In the sixth episode of NCIS Season 21, titled "Strange Invaders," viewers embark on a mesmerizing odyssey into the enigmatic realm of the unknown, where the boundaries between science fiction and reality are eerily blurred. The episode commences with a harrowing tableau: Lieutenant Elliot Greene, a valiant Navy pilot, lies lifeless in his home, his body marred by perplexing wounds. The absence of any discernible entry or exit points, coupled with the presence of element 116—an exotic substance alien to our planet—immediately establishes a backdrop for an investigation that defies convention.
Special Agents McGee and Knight arrive at the crime scene, their minds grappling with the surreal circumstances. The victim's wounds, devoid of bullets or any other conventional projectiles, hint at an extraterrestrial origin, kindling initial hypotheses of alien intervention. Their skepticism is further tested when they uncover that Greene had recently testified before Congress regarding his encounter with an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP), a term synonymous with an alien encounter in the popular lexicon.
As the investigation spirals deeper, the team plunges into the murky waters of the UAP enthusiast community and conspiracy theorists, encountering a colorful ensemble known as the UAP watch group. The group's eccentric members, led by Daniel Silcott, offer contradictory narratives about Greene's character and his association with the watch group, adding layers of complexity to the already perplexing case.
Meanwhile, Special Agent Torres, assigned to surveillance duties, inexplicably vanishes. His car is discovered abandoned miles away, and upon his return, he exhibits bizarre behavior and profound memory loss. Subsequent medical tests reveal the presence of a sedative in his bloodstream, further entangling the mystery that shrouds this perplexing case.
The team's relentless quest for truth propels them towards a shadowy private investigator, engaged to tarnish Greene's reputation and portray him as a mere conspiracy theorist lost in delusions. This bombshell revelation casts a shadow of doubt over Greene's assertions of extraterrestrial encounters, yet the enigmatic presence of element 116 still lacks a plausible explanation.
The investigation takes a bizarre twist when Daniel Silcott comes clean about creating an autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) system, modeled after his late son Kaiden. This AI, however, was whisked away by a clandestine group of weapons developers eager to harness its deadly capabilities.
Silcott unveils that Greene had serendipitously come across the AI during a routine test flight. Fearing the exposure of their clandestine project, the weapons developers resorted to manipulating Greene's reality, employing the AI to stage a convincing alien encounter.
In a dramatic confrontation, the team confronts the weapons developers, who are swiftly apprehended and thwarted from advancing the perilous AI technology. Nevertheless, the mystery surrounding element 116 remains a puzzle yet to be solved.
The episode wraps up with Torres's recovery and a light-hearted interlude where the team engages in a playful debate about McGee's new goatee, grown on the advice of Dr. Grace. The episode concludes on a tantalizing note, hinting at further adventures into the unknown and the ominous implications of artificial intelligence.
