"Hiatus (Part I)" and "Hiatus (Part II)" are the 23rd and 24th episodes of the third season of the American police procedural drama NCIS and the 69th and 70th episodes overall. They originally aired on CBS in the United States on May 9 and May 16, 2006. Both episodes were written by Donald Bellisario, the show's creator and executive producer at the time, and directed by Dennis Smith. They were seen live by 15.17 million and 16.49 million views, respectively. "Hiatus" is a two-part story arc covering the third NCIS season finale. It involves lead character Gibbs (Mark Harmon) being severely injured in a ship bombing, his subsequent memory loss, and the team's struggle to find the perpetrator before another attack. The episodes also delve into Gibbs' past, culminating in the revelation of his wife and daughter's deaths 15 years prior. Background NCIS follows a team of government agents who work for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The main cast during the filming of the third season included Mark Harmon as team leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Michael Weatherly as Senior Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, Cote de Pablo as Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David, Pauley Perrette as Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto, Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee, David McCallum as NCIS Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard, and Lauren Holly as NCIS Director Jenny Shepard. Gibbs was originally scripted as having been married and divorced three consecutive times. His backstory was later revised to include his "first wife", Shannon, and daughter Kelly, both of whom were killed years prior. This is first implied early in the third season, and series creator Donald P. Bellisario continued to develop the idea until it came to a head in "Hiatus". Plot Part I Tony, McGee, and Ziva wait in a car as Gibbs contacts an undercover government agent on a Turkish ship. The agent tells Gibbs about an upcoming attack on a Marine Assault Ship. Outside, the team witnesses an explosion from the ship, which kills the agent and severely injures Gibbs, leaving him in a coma. In his comatose state, Gibbs has flashbacks of the murder of his wife Shannon (Darby Stanchfield) and eight-year-old daughter, Kelly (Mary Matilyn Mouser), and being wounded during Operation Desert Storm. Tony becomes the temporary head of the investigation team as the group attempts to track down Pinpin Pula, a missing crew member of the ship, suspected to