Never Underestimate Abby Sciuto

In the event of an emergency, most people might think to call someone who carries a badge (like Gibbs). While the entire NCIS team is qualified to help solve cases, sometimes the biggest heroes are hidden in the shadows—or, in this case, the basement. 

​STREAM: Full Episodes Of NCIS On CBS All Access

Our favorite forensic scientist let her true colors shine in "Lockdown" (Episode 5, Season 13) when she masterfully thwarted a group of gunmen and saved a building full of hostages. Let's take a look at all the ways she stepped up during the episode and celebrate just some of the ways Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) is an unsung hero. 

Watch all new episodes of NCIS on Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.

Abby doesn't just care about those close to her, but for all forms of life. She formed an immediate bond with Janice when they discovered they support many of the same animal charities.

She cares so much about others that she's willing to put her own life on the line. We'll never forget what she told a gunman, "If my life can save theirs, I'm down—100 percent."

When Abby wants something, you can bet she's going to fight for it. In this episode, she wanted to move out of the basement to join the rest of her peers—displacing the accounting team in the process. Gibbs initially told her it wasn't going to happen, but she kept looking for new ways to convince him. The balloons were a very nice touch. He didn't go along at first, but her persistence paid off and Gibbs had another word with accounting.

Given her background in forensics, Abby knows that a paper trail can come in handy. When she gave Gibbs a "Release Form," not only did she make remind him that her basement lab felt like "solitary confinement," but she also made sure he would know her exact whereabouts in case of an emergency. That may have been a lifesaving move!

Most people would freak out if they heard gunmen were taking hostages in their building, but Abby isn't most people. Instead of succumbing to fear, Abby stayed calm and devised a game plan. Sorry, criminals, but this woman is too rational to let your scare tactics affect her. 

How do you get a room full of criminals to leave so you have time to lock them out of a computer system? Create a noxious gas and pin your nose with a binder clip, of course! Seriously, where does she come up with these brilliant ideas? 

How could a friend lie to somebody as sweet as Abby? It's disappointing, of course, but the world isn't perfect. Neither is Janice!

Although Janice seemed like a harmless victim, Abby saw right through her and realized that she was actually in on the crime. As the other offenders were being arrested, Abby connected the dots and dutifully turned her over for her role in the hostage fiasco.

Even in a terrifying lockdown, Abby found the time to put it all in perspective. While weighing their options with gunmen lurking outside, Abby told Janice about the time her fifth-grade class watched a crime movie where the bad guys wound up dead at the end. She said she'd never forget her teacher's speech on why it's not okay to applaud death—no matter how terrible the deceased person was. To this day, Abby carries that story with her as she works on even the most vile cases as a reminder that life is valuable.

Sure, the ladies were outnumbered and out-gunned, but Abby wasn't about to let a few guys with weapons stop her. Sensing Janice's nervousness, Abby made an inspiring mini-speech: "We have something better than guns—we have our brains and your lab." 

Even in extremely dangerous situations, Abby can formulate a safe and efficient plan of attack—or escape. Abby noticed which vents were leading to which rooms, and she gathered the supplies that were most useful to help her get away unharmed.

To fend off the gunmen, Abby told them that she had a tiny canister of DX7 poisonous gas and that she was willing to use it on everybody in the room—including herself. While she was bluffing about the substance (it could only knock people out temporarily), she wasn't bluffing about her commitment to stop them. She released the gas even though she had to breath it in, too.

​STREAM: Full Episodes Of NCIS On CBS All Access

Watch all new episodes of NCIS on Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.