Legend Part 1 is the twenty-second episode in NCIS Season 6 and also the 135th episode in the entire NCIS series.
Like the "JAG" Season 8 episodes, Ice Queen (episode) and Meltdown (episode) which introduced the original NCIS team, this episode and "Legend Part 2" both served as the first part of the two part back door pilot for a proposed spin-off series and also introduced the cast who with the exception of Lara Macy (Louise Lombard) would later go on to appear as main characters in the first ever NCIS spin-off series, NCIS: Los Angeles.
Synopsis
When a Marine is found dead at a building site in downtown Washington D.C., the NCIS team investigate and discover it's connected to a case their counterparts at the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles are working on. As Gibbs and McGee travel to LA to meet with the OSP team, they soon learn that the murder is far bigger than previously thought and that it might also involve members of an inactive terrorist cell located somewhere in downtown Los Angeles.
Prologue
On a small screen in a warehouse in Los Angeles, it closes onto a street before scrolling down the street.
As this happens, NCIS Tech Operator Eric Beale remarks that they're acquiring Blackbird and that it's East on Ocean, turning North onto Linden.
NCIS Special Agent Lara Macy asks for traffic camera acquisition.
Eric tells her that he's leaving Pictometry and that they're going live in five.
Five seconds, a traffic camera showing the on-goings in downtown Los Angeles pops up.
Eric remarks that they've got the target acquired.
In the main street, Marine Private First Class Nick Chandler is running down the street, obviously panicked with NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye behind him.
Kensi tells her friend, fellow NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna that they're crossing to the east side of the street before asking Sam if he's got him.
From a small area, Sam who's reading a newspaper tells her that he's got him.
As Kensi keeps walking down the street, Sam heads over so that he's behind Chandler.
In Ops, Macy tells them that they've got a visual with Kensi welcoming Macy or "Mace" to the "party".
Kensi remarks that they're re-positioning and back to her at the Intersection.
Sam tells Kensi to ease up and that she doesn't want to get there first.
From across the street, the two agents exchange looks and both smile, obviously amused.
In Ops, with four traffic cameras having been accessed, Macy is keeping an eye on things.
On the street, Chandler continues walking, only for a single gunshot to emerge, shattering a window and causing people to run everywhere while screaming.
This causes Sam and Kensi to draw their guns with Kensi yelling, "Shouts fired! Shouts fired! Blackbird under fire".
In Ops, Macy states, "All units, close up, close up. Shots fired".
Chandler ducks for cover, only for the back window of a SUV he's hiding behind to be shot out.
Sam also ducks for cover and as he and Kensi work on getting close, Chandler keeps on ducking.
Macy then is heard ordering for another angle with Eric telling her that he's working on it.
Sam rushes out onto the street, only to get hit by a car but he ignores the beeping and gives chase.
Chandler ducks passing cars and continues on.
A few seconds later, after jumping over two cars who have crashed into each other, Sam finds that he's lost Chandler and that the briefcase is open with money everywhere.
"Kensi, behind you!", Sam yells.
Kensi ducks just as the car crashes into one another.
Sam rushes over to her but Kensi tells him to get Chandler and to go.
Sam states that he needs a GPS heading.
Macy remarks that the GPS transmitter's in the briefcase and that they need a visual on Chandler.
Sam looks over before remarking, "That's a negative, Mace. Blackbird has flown".
It then cuts to Macy who says "Crap", obviously annoyed at the turn of events.
Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
Tony handcuffing Benji Kass.
Act Five
Back in the OSP office, as McGee works on something, Gibbs talks to DiNozzo, wondering about Stephano with DiNozzo saying that Stephano isn't talking.
Gibbs tells DiNozzo to work on it and that they need a last name for Liam.
Major Events
- Gibbs and McGee travel to Los Angeles where they meet their West Coast counterparts in the OSP (Office of Special Projects), which specializes in undercover work.
- NCIS Special Agents Lara Macy, G. Callen, Sam Hanna, Kensi Blye and Mike Renko along with Tech Operator Eric Beale and Operational Psychologist Nate Getz who are all members of the Office of the Special Projects are all introduced for the first time.
Trivia
- While Callen, Gibbs and Macy are waiting in the garage for Liam, Macy tells them that Liam is getting desperate and that losing Chandler screwed up his timetable. If you listen carefully, you can hear her say the word timetable in an English accent. This is because Louise Lombard who plays Macy is originally from the United Kingdom.
- In the lab, as Abby's talking to Lara Macy, you can see that the victim's name in the email was "Ray Thomas Chandler" although Ziva reveals that the victim's name is really Nick Francis Chandler.
Cast
Series Regulars
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Leroy Jethro Gibbs | Mark Harmon | NCIS Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Anthony DiNozzo | Michael Weatherly | Senior Special Agent and second-in-command of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Ziva David | Cote de Pablo | Mossad/NCIS Liaison Officer and a member of the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Timothy McGee | Sean Murray (actor) | Junior Special Agent of the NCIS Major Case Response team. |
| Abigail Sciuto | Pauley Perrette | Forensic Specialist associated with the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
| Leon Vance | Rocky Carroll | Director of NCIS. |
| Donald Mallard | David McCallum | Chief Medical Examiner associated with the NCIS Major Case Response Team. |
Recurring Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Eli David | Michael Nouri | Director of Mossad and Ziva's father. Archive footage. Uncredited role. |
| Michael Rivkin | Merik Tadros | Mossad officer. Appears in the last few seconds of this episode, using the alias, "Nick Quaderi". |
Other Cast
| Name | Portrayed by | Role |
|---|---|---|
| G. Callen | Chris O'Donnell | NCIS Special Agent assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. Is the partner of fellow NCIS agent Sam Hanna. |
| Lara Macy | Louise Lombard | NCIS Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. |
| Nate Getz | Peter Cambor | Psychologist assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. |
| Kensi Blye | Daniela Ruah | NCIS Special Agent assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. |
| Mike Renko | Brian Avers | NCIS Special Agent assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. |
| Eric Beale | Barrett Foa | NCIS Tech Operator assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. |
| Sam Hanna | LL Cool J | NCIS Special Agent assigned to the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles and who is also G. Callen's partner. |
| Young Russian Woman | Liisa Evastina | A young Russian woman who is actually G. Callen's former foster sister. |
| Max Talia | Michael Peter Bolus | Contact between the terrorist cell and Liam Coyle. |
| Benji Kass | Brian Burnett | Friend of Liam Coyle and Stephano Kass's brother. |
| Stephano Kass | Jhon Doria | Benji Kass's brother. |
| Liam Patrick Coyle | Bryan Friday | Arms dealer. Uncredited role. |
| Nick Chandler | Christopher Bradley | Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps and an NCIS informant whose murder started the case. Uncredited role. |
| Tourist | Michael A. Templeton | Uncredited role. |
| Navy Lieutenant | Joel Raffee | Uncredited role. |
| Porter (Legend Part 1) | Cory Hardrict | Officer. Uncredited role. |