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NCIS Season 8 Episode 22

Baltimore

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AIRED: May 03, 2011

8.8

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Episode Summary

EDIT

When Tony's former partner Danny Price is found murdered and linked to the Port-to-Port serial killer, Tony flashes back to his days as a detective in Baltimore and recounts his first meeting with Gibbs.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (12)

In This Episode Tony's Ex-Partner Is Killed By The Port-To-Port Killer And We See Some Important And Interesting Flashbacks.

10

By Matt16020-FIN, Jan 23, 2013

From the moment I first heard that Tony worked in Baltimore P.D, I knew we would get a flashback episode centered to him some day. And this is it. "Baltimore" is a very good episode and it does a good job in keeping the viewer's interest throughout. I also liked the twists here. For example, how Tony met Gibbs for the first time was clever and unpredictable. Also, I did not see it coming that Danny wasn't killed by the serial killer (he was killed by a copycat killer.). How the story lines come together was well done. Michael Weatherly gives one of his greatest performances here. Do not miss this great episode!moreless
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Could have been better

7.0

By naldro, Mar 27, 2012

It was nice to see how Gibbs and Tony met. But it could have been a little better. Why didn't they show more people from NCIS. I mean they had Agent Pacci, the agent who appeared in a few episodes in Season 1 before being killed off but that's all. Why wasn't Director Morrow there? Or how about Sheppard? Though I'm sure Lauren Holly burned her bridges with the show. How about Agent Burley from the episode High Seas who said he worked with Gibbs. Or how about Langer who said that he worked with Gibbs before joining the FBI. How about Agent Sharpe who appeared in the episodes Enemies Foreign and Enemies Demestic. Or even Vance, they could have made another crack about the danish he owes Gibbs.moreless
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6.0

By thefanof, Oct 26, 2011

NCIS meets The Wire? Well, that is what I was hoping for when I heard that this episode was titled "Baltimore" but unfortunately it was nothing like that. Even by recent NCIS standards the episode disappointed. The backstory of Tony DiNozzo should have been more exciting, but instead they used every single cliche in the book: the crooked cop, the joking around. Just a really lame set of flashbacks for sure.

I liked seeing Gibbs as the undercover cop and DiNozzo chasing the man down to reveal Jethro, that was cool, but nothing about the episode was really that enjoyable outside of that.

Okay episode, I don't want to hate on it too much, but nothing special here.moreless
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A great episode!! Unexpected development-one of the best episodes !

10

By yuritanMB, Oct 25, 2011

This episode is what NCIS is all about, A P2P hunted serial killer that appears to have made his first mistake turned out to be totally false, It looked like the team is on its trail which turned out to be a chase for a copying killer. Then the extra surprise came-in: the copying killer was guided by the real P2P serial killer. The information the P2P killer fed the copying killer was internal info from within NCIS raing the sensation that he is either an insider or he somehow managed to break into the computer system of the upper echelon of the Naval Command. To add to my enjoiment of this episode the "guest team" was in Hawaii and I truely hope that they stay there, especially their leader EJ To summarize- A GREAT EPISODEmoreless
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The episode I've waited 8 years for...

