“Rule Fifty-One” · Season 7, Episode 24
In this episode: Tony DiNozzo (2), Leroy Jethro Gibbs (2), Ziva David (2), Abby Sciuto (1), Leon Vance (1)
Ain't that a riddle? No way out. Guy trapped in a room, no doors, no windows."
How did he get there?
Walls were built around him. But there's nothing there except a mirror and a table. How does he get out?
Look in the mirror, see what you saw. take the saw, cut the table in half. Two halves make a whole. Climb out the hole. Most retarded riddle I ever heard.
Did you see that?
See what?
A wink.
Director Vance winked?
I think he winked. Unless he was prepping his eye for the scanner, but --
Why would it matter if he winked?
Because that's what he and Gibbs do. They have this whole wink-wink, nudge-nudge language. Vance can't green light an op. He expects us to pick up the slack when we see it.
You see slack.
I don't know. Did you see a wink?
You guys are going to Mexico! What's the plan?
What do you know, Abs?
Gibbs mentioned rule forty.
If you think someone's out to get you, they are?
I have never heard of a rule in the forties.
They don't come up very often.
And that's a good thing.
How many times have I told Gibbs to write these things down?!
You don't have to write them down, they're for daily use, most of the rules, but the forties --
The forties. The forties are for emergency use only.
If the forties are in play something unspeakably bad is going down.
We have to get him back.
[Vance had earlier told Gibbs about his tour of the Warner Bros studio lot during his earlier trip to Los Angeles.]
You know, there's a story about Humphrey Bogart on that tour. Might be apocryphal, but I hope it's true. So he finishes early, walks across the street to the bar, still wearing his costume and his make-up. Couple hours later, the director realizes he needs Bogie for one more shot, so he sends a production assistant, sends a kid to drag Bogie back onto the cafe set. The director somehow gets him to the top of the stairs and says, "all I need you to do, is look over here and nod."
That's it?
That's it. Bogie nods, one take, he's done. It's in the movie. When Victor Lazlo wants the band leader to play "La Marseillaise", he looks to Rick for the okay. It's only the turning point for the entire character. Where he actually makes a commitment, and joins the cause.
All he had to do was nod.
And that started everything.
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