Dre must take Jack and Diane on a mandatory camping trip for school and hatches a plan for them to escape to a fancy hotel for some pampering. Meanwhile, Bow gets an award at work, but feels undermined after a colleague is surprised to learn that she went to USC for med school.
Murtaugh takes a family vacation, but is pulled back into work when he witnesses an alleged abduction. Cole is left to investigate a murder himself, but the two cases begin to intersect. Meanwhile, Erica's mother, Senator Malick, comes to town and stirs things up between Erica, Cole and the case at hand.
United States Secretary of Defense Wynn Crawford shuts down Gibbs' murder investigation and demands that Special Agents McGee and Torres be arrested for their actions in the case.
While Moira is in Bosnia filming the Crows movie that she hopes will revive her acting career, David attempts to take his relationship with Patrick to new heights