: Lena is attacked, and the investigation reveals she had secretly adopted the daughter of a terrorist killed during that past operation. The terrorist's brother, Sergei Umarov, is behind the attacks to reclaim the girl and some stolen diamonds.
: Parker and Vance engage in a high-stakes standoff at an abandoned warehouse to protect Lena and the child from Sergei's men. Key Subplots GuardianNCIS : Season 20 Episode 5
: Back at the Navy Yard, the team observes significant advancements in the "blossoming romance" between Jessica Knight and Jimmy Palmer . Cast and Characters Leon Vance Rocky Carroll NCIS Director Alden Parker NCIS Special Agent in Charge Timothy McGee Sean Murray Senior NCIS Special Agent Lena Paulsen Marem Hassler BND Deputy and Vance's love interest Jessica Knight Katrina Law NCIS Special Agent Jimmy Palmer Brian Dietzen Chief Medical Examiner Frauke Biedermann Elyse Levesque Dirty BND Agent Sergei Umarov Ian Fisher Episode antagonist : Lena is attacked, and the investigation reveals
Watch the official episode preview to see Director Vance and Agent Parker in action: NCIS recap: Vance has a Berlin romance Key Subplots : Back at the Navy Yard,
: In Germany, Vance reunites with Lena Paulsen , a deputy for the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND). It is revealed that their history is tied to a past operation called "Fortress".
: With Vance and Parker in Berlin, Timothy McGee takes over as Acting Director. He surprisingly finds himself enjoying the authority and "big-picture" aspects of the role.
This guide covers , titled " Guardian ," which originally aired on October 17, 2022 . The episode was written by Marco Schnabel and directed by James Whitmore, Jr.. Plot Overview