It's always good television when Robert Wagner reprises his role as DiNozzo Sr. on 'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS), but his appearance brought a whole new dynamic to his character, and his relationship with his son. Especially because it also brought with it a dead body in the trunk of his car.

Making matters worse, Senior had threatened to kill the man after he got screwed by him on a deal. He also claimed no recollection of the events leading up to his being in the rented Rolls with a stowaway in the trunk. It showed a different, more desperate and less smarmy side to Senior that was nice to see.

'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS) continued its powerful tribute to the US Marines with this second half of a two-parter that saw Gibbs and Ziva heading to Afghanistan to bring back a Marine left behind. The episode showed the strengh and unity of the Corps, regardless of gender.

It was a beautiful thing to watch, and further proof why 'NCIS' stands in a league of its own compared to other procedurals on the air. With as much care and emphasis on its character than its cases, the writers and creative team know how to tell a story and make you care.

We wanted to see Lt. Gabriela Flores returned to her father alive and well just as much as Gibbs did. If we were to get a true military-based dramatic series, following our men and women in the armed forces across the globe where the danger is, we'd want it to feel like this episode.

U.S. Marine Gabriela Flores was at the heart of the investigation on this week's episode of 'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS). After an attack, Flores was presumed dead, but without DNA evidence to confirm it, there was some uncertainty. Gibbs was determined to give her father the closure he needed by finding out for sure what happened.

We learned a little about Jethro Gibbs' background this week as Mark Harmon's son Sean stepped in to play a younger version of his dad during his early days as a Marine. Sean did a fantastic job of capturing all those character quirks that make Gibbs unique.

Ducky has a new girlfriend on 'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS), and like any good girlfriend, she listens to him. So when he says he figures that by this point he's unlikely to ever see anything new at work, she pounced.

Because she loves him so much, she decided to give him something new to appreciate. Isn't that sweet? Only, it turns out Ducky wasn't as appreciative as she had hoped he'd be.

At first Ducky was impressed with this new killer, but on reflection he shared with his girlfriend that he found the killer to be "Sick, twisted, vicious and there's nothing novel about what he does. I cited his creativity, when in fact he doesn't create a thing."

Abby's world was rocked when she found out she had a biological brother out there on 'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS). When she finally met him, she couldn't bring herself to reveal who she was. She was grappling with too many questions and uncertainties.

She couldn't reconcile the loving parents she knew growing up with people who would give up their own child. So she dug a little deeper and uncovered something even more startling.

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

Senior Special Agent Jethro Gibbs' penchant for marrying redheads has long been a source of humor on 'NCIS,' and this season we'll finally get to meet one of his ex-wives, the oft-mentioned Diane.

According to TVGuide.com, 'Mad Men' alum -- and redhead -- Melinda McGraw will guest star as Diane on an episode called 'Devil's Triangle,' airing in early November.

She'll be joined by Joe Spano, who plays her character's other ex-husband (and Gibbs' best friend), FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell.

"Imagine being the ex-wife of both Gibbs and FBI Agent Fornell," says 'NCIS' executive producer Gary Glasberg.

'NCIS' was back in a big way last night with the Season 9 premiere, which dealt with the aftermath of last season's cliffhanger finale.

Now find out what executive producer Gary Glasberg says will be in store for fans over the rest of the season. One thing's for sure: There'll be lots of big-name guest stars, lots of twists and lots of humor.

Glasberg told TVLine that "We're going to reopen the 'NCIS Family Album.' We're just wrapping up with Lily Tomlin as McGee's grandmother. That's a really fun storyline, and a big, McGee-centric episode that's not just about family; there's a procedural aspect to it as well."

For its Season 9 premiere, 'NCIS' (Tue., 8PM ET on CBS) crafter a rather clever mystery adventure, told in dramatic flashbacks as we, and DiNozzo, tried to figure out what went down during the summer break.

He suffered short-term memory loss after waking up in a hospital, so it was through bits and pieces as his memory came back to him that we were able to figure out what happened.

It was a different storytelling device, and one that proved very effective in creating a slow burn of tension throughout the episode.

It turns out that the old adage of never trust the FBI is a good one, as Agent Stratton betrayed and set up DiNozzo to take the fall for the shootings of EJ and Cade. With Cade dead and EJ missing, there's more to be uncovered yet.

More good news for the stars of long-running procedural drama, 'NCIS.' Pauley Perrette has been named the most popular actor on primetime TV.

And she's not the only 'NCIS' star who's winning in the popularity stakes.

'Entertainment Weekly' reports that the latest Q Scores, a survey taken a few times a year to judge who are the most popular stars, based on audience awareness, ranks several 'NCIS' stars very highly.

Cote de Pablo, who plays Ziva David, has been placed second, with Mark Harmon (4th), David McCallum (5th) and Michael Weatherly (7th) all making it into the Top 10.