It’s Thanksgiving week on “NCIS” Season 13. In tonight’s episode, titled “Blood Brothers,” the team tries to help an ailing sailor, who is suffering from leukemia, find a bone marrow donor. Meanwhile, Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham) tries to run away from her marital problems by going to Oklahoma for the holidays.

Navy Lt. Alex Quinn (Jack Mikesell) is a sailor suffering from leukemia, and the Secretary of Defense is paying special attention to his case. His two siblings, William and Rebecca Quinn, were both killed in active duty, a year ago. As direct family members have the highest likelihood of compatibility, their deaths have narrowed the chances of finding a bone marrow donor for Alex.

NCIS is given the task of finding the youngest Quinn sibling, Sean (Eric Nielsen). He is the only one who isn’t in the military, and their mother says that he has fallen in with a bad crowd. After they search his apartment, the team discovers that Sean has been involved in a counterfeit syndicate.

Before they can find him, the FBI informs the NCIS that Sean has become an informant for them. He apparently freaked out when his friend, Thomas Reynolds, was killed by their employers. The FBI tries to arrange a meeting with Sean. When his handler turns up dead,, the NCIS initially suspects that Sean shot the agent. However, the DNA on the bullet reveals that Sean has been injured as well.

With the help of Mrs Quinn, the NCIS tracks down Sean. He is found unconscious at a storage unit where he keeps his boat. They take him to the hospital to be treated. Unfortunately, he isn’t a viable donor to help his brother. It’s back to square one for the team.

Luckily, they at least catch a break on the counterfeit case. They match the bullet to Sean’s landlord, Alton Brinkman, and he admits that he shot both Sean and his FBI handler. Brinkman sets up a deal and leads the police to the head of the counterfeit operation.

With Alex’s condition deteriorating, the team needs to find another door. Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) is forced to ask Bishop for help, even if she’s on vacation in Oklahoma. In last week's episode, she decided to go home for the holidays, after discovering that her husband, Jake, is having an affair. Her family tiptoes around her situation and tries to make her feel better, but she remains distant and angry.

Bishop welcomes the distraction from the job and checks the military database for a possible donor. She comes across a former soldier named Richard Doogan, who is a near-perfect match. Unfortunately, he has refused to be a donor.

After some digging, Bishop discovers that Dougan is in prison for murdering two Iraqi detainees. She comes to speak to him, but he refuses to donate unless she can get him a deal. He wants to be set free, in exchange for his bone marrow.

Bishop comes home dejected, knowing that the deal is impossible. While she’s sulking at home, Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmonn) turns up at the door. He awkwardly meets her family, and the two of them return to prison to offer Dougan a deal. The best they can do is to offer him a chance at parole after several decades.

Dougan refuses to take the offer, and he tells them that he doesn't deserve to be in jail for life because he only killed terrorists. He believes that he saved many innocent lives by taking the two terrorists off the face of the earth. While Bishop and Gibbs understand his logic, they just can't ask for his release.

The two agents return to Oklahoma and endure an awkward Thanksgiving dinner that quickly escalates into an argument. Tempers flare when Jake calls. Bishop’s family is protective, while she’s being defensive. Gibbs helps her open up about her feelings and she decides to use emotions to her advantage.

Bishop returns to the prison and appeals to Doogan’s emotions. She brings up Dougan’s friend, who was killed by the Iraqi terrorists. She then asks him for help, in saving yet another life in the form of Alex Quinn. Dougan finally agrees. Quinn receives his transplant and his only surviving brother and his mother are by his side.

“NCIS” airs every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS in the U.S. Season 12 is currently airing in Australia every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. AEST on Channel Ten.

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