S20·E10 Too Many Cooks (I)

Episode recap

The tenth episode of the twentieth season of NCIS, titled Too Many Cooks, serves as the first installment of a three-part crossover event involving the NCIS franchises based in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Hawai’i. The narrative begins when NCIS agents from all three locations gather in Washington, D.C. to attend the retirement party of a professor from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. This professor is described as a beloved figure within the law enforcement community.

The celebratory gathering is interrupted when the professor is found dead. The circumstances of his death are initially identified as a suicide, but the event is described as shocking to those in attendance. Consequently, the agents from the three different NCIS teams find themselves working together to conduct a joint investigation into the incident. The collaborative effort serves as the primary focus of the episode as the teams attempt to uncover the truth behind the professor's death.

This episode functions as the opening chapter of a larger story arc that spans across multiple series. The crossover event continues in the tenth episode of the second season of NCIS: Hawai’i, titled Deep Fake, and concludes in the tenth episode of the fourteenth season of NCIS: Los Angeles, titled A Long Time Coming. By bringing together personnel from the various NCIS branches, the episode facilitates a rare operational intersection between the teams. The investigation into the professor's death remains the central conflict throughout the proceedings, requiring the combined expertise of the agents present in the nation's capital. The episode highlights the professional connections between the different branches of the agency as they navigate the complexities of the case. No further details regarding the specific investigative findings or the resolution of the case are provided within the scope of this episode, as the narrative trajectory is designed to carry over into the subsequent installments of the crossover event.