In NCIS Season 23 Episode 18 the team raced to save one of their own when someone used Kasie Hines’ secret invention to frame her for murder.
The episode titled “Bad Impressions” picked up after last week’s cliffhanger. LL Cool J returned as Sam Hanna to help unravel a conspiracy that hit close to home. A stolen computer program turned into a national security threat that nearly sent Kasie to prison.
What Was the Secret Program ‘Edna’?
Fans finally learned what “Edna” actually was. It is not a person but a powerful forensic software program that Kasie started building in college back in 2010.
The program works as a high-tech suspect profiler. It can take a fingerprint and map out a person’s genetic markers. But it can also work backwards. Someone with access to Edna can take those genetic markers and create a completely fake fingerprint.
Kasie spent sixteen years perfecting this program. She finished it recently and was ready to sell it to a tech company for a life-changing amount of money. But before she could cash in, someone broke into the NCIS systems during a late-night reboot and stole everything.
The thief used Edna to commit serious crimes, including a murder. Kasie soon discovered that her fingerprints were found on a box cutter used to kill a man named Elliot Mueller, a lawyer who was fired from the startup company that wanted to buy Edna.
How the NCIS Team Cleared Kasie’s Name
Kasie knew she was innocent because she was with the team when the murder happened. But the evidence looked bad. Her fingerprints were at the crime scene, and the police had no reason to believe someone could fake a fingerprint so perfectly.
Sam Hanna was in Washington, D.C. during a layover. He decided to stay and help his old friend. Sam and Kasie traveled to upstate New York to track down the only copy of the original coding — a notebook Kasie gave to her college roommate and ex-girlfriend, Joanna (Briana Venskus).
Getting that notebook was not easy. Joanna was still angry about how their relationship ended years ago. She claimed she threw away everything Kasie ever gave her. Sam stepped in as a counselor, pushing the two women to finally talk about why Kasie pushed Joanna away. Kasie admitted she never felt good enough for Joanna and threw herself into her work instead of facing her fears.
The trip took a turn when Joanna’s neighbor called the police. Kasie and Sam ended up in a holding cell while the rest of the team back at NCIS worked to find the real killer.
Who Framed Kasie and Why
The investigation revealed that Elliot Mueller was not working alone. He had a partner from a private military group called Helios Strategic Group. Together, they used Edna to steal a classified file from the Department of Defense.
The file contained details about a joint military operation in the Middle East, including troop movements and arsenal information. The Pentagon had no idea the file was missing until NCIS told them.
The mole responsible for the leak was hiding in plain sight. DOD Chief David Barbado (Noah Bean) had been selling secrets to the Russians. He was the one who stole Edna and used it to create Kasie’s fake fingerprint. He wanted to frame her so no one would look at him.
Once the team figured this out, they rebuilt Edna using Joanna’s notebook (which she did keep despite her earlier lie). They traced the fake fingerprint back to Barbado. He was caught trying to sell both the classified file and Edna to Russian buyers.
Kasie Makes a Painful Decision
After Barbado was arrested and Kasie cleared her name, she faced the hardest choice of her career. She got Edna back, but she knew how easily the program could be misused. Even though she spent sixteen years building it, Kasie decided to delete Edna for good.
You know what? I was actually amazed because when I read that at the end, I was surprised. I was like, wait, what? – Diona Reasonover, Actress
Diona Reasonover spoke about how difficult this moment was for her character. She told TV Insider that she does not know if she could let go of something she worked on for most of her professional career. But for Kasie, protecting national security mattered more than her personal achievement.
The episode ended on a hopeful note. Kasie asked Joanna to grab coffee, suggesting the two might reconnect. For a character who has been kidnapped and accused of crimes before, this was a rare moment of happiness.
Reasonover admitted she was nervous about this episode because of the emotional weight it carried. She felt the story showed real growth for Kasie, who finally accepted that she is enough for the people who care about her.
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How to Watch NCIS Season 23 Episode 18
“Bad Impressions” aired on CBS on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 8 PM Eastern Time. Viewers can also watch the episode on Paramount+. Premium plan subscribers can stream it live as it airs. Essential plan subscribers can watch it the day after.
For international audiences:
- United Kingdom: Available on Disney+ the next day
- Canada: Airs on Global TV the same night
- Australia: Available on Paramount+ the next day
- India: Check Amazon Prime Video or Voot for availability
Also Read: Sterling Point on Prime Video: Release Date, Cast Details and Everything to Know
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