NCIS (TV Series)

Keep Going (2017)

Mark Harmon: Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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Quotes 

• Jimmy Palmer : Now, I know it seems like some people have it much easier while others have it much rougher, but, uh... I think it's safe to say that there's no one who's had a tougher life than Agent Gibbs.

  Timothy McGee : [entering the squad room]  How does it sound? Reception still good?

  Ellie Bishop : Shh.

  Jimmy Palmer : Believe it or not, his wife and his young daughter were both killed on the same day. But you never hear him mention it. No, he just... buries himself in his work. And he builds boats in his basement. He'll kiss Abby on the forehead once in a while, but h-he's not exactly a hugger, you know. At least he's never hugged me. We all rely on him so much. That man has the weight of the world on his shoulders. You'd never know it. I really worry about him. But a... as tough as Gibbs is, on my darkest day, when our adoption fell through, Ryan... I lost my kid. Gibbs was the one who comforted me most.

  [flashback] 

  Jimmy Palmer : Take it you heard.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Mm-hmm.

  Jimmy Palmer : Yeah, she, uh, she saw the baby and just... I guess she felt the same way we felt when we first saw him. Can't fault her for that, right?

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : You should go home.

  Jimmy Palmer : I will. Yeah, Breena and I, we just wanted to get all this stuff out of the house, you know. We wanted to give it back as soon as possible.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : We?

  Jimmy Palmer : Me. She's hurting, too, but she, uh... she is so much stronger. She's ready to try again. And, uh... and me, I feel like I can't breathe. I've never felt this bad in my life, Gibbs.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Ah. Just wait until it's 3:00 in the morning and your kid's running 104. You're just getting started.

  Jimmy Palmer : No, that's the point. I'm not starting. You know? And... maybe I never will.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Well, then fight for it, Palmer. That's what you do. You fight for your family. And sometimes you fight like hell just to have one.

  Jimmy Palmer : You want me to fight? I feel like I just went ten rounds with Joe Louis.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Do you want to be a dad, Palmer? Because right now, this is being a dad.

  Jimmy Palmer : Maybe I'm not ready.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : You wouldn't feel the way you feel right now if you weren't ready.

  [return to present] 

  Jimmy Palmer : And Gibbs was right. The best advice I've ever gotten. Hugs or no hugs, I... I will never forget his kindness that day. He cared. And Ryan, as tough as your father was, I'm sure if you think about it, you think of many times where he was just as kind.

• Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Palmer, don't you let him jump.

  Jimmy Palmer : On it, Gibbs.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : [to Torres]  And you, do not let him fall.

• Ryan Smith : That's my dad's wallet.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : There's something in there you're gonna want.

  Ryan Smith : [taking out a worn-out photograph]  My senior thesis project.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Plenty of miles on that photo. He showed it off a lot.

  Jimmy Palmer : He was proud of you.

  Ryan Smith : Yeah.

  Jimmy Palmer : And what was it that Dr. Mallard said earlier today? He said... "when you're going through hell, keep going."

  Ryan Smith : [Jimmy lets him go]  You know I never would have taken you with me, right?

  Jimmy Palmer : I know. Let's go inside.

  Ryan Smith : Okay. Thanks, Jimmy.

• [acting on instinct, Palmer has joined a potential suicide on a building ledge] 

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Palmer! What are you thinking?

  Jimmy Palmer : I wasn't thinking anything, Agent Gibbs. I just reacted and before I knew it, I was out here.

• Leroy Jethro Gibbs : What do we know, Quinn?

  Alex Quinn : Victim is Captain Paul Smith. 53, widowed, one child. Gulf War hero, and stationed here at the Navy Yard since May.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Anything on the son?

  Timothy McGee : I'm still digging. Uh, so far I've got Ryan Smith, 27. Listed as employed by Kelb Technologies in Annandale.

  Ellie Bishop : Whoa. Check out his date of birth; that's today.

  Alex Quinn : Guy lost his dad on his birthday?

  Ellie Bishop : Hey, Nick, do you know if he's told Jimmy that?

  Nick Torres : To be honest, I can't really hear much. Pretty noisy up here.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : McGee, we need to hear him.

  Timothy McGee : On it.

• Ryan Smith : I never questioned whether he loved me, I just... I wasn't sure whether he knew how much I loved him back.

  Jimmy Palmer : Oh, no, I am sure he did, Ryan.

  Ryan Smith : No, I mean, we fought too much. Right up until today. All he wanted was to take me out for my birthday, and... when he found out I'd been laid off, he blew his top. Damn near caused an accident, he was so angry. So pissed off, he cut off a whole mess of cars in an intersection.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : [listening in the squad room]  Intersection?

  Timothy McGee : What intersection?

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Where? Palmer. Ask him where. What intersection?

  Ellie Bishop : Uh, Gibbs, it's a one-way speaker.

  Jimmy Palmer : What intersection?

  Ryan Smith : It was, uh... it was around Raymere and Holt.

  Alex Quinn : How does he do that?

• Edgar Stump : Ow! What the hell?

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Take it easy, Edgar.

  Edgar Stump : Why? I didn't do nothing.

  Alex Quinn : [seeing the damage to the front of Edgar's car]  No, you did a lot.

• Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Hey, Quinn, keep fire down below. We can't risk spooking this kid while Palmer's hanging onto him.

  Alex Quinn : Okay, Gibbs. Yeah, you got it.

  [hanging up] 

  Alex Quinn : Um, excuse me. Uh, Lieutenant? I'm gonna have to ask you not to go up there.

  Fire Lieutenant Earl Davis : Excuse me?

  Alex Quinn : Yeah, crazy, I know, but Navy interests.

  Fire Lieutenant Earl Davis : But that's a city building.

  Alex Quinn : Yeah, I know that, but that's one of our team members up there, and if he dies, you're gonna be dealing with the whole U.S. Navy.

  Fire Lieutenant Earl Davis : [pause; into his walkie-talkie]  Engine 52 to all units. Stand down for now. Wait for my command.

  Alex Quinn : But if you have one of those big bags... you know, just in case.

  Fire Lieutenant Earl Davis : [to his team members]  All right boys, let's get the air bag prepped.

• Ellie Bishop : Gibbs. Take a look. No skid marks.

  Timothy McGee : Whoever hit Captain Smith never so much as tapped their brakes before or after the hit.

  Ellie Bishop : Not even a swerving tire pattern to suggest he lost control.

  Timothy McGee : So either we're dealing with the steadiest drunk driver in history...

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Or it was no accident.

• Timothy McGee : Boss, we can set up a command post downstairs...

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : No, there's no time. The squad room's three blocks away. The kid blames himself. Let's go find out who killed his dad.

• Abby Sciuto : Poor Jimmy. What can we do?

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : What do you mean?

  Donald Mallard : To help Mr. Palmer. I need to get back there.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : We all gonna fit on the ledge and hold hands? You want to help Palmer? Do your job.

• Abby Sciuto : I traced the partial plate from the SUV to a car rental place in D.C. The renter is Edgar Stump. He's listed as a part-time handyman. He has multiple DUIs and a vehicular harassment conviction.

  Timothy McGee : So he is just a road rager.

  Ellie Bishop : He didn't even know Captain Smith.

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Address?

  Abby Sciuto : Better than that. I've got his GPS signal.

• Leroy Jethro Gibbs : Ryan. The guy who hit your dad - road rager. He didn't like being cut off. He'd have come after your dad's car no matter where he stopped.