Who negotiates with the negotiator?
A perfectly reasonable reaction to missing your buddy!
But thats not where we start!
Wilmer Valderrama as Nick Torres in the ‘NCIS’ season 22 premiere, ‘Empty Nest’.Michael Yarish/CBS
The hostage taker turns out to be Knight, who politely offers Ross tea, bourbon, and snacks.
(Hey, shes used to defusing hostage situations, not causing them.)
), but our gloriously tressed agent insists thats not the issue.
A lawyer who makes house er, work calls?
Thats amazingly good service!
And its why Knight requested Ross specifically: Moreno trusts her.
But Knight sums up the entireNCISethos when she says, The personal stuffisthe important part.
Indeed, thats why we tune in week after week!
In California, Parker and Knight stake the possible locations of the cartel hideout where Torres might be held.
Sure enough, they spot a tied-up Torres being herded from a likely warehouse into a windowless van.
But Torres doesnt want to be rescued.
He insists on staying undercover to have a go at prevent the hit and nab El Padre.
In truth, it could be better!
Parker reluctantly agrees to let Torres stay undercover, which incenses Kasie when she hears about it.
I… guess that explains his reluctance to help McGee earlier.
It does not explain why hes been popping mints into his maw every time weve seen him.
Knight assures Ross that this is just part of the negotiator’s playbook.
And he calls Knight out for being fully aware of that.
Knight admits that she recognized the band, but neither of them knows who actually dropped it.
We’re derailed from this track when the priest slides into the cartel warehouse.
But Parker doesn’t trust her gut and lets Pike go.
Knight spots it, pulls her gun, and locks them in.
And with that, Ross and the audience are caught up.
What happens next is a pounding on the door that tells Knight her hostage negotiator calculus was off.
Knight admits that sheisstill working through her break-up issues with her team, then unlocks the door for Parker.
This gets Ross to flip and give them Torres' location just in time.
His hit target was Moreno, whose ex stole cartel money to pay child support.
(Knights got a bit more to wrap up in California.)
Finally, the premiere’s final minutes drop some major bombs.
That needs to be clarified when it comes toNCIS.)
So theres a flashing suspicious!