10

By braves_snl, Sep 14, 2011

The recent "NCIS" episode "Baltimore" is one that I have been waiting to see for a very long time. And, it's the episode that I've anticipated the most this season when the show runner Shane Brennan announced before season eight that the show would include origins episodes this season, showing how some characters made their way to NCIS. The character that immediately interested me the most in finding out how they got to NCIS when I first heard this was Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly. Fans of "NCIS" have always known that DiNozzo came to NCIS from being a detective with the Baltimore PD, but we've never seen flashbacks to this or gotten the whys and hows until this episode. "NCIS" gets into the flashback of this episode very smoothly by incorporating the current Port-to-Port (or P2P) serial killer arc as Tony's former partner, Danny, played by "ER" alum Scott Grimes, is killed by P2P. This leads to flashbacks about the final case Tony and Danny worked before Tony met Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and left for NCIS. The details of the episode aren't really all that important, though "Baltimore" is certainly one of the better episodes of "NCIS" this season. The interesting thing about the episode was seeing Weatherly as a younger Tony, a more (if you can believe it) brash and cocky Tony than the one that we're used to seeing on "NCIS." It was also extremely interesting to see how Tony and Gibbs interacted around each other at first. The first meeting to two actually involved Tony tackling and then punching Gibbs after busting him as a suspect, when in fact Gibbs was working the same case as Tony and Danny for NCIS undercover. A few interesting tidbits from "Baltimore" that I particularly liked is that we get the sense that both Tony and Gibbs are highly impressed with each other from the very start. It's the father-son type relationship that we've seen time and time again through the show's eight seasons. I also liked that we get two more of Gibbs' famous rules: Rule #5- You don't waste good & Rule #35- Always watch the watchers. We also see the first ever head slap that Gibbs gives to Tony toward the end of the episode and the hilarious reaction by Tony after being slapped for the first time, find out that Tony had a fiancé named Wendy at the time he came to NCIS and get an interesting "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid" quote from Gibbs that thoroughly impresses Tony, "I got vision and the rest of the world is wearing bifocals." The entire episode shows off fine acting performances by both Weatherly and Harmon.

The two origins episodes done by "NCIS" this season on Tony and Vance (played by Rocky Carroll) have been two of the finer episodes of the season. I only hope that we get origins episodes in the future for the characters of Abby (played by Pauley Perrette) and Ducky (played by David McCallum).moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Mark Harmon	Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
David McCallum	Chief M.E. Ducky Mallard
Cote de Pablo	Special Agent Ziva David
Sean Murray (I)	Special Agent Tim McGee
Pauley Perrette	Forensics Specialist Abby Sciuto
Michael Weatherly	Special Agent Tony DiNozzo

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Scott Grimes	Detective Danny Price	Guest Star
Sean Cullen	Police Major Frank Raimey	Guest Star
Chad Lindberg	Joey Peanuts	Guest Star
Tim Kelleher	NCIS Special Agent Chris Pacci	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly on NCI...

© 2011 CBS Corporation
Scott Grimes and Michael Weatherly on NC...

© 2011 CBS Corporation
Scott Grimes and Michael Weatherly on NC...

© 2011 CBS Corporation
Michael Weatherly and Scott Grimes on NC...

