Dead (a cold case … er, procedural. Moving on!) and found The Vicar of Dibley. I don’t know why British comedies work better for me than American ones, but this one is simply a delight. Raunchier than I expected, but still full of heart, this examination of a small English parish vicar is just plain silly fun.

Which I’ve now decided is my word for 2018.

Fun.

I think we can all use a bit more of that this year. Happy viewing … and reading, everyone.

A geek since birth, USA TODAY bestselling author Anna J Stewart loves writing romance featuring strong, independent heroines for multiple lines at Harlequin. She lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural, Star Trek and Sherlock addiction. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her at fan conventions or at her local movie theater. Watch for her next release from Harlequin, Always the Hero, in March. Visit her online at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.

MORE ON HEA: See an excerpt from Anna’s Gone in the Night

EVEN MORE: See more of Anna’s posts

We kicked off 2018 with a great episode last week. Let’s hope that holds true this week as well. We get a visit from Captain Bud Roberts from JAG, so things are looking good!

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We open with Mom and Dad using their key to enter their daughter’s home, laden with balloons, presents and a cake, planning a big birthday surprise for Daughter when she gets home from work. Sadly, the surprise is on Mom and Dad, who find their daughter hanging in the living room. And I don’t mean “hanging” like hanging out. I mean hanging like … Yeah. It’s awful, and my goodwill buzz from last week is officially over. (Not that there’s a good way to introduce us to Dead Guy or Gal of the Week, but this felt particularly harsh.)

Cue awesome theme song and opening credits!

Now we get a dose of cute to balance things out a bit, with Bishop and McGee oohing and aahing over some pretty adorable baby pictures. McGee is gushing over how different his daughter is from her twin brother, while Torres wishes they were talking about anything other than babies. Again. Enter Gibbs, who immediately asks to see new pictures of the babies and flashes a big, trademark Gibbs smile when McGee happily obliges. Even Torres isn’t immune, and smiles, too.

McGee notifies Gibbs that it’s his last day to update the photo on his new ID. Torres wants a do-over for his. McGee pulls it up on screen and, yeah … not good. Torres says HR wouldn’t let him take a new one. Then it’s grab-your-gear time. Turns out Daughter was a JAG officer.

We’re at JAG Daughter’s house. She’s lying on the tarp now, as the team processes the scene. It’s not any less gruesome. Palmer is taking the body back to NCIS and tells Gibbs time of death was around seven that morning. No suicide note, and Torres bags her cellphone. No landline. Bishop is talking to the parents in the kitchen. Mom is pretty much as you’d expect, and Dad is telling Bishop that his daughter would not take her own life. He says JD loved her job, loved serving her country and helping people. They spoke frequently and didn’t notice anything different about her. She’s newly engaged to a guy both Mom and Dad like. They’re both devastated and confused about how their daughter could possibly be dead. Gibbs enters, asks them a few questions, and Dad remembers that the alarm wasn’t set when they came in.

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres, Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Brian Dietzen as Palmer in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We shift back to HQ and get the update from McGee and the Screen of All Knowing. We learn JD was an only child, raised in rural Pennsylvania, not a great primary school student, but turned it around in junior college and earned a scholarship to Georgetown, and was a Phi Beta Kappa. She graduated top in her class, made the Law Review and turned down a lot of big-dollar job offers to go to work for the government as a JAG. Bishop left a message for JD’s CO, a certain Captain Bud Roberts (YAY!) and is waiting to hear back. Gibbs smiles, mentions he knows Bud. Yeah, he does! The team is still trying to contact and locate the fiancé, but no success as of yet.

Gibbs heads down to autopsy. Palmer shows Gibbs marks on JD’s body that aren’t due to her cause of death, but are older and appear to be in line with physical abuse of some kind. Meanwhile, McGee is in Abby Lab, where he’s cracked JD’s passcode and is digging through her history and apps, but no red flags yet. Abby enters, fresh from grabbing a coffee with Sloane and hiding her bandaged finger. She explains to McGee she has a splinter and doesn’t want Gibbs to know or he’ll try to dig it out with a knife. (Given the two haven’t shared a single scene this season, that I can recall at any rate, I don’t think she has anything to worry about.) JD’s blood work comes back and shows she had a sedative in her system. McGee says there were no prescription meds at JD’s house. Abby says that sometimes depressed folks will use a sedative to help calm them, and McGee counters that sometimes killers use it on their victims to help stage a fake suicide. Abby notices that JD has kept a video diary and made an entry every day until three days prior. They look at her final entry. It was upbeat and positive, with JD talking about wedding planning and the like. Nothing to indicate she’d be in the frame of mind to take her own life. Fade to a perplexed McGee black and white.

We’re at the Screen of All Knowing, getting the lowdown on JD’s Fiancé. He’s in PR and, according to his office, took an unscheduled flight to New York at nine that morning, scheduled to return that afternoon. Gibbs tasks Torres with meeting Fiancé’s plane. Bishop goes on to say that JD’s phone showed she had calls from Mom and Dad, Fiancé and her best friend, but that was it. JD’s BFF still lives in her hometown and phone records show she was the last one to speak with JD, early that morning, at six thirty, to be the first to wish her friend happy birthday. BFF is on the way in to help console the parents. Bishop reports that JD did make two calls that morning to a prepaid phone. Bishop called the number twice but got the same breathy, “Hi, this is Rita” voice-mail message each time. Bishop and Torres did some digging, and JD didn’t work with anyone by that name, nor do Mom and Dad recognize the name. (I think the sex-kitten voice draws the obvious conclusion that maybe Fiancé was cheating on JD with Ms. Rita, but time will tell. Seems too obvious.)

Guest star Patrick Labyorteaux as JAG Navy Captain Bud Roberts Jr. and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Gibbs shows up at JD’s office, and we get to see our old pal Captain Bud! Bud tells Gibbs that JD was well-liked and good at her job. Gibbs asks if JD made any enemies in the cases she tried, and Bud recalls one petty officer JD put away for spousal abuse. Gibbs asks Bud if he met Fiancé, and Bud says they met several times. He calls Fiancé “stiff,” but says JD seemed happy. Bud looks up the guy JD put away and, lo and behold, Abusive Guy was released two weeks ago.

McGee reviews JD’s video diaries filmed during Abusive Guy’s trial. Apparently, AG threatened her, which rattled her that day, but no more than one would expect. Gibbs orders McGee to turn the video diaries over to Sloane, and we learn that Bishop and Torres have Fiancé in interrogation. Fiancé seems sincerely shaken up, says he had no idea anything happened until he got off the plane and saw the messages on his phone. He says JD was preoccupied the past few days, but wouldn’t talk about it, which was unusual for her. Fiancé chalked it up to wedding jitters. Torres asks him his whereabouts that morning, which seems to surprise him. Torres pushes, asking where JD got the bruises on her body. Fiancé says he wouldn’t know, then somewhat embarrassingly admits that JD chose to remain celibate until she married, which was why the two didn’t live together. Fiancé tells them the two were never intimate. (So … my writer brain says that maybe that’s true and that’s cool, but also, possibly, JD called for a celibate relationship so she didn’t have to reveal those bruises to her boyfriend, now fiancé. Which leads us to asking … was someone abusing JD, someone she was ashamed or scared to reveal, or was something else going on?) I guess we’re going to find out. Whatever the case, I believe Fiancé is telling the truth.

Someone knocks on the interrogation window, and Bishop leaves the room to join Abby and Palmer in the room on the other side. They tell her that JD was not celibate, so aha! Now we just need to know, was it consensual, or something else? Palmer collected DNA, and Abby is trying to identify JD’s partner. Fade to a perplexed Bishop black and white.

Bishop heads to Sloane’s office. Sloane has been watching JD’s video diaries, and Bishop tells her about Palmer’s discovery. Sloane says she hasn’t seen anything that leads her to believe JD was raped, but the three-day gap between the end of the videos and her death means anything could have happened and they wouldn’t necessarily know about it. Bishop hears JD talking in a late-night diary entry, sounding tired and a bit hoarse and asks Sloane to replay it. She does, but Bishop doesn’t say anything. Sloane invites Bishop to pick a lollipop and turns her head, guesses green as Bishop pulls one from the bowl, and bingo! Bishop asks how she knew, and Sloane says it’s because she has a gigantic heart. (I’d have picked green, too, so I’m totally going to take that as a good sign.)

Torres goes to JD’s house to speak to BFF. Mom and Dad are there. Mom is choosing clothes for her daughter’s burial, and Dad is trying to find any of JD’s important documents or papers, but has come up empty-handed. Torres and BFF step into the other room to talk. BFF says JD never had a boyfriend until Fiancé and that, before him, she’d never seemed terribly interested in either men or women. BFF thought her friend was maybe asexual.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Back in Abby Lab, Bishop listens to the “Rita” voice mail, and I think we all instantly figure it out at the same time. That voice belongs to JD. Bishop made the connection in Sloane’s office when she heard the fatigued JD speak. So … JD is Rita, and JD does too have sex. And JD has bruises, older, old and new. So … my guess is JD has been working out her sexual issues in an entirely different way? Maybe the kind that comes with handcuffs and a whip? Just a guess. Abby runs a voice match and bingo, no surprise there. She tells Bishop that Fiancé was not the source of the DNA, and no one presently in the system popped up either. Abby gives a rundown that the source was Caucasian, predominantly European descent, with a marker for male pattern baldness.

Up in the Bull Pen of Orangey Goodness, McGee tells Gibbs that Abusive Guy was in a parolee program, so he didn’t do it. (I’d forgotten about him already.) Office Guy delivers an envelope with the team’s new photo ID’s. Torres hates his, says Bishop’s is perfect, then notices that it sure looks like Gibbs’ ID has the same photo he had before. Gibbs takes his ID, says nothing. Heh. Enter Bishop, who asks McGee to ping “Rita’s” prepaid phone number to see if they can get a location. Bishop brings Gibbs up to speed while McGee does the ping. The phone is active right there in DC, and Gibbs sends McGee and Bishop off to track it down. Torres considers “losing” his creds so they’ll have to issue him new ones, but McGee reminds him of the investigation that goes along with lost creds.

They track the phone to an “hourly” motel. The desk guy immediately recognizes “Rita” from the photo they show him, shocked to see her in a Navy uniform. He lets them into the room Rita/JD rented. Bishop finds a closet full of clothes suitable for ladies of the evening, with a penchant for leather and animal print. Torres finds the closet full of dominatrix toys, and McGee tracks down the cellphone in a kitchen drawer. Turns out she had a video diary on that phone as well, and the entries ended the same day as her regular phone. They watch a brief clip of her, dressed in bondage regalia, breathless after her … customer? boyfriend? just left, reveling in how wonderful the pain was that he inflicted upon her. Fade to a revelatory black and white.

Bishop finds the sedative in Rita’s medicine cabinet. The prepaid phone shows a list of men’s names, first names only. Torres finds a flask under the bed and bags it so Abby can hopefully get a print and ID Rita’s last partner. Back at HQ, Sloane and Bishop talk to BFF in the conference room. BFF can’t believe any of what they are telling her, it’s completely foreign to the woman she’d known her whole life. BFF is trying to process the bombshell, and Sloane explains that when someone leads a double life, it’s almost always the result of an acute traumatic event. (I hope this isn’t leading to Dad being the baddie. So far we don’t know of any other men in her life than him and her fiancé. Or … maybe it’s a Mommy Dearest thing? I dunno. Let’s find out, shall we?) BFF says she can’t recall anything like that happening to JD, but then she thought JD told her everything, and clearly, that’s not the case. BFF implores Bishop and Sloane not to tell JD’s parents. Sloane says they can’t promise that. BFF says that JD kept that part of her life secret for a reason and that it would kill her parents to know the truth.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs, Maria Bello as Sloane and Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

McGee and Torres enter a seedy bar, tracking down Barry, JD’s last partner. McGee approaches the wrong guy, blames it on the lousy ID photo, which causes Torres to launch into a whole new jag about ID photos. The actual Barry gets up to go, but they stop him. They show him JD’s photo as Rita, ask him if he knew her, tell him she’s dead, and they have DNA, so think real hard about his answer. Barry tells them he and Rita went out a few times. McGee asks Barry if he hit her, and he says they just had sex (he uses a much less elegant term) and that she liked it rough. Too rough for him, as it turns out. He was at work during the time-of-death window, at the airport, where there are plenty of cameras to prove he was there.

In Sloane’s office, she plays two diary clips for Gibbs, one with JD, one with Rita, taken the same day. Gibbs asks if JD had a split personality, but Sloane says no. Sloane says the fact that JD kept Rita a secret suggests fear and guilt. The pain she sought might be punishment for some perceived wrong. That JD compulsively video recorded her diary suggests she wanted to be heard, but though she wasn’t. Sloane thinks whatever drove JD to her split life was well ingrained, possibly from childhood. If she had a diary back then, Sloane says it would go a long way to helping her complete JD’s profile.

We’re back at JD’s house as Mom and Dad are carrying out boxes of JD’s belongings. Dad has a gentle talk with Mom, and we all can’t help but notice his male pattern baldness when he leans down to help Mom put the box in the trunk. Oh, boy. NOT how I wanted this to go. They ask Mom and Dad if JD kept a diary, and Mom says she did, but was very private about it, so they never looked at it. JD took it with her when she left for college, and having just been through all of JD’s things, Mom says she didn’t see it. Mom asks if something in the diary might help prove that her daughter didn’t kill herself, and she’s so desperate, and you look at Dad and think, wow, if this is going where we think it’s going, how is Mom going to survive all of this?

Dad conveniently tells Gibbs and Sloane that Mom copes with hard times by convincing herself it didn’t happen. Like, maybe how she’s convinced herself that Daddy wasn’t the kind, loving father everyone really wants to believe he is? Gibbs guesses that Dad read JD’s diary, and he nods, says JD was about 15, and he got only a handful of pages in before she came home from school and made him stop. He has no idea what she did with it after that. He says he was reading it because he was desperate and Sloane ask him why he was desperate. Dad says she was a great kid who turned into a troubled teen. She was stealing, drinking, skipping school. But then in her senior year, she turned her life around, became a different person. Dad says he doesn’t know what turned her around. He’s sure it’s in her diary, but not the part he read. He says whatever it was, it changed her life forever. We fade to black and white, and I’m having a real hard time thinking it’s Dad. And I can’t connect why, if it turns out to be Mom, that anything she might have done would lead JD to solve the issue sexually.

Guest star Patrick Labyorteaux as JAG Navy Captain Bud Roberts Jr. and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We return to HQ where we see Torres give a cute brunette a hug before re-entering the bull pen. Come to find out she’s a newbie in HR, and lo and behold, Torres has new creds. His photo looks like something from a professional photo shoot, so, naturally, he’s thrilled. Enter Gibbs and Sloane. Sloane heads back to her office, and Gibbs asks Bishop to try and track down JD’s diary. He tells Bishop to contact Fiancé and see if he knows anything. Bishop asks if she should tell Fiancé about JD’s secret life, and Gibbs says he’ll find out eventually.

Down in Abby Lab, Palmer is trying to extract Abby’s now infected splinter. Abby shares her disappointment that JD talked to her diary instead of someone who might have helped her. Palmer gives us a good PSA about the Navy’s hotline to help with suicide prevention. (I’ve always admired this show for connecting its viewers to real-world positives. I’d like to do my part to assist with that. If this will help you or someone you know, you can access the Navy hotline information here.) Palmer extracts the splinter and exits. Abby talks to McGee, who seems to be spending a lot of time in Abby Lab on his computer, which, you know, keeps Abby from having to come up into the Bull Pen. (Seriously, Show, what’s going on with that? It’s like when Alicia Florrick suddenly stopped doing scenes with Kalinda on The Good Wife.)

Anyway, McGee had previously noted that one of the items in JD’s computer search history was her old hometown newspaper. He didn’t think anything about it at the time, because they all got distracted with the video diaries. He is just now checking it out, and there is an article about a high school teacher, missing for 14 years, whose body was just found. He was suspected of abusing his female students. JD would have been a high school student at that time, and there was only one high school in her hometown, so quite possible she was a victim. The town assumed the teacher had taken off, but whether or not JD had something to do with his death, it’s a pretty safe bet that if she was a victim, his disappearance would be exactly the kind of thing that would have allowed her to her turn her life around. Kind of late in the game to introduce a whole new player, but if it gets Kindly Dad off the hook, I’m thrilled.

We’re at JD’s house with Fiancé and Bishop. He’s understandably gutted from learning the truth about JD, but wants to help them find the truth. JD had to renew her passport for their honeymoon, so he knows she stashed important papers in the living room, under a false bottom in a drawer. He finds the diary and gives it to Bishop. Up in Sloane’s office, they read JD’s teenage entries about the creepy teacher and how she and BFF are going to “teach him a lesson.” Bishop says JD never looked at her hometown paper until the day the body was found, then looked at it the next three days. Then she was dead. If she’d buried the memory of killing her teacher, his body being found would certainly trigger them back to life, and it explains her double life. What it doesn’t explain is why BFF didn’t mention anything about the horrible teacher who abused them when they asked her what event might have triggered JD’s secret life. Which begs the question … did BFF kill JD to keep her from confessing to their crime? Because THAT would be an ending I did not see coming. If so, nicely played, Show, nicely played.

Let’s find out!

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Sloane thinks JD committed suicide rather than face the world finding out about her double life and her culpability in her teacher’s death. Gibbs thinks the same way I do, that BFF might have something to do with it. Bishop says that JD’s diary entry isn’t exactly a confession. Gibbs says that BFF doesn’t know what JD wrote in her diary. You go, Gibbs!

We’re in the interrogation room with Gibbs, Sloane and BFF. BFF comments on how the room they’re in now is a bit more intimidating. Gibbs slides a bag toward BFF, asks if she knows what it is. BFF nods, says it’s JD’s diary. Gibbs comments on how JD was a compulsive writer, that she wrote everything down. Sloane asks BFF if she wants to tell them what happened with their high school teacher. BFF immediately confesses. She says they wanted to scare him, not kill him. She says they lured him into the woods. She was excited that they brought rope and was fine with them tying him up. JD wanted to record it on her camcorder, and Teacher panicked. They threatened to torture him unless he confessed to molesting girls at school. His panic caused him to have a heart attack. They buried him and prayed he’d never be found. They never spoke of it again, until BFF saw it on the news. She called JD and told her about it, but felt it was so long ago they wouldn’t be connected to it. JD freaked, didn’t believe they wouldn’t be discovered. When BFF called her on JD’s birthday, JD said her life was over. BFF raced to JD’s house, used her key, turned off the alarm, but it was too late. BFF found a suicide note that incriminated them both in the death, so BFF took it. She kept it, and Gibbs says that will help her, but it’s up to the authorities in Pennsylvania. OK, so not quite as twisty an ending as I’d hoped, just a sad one. We end as we began.

It’s the end of the workday and everyone is packing up in the bull pen. They discuss the case and hope for leniency for BFF. Sloane comments that as far as she’s concerned, the teacher died of a heart attack. It wasn’t murder. McGee is going home to hug his kids. Torres invites the rest out for drinks, his treat. Sloane and Bishop say yes, but Gibbs begs off. He still has to go tell JD’s parents. Because we’re not gutted enough yet. Sloane begs off, too, and goes with Gibbs. In the elevator, Gibbs, who looks just as gutted, says this is the one part of the job he will never be comfortable with. Sloane comments on how it’s hard, when people keep things inside. Gibbs turns to her and says, “My gut? You’re speaking from experience.” We get the surprised and somewhat alarmed look on Sloane’s face, a kind smile from Gibbs, and we go to black and white.

Well, then. Gutted and sucker-punched. What a one-two ending.

Makes you want to go hug someone. Or talk to someone. If you need to, I hope you take that step. Here’s another link that might help.

Let’s wrap things up by spreading a little happy. Last week I put a copy of my most recent novel, Blue Hollow Falls, up for grabs, along with a sweet orchid bookmark charm designed exclusively for the book by Joyce Taber of The Cotton Thistle.

Thanks for all of your enthusiastic entries and for your thoughts on the show and this season. Without further ado, this week’s winner is Jo-Anne Brecka! Jo-Anne, drop me an e-mail to donna@donnakauffman.com with your address, and your goodies will go right out to you.

The giveaways continue this week! A lucky viewer will win a copy of my Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY best-selling novella, The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls, which is the most current release in that series. (Presently sitting at the No. 1 spot for romance at Amazon Kindle. I know!) Want a copy of your very own? It’s easy. To enter, drop me an e-mail with “I want to go back to Blue Hollow Falls!” in the subject line, and you’re in! Winner announced right here in next week’s recap. Good luck!

Until next time …

Donna Kauffman is the USA TODAY (and Wall Street Journal!) bestselling author of 70-plus titles, translated and sold in more than 26 countries around the world. Born into the maelstrom of Washington, D.C. politics, she now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, thankfully surrounded by a completely different kind of wildlife. You can check that out for yourself and more at www.donnakauffman.com. She loves to hear from her readers (and NCIS viewers!). You can write to her at donna@donnakauffman.com or visit her on Facebook or Instagram.

MORE ON HEA: See a fun Down & Dirty interview with Donna and read what she learned while writing Blue Hollow Falls

EVEN MORE: See more of Donna’s NCIS posts

Dee Davis

Everyone’s perception of their family life is unique. What one member of a family remembers with animosity, another remembers with pride and joy. A hurt that colors a memory for one family member often is not reflected in other people’s memories of the same event. A moment of supreme importance in the life of a sibling may have no resonance at all for other brothers and sisters.

Because of that, we are often fighting against revisionist history as our families age. My mother’s memories of my childhood vary quite a bit from mine. Not with regard to the quantitative events themselves — but with the way those events shaped and changed my life. No one can ever know us as well as we know ourselves. And yet, we often spend our entire lives trying to make others see us the way that we do.

Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

This week’s episode of This is Us, Fifth Wheel, deals with the aftermath of Kevin’s breakdown and the disparate ways the Pearson family sees each other and seminal events that mark their past.

As the episode opens, we find young Kate and Rebecca playing monopoly. Rebecca is worrying about Kate’s weight and comforting Randall about new glasses. In the midst of this, Jack comes home with the announcement that the Pearsons are going on vacation. A colleague has lent them his cabin in the Poconos.

Rebecca is not excited — but mostly due to the fact that he simply announced the trip and didn’t discuss it with her first. Jack teases her into agreeing. But it’s clear that Rebecca resents Jack always being the “fun” parent.

The next scene takes us to the future where Toby and Kate are packing for family day at Kevin’s rehab. Kate is worried about not having recognized her brother’s distress, but is determined to be there for him now. Even with the remnants of their recent loss, Toby and Kate are upbeat. “When things go low, Kate and Toby (Katoby) go high.” Kate asks Toby to take out the trash, and when he does, the bag breaks and he finds a hidden stash of fast-food wrappers at the bottom of the bag. Kate has gone off of her weight watching and has secretly been indulging. Toby is hurt that she didn’t share her stress with him.

Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Meanwhile, Beth is still angry with Kevin for driving drunk with Tess in the car. Randall tries to defend his brother even as they both worry about leaving the girls, especially Tess, so soon after Deja has gone. Despite Beth’s reluctance to go, Randall is determined to be there for his brother just as Kevin was there for him when he had his breakdown.

The scene cuts to the rehab facility and the family gathered together waiting for Kevin. Randall, always solicitous of his mom, asks how she’s doing. She tells him she’s fine, but she’s glad they are all together to support Kevin.

When Kevin arrives, he is the picture of his usually popular, joking self, and Beth, in an aside, says, “Of course he’s Mr. Rehab.” Her view of Kevin is vastly different from Kate’s and Randall’s, and all of them are missing the depth of Kevin’s pain, in part because he so successfully has learned how to hide it. In that way, he is very much like his father.

Kevin’s psychiatrist, Barbara, arrives to lead the session. She says that the meeting would best be between members of immediate family only. “The others,” she says, “may leave.” Beth responds, “The others? What, are we on Lost?” Toby, Beth and Miguel leave the session.

Chrissy Metz as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

It’s worth noting here that of the losses the three Pearson children suffered over the last three episodes, Kate is the one who lost a child. Although Randall lost a foster kid, and the emotional impact was great, it was Kate who had the miscarriage. Kevin lost his control, and although his demons are real, his breakdown stole the stage from Kate’s tremendous loss and her grieving.

Meanwhile, in the past, Kevin, who has been at football camp, and Jack arrive at the cabin. Rebecca is preoccupied as always with Kate’s weight and is concerned about her seeming obsession with food. Jack tries to offer comfort by excusing it as Kate being big-boned like his grandmother, but he promises to try and get her to be more active.

I find all of Kate’s struggles especially poignant because although I was not an overweight child, I have struggled with weight my entire adulthood, in part because I use food as a way to escape pain. And I honestly believe that the truth in Kate’s situation lies somewhere between her mother’s view and her father’s. I spent my entire young adulthood being told to watch what I ate, the women in my family promising that I would never be successful or find a man if I was not thin.

The result was the opposite of Kate’s situation. I stopped eating all together. But the base problems I suspect were much the same. And the self-disgust that was built from my perception of their expectations and my inability to live up to that is still a part of my life. I suspect it always will be. So I get it.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Lonnie Chavis as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

At the cabin, Rebecca and Randall are reading outside, and Jack and Kevin are throwing a football, but instead of concentrating on Kevin, Jack is trying to get Kate to play with them. Kevin is frustrated at not having his father’s attention, and Kate is upset because she doesn’t understand why she has to play football, but Randall doesn’t.

In the present, after Barbara tells everyone that this session is a safe place for the family to talk honestly, Kevin apologizes, saying that he ruined things with Sophie and then with all of them. Then he tells Kate he’s sorry he wasn’t there for her for what was obviously one of the toughest times of her life. And Kate apologizes back for taking her eye off the ball — Kevin — and not seeing what was happening to him.

Kevin tells Randall he’s sorry about Tess. And tells his mom he’s sorry to have put her through all of this. Barbara interjects to say that all of their talk seems too polite. She asks Kevin if he doesn’t have something more to say to his family. Something about where his addiction might stem from.

Kate jumps in to say that she’s been telling Kevin that he needs to deal with his grief over Jack’s death. But the psychiatrist adds that maybe what they need to talk about is that Jack was not really so perfect.

Parker Bates as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

The scene cuts then to “the others” in a bar. Toby, Beth and Miguel are drinking and discussing that this wasn’t how they pictured the day going. They also talk about the commonality of being outsiders in the Pearson family, that there is always a “no-fly zone” where they feel cut out and cannot make any comment without walking into danger. Additionally, they concede that there is also a “straight-up airstrike” when it comes to talking about Jack.

From there, Toby and Beth in particular start in on the way the inner family protects Jack’s memory and hint that maybe he wasn’t that perfect. Miguel pulls away then and says, “Careful, you’re entering my no-fly zone now.” Jack touched everyone’s life. Kate’s, Kevin’s and Rebecca’s directly as family, but also Miguel’s as his best friend. Jack Pearson casts a long shadow.

Back in the past, Jack goes to find Kate, who has run off after Jack says something about her needing exercise. Kate tells her dad that a guy at school called her fat. She asks if Jack thinks she’s fat. Jack is clearly torn on how to answer, but responds, “Katie, girl, I think you are my favorite-looking girl on the planet.” As always, Jack champions Kate. But the question is whether he is also enabling her.

Mackenzie Hancsicsak as Kate and Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Meanwhile, Randall has lost his glasses, and Rebecca asks Kevin if he took them. Kevin, angered by her question, says no. She doesn’t believe him and says she’ll count to three to give him a chance to confess. Kevin breaks down and tells her that he hates his family, that the cabin sucks and that she sucks. Here, we see the seeds of Kevin’s pain. And assuming that the camera is truly omniscient, he is not completely in the wrong. But as with most of life, it’s complicated.

Once upon a time, when we were on vacation, I went horseback riding. I was told to come home immediately afterward. And I did. But my mother had seen some children playing in a field nearby and believed (to this day) that I was among them. I was not. When she confronted me about disobeying, I told her that I hadn’t. But she refused to believe me. The pain of that betrayal (in my mind) still upsets me 40-odd years later. My mom is still equally convinced (although I doubt it keeps her up at night) that I lied.

Just for the record, my mom and I have a good relationship. We love each other very much. I share these stories, however, to illustrate how very much the Pearsons’ problems reflect real family dynamics. And as such how the show resonates with viewers.

Back in the present, in the rehab session, Kevin tells his family that his entire life he’s felt like he came second to Kate and Randall. He felt as if he were a fifth wheel. Kate had Jack and Randall had Rebecca and Kevin had no one. And he tells them that there was always a voice in his head that saying, “You’re not enough.” He’s spent his life trying to drown the voice with football, acting and fame. And it was just a matter of time, he says, before he turned to something worse.

After looking at Barbara, he points out that he comes from a family of addicts — Jack, Jack’s father, even Kate. Barbara jumps in to say that Jack’s drinking problem is something they never discuss. Rebecca gets angry and tells the doctor that she’s doing Jack a disservice by calling him an addict. He’s more than that. She explains that the children had Jack for only 17 years and that she saw no purpose in coloring the precious memories they had of him. It’s all they have. Jack will never be there for Kate’s wedding,” she tells Barbara, “and wasn’t there when Randall’s children were born.”

Barbara then points out that Rebecca gave no specific examples of Kevin. Which is typical, Kevin says. Randall then jumps up to defend his mother, saying that he’s held his tongue while Kevin whines about his life. “I was there,” he says, “for your tortured childhood. You’re not an addict. The only thing you’re addicted to is attention.”

