“Blow Back” first aired February 6, 2007.

Could anyone play a dangerous foreign (never mind the nationality) operative with the effortlessness of Armand Assante? Doubtful. NCIS is graced with Assante’s virile presence, ever so brief, in “Blow Back.” The journeyman actor plays the mysterious arms dealer whose code name is "La Grenouille" (The Frog). His presence and the revelation of several side relationships marks the best, most integrated NCIS episode of the 2006-2007 season.

The story begins with the apprehension and kidnapping of an Israeli arms intermediate, Eli "Goliath" Lisack (Assaf Cohen) by mysterious forces that turn out at the end of the segment as Special Agent Tony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Mossad Agent-on-loan Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Lisack, having been sedated during the kidnapping, awakens on a small jet plane with DiNozzo and Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), where he is relentlessly taunted by the two, who tell him a variety of tales about their destination.

Ziva enters the cabin and stops short of issuing Lisack a now famous NCIS female ass kicking for being a treasonous Israeli. Just when Lisack thinks he is going to be turned over to a foreign concern to be disposed of, he finds himself deplaning in Washington DC. En route, Lisack gives up rogue American arms operative (with former ties to national intelligence) Charles Harrow (Fred Tate), who, as Lisack reveals, has agreed to sell the U.S. Navy’s intelligence software, Ares, to the highest international bidder.

At NCIS headquarters, Special Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray) and Forensics Specialist  Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) discover more information about the mysterious Charles Harrow. Discovering his address, Gibbs sends Ziva and McGee (couldn’t find DiNozzo, who was wooing the comely Dr. Benoit on the cell phone) to Harrow’s address. DiNozzo and Gibbs begin scouring intelligence about Harrow and stumble upon a Trent Kort (David Dayan Fisher) who turns out to be a suspect that NCIS Director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) had DiNozzo watch in a previous episode. Gibbs notes the surprise on DiNozzo’s face at seeing Kort and asks him if he knows Kort. DiNozzo lies to Gibbs.

Visibly shaken, DiNozzo barges into the director’s office while an assistant is tending to the Director’s broken bra strap. The ensuing conversation can only be described as titillating. Getting down to business, DiNozzo informs Shepard of his discovery. Shepard is curious as to why this man was not identified earlier than now (a keen bit of foreshadowing noted). DiNozzo expresses his fear for having lied to him. Gibbs is brought into the discussion, making the scene more awkward than the broken bra strap. Shepard asks Gibbs to call off Ziva and McGee and he toys with her. She loses her temper and directly orders Gibbs. In the meantime, Ziva and McGee are hot on the hunt. They just begin to apprehend Harrow when they are called off by Gibbs and ordered to only follow, but not approach him.

Back at NCIS, Gibbs and Shepard have a spirited discussion of Shepard’s use of DiNozzo. Gibbs brings up the distant past with Shepard and Paris, prompting the Director, in a beautifully choreographed scene of sexual tension, to pull rank on Gibbs. DiNozzo is monitoring the bidding on Ares, identifying an Irish national as one the bidders. Tony expresses his regret to Gibbs for having lied to him. Gibbs is equivocal. Ziva and McGee have their cover blown and set out on a foot chase with Harrow, who runs up a set of stairs, experiences a myocardial infarction, and promptly dies. The Director proves unimpressed with the loss of her most valuable intelligence asset.