(Season 6, Episode 9 – “Dagger”) 
Before last week’s and this week’s episodes of CBS’s NCIS, you probably had the same opinion of Agent Lee as I did: she’s a witch! Okay, not a witch with potions, an evil laugh and warts on her big nose, but someone who does evil things to good people.
Over the years, my opinion of Agent Lee changed. When Michelle Lee was first introduced on the show ages ago, I didn’t like her. Of course, my opinion of her back then was mainly tainted by the fact she was added to the cast when Gibbs had departed NCIS. As time went by (aka when she moved to the legal department), I started to enjoy Lee thanks to her hidden affair with Jimmy Palmer. Seeing the somewhat socially awkward characters try to do it here and there in the building without being caught brought was fun to watch. I actually started to root for the two characters and hoped that they would get a few more minutes of screen time every month.
Then, September 2008 arrived and my opinion of Agent Lee changed drastically. As I’ve said after watching the season premiere, I hoped that the mole wouldn’t be Lee because I had been enjoying her character. When it was clear that she was the bad guy, I started to hate her once again mainly because she was putting MY team in danger (yes, I qualify Gibbs’s team as mine… after all, I’ve been with them for 6 years!).
That’s when I started to use the word “witch” when talking about her. Lee was a traitor, a thief, a killer and her doings put Gibbs and his team in danger. I wanted her gone… not dead but at least behind bars for good. When it was revealed that she was doing all this to save her sister (whom she referred to as her daughter since she’s been acting as a mother to her for years), my opinion of her didn’t really change. I don’t have a heart of stone so, yes, I felt bad for her and wanted the team to find her daughter asap. However, part of me still wanted Lee to pay for all the bad deeds she did. Maybe she could do a few years behind bars and get her daughter back after that so they could live happily ever after? If only she had come to Gibbs as soon as her daughter was taken, maybe my wish would have come true.
Ding dong! The witch is dead. I didn’t want Lee to die, but at least she went out with a bang — literally. The scene during which the villain holds Lee at gun point and Gibbs doesn’t have a clear shot at him because he can’t see clearly was great TV. It had action and emotion. How sad was it to see Lee give permission to Gibbs to shoot at her so the bullets would also hurt the villain behind her? Lee knew that she would more than likely die right then and there but she was ready to go as her sister/daughter was safe. Talk about making the ultimate sacrifice.
After the episode, I wondered why Gibbs didn’t aim lower? He didn’t have the best vision during the face off but I’m pretty sure he could have hit the legs, thus having the bad guy fall on the floor. Then again, the scene wouldn’t have been as powerful as it was with Lee dying.
The “NCIS mole” storyline ended up being quite action packed and interesting. I wonder what they have in store next to top this.
What did you think of “Dagger”? Are you happy Lee is dead? Did you enjoy the “NCIS mole” storyline? Let your voice be heard in comments below!
Clacked by Isabelle Carreau 
on Nov 26, 2008 @ 09:55 EST5EDT
I’m still waiting for the paper that Vance shredded from his file when he first became director (season finale last season, right after Jenny died) to come up….what was it?!?!?!
I’m glad Lee is dead, but it broke my heart to see Gibbs feel so bad after he shot her. I don’t like a sad Gibbs. :-)
I loved the whole mole storyline. It gave the fans an entire off season of angst. But i have to say i was very disappointed with the conclusion of this storyline. I predicted the former NSA dude was the baddie, plus i was expecting some huge sinster organization because the information they were seeking is so valuable. It’s kind of a letdown when it’s one psycho doing it for the money.
The next big storyline will be Ducky getting stabbed and then delving into his past. THat will be in January and i am assuming the shredded document of Vance will be the lynchpin for the finale.
Sorry but I simply can’t understand why this show has such high ratings. Or wait, maybe I can.
The “humor” is so extremely low key I guess all the people who tune in to “Two and a half men” found a new home here.
My problem with that is that this is a procedual crime drama and not a comedy. And honestly, I can’t stand those blue collar oneliners on NCIS anymore. It simply hurts my brain to expect these supposed forensic and crime experts to exchange quibs like these. I mean honestly, this show has been so dumbed down it makes me angry. It’s like watching CSI – 3 Stooges. All that is left is them poking each other in the eyes.
I didn’t like the ending of this story either, but that just falls into place with other ones. There never is a big payoff. I mean honestly, Lee kills two people and they let her carry on because of a girl? That was so god damn unbelievable. The focus wasn’t on the whole stock exchange fraud which posed a huge threat for the world’s economy, but I guess that was simply too hard to understand for the “joe sixpack” viewer.
Sorry but I hate it when a show makes me feel as if I’m too intelligent for it.
I love it when people say they are “too intelligent” for a particular show, but they aren’t smart enough to just change the channel when something comes on they don’t like. Way to prove yourself wrong man!
Exactly. If you don’t like something, change the damn channel. That’s why they invented the remote. Stop preaching to me what is a good show and please go watch CSI: New Mexico to make yourself feel “intelligent” or maybe Deal or no Deal is more at par with your IQ level.
Gibbs let Lee carry on because of the little girl. Vance let her pretend to still work there because he wanted to arrest her handler(s) as well.
Being a LEO, Gibbs knows to shoot center mass to neutralize, and keep shooting until the target goes down, especially in his compromised state. If he had managed to hit the Weatherman in the leg, he still could have shot Lee and/or Gibbs.
Some fans looked at an HD cap of Vance’s shredded document when that episode first aired, and found that it was just his CV.
idont think lee is dead i think lee & gibbs plans the whole thing so every one thinks she dead even vance so she can live with her sister so let’s w8 for the next Episode —–gibbs will never kill any one easily
I liked the episode and while I am not glad that Gibbs had to kill Lee I am glad that they did not drag the story out even further to cover Lee’s trial.
I also agree that if Sebastian is so unhappy with this show he should change the channel. Watch House or switch to Spike or A&E to get your procedural fix.
the show is great for the simple reason that it is informative and funny at the same time and has a sense of realism to it due to the everyday dialogue that is used instead of the usual script.
the characters are like real people in the sense that they have their own “ghosts in the closets”, have their own set of daily problems and poke fun at each other like normal people do, which makes you relate to it more than to those “ultra scripted shows” which make everything appear make-believe. At least with NCIS even if we know its just a TV show you get to see “normal” people doing normal things which makes you relate to it more than say 24 or Grey’s Anatomy.