NCIS Los Angeles Recap: Counterfeiting And All That Jazz

Secret Service Special Agent Nicole Dechamps (Marsha Thomason) is back on NCIS: Los Angeles and she may wish she wasn’t. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

This week, Sam (LL Cool J) goes undercover to help solve a colossal counterfeiting case. He turns himself into a faux financier to try to catch the bad guys (they’re a Peruvian cartel lead by the head of the Marca clan) by becoming a character who’s so against type it is actually quite amusing.

He’s meek, he’s not well spoken and he’s well turned out in a very fine suit–dressed to impress as all money men tend to be. His particular money is in it to buy a bunch of Peruvian currency with American dollars. Lots of American dollars.

The people meant to supply said dollars and who are working for the Marca family aren’t so sure that Sam’s alter ego is for real. But, hang on to that thought as we look in on the rest of the NCIS Los Angeles unit.

Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and the recently-returned Anna (Bar Paly) are on the counterfeiting case, too, visiting an elite Melrose Avenue clothing store where Anna plays a hungry sartorial slave. G. plays her boyfriend trying to cut loose from the materialistic babe.

The pair get enough information via these disguises and then find their way to the local counterfeiting production facility. In quick order, these tough cops take everyone down.

Meanwhile, Kensi (Daniel Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) thoroughly interrogate who they think is the cartel family’s daughter but who’s really Claudia Diaz, the daughter of a former member of the Marca staff who gone rogue.

In fact, she knows the counterfeiting scene inside and out while Lucila knows very little. And this lady is slick: When she doesn’t meet her handler’s check-in time, her mouth slams shut and Kensi and Deeks get nowhere fast.

So what happened to Sam and his Secret Service partner? They must prove worthy of his transaction by attending a marina boat party meant as a meeting place with head honcho Marca.

This gathering turns nasty because Sam and Nicole’s covers are blown after the henchman gets a message from Lucila/Claudia.

A gunfight ensues, and Nicole is nicked by a bullet (she’ll be OK!) but the good guys ultimately win with some assistance by a fan of Sam’s who’s been hanging around the waterfront as backup.

And Hetty (Linda Hunt)? She’s still in Vietnam being led away from a smoky cafe (think Casablanca!) to the cell of a man who blames her for his incarceration. Oh, and Hetty seems to have no idea who this dude is.

And that’s the drama for this week.

NCIS: Los Angeles season 9 airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.