Kevin returns fire by asking Randall why he thinks Tess was in Kevin’s car. Because it’s always the Randall: I Was Adopted by White People, I Have Two Dads show.

The camera moves to Rebecca, who is horrified and at a loss. “You always loved Randall the most,” Kevin accuses. “Admit it.” After a moment, Rebecca breaks. “It was easier,” she says. “He didn’t recoil from me. He wasn’t an angry teenager. He didn’t abandon me and move away after his father died.”

Back in the bar, “the others” are still talking and drinking. Toby confesses his worry over Kate having not told him about the junk food and draws an analogy between themselves, the Pearsons and Star Wars. The Pearsons, he says, are like Luke, Leia, Vader and Obi-wan. Central players in the story. They, he tells Miguel and Beth, are more like Chewbacca.

“If the Chewy fits,” quips Beth.

“I married my best friend’s wife,” Miguel responds. “I’m not even Chewbacca. I’m the fighter pilot with no name. But I’m OK with that. You see, Toby, the four of them lived through something very unique, the loss of the best man any of us will ever know, and that’s why they get the light sabers.”

“How drunk is Miguel?” Beth asks.

But, Star Wars aside, there’s reality in what they’re saying. Marrying into a family is not the same as truly being a member of the family, regardless of how well you get along or how long you’ve been a part of that family. There are always dynamics that you will never be able to understand. There’s a lifetime of history that you may learn about, but you will never truly comprehend. In many ways you are, in truth, “the others,” But there is value in that for everyone involved. An ability to see beyond the emotional traps baited by past events and emotional baggage.

The periphery characters, if you will, lend stability and help the principals find their way. In part, that is why Kevin is so adrift. He can’t allow himself to let someone like Sophie into his life in any kind of real way. He wants to, but he simply isn’t willing to open himself up enough to make the bond permanent. When the going gets tough, Kevin withdraws from others, putting on a mask to hide his pain.

Parker Bates as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back in the past, Kevin and Kate run into the cabin after being caught in a rainstorm. Rebecca tells Jack she’s had a rough time with Kevin, and Jack confesses that he caved and took Kate to the ice cream parlor. Rebecca is frustrated again because she always has to play the bad guy. Jack is the good guy in the family. He tells her he’ll try to be the bad guy. But she responds that she knows he can’t. And when he teases that for a bad guy she wears one heck of a disguise, she responds that that’s a good-guy thing to say.

Back in the present, we find Kate and Kevin on a bench outside at the rehab after the blowup. Kate tells him that losing their dad is a part of all of them. And when Randall arrives, he tells them that it would be nice if someone had been filming their entire childhood. They could simply go to the video to see the hard truth. He then talks about getting fitted for his first pair of glasses and the “better” machine. The machine where they move the lenses and ask you if you can see better or worse. He never realized, he says, how blurry the world was. His view of the world shifted 12 times in less than a minute that day. “Each of us has our own perspective on our childhood. And I didn’t come here to crap all over yours. I came because last year when I hit bottom, you were there for me. I wanted to be there for you, and I wasn’t. I did a bad job.”

The siblings, despite their differing memories of their past, despite their differences and despite their angry words, are still bonded. And then Randall adds, “So just to clarify, I’m Mom’s favorite, right?” They will always love each other. Warts and all.

The take-away here is that the answers aren’t easy. They aren’t as simple as “your dad was an addict.” There are so many layers that make up the complicated human beings we are.

In the present, we cut back to Toby picking Kate up with an Uber (responsible driving) and Kate confessing, before Toby can tell her he knows, to stress-eating because of losing the baby. She tells him that it makes her feel good to eat the food, but bad because she was hiding it from him. She knows that she has issues with food.

In the past, Rebecca tries to make amends with Kevin, bringing him dinner on the porch and telling him that if he says he didn’t take Randall’s glasses, she believes him. Later, Kevin wakes in the night during a loud thunderstorm to find both of his siblings gone. While looking for them, he finds Randall’s glasses under the bunk beds and goes to tell his mother, only to find both Kate and Randall sound asleep in bed with Jack and Rebecca.

Kevin, feeling alone, grabs a blanket and a pillow and settles in on the floor beside the bed, separated but still with his family.

In the present day, Rebecca is waiting in Kevin’s room at the rehab center when he comes back from his time with his siblings. She tells him she wants talk. He responds with, “We’ve done enough talking for one day, right?”

Justin Hartley as Kevin, Chrissy Metz as Kate and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

He sits next to her on the sofa as White Buffalo’s The Observatory swells in the background. Rebecca tells him that she remembers the first day of kindergarten. Randall was clinging to her leg, and Kate was crying. But Kevin just waltzed right in and didn’t even look back. “I never worried about you,” she says, “because I didn’t think that I had to, but now I realize that I was wrong.”

“I didn’t have an unhappy childhood,” Kevin tells her.

“It wasn’t as good as I thought,” Rebecca replies. “But I know we had moments, Kevin. You and I. I feel it in my bones.”

“Maybe we did — I hope we did.”

The camera pans out on that bedroom long ago, and Rebecca curled up on the floor holding Kevin as he sleeps. Something she remembers, but he does not.

Our lives are filtered through our own perceptions of the world. And our memories are colored by emotions and feelings — some of them accurate, some of them not. And other people in our lives often remember those very same moments quite differently. But if we love each other, if we truly care, then we find ways to move beyond all of that, to set aside our pain and find comfort in belonging.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! And I’ll see you next week!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Dee’s posts

Welcome back! OK, I think I have that reversed. I’m the one who’s back after a few months’ hiatus from the fan fiction world. So, yes, it has been a while, but now it’s time to get back into the swing of things with my monthly fan fiction column. And in 2018, this column will seek and find the latest, greatest, most-reviewed, most-celebrated, underground fanfics making waves on the Internet. Is it possible? The Internet is a pretty big place, so I’ll need some help. So, if there is a fandom you’d like me to check out, or a fanfic you’d love to see reach a larger audience — because it is just that fabulous— please, let me know by checking my profile. You’ll be able to find me!!!

Lili Reinhart as Betty in Riverdale. (Photo: Katie Yu, The CW)

So, how am I kicking off 2018? Well, I’ve got to start with TV shows that have grabbed my attention — because if I love a show, or simply am hearing a lot of buzz about something on television or cable, I know there is a fandom out there writing fic!

The Almighty Johnsons is a New Zealand show (2011-2013), and it has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — so I had to check it out on Netflix. Here’s the synopsis I snagged from IMDb: “a comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods.” I mean, seriously, what more do you need to watch it?!

And the fun is that they are everyday guys, brothers, whose Norse God powers are hit or miss, but as they gain command of their powers and understand their strengths and weaknesses, their world changes. So as I mentioned above — anytime I happen upon a new-to-me show with solid ratings, I check to see if the fandom is doing what every good fandom does — writing some fan fiction. And yes, this show definitely has fans and fiction. Here is a handful of recs I discovered with some good reviews and interesting storylines.

Fandom: The Almighty Johnsons

• Migraine by OwenHarpersGirl
• Game on by darksider82 (Harry Potter crossover)
• The Loki Identity by PurpleMoon3 (The Avengers crossover)
• After the End (A Norsewood Moment Or Two) by mosslover for dandelionpower (crossover with Being Human-UK)
• Slices of an Auckland Life by Lakritzwolf

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in It. (Photo: Brooke Palmer)

This weirded me out. Yes, It did (double-entendre :). It, the movie based on Stephen King’s novel, has a LOT of fan fiction. Pennywise in every permutation you can imagine, which just gives me the shivers. Now, the original TV miniseries freaked me out back in the day. At the time, I was living in Chicago, and I swore I was seeing scary clowns on every corner. And I have a low tolerance for clowns (sorry, I just do). But I love horror and I particularly enjoyed the TV series. And as soon as I muster the courage, I’ll watch the 2017 version. In the meantime, check out these fan fiction recommendations, inspired by It, the movie.

Fandom: It (the movie)

• Play Pretend by thepsychodelicate
• Stroke of Midnight by RobinDanielle
• I’m (Not) in Love by Phanimation
• Floating on Air by Winchestergirl123
• Crimson Birdie by HLecter511

KJ Apa as Archie and Luke Perry as Fred in Riverdale. (Photo: CW)

In its second season, the CW’s Riverdale continues to be a fan favorite. Described as “a subversive take on Archie and his friends,” the show explores small-town life in a dark and fun sort of way — yeah, right … So, of course, the fan fiction is there to explore how much fun and darkness Archie and his friends can really have. Here are a few fanfics you may want to check out.

Fandom: Riverdale

• Venom and Vanilla by ruflylover
• What You Left Behind by RiverHead.CF
• The Secrets Deep Within by RiverHead.CF
• In the Still of the Night by Blue Longhand

David Boreanaz as Jason in SEAL Team. (Photo: Erik Voake, CBS)

I admit CBS’ SEAL Team is an unusual show for fanfic recommendations. First, CBS has aired only 11 episodes as of this posting. It’s mostly military action — in true Navy SEAL romanticized style — but there is a precision about the men and women (the actors) that drew me in. But the real reason I love SEAL Team is the lead actor and producer, David Boreanaz.

Yes, the road to fandom and fanfic begins with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I was ready to spend an entire television season or two without David (and yes, I’ve met him in person, so I can go there. He has been on TV almost seamlessly for 20-plus years. From BtVS to Angel to Bones and now SEAL Team, I’ve followed this man’s television journey, and there have been some lows (some will argue a couple of seasons of Bones weren’t the best of the best. But David has performed on solidly written and acted TV shows that deliver on the “entertainment” — and you bet David remains ruggedly handsome and just screams military SEAL in this show!

And the ensemble cast is excellent. So, I was thrilled to find some well-reviewed fanfics on this new show.

Fandom: SEAL Team

• A Spoonful of Sugar by Deandeanmoose
• Of How Hard We Tried by dilangley
• Without You by Destiel
• Molded Clay by emrys-knight

That’s it for this post. Thank you for reading, and I’ll be back next month with more fanfic recommendations!

Until then, Happy New Year!

Denny S. Bryce is a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist who won the 2014 Golden Heart in the romantic suspense category. She also writes historical fiction and paranormal romance. Her website is www.dennysbryce.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter (@DennySBryce) or Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Denny’s posts

Dee Davis

Every character in a story believes that tale is about him or her. Each of us believes that our view of reality is the correct view. But the hard truth is that there is always another side to a story. Always. And if the point of view shifts, then the entire focus is completely different. And though we often try to break things down into right and wrong, good and bad, in most cases the truth lies somewhere along that continuum.

And these various facets of a story are the focus of this week’s episode of This Is Us. Named for William’s cat, Clooney, the episode exposes the Pearsons to new dimensions of people they believed they already knew. It strives to show that no one is ever as cut-and-dried as he or she may appear. We all see what we want to see. And only when we truly listen can we dig deeper and gain better understanding.

The episode opens with Clooney roaming the streets looking lean and a bit scruffy as he scavenges for food. As a backdrop, we hear Billie Holiday singing God Bless the Child. One thing that becomes apparent is that Clooney knows how to survive.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Moving to the past, we find Jack in the basement working on an entertainment center he’s building for Rebecca. After going upstairs and sharing a kiss with Rebecca, which totally grosses out Kate, Kate asks Rebecca if she’d take her to the mall to look at a dress for the winter formal.

Rebecca is pleased to be asked. And agrees. Jack then says he’d like to go, too. Walter, his boss, has been pushing them to up their game, and to that end, Jack needs a new suit. Kevin, still sporting his cast, doesn’t much want to go, but Jack tells him he should come and get a suit so that he can take Sophie to the winter formal. Meanwhile, Randall is in his room re-jiggering a Magic 8-Ball. We see him dropping something inside and then replacing the cap. He, too, agrees to go to the mall.

In the present, Randall is still tinkering. This time he’s helping Tess with her science project. Beth comes into the kitchen and reminds Randall that he has a job interview. Randall isn’t at all excited about it and tells Beth it just isn’t getting his juices flowing. But he promises to go as soon as he heads to William’s old apartment building to pick up a box of his things that a friend has found.

We cut away from Beth and Randall to find Kate in group therapy. She admits to them that she has fallen off the wagon since the miscarriage, but that she wants to get back on track for her spring wedding. She admits to them all that the dress is going to be a problem, but that Toby wants her to have a big wedding. She doesn’t want to disappoint him. Then feeling like the center of attention and not wanting to be there, she turns the conversation on Madison in a flippant way that basically challenges skinny Madison’s right to be in the group at all.

From there, we cut to Kevin at rehab having an exit consultation with his doctor. She tells him it only takes one second to slip and, that in order for him to succeed, he needs a healthy routine. Which doesn’t include Hollywood. Kevin agrees and tells her that he’s going to stay with his mom and work on reconnecting with her. He isn’t as excited about spending time with Miguel.

When he arrives, he finds that Rebecca has stocked up on all the health foods Kevin has always insisted on eating. He tells her then that he’s off of that and into eating whatever he likes. That there are too many other things he’s trying to control. Rebecca is cool about it, but we can see that she’s hurt that Kevin didn’t at least see that she tried. But she rallies and tells him they can go shopping together.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Hannah Zeile as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Meanwhile, Madison comes up to Kate after the meeting and tells her she wants to take her to see wedding dresses. She promises a place where it won’t be awkward for Kate. She doesn’t even have to try anything on since everything is custom made. Kate is a little thrown by the offer, but accepts.

In the past, at the mall Kate and Rebecca look at dresses in one shop. They find the perfect one, and Kate, laughingly saying you never know if a dress will run big, picks up three sizes and heads to the dressing room. Meanwhile, Jack and Kevin run into Miguel, who is feeling down because his ex-wife Shelley’s boyfriend has just proposed. Jack jumps in with a pep talk, but both Kevin and Miguel say that sometimes you just need to wallow a bit first. The three of them head for the food court.

Randall is looking into the window of a store at a cute girl he obviously knows and likes. He takes the Magic 8-Ball out of his pocket and then, after taking a step, chickens out. It seems possible that this is the girl he wants to ask to the winter dance.

Back in the present, Randall remembers William as he walks up the stairs to William’s friend’s apartment. Lloyd (played by the wonderful Garrett Morris) is waiting with the box. Randall asks about Clooney, and Lloyd tells him he ran off a couple of weeks ago. But he assures Randall that “strays always wind up with someone who needs them.”

The scene cuts to Clooney again on the streets, this time with Donovan’s The River Song playing in the background. The camera then cuts to Randall in his car going through the contents of the box. Inside, among other things, he finds a composition book containing one of William’s poems as well as a couple of rough sketches of the face and eyes of a lady.

My lady, my love, my neighbor / Lady, I am straight up fixed on you / Just as you sit fixed straight on me / Our glue has long been set / Each morning I wake up / And head straight towards you / And each afternoon / We sit together with your children / And watch the world go dark / Always I walk the same steps / I push open the door / And I end up in front of you / Always you, my love / Always you, my lady

Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

As Randall reads the poem, we hear William’s voice as he recites it. And we realize that there are parts of William that Randall has never seen. Not only that, but Randall’s imagination has created a picture that might not exist at all. The truth is always colored by our perceptions. And here we see Randall weaving a romantic story in the hope that his father’s life was less lonely than he’d originally believed.

Meanwhile, Kevin is at the grocery store with his mom and Miguel. In the cereal aisle, Rebecca and Kevin share a memory of Jack dumping out an entire box of cereal to get the prize. They laugh, and touching his empty neck, Kevin confesses to Rebecca that he lost Jack’s necklace. Rebecca touches her moon necklace and replies, “You know what’s funny? You beat yourself up for losing your necklace, and I beat myself up because I can’t take mine off.”

Obviously, neither of them has really let Jack go. And in some ways they won’t be able to fully move on until they do. Loving someone doesn’t mean that you can’t have a life without them. And though they have both tried to move forward, in some ways they are still haunted by the past. Maybe the reality is that letting go completely is something you can never really do. Maybe it’s more about blending your past and present, so that there is fluidity as you move forward into the future.

In the past, Jack, Kevin and Miguel are talking at a table in the food court. Kevin tells them that in the past when he was upset about something he watched football, but now that just makes him think about the fact that he’ll never play again. Miguel tells him it’s a Catch 22 — which Kevin doesn’t understand. Jack tells Kevin that he just has to find his new “football.” But Kevin taunts Jack by saying he doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he’s never lost anything he loved.

Miguel jumps in and corrects Kevin, telling him about Jack’s dream of starting his own construction company — Big Three Homes — and how he gave it up when the kids came along because he knew they needed the money to make sure Kate, Kevin and Randall had everything they needed. In essence, he gave up his dream for his kids.

Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Parents often make decisions to forgo something that is important to them in an attempt to give their families what they need. In this case, Jack chose his children and Rebecca over his hope for working independently. Instead, he takes a job he hates that in some ways contributes to his alcohol addiction. But he keeps all of that from his kids. It is only when Miguel spills the beans that Kevin has some real insight into who his father truly is. It changes his perception of Jack.

In the present, Kevin asks Miguel why he came to the grocery when he knows that Kevin is wanting to spend time with his mom alone. Miguel tells Kevin that Rebecca has been a wreck ever since Kevin got arrested and tore into her at the rehab session. He says that he’s there to protect her against further blame or Kevin lobbing another bombshell. Offended, Kevin tells Miguel that he doesn’t need to protect her against his son. Miguel insists that he does. He’s her husband. Kevin grimaces and tells Miguel that his father was her husband.

Meanwhile, Randall, believing that his father left another lover behind at the apartment building, starts knocking on doors. He asks several women point blank if they were William’s girlfriends. He is met with varying degrees of laughter. But all of them clearly were fond of William. Randall, in his usual obsessive way, posts a notice on the bulletin board asking if someone living there knows anything about William’s “Lady.”

In L.A., Kate and Madison arrive at the bridal salon. Kate is relieved to find that no one else is there. It’s a BAO establishment (by appointment only). Alexis, a friend of Madison’s, greets them warmly as Madison munches on a tray of treats and Alexis hands them champagne.

Back in the past, at the mall, we see Kate looking at a size 7 tag on one of the dresses, and then lifting it over her head, but the scene cuts immediately to her rushing out of the dressing room with all the dresses, laying them on the counter and then running from the store without even telling Rebecca.

In the present, Randall comes to Beth’s office to see if she’s free for lunch. He shares with her about finding the poem and his search for Randall’s lady. Beth is more concerned about Randall going to the job interview. She wants him to go back to work. Without a job, she tells him, he seems to be drifting in outer space rather than living in the real world.

Chrissy Metz as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

In the wedding shop, Kate looks on as Alexis shows her various dresses, but Madison seems to be zoning out, her mind obviously elsewhere. She excuses herself to go to the bathroom. And afterward, outside, Kate confronts her — telling her she knows what she did. Madison tries to dodge by saying that it was no big deal to pay the reservation fee, but Kate insists on trying to talk and tells Madison that she knows after eating all the macaroons that she went into the bathroom to throw up. Madison walks off after telling Kate to find her own way home.

It’s super easy to believe that our problems are the only ones that matter. And that people who may seem to have it all can’t possibly understand where we’re coming from. Or for that matter have any real problems of their own. I moved a lot as a kid. And consequently I always felt like an outsider — even when it wasn’t really true. I often wished that I’d lived somewhere long enough to be one of the really popular kids because their lives were perfect.

Then one day, I went into the bathroom at school and heard someone sobbing in the bathroom stall. It was the head cheerleader. The most popular girl in school. I sat next to her and held her while she cried. I don’t even remember now what it was about. But I learned that day that everyone has issues. And that there is no such thing as perfect people.

Kate is beginning to see the real Madison. And to realize that although she seems to have everything Kate has ever wanted — she’s skinny and cute and has money — in truth, her life is just as seemingly screwed up as Kate’s. It’s a real eye-opener that will change her perception of Madison completely.

Home from the grocery store, Kevin comes down the stairs to see Rebecca on the sofa, curled up next to Miguel, her head on his shoulder. When she sees Kevin, she immediately moves away from Miguel. When she leaves the room to make tea, Kevin apologizes to Miguel for what he said earlier. Then he asks if Miguel was in love with Rebecca while Jack was alive.

Miguel’s response is an emphatic no. “That would have been impossible,” he says. “See, your mom and dad, they were one. There was no Jack, no Rebecca — just Jack and Rebecca.” He goes on to tell Kevin that he does love her now. And that he’s not going anywhere.

It’s really hard for children to accept the loss of a parent and then to see the other parent move on with someone else. And in some ways I think it’s even harder when those children are adults. My mother met my father in the first grade. She lost his Cub Scout ring in the third grade. (She spent hours looking until she found it again.) They married in college and had only ever been apart one summer (the one their parents insisted they needed to try — just to be sure). My mom and dad weren’t Susie and Ronnie. They were SusieandRonnie — one word.

It wasn’t always easy to be their children. But it was amazing to watch these two people in love. And so when my dad died, it was hard to lose him and harder still to watch my mom pick up the pieces and find someone else. Not that I ever doubted her love for my father, or that I didn’t want her to be happy, or even that I didn’t like the new guy she fell for. I did like him. I do like him. But he’s not my dad. So I get what Kevin is feeling.

And listening to my mom, I think I understand, too, where she is coming from — at least a little. I do believe if you are brave enough to open yourself to love once — it is far easier to do it again a second time.

Back in L.A., Kate answers her telephone and immediately rushes to Madison’s. She finds her on the bathroom floor, in tears, with a cut on her head.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Meanwhile, in the past, Rebecca finds Kate and asks her about the dress. Kate tells her it didn’t fit. But when Rebecca suggests they go back and find another dress to try on, Kate tells her to forget it. She walks off again, leaving Rebecca frustrated and confused.

The scene cuts to Randall at William’s building’s super’s door. Lloyd called during Randall’s job interview to tell him she might have some insight into his search for William’s lady. The super tells Randall that William was a thorn in her side and laughs at the idea that they might have had a relationship. She goes on to say, though, that when William moved, the building felt it. “It was kinda like we lost the heart and there was no place for the blood to go.”

Randall shows her the poem, and she takes him to William’s old apartment. It’s empty at the moment, so she leaves Randall to have a last look around.

In the past again, we see Clooney running from some neighborhood kids into William’s apartment. And we see William talking to Clooney as he gives him food, telling him that he can stay. As the scene moves to Randall in the present, we hear William’s voice reading the poem again, and Randall looks out the window to the wall across the way. There is a painted mural there. Lady Day. Billie Holiday. And Randall realizes that this is the lady. This mural depicting Billie Holiday. A constant in his life as William sat looking out of his window.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Cutting back to Kate and Madison, we find the two of them sitting on the sofa as Kate cleans up Madison’s cut. Madison says she’s sorry to have bothered Kate. She goes on to tell her that she used to throw up, but that she stopped. But then a few weeks ago, she started again. And so just now when she ate an entire carton of yogurt, she threw it up, felt better about herself, but then fell because she was dizzy. Embarrassed, she tells Kate she probably thinks she’s insane.

Kate tells her instead that she understands. Right before her dad died, she tells Madison, she got really skinny. Lived totally on carrot sticks. “I was so sure that being skinny would make me happy.”

And so when she went to try on dresses for her winter formal, she actually got into a size 7. But she felt lost. The voice inside her head demanding that she lose weight was gone. And she realized she preferred who she was when she was fat. She liked the voice in her head. And so she tried on a size 5 and it didn’t fit. Which meant she was back to being who she thought she was.

Telling the story, she has a bonding moment with Madison. And we see that the event from Rebecca’s point of view played out quite differently than it actually played out in that dressing room with Kate. And that Kate’s dream of being skinny didn’t give her the pleasure she thought it would. It just confused her. We put so much emphasis on our outer appeal that sometimes we forget that our true selves, the parts that really matter, reside within us.

Meanwhile, Randall and Beth arrive at William’s building. Randall tells Beth he appreciates her indulging him. But he’s realized that in traveling to a run-down building to pick up an abandoned box, and finding his father’s poem inside that box, which led to finding a mural of Billie Holiday and the discovery of an artist that who to create beautiful spaces for people who need them the most, he’s found the answer to every question he’s had since he was 19. My Lady. Beth.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

He goes on to tell her that he wants to buy William’s building with her. That he wants to change these people’s lives. And from there we cut to Clooney sitting in the window above them, watching Randall as he shares his newest dream with Beth. A kid appears beside him at the window with a bowl of food and he asks … “You hungry?” Clooney, it seems, has indeed found his way to someone else who needs him.

David Ramirez’s Fire of Time swells in the background as the scene cuts back to the past and Randall, courage screwed up, in the store with the cute girl and his Magic 8-Ball. He asks her out, but we can see that she’s torn. He tells her to use the Magic 8-Ball before answering. And she takes it, shakes it a bit and then turns it upside down. The little triangle reads “Don’t overthink this, Allison.” She smiles. He smiles. And we know that there is hope.

The scene cuts then to Jack and Kevin at the tailor’s, each of them being fitted for a new suit. Kevin asks Jack if maybe now is the right time for him to consider starting his company. But Jack tells him no. He needs to see the three of them through college. And we see Kevin for the first time really understanding what it is to be a good father.

Back in the present, Kevin and Rebecca are talking in the kitchen and Kevin tells her that he saw her pull away from Miguel when she saw him coming down the stairs. Rebecca tells him that she didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. And Kevin asks if she’s happy with Miguel. Rebecca says, “After your dad died — I let go of happiness. With Miguel it’s quieter and older, but yeah, he makes me happy.” Different but still good.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

In the past, we find Rebecca and Jack together on the sofa in the living room after the shopping trip. She asks Jack to talk to Kate, telling him she knows something is up, but that Kate won’t talk to her. Jack tells Rebecca that he hates his boss and that he hates wearing suits. He’s thinking about maybe trying the Big Three Homes idea again. Rebecca startles and says it’s the wrong time, but immediately rallies and says that the change would make it “really exciting around here.” They nestle close together and Rebecca, against a reprise of God Bless the Child, asks, “Hey, babe, did we forget something at the mall?”

“Don’t think so,” Jack responds.

The camera pans out, Jack and Rebecca cuddling as we look up and see the smoke detector — and its missing battery.

Life is about perception. But happiness is about being able to step outside ourselves and see the people we love for who they really are. Only then can we let go of our own fears and let them see us.

See you next week. Got a feeling we’ll need to bring tissues!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Dee’s posts

Heidi Cullinan

We’re back after another brief Lucifer hiatus, and oh, devil, we are back. Let’s lay down the recap quick, and then we’ll get into some analysis.

We begin back with Lucifer and Cain/Pierce at Lux right after Lucifer stabbed him to reveal who he is, the original murderer, the man who can’t be killed. Lucifer wants to know why Cain is here in Los Angeles and why he’s posing as Pierce — also why he’s bleeding so much for an immortal. Pierce corrects him to say he’s not immortal, only a human who can’t die. He can be wounded, even just as fatally as other humans, it’s just that for him even the worst wounds heal.

Lucifer wants to know, though, why Pierce is working with his father: Why did he take his devil face or give him his wings? Pierce says he’d never work with God and had nothing to do with giving him his wings or taking his face. Pierce leaves, and though Lucifer threatens to expose who he really is, Pierce says, “Go ahead. They don’t even believe you’re the devil.”

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Back at Chloe and Maze’s place, Maze is testing knives by throwing them into the wall, which Chloe absolutely doesn’t approve of. She gets excessively upset, which Maze calls her on, and Chloe admits she’s upset with Lucifer. Maze laughs and points out Lucifer is who he is and isn’t going to change.

Chloe is investigating our murder of the week — a surfer strangled on a beach by someone else’s surf leash — when Lucifer shows up to get help exposing Pierce. Before that, however, we learn Dan has been surfing in his spare time and Ella is weirdly quiet and reluctant to speak as she relays the forensic evidence. Lucifer doesn’t even get to tell Chloe what he needs, though, because Chloe throws him out, telling him to go home and be with the person he loves most: himself. She’s uninterested in dealing with his ego.

Lucifer goes to Linda, who is amazed to hear about Cain, but she also points out Lucifer isn’t good about seeing Chloe’s perspective. Lucifer decides he needs to make everything all about Chloe so that she then, in turn, can make things all about him. Linda shakes her head, saying she should have seen that one coming.

At the precinct, Chloe, Ella and Charlotte watch a video where the victim, Manny “Moondog,” and “Dangerous Doug” Libby are having a fight a week before the murder. Charlotte points out this isn’t enough to get a search warrant, but Chloe knows of an event where Doug will be present and can possibly get him to turn over his surf leash voluntarily. During the meeting, Charlotte notices Ella is too quiet, and once Chloe leaves, Ella admits to Charlotte that Pierce yelled at her and told her she talked too much, which is why she’s trying to talk less. Charlotte admonishes her not to adjust her behavior for men, using her own story as an example. When Ella says Pierce is a hero of hers, Charlotte tells Ella to stand up for herself and get a thicker skin, because if she doesn’t defend herself, no one will do it for her.

Tom Welling as Pierce/Cain in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Chloe catches Pierce packing up after putting in for a transfer and tries to get him to change his mind, but he won’t. Amenadiel, meanwhile, goes to the doctor and finds out he has chlamydia, despite the fact that he’s an angel. So we’re having excitement all around.

Lucifer shows up at the event Chloe is trying to sneak into, telling her he’s declaring the day Detective Day. She’s bewildered and annoyed until he hands her a pass to get into the event, which is helpful, though the gratitude is diluted when he hands her a string bikini as well.

