Robert Wagner guest-starred on last night’s 150th episode of NCIS as Tony DiNozzo Sr., and seeing he and Jr. (Michael Weatherly) together was both a delight (charm²) and heartbreaking: We learned that after Tony’s mother died when he was 8, his father sent him to boarding schools and summer camps, and once left him alone in a Maui hotel room for two days when he was 12 because he had a deal to close (with a beautiful woman) on the Big Island. Tony never really knew his father — or that he’s been secretly broke for years. Choosing not to bust his dad’s charade at the hotel checkout counter was a great moment. (Instead, he used the money he was going to spend on a spring cruise with his old frat buddies — which I would’ve liked to have seen during May Sweeps, btw — to pay for the grand-a-night room and a plane ticket for his dad to catch up with his Saudi prince friend in Monte Carlo. Do you think his dad really thought that was from the prince?) But for me, the best scene was when Gibbs (Mark Harmon) sat Mr. DiNozzo down to tell him that he should get to know Tony as an adult. “Tony likes to hide behind the face of a clown, but he’s the best young agent I’ve ever worked with.” I teared up. Gibbs has always been the father figure of the show, but I’ll never get tired of tiny moments that remind us of that.
Since that scene wasn’t embeddable, I’ve included the scene in which Gibbs discovers Tony doing morning yoga after spending the night partying with that Saudi prince’s son, who NCIS was guarding following an assassination attempt while he was in a Navy pilot training program. If you’ve watched any number of NCIS episodes, you knew what was coming. But surprise! It was multiple smacks to the head. Gotta go big for the 150th episode.
There’s no way I’m going to get this right. We never say precisely what we ought to when we part, the words are never perfect enough — not even for those of us who get paid to write them…or used to, anyway. I’m sorry to say that this is the last time we’ll walk the Beat together as I’m leaving EW. So I’ll tell you what, Coppers, let’s save the hugs for the end, stuff down the tears (I grant that they’re probably all mine), and take a stroll. I’m ready if you are.
My name is Alynda and I am an organ donor. There, now everybody knows and we don’t have to go through any confusion or sticky sitches in the hospital, Three Rivers-style. What did you think of the Rivers debut, the few of you who watched it? (If you missed it, by the way, you can catch it 
Come on, people, you never leave the perp with Wentworth Miller! That’s Article 96, Section 242, Clause 3 of the Procedural Code! Wait, wait. Before we get too shouty about last night’s Law & Order: SVU, let’s call the meeting to order and go over some Beat Cop business.
Our time has come, procedural watchers. This is Beat Cop, and it’s our TV watch. Well, it’s a mini-watch…in PopWatch…and we’ll cover lots of shows instead of getting all precious about just Lost or Fringe, but we’re doing God’s work here, ladies and gents.
Dear showrunners,