© 2011 CBS Corporation

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- GOOF: No mention is made of NCIS Agent Stan Burley who appeared in episode 1x06 as someone who had worked for Gibbs for 5 years before Tony, which means Burley would still have been with Gibbs at this time.
  EDIT SHARE
- TRIVIA: Tony was engaged when he joined NCIS. His fiancée's name was Wendy. Wendy was Tony's High School music teacher.
  EDIT SHARE
- TRIVIA: Gibbs' rule #5 is "Don't waste good", while rule #35 is "Watch the watchers."
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- TRIVIA: Tony received his Mighty Mouse stapler from his former boss, Police Major Frank Raimey, as a prize for winning the Baltimore Police Department Pool Championship.
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QUOTES (13)
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- (Ducky and Abby come to the team to explain the mystery behind the typo)
  Ducky: Congratulations on catching the copycat killer. However, we have another problem. Remember I told you about that e-mail from Abby concerning the typo in my report?
  Gibbs: Yeah.
  Abby: I didn't send Ducky that e-mail Gibbs.
  Ziva: Then who was it from?
  Ducky: Presumably someone who wanted us to know we were chasing a copycat killer.
  Abby: And there's only one person that could have been.
  McGee: The real one.
  Gibbs: Show me.
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- (Ziva and McGee are watching Gibbs and Tony bring in Tony's former boss in handcuffs)
  McGee: Can you imagine having to arrest Gibbs?
  Ziva: Hah! I would rather arrest my father. And I still might have to, one day, for that matter.
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- (Discussion between Ziva and McGee regarding Tony's feelings as they head to the fortune cookie shop)
  McGee: Look, I'm just saying that I think Tony is more upset than he's letting on.
  Ziva: Yes, but he and his partner had not spoken in years.
  McGee: Okay, let's say you and I hadn't spoken in years, and I get my throat slit by a serial killer.
  Ziva: I would hunt him down, and make him regret the day he was born. You're not just any partner, McGee!
  McGee: Neither is Tony.
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- (During the chase when Tony tackles Gibbs and meets him for the first time)
  Tony: Freeze, dirtbag! You can't outrun me; I'm wearing tube socks!
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- Tony: D.A. says we got enough to get a murder conviction against Lieutenant Floyd.
  Price: You came all this way to tell me that?
  Tony: Actually, I came all the way here because of what I saw in Floyd's eyes, when you got the drop on him. Something that, I spent the last two days trying to pretend I didn't see.
  Price: And what's that?
  Tony: Betrayal.
  EDIT SHARE
- (Tony is chasing a suspect during a flashback to his Baltimore P.D. days)
  Tony: I have a degree in physical education, I played Varsity Basketball at Ohio State! This isn't going to end well for you! Your money laundering days... (Tony gets hit by a car, but climbs back to his feet) ...are over!
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- Tony: Sears' alibi checks out. He's an IT consultant, but he works part-time as a birthday clown. He was twisting balloon animals for twenty kids when Price was killed.
  Ziva: Well that is disturbing.
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- (During a flashback, Tony is talking to Gibbs over the phone. Gibbs' cell phone rings in the background for the second time)
  Gibbs: Ah, I gotta get this one.
  Tony: Is that your wife again?
  Gibbs: Divorce lawyer.
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- (In a flashback, Tony is talking to Gibbs over the phone. Gibbs' phone rings in the background)
  Tony: You need to get that?
  Gibbs: No. My wife.
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- (At Dao Huang's, McGee and Ziva are surprised to learn that Mr Huang doesn't appear to be of Chinese descent.)
  McGee: I'm Agent McGee from NCIS. And this is my partner, Agent David.
  McGee: We're looking for Dao Huang.
  Huang: Well, you found him.
  McGee: Your name is Dao Huang?
  Huang: Try looking at a map sometimes, OK? China is right next to Russia. My parents immigrated from Beijing. I was adopted in Kiev. We moved to D.C.
  McGee: OK.
  Huang: Is it any stranger than an American with an Irish name? Have you ever been to Ireland?
  McGee: I...I have not. It's a very good point, I'm sorry.
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- (During a flashback to Tony's days as a Baltimore Detective)
  Raimey: Alright, now that you kiddies have had your fun, we got some business. First up, we finished the tally and we got this year's winner of the Station House Pool Championship.
  Tony: Let me guess, that would be me?
  Raimey: As a matter of fact, it is, Anthony.
  (Raimey hands him a paper bag)
  Tony: Thank you very much! Thank you! Thank you, Major. It is my second year in a row, and it's a, it's a great honor. You're my Lombardi. I thank you.
  Raimey: Enjoy.
  (Tony looks in the bag)
  Tony: Wow. A stapler. Wha, what is that?
  Raimey: Mighty Mouse.
  Tony: Mighty Mouse?
  Raimey: Found it in a garage sale. It's all I can afford on my salary.
  Tony: Very sweet of you, sir.
  Raimey: Yeah, don't mention it.
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- (During a flashback to Tony's days as a Baltimore Detective. After a prisoner tries to escape but Tony stops him)
  Tony: Everybody, I just want you to know I'm a little disappointed. PCP addicts are Friday night. It's Saturday night, which is hooker night! Where are the hookers?!
  (Two prostitutes are brought in)
  Sapphire: Hi, Tony!
  Tony: I mean the call girls. Hi Sapphire.
  Sapphire: When's the big day?
  Tony: Er...thanks for those Christmas decorations.
  Sapphire: No problem, babe!
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- (In the squad room, Gibbs holds up a report McGee wrote on the eye ball the Port-to-Port Killer left)
  Gibbs: McGee, you write this?
  McGee: Er, I did. Why? Is something wrong?
  Gibbs: (Reading from the report) 'Retinal scanner uses wave front sensing reflection points.'
  McGee: Yeah...
  Gibbs: 'Correlates the data using a point-spread function.'
  McGee: Yeah...
  Gibbs: 'Rasterizes the pupil'... 'conjugate geometry.'
  McGee: Was I too technical?
  (Gibbs throws the report in the trash can)
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NOTES (2)
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- Rocky Carroll is credited but doesn't appear.
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: May 4, 2011 on Global
  Australia: May 17, 2011 on Channel Ten
  United Kingdom: May 27, 2011 on FX/FX HD
  Sweden: September 26, 2011 on TV3
  Finland: October 18, 2011 on Nelonen
  Spain: October 21, 2011 on LaSexta
  Germany: October 30, 2011 on SAT 1
  Slovakia: January 19, 2012 on Markiza
  Czech Republic: June 25, 2012 on TV Nova
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ALLUSIONS (10)
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- During a flashback, when Tony is quizzing Gibbs about his undercover op, he compliments Gibbs as being very "Donnie Brasco."
  
