Writer:	David North
Director:	James Whitmore Jr.
Star:	Michael Weatherly (Special Agent Tony DiNozzo),  Mark Harmon (Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs),  Lauren Holly (NCIS Director Jenny Shepard),  David McCallum (Dr. Ducky Mallard),  Sean Murray (Special Agent Tim McGee),  Cote de Pablo (Mossad Agent Ziva David),  Pauley Perrette (Forensics Specialist Abby Sciuto)
Recurring Role:	Brian Dietzen (Jimmy Palmer)
Guest Star:	Connor Trinneer (James Dempsey),  Tim Russ (Jerry Kemper),  Tamara Taylor (NCIS Special Agent Cassie Yates),  Alex Nesic (Alex Rudd),  Rodney Scott (Brian Dempsey)

Original International Airdates:
Finland: February 23, 2008 on Nelonen
Germany: December 10, 2006 on SAT1
Italy: January 07, 2007 on RAI 2
Sweden: November 12, 2006 on TV3
Denmark: May 9, 2006 on TV3 (edit) CBS repeated this episode on July 21, 2006 and October 24, 2006. (edit) In another Star Trek similarity, there is a reference to one of Gibbs's Rules. While this is ongoing in the series, it is similar to the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. (edit) This episode has a few connections to popular Star Trek series - two of the guest stars (Connor Trinneer, who played chief engineer Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise, and Tim Russ, who was Lt. Commander Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, and a remark by Dinozzo to Officer David in which he quips that she might apply the Vulcan death grip to him. Also, the director of this episode (James Whitmore Jr.) directed two Star Trek: Enterprise episodes. (edit)

Abby: Oh my god. I've turned into my Uncle Larry. (edit) Jenny: Gibbs thinks of me as a wife.
James: See.
Jenny: He’s had three. (edit) Ziva: I didn't touch him... Hardly at all. (edit) Director Shepard: Are you ever going to say something?
Gibbs: Have a drink. (edit) Tony: I'm afraid you'll put the Vulcan death grip on me. (edit)

TRIVIA: As Ziva walks toward the Director's kidnapper, she has her hands raised. As the camera angle changes from front to back, her forearms change from vertical to sloped inward. (edit) Gibbs Rules:
Rule #09 - Always carry a knife. (used in a conversation between Tony and Abby) (edit)

Yet another Star Trek reference, Ducky had Palmer get him a cup of Earl Grey tea. Earl Grey is Capt. Picard's ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") beverage of choice. (edit) DiNozzo teases Ziva with the line from Kung Fun, and snatching a pebble away from the hand of the master. Which she does. (edit) When James Dempsey orders Ziva to approach her while holding Director Jenny Shepard hostage, Ziva is shown to have her weapon taped to her back. In the 1988 blockbuster "Die Hard", John McClane also has his gun taped to his back as he approaches Hans Gruber who is holding his wife hostage. (edit) While taping the dead Brian Dempsey's hands to the steering wheel, Tony says "It's show time Bernie." This is a reference to the 1989 movie "Weekend at Bernie's" where two guys pretend their dead boss is still alive. (edit)