How does Agent Gibbs Get the Boats Out of His Basement on NCIS?
In the NCIS series, it was finally revealed in season 19 episode 4, "Great Wide Open," how Agent Gibbs retrieves his boats from his basement. My viewpoint, however, is that this is one of the weakest reveals of a secret in the history of books, movies, and TV. I was genuinely disappointed by the explanation provided.
Official Explanation and Critique
The official statement suggests that the fourth wall of Gibbs' basement, which viewers have never seen, is made of brick and mortar. Therefore, Gibbs can dismantle the wall and pull the boat out into his yard. To me, this explanation makes no sense. If Gibbs could do this, then his basement never existed as a basement, and the answer would have always been obvious.
In the show, the entrance to Gibbs' first floor only has a few steps, and there is a long stairwell leading down to the basement. The basement only has windows at ceiling level, which are no more than 18 inches high, and at ground level on the outside. For 18 years, the show depicted Gibbs' basement with a solid back wall that was at least 8 feet deep and backed by solid earth.
Speculation and Alternatives
There are some houses built on hillsides where the first floor on one side is the second floor on the other side, making the "basement" underground or at ground level on the other side. I once lived in such a house: a horse barn built into the side of a hill. The horses walked out into level ground on one side, and I walked into the hayloft and my apartment on the other side, with a higher ground level.
However, for this to make sense in the context of Gibbs' small house, the ground on the sides of his house would need to be sloped at more than 20 degrees, which is highly noticeable. There would be a high solid wall in the backyard, and anyone observing it would immediately notice that it is a basement wall. Most of Gibbs' team members and friends, who are highly intelligent and perceptive, would not have been puzzled by this, and any of them would have deduced that "He knocks down the back wall."
Conclusion
This underwhelming reveal is nearly as disappointing as the Macbeth scene where the walking forest turned out to be enemy fighters disguised as bushes. It is a missed opportunity to maintain the integrity and mystery of the NCIS franchise. Whether the producers recognized the flaw in their story or chose to execute it for dramatic effect, the result is a letdown for long-time fans of the series.