  Donnie Brasco was the alias for a man named Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who worked undercover for six years to infiltrate the Mafia. In 1997, Johnny Depp played the title role in a movie loosely based on the agent's time undercover.
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- When Tony's old partner Danny is sitting in the car, opening a fortune cookie, the radio is playing a sports commentary regarding the Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. and his retirement that year (2001). The commentators discussed whether or not he'd get into the Hall of Fame based on his streaks or on his stats. Ripken didn't actually get inducted until 2007.
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- Gibbs: Boy, I got vision and the rest of the world is wearing bifocals.
  Tony: Butch Cassidy. Nice!
  
  Butch Cassidy is the titular character in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Directed by George Roy Hill, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known to history as Butch Cassidy (played by Paul Newman) and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the "Sundance Kid" (played by Robert Redford).
  EDIT SHARE
- Tony: Where's the PreCrime Unit when you need it? Remember that? In Minority Report? Colin Farrell and Tom Cruise.
  
  Tony refers to the film Minority Report (2002), starring Tom Cruise as a "PreCrime" officer who, with the help of three psychics called "precogs", investigates crimes before they happen. When the precogs supposedly show him committing a crime, he goes on the run, chased by Department of Justice Agent Danny Witwer (played by Colin Farrell), in an attempt to change his future.
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- Tony: You're my Lombardi. I thank you.
  
  Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) was an American football coach, best known for being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. The National Football League's Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor.
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- Tony: Oh, that looks painful. Very Robert Mitchum, 1955, Night of the Hunter.
  
  Robert Mitchum (1917-1997) was an American film actor, largely remembered for his work in film noir. The Night of the Hunter (1955) is a thriller film, based on the novel of the same name, and directed by Charles Laughton, starring Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish. The film draws on the true story of Harry Powers, hanged in 1932 for the murders of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
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- Tony: Who'd wanna be a navy cop? I'd rather have the plague.
  
  Tony obviously became an NCIS Agent later, and got the plague in episode 2x22 "SWAK."
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- Tony: Maybe being a cop isn't for me.
  (Gibbs smacks Tony on the head) Did you just physically assault me?
  Gibbs: I don't have a lot of rules, but rule number five is 'you don't waste good.' You're good.
  
  With Tony's headslap and Gibbs' rules, this foreshadows what will become a recurring experience for the Tony and the rest of the team.
  EDIT SHARE
- Pacci: Anything else? I'm going to head to the infirmary. My ulcer's killing me again. I'm telling ya, this stomach's going to be the death of me.
  
  Pacci foreshadows the season one episode "Dead Man Talking", in which he is killed and gutted by a former Commander who was looking for an SD card containing evidence he embezzeled money.
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- The closing scene in which Tony goes to talk to the NCIS personnel manager, discovers she's an extremely attractive woman, and smiles alludes to the season 1 episode "Hung Out To Dry". In it, Kate asked Tony how he got hired at NCIS and he replied, "I smiled."
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