Chloe approaches Doug, and her undercover sting is going well until her picture shows up on the monitor as the next up in the event — Lucifer has entered her police photo, and her undercover identity is exposed. Doug tries to run, but Lucifer knocks him out with his own board. When they take Doug to the precinct, though, Doug confesses to killing a seal, not a person, and when he’s shown a photo of Moondog at the crime scene, he seems to know nothing of it.

While that’s going down, Charlotte confronts Pierce at the coffeemaker and proves she doesn’t need the Goddess of All Creation inside her to give a man a good smackdown. She informs him Ella doesn’t deserve to have her spirit crushed by a man like Pierce and shames him pretty beautifully. Charlotte Richards, I’m so glad you stayed.

Lucifer tries to get some advice from Dan on how to stop making Chloe angry, and Dan says the key is to find a way to be thoughtful without getting in her face. He tells a story about making her breakfast in bed, but he doesn’t get to finish the story, because Lucifer is already gone. Maze, meanwhile, is handing an incredibly sharp knife to Linda as a gift for being such a great friend, thanking her for not getting involved with Amenadiel. Linda is awkward and guilty, because she is involved with Amenadiel. She starts to try to tell Maze, but before she can, Amenadiel calls to tell Linda she has chlamydia. Maze shares this with Linda, who immediately spits her wine.

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Forensics comes back on Doug’s board, and it turns out it he really did hit a seal. Meanwhile, Dan discovered graffiti of a known-to-be-violent surf group (gang? Sorry, I’m really not from California) in the area where Manny was killed. It’s rare for them to be that far north, but Dan guesses maybe they’re expanding their territory. Dan decides to go undercover to see if he can get one of them to talk. He wears a wire and a camera, and Pierce and Chloe sit in a van nearby to swoop in and back him up if things get rough.

At Chloe’s desk, Lucifer is talking on the phone to Maze when a ton of files come in, which inspires him to rearrange her entire desk and the contents of the files. He goes to see Ella to get more inspiration, finds out Pierce is leaving and runs off to stop him.

Dan does some great surfing, which as someone who can barely walk straight or carry anything over 10 pounds, is really impressive looking. While this goes on, Chloe tries again to get Pierce to stay, but in the middle of it Lucifer shows up to have it out. Pierce asks Chloe to leave, and when alone, the two of them talk. Pierce tells Lucifer to use his mojo on him, and when Lucifer asks him what he desires, Pierce says, “I want to die.” Confused, Lucifer asks what that has to do with him, and Pierce says it doesn’t. It has to do with Chloe, who he heard made the devil bleed. He’d hoped being near her could get him killed. He kidnapped Lucifer to get him out of the way so he could get to Chloe, but he spouted wings and came back early and messed up the plan. Cain tipped off the shooter at the ranch and got himself shot on purpose in Chloe’s presence, but it didn’t kill him, so his plan failed. Lucifer, stunned, realizes Cain is telling the truth.

After ticking off all the surfers, Dan gets approached and punched, and when the others don’t show because Pierce and Lucifer are too busy talking, Dan improvises. When the surfers produce a cord, he says, “I guess this is how my boy Manny died.” The others realize he’s in trouble, but by the time they arrive, Dan is gone, with the others in a paddle-out ceremony to remember Manny. Dan doesn’t blow his cover and gives a speech, but also gets more information out of them, pretty much exonerating them as much as possible. They don’t go north, they say, having no interest on the rich beaches. Dan thinks someone is setting them up.

Lauren German as Chloe and Tom Ellis as Lucifer in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

When Chloe sees her desk at the precinct, on top of everything else, at first she’s upset. She’s thrown when Lucifer says he doesn’t need her help anymore, says he’s trying to help because this case matters to her, so it matters to him, and with a frustrated, befuddled sigh, she accepts him again. Then she gets to the graffiti folder and realizes his bumbling has just solved the case. She finds the Orca graffiti and remembers they were on the “private beach signs,” which are illegal because California has no private beaches. One person was cited over and over for posting those signs, and it was the person who reported the murder, Justine.

They go to the beach in front of Justine’s house, drinking champagne in their beach chairs, and when she comes down, dumps their champagne and informs them it’s private property, Chloe fans herself with one of the signs. Justine threatens to call the police, and Lucifer points out police are swarming her house, looking for the murder weapon. Justine is defiant to the end, even when the weapon is found. She feels that she paid for the land so the beach is hers, despite the law, and she murdered to send a message, so if people were scared so they’d stay away. Chloe tries to enjoy a glass of champagne with Lucifer to celebrate, but before she can, he’s gone.

Linda and Amenadiel meet up, and Linda says she wants to end their relationship because she can’t stand hurting Maze. It turns out Amenadiel doesn’t have an STD, which he thought was the reason why she was breaking up with him, but she says it’s entirely because of Maze. She does care for him, but it’s complicated. She can’t date her friend’s ex anymore. She confesses she likes him, he says he likes her, and they kiss. Unfortunately, Maze has been watching them this entire time from the other side of the restaurant.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Pierce is getting ready to leave, but before he goes, he sees Ella and approaches her. He starts to talk, but she interrupts him so she can go first. She says she talks a lot, and most people like that about her, but most important, she likes that about herself. She thinks he was rude and owes her an apology. She’s nervous as she says all this, but she gets it out. He listens calmly, then says she’s right, and apologizes. He was in a bad place. She’s stunned, then immediately goes back into former Ella mode, tries to help, hugs him and declares he’s going to miss her.

Pierce tries to leave, but before he can, Lucifer arrives to stop him, declaring he’s figured everything out, why he has his wings and what’s supposed to happen next. His wings are back because of Cain, because God wanted him to stop Cain. But Lucifer wants to get revenge. He offers to help Cain die. He suggests it’s time Cain make a deal with the devil. After a slight hesitation, Cain agrees, shakes his hand, and away we go.

After so many episodic installments, this episode feels like the entrance to a grand chute to the end of the season, but not in a rushed, whirlwind sort of way. We have several juicy storylines laid out with some real meat on them: Amenadiel/Maze/Linda, Cain, the eternal “what is Chloe anyway?” issue and the slow-blooming but beautiful Ella and Charlotte. Don’t forget Dan as super support team. There’s of course the still-looming question of what are Lucifer’s wings really for, what happened to his devil face, will Chloe ever find out who he really is and, of course, will they ever get together?

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Usually, season three is the big blowout season that climaxes so hard it’s difficult to top, but if anything, this feels like the “big pullback” where the writers are determined to focus on characters and build everything up. A gamble, but given the characters are so rich and full of joy, and this slowdown is so fun, I think it’s paying off. There’s still a lot of room for the season to bloom into something huge, but if anything, I feel like we’re building for a major showdown of season four, or even five. I get every sense that this show is patiently laying down pipe for the future, which I highly enjoy seeing.

All my money is on some big stuff happening in the next four weeks of episodes, so strap in, guys. The devil is going to give us our due.

An author of contemporary, historical and paranormal romances featuring LGBT characters, Heidi Cullinan is best known for stories of characters struggling with insurmountable odds on their way to their happily ever afters. Find out more about Heidi at www.heidicullinan.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Heidi’s Lucifer posts

We’re back after an unexpected little break (and only for one week until we break again, this time for the State of the Union address). Tonight it’s Vance’s family that gives us our episode title, specifically his daughter. Like Leon needs more drama in his life.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

Let’s find out what’s up, shall we?

We open with a young couple arguing. He’s driving. She’s walking beside the car. He wants her to get back in the car. She wants to know whose lacy red bra she found in the glove compartment. Ruh roh. He finally stops, gets out, earning a rather salty retort from a passing driver who has to swerve around the car door. Guy finally confesses, swears he can explain. Girl fake-throws her diamond-studded engagement ring over a fence. Guy misses the fake part, rushes over … to look for the ring. Girl has had it, climbs in the car and drives straight at him, making him jump over the fence into the bushes, before she turns, slows down and flashes the rock, still safely on her finger. She reminds him she gets to keep the expensive bauble. He? Gets to keep the lacy red bra, which she flings at him through the open car window. Heh. She drives off, and he shares a rather surprisingly salty expletive for our tender, eight o’clock hour ears. Then he turns and gapes as … wait for it … he finds our Dead Guy of the week, facedown in the muck and mire near his feet.

Cue awesome opening theme song and credits!

In the Vances’ kitchen, Vance’s daughter offers to share a smoothie made from questionable material with her dad, who begs off, reminding her he’s meeting Gibbs at the diner. She pooh-pooh’s diner food, he reminds her she used to eat Fruity Pebbles every day. HA. Daughter’s somewhat morose bestie shows up to give her a ride to school and shares a monosyllabic convo with Pops, that still manages to reveal the surprising news that Daughter is helping Morose fill out college applications. The young’uns head off as Vance takes a call from Gibbs. Seems their breakfast will have to wait as Gibbs is now busy with the dead Marine, much to Vance’s dismay, as he stares down into his smoothie. Heh.

At the scene, the team is processing, and we learn from McGee that Dead Guy is a lance corporal. Palmer estimates DG has been that way for about seven or eight hours. McGee said DG was a midnight marathoner, training at night. Gibbs wants to know how he ended up in pond water. Palmer tells us it was blunt-force trauma, and Torres comes up with a box containing broken plastic and glass. So, it appears DG was hit by a car. Bishop is interviewing Guy, and our already low estimation of him bottoms out entirely as he hits on Bishop while she’s trying to find out info on the poor, dead soldier a few feet away. Bishop’s opinion appears to match our own as Guy explains how he pulled over to have a conversation with a “friend” … which is when McGee walks over with the red lacy bra they also found in the bushes. When Guy sheepishly claims it as his, we get our first smile from Bishop and simply an “OK” from McGee, who has seen too much to be surprised by this.

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres, Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Brian Dietzen as Palmer in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

Back in the Bull Pen of Orangey Goodness, we learn that the point of impact was some distance away from where Guy was found, meaning the car that struck him was going in excess of 60 miles per hour. McGee offers that it was a foggy night, but Gibbs thinks that if you hit something, you might want to, you know, stop and get out of your car to check it out.

Enter Vance, looking far too serious, who asks Gibbs to take a walk with him. I suspect we’re about to get to the Family Ties part of this evening’s festivities. They walk to the elevator, where Vance tells Gibbs that Daughter has been arrested. Fade to a surprised Gibbs black and white.

We’re down in Ducky’s Digs, which I guess we now need to call, what, Palmer’s Parlor? Yeah. No. Ducky’s Digs it remains. Palmer is doing some kind of thing where his eyes are closed and he’s trying to maneuver around the room by memory … and failing? I dunno. DG is on the table and Gibbs enters. Turns out, Palmer got tiny shards of glass in his eyes from trying to extract said tiny shards from DG’s body so Abby could hopefully identify what kind of vehicle they came from. Gibbs steers Palmer — eyes still closed, because, glass — out of the morgue and over to a sink where he can flush his eyes out, which he does. Sorry, shards of evidence! Palmer tells Gibbs that DG’s lungs were full of water, so official COD is drowning, but there were massive internal injuries due to the collision with the speeding car, so he’d have died from those if the drowning hadn’t taken care of that first.

Up in Abby Lab, she has arranged the numerous shards Palmer successfully kept out of his own corneas and is photographing them. Enter McGee. (Not Gibbs … not anymore. Not ever. Or at least not all of season 15. Just saying, Show. Again. What gives? The Abby in us would be crushed by this rejection, so why isn’t she?) Abby cautions McGee to tread lightly so as not to disturb her newly arranged shards. They share a Humpty Dumpty reference, then she comments that the nursery rhyme never says Humpty is an egg. Hunh. But true. Then we’re back on the case, where we learn that the headlight cover belongs to only one car, made in a specific color, in a specific year. How handy! A blue 2013 Maserati GranTourisimo. The paint is a specific make, and there happened to be some of that on DG’s iPod (or type thereof) where the car struck him. Abby has tracked down all three of the cars in the tristate area that fit that exact description. McGee accidentally sends the shards falling off the tilted glass they’d been arranged on, leading me to wonder why Abby didn’t just arrange them on a flat surface. (Because we wouldn’t have learned about the Humpty-Egg thing. So … forgiven.)

Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Sean Murray as McGee in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

Torres spies the car in question in the garage of the person who owns one of the killer cars and happens to live just miles from the scene of the crime. Also handy, and early, so you know this is a red herring. Let’s see how red! Torres and Bishop head to the front door, and … OK, this next part is for everyone who wrote to me, disappointed that I, romance writer extraordinaire, failed to comment on the look that Torres and Bishop shared after their undercover adventure as Luis and Charlie in the High Tide episode. My response was that I’d wait to see if that was going to be a thing, mostly because I really, really don’t want it to be a thing. Love ’em or not so much, we had Tony-Ziva. Let’s not have a redux, or even try. But here we are, with Torres saying that his alter ego, Luis, would look ever so fine tooling down the highway in that flash Maserati, Charlie at his side. Which is when Bishop is all, “I’m there, too?” and he’s all, “We’re a couple, you know?” So … early stages? I dunno. But I reiterate, cute and adorbs as they are, just say no, Show. Please.

We are spared from further revelations when our couple hears an alarm going off as they near the front door. It’s the smoke alarm, and Bishop spies smoke inside the house. She uses a garden gnome to smash the door window, and inside they go. Smoke is coming from something burning in the oven. Passed-out car owner guy is sprawled on the couch. Bishop takes care of the burning food while Torres checks out Sleeping Beauty. SB is wasted to the point of the smoke alarm and burning food not rousing him. Torres checks his driver’s license and confirms he’s the owner of the Maserati they were coming to see. Bishop tries to rouse SB while Torres checks out the garage. Sure enough, busted headlight. So, how does this slamdunk become complicated? And what’s going on with Daughter?

As if they’re reading my mind, we switch to the police station and a pacing Vance. A detective comes up to tell him that Daughter was caught stealing a purse. She admitted to taking it (taking bets it was actually Morose snagging it) and the store owner wants to prosecute. Daughter didn’t name-drop Pops, which might or might not have helped, so they had no choice but to arrest her and brought her in. She’s 17, so still a minor, but still a very big deal.

She comes out, the detective leaves them alone. Vance is calm, asks her if she’s OK and to tell him what happened. She says she made a mistake. He corrects her, and she agrees, what she did was make a bad choice. (That being covering for her friend. Again, taking all bets over here. I know, seems too easy, Morose kid is the shoplifter, but they intimated she wasn’t exactly a self-starter until she suddenly wanted to get into college, so …) Vance asks that same question, was Morose involved? Daughter says no, then becomes impatient, asking if they can just go, she’s missing chemistry. She turns and heads out, as if this whole arrest thing didn’t just potentially destroy her entire future. Vance appears as flummoxed as I am. He’s also a heck of a lot calmer. I’d be well into using the “full-birth-name, march your hide right back over here” part. So, props for calm.

Rocky Carroll as Vance in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

We move to interrogation, where McGee is talking to Sleeping Beauty. Turns out there was a buck-twenty bar tab in his wallet (the kind where buck = $100) and McGee wants to know what SB’s drink of choice is and rattles off a few options. SB, still a little bit groggy and looking a whole lot contrite, merely nods and says, yes. Heh. McGee also applauds his honesty. Twelve drinks, and we learn from Bishop on the other side of the glass that SB also has three DUI’s under his belt. Which … how absurd is that? Three DUI’s and he still has a license? How? Bishop wonders the same thing. Let’s hope vehicular manslaughter shakes that status quo up a bit. If he did it. Which, of course, he didn’t, because we’re not even at the halfway mark yet. Still, we have to find out how he didn’t do it, so we can keep looking for who did, so McGee continues. And we do. SB says he took a cab, at least he’s pretty sure he did. SB is suddenly worried about his car, and McGee assures him that’s not what he needs to be worried about.

Down in Abby Lab Adjacent Garage, we learn that whoever was driving SB’s car wiped it completely clean of fingerprints on the inside. Torres finds a bracelet on the floor of the car, marvels over the monogrammed floor mats. We learn SB is divorced, no kids. A look in the arm rest compartment shows that the courts at least had the good sense to hook his car to a court-mandated breathalyzer. The car starts only after the driver uses the breathalyzer and proves he or she is sober. (Thank goodness for that.) Which means whoever was driving wasn’t inebriated, at least in the way a breathalyzer could examine. And … is there any DNA Abby could extract from that, since the driver would have had to blow in it to start the car? Maybe we’ll get to that next, but right now, as predicted, SB is not our killer and we fade to black and white.

Back in the Bull Pen, we learn that the car definitely was the murder weapon. Now we just have to figure out who was driving it. (Might I also say it’s nice to have something of a low-key investigation after the darker, more intense ones. Now all we need is fewer breaks between episodes.) SB left his garage open and the keys in the cup holder when his car wouldn’t start due to him already being three sheets before he left for the bar. So someone just strolled in and took it for a joyride. We move to the Screen of All Knowing, where we see a close-up of the bracelet that Torres found in the car. It has the mascot of a local high school on one end, and wearing it is a popular way for students to show school spirit. Much to Gibbs’ relief, we also learn Torres has narrowed the list of who owns that particular bracelet from the entire student body to two kids. The bracelet has initials engraved on the inside and only two kids have names to match, and only one of them is female. Fifteen-year-old, active on social media, and they have a picture of her and her BFF posted the night before. Gibbs sends Torres off to talk to the girl and also find out who was in the photo with her. Bishop is having the car’s GPS looked at so they can see exactly where the car went.

Torres and McGee go to the girl’s house, speak to her parents, who are understandably shaken to learn their daughter might have witnessed a death. It’s a show about daughters, and this one is still at school, along with the other girl in the photo, currently at volleyball practice. When Mom is unable to reach her by phone, the parents offer to meet our very special agents at the school, which is a whole half mile away.

It’s Vance’s turn again, and he’s staring out the window of his office, his thoughts no doubt case inward. We expect a Sloane appearance is impending. Instead, it’s Gibbs coming in to see how Vance is doing regarding Daughter’s arrest. Vance shares that if his wife were still alive, Daughter wouldn’t have done what she did. Gibbs tells him he’s a good dad, and Vance says he doesn’t feel like one. Gibbs says Vance should go home, be with his daughter. (Ya think?) Vance is all, “If you’re here, I’m here.” Gibbs reminds Vance that time is something you don’t get back, tells him to go home and heads out. Vance is still contemplating when we leave him.

Sean Murray as McGee, Wilmer Valderrama as Torres, Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

At the high school, we learn that Second Daughter is a dream student, great grades and attitude, active. BFF is also a good kid “from a good family.” Like … what does that mean? (I get what it means, but the inference is that “good” families, meaning those without discernable issues, can’t produce wayward teens.) They head into volleyball practice, and the teacher/guidance counselor/principal (we’re not sure who they are talking to, and we don’t see the parents anywhere) brags about a big upcoming game, then calls BFF over. Seems Second Daughter left because her mom had called her a half-dozen times. McGee just now notices that the parents didn’t meet them there (they lost them on a half-mile drive?), so he opts to head back to the house and leaves Torres to talk to BFF and Person In Charge.

Switching from Daughter #2 to Daughter #1. Vance is waiting for Daughter when she gets home. She says hello, seems more or less fine, like getting arrested didn’t really upset her day. Really? Seems a bit unrealistic, to say the least. Vance finally gets a bit more intense, but in a rational, just tell me what’s going on kind of way, and Daughter is all blasé, like, “I looked it up online, I’ll do community service, it won’t go on my permanent record, so no biggie” or words to that effect. Vance is still trying to grasp why she’d do something like that in the first place, she gets annoyed back at him, they finally devolve into barking at each other, and she storms out, assuring him it’s over and it’s not like she’ll do it again. (Full disclosure: My father is a cop, with three daughters. And all I’m saying is he’d have one less daughter if any one of us had so much as thought about pulling a stunt like that. Or in the stratosphere of that. And there was no flouncing out of a room. Ever. Of course, he also took us on a tour of the local lockup, and let me tell you, it’s not something you forget. Or just shrug off and blithely head on back to chemistry class. And we were on the right side of the bars.) Come on, Leon. Parent up. (Now I’m the one thinking language not suitable for the eight o’clock hour.)

Back at #2 Daughter’s house, I can say that the dad there took very definitive action. Just not the type we’d have ever expected. McGee arrives to see the landlord/homeowner letting himself into the house. Turns out Mom, Dad and #2 called and ended their lease and took off. But not before cutting up their credit cards and leaving their cellphones behind. McGee hears a car start up and races outside, but the family all but runs him over in their van as they tear off down the street. McGee runs to his car to give chase, only to find they flattened one of the tires. Fade to a very disgruntled McGee and a very surprised recapper black and white. Nice twist!

In the conference room, Bishop and Gibbs are asking BFF about the night in question, but she’s not answering. Turns out her father is there as both Dad and her attorney, and he’s advised her not to talk until they are told what’s going on. So Gibbs says, “Vehicular manslaughter,” and the smug smile fades from Dad’s face. Heh. Bishop relays what happened and asks if Dad #3 knows the man who owns the car. Dad says he knows the man is his neighbor. Gibbs asks if BFF and Daughter #2 went on a joy ride, and Dad steps in and says she won’t be answering that, and his smug smile returns as he says if they had any proof, they’d be sitting in a much more uncomfortable room. Gibbs matches his smile and tells him that can be arranged. HA. They show them the bracelet, and BFF says it belongs to Daughter #2, and Dad happily announces they’re talking to the wrong girl, and they head out.

We finally get the Sloane convo with Vance we knew was coming. Vance is stating how he doesn’t want any special treatment for Daughter (#1 if you’ve lost track). Sloane says he wouldn’t be the first father to ask a favor to help his kid, and she reminds him that he helped her once. Vance gives us another teeny piece of that puzzle by responding that that was a matter of life or death. This is a life lesson. Sloane wants to know if the lesson is for Daughter or Vance. (Oh, come on. Am I the only one who thinks Daughter needs a real wakeup call here? Not someone running interference?) Sloane does give him good advice about how to get his daughter to talk to him, by putting himself in her place. Sloane says she might be mum because she’s hiding something. Vance thinks she might be embarrassed (not the vibe I got) and Sloane reminds him he is an investigator. So, go investigate. (Ah, finally, some common sense.)

Brian Dietzen as Palmer and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Bill Inoshita, CBS)

In the Bull Pen, we learn that the Fleeing Family emptied their bank account, ditched the vehicle, which has since been recovered, and took off for parts unknown to protect their daughter from going to prison for murder. Dad was in a fight as a teenager, Mom has no record, and Gibbs thinks it’s a pretty extreme reaction to become fugitives to protect their kid. Gibbs thinks that if the parents are both teachers and well established in the community, then they took off to protect themselves from the scrutiny the investigation into their daughter would bring onto them. They are hiding something. Gibbs brings BFF back in for additional questioning.

Gibbs welcomes BFF and Pops to the Uncomfortable Room. Heh. Against BFF’s wishes, Pops pleads guilty to the crime, but Gibbs explains about the GPS, and how they know where the car went, and how they have convenience store footage of both girls getting into the car. BFF breaks down and tearfully confesses to the whole thing. The joyride, the fog, hitting something. She explains they did get out of the car and search, but it was very foggy and they didn’t find anything. They thought they hit a deer and it ran off. Pops comforts her as she falls apart, and this story, at least, rings true.

We race over to Abby Lab as she tugs McGee and Bishop in and shows them the smiling photo of the Fleeing Family we’ve seen multiple times that sparked Gibbs into thinking the parents were the ones hiding something. What he noted was that two blue-eyed parents had a brown-eyed child. Genetically possible, but definitely not probable. Abby ran DNA off the toothbrushes they left behind, and Daughter #2 is definitely not their biological daughter. Bishop asks if D2 was adopted, and Abby says adoption records are sealed, but she had the school send over a copy of D2’s birth certificate, which proudly proclaims Mom and Dad as her bio parents. Which they are definitively not and the certificate itself is a fraud, too. Abby posits that Not Mom and Not Dad kidnapped D2 as an infant. Big leap? Maybe not, seeing how McGee mentions that they essentially just kidnapped her again. The twist gets twistier.

At home with the Vances, Dad is cooking when a knock at the door reveals Morose. She’s looking for Daughter and says she’ll come back when Vance tells her Daughter is at the library. Vance says he’d prefer that she not come back. Morose frowns, looks stung, then says, “Message received.” Vance closes the door, then opens it again when Morose pounds on the door. She says that she gets Vance doesn’t like her, but tells him that his daughter is a wonderful person who is doing everything she can to help Morose get into college. Certainly more than her own father is doing for her. She storms off and Vance closes the door. And we all think … everything? Like take the rap for shoplifting, since Daughter knows Dad won’t let her down, and Morose’s would likely let her rot? I’m pretty sure we’re close here. But Morose also needs more help than Daughter can provide, and not just in the college app department.

Sean Murray as McGee and Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

We’re at the Screen of All Knowing, which tells us about D2’s real dad, who has been in and out of prison his whole life, and her real mom, who was just 17 and died of a drug overdose six months after giving birth. D2 should have gone in the foster care system, but somehow ended up with Not Mom and Not Dad. The connection is that Not Mom was Real Mom’s high school teacher. Gibbs is happy they finally put the pieces together. No legal adoption happened, they just kinda took her. Gibbs wants to know if Real Dad knows he’s a real dad, and Bishop says he will soon, since the law requires them to tell him.

Abby tracks D2 and Fleeing Family through her wireless headphones, which shows her location on her phone app whenever they’re connected to Wi-Fi. We see D2 and Not Dad talking and her apologizing for screwing things up. From their convo we learn that she’s told them everything, and D2 knows everything as well. Not Dad assures her that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to stay a family. Not Mom comes rushing in, saying they have to run, she saw an NCIS agent in the lobby. They go to race out the back as McGee knocks on their door, but D2 doesn’t want to run anymore. So she answers the door.

In interrogation, Not Mom & Dad explain how they helped D2’s real mom by looking after the baby so she could stay in school and work, but Real Mom was only interested in partying. And one night she didn’t come back. With her father in jail and both of Real Mom’s parents dead, Not Mom & Dad knew D2 would be put into foster care, and they couldn’t let that happen. So why not adopt her? I’m guessing Real Dad would have said yes. I base this on the fact that while they’re talking to Gibbs, he’s upstairs in the conference room talking to Sloane. He’s out of prison and working a minimum-wage job, says he’s got nothing for D2 to take. We learn he did know he was a dad, knew Real Mom had died, and just never really did anything to find out where his daughter ended up. Back in the interrogation room, we learn that the stupid fight Not Dad had when he was just 18 and the subsequent arrest for assault disqualified him from adopting D2. Ah, so at least there is a good reason. Not that a teenage fight is a good reason, but at least there IS a reason. Meanwhile, upstairs, Real Dad suddenly cares a whole lot about his daughter when he hears she was kidnapped. Sloane corrects him by saying she was rescued, but he’s all off and running on the fact that he can sue them and get some money. Lovely gent. Not Mom & Dad say they have no regrets, but worry they won’t see her again. On the other side of the glass, McGee says that can’t be right, but Vance tells him it will be up to the family court to decide, that Real Father has rights. Real felon, McGee says, and insists there has to be a better way. Vance says he’s open to suggestions.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Maria Bello as Sloane in NCIS. (Photo: Monty Brinton, CBS)

Upstairs, Sloane asks D2 if she wants to do this, and by this, we assume she means meet her real dad. That’s a lot. Maybe they should tell Real Dad he’ll be on the hook to provide legal counsel for his daughter in her trial. Sloane counsels D2 to just tell her dad what’s in her heart. She enters, Gibbs and Sloane stay as well. Real Dad is surprised by how big she is, asks how old she is, what grade she’s in. He comments how he met her mom when they were D2’s age and she responds, kindly, that her mom is in the other room. D2 asks if he’ll please let her go. Sloane explains that if Real Dad wants to sue Not Mom & Dad, he’ll also be suing for full custody. He falters, but greed runs strong with this one. He has a hard time in the face of his daughter, with glassy eyes, asking him if he’ll please let her go and be with her mom and dad, has a hard time meeting her gaze as she tells him she loves her parents very much. Real Dad takes a moment to truly look at his daughter and tells her he’s the one who named her. (Then never thought about her again. Let’s not forget that, shall we?) Real Dad relents and asks where he needs to sign. They have the papers handy, and he signs, giving legal guardianship to Not Mom & Dad. D2 surprises Real Dad by hugging him tightly. He gets all fatherly, cupping her head to his chest, which doesn’t play at all real, but it’s a touching moment, and D2 is a good kid (except for that manslaughter charge), so we sniffle and nod. D2 is reunited with her now real Mom and Dad, and they live happily ever after, or at least until her BFF goes on trial for manslaughter.

We end as we began, at home with the Vances. Vance is just finishing telling his daughter the story of D2. Daughter says D2 is lucky to have parents like that. Vance says he’s lucky to have a daughter like her. She gives him a dry smile and says, “Yeah, a thief.” Vance gives her some side-eye and says how he checked on Morose, who happens to be 18, and had a look at her record. You know, the one with those shoplifting charges? A third conviction as an adult would make college all but impossible. Daughter, on the other hand, is still a minor and already has early acceptance to Georgetown, so it wouldn’t likely upset her waters too much. (Bigger than a tad unrealistic there, but OK.) Daughter doesn’t admit or deny, but merely says if she doesn’t get probation, she’ll get 30 hours of community service and is debating on helping with adult literacy classes or at a homeless shelter. She’s leaning toward the literacy classes, where she might help change a life. Vance smiles, says she already has and kisses her on the forehead. And we fade to a father-daughter black and white.

Not a favorite episode for me, but I appreciate the twist. Nicely done there. I also like that we got to catch up with the Vance household and moved another inch forward on Sloane’s backstory. We break next week, then pick up again in February. Dare I hope we start to get a peek at the final Abby storyline sometime soon? If that’s too big an ask, perhaps there will be a little love and laughter to help us celebrate Cupid’s big day. (Hey, I write romance for a living, it’s my holiday. I am forever optimistic. It’s what I do.)

The other thing I do is give away fun stuff! Last time we met, I put up a copy of my Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling novella, The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls, which is the most current release in my Blue Hollow Falls series. (Still sitting at the No. 1 spot for romance at Amazon Kindle. Weeks later. And it’s a Christmas story. How can I not be optimistic when my readers are so awesome?) Thanks for the avalanche of contest entries and for your thoughts on the show and this season. The winner this week is Patty Kotlicky! Patty, drop me a note to donna@donnakauffman.com and I’ll get your prize out to you!

Join me back here for the Feb. 6 episode, Keep Your Friends Close. I’ll bring the popcorn!

Donna Kauffman is the USA TODAY (and Wall Street Journal!) bestselling author of 70-plus titles, translated and sold in more than 26 countries around the world. Born into the maelstrom of Washington, D.C. politics, she now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, thankfully surrounded by a completely different kind of wildlife. You can check that out for yourself and more at www.donnakauffman.com. She loves to hear from her readers (and NCIS viewers!). You can write to her at donna@donnakauffman.com or visit her on Facebook or Instagram.

MORE ON HEA: See a fun Down & Dirty interview with Donna and read what she learned while writing Blue Hollow Falls

EVEN MORE: See more of Donna’s NCIS posts

Dee Davis

That’ll Be the Day, the title of this week’s episode of This Is Us is foretelling. It marks the precursor to the episode we’ve all been dreading.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

That’ll be the day. Innocent lyrics on their own. But ominous when taken in context with the Pearsons’ history. Most of us have no forewarning of the exact day and time of our deaths. But if we did know, it seems that we’d want that day to mean something. A celebration of life. Or at the very least a moment to show the people we love how very much we love them. And I would suspect that the people in our lives would also want to take that precious time to let us know that we matter. That our presence has had a positive impact.

But we aren’t given notice of the day that we’ll die. And so in all likelihood the day will pass unmarked. Without special insight. With nothing to symbolize it as the last day. It will most likely pass like all other days. Insignificant and yet at the same time unknowingly monumental.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

The episode’s cold open begins in the garage of an elderly couple, George and Sally. They are facing retirement and downsizing, selling their house to move on to the next phase of their lives. George, a pack rat, is trying to come to grips with getting rid of many of his beloved possessions. One of these possessions is an old juke box. When George uncovers it, he remembers “a pretty young woman coming into my diner. Prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. Always playing the same song.”

Sally smiles and says, “That’ll be the day.” And they dance. And with a shrug, she tells him to throw it out.

The credits roll and the episode truly begins with Rebecca in the kitchen wearing a Steelers Jersey. It’s Super Bowl Sunday, always a special event in the Pearson household. Jack and Rebecca begin with traditional wake-up shots — stages of life having moved them from whiskey to OJ. Still, it’s a celebration.

Jack is still thinking about his plan to start Big Three Houses, but tells Rebecca that he thinks the best idea is for him to keep working for the time being and maybe flip a few houses to prove that he can do it. Kate comes into the kitchen to complain that Randall is hogging the bathroom, and Rebecca tells her to give him a break, he’s seeing Allison (the girl from last week’s episode in the mall). Jack and Rebecca sadly note that this will be the last Super Bowl with the kids.

Life is marked by passages. But kids going away to college is one of the toughest for parents. Nothing will ever quite be the same again. It is at once everything they’ve dreamed of and everything they dread.

In the present, we find Kevin facing his new reality — making amends with the people he’s hurt with his latest descent into addiction. He has a notebook, and we see a partial list. Randall, Beth, Tess, Mom. All of the names have a check by them. But we know there are more names on the list. Rebecca has left Kevin a note saying that she and Miguel are out. Facing an empty house and a tenuous new life, Kevin needs to find something to keep his mind occupied.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

He texts Randall and the scene shifts to Randall and Beth as they head out to the new apartment building they’ve bought. Randall is full of plans — ready to make changes. Beth reminds him that everything can’t happen in one day, and he confesses that maybe he’s been watching too many episodes of Property Brothers. (My guilty pleasure, too.)

Beth and Randall’s relationship is so wonderful to watch. Her ability to ground him and his ability to lift her up and make her laugh are a joy to behold. They fit together in such a comfortable way. Even when they are at odds, they are so clearly linked together. In many ways, they reflect the relationship that Rebecca and Jack had, and yet, it is so clearly and uniquely their own.

Meanwhile, in L.A., Kate catches Toby quickly hiding something on his computer. She jokingly accuses him of watching porn, and he confesses that yes, he’s watching puppy porn. Tender for dogs. He says he took one look at a cute little face and was sucked down a puppy rabbit hole. Kate’s expression reveals her discomfort, and Toby is quick to assure her that he understands her issue with dogs and knows that they can’t have one.

Beth and Randall meet with the residents of the apartment building to talk about their plans. Beth is looking at outstanding issues with bringing the building up to code, but the residents are more interested in issues in their own apartments. Randall jumps in to volunteer to handle some of these problems. Beth is frustrated, but Kevin arrives, and it’s the two Pearson brothers ready to take on the world — or at least the tenants’ apartments.

In the past, Jack is admiring the new bookshelf he built and asks Kevin for help. Kevin blows him off, saying that nobody cares about the shelf. Jack says he cares. He tells Kevin that he has to stay busy so that he doesn’t want to pick up a drink.

Of course, this foreshadows the place Kevin finds himself in the future, and again we see the parallels between Kevin’s fall and Jack’s as we cut back to the present and we see Kevin working in Randall’s building, trying to keep himself out of trouble. He tells Randall he’s there to help and offers to fix a tenant’s door. Randall, meanwhile, is still really jazzed up about helping folks in the building. He says that his dad was in construction and it’s in his blood. Which is a revealing statement, since he’s talking of Jack and of course they actually share no blood. Beth heads out for work and wishes Randall luck.

Niles Fitch as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back in the past, Randall and Allison are decorating Super Bowl cookies while Kevin fills out an application to the local community college. Allison mentions that Sophie applied for early admission to NYU, and we see that Kevin is upset. Meanwhile, Kate has a letter from the music school she applied to, but is afraid to open it. Jack and Rebecca grab it and read it — Kate has made the final round and needs to submit a new audition tape with an original song.

As we cut back to the present, Langhorne Slim and The Law’s The Way We Move plays in the background as Kevin and Randall channel Jack, both of them working to repair various tenants’ problems. The older ladies of the building line up to happily watch Kevin demolish a wall.

In L.A., Kate is at the pound. Knowing how much Toby wants a dog, she makes an attempt to overcome her issues and find one for him — for them. She admits to the attendant that she had a dog when she was a kid, but we see the stress the admission causes. When she spies a small brown and white dog named Audio, a stray found behind Trader Joe’s in Echo Park, she falls a little bit in love.

In the past, Kate is in her room, recording a song on her cassette recorder. Jack, without her knowing, is videotaping her performance. Earlier, she made it clear that she didn’t want to be on camera. When she sees what he is doing, she’s angry. And her dog barks in agreement. Jack tells her she can’t be mad at him on Super Bowl Sunday. But she is.

Meanwhile, Randall tells Jack that he and Allison aren’t going to stay for the game. He’s taking her to her favorite movie — Titanic. She’s seen it six times. Jack, clearly disappointed, says, “So you’re going to miss the Super Bowl to take Allison to Titanic a seventh time?” Randall says it’s their first date. And Jack tells him to go ahead and have a good time.

How many times do children disappoint their parents and never know that they have done so? It is the parent’s job to make it OK. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t sadness at missed time together or the realization that the grown-up child no longer needs them in the same way as before. I’ve said before that the relationship with your child is bittersweet. If you do it right, they’re always going to be moving away from you. Finding their own way. And that is both wonderful and heart-wrenching at the same time.

Meanwhile, Kate has gone out in the front yard with her dog. She is still upset with Jack for taking video when she expressly asked him not to. He comes out to apologize, but tells her that it would “break his heart if you didn’t want to be on camera because you don’t realize how beautiful you are.” She tells him to stop. That she’s older now. “I don’t see myself the way you see me,” she says. “And no one else sees me that way either. So you saying it all the time just hurts. Dad, I need you to stop.”

Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

In the present, Kevin and Randall are still working. Randall calls Beth. “I don’t want to say I told you so, but …” She replies, “It really sounds like you called just to say it.” Randall is excited and tells her that there is a new expression, “Our apartment building was rebuilt in a day.” But then there is a screech, and we see roaches pouring out of a hole in Lloyd’s apartment. “Call you back,” Randall says. Beth replies, “Trouble in Rome, Caesar?”

Randall always seems to bite off a bit more than he can chew, but his enthusiasm is contagious and somehow it always seems to work itself out. (Congratulations to Sterling K. Brown for well-deserved SAG and Golden Globe Awards.)

In the past, Kevin gets a phone call from Sophie. She’s been accepted into NYU and is off to celebrate with her parents. Kevin is feeling left behind. When Rebecca explains to Jack that Kevin is a little frustrated. Kevin blows up and says that he’s ticked “my life sucks so hard and Mom won’t shut up about community college.” When Jack questions what’s up, Kevin says, “Don’t you get it? I was supposed to be in the Super Bowl, not watching it like you guys.” Kevin’s pain is palpable. And yet Jack isn’t responding as Kevin wants him to. Instead, he stomps out of the house saying he’s going to Sophie’s.

“Best Pearson Super Bowl ever,” Jack says as he watches Kevin go.

Meanwhile, Kate is in her bedroom watching the video that Jack shot. She sees him reflected in her mirror as he shoots the footage, and the love and pride reflected in his face as he watches her sing. Touched, she rewinds and watches again.

In the present, in L.A., Kate makes arrangements to adopt Audio, telling the attendant that Toby was born to have a dog. Then she adds, “Me, too.” But as she remembers her childhood dog, her guilt and pain resurface, and she tells Audio, “This isn’t going to work. I wanted it so badly. Someone’s going to come for you, but I can’t keep you. You’ve got to understand,” she says, “You come with a lot of baggage, and it’s not your fault.” She breaks into tears and runs away.

The last conversation I had with my dad was about the New York Yankees. I had no idea it would be the last time I’d talk to him. And so it was a trivial discussion. The merits of this pitcher or that. But now, forever, when I see the Yankees, I think of my father. The two of them intrinsically linked because of what turned out to be a final conversation. Little things become huge when the context changes.

At the apartment building, Randall is herding the tenants into a van, all of them being evacuated to a hotel while the building is exterminated. He realizes that Kevin isn’t there, and after asking if anyone has seen The Manny, he finds his brother still working in one of the apartments. Kevin tells him he needs 20 more minutes, and Randall asks if everything is OK. In a reflection of the conversation he had long ago with Jack, Kevin tells Randall that he is trying to stay busy so that he can stay sober. He admits that although he is trying to make amends, there are a few people he just can’t find the way. He figured taking out a wall was easier. Randall is reminded of when Jack made his amends. And tells Kevin that everyone has issues. Kevin then asks Randall why he’s trying to do a month of repairs in a day. Randall confesses that he’s almost 40 years old and starting over. And he feels like he’s running out of time. He points out that Jack has been dead 20 years — longer than they had him in their lives. But Kevin tells Randall he’s going to be fine. That he has a beautiful family and a great life.

Logan Shroyer as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Change is scary at any age, but there is a point when you wonder if you waited too long. If you’re too old. I started my professional life over at 40, so I know how scary that is. I took a huge leap of faith and decided to become a writer. And here I am 20 years later, still writing. So sometimes those scary leaps are worth the fear. Sometimes they mark the beginning of a brand-new adventure. One that isn’t dictated by age.

Jack sits down to watch the game, and Kate comes into the living room and tells her father that she watched the videotape. “Don’t ever stop,” she says. “Don’t ever stop trying to make me see myself the way you see me.” They share a moment, and then Kate tells him that she’s going to a friend’s house to watch the game.

Rebecca and Jack accept that their kids have grown up and have their own lives. Rebecca then surprises Jack with an ad from the paper for a house that’s for sale. One he can buy, fix and flip. She’s already made an appointment for him to see it. Jack realizes he doesn’t want to do this on his own. He wants Rebecca to be his partner. And as they seal the deal with a kiss, the Super Bowl is temporarily forgotten.

Later, Kevin calls and tells Rebecca he’s sorry for blowing up. He asks if Jack is mad, and she tells him no, “but he’s hurt.” She urges him to come home and watch the rest of the game with Jack, but Kevin says he’s going to spend the night at Sophie’s.

In the present, Kevin is in New York in front of Sophie’s apartment. She isn’t happy to see him, but is pleased to hear he’s better. She’s still coping with the fact that even though she’s a nurse she didn’t recognize what was happening. She goes on to tell Kevin, “You’re the only man I’ve truly ever loved, and you’re the only man who has been able to hurt me the way you do.” Kevin tells her he didn’t mean to, but of course that isn’t enough. “If you really want to make amends,” Sophie tells him, “just leave me with something. Just leave me with the past. Just let me remember you at 10 or 17 or 20. Just let me remember you when it was good.”

Hannah Zeile as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

She tells him he can check her off the list, because she forgives him. And he tells her, “You weren’t just a name on my list, Soph, you were the name.” Sometimes, the damage is too great to be repaired. Sometimes, we push too far and there is no going back. Kevin loves Sophie, but he has no idea how to love her. It’s a heartbreaking moment.

Meanwhile, in L.A., Kate tells Toby that she went to the shelter. That she found the cutest dog, but that she couldn’t do it. She was too afraid that it would remind her every day … Toby tells her he understands. “But,” Kate says, “then on the drive home, I kept thinking about how happy the dog would make you …” And we see Audio sitting in the living room, waiting for Toby.

Kate has grown so much in the past two seasons. We’ve seen her face so many of her fears head on. She still has issues, of course, but she is finding the courage to move forward. And that, too, is a reflection of Jack.

Kevin arrives back at Rebecca’s to find a package waiting. He opens it and sees Jack’s medallion, the one he lost when he had the meltdown at Charlotte’s. She has returned it and forgiven him for that night. He checks her off the list along with Sophie, and then, as he clutches the medallion, we see the last name on his list, still unchecked. Dad.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

In the past, Rebecca and Jack are in bed. Kate is in her room listening to her audition tape. Randall comes home and tells Jack he kissed Allison. He is incandescent with joy. Jack goes into the kitchen on his own, the house settling for the night, and begins to clean up. He leaves a note for Kevin by the door — telling him that he loves him. Then he turns out the light, pats the dog, smiles at the marks on the wall marking the kids’ height and turns off the Crock-Pot.

We cut to the old couple in the garage. Sally is excited because someone is coming to see the house. George takes a box and heads out the front door to the neighbors, Jack and Rebecca. Jack opens the door and George gives him the box — a Crock-Pot. He tells them they’re cleaning house, and he thought they might like it. The switch has to be jiggled, he says, but it works.

Parker Bates as Kevin, Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, Lonnie Chavis as Randall and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back in the Pearson kitchen, the same Crock-Pot, the one Jack just turned off, flairs to life, sparks flying. The sparks set a tea towel ablaze as we flash on Jack giving the towels to Rebecca for Christmas, a diamond tennis bracelet placed between them. Meanwhile, the fire spreads to the drapes, and then to the living room. The Cinematic Orchestra’s To Build a Home swells as we see vignettes of the happy Pearsons in their house cut against the spreading fire, the family home going up in flames.

That’ll Be the Day … that I die.

If only we could see the future. Know what each day would bring. We’d live our lives differently. Make different choices. But there is no crystal ball. And we only have a guarantee of today — never knowing for certain that there will even be a tomorrow. Which makes today all the more important.

Fittingly, the next episode of This Is Us follows the Super Bowl. It’ll be a late night for me and many of you, I suspect. I’m bringing boxes of Kleenex.

Until then!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Dee’s posts

I knew this episode was going to be epic when I saw Lesley Ann Bryant tweet this:

But even with that warning, I wasn’t prepared. I don’t think anything could have set me up for the deliciousness that was this installment of Lucifer. Bookmark this episode, LuciFans, because it’s going down as one to pull out when you’ve had a bad day and need to laugh, feel good and roll in deliciousness.

And Lesley didn’t lie. This episode is called Til Death Do Us Part, but the subtitle might as well be This Is the Really Gay One, Strap In.

Heidi Cullinan

We begin where we left off: Lucifer is determined to find a way to kill Pierce/Cain, who has had enough of walking the earth as a human unable to die. The episode opens with Pierce entering the penthouse to find Lucifer wielding a chain saw, clearly intending to use it on Pierce. They brainstorm ways for him to die, but it turns out Pierce has already tried pretty much everything, and nothing really works. Lucifer even tries a blade forged in hell, but that too won’t kill him. Pierce asks why Lucifer is doing this, and Lucifer says it’s because it would annoy his father to undo his curse, which is reason enough. Pierce, however, is unconvinced Lucifer can follow through.

While this is going on, Chloe and Dan check out a murder scene in a neighborhood where they’d considered buying a house together. It turns out someone has shoved one of the female residents into a wood chipper. June Lee was a local chemistry teacher, active in the community and loved by the neighborhood, and no one can think of why anyone would want to kill her.

Maze brings an assortment of hell-forged blades to the penthouse to give Lucifer a tour of her weapons and methods of assassination, but Lucifer isn’t convinced any of them will help kill Pierce. Maze helps him brainstorm, pointing out he needs to think about it in a different way, about what makes Pierce vulnerable. Chloe makes Lucifer able to be killed, so what’s the weak point Pierce hasn’t yet discovered? Discover his loophole, she says.

So Lucifer shows up at Pierce’s office — which he’s rearranged — and plays therapist for the captain. Pierce is, unsurprisingly, resistant and unappreciative, telling Lucifer he doesn’t want to open up and share anything, not even when Lucifer explains this is all because he wants to find his strengths and weaknesses so he can discover how to kill him.

Tom Welling as Pierce and Tom Ellis as Lucifer in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Pierce leaves his office and runs into Chloe, who is excited to see him and even more happy when she finds out he’s not leaving the precinct. It’s clear Chloe has a thing for Pierce, which is cute in one way, but stressful in another if you’re a Deckerstar shipper (naturally, I am). She gives him details about the wood-chipper murder case, letting him they know the victim was using the identity of someone who died three years ago, according to public record.

Lucifer appears and interjects that, oh, yes, Pierce has all kinds of experience with false identities. Chloe, having no idea what they’re on about, of course, invites Pierce to help them on the case and goes off to do more research. Pierce once more warns Lucifer not to try to drag details out of him. Lucifer insists that working on the case will kill two mysteries with one stone — hopefully with some emphasis on the “kill.”

They learn the victim has a history with narcotics and was running from a gang called Korean Power — she was making Kpop, a kind of Ecstasy the gang was dealing. Lucifer confirms he can help set them up with a dealer and help them work their way to the gang itself.

Meanwhile, Maze is at the D.A. office attempting to find an interesting bounty when she smells something that completely captivates her. She tracks down the source and discovers, to her surprise, it’s Charlotte Richards. This is the first time they’ve met since the Goddess left her body — and get ready, because this is an explosive reunion. Maze is enchanted by Charlotte, and despite calmly informing Charlotte (who of course remembers nothing) that they hated each other, Maze comes on to her so hard your television may actually catch fire while you watch. Nothing actually happens — there’s no kiss, not even a touch, but honestly, even viewing this a second time for the recap I wanted to go lie down and wait for Maze to come knock on my door. Maze leaves Charlotte, saying she has to go hog-tie a fugitive in an ice cream truck, but she promises to come back.

Tricia Helfer as Charlotte and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Dear Lord, yes, please do come back.

Anyway. We were watching a show or something here? Whew. My, my. Ahem.

Lucifer meets Chloe at Lux, but he’s upset that only she came, not Pierce. She tells him to relax, don’t worry, Pierce isn’t checking out. She thinks she’s the one who persuaded him to stay because they had a moment in the stakeout van (a few episodes ago). Lucifer, knowing full well better, tells her not to be foolish, Pierce is staying for him. She basically rolls her eyes at this, then is busy being outraged because she thinks Lucifer is trying to get her to drink on the job as he asks the man behind the bar for two house specials. Except the specials aren’t alcohol. They’re tablets of Ecstasy — Kpop, to be precise. The bartender is a drug dealer, and he says he gets it from the Korean Power. He knows about a woman who pretty much fits the description of the victim who used to cook for them but also stole from them, right under their nose, then ran off with the money. The gang put a hit out on her, but her lab blew up in a freak accident before they could get to her.

Chloe asks if the dealer knows where the boss is, and the dealer says yes, he usually hangs out at a particular karaoke bar. He warns her that these guys don’t mess around. Lucifer wants to go right now, but Chloe says absolutely not. They have to verify the testimony, assemble a SWAT team and plan to do a takedown. They can’t just walk in there and go, “Hello, drug dealers.”

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Except, of course, in the very next scene, this is exactly what Lucifer does. He walks alone into the bar, shouts, “Hello, drug dealers,” in Korean, and then punches people out on his way to the drub boss. To my extreme joy, he does this to the tune of SHINee’s Lucifer, a wonderful Kpop song that fits the moment perfectly. This episode is a gift on top of a gift on top of a gift.

He makes his way to the head of the gang — honestly, I could watch that sequence all day, right after the Maze/Charlotte scene — and then we flash immediately to the precinct, where the extraordinarily happy gang leader is smiling and eagerly sharing every exquisite detail about the victim and his gang’s involvement, with occasional subtle prompts from Lucifer. We learn the victim did used to cook their Ecstasy, that he did try to kill her, and he ruefully admits he fell for her faked death. He also shares, however, that she contacted him recently to pay back the money she stole from him, with interest, because she was sick of looking over her shoulder. Chloe doesn’t believe he’d forgive so easily, and he admits he doesn’t, but not for the stealing. He hated that she left, because she was the best cook he ever had. Their profits went down over 40% when they lost her formula. Chloe acknowledges she was worth more to them alive than dead.

The gang leader emphasizes he’s instructed his men to cooperate with the police, to provide alibis and whatever the police need. Chloe points out he’s confessed to several felonies and will be arrested regardless of whether he murdered their victim. Still, the gang leader seems unconcerned. “Whatever it takes to bring the killer to justice,” he insists. As they leave him alone, we find out the reason he’s so cooperative is that Lucifer gave him the victim’s formula, found on her laptop. After a few years in prison, he’ll be out, and meanwhile, his outfit will be making more money again thanks to the superior version of Ecstasy.

Tom Welling as Pierce in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Lucifer is excited now because he hopes they’ll finally involve Pierce, but Chloe says not yet. They’re trying to figure out where she got the money to pay back the gang. It turns out she was making drugs again — Adderall. They even find the drugs hidden in what was disguised as a hard drive, along with a threatening note. Now they go to Pierce, revealing their findings and their suspicion that she was dealing drugs to the neighborhood and someone found out and wanted her killed because of it. Pierce tells them to get close to the neighbors and see who might want her dead, but Chloe points out her cover is already blown.

This is how we end up with part two of the gay wonderfulness of this episode, and it is such an amazing doozy. Lucifer and Pierce go undercover as a couple renting a house in the neighborhood. You had no idea you needed this in your life, but now that you have it, you’ll never want it to go away.

I mean, Lucifer pulls no punches, diving into his role in every way, because he’s trying to seize this moment in order to understand Pierce and find his weakness so he can help him die. Pierce is decidedly not into his role as “Mark,” acting stiff and disinterested. He also doesn’t want to talk about himself, but as they try to dig into the lives of the neighbors, Lucifer, aka Luke, keeps trying to get Pierce to open up.

While that battle commences, Dan is on his date (planned several episodes ago) with Charlotte, and things are going well until Maze arrives, apparently on some kind of Charlotte homing beacon. She comes on to her as hard as she did before, disrupting their mood and throwing Dan off his game — though he’s entirely distracted by the idea of a threesome, or even simply watching the two of them.

Tom Welling as Pierce and Tom Ellis as Lucifer in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Pierce and Lucifer continue their interrogation of the neighbors over dinner, finally getting to the murder — while calling each other sweetie and touching hands. They do learn there’s a “neighborhood watchdog,” someone leaving threatening notes for everyone. They don’t know who the person writing the notes is, however.

Charlotte escapes the table and gets a drink at the bar — Maze follows, and when Charlotte admits she’s been through hell lately, Maze realizes the pain and torment are what she’s been attracted to. Charlotte admits she died recently and has been struggling to get back to normal. Maze asks if that’s what she really wants and says if that’s what Charlotte is after, she’s out. When Charlotte tries to call her back, Maze won’t come, saying she’s not interested anymore, because now that she’s realized stuff from her old life was calling her to Charlotte, she’s not sure she wants to go back there.

Please, ladies, please find a way to work this out. Please, please. Because, holy cats.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

While Lucifer and Pierce fight over who does the dishes, Chloe sits on stakeout and talks to them over a radio. She’s intrigued about this watchdog person and wants to find out who it is. Lucifer says leave it to him, he can draw them out, no problem. No one is a worse neighbor than the devil. He takes it a little too far for Pierce, though, when he’s sanding at 4 a.m. They fight so much they miss Chloe’s warning someone is approaching the house. She comes out and catches the watchdog, and so do they — it’s the husband of the couple who came to welcome them and stayed for dinner.

They take him into the precinct for questioning, but it turns out all he’s guilty of is sending nagging notes. He didn’t kill the victim — he was one of her devoted customers. The sloppy note isn’t his handwriting. He would never kill June, he insists, and if he did, he wouldn’t be so sloppy as to try to put a whole body in the wood chipper. Saw before you mulch, he says.

Listening in behind the two-way mirror, Lucifer points out the man wouldn’t try to put onion skins down the garbage disposal, to which Pierce defiantly asks where should he put them then. The compost, Lucifer says — they’re still bickering as Chloe comes back and tells them she has a new plan. It’s time to go back to suburbia.

They throw a party for the neighborhood, the idea being everyone will need to sign the guest book and give them a voluntary handwriting sample. As the guests arrive, however, Pierce and Lucifer continue to fight, now with more and more heat. It starts over where the snacks are placed, but it quickly becomes a coded argument over whether Lucifer is truly trying to help Pierce. Pierce questions whether Lucifer is a man of his word, and Lucifer, wounded, stalks off the property.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Chloe follows him, urging him to go back. She says Pierce didn’t mean it, that the case is important and that going undercover sometimes gets too real. She asks him to stick it out until the job is done. She points out Pierce is never going to care where the hummus is, but he does care about solving the case. Of course, she has no idea about the undercurrents going on, and she seems a little unnerved by the friction between the two of them — which one she’s jealous of is unclear — but in that moment she’s mostly freaked out about blowing the case. She says Pierce knows he can’t do it without Lucifer, which is what convinces him.

Lucifer does go back, and Pierce apologizes. It’s a bit of theater for their guests, who enjoy watching them make up, and they especially love it when Lucifer seals it with a kiss on the lips. (Chloe doesn’t, particularly.) They continue to get the signatures, but when the wife of the man they discovered was the neighborhood watchdog starts to sign, her husband rushes up and stops her. When Lucifer and Pierce try to insist she sign, the husband picks up a pair of trimming shears and starts threatening people to get back.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer and Tom Welling as Pierce in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

That’s when Chloe comes in with her gun. She’s figured out the wife is the killer, that the husband is protecting her. The reveal is sadly tragic — the wife killed June because she thought her husband was having an affair with her and wouldn’t admit it and wouldn’t stop, but the husband wasn’t, not at all. He was doing drugs he got from June, all for his wife, to be the man he’d been when they first met. The two of them love each other, and everything they did was for one another. Now they’re going to jail together.

“At least they’ve got each other,” Lucifer says. “Yeah, they do,” Pierce says sadly and walks away.

Charlotte finds Dan at the precinct and apologizes for their date getting interrupted, but she also confesses Maze helped her realize she’s still quite a mess and that she has a long road ahead before she truly is normal. Dan is patient with her and says he’ll wait because he likes her and she’s worth it. I’m torn now, because I want good things for Dan, and he deserves a solid relationship, but I’m very intrigued by Charlotte/Maze now. Of course, they could have a poly relationship, too, and I’d be completely fine with that.

Chloe goes to Pierce’s office and teases him about his “divorce,” then asks him if he wants to go have drinks with a bunch of people from the precinct. Pierce calls her out, basically saying he knows she’s attracted to him and it’s not going to work. She denies it, though she also says she was pretty sure they had a moment on that stakeout. He acknowledges they did, but that was all they’re going to have. She takes it well, for the most part, and leaves him alone.

Yes, good, because this is a ship that needs to stay in the harbor, Chloe.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Piece meets Lucifer at Lux, and Lucifer says he has him figured out, finally. Pierce doesn’t want anyone to get close to him because he knows they’ll die on him. He’s afraid of being alone, and that’s why he wants to die — because he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. “Duh,” Pierce says. Lucifer points out if they’re going to kill him, they’ve got to do it together. Pierce says he doesn’t think Lucifer has been spending time with Pierce to try to help him; he just wants someone who’s been screwed by his dad the same way. He wants a friend because he’s lonely, too. He warns Lucifer he doesn’t have any concept yet of what it’s like to live on earth. He’s been there only five years.

Lucifer says if they’re going to get revenge on God, they’ve got to get committed. “I already married you. How much more committed can we get?” Lucifer laughs and says there are so many things they never got to try. He gives Pierce a look that makes your heart skip a beat, and for a moment you think this episode is going to end with them in the bedroom. You start to truly hope it ends there, and then you pause and realize they spent days on that stakeout, and Pierce kept talking about sleeping next to Lucifer … and you wonder what they did next to each other …

Kevin Alejandro as Dan in Lucifer. (Photo: Fox)

Then Pierce sighs and says, “All right, go get the chain saw.” Lucifer goes off, completely giddy, and the episode ends.

What more is there to say? When you’re feeling down, when the world is too much, when reality is too real, pull up Til Death Do Us Part and enjoy 44 minutes of an escape where everything is so gay and excellent and delicious you’ll probably simply rewind it and make your escape 88 minutes long instead.

Thanks, Lucifer writers. Thank you so, so much.

An author of contemporary, historical and paranormal romances featuring LGBT characters, Heidi Cullinan is best known for stories of characters struggling with insurmountable odds on their way to their happily ever afters. Find out more about Heidi at www.heidicullinan.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Heidi’s Lucifer posts

Last month I vowed to look for the “fun” in my selection of TV shows. Not to focus on the negative so much, what didn’t work for me, things I wish the writers and directors had done differently. At the time, I wondered if I was asking too much of myself. Not because I’m a negative person, but because there really hasn’t been a lot on recently that I look forward to watching. Appointment television, those shows I used to look forward so much, has turned into “eh, guess I’ll watch this now.” I have a few shows piling up on my DVR (sorry, Arrow, Blindspot and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). I’ll get to them … eventually.

Yadira Guevara-Prip as Kaia and Kathryn Newton as Claire in the Wayward Sisters episode of Supernatural. (Photo: Dean Buscher, The CW)

One of the many reasons why I love Supernatural is its ability to ride to the rescue. Frequent readers of this blog know this is and has been my No. 1 show ever since it hit the airwaves 13 (yes, that’s thirteen!) years ago. The adventures of Sam and Dean, saving people, hunting things, have kept me entertained more often than not and emotionally invested for a good portion of my life. A few years back an attempted backdoor pilot failed spectacularly. In fact, that particular episode holds the distinction as the only one I’ve never watched to the end. The. Only. One. Which was why, despite the meticulous planning, exquisite casting and attention to fan desires, I was more than a little nervous with the recent Wayward Sisters episode, which was touted as a backdoor pilot for a spin-off series for the CW.

Well, I don’t know what I was worried about, because talk about a home run! For a show that’s notorious for killing off its female characters (I’m still mourning Charlie), they (almost) made up for that by putting the focus on Jody (Kim Rhodes), Donna (Brianna Buckmaster) and a collection of misfit girls including the impressive Kathryn Newton as Claire, Katherine Ramdeen’s Alex, Clark Backo’s Patience and *sobs* Yadira Guevara-Prip’s Kaia. This episode showcased what makes this show so great: heart, soul and emotion. It’s all about family. With a few monsters thrown in for good measure. The twist ending left me wanting the series (not yet confirmed) to begin immediately after and feeling confident that, if Wayward Sisters does happen, it will ease the suffering of fans as Supernatural eventually rides into the sunset (whenever that might be …). Well done, writers. You didn’t let this fan down one bit.

Dakota Fanning as Sara, Luke Evans as John and Daniel Brühl as Dr. Laszlo in The Alienist. (Photo: Kata Vermes)

Trying to stay positive here, you know a show might not live up to the hype when its network promotes it to the point you want to poke your eyes out with a stick. Such is the case with TNT’s The Alienist (based on the bestselling book I never got around to reading). If I had to see those flipping commercials one more time …

But I digress. The Alienist is one of those shows that was pretty much made for me. Profiling and criminal investigation in the late 19^th century. It’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s pulse-pounding and nerve-racking, and I say that as a viewer who doesn’t normally let shows get to her. I was literally biting my nails during certain points of the premiere (I have yet to see episode two). Talk about authenticity and attention to detail. I think I’m seeing why the network had to cancel a few of its shows (ahem, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes). This puppy has to cost a fortune to produce. Between the sets and costumes … if I didn’t know better, I’d swear they actually time-traveled to film it. You can almost smell the stench of the streets, and honestly, by the time it was done, I needed a shower. So glad I live in 2018.

The 10-episode season looks as if it will deal with one case, the murders of young rent-boys found dressed in girls’ clothing, which might be connected to an unsolved pair of killings years before. Oy, the seediness is cringe-worthy, but so far it’s a fascinating examination of the lives of those living in this era. Dakota Fanning’s Sara is a contradiction for sure, between the prim and proper secretary (the first woman hired in the police department) and her after-hours appearance and activities. Definitely a woman ahead of her time. I dare any woman to watch that corset scene and not give a sigh of relief that that trend has gone (other than those who want to wear one, of course. That would not be me). There’s the silently tortured Laszlo (Daniel Bruhl), and his illustrator friend John Moore (Luke Evans), the latter sharing a past of sorts with Sara. Clearly, Moore has a past we’ll learn more about (whose ring is that?), while Laszlo is determined to right wrongs he feels responsible for (is he?).

So, fandom revived and ignited. My tried-and-true show and a new production that, while short, gives me just enough “different” and interesting to keep me looking forward to the following week’s episode.

So what am I watching next? I’m going back to BritBox and checking out Maigret, starring the talented (and usually hysterical) Rowan Atkinson, known for his more comedic roles. His scene in Love, Actually still makes me cry tears of laughter and as Mr. Bean … well. But I’m looking forward to his dramatic performance in this series of mysteries. Because who doesn’t love the unexpected?

Until next month, happy viewing … and reading!

A geek since birth, USA TODAY bestselling romance author Anna J. Stewart loves writing romance featuring strong, independent heroines for multiple lines at Harlequin. She lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural, Sherlock and Star Trek addiction. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her at fan conventions or at her local movie theater. Watch her for her next release from Harlequin, Always the Hero, in March. Visit her online at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Anna’s posts

Dee Davis

A good story is often like a puzzle. It reveals itself piece by piece, sometimes in such a way that we’re not even certain how everything will come together until the very end when all is revealed. Good writing takes the reader or viewer on a journey. And the person taking that journey has to believe that the writer will ultimately deliver upon their promise. The journey may be treacherous, traumatic, euphoric, funny or heart-wrenching. But the promise of emotional impact is implicit in all entertainment.

This Is Us over the past year and a half has been giving us stories that presented puzzle pieces for an even larger tale. Bit by bit, often out of order and often cleverly disguised, the writers have given us the information we needed to put together the story of Jack’s death. But it was only last night that the pieces came together in the proper order to reveal all.

Super Bowl Sunday, an episode fittingly following Jack’s beloved Super Bowl (congrats to the Eagles), starts with Jack’s discovery of the house fire — and moves through that night — as his family, in the present, copes with the 20th anniversary of his death. I had attempted previously to assemble the various parts of the story and am happy to say that, except for one thing (the surprise about Tess), the theory I built was correct.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

I give credit to the show’s writers for providing the guideposts in such an eloquent way. Applause to Dan Fogelman for an outstanding episode and a heart-stirring resolution to the ongoing quest to know what actually happened to Jack.

The show opens with Jack waking up to odd noises and a sense that something is wrong. Leaving Rebecca asleep, he opens the bedroom door to a rush of flames (I was reminded of Backdraft and was grateful that the flames didn’t whoosh back into the room.) We follow Jack as he assesses the situation and first goes to rescue Randall from his room, and then Kate from hers. Stuck for a moment in Kate’s room, where it’s too hot to get out safely, Jack ingeniously uses a mattress to block the fire and get them safely to the other side of the hallway. (Don’t know why this struck me as particularly intelligent, but it did, and I was in awe of Jack’s quick thinking.)

Once the family is safely back in Rebecca and Jack’s room, he helps them all out the window and lowers them with a sheet safely to the ground. Then, just as Jack is about to come down himself, the dog barks and Kate freaks out, wanting Jack to save the dog, too. Jack goes back into the house, and at first, as flames engulf their home, we think that Jack is gone.

But at the last moment, he walks out of the house in true hero fashion, with not only the dog, but a pillowcase full of mementos for his family. After being seen by emergency personnel, Jack and Rebecca drop the kids at Miguel’s and head for the ER.

In the present, Kate is watching the VCR footage that Jack took of her singing her audition song the day of the fire. Jack, if you will remember, was reflected in the mirror. It’s the last concrete thing Kate has of her father. And to make it even more important, it’s one of the things Jack saved from the fire. Toby questions her repeated viewings of the tape, and Kate explains that this is her way of remembering. She reminds him that it is Super Bowl Sunday and that her father has been gone 20 years.

Chrissy Metz as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

After she tells Toby how cathartic it is to watch the video, the tape gets stuck in the machine. It is Kate’s only copy and as such her last connection with her father. Toby promises as she panics that he knows a guy who can fix it.

Meanwhile, Rebecca and Kevin are at her house, also swept up in the anniversary. Miguel has made himself scarce, which Rebecca explains is something Miguel always does on Super Bowl Sunday. Rebecca asks Kevin what he usually does, and he replies that he used to get blind drunk and sleep with the hottest model he could find. But that isn’t going to work anymore.

Rebecca tells him that she usually goes to the store, buys the ingredients for Jack’s favorite lasagna, makes it and then eats it while watching the Super Bowl. Every year, it’s the saddest day, but somehow, she tells Kevin, something always happens to make her laugh. And she considers that laughter a gift from Jack.

We cut to Randall and Beth as they prepare for a Super Bowl party for 20 little girls who basically aren’t that interested in football. It’s important to Randall, however, to foster the importance of the day. It was his father’s favorite time of the year, and he intends to carry on the tradition.

In a telling moment, he explains to Beth that Kate wallows, Kevin avoids and he celebrates the day.

Routines often equal comfort. And comfort helps us to manage our pain. Kate, Rebecca, Kevin and Randall have all developed mechanisms to cope with Jack’s death. Some of them healthy, some of them not.

As Randall, surrounded by girls on Super Bowl Sunday, laments the fact that he needs more boys, the scene cuts to a social worker and the small boy, Jordan, we met in a previous episode. The social worker tells him that she thinks she’s found him a foster home.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Cutting back to Randall, we see that he is trying to make the party fun, but then when they realize that the kids’ new lizard has disappeared, everyone tries to find him. Unfortunately, Beth manages to step on him, which signals the demise of their new pet.

In the past, at the hospital, Jack’s getting his hands bandaged and complaining that he didn’t get to see the rest of the game. The doctor tells him he needs to run more tests, but that he’s lucky it wasn’t any worse than it was. When the doctor quips that he must have really loved the dog, Jack says, “No, I love the girl who loves the dog.”

He then apologizes to Rebecca for not getting the batteries for the smoke detector, and she tells him that she was capable of getting them herself. They’re both to blame. But the important thing, Jack tells her, is that he’s got the only thing he ever needed — his family. Together, they share memories of their time in the same hospital when the kids were born. And then Rebecca leaves to call the kids, arrange for a hotel and get something to eat from the vending machines.

Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

With flashes of Kevin in a car and Rebecca fixing lasagna, the scene settles on Randall as he eulogizes Mr. McGiggles (the lizard). As he quips about how tragic it is that they didn’t realize that the last time they saw the lizard would truly be the last, his mind moves to his father and memories of that night, and much to the surprise of the people at the party, he launches into a monologue about how painful it is to lose someone suddenly and unexpectedly.

In L.A., we see a guy taking apart the old video player. Toby assures Kate that the man says he can splice it back together, or maybe even upload it to the cloud. Kate doesn’t want it to be different. She just wants the comfort of the video recording. She admits to Toby that she knows that Jack died because of her. “Because on the scariest night of our lives, he couldn’t disappoint me.” The guy rushes in to tell them he’s fixed the recording.

Sometimes, when we allow our grief to be held in concert with some object or event that allows us to remember, we wind up stuck in a pattern from which we can’t escape. And in forcing change or deviating from the routine, we are actually allowing ourselves to let go of the pain rather than simply try to contain it.

At the hospital, we see young Rebecca trying to arrange hotel rooms for all five Pearsons. Behind her, we see a nurse react to an off-screen summons, clearly concerned. Rebecca then calls Miguel and talks with Kate. She asks about Kevin as we see more attendants and the doctor rush down the hallway behind her. Finally, she goes to the vending machine and laughs because there is nothing but chocolate. The one thing Jack asked her not to buy.

The doctor comes up behind her, and as she turns, she sees his face, but still can’t allow herself to connect the dots. The physician tells her that one of the problems with smoke inhalation is that it puts pressure on the lungs which in turn puts pressure on the heart. Rebecca still isn’t following. And when he tells her that Jack went into cardiac arrest, she denies it, telling the doctor he has the wrong person.

She rushes around him to Jack’s room, calling out to her husband, then realizing he can’t answer her. Jack is dead. Memories of their life together flash through her mind as she signs paperwork and collects Jack’s things.

Rebecca arrives at Miguel’s. Jack’s friend almost loses it when Rebecca tells him that Jack is gone, but she insists he hold it together because she has to tell her kids. Leaving Miguel in tears on the porch, she goes inside.

Chrissy Metz as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Kate is remembering that moment as she watches the video of her singing and Jack filming. Randall, too, remembers as he throws out the box with the little lizard. Kevin is at his father’s tree by the lake. He confesses that he hasn’t been there since the funeral. He tells Jack that he normally tries to avoid him on this day. But then as he leans back against the tree, he tells his father, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there that night. And I’m sorry that the last thing I ever said to you was awful.”

In many ways, Kevin is carrying a far greater burden than even Kate. Kate may feel responsible for asking Jack to go back in and get the dog. But Kevin wasn’t there at all that night. His family went through a horrible ordeal, and he was sneaking out with his girlfriend to go to a party. Add to that the fact that he fought with his father before he left the house, and it becomes clear how much guilt he has been carrying all these years.

Jack is the last person on the list of people he needs to make amends with. And in facing the memory of his father at the site of his funeral, Kevin is actually facing himself as well. Kevin tells Jack that he’s had a really bad year — actually a couple of decades. He believes that Jack would be disappointed in him. But he promises he’s going to do better. That he’s going to make Jack proud.

In the past, Rebecca tells the kids she needs two minutes and goes outside where she falls apart. Meanwhile, Kate tells Randall that they have to find Kevin. That she has to be the one who tells him.

Chris Sullivan as Toby in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back in the present, Kate tells Toby that she likes watching the footage in the cloud. And then goes on to tell him that her dad was always so calm and patient. No matter what happened. And that losing him meant that life could never be as good again. She’s spent the past 20 years thinking very little of herself. But then, she says, “A big old guy with a big old heart walked into my life.” She’s talking about Toby, of course. And she tells him that Jack would have loved him just as much as she does.

Rebecca, in the past, sits in her car, crying. She sees the pillowcase in the backseat and opens it to find, among the other things, her moon necklace. Jack in those last moments was thinking only of his family.

Back in the present, Rebecca sits in front of the TV eating lasagna and watching the game. Kevin calls. He tells her that she was really strong for all of them in those dark hours. She confesses that she had to work at it. Jack, she says, never had to try. Kevin tells her where he is and how important it was for him to come to “talk” with Jack. He also confesses that he’s not really sure he’s at the right tree. Which makes Rebecca laugh — completing the circle as Jack sends his love — this time through his son.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Eris Baker as Tess in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Randall, meanwhile, apologizes to Tess for losing it earlier in front of her party guests. Tess confesses that, between foster care and his new job, she worries that he wants a new life. That he no longer wants her. And Randall tells her that Jack was the best dad ever and that all he ever wanted was to be half the dad his father was. But then when Tess was born, he realized that he loved her so much that the rest came easily. He never had a choice. And no matter who comes into their lives, Tess will always be his number one.

The wonderful thing about love, I believe, is its unlimited capacity.

As Tess and Randall talk, the phone rings and Beth answers. Tess tells Randall that she thinks the fostering thing is cool. We cut to a scene with the little boy and the social worker. And as the new parents arrive to take the little boy away, we realize that we are in the future. The social worker is Tess, and Randall arrives to take his daughter out. Meanwhile, in the present, Tess watches as Randall and Beth open the door to Deja, who was on the phone to Beth as she waited outside.

And as things move forward in Randall’s house, Kevin and Rebecca sit together watching the football game, while Toby and Kate dance together in front of the TV and the game.

Eris Baker as Tess and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

As Randall and Beth comfort Deja, Tess smiles and returns to her room, passing the framed painting that Kevin shared with her and her sister. Telling them how the lines in the painting represented the layers of their lives. Generations building on generations, all coming together to form a family. In that long-ago episode, Kevin tells Tess and her sister that the painting represents us — all of us.

The final shot, set to Labi Siffre’s Watch Me, is of Rebecca and the kids sleeping in the hotel after the fire. The camera pans close, centering on her wedding ring.

This is us. Family. The good, the bad, the ugly. Out of the ashes — sometimes literally — we come together and we survive.

See you next episode!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Dee’s posts

Heidi Cullinan

Our last episode before a three-week hiatus is a feast for Ella fans, since the murder-of-the-week ends up involving her eldest brother, but because the theme of the week is brothers in general, we end up with plenty of Lucifer, Amenadiel and Cain/Pierce as well. We also get the long-overdue confrontation between Linda and Charlotte, as well as some great Maze moments (sadly not with Charlotte). Bonus: a dash of Trixie. Oh, and of course Lucifer and Chloe. It’s a true ensemble episode played out like the lead-up to a break, but in the spirit of this season, it’s not full of flashes and bang, but thick with character and development.

Get your spoons. Let’s dig in.

We open with a handsome man in a suit visiting another handsome man in a suit inside a fancy building, examining a pile of diamonds in a safe. Suddenly his phone rings. The man holding the diamonds is upset enough at this, but when the caller ID says LAPD, he freaks out. “Relax, it’s my sister. She works in forensics,” the guy we’d followed into the building says. It turns out this is Ella’s eldest brother.

Aimee Garcia as Ella in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

While Ella is trying to call her brother, Lucifer is attempting to help Pierce by examining his mark of immortality, but he doesn’t get anywhere, probably because his “research text” is a DVD copy of The Da Vinci Code. Pierce is annoyed until Lucifer suggests bringing in Amenadiel, though he’s unconvinced the archangel will actually help.

Ella visits Chloe and Maze to get help with her missing brother (he’s still not answering his phone). The door is answered by Trixie, who is armed with paper versions of Maze’s demon knives. She tells Ella to be on guard, and Ella plays along, then Trixie gets excited because the two of them are wearing the same shirt. Maze is chopping up dummies who look suspiciously like Amenadiel and Linda. When she hears Ella is actually there for her, not Chloe, Maze first finishes her lesson with Trixie, telling her to sever the Achilles’ tendon first. “If they can’t walk, they can’t betray you.” Trixie continues to pretend to hack at the bodies as Maze chats with Ella, who wants her to help find her brother — she’s willing to pay, which is the reason Maze is willing to do it. Though Ella takes pains to insist her brother isn’t a criminal.

Lucifer has less luck with Amenadiel, who says he won’t help remove Cain’s mark because God put it on him for a reason. Though Lucifer pleads with him, saying he thought they were getting along better now, Amenadiel insists Lucifer is his test, and he won’t give up that easily.

Rachael Harris as Linda in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Maze tracks down the place Ella’s brother was last seen and who he was with, but the man he was with was questionable, and when they open the door, they find the questionable man murdered. Now Ella’s brother Jay is a suspect in a murder investigation. Ella still insists he’s innocent — Jay is the eldest, the good one, the one they all look up to. She insists he couldn’t have fired the gun that killed the victim because gunpowder residue on a lamp hints the shooter was left-handed, and Jay’s right-handed. Lucifer is unconvinced, largely because of his own issues with Amenadiel. Maze plants Jay at the scene because she finds his wallet in the room. Chloe says they’ll look for another person, but insists Ella needs to step away from the investigation. She does, but she also takes Maze and tries to track down Jay at the same time Chloe and Lucifer do.

While all this is going on, Charlotte Richards goes to Linda for therapy and shares her story — this is the first time they’ve met, though, since Charlotte has returned from hell when the goddess left her, and Linda isn’t handling it well. She pretty much throws Charlotte out of her office mid-story, making her feel like she’s beyond help. It’s such a sad moment, but hold on, we’ll be back to make that part of the storyline end better.

Lucifer goes back to Pierce to report his frustrating failure with Amenadiel, and in his venting reveals it was confirmed that Amenadiel is, officially, God’s favorite son. This seems to be of interest to Pierce.

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Dan helps them understand how diamond sales work and that each one has a serial number and that the victim had in his possession a stolen diamond from a store where he worked as a broker. They have no security footage or any other leads, so Chloe and Lucifer go to the store to investigate. Chloe immediately puts on a role and says they’re there to pick out a diamond engagement ring and acts as Lucifer’s fiancée, then dismisses everything she sees in the case and even the special tray brought out for her. When she starts flashing the stolen diamond, saying it’s an example of what she doesn’t want, they get taken to the back room by the owner of the store — who is shocked to discover her broker is dead. She admits to running an insurance-fraud scheme to cover the loss from lack of sales and that the broker was in on it, but there was never supposed to be murder. The broker was supposed to wipe the serial numbers and sell the diamonds back to them.

Maze tracks Ella’s brother to a cheap hotel, which Ella doesn’t want to believe, but when the hotel registry shows a “Michael Knight” in residence (Jay’s favorite character from childhood), Ella knows Jay is there.

Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Lucifer stops by Linda’s office at her request — Linda is upset that Charlotte stopped by, but Lucifer doesn’t see the problem. He reminds her this Charlotte isn’t his mother — she looks like the woman who hurt Linda, but this is an innocent woman who needs help.

At the precinct, Dan introduces Chloe to the insurance adjuster who works for the store that had tried to commit insurance fraud. He thanks them for their hard work and says it’s rare to actually catch these cases. He tips them off that a cleaner would be involved — a diamond authenticator — and they usually make the crime untraceable. Jay is a diamond authenticator, and it’s looking a lot like he’s also the cleaner in this crime.

Pierce confronts Amenadiel at Lux, first schooling him on how rough it is to be an immortal human, then getting him to admit it was Amenadiel who put the mark on him. Then he pulls a gun on him to try to get him to help take the mark off. Amenadiel won’t do it, though he does sweat a little when Pierce threatens innocent civilians. He admits he doesn’t know how to remove it, so Pierce shoots at the ceiling and chases everyone else out so he can throw down with Amenadiel and have the brawl he’s been waiting to have for thousands of years.

Ella and Maze confront Jay in his hotel room — after he tries to attack Maze with a bat — and find out that Jay was there to authenticate diamonds. Or so he tells Ella. Chloe calls in the middle of her interrogation, and Ella lies, saying she hasn’t found him. Chloe figures this out, and they decide she’s going to take him back to the scene of the crime to try to clear him. This is of course exactly what she does. He tells her he was in the bathroom when he heard the gunshots and that he saw the shooter, though he didn’t get a good look at him except that he saw red wingtip shoes. Except Ella blows his theory when she tries it out because she can’t see the killer (where she knows forensically he was standing) from there. Maze finds the stash room in the wall, which does offer a good vantage point. Lucifer and Chloe arrive, share what they know from the insurance adjuster, and Ella realizes the truth. Jay confesses he did clean, though he didn’t kill, then pulls a gun and leaves.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer and Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Ella is heartbroken, but she’s still determined to clear Jay’s name because she knows he’s not a killer. She tries to get Maze to help, but Maze says this is a new job and she needs to get paid. Ella is willing to do that, but she’s upset because she thought they’d connected and that Maze would be willing to do this now out of friendship. She lectures Maze on the importance of family, that you’re there for them no matter what, but Maze isn’t impressed. Maze ends up leaving without helping, but as Ella is still reeling, Chloe figures out how Jay may have seen the killer, and with all the pieces of the puzzle in place, they realize the murderer is probably the insurance adjuster.

Flash-forward to that very person, who Jay is now confronting with a gun as the man ties his red wingtips. Jay tries to get the adjuster to call the cops, but the adjuster gets his gun and threatens him, saying he’s going to go clean the diamonds and then he’ll kill him.

Amenadiel and Pierce have been fighting for hours, and Lux is a mess. So are they, frankly. Pierce ends up skewered on a metal pike, and while he’s a kebab, Amenadiel yells at him to accept his punishment for killing his own brother, and Pierce taunts him, saying at least he did the deed himself instead of plotting to kill his brother and having someone else do it — this is Amenadiel he’s referring to, from an earlier season. “If this is my punishment, what do you deserve?” Pierce has gotten to Amenadiel, and Pierce is glad.

Lauren German as Chloe and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze in Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Ella, Chloe and Lucifer show up, Lucifer and Chloe going inside to find the adjuster, but it’s Ella who finds Jay and the murderer as they’re heading away from the scene. The insurance adjuster admits to the murder because he was angry the broker cut him out of the loop this time — apparently, this cleaning business was a habit. Jay tries to get Ella away, but the adjuster is determined to kill her. Maze appears from nowhere, throws a knife, and the man is dead.

The diamonds go missing, though, and Lucifer tracks down Jay and catches him collecting them from his stash, where he apparently planned to clean them and resell them for a profit. Jay tries to justify his actions as pressure from being the eldest son, but Lucifer isn’t having it. He won’t tell Ella, but he says Jay is going to clean up his act, and Lucifer is going to keep an eye on him. If he disappoints her again, he says, he’ll come for him. As Lucifer says this, his eyes flash red.

Linda visits Charlotte in her office and apologizes for refusing to treat her, admitting they had an interaction during Charlotte’s lost time. She says she’d like to try to help her, says she thinks she needs to try to treat her. She does, though, poke her with a pin to make sure she still isn’t bleeding goddess light. (She’s not.)

Lucifer returns to Lux and sees the carnage after the fight between Pierce and Amenadiel. Amenadiel is frustrated, saying he can’t remove the mark even if he wanted to, but he doesn’t want to because God put it there for a reason. He knows Lucifer thinks he’s friends with Pierce, but he warns working with Pierce will only incur their father’s wrath. Lucifer laughs and says that’s the bloody point. Lucifer says he knows Amenadiel is only trying to be a good older brother, and Amenadiel says yes, because he is his brother’s keeper. Lucifer says he’s grateful, truly, but he doesn’t need protecting. If Amenadiel continues to meddle, he’ll be in Lucifer’s way. Amenadiel says then he guesses he’ll be in Lucifer’s way.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Jordin Althaus, Fox)

Once again, while this episode does seem to be leading us closer to an end-of-the-season buildup, the springboard isn’t full of explosions and external drama but internal and interpersonal conflict. Everything about this season is relationships and crossed paths, about hurt feelings and goals that make alliances shaky. We still haven’t even touched the Chloe/Lucifer arc, either — that mine remains rich and untapped and ready for exploration.

Every episode of this season feels like character pump-priming, like we’re eating amazing hors d’oeuvres while we watch a killer buffet get loaded down with dish after amazing dish. We can’t wait to go eat, but at the same time, we don’t want to rush, because what else are they going to bring out?

All I can say is, I’m not just looking forward to the meal, I’m thinking about dessert as well. And I’m hoping we get it in many seasons to come.

An author of contemporary, historical and paranormal romances featuring LGBT characters, Heidi Cullinan is best known for stories of characters struggling with insurmountable odds on their way to their happily ever afters. Find out more about Heidi at www.heidicullinan.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Heidi’s Lucifer posts

You know what makes a two-week break less annoying? Coming back to a Gibbs & Fornell episode!

So, remember way back in early November, the episode Burden of Proof, in which Gibbs gave testimony that outed Fornell’s long-held secret regarding a suspect Fornell knew was guilty, so he kinda sorta broke the law to make sure said suspect went to jail? Then a new case seemed to prove the guy really didn’t do it after all, and Fornell had railroaded an innocent man into prison? Only, then we find out Newly Free Guy really is a murdering psycho? And Gibbs is to blame for him being on the loose?

Yeah, that episode!

Duane Henry as Reeves, Sean Murray as McGee and Pauley Perrette as Abby in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Well, pop the popcorn and grab the root beer, because tonight it looks like we’re finally going to find out the next chapter in that story. Oh, goodie! One of the better episodes of the season, so I’m happy to dive back in.

Why is it I have a feeling Fornell has been diving in for some time now? Let’s find out if I’m right, shall we?

We open with a young guy driving a large service van, music booming, and running a stop sign. Cops pull him over, have him exit the vehicle. They cuff him, explaining the van has been marked as stolen. Young Guy says he went to the police academy and knows his rights, but he’s basically being helpful. He claims the truck is most certainly his and the registration is, uh, you know, in the mail. One officer leads Young Guy to the cruiser while his partner checks out the back of the van. She pries the lid off a large drum and backs up due to the stench, telling her partner they have a 10-82. Suddenly Young Guy, who knows what that code means, says, you know, he did steal that van after all and has never seen that container, much less have anything to do with whatever is going on inside of it. What’s going on inside the drum is our Dead Guy of the Week. Bummer, Young Guy.

Cue awesome opening theme song and credits!

The workday is just beginning in the Bull Pen of Orangey Goodness. We learn from Torres that McGee has helped to crack a case, gotten new floor mats put in their official rides and is compiling a video for his twins, which he’d like Torres and Bishop to contribute to, if they wouldn’t mind. Torres mentions that ever since becoming a papa, McGee is “del fuego.” Bishop marvels that McGee is like some kind of superhero. Torres says he wouldn’t go that far. Superheroes do things like lift cars off of children, something he himself had actually done. Then McGee is all, “Dead body, Boss?” before Gibbs is even in the room. Gibbs says McGee has eyes in the back of his head, Torres is all, “Whoa,” and Bishop rests her case. And then they grab their gear.

At the scene, we learn DGotW is a Navy commander who has been missing for a week. Palmer says he puts the time of death at about a week as well. Gunshot wound to the side of the head seems a good indicator of cause of death, but Palmer needs to get him to autopsy. And I have a moment of missing Ducky. We need another Ducky sighting and soon!

Duane Henry as Reeves in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Gibbs talks to McGee and Torres. Appears Young Guy did, indeed, steal the van from outside a store earlier that day. Little did YG know it was already a stolen vehicle, with a dead body in the back. The van was listed as stolen 10 days ago, so it’s possible that whoever stole it had something to do with the Navy commander’s death. Next of kin, NC’s wife, is talking to Reeves in the conference room back at HQ. Reeves! Not a Ducky sighting, but I’ll take it! Tearful wife says she hadn’t seen or heard from her husband since the day he went missing, one week earlier. NC went to see his mom in hospice on the way home from work, which the hospice confirmed was from seven to eight, but then he never made it home. NC’s mom didn’t have anything to add to the story and died herself two days later. Wife asks Reeves if he ever feels like it’s all simply too much and confesses she doesn’t know how to live without her husband. Reeves gently suggests he hook her up with a grief counselor. She gets angry, says she doesn’t need one, says she told everyone who asked all the details and they didn’t do their job. One of the people she names in the list of who she spoke to was an outside private investigator. Reeves dials in on that and asks for his name. Wife gives him the PI’s card. Wife says PI came to the house looking for NC and she thought he was working with NCIS. Reeves takes one look at the card and calls Gibbs.

The next thing we see if Gibbs pulling up at a house. He hears something in the garage and walks there instead of knocking on the door. He kicks the garage door, which then slowly lifts … to show Fornell, a makeshift office including a rug, easy chair and desk and a big investigation board full of photos and documents. Gibbs is all, “What’s going on, Tobias?” and Fornell reminds Gibbs he got Fornell fired and said he’d know what was going on if he ever answered any of Fornell’s calls. Fornell then whips out his card and hands it to Gibbs. Seems he’s now a licensed private investigator. “Ain’t life grand?” Fornell asks with a smirk. And we fade to a very bemused Gibbs black and white. HA.

Life on NCIS is always so much better when the boys get the band back together.

We return to Gibbs (who is looking a bit more drawn than usual this evening) busting into Vance’s office, telling him that “he’s right behind me and you have to say no,” right before Fornell comes in. HA. Vance stands up and shakes Fornell’s hand. Fornell has info on NC, and Gibbs reminds Vance that they don’t normally work with PI’s. Fornell asks Gibbs if he’s mad at him for something, then says being a PI has been good for his soul. He does seem very chipper and he looks great. He proceeds to fill in Vance on what he knows about NC. We learn that NC had taken out numerous high-interest loans, which he wasn’t paying back. When the loan company couldn’t reach NC, they hired Fornell to track NC down. Fornell has been tracking NC for three days and is happy to share what he knows. Vance seems delighted by the offer from the former FBI agent, now simply Mr. Fornell. Gibbs? Not so much.

Fornell says he’ll go over everything in his “office,” aka the garage. We head over there, with Torres, Bishop and McGee. Fornell questions Gibbs’ whereabouts and is told he was delayed. Shock. Fornell merely smiles, closes the garage door and dives in without waiting for Gibbs. He says that NC was working for the Pentagon, on the supply end, so not likely to have gotten mixed up in anything nefarious at work. He says the guy’s financials looked good on the surface. He pauses, then slides the big investigation board to the side, revealing a huge flat-screen monitor that has McGee drooling. Even more so when Fornell puts on the Sky Glove 4800 electronic screen pointer. He does fancy screen-shifting stuff with his little glove, and we see NC in a restaurant getting into a fist fight with another Navy commander. That NC is stationed on board a ship in port at Norfolk, but with no agency creds, he couldn’t get on board to question him. Torres said Gibbs could have pulled a string, and Fornell tells them Gibbs has been avoiding him and didn’t want him on the NC case. And now he’s not at the briefing, either.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Torres says that maybe Gibbs feels bad for the testimony he gave that cost Fornell his job. Fornell said Gibbs shouldn’t feel bad. Fornell is over it and thriving, and more to the point, Gibbs did the right thing and justice was served. Only, of course, we know the opposite of that is the real truth. Gibbs got a serial killer released. Fornell is hopeful that the trio of agents before him might do a little investigating, find out why Gibbs is really avoiding his old buddy. The team immediately back away from that request.

Back at HQ, Gibbs knocks and lets himself into Sloane’s office, where we see her start to hide her research on our newly released Psycho Killer. She sighs in relief when she sees it’s just Gibbs. It appears she’s been tracking Psycho Killer’s movements, but nothing is happening that appears suspicious. She tells Gibbs he has to be patient, and Gibbs along with all of us roll our collective eyes at that request. She tells Gibbs that she feels she’s making headway with Psycho Killer’s lawyer, with whom Sloane has been spending girl time, over lunch, coffee and the like. Her hope being that PK’s lawyer will let her guard down, let something slip. Gibbs doesn’t think Sloane is working the lawyer hard enough because they’ve become actual friends. Sloane assures him that sooner or later they will find evidence to put PK away for good.

Gibbs shoots back that later isn’t good enough. He’s tossing darts into Sloane’s dartboard as he confesses that he can’t look Fornell in the face, he feels like he’s lying to him. Sloane appears quietly stunned that Gibbs hasn’t told Fornell that PK was actually guilty and Fornell was right about him. Gibbs counters that he can’t tell Fornell until they nab PK. Gibbs is protecting Fornell from himself, from what he’d do if he found out the truth. Gibbs tells Sloane not to try to change his mind, but she says she gets why Gibbs kept quiet. Fornell lost everything but lives with the loss because justice was done. Goodness only knows what the man would do if he found out that he was right all along, so he lost everything AND a killer went free … for what? Sloane agrees there’s no telling how far Fornell would go to bring PK down then. Gibbs looks at her and says he might understand why he did what he did, but she still thinks Gibbs should tell Fornell the truth. Gibbs’ phone rings before she can answer.

Gibbs heads down to see Palmer. We see Palmer first, stitching up NC and having a convo with the guy. We get it. But he’s not Ducky. We miss Ducky. We don’t need Palmer being Ducky. We need Ducky being Ducky. But Palmer is talking to NC about bees because he read that NC dabbled in bee keeping. When Gibbs enters, Palmer gets a bit flustered by the bee convo and says he knows it’s a bit of a reach, but he doesn’t have the historical references that Ducky had. Gibbs tells him to just own his reach. Palmer smiles, says he’ll do that, tries calling Gibbs “Jethro” and Gibbs tells him to own his reach faster. Heh. Palmer said the time line stands, and the cause of death was the bullet to the head. Bullet and the rags that were in the container with NC are all with Abby now. We also get the gruesome visual surprise that NC was packed in the container with some lye, which dissolved his feet right off. Lovely. I’ll just put this popcorn over on the table for a bit now. And hold the root beer refill. K’thanks. Gibbs mentions that lye was probably being used to dissolve the body, only Palmer notes that there wasn’t enough lye in the drum to do that. Which leads Palmer to ask the deceased, “What was your killer thinking?” Gibbs chuckles at that, and I just sigh. Oh, Palmer.

Duane Henry as Reeves, Sean Murray as McGee and Pauley Perrette as Abby in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Bishop and Torres go on board to talk with Other Navy Commander. Turns out he and NC were as close as brothers. The fight was over money. ONC had lent NC $8,000 to help with cancer care for NC’s mother. NC hadn’t paid it back and they ended up fighting about it. ONC says he’d never have killed NC, and besides, NC ended up paying him back.

We skip to Abby Lab, where she is filming a story with Bert the Hippo and Bunny for McGee’s video diary for the twins. It’s very Abby, and by that I mean adorable. Enter McGee and Reeves. Abby also makes a remark about the superhuman effort McGee has been making since the twins were born, and I wonder if this will stay a superficial cute story and lead us to some dark place where secretly McGee is really struggling and has been on uppers or something to compensate for lack of sleep. I’m hoping for the former. Abby tells us that the examined rags that were taken from the container appear to have been used to clean up the crime scene. Mostly it was NC’s blood, but no other DNA. We move to the bullet. Abby links the shooting to two other murders that were done in the same way, but by different weapons. Meaning it was likely a hit for hire. So, who hired a killer to take out NC, and why? We fade to black and white, leaving Abby pondering that very question.

We’re back in the Bull Pen where McGee is updating Fornell, telling him that NC was killed by an unidentified hit man who also committed two other murders. Gibbs breezes in and right back out again, as Fornell tries to talk to him, but for naught. Bishop intervenes with an update. Turns out NC served on a jury for a Ponzi-schemer, Madoff wannabe. NC was the foreman on the jury that convicted the dude, so perhaps Ponzi ordered the hit?

Sloane and PK’s lawyer are at the diner, and Sloane is asking PK’s L what she knows about Ponzi. She has nothing nice to say about the guy, a smug, unrepentant, know-it-all. PKL cuts to the chase, asking Sloane why she’s asking her for info that is public knowledge. Sloane finally pulls back the curtain and tells PKL she needs to talk to her about PK. PKL says PK is still her client, so she can’t say anything. PKL says she knows Sloane wasn’t sold on PK being innocent, and Sloane tries to tell her what she knows, but PKL shuts her off, saying she can’t discuss him. PKL says maybe she should go, but Sloane implores her to stay, says she won’t bring up PK again. Sloane smiles and adds that PKL is the only friend she has who will watch reality TV with her, and PKL smiles, relents. So they are BFF-y.

Joe Spano as Fornell and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Bishop and Torres go see Ponzi in jail. He’s übercalm, tells them they need to speak to his assistant, who was actually the guilty party. They explain they’re not there to talk to him about his crime. They show him a photo of NC, ask if he recognizes the man. Ponzi says no, and they tell him he was the foreman at his trial. Ponzi says he’s compartmentalized the trial as it was so emotionally debilitating. Bishop shows him the photo of deceased NC in a barrel. Ponzi isn’t particularly fazed, but says he couldn’t have done it, he’s been in jail, you see. Torres sits next to him and speaks in the same übercalm tone, asking Ponzi if maybe he knows any hit men? Perchance? Heh. Ponzi shakes his head, no, no one like that. Bishop says they’ll be reviewing every call Ponzi has made and he better hope there’s no connection to their case. They leave, and Ponzi seems rather smug.

Back in Abby Lab, we go another week with no Abby-Gibbs scenes. They’re not even trying to make it look like they directly communicate at this point. No screen convos, nada. What happened, CBS? Crickets? Still? Anyway, looks like we’re going straight to the intervention scene with McGee. Turns out his coffee cups? Are actually full of Caf-Pow. He needs the caffeine to stay awake. (Nailed it!) He says he’s guilty that work keeps him from his babies, and guilty that the babies keep him from his work, and so he’s double-teaming everything, all day and night long. Abby tells him to get off the Hamster Wheel of Guilt. He agrees to go cold turkey on the Caf-pow and boom. We’re good. Problem solved? I’m thinking no, but we jump back to the murder-of-the-week, so … whatevs. Turns out that while the rags stuffed in the dead-body container didn’t reveal any DNA other than NC’s, the rags themselves provided a clue. They are high-end microfiber and not all that rare, but when she combined that search with a search for the specific brand of cleaner also found on the rags, there was only one local company that purchases both. Oh, and the cleaner in question is used to dissolve biological matter, so ew. Turns out the company in question is a crime-scene-cleaning company. Sort of a niche market there, but handy if you need one, I’m sure.

Torres and Bishop are at the crime-scene cleaners, and a woman there tells them that she had a pair of brothers working for her who stole materials, including the container, cleaner, lye and a floor buffer. She fired them and is still waiting on the return of the buffer. No address, but she knows the pizza joint where they eat every day.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Emily Wickersham as Bishop in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

At the stakeout of the pizza place, Bishop is jonesing for a slice and says how it must be good given there is a long line. “People can be stupid.” This from her stake-out partner, Gibbs. HA. Torres chimes in from his place standing in line, saying how he’s killing it, making folks believe someone with his body fat percentage actually eats pizza. Back in the car, Gibbs asks Bishop how Fornell seemed at his garage briefing. And then we hear Fornell’s voice over the mic. HA. He’s parked at a table next to the pizza place wearing a ridiculous blue hat. What is that? Anyway, he’s all, “I still have friends at NCIS who will talk to me,” explaining how he knew about the stakeout. Gibbs barks at him that he can’t arrest anyone, and he can’t carry a weapon. Fornell corrects him that as a private citizen, he can too carry. Gibbs asks if he’s wearing a gun, and Fornell is all, “I might have something going on.” HA. The bickering continues as the thieving brothers arrive at the pizza place. They are arguing with each other.

Gibbs tells Torres to move and Fornell to stay. The latter order might have been barked, just a bit. HA. Torres gets one brother, but the other takes off with Fornell and his blue hat in hot pursuit. Gibbs peels out in the car and gives chase. They cut off the end of the alley, so brother-on-the-run turns around, just in time for Fornell to shoot him with a stun gun. Down he goes. Fornell is thrilled with his new toy. Gibbs? Not so much. Fade to a weary Gibbs black and white.

The bros are in interrogation with Gibbs, while Fornell watches on the other side of the glass. Vance comes in and commends Fornell on his creative takedown. Fornell thanks him and says he’d like to hear the same from Gibbs. Fornell says that whatever the deal is with Gibbs, he’s starting to take it personally. Vance smiles and tells him that couples therapy is not in his job description. Heh. Fornell is surprised that Gibbs has both bros in the room at the same time. But given the bros are arguing while Gibbs merely paces patiently around the room prompts McGee to tell Fornell that the bros are in the room together because they’re doing all of Gibbs’ work for him. Not bright bulbs, those two. We learn they were hired to clean up the scene and hide the body. No one is surprised that they aren’t the actual hit men.

Duane Henry as Reeves, Sean Murray as McGee and Pauley Perrette as Abby in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Turns out they were going to dissolve the body, but were fired before they stole enough lye. HA. One bro is blabbing the whole story while the other one is trying to get him to shut up. That bro tells Gibbs that they dumped the body in the Potomac, end of story. Then Gibbs shows them the photo of body-in-a-barrel, saying it was found in the back of a stolen van. Older Bro cannot believe that Younger Bro didn’t dump the body. Younger Bro said he knew they’d have another cleanup and would just dump them together. “You had one job,” Older Bro says in disbelief. Gibbs is enjoying himself immensely, as are we. As the bros continue to bicker, we learn that Hit Man is putting them up in a motel, where one of them is supposed to stay to receive landline calls on when to go clean up the second murder scene. Older Bro says it was supposed to happen right after the first one, but a week has gone by and nada. Gibbs leaves them bickering, and we head to the motel.

Gibbs and Bishop enter the surprisingly clean motel room. The bros eat a junk diet and clean up after dead people, but live “like my Aunt Judy,” Bishop says. Gibbs reminds her they live to clean. HA. The sound of a flushing toilet has them both whipping out their guns, only when the bathroom door opens, who steps out? Say it with me. Fornell. HA. Fornell tells Gibbs that Vance gave him the OK to come and how Fornell is happy to be there, happy Gibbs is there and wishes he understood why Gibbs is so clearly uncomfortable around him given how great everything is. Bishop excuses herself to go get some pizza and fries she’s been craving since they might have a long wait, waiting for the call to come from Hit Man.

She leaves, Fornell demands to know what is stuck in Gibbs’ craw, only Gibbs’ phone rings. Saved by the bell. He tells Sloane he can’t talk, and Sloane guesses he’s with Fornell, so says she’ll do the talking. She’s in her car, outside PK’s place and is giving Gibbs an update on PK’s movements, when PKL knocks on Sloane’s passenger window. Ruh roh. PKL is all done with Sloane, but she gets out and runs after PKL and tells her at least a little of what she knows about PK and that she’s worried for PKL’s safety. PKL isn’t having it and tells Sloane to stay away from her and from PK, or she’ll go public regarding NCIS harassing a private citizen.

Joe Spano as Fornell and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Back in the motel room, Gibbs is coming down with a cold, is clearly miserable. Fornell wants to play charades, says he’ll start. One word, sounds like “brassmole.” HA. Gibbs wants to know what Fornell wants from him. Fornell starts to badger him, but then he just gets serious, says Gibbs pulls that kind of thing with other people, but not with him. In the end, Gibbs tells him the truth, that PK is guilty, explains he didn’t tell Fornell to protect him and that he and Sloane are taking care of it, will make it right. They exchange words, but the takeaway for Fornell is that Gibbs didn’t trust him enough to tell him, and now Fornell can’t trust Gibbs. Fornell leaves just as Bishop comes in with bags of food. Then the room phone rings, and the hit man reveals he needs a cleanup in 20 minutes. Bishop asks if the murder has already happened and Gibbs says no, but it’s about to. They head out, and we fade to black and white.

They weren’t kidding when they promo’d this episode as being non-stop.

We’re back at HQ with Torres taking a call from Bishop, who brings Torres and McGee up to speed. McGee plugs in the address Hit Man gave, and it turns out it belongs to another one of Ponzi’s jurors, who is just returning home from an overseas trip. Gibbs and Bishop go through the house. Bishop finds a cat in one closet, then Hit Man comes up behind her, grabs her. Gibbs comes in and shoots Hit Man dead. Then Juror #2 comes home. She’s very shaken to hear that NC is dead. Gibbs notices she’s wearing a small silver bee on a chain around her neck. He knows the Ponzi jury was sequestered for months, despite everyone knowing Ponzi was guilty from the beginning. She admits to falling in love with NC, even though she knew he was married. And we all immediately begin to think maybe this is Wife hiring Hit Man to take out cheating husband and mistress? Bishop gets the results of running Hit Man’s plates. They get his name, but he has no record, and so no connection to Ponzi. Only I don’t think this is Ponzi. This is Wife. (I’m hearing Major Crimes’ Lt. Provenza in my head. “It’s always the wife.” HA.)

So, I’m not the only one who thinks it’s Wife. We move to the interrogation room. Gibbs is in the room. Torres opens the door and ushers in a confused Wife, who wants to know why she’s in the interrogation room. Well, why do you think? Torres shows her the proof they found of her paying Hit Man. She doesn’t bother lying at that point. She says he blew through all of their savings trying to save his mother, who was beyond saving. He cheated on her. She decided she deserved his life insurance. She gives Gibbs the cold eye. “He owed me that.” She was all done and then some.

We shift to Gibbs putting a box full of papers on a desk and making a call. Fornell answers. Gibbs tells him he’s in Fornell’s “office.” HA! That’s how you do it. Enter Fornell. They bicker about how Fornell needs better security, then Gibbs opens the box, tells Fornell it’s everything he and Sloane have to date on PK. He says it’s not enough, but it’s a start. Fornell says, “So, you ruin me, you punish me for ruining me, and now you’re asking me to do this with you?” Gibbs says, yes, he is. Fornell grins and says, “I’m in.” HA! They dig into the box, then Gibbs stops him, emotion filling his eyes. Fornell stops him, then smiles and says, “I hate it when you break your own rules.” Double HA!

Joe Spano as Fornell and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Cliff Lipson, CBS)

Best. Ending. Ever.

Because we all know it’s not an end, but yet another beginning.

Only, whoa, it’s beginning right now. Ruh roh. Gibbs tells Fornell that Sloane is on her way over, but is stopping to see a friend first. Oh no! But, whew! We immediately see that PKL is still alive. Sloane thanks her for meeting her. PKL tells Sloane that her comment about how PK was a switch hitter, swinging the bag with both hands, shook her up enough that she did a little digging and decided to sever ties with PK. She told him to get new counsel. Sloane wants to know what PKL found, but even though she’s not PK’s lawyer any longer, the info is still privileged. She does relent enough to tell Sloane not to stop digging. (Oh, you just know PKL’s days are numbered. And I like her!)

Turns out I was really, really right. Sloane puts a call in to Gibbs as she crosses the street back to her car and is violently launched the rest of the way across when PKL’s car explodes. We end with Gibbs calling Sloane’s name with increasing concern. Fade to “To Be Continued” black and white.

Well, then. Welcome back, NCIS!!

Also, *SOB* as we realize we’re on hiatus until the end of the Olympics. Which I love, but still … what a TEASE!

Join me right here for episode 15, Keep Your Enemies Closer, which airs (waaaaaah!) all the way on Feb. 27.

Until then, go Team USA!!

Donna Kauffman is the USA TODAY (and Wall Street Journal!) bestselling author of 70-plus titles, translated and sold in more than 26 countries around the world. Born into the maelstrom of Washington, D.C. politics, she now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, thankfully surrounded by a completely different kind of wildlife. You can check that out for yourself and more at www.donnakauffman.com. She loves to hear from her readers (and NCIS viewers!). You can write to her at donna@donnakauffman.com or visit her on Facebook or Instagram.

MORE ON HEA: See a fun Down & Dirty interview with Donna and read what she learned while writing Blue Hollow Falls

EVEN MORE: See more of Donna’s NCIS posts

Dee Davis

Sometimes in order to have an effective narrative, it is important to create a framework. This week’s episode of This Is Us, The Car, uses the Pearsons’ Grand Wagoneer to frame both vignettes from the family’s past and events on the day of Jack’s funeral.

Opening and closing the episode with Jack buying the Wagoneer sets the stage for the beginning of Rebecca, Kate, Kevin and Randall’s journey toward healing. And in the end it is Jack’s optimism and commitment to his family that continue to carry them forward.

As the episode opens, we find Rebecca sitting in the family car outside the motel where the family is staying. She honks the horn for the kids, then sighs as she sees an empty coffee cup, looks in the visor mirror and reaches for her purse. Inside, she sees tickets to a Springsteen concert.

Cutting back further in the past, Rebecca and Jack arrive with the kids at a car dealership. Rebecca wishes they’d left the kids at home, but Jack tells her that he has a plan. He’s going to use the kids to show economic hardship and get a good deal. Rebecca laughs as they all turn to the show car, a Grand Wagoneer. Although the Pearsons love it, it’s not in their price range.

Mel, the car salesman, shows them some used cars, but while he’s explaining the features on one, Jack sees his kids, all three playing inside the Wagoneer. He tells Mel they should go inside and talk deals. Rebecca is confused since they haven’t even test-driven a car.

We fade back to Rebecca in the car outside the motel. Kevin, Randall and Kate emerge from their room all dressed for the funeral. They tell Rebecca the funeral isn’t until two, but she insists that they need to go now.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson in This Is Us. (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back at the dealership, Rebecca watches Jack deal with Mel. He comes out of the office to tell her that he’s bought the Wagoneer. He’s persuaded Mel to give him a good deal. She tells the kids that they bought the Wagoneer. Excited, they all load into the car as the scene cuts back to the three adolescent Pearsons getting into the same car to head to the funeral.

In another memory, we see the family in the Wagoneer driving to a concert. As they drive over a bridge, Rebecca panics, a long time fear kicking in. She closes her eyes as they start to cross, but road work means that they have to stop. Panic builds, and Jack and the kids try to distract Rebecca. Randall tells her that gephyrophobia is the word for being afraid of bridges. Kate sings “La, la, lasagna” (to the tune of La Bamba), a Weird Al Yankovic song. It’s his concert they’re heading to. And as the entire family starts to sing, the line moves, the bridge is crossed and Rebecca is fine.

Although this may seem an odd, if endearing, scene (I spent many a day in my adolescence figuring out how to escape a car when it runs off a bridge), the point here, I think, is for us to see both how Rebecca copes with her fears and how much easier it is when she has her family around her. By joining together, they are stronger, and scary things seem less frightening.

Driving to Jack’s service, Kate tells Rebecca that she doesn’t want the dog anymore. That she’s going to ask around to see if someone will take him. Kevin is having trouble tying his tie and, frustrated, says he’s just not going to wear one. “Dad won’t care,” Kevin says. But Randall remembers when his father taught him to tie a tie and isn’t as sure.

In the far past, Rebecca gets into the car with Jack as snow falls. Jack tells her that the doctor is just being cautious, but again, as with the bridge, Rebecca is afraid. She’s been dizzy a lot and has just had an MRI to rule out anything serious. Instead of going home to take the doctor’s call, Jack takes her to his favorite tree. She wasn’t even aware he had one. As they settle in on the bench to wait for his pager to go off, he tells her that she’s going to live forever. He just feels it in his bones. “This is the beautiful, perfect day,” he says, “that my beautiful, perfect wife finds out she’s OK.”

“How are you always so sure about these things?” she asks as they sit in the softly falling snow. Finally, she asks Jack why it’s his favorite tree.

He smiles and tells her “because it’s where you find out you’re OK.” The pager goes off and they go to a nearby payphone. Rebecca talks to the doctor and finds out she is indeed going to be OK.

OK. A word we use so often it almost loses its impact. It’s not the same as great or terrible or even fine. It’s just, well … OK. And yet it holds a wealth of meaning.

Once they’re back in the car, Jack tells her that he meant what he said about her living forever, and since they’re already talking about scary things, he adds that he knows he’ll go before she does and he implores her not to put him in the ground. “Let me be outside,” he says.

Having these kinds of conversations with loved ones is so difficult. I’m with Jack. I don’t want to be buried. I want to be scattered somewhere beautiful. So that I can truly fly free and become one with all that is the universe. Sounds lofty, I know. But it matters to me. A lot.

At the cemetery, Rebecca tells the funeral director that she is early because she wanted to be there when Jack arrived. His urn sits on a table by his picture. At the service, Miguel and Randall give eulogies, but Rebecca seems lost in her own thoughts. Afterward, the funeral director says he’ll take Jack to the reception, but Rebecca takes the urn and says that she’ll do it, needing to be with Jack in the only way that she can.

In the far past, Jack is trying to teach Randall to drive. Kevin, in the backseat, gives him a hard time, and the two boys fight, which causes Randall to almost wreck the Wagoneer. Jack, angry at them both, tells them to get out of the car and walk home. He’s working on the car’s engine when they walk up to the house. They apologize, but Jack is still angry. “My brother and I were inseparable at your age,” he says.

When Randall prompts that Jack never talks about Nicky, Jack replies that there is nothing to talk about. “You know the big stuff,” he says. “My dad was a drunk. My mom was depressed. Nicky was my best friend. We went to war. He died.” He tells them that he and his brother always had each other’s backs by necessity. They didn’t have anyone else. “Someday your mom and I will be gone,” he tells them. They will only have each other when they want to look back and remember.

Lonnie Chavis as Randall, Mackenzie Hancsicsak as Kate and Parker Bates as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

When I was younger, my father sat my brother and me down once and told us that his relationship with his brother wasn’t all that he wanted it to be. And that it was his wish that the two of us would find a way to always be friends. I’ve never forgotten that wish, and thankfully, my brother and I are still close.

At Jack’s funeral reception, in complete antipathy to Jack’s admonishment in the previous scene, Kevin sees that Randall is wearing Jack’s watch. Angry, he rushes over to his brother, accusing him of trying to be the man in the family. They argue in front of guests. Kate stands behind them, horrified, and Rebecca walks out, saying she needs some fresh air.

We cut back to the far past and Jack drinking coffee and driving in the Wagoneer. He passes a bus stop and recognizes Kate sitting there. It’s school hours and he stops the car to ask what in the world she thinks she’s doing. She tells him she doesn’t have any finals and that she’s going to see Alanis Morissette, whose album Jagged Little Pill has just come out, and Alanis is going to be at Jerry’s Records.

Jack tells Kate to get in the car. But when she asks if he’s taking her back to school, he says no. He’s taking her to the record store. As they drive, he asks who “Atlantis” Morissette is. Kate tells him it’s Alanis and plays All I Really Want for him. After complaining that it’s just screaming with a guitar, he plays Bruce Springsteen’s My Beautiful Reward for her.

Kate tells him that even though they’re really different, both Morissette and Springsteen use songs to tell their story. The intimacy comes through. “It makes you feel,” she says, “like they’re your best friend but also you.”

As they pull up to the record store, Jack tells Kate that she needs to give music as a career some serious thought. “Whatever Kate Pearson has her heart set on,” he says, “she gets.” Before Kate heads off to the store, she tells Jack that Springsteen isn’t so bad. And he says that maybe someday, he’ll get them tickets for a show.

We flash-forward to the funeral reception and Kate sitting in the Wagoneer remembering, then fade to sometime before the funeral. Everyone at the motel is asleep except Kate. She’s in the kitchenette. Rebecca finds her there and asks how she’s doing. Kate says she doesn’t understand how Jack died. And Rebecca explains about the cardiac arrest and smoke inhalation. “It’s because he went back inside, right?” Kate asks. And we know then that she blames herself for what happened.

We cut back to the funeral, Rebecca standing outside the reception. Dr. K comes up the stairs. (Gerald McRaney won an Emmy for his portrayal of Dr. Nathan Katowsky last season.) When Rebecca sees him, she gives him a big hug. He tells her they “have to stop meeting under such dramatic circumstances.” The two of them settle in to talk, and Rebecca confesses that she’s been following Jack’s urn around all day because she feels guilty that she wasn’t there when he died.

Gerald McRaney as Dr. K in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Oftentimes in fiction, one character serves as the voice of wisdom. His or her job throughout the narrative is to guide the protagonist in his or her journey. Dr. K has been that for Rebecca and Jack since the beginning of the series. His return now, to help Rebecca — after all that he has done for Jack — is wonderful writing.

Rebecca tells Dr. K that she can’t do this. That Jack knew how to do all of this. “He was fearless,” she says, “but I’m not.”

Dr. K responds that he “would never presume to know more about your husband than you, but the man I knew, the one who used to drop by my office unannounced from time to time, he had a whole lot of fears. A new father is the most fearful creature of all, and he was no exception. But he did a pretty good job, now, didn’t he?”

Rebecca still insists that she can’t. But Dr. K tells her, “You’re the same woman who lost a child and still rolled out of my hospital with three babies. You’re a tough woman.”

“Not without him,” Rebecca cries.

“Bullcrap.”

Sometimes all we need is to hear that someone else has faith in us. Sometimes just those words of wisdom are enough to push us forward. To keep us going. And the words don’t have to be pretty.

The scene cuts to Jack, again drinking coffee, driving home from the grocery with Rebecca and the kids on Super Bowl Sunday. As they disembark with bags and Kevin’s crutches, Jack tells them all not to make plans for next weekend. He has a surprise. As he gets out of the car, he forgets his cup. It is the same one that Rebecca sees in the opening scene as she prepares for the funeral.

At the reception, Rebecca comes in again, takes the urn and tells the kids they are leaving. She gives the urn to Kate as they walk to the car, and as she gets in, she again sees the coffee cup. A symbol of Jack — who always seemed to have a cup in his hand. Squaring her shoulders, she drives the kids to Jack’s tree. The perfect place for them to say goodbye.

Once there, they stand with the urn and Rebecca tells them that when she first got married she wasn’t ready to have kids. But that Jack could clearly see the three of them long before they happened. She then tells Kevin and Randall that neither of them has to be the man of the house now. That they need to concentrate on being 17. And she assures Kate that Jack’s death wasn’t her fault. She tells her that her father was a grown man and made his own decisions.

Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson in This Is Us. (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Despite her fears, Rebecca is stepping up. She’s being a mother.

Together, they release Jack’s ashes near the tree, although Kate asks that they leave some in the urn. Then Rebecca hugs her kids and tells them that Jack bought them all Bruce Springsteen tickets. And she thinks they should go. After they agree, she tells the kids she just needs a minute alone—with Jack.

Looking up at the tree, she says, “We’re going to be OK, baby, I promise you. We’re going to be OK.”

Interspersed with flashes of the four remaining Pearsons as they drive away in the car, we see Jack at the car dealership with Mel, the salesman. Jack tells him that the Wagoneer is his family’s car. That he can see it. It’s sturdy and tough like the Pearsons.

“I can tell you right now there’s gonna be scrapes and dings and stains. Every battle scar another memory. And eventually that car is going to tell my family’s story.” He tells Mel that he needs that car because he needs to know that his kids are OK.

Back in the car, we see Kevin look over at Randall still wearing Jack’s watch. Kevin reaches over and covers the watch with his hand, then smiles at his brother. And as the shot widens, we see Rebecca looking at her family in the rearview mirror as they move forward—together.

OK. Sometimes that simple word means everything.

As an aside, I often mention particular songs and the importance their placement has in the overall story. But there is also a lot of music in This Is Us that we don’t notice as much. And yet the show would be so much less without it. The wonderful score for This Is Us is composed by Siddhartha Khosla. Just wanted to give him a shout-out.

This Friday, NBC brings us the Olympics, which means This Is Us won’t be back until the end of the month. See you then!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Dee’s posts

Can you believe it? I’ve been hanging out here at Happy Ever After, sharing fan fiction recommendations since Feb. 18, 2015, people. That’s three years! And I still haven’t covered nearly as much fic as there is out there!

Now, you know, I do have some favorite genres I simply can’t back away from. You’ve seen my unabashed love of all things BtVS from my very first post. I also have a weakness for anything and everything sci-fi, or with vampires, and I like my fan fiction heroes superhuman, alien or Supernatural. (And yes, that was a shout-out to the boys!)

Jared Padalecki as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean in Supernatural. (Photo: Dean Buscher, The CW)

For this month’s column, I decided to do a throwback fan fiction post. So, I scoured a few of my early columns from 2015 and am sharing some of those recs, here again, this month.

Happy anniversary to me!

Some of my favorite ships are here, too, and you know the lingo — that pairing, that couple, those two who stir your blood and make your imagination go jiggly-jag. Nodding with self-satisfaction here — I think I just made that phrase up. At least, it sounded made up in my head where my imagination and love of fan fiction runs wild.

I still spend an hour or two every now and then immersed in the world where character rules and imagination is all about the fun, the sexiness and the pairings that were and should’ve been!

So, keeping that in mind, these are excerpts from columns originally posted in 2015 — let’s do this!

Stephen Amell as Oliver in Arrow. (Photo: Katie Yu, The CW)

Fandom: Arrow

Desperately Seeking by Roxanne Tucker (aka Angelina M. Lopez)

First, a big sigh of happy for Arrow fan fiction! Desperately Seeking is an erotic romance about an attractive young widow who places a personal ad for companionship, and it’s answered by Arrow’s Oliver Queen. One exciting appeal of Roxanne’s story is that she puts “the luscious” Oliver (played on TV by Stephen Amell) into the heroine’s regular life, not an episode of the show. Roxanne then explores the fantasy of what would happen if a gorgeous, noble, tortured billionaire/vigilante with a kick-ass body wanted to take a “time-out” with you.

Denny’s anniversary update: Everything about this story works. And Arrow’s Oliver Queen (aka Stephen Amell) continues to ratchet up my blood pressure. Thank you, Angelina, for being my very first interview back in 2015! Also, your website RULES!

Emily Deschanel as Bones and David Boreanaz as Booth on Bones. (Photo: Beth Dubber, Fox)

Fandom: Bones

I became a fan of David Boreanaz during his days of portraying Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. But on the series Bones, he has been Special Agent Seeley Booth for 10 seasons and the character’s One True Pairing (OTP), Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, has inspired some fabulous fan fiction. Here are a few recommendations (seasons one through six) as rec’d by another pal.

Letters from Home by bloodwrites

This is one of those fanfics that uses the trope “letters” (not e-mails) as the method of communication for our OTP — but this story is special. I enjoy the slow build and reveals. A great read. Even if you have never watched Bones — Seeley and Bones come to life in this fan fiction.

All the King’s Horses by cardiogod

A fun part of fan fiction is the ability to retell a story using “what if?” as the premise for a fresh take on an episode or a season. This fanfic does that extremely well.

The Truth Between the Lies by Ayiana

This author has written quite a bit of Bones fan fiction. This story is short, but one of her last according to her LiveJournal page. I enjoyed this short read and will go back for more!

Denny’s anniversary update: OMG! I never knew how much I loved this show until it went off the air. OK, a bit backward with that comment, but I didn’t watch Bones regularly when it was on the air. Who knows what I was doing 12 to 14 years ago when this show launched. (OK, I do remember what I was doing, but let’s not go there, OK?)

But when you’re in the mood to binge-watch, do it. Then read some of the gorgeous fan fiction for this show.

Fandom: Farscape

The Talyn Suite Series by Robyn Bender:

• The Talyn Suite I: Where You Should Be
• The Talyn Suite II: The Space Between
• The Talyn Suite III: Sauce
• The Talyn Suite IV: Hooky
• The Talyn Suite V: Getting There
• The Talyn Suite VI: The Cliff
• The Talyn Suite VII: A Night at Home

I watched four seasons of Farscape and the Farscape movie, The Peacekeeper Wars, in a week. Then I learned the show had been canceled three years earlier. Frantic, I went to the Internet but was able to do my happy dance of relief. Farscape fan fiction was alive and well. And one of my favorites is this series written by Robyn Bender.

Rated adult NC-17, The Talyn Series is sensual and fabulously written. It captures the voices, the characters and the sexuality of the romantic relationship between John Crichton and Aeryn Sun perfectly. What more is there to say? Enjoy!

Denny’s anniversary update: This show has been off the air for a decade, but it stays with me. Talk about the perfect ship that became the OTP of space travel, IMHO! Long live Farscape.

Nathan Fillion as Mal and Gina Torres as Zoe on Firefly. (Photo: Fox)

Fandom: Firefly

Water’s Edge by Homespun Fic

This fandom was born a while ago but still ranks high on my list of favorites — Joss Whedon’s Firefly. There were 14 episodes produced, but only 11 aired during the show’s first and only season. But the enthusiasm of the “Browncoats,” the name adopted by the fandom, could not be denied and helped the film Serenity become a reality.

There are many excellent fan fiction stories from this fandom, but my first recommendation is a story featuring Zoe (played by Gina Torres) and Mal (played by Nathan Fillion). Although not an OTP in terms of romance, Zoe and Mal were the OTP of what friendship is all about.

Water’s Edge asks, What if Zoe and Mal had a fight? Who would win? Enjoy!

Denny’s anniversary update: Yeah, I could have included any of the Joss Whedon shows that live in my heart, but Firefly was the flash in the sky that burned bright and then vanished. Well, except for fan fiction — and Comic-Con.

Tony Goldwyn as Fitz and Kerry Washington as Olivia on Scandal. (Photo: John Fleenor, ABC)

Fandom: Scandal

ABC’s Scandal has a large fandom and fan fiction writers. And, yes, I am a big fan of the show! But I reached out to author pal Xio Axelrod to get the goods on her recommendations from this fandom.

Denny: What drives the Scandal fan fiction community? Is it the relationship aka Olitz?

Xio: I would say that most of the Scandal fan fiction I’ve seen has been Olitz, i.e. Olivia and Fitz. Some writers pair her with Jake (Olake), and some even pair her with Mellie (Mellitz). There’s something for everyone. But, yes, it’s about the relationships.

Denny: Tell me about your Scandal-inspired story.

Xio: I was inspired by the show and the fandom, but in particular by the relationship between the actors/cast and the fans. So, I thought “what if” you met the right person at the wrong time? What if that happened while you were in the public eye? How would you handle it? And so Starstruck was born. It’s a story about second chances and following your heart in the age of cameraphones, Twitter and TMZ.

More Scandal fanfic recs:

Fine Dining by Tumblr blogger BelieveTheBlonde

It’s a short one-shot, but I remember being struck by the quality of the writing. The author is very adept at saying a lot with a few words. And it’s hot.

I Only See You by BellaDameNoir

The premise: Fitz moves into Olivia’s neighborhood on Catalina Island. No presidents, no fixers, just romance. And it’s hot.

In Your Eyes by Argentina Sugar

In this story, the author rewrites an episode, changing the trajectory of a storyline and retelling the events after Fitz has been shot. The plot provides a different and satisfying ending.

Denny’s anniversary update: My pal Xio Axelrod came to my rescue in 2015 with an interview on the then overwhelmingly popular Scandal (in its last season now on TV). Now, Xio, a USA TODAY bestselling author of romance, still dabbles in forms of fan fiction between writing happy ever afters.

That’s all I got for this month. But I think that’s a good way to celebrate an anniversary — looking back at the early days and enjoying the memories and the fan fiction!

Until next month.

Denny S. Bryce is a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist who won the 2014 Golden Heart in the romantic suspense category. She also writes historical fiction and paranormal romance. Her website is www.dennysbryce.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter (@DennySBryce) or Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Denny’s posts

Heidi Cullinan

This week’s installment takes us into some high drama territory — high school drama territory. The murder-of-the week is of a successful YA novelist who is killed as her series finale is about to be released after a highly anticipated five-year wait. The most delicious aspect of this episode, however, is the way the Lucifer writers echo high-school-level dramatics in the plot of the regular cast, not only for the fun of the one-off but to play out some long-arc storylines we’ve been following. As is the theme of season three, everything is about the characters, and this episode is thick with character greatness. So grab your high school ID and get ready for your locker assignment as we recap High School Poppycock.

We open with Lucifer having a nightmare: Chloe comes into the penthouse, and he says he can’t go, please leave, because he can’t make them go away. She asks what’s on his back as she edges toward the railing. Lucifer’s wings pop out, Chloe falls, and though Lucifer dives after her, he can’t catch her hand. Before they hit the ground, he wakes up. He’s relaying this dream to Linda, who feels the dream is pretty obvious in its symbolism, and so does Lucifer, though of course Lucifer doesn’t see that it’s about Chloe, too fixated on his father, himself and his struggles to get rid of his wings and Pierce’s immortal curse. He tries to press Linda for how to get rid of his mental block on new ideas, but she says she can’t help him. He doesn’t care for her lack of help and leaves. As soon as he’s gone, Linda gets a call from Amenadiel — they’re still dating, in secret.

Lauren German as Chloe in Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

Chloe pops in to Ella and tells her, again, that she can’t go out with her because she’s too busy being “a responsible adult.” Ella tries to tempt her with an adorable neon wig and a lure to revisit her wild youth, but Chloe reminds her that she was a rather sober youth as well. “One of these days you’ll realize what you’ve been missing,” Ella predicts.

On the drive to their next case, Lucifer is too quiet and it unnerves Chloe; she gets him to admit he’s stumped on a problem. When they’re at the case, the YA novelist murdered just as she was about to turn in her last book, Lucifer gets excited when he hears the novelist had also been feeling blocked but had solved it and written about her victory over her struggle in the afterword of her book. The trouble is the manuscript is missing, likely stolen by the murderer. Lucifer is suddenly highly motivated to solve this case.

The author, Kathleen, was found by her editor, who explains to Chloe and Lucifer the plots of the books were about a futuristic high school. She typed her manuscripts, so there was only ever the one copy. The editor worried he might have sent a rabid fan Kathleen’s way by tweeting about the upcoming book, including the action-packed ending she’d teased him with.

While Lucifer and Chloe are digging into the case, Amenadiel and Linda are having secret candlelit dinners, talking about how they can’t tell Maze about their relationship. Linda has apparently been avoiding Maze’s calls, and she’s worried about how she’s been doing. Amenadiel says he’ll check in on her if Linda wants, and Linda says she’d really appreciate it. When he does, though, Trixie won’t let him in and lies about Maze being there because Maze doesn’t want to see him. Trixie suggests Maze help Linda and Amenadiel tell the truth because they’re too scared to do it themselves. Maze says it’s not a bad idea.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

Lucifer and Chloe do some digging on Kathleen; Lucifer reads the books while Chloe digs online. Lucifer can’t get over how ridiculous the books are and wants to know if Chloe’s high school experience was anything like it, but Chloe confesses she didn’t really go to high school; she was mostly tutored on set. Chloe gets some leads in an altercation on a message board, and they go to a local ice cream shop to chase them down.

Ashley, the person from the online forum, turns out to be a man who works at the ice cream shop. He did have a throw-down with Kathleen, it’s true, but he’s upset when he hears Kathleen is dead and defends the books when Lucifer mocks them, saying they’re important to him. He also turns out to be a fan-fiction writer of Kathleen’s series, and she even considered having him help her write the end of the series. She ultimately didn’t go with his idea, but his version helped her write her own, reminding her to be more authentic.

Ashely also gives them a hot tip they’d been sorely missing: Kathleen’s series was based on real people from her L.A. high school and real stories that happened. She didn’t even change their first names, only their last. She mixed in futuristic sci-fi elements, but otherwise she simply used her own memories to fuel her fictions. Now they have a whole new list of suspects, but no motives, leverage and, most important, no way to get warrants. What they do have, however, is an upcoming high school reunion, and one student Kathleen didn’t write about and no one has seen or heard about since high school. Lucifer is going to go undercover as Todd, and Maze is going to distract the real Todd so he doesn’t try to attend.

Rachael Harris as Linda, D.B. Woodside as Amenadiel and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze in Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

Maze kills two birds with one stone; she takes on the task of distracting the real Todd, but she also sets Linda up with a blind date and refuses to let her take no for an answer, guilt-tripping her for not replying to her calls or texts. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Linda’s blind date is going to be Todd.

Chloe, meanwhile, has started reading Kathleen’s books, and she’s completely obsessed with them. She stayed up all night and almost makes Trixie miss her bus, and once bitten by the characters, she can’t let go of them. She’s in love with the reunion (despite Lucifer pointing out they’re a popular torture feature in hell) and knows everyone on sight without a nametag, doing a character rundown of who is with who and whether or not they’re good enough for each other. Lucifer can’t believe what he’s hearing from his usually no-nonsense partner, that he’s the one who has to keep dragging them back to reality for a change.

While Chloe and Lucifer get into the reunion, Linda shows up for her date with Todd, and Maze arrives with Amenadiel, announcing this will be a double date. “Isn’t this great?” Maze says. Clearly it will be anything but. The dinner is the slow disaster everyone expects, but Linda wants to try to just get through the night and bluff Maze one more time.

Chloe has way too much fun questioning, more fixated on the story narrative and making up for her own missed high school experience than anything else. Lucifer is the one trying to dig into the potential suspects, though he doesn’t get much out of anyone, not until he gets one guest to admit everyone at the reunion except for Todd two nights ago broke into the school pool. They also find out Todd was with Kathleen the night she was murdered.

Tom Ellis as Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

The only motive they can think of for Todd is that he was left out of the books, but it’s the motive they’re working with. Chloe says she can relate, feeling chagrined for how wrapped up she got in the books and the reunion and how much she was projecting her own lost youth onto the case. “I didn’t even get to go to my own prom,” she confesses.

At dinner, Linda breaks down when Maze starts trying to make out with Amenadiel at the table — then she realizes this is what Maze wanted, that the whole setup was a callout. She realizes Maze has known about their relationship all along and she’s torturing them. The two of them have it out right at the table, and Maze calls them both out. She wants to know if this is the divine purpose Amenadiel’s father called him down for, and she calls Linda selfish. Linda insists this wasn’t a fling and says she deserves to have this love. “But you were my friend,” Maze says and leaves.

Chloe and Lucifer arrive at that moment and take Todd away, but Todd doesn’t seem like the killer either. It turns out Kathleen tracked Todd down, and she was making Todd the hero of the final book. He has no motive to kill her, in fact, quite the opposite. He knows the story, though: It was a peaceful ending, about people understanding each other. It was beautiful to Todd, but it would have been boring, Lucifer and Chloe realized, and would have sold terribly. They realize they have a new twist in the case.

They call the editor and ask if he knows about Ashley and how he ghost-wrote for Kathleen, then go to the ice cream shop and lie in wait. Sure enough, the editor shows up immediately with a gun. He wants to tie up the loose end so he can publish the ghost-written version without anyone knowing it wasn’t Kathleen’s to begin with. They catch him, of course, and arrest him — he confesses to killing Kathleen with her typewriter, throwing it at her when she refused to use the ending that would have sold well. If he could have killed Ashely, too, he could have had the ending he wanted and the bestseller he needed as well. Chloe and Lucifer get their killer, but unfortunately Kathleen’s manuscript is lost; her editor destroyed it. Lucifer will never see that afterword with the secret to solving writer’s block.

Rachael Harris as Linda, D.B. Woodside as Amenadiel and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze in Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

Speaking as an author with editors, with and without publishers, there are plot holes a mile wide you could drive through in this episode, but we’re going to go with the idea that it would really be worth murdering an author for an alternate ending for the sake of the narrative and we’ll pretend there is a fantasy world where an editor would actually make enough money to do the killing, because I like my editors and that’s a fun fairy tale.

Anyway. Bad guy caught, day saved. Linda meets with Amenadiel and tells him, for a second time, that she can’t be with him and hurt Maze, this time for real. She can’t lie to her, and she can’t hurt her. As much as she enjoyed her relationship with Amenadiel, Maze is her friend, and she can’t be with him if it hurts her friend. Amenadiel says he understands and that he may have strayed from who he is as well. It looks like they truly have broken up.

Chloe meets Lucifer at Lux — he says he wanted to check and make sure she was back to her old self, that he could be the silly one and she was the responsible one again. She says she is, and she’s glad to be that way, but he does give her one little bit of high school poppycock: a corsage as he asks her to go to the prom with him. The music starts, Lux is a soft glitter explosion, and it’s just the two of them dancing. As they have their private prom, Chloe helps him solve his mental block, too: She says the way around his mental block is to move forward instead of being stuck in the past. We can’t rewrite history. Lucifer stops, arrested. “You can’t, but maybe I can.” Happy, he keeps dancing with her as he looks up with determination toward the heavens.

Rachael Harris as Linda in Lucifer. (Photo: Erik Voake, Fox)

I think my favorite element about this episode was, as usual, watching Chloe open up. It’s so rare, so when she blooms, it makes you breathless. A rare treat this time was watching Lucifer watch her be vulnerable and react to it, both steering her back to her old self and picking up on pieces of the vulnerability that needed stroking, like the private prom. I’m relieved to see the Linda/Maze tension coming to a resolution, I hope, as that’s been bothering me. I didn’t mind Linda and Amenadiel together so much as I was upset at the fracture in the friendship.

As usual, murders and plots aside, the real meat in this episode and this season remains the relationships. Just like Kathleen’s books, what you come for are the interplays and the characters, the communities. It’s that sense of tucking in each week with people you know and lives that seem real, with conflicts that are bigger and more ridiculous than your own and which someone else has to solve.

And in the middle of it all, our delicious, delightful devil. What’s not to love? Not a single thing.

An author of contemporary, historical and paranormal romances featuring LGBT characters, Heidi Cullinan is best known for stories of characters struggling with insurmountable odds on their way to their happily ever afters. Find out more about Heidi at www.heidicullinan.com and be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

MORE ON HEA: See more of Heidi’s Lucifer posts

I hope you enjoyed your Olympic break! I always love cheering on Team USA. I also love that we’re back with a brand-new NCIS episode this week. Yes, it’s finally time for that “to be continued” to be continued!

Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

When we were last together, PKL (Psycho Killer’s Lawyer) had just told Sloane that she was back to being a regular L now, having dropped PK from her client roster. We were all like, ruh roh, PK probably didn’t take that well! Not-PKL tells Sloane to keep digging then climbs into her car and … kaboom. Sloane, halfway across the street, on the phone with Gibbs, is sent airborne by the explosion. The last we heard before our Olympian break was Gibbs yelling her name over her cellphone.

We pick up where we left off, at the scene of the explosion, still the same night. McGee tells us there is no nearby traffic cam footage and Bishop laments how a car doesn’t just blow up for no reason, and I’m all, how is Sloane? Hasn’t she told them yet? Apparently not. Torres says he can tell from the remains that the blast originated under the driver’s seat, so it was probably a car bomb. (And thank you, Show, for sparing us PKL’s gruesome remains. So far.) He knows about car bombs because he made them when he was undercover. They comment how it was a matter of inches that Sloane made it out alive.

We move to the back of the emergency vehicle where a banged-up Sloane is talking to Gibbs and Fornell. She tells them about PKL dropping PK that afternoon, and how the lawyer couldn’t tell Sloane why, but that she told Sloane they needed to keep digging. Presumably, after Sloane’s comments to her regarding her client, PKL found something that didn’t add up and dropped him. Attorney-client privilege kept her from telling Sloane her specific reason for severing ties. Gibbs says it was apparently something worth killing over.

And cue awesome opening theme song and credits!

Mark Harmon as Gibbs, Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We see PK working at a coffee shop, charming a Pretty Young Thing by remembering her drink order from the day before. Enter Bishop and Torres who — oops! — happen to mention out loud that they are there to ask him a few questions about the murder of his lawyer. Suddenly, PYT has somewhere else to be. Bishop and Torres seem real sorry about that, except no. No visible reaction from PK on hearing his lawyer is dead, but we take this story to HQ.

McGee and Gibbs have PK in interrogation, and he’s oh-so-good at playing the soft, sweet innocent, I’d want to believe him myself. When asked why he had no reaction to her death, he says given how Fornell framed him and put him in jail for all those years, he’s understandably wary of anything law enforcement says. His gaze shifts to the two-way mirror behind McGee and PK’s sweet smile fades and the psycho part shines through a bit as he stares down Fornell, despite not being able to see him. PK comments on how he thought Gibbs was on his side, seeing as it was his testimony that freed PK. A knock on the door has Gibbs standing, muttering, “Rule 51,” before he heads out to join Vance in the hallway. We can hear McGee clarify inside the room. “Sometimes, you’re wrong.”

Out in the hall, Vance tells Gibbs that as a result of all the bad press NCIS got for supposedly jailing an innocent PK, they have to tread lightly. If they can’t hold him on anything, they have to let him go. An angry Gibbs fires back that PK will kill again, and Vance counters that Gibbs needs to bring him something tangible, but until then, his hands are tied. Gibbs opens the door, tells PK he’s free to go.

PK slithers out, sort of wavering between innocent babe-in-the-woods and total psycho killer, which is what makes him so compelling, but soon shifts to full smug psycho as he taunts Gibbs and Vance. Vance gets in his face, tells him to march. Fornell steps out of the other room and PK directs some smugness his way, too. Fornell makes it clear he doesn’t have to be with the FBI to put PK back in prison. PK shrugs, tells Gibbs, “Strike one,” and heads out. The comment is a reference to the night that Sloane and Gibbs watched him at the batting cages and learned he was ambidextrous, ruining the one reason that had led them to believe in his innocence. He could have wielded the murder weapon with either hand. We fade to an annoyed Fornell black and white.

We come back to the garage where Abby is examining the remains of PKL’s car. Enter Reeves (hello, Reeves!) and we learn that Abby can confirm it was a car bomb, and she found PKL’s cellphone. The battery compartment of the phone managed to avoid damage, and inside the compartment, Abby found a bug. Reeves assumes it was planted by PK, but wonders what our psycho killer was so paranoid about that he had to bug his own lawyer’s phone. (Maybe he saw how chummy his lawyer was getting with Sloane and wanted to keep tabs on what the two were chatting about, given Sloane and Gibbs had been shadowing him since the night at the batting cages revealed he wasn’t so innocent after all? Just a guess.)

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Upstairs at the Screen of All Knowing, we learn that PKL had visited a prisoner the morning she was killed, one who served time with PKL early on. And, it turns out, the prisoner in question is none other than (wait for it …) the guy who carved up three bodies with an electric knife and buried a mummified body underneath the floorboards, all in McGee’s (originally Tony DiNozzo’s) apartment. So. That’s fun. Turns out Mr. Body Chopper was PKL’s cellmate for six months. (What a coinkidink! Except I love French Stewart, so if this means we get to see him play Mr. Body Chopper again, I’ll get over it.) Gibbs sends McGee to talk to French, I mean Mr. BC, and takes off to have a chat in Fornell’s garage office. McGee tries to pawn off the assignment, but shockingly, gets no takers. In Fornell’s garage, he and Gibbs agree they both played a role in setting PK free, so it’s up to them to put PK away for good, the right way this time.

Over at the prison, Sloane and poor McGee await Mr. BC’s arrival. Sloane is fascinated by BC’s bio. McGee, not so much. Enter BC (hello, French!!) who, always the slave to detail regarding the finer things in life, does an immediate, adoring rundown on the make and model and material of Sloane’s leather coat. He asks if he can touch it. Sloane smiles and says, “Not if you want your hand back.” Heh. Smarmy now, BC sits and regales them with how popular he is, having three visitors in two days, telling them how he told PKL all about PK’s past and the multiple murders he confessed to back in his early days as an inmate, in his attempts to impress BC. Sensing their skepticism, BC says that PKL was skeptical, too, until he explained that he had proof PKL was a serial killer. McGee asks him what the proof is, but BC, his smugness growing by the second, wants them to “wine and dine” him first. McGee ends the visit and goes to leave, so BC gives him a freebie, saying PK wanted to clean up a loose end from the trial, the one eye witness. Sloane comments that PK can’t be tried again for the murder involving that eye witness, so there would be no reason to kill her. BC leans forward, oh-so-forward, and with quiet glee says, “Reason? Who needs a reason?” Shudder.

We move to the apartment of the old woman who was the sole eye witness in the murder trial that initially sent PK to prison. A knock on the door doesn’t bring the old woman lunch. It’s PK, and he says they have a lot to talk about. Something tells me our team is not going to get to her in time as we face an intent-looking PK black and white.

We come back to find the team going through Old Woman’s apartment, but she’s gone, not dead. Yet. McGee finds an eyewitness who saw a man matching PK’s description forcing OW into a car. A run of the plates reveals it was stolen that morning. McGee has put a BOLO out on the car. Bishop comments that PK is tying up loose ends and they wonder who is next. Gibbs says he’s not waiting to find out.

Emily Wickersham as Bishop and Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We shift to PK walking up the street toward his place of employment, only to discover Fornell waiting for him. Fornell tells him he’s late, asks him what might have held him up. PK says how the traffic in D.C. can be murder. Ouch. Fornell cuts to the chase and asks PK where she (OW) is. PK pretends not to know what Fornell is talking about. PK goes to pass Fornell, but Fornell stands in his path. PK is all smug as he tells Fornell that some people have jobs they need to get to. Fornell counters that he has little patience for scumbag psychos who target little old ladies and asks if PK is too afraid to go after someone his own size. PK laughs and says Fornell isn’t exactly his type, then asks Fornell to give PK’s regards to his daughter, though. Aaand, that earns PK a punch in the face and a slam against the brick wall, right before Gibbs shows up to break it up. He has to work to pull Fornell off PK, but eventually he does, sending him to walk it off. Then he turns and pushes PK away, telling him to take a hike. PK comments on how Fornell has issues, and if he comes near PK again, he’ll be pressing charges. Gibbs tells PK that if they don’t find OW alive, he’ll be the one paying PK a call personally. PK walks to the door of the coffee shop and says, “Strike two, Gibbs. Tick tock.” Oh, I hope they take this guy down hard and meaningfully. Just saying.

Gibbs surprises us by laughing as he climbs into his car, where Fornell gives him a hard time for pulling him off PK so quickly. Gibbs wants to know where Fornell planted the tracker. Fornell says under PK’s coat collar, then lifts the tracker, which is up and running. They are gleeful, and we’re left shaking our heads. So, the band is back together. Again. The plan is to use the tracker to find OW, and Fornell reminds Gibbs that PK has always killed his victims within 48 hours of abduction. Gibbs smiles and says that’s why he hasn’t put all their eggs in one basket. Intrigued, Fornell asks Gibbs if he has a wild card he hasn’t told Fornell about. Gibbs smiles and says, “Something like that.” Did I mention how the show becomes exponentially better every time these two work a case together?

Sean Murray as McGee in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Sloane and Vance have a chat about that wild card, which turns out to be, you guessed it, Mr. Body Chopper! Sloane feels that given BC’s massive ego, he’s not a fan of PK getting so much attention, and therefore has a vested personal interest in taking the guy down. Plus, this gives him leverage to get a few things he wants. Vance is not a fan, but Sloane talks him off the ledge and of course, they’re going to use BC. And give him what he wants. Which is to spend the 48- hour window they have to find OW back at his old homestead. Which, of course, is now McGee’s homestead. Oh, and only McGee can stand watch, per BC’s instructions. Shift to McGee, who looks traumatized at the very idea of it all. Palmer is there, de-baby-fying the place so BC will have no clues about McGee’s personal life. McGee has sent his wife and twins out of town for the duration, not telling them why, exactly. A big cage has been set up in the corner, which will house BC while he’s there. All of this is awful, not to mention ridiculous, and beyond over-the-top, but what’s worse, the minute BC is shuffled into the room, complete with straitjacket and chained ankles, the rest of the team bugs out, leaving McGee alone with the guy who chopped up bodies in his apartment. Which is so wrong, I can’t even … (Even for French. Who I love. Have I mentioned that?)

I like the PK storyline, but this BC element needed to be dialed all the way back to the cutting-room floor. And yet, here we are, so let’s just roll with what’s supposed to be the amusing side story. And, I get it, but at the same time … ew? We return to see Reeves is still there — so, one point for that! — and McGee is obsessing over the locks and security of the cage BC is in. Reeves handles the paperwork with the armed guard, while BC and McGee get all Hannibal Lecter and Clarice. Reeves breaks up their cute-ghoulish tête-à-tête, reminding BC he’s there to work. They need to find OW. BC reminds them he doesn’t know where she is, but mentions that if they were to find PK’s old van, that might help. McGee reminds him that PK’s van was impounded and searched when he was originally arrested, and nothing was found. BC tells him to stop thinking like a cop and search “inside” the van.

We’re back in the garage with Fornell, Gibbs and Torres as they dismantle the van. There is banter, and Fornell is certain they’re being played. Then Gibbs removes the paneling from the rear door and finds a metal pipe with blood all over it. Up in Abby Lab, we learn that the pipe has the blood of the victim that sent PK to prison (for which he cannot be retried) as well as the blood of the other three unsolved crimes with the same MO. And PK’s fingerprints all over it. So, a slam-dunk, it would seem, but we’re just at the halfway point, so clearly that’s not going to be the case. Besides, it doesn’t get us any closer to finding OW. But we fade to a satisfied Abby and Bishop black and white. For now.

Pauley Perrette as Abby and Duane Henry as Reeves in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Back in the Bull Pen of Orangey Goodness, we learn that PK was a no-show at work, and the tracking device led them to his apartment, and his coat, with a note pinned to it. “Strike Three.” Then suddenly, PK’s cellphone shows as being back on, and the GPS shows it’s located at OW’s nursing home. Sure enough, OW is back in her room, safe and sound. She tells Gibbs it was definitely PK and she thought she was dead. PK threatened to kill her nephew if she didn’t go with him. He drove her to a wooded area, tied her up, locked her in the trunk for some unknown length of time, then let her go. PK gave OW his cellphone and told her to turn it on when she was dropped off at the nursing home. PK told her, “Those who talk get what’s coming to them.”

We shift to McGee’s and Reeves is on the phone with Abby. Some back-and-forth with BC, then Reeves takes his call to the next room and lets McGee play “psycho sitter.” BC thinks McGee would relax more if the two got to know each other better. Oh boy. BC has figured out McGee is a new daddy by the “pungent smell of spit-up” and offers up his own daddy issues. McGee caves and starts to talk about how tiring it’s been, and BC assures him if he simply loves his kids, they will be fine. He also mentions that his own parents had no time for him and look how well he turned out, earning a double take from McGee. Ha and gah. Enter Reeves, who wants to know if BC has any clue where PK would hide out, maybe he shared one of his old hideout locations with BC when they were in jail together. BC doesn’t think so, and McGee questions that. BC is offended that his new BFF would think he’d lie to him, after they’d just bonded over childhood stories. Reeves and I are all, what the? But we get nowhere and hop back over to Gibbs and Sloane.

Gibbs looks a bit stressed out, and he comes into Sloane’s office and closes the door behind him, leaning back on it. She’s all, “Yikes, I know that face.” Gibbs says it’s PK, they aren’t any closer to finding him. Sloane tells him how she called in a favor and got his juvie records. (You’d think she’d have pulled that string in all the months they shadowed PK, but maybe she needed an on-the-record reason.) She learns that PK was abused by his father as a child, and all of his murder victims are powerful men in some position of authority. So, this is the daddy-issues episode? Sloane says killing those men gives PK the sense of authority and power he craves. Gibbs mentions how PKL doesn’t fit that mold, which is precisely what is worrying Sloane. She says his profile has changed, now he’s killing with an agenda, which makes him more dangerous. Gibbs asks her why PK spared OW. Sloane says it’s not because he has a conscience, it’s for some other reason. They piece together that PK gave OW his phone and left the coat tracker in his apartment to split up the team. Divide and conquer. Gibbs calls Fornell, who went back to his garage office to look over the PK files again.

French Stewart as Paul Triff and Sean Murray as McGee in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We shift there in time to see Fornell’s phone get smashed with the end of a metal baseball bat. Ruh roh. PK comments that Gibbs must have caught on. Hence the phone smashing — he saw who was calling. Fornell is seated in his chair, alive but banged up, with blood splattered on his shirt. PK asks him if he knows what comes after strike three, and Fornell says, “Strike four?” then comments on how he’s not a sports guy. Heh. He’s definitely not defiant now, though, as PK taunts him with a bat. PK looks over the board with all the info about his case, saying how he’s been looking forward to this for 10 years, then suddenly turns and asks Fornell if there was anything he wanted to say. Fornell tells him he’s weaker than he expected. Possibly hoping to enrage him so he ends the torture and puts him out of his misery? I don’t know. But it doesn’t work. PK tells him he’s not getting off that easy, and says, “Two birds, one stone.” Which we assume means he’s waiting for Gibbs. What, he thinks Gibbs is just going to stroll in and let himself get thwacked? No. So what, then? We have to wait to find out as he pushes his bat under Fornell’s chin, forcing his head all the way back, as we fade to black and white.

Gibbs, Torres and Bishop bang into Fornell’s house, guns drawn, but he’s gone, as is PK. PK did leave Fornell’s license on the board, with a smear of blood over his face. His calling card for all his previous victims. We see the silver sedan zooming through traffic with Fornell bound and in the trunk. He’s grappling at loose items in the trunk, but we don’t know what. We hop over to McGee’s, where Reeves is apologizing but saying he has to go help with the Fornell thing, and McGee tells him he’ll be fine, commenting on how BC has actually been helpful. Reeves replies that that’s what makes him nervous, prompting McGee to agree, and he tells him to hurry back. McGee and BC talk and McGee reminds him his deal was to help them catch PK. BC corrects him and says his deal was to help them find PK. McGee says that’s the same thing. BC tells McGee he has no idea what a wild animal will do to keep from being put back in his cage. McGee asks BC if he’s talking about PK or himself. BC bangs the cage wall and says, “Now you’re catching on.” So creepy.

French Stewart as Paul Triff in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

Reeves gets to HQ right when Bishop gets a call saying they got a hit on PK’s stolen car, which turns out is parked right outside McGee’s place. Excellent. So now we see how this is going to play out. Grotesquely brilliant. Back at McGee’s, BC is getting hangry, then the doorbell rings and McGee doesn’t look through the eye hole, he just opens the door and seeing no one there, steps out into the hall. Doesn’t draw his gun, nada. I mean, I get he doesn’t think that’s necessary, but given the situation, seriously? But since we’re buying he has a serial killer in a cage in his living room, why not? He steps out into the hall and into the business end of PK’s gun. My eyes hurt from rolling. (I get tired of McGee doing stupid things when we know he’s not stupid.) PK turns McGee around, relieves him of his service revolver and walks him back into the apartment.

BC starts to talk smack to PK, about how he took a lot longer to get there and how he took pity on him, being stupid enough to tell BC about everything he’d done, and why don’t you let your mentor out of his cage? McGee is convinced they’re all going to die as PK alternately aims his gun at McGee and BC. You can see PK start to unravel under BC’s merciless rundown of PK’s faults, and we’re back to daddy issues again. PK comes right up to face BC through the cage, saying BC just signed his death warrant, but before he can shoot BC through the cage wall, BC pushes the unlocked (!?!) cage door open, banging into PK, and diving in front of McGee as PK gets a shot off, hitting BC through the shoulder. McGee finally does something smart as he and BC hit the floor, grabbing his spare gun, strapped under the coffee table, and shooting at PK as he takes off out of the apartment. BC is all, “I’ve been hit, man down,” and OK, so it’s funny and gruesome all at the same time. (Darn you, French!)

McGee and I want to know how long BC has had his cage door unlocked as he checks to make sure the bullet exited out the back. It did, and he tells BC he’ll be fine. BC wants McGee to get a towel, so his blood doesn’t irreparably harm the 200-year-old French oak flooring, and McGee is all, “Is that really important right now?” as we’re letting PK get away. Not that McGee can run off after him anyway, given he’s got another serial killer to deal with. Let that sink in. Oh, why start now?

PK strolls out of the apartment into a super-busy amount of people for an evening, just as Gibbs and Torres roll up. They bail out and pull their guns, then PK pulls his. Torres shouts, “Gun,” as people start diving for cover. (So many people. I know it’s the city, but it just seems like … a lot.) PK manages to run to his car (which, for there being so many people, is parked conveniently right there). He peels out as Fornell shouts angrily from the trunk, where he is still bound and gagged. Gibbs sends Torres up to check on McGee and takes off after PK.

Wilmer Valderrama as Torres in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

In the trunk, Fornell is using a tire pump to cut through the tape binding his wrists as PK tears through traffic, Gibbs right behind him. PK loses Gibbs, who is looking down side streets, as Fornell gets himself loose then kicks the backseat open enough to climb out and put his hands around a very surprised PK’s neck. As they careen through the city streets, let’s hope PK doesn’t crash into some unsuspecting car full of innocent folks. No, just a bunch of parked cars. So, we have that going for us. PK takes a header into the windshield and Fornell manages to get out of the car in one banged-up piece. He drags PK out of the car and they roll around in the street suddenly devoid of traffic while Fornell punches PK in the face a lot. That part I’m perfectly fine with. Then it’s BC on top of Fornell, choking him to death … which he might have done if Gibbs hadn’t taser-dart him in the back. Gibbs sends juice through the dart a few more times, saying he likes Fornell’s toy, while Fornell asks him what took so long. You guys.

Back at HQ, McGee is on the phone with Delilah, telling her it’s safe to come home, and no, there’s nothing else he needs to tell her. He ends the call, and Torres tells him he’s so proud of how good McGee is getting at lying. McGee wonders if he should just tell his wife the truth. And Torres is all, What, tell her you almost got shot and how you owe your life to BC? McGee agrees that it might be best to keep that to himself. BC is wheeled in just then and agrees with McGee. Torres grudgingly thanks BC for his help on the case. BC says it was worth it to get out of jail for a few days. McGee reminds him he got shot, and BC says it still wasn’t the worst vacation he’d had. Heh. McGee asks BC why he took the bullet for him, and BC says it’s what a BFF does, prompting a “What’s that now?” from Bishop. Then BC adds how if McGee died, then someone else would move into his beloved apartment, and he can’t have some millennial hanging movie posters on his Venetian plaster, not after all the blood, sweat and tears he put into the place. (Oh no, he didn’t. Oh yes, he did.) McGee says seeing how BC saved his life, there was something he needed to say. BC cuts him off, saying how he’d be happy to be godfather to the twins. HA. They’re family now, BC tells him, and nobody goes against family. Well. As long as the serial killer is on your side, then, sure. Reeves rolls BC to the elevator as Torres is all, “Bruh, please let me be there when you tell Delilah the good news.” Me, too!

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Joe Spano as Fornell in NCIS. (Photo: Eddy Chen, CBS)

We end the episode in the best way possible. Down in Gibbs’ basement, as he’s taking the straps off the boat that is looking mighty fine now. Enter Fornell, carrying a file box, telling Gibbs how he could help him spruce the place up, like he did his garage. Heh. He says a 4K TV would look great on the wall, and Gibbs mentions how he’s got a TV. Fornell glances at the old unit on the shelf and says he’ll alert the Smithsonian. You guys. The love. Fornell thanks Gibbs for helping him rectify the mistake he made 10 years ago, and Gibbs replies that he’s made plenty of mistakes himself. Fornell is just glad PK is back back behind bars. Gibbs comments that he heard the FBI was considering reinstating him. Fornell turned them down, saying he likes being his own boss. (So do we!) Gibbs says nothing, which Fornell takes to mean Gibbs thinks he’s crazy. Gibbs says it’s his life, do what makes him happy. Fornell tells him he’s got room for a partner. (That’s a show I’d watch!) Fornell turns and picks up a slip of paper and hands it to Gibbs. An itemized bill for services rendered. Gibbs gives him a look, and Fornell is all, “I gave you the friends-and-family discount.” Fornell turns to go, and Gibbs, looking at the bill, is all, “Dry cleaning?” Fornell says it was a pleasure doing business and let’s do it again soon. Yes, please! Fade to a happy black and white.

Ahh … crazy plot holes and configurations aside, if you just roll with it? Fun episode. Fornell and French? I mean, come on, you just have to. Ahahahahaha.

Welcome back!

While we’re at it, let’s welcome back the weekly giveaway, too! The second full-length novel in my Blue Hollow Falls series, Bluestone & Vine, comes out this June. (Not too much longer to wait!) Want to catch up on the goings-on before that happens? I can help with that! Drop me an e-mail to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Yes, take me to Blue Hollow Falls!” in the subject line, and you’re in the running for a signed copy of Blue Hollow Falls, the first book in the series, and a copy of the tide-me-over Christmas e-novella, The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls, too! I know, I give and I give. It’s the least I can do, really. After all, we’re family now. And you don’t go against family.

If you want to dish on this episode, or the season in general, please feel free to do that, too! I always enjoy hearing your perspective on things.

I’m happy to say that I’ll see you back here next week for another new episode! I’ll announce the giveaway winner then, too.

Same bat time, same bat station. (Too soon?)

Donna Kauffman is the USA TODAY (and Wall Street Journal!) bestselling author of 70-plus titles, translated and sold in more than 26 countries around the world. Born into the maelstrom of Washington, D.C. politics, she now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, thankfully surrounded by a completely different kind of wildlife. You can check that out for yourself and more at www.donnakauffman.com. She loves to hear from her readers (and NCIS viewers!). You can write to her at donna@donnakauffman.com or visit her on Facebook or Instagram.

MORE ON HEA: See a fun Down & Dirty interview with Donna and read what she learned while writing Blue Hollow Falls

EVEN MORE: See more of Donna’s NCIS posts

Dee Davis

Years ago when we moved from Texas to Manhattan, we knew that we were downsizing in a major way. So we went through our stuff and decided what to keep and what we’d sacrifice for the sake of living in NYC. One of the things chosen to go was my grandmother’s Hamilton Beach mixer. The old heavy-duty guy with two white bowls, a spinning table and a detachable hand mixer.

I had a newer KitchenAid, so with heavy heart I knew this one had to go. It sold pretty much the minute we opened the garage sale. And though I tried hard to move on, a part of me mourned the loss of that fixture in my grandmother’s kitchen. Fast-forward several years to Christmastime in NYC. As we sat around the tree opening our presents, I got to a big box from my husband. I opened it and pulled out an old Hamilton Beach mixer — complete with electric tape around the frayed cord to prevent a shock.

It wasn’t just a Hamilton Beach mixer. It was my grandmother’s Hamilton Beach mixer. My husband had taken it off the table at the garage sale, knowing that someday I was going to admit how much I wished I hadn’t sold it. That very year, I’d finally confessed my sadness. And voila, he wrapped the mixer and gave it back to me. And 16 years later, the mixer still sits in my kitchen alongside its KitchenAid cousin.

In romance, the grand gesture is in important way of showing a loved one that we truly care. It’s a way to share that we understand the person we love and are willing to act upon that understanding. It’s often used as a device in romance novels for the hero or heroine to prove their love. But in truth, the grand gesture can be between any two people who care about each other. Siblings, parents, kids, relatives or friends.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

In this week’s episode of This Is Us, the grand gesture has a starring role. Vegas, Baby, directed by Joanna Kerns and written by Laura Kenar, centers around Toby and Kate’s respective bachelor and bachelorette parties in Las Vegas, with the present-day festivities set against Rebecca and Jack’s anniversary celebrations.

The show opens in the past at a bowling alley where Jack and Rebecca are celebrating their first anniversary. Rebecca (following the anniversary gifting guide — paper) gives Jack a notebook in which she’s carefully pasted all of the pieces of paper with Jack’s scribblings. Jack has the bowling alley dim the lights and play Stevie Wonder’s As, spotlighting the two of them as they have a solo anniversary dance.

Cut to their fourth anniversary as a pregnant Rebecca presents Jack with his own hammer since everyone is always stealing his at work. Jack gives Rebecca a piano so that she can continue her quest to be a singer. Finally, we move to another anniversary when the kids are still young and we find that Rebecca has forbidden Jack the grand gesture. “No big gifts, no guilt.”

In the present, we find Beth and Randall talking with Deja. Deja admits that her mom can’t pay the rent, that the heat is off and that her mom is down to her last $89. Deja didn’t know where else to turn. Randall offers Deja money to help. Moving forward in time, we find Randall and Beth packing for a trip to Vegas for Kate’s and Toby’s parties. Randall is worrying about Deja, and Beth chides him, saying that they need the time away.

Meanwhile, in L.A., Toby and Kate are getting ready to leave. Toby is concerned because he has no one to invite. Kate says that her brothers will be there and admits that she never spends time with Beth and isn’t sure that she wants to. Madison is there and promises it’ll be a party to remember. Toby isn’t so sure.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Moving back to the past, we find Jack in the kitchen making pancakes with the kids on the morning of their anniversary. Kevin asks why Jack and Rebecca are not doing something special for their anniversary. Jack tells him they’re taking a year off. All three kids volunteer to do something to make the anniversary special instead. Jack figures, technically, that’d be OK.

As Beth enjoys the limo on the way to their hotel in Vegas, Randall continues to worry about Deja. Randall tells Beth he simply can’t detach like she can. That she’s the head and he’s the heart. This goes over just about as well as you’d expect it to. Sometimes, guys just don’t think through what they’re saying. Beth reminds him that Deja is no longer a part of their lives.

Meanwhile, Kevin has already arrived at the hotel. His room is stocked with a minibar. He’s counted the tiny bottles of alcohol — 27 in all. And when the maid arrives to bring towels, he explains to her that this is his Mount Everest. He will conquer the bottles, and when he leaves, there will still be 27. And he’ll leave her a hundred-dollar tip to celebrate.

Beth, dressed to the nines, arrives at Kate’s suite and Randall and Kevin arrive at Toby’s. As the girls party, sipping drinks, Beth indulges straight from the bottle. Toby’s friends, sort of dweeby guys that clearly aren’t his best buds, are at his party as well. As Toby’s party moves to a restaurant, conversation moves to the bachelor party Kevin gave Randall at a seedy strip club. Apparently, Randall persuaded two of the strippers to quit their jobs while Kevin dated one of the women for a year.

Chrissy Metz as Kate and Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Kevin leaves the table when he sees an actress he co-starred in the Ron Howard movie with. The woman tells Kevin that she’s been cut out of the movie. And since she played his love interest, he assumes he was cut as well. Panicking, he sees the drinks at the bar and clearly wants one. But instead, he goes back to the table and tells Toby he has to leave because he isn’t feeling well. Shortly after that, Randall talks to Deja, who tells him she’s fine … but the scene reveals that she’s not. Concerned, Randall ditches the party, too, to go find Beth.

Set against a background of Brand New Way to Be Me (David Tobin, Jeff Meegan, Mark Armstrong), we see Toby and his remaining friends heading to the casino and the girls partying down at a strip show. While Kevin fights against the urge to empty his minibar and Beth gets her groove on at the show, Randall searches the crowd for his wife.

In the past, Kevin and Jack work on getting groceries for Kevin’s planned special meal while Rebecca takes Randall and Kate to the library for research, not knowing they’re working on the plan for the big anniversary surprise.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Back in the present, Randall finds Beth and tells her that he’s worried about Deja, that his parental bells rang hard even though she denied that anything was wrong. Beth is upset that Randall is bringing this up now, in the middle of the party. She tells him she just wanted one night off. A break from “all of this.” Randall is frustrated and angry at her reaction. The two trade barbs, and Kate, whose party it is after all, intervenes. Beth basically tells her to back off. “It’s not a big-three moment.” Kate tells her she knows that. Randall has made it perfectly clear who is most important to him.

There is a moment of stunned silence, then Kate tries to apologize, but Beth is having none of it. Kate leaves to get some fresh air as Beth walks off, leaving Randall to watch, clearly torn between his wife and his sister.

Back in the past, the dinner party is going badly. The Cornish game hens Kevin has fixed for Rebecca aren’t cooked because Jack forgot to turn on the oven. Kevin is upset, certain that now Jack and Rebecca will get divorced. Jack, shocked, asks why he thinks that. Kevin tells him, “Sophie’s parents are getting divorced and you guys don’t even want to celebrate your anniversary.”

Jack assures Kevin that there isn’t going to be a divorce. Relieved, Kevin switches gears and tells Jack that it’s time for the kids to go to bed.

Chris Sullivan as Toby in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Meanwhile, in the present, Kate is sitting at the slot machines on her own. Randall finds her and when she asks how, he tells her that she’s the only woman still drinking cosmos in 2018. Kate replies, “Carrie Bradshaw, that girl is timeless.” She then asks him if he and Beth are OK. And Randall tells her that they are fine. They have a blow-up like that every two years or so. He then tells her that Beth wanted to make sure that Kate was all right.

By way of explanation, Kate says, “I just want you to know that I pride myself on being the first person to realize that Randall Pearson was the coolest human being ever.” She goes on to tell him that lots of people think it’s always all about Kate and Kevin, but that the year after their dad died, it changed to Kate and Randall eating Hot Pockets and watching their mother pretend to be OK. They watched Sex and the City before binge-watching became a thing. So the bottom line was that Kate always knew she was going to lose Randall to someone as cool as Beth, but she wasn’t ready for it to happen so fast.

Randall cuts her off and tells her that she could never lose him. And also that he watched Sex and the City because she loved it. They share a sibling moment, and we are reminded again that relationships are complicated and compounded by the other relationships we have in our lives. And the roles we play in those relationships are constantly evolving and shifting. This is one of the things that I think makes the writing on This Is Us so very good.

Sterling K. Brown as Randall and Justin Hartley as Kevin in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Kate then asks Randall about Toby’s party, and he confesses that he and Kevin bailed. Kate tells him that Toby’s “friends” were fillers and that he wanted the party to be about him and Kevin and Randall. About them getting closer — becoming family.

Repentant, Kevin and Randall show up at Toby’s hotel room door. The first of our grand gestures. After trying to act like he doesn’t care that they left, Toby jumps at the chance for the three of them to go for a walk.

In the past, Jack and Rebecca are cleaning up the kitchen and waiting for the Cornish game hens to be cooked. Rebecca admits that she really missed giving Jack a gift even if his gift to her would have been a better one. She apologizes for “de-Jacking” him. They agree to never do it again and head up to their bedroom.

Decorated with fairy lights and a trail of arrows leading to the window, Jack and Rebecca find a card that says “go out on the roof, lie down, hold hands and look up.” Included with the note is an announcement that there is going to be a meteor shower. (Randall’s research at the library.) Rebecca smiles at Jack and tells him he has created “mini-yous.”

Our second grand gesture (the first in the past if you don’t count Jack’s) comes from the Pearson kids — first with Kevin’s dinner attempt and then with Randall and Kate’s planning for the romantic encounter on the roof. And the beautiful part of this is not just the moment in the past, but the fact that the seeds have been sewn to carry over into the present.

Back in Las Vegas, Kate knocks on Beth’s hotel room door and tells her that Madison is passed out in the suite and snores. She asks if she can come in. Beth, not sure what to make of Kate’s arrival, asks her inside. Sucking up her courage, Kate (in our third grand gesture) admits to Beth that she has always had trouble making friends, especially with strong women. “So when Randall met you, I was always intimidated. You were flawless. When I was a waitress, you were getting a master’s degree and building a house. You have a meaningful job, bought a building and foster kids. I sing and I adopted a puppy.”

Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth, Lyric Ross as Deja and Sterling K. Brown as Randall in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

Beth, stunned by this revelation, tells Kate that fostering is the hardest thing she’s ever done. “I went and got myself attached to this little girl, and now she’s gone, and I have been trying not to think about her, but I keep wondering, is she OK?”

For the first time, we see what Beth tries to keep so carefully controlled. What Randall allows her to feel because he gives love so easily. And Kate, in offering her grand gesture and admitting her insecurities, is allowed into, at least a little, Beth’s inner sanctum.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Randall confess to Toby why they bailed. Kevin because he’s afraid his career has tanked — again. And Randall because he’s worried for Deja. Toby then confesses that he has a brother who is six years younger, but he has never had a relationship with him, even though he wanted to. The kid rejected him long ago. So, Toby admits, he was excited about a second chance to have brothers.

He then goes on (in the fourth grand gesture) to remind Kevin that Kevin Costner was cut from The Big Chill but hit it big anyway five years later. And that Kevin should call Ron Howard and respectfully tell him that he made a mistake cutting Kevin from the film. He then tells Randall that he doesn’t have any advice about Deja, but if “you’re beating yourself up about anything, then the rest of the world should collectively jump in front of a train.”

The perfect supportive brother — who not only wants to belong, he cares enough to have truly listened to what they’ve been telling him.

On the roof, in the past, Jack and Rebecca eat Cornish game hens and watch the meteor shower. Jack tells her that the information Randall left included the idea that “meteor showers are always up there whizzing around, we just never notice them. Only once in a while do we see how spectacular they really are.” He then tells Rebecca that he sees how truly spectacular she is every day.

The key to being able to make a grand gesture is to know what the other person needs and wants, and to do that, you have to truly see them every day.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

The scene shifts to earlier with Kevin and Jack coming home from the grocery. Kevin asks if Jack thinks the hens are big enough. And Jack tells him, “It’s not about the hens, kiddo. The big grand gesture is not about the actual thing that you do.”

(We see Toby, Randall and Kevin walking together enjoying Vegas.)

“It’s not about what you say, it’s about intent.”

(We see Jack and Rebecca together on the roof.)

“It’s about taking the time to tell the person you care about — I see you. I hear you.”

(We see Beth finding a candy box outside her room with a note from Kate.)

“That I know exactly what you need right now and I’m showing you how important that is to me.”

Jack, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Grand gestures are only grand when they truly come from the heart.

Finally, against Houndmouth’s Sedona, we see Kevin following Toby’s advice and calling Ron Howard only to find out he wasn’t cut from the film. Just the romance. And Ron Howard goes on to tell Kevin that his scenes with Stallone were some of the best he’s ever shot. We then see the maid in the hotel room counting the bottles, all 27, and finding the $100 tip that Kevin left her.

Parker Bates as Kevin, Lonnie Chavis as Randall and Mackenzie Hancsicsak as Kate in This Is Us. (Photo: Ron Batzdorff, NBC)

The scene moves then to Beth and Randall on their way home in N.J. Randall apologizes to Beth for making her always be the reasonable one. He tells her that he knows they made a decision to let Deja go and that they have to stick with it. Beth tells him she loves him for being all heart. And he admits that it’s time to move on.

Beth, however, has other ideas. She tells the driver to turn left at the next intersection and then smiles at Randall. “I think I’m going to be the one with heart today.” (The final grand gesture of the episode.)

They arrive at Deja’s apartment to find out that she and her mother have been kicked out. Leaving the building, Beth sees Deja asleep in her mother’s car. Beth knocks on the window, and her worried gaze locks with Deja’s as we cut to Deja’s mom awakening in the front seat. The camera pans back to Randall and Beth, and we know that the decision to let Deja go has changed.

Two more episodes left in the season. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

See you next week!

When not sitting at the computer writing, bestselling author Dee Davis spends her time exploring Connecticut with her husband and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. Known for her romantic suspense and time-travel novels, her latest book is Fade to Gray. Visit her at www.deedavis.com.

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