NCIS’ Newest Episode Delivered A Wild ‘70s Throwback, And I’m Jazzed About The Boy Meets World Alum Who Was Along For The Ride

by

As a 90s kid and a die-hard fan of both “NCIS” and “Boy Meets World“, this week’s episode titled “In From the Cold” was a double whammy that left me absolutely thrilled! The ’70s throwback and the nostalgic appearance of Matthew Lawrence, who I remember as Jack Hunter from my childhood, just made the experience all the more exciting.

Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS episode “In From the Cold” are ahead!

As a devoted gamer immersed in the world of NCIS, I’ve got to say that this show is like a mix of intense crime-solving and unexpected humor. Each episode revolves around a serious investigation, but the creators throw in some fun moments here and there. Sometimes, though, the show takes a more playful turn, like the episode “In From the Cold” did, with its groovy ’70s vibe that was essential to crack one of our quirkiest cases yet. To top it off, I couldn’t believe my eyes when a familiar face from the classic ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World joined the team for this wild ride!

NCIS Went ‘70s For This Week’s Case

The latest episode of NCIS centered around Captain Thomas Butler, a U.S. Navy veteran currently battling dementia. Accompanied by his caregiver son (details about him to follow), an unexpected incident occurred at the Naval Medical Center in Virginia as Thomas began speaking an unfamiliar language and seized the doctor. Thankfully, she escaped unharmed. Upon arrival of Alden Parker and other main characters, Thomas displayed no comprehension of the situation that had transpired. It was later revealed that he’d been reciting Finnish numbers, but when McGee attempted to investigate these digits on his phone, it malfunctioned, and when he tried again on one of the hospital’s computers, a power outage occurred across the entire city block.

It transpired that the unusual incident was orchestrated by a digital trap set by the CIA, as an officer from the agency named Conrad visited Director Vance’s office to fill them in on the details. He disclosed that Thomas Butler had previously been a Soviet Union intelligence asset during the Cold War, and though the CIA suspected this early, they wanted the Soviets to believe they had a top-level informant within the Pentagon. Later, Conrad confessed that his statement wasn’t entirely accurate, as the CIA didn’t actually know if Thomas was the mole.

More NCIS Stories

Many fans seem delighted that Mark Harmon is back on NCIS, but it appears not everyone is content due to the perceived ‘ongoing meddling’.

‘It seems they’re not entirely cut off from each other’: NCIS actors Brian Dietzen and Katrina Law discuss the potential of rekindling the relationship between Jessica and Jimmy, post their official split.

Meanwhile, Thomas Butler suffered another dementia episode and escaped the hospital and was accused of killing an orderly. The team discovered that the numbers were part of an old code used in his Cold War days that used War and Peace and other books as ciphers. But Thomas going on the run became more complicated when he broke into Navy Archives, stole something called Project Laurel, then hid it for safekeeping. The team apprehended him, but Parker had no luck convincing the man it was the present day, not 1979.

To discover the whereabouts of Project Laurel, they had to mimic Thomas Butler’s 1979 reality. Timothy McGee assumed the identity of Brian Banaszak, a deceased CIA agent known as “Sparrow,” while Jessica Knight dressed in ’70s clothing. Nick Torres also joined in by hanging out in an old van, as Parker put it. Their efforts to create a 1979 atmosphere were both daring and entertaining, but unfortunately, the plan didn’t succeed, as Thomas became suspicious and apparently shot McGee.

In the climax of “In From the Cold”, it was revealed that the entire storyline was a setup to catch the true antagonist, Conrad. This was possible due to Parker’s ability to bring Thomas Butler back to his senses. It was discovered that Project Laurel contained numerous CIA transgressions, with Conrad’s name prominently featured. When he found out about Thomas’s memory problems, Conrad attempted to eliminate him, and it was indeed Conrad who murdered the orderly. Fortunately, Thomas recovered his memories at the crucial moment and exposed Conrad’s true character, leading to his arrest. However, there was one more unexpected twist in this episode of NCIS, which I will discuss later, but for now, let’s revisit the Boy Meets World actor.

Boy Meets World’s Matthew Lawrence Guest-Starred

As “In From the Cold” began to play, I swiftly recognized the actor portraying Danny Butler from a past encounter. Upon seeing his name appear on the screen: Matthew Lawrence, it struck me that while some might associate him with movies like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Mrs. Doubtfire“, I believe he gained the most recognition for his role as a regular cast member during the final three seasons of “Boy Meets World“. Airing from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, Lawrence played Jack Hunter, the half-brother of Rider Strong’s Shawn Hunter and the best friend of Will Friedle’s Eric Matthews.

This NCIS episode doesn’t reference Matthew Lawrence’s Boy Meets World history at all. However, given my fond memories of the sitcom from my youth and not having seen him in anything significant since he reprised Jack Hunter in Girl Meets World about a decade ago (I did catch wind of an awkward encounter with Justin Timberlake he mentioned), spotting him in this episode was quite enjoyable. In “In From the Cold”, Danny Butler primarily showed surprise and hurt due to his father’s secretive past, which was reasonable. However, the episode concludes on a positive note for the duo as it emerged that Thomas had been secretly working as a double agent for the CIA, feeding the Russians misleading information to steer them off course.

Since Matthew Lawrence visited NCIS, I’m looking forward to spotting him in more prime-time shows I enjoy. Plus, it would be great if any members of the Boy Meets World cast make an appearance somewhere. Fortunately, I can revisit that comedy world with my Disney+ subscription or by tuning into the Pod Meets World podcast whenever I miss it. For dedicated NCIS fans like myself, the next episode is due on November 25, but you might also want to catch up on the entire series using your Paramount+ subscription, which houses the entire catalog of this popular procedural franchise.

Read More

2024-11-12 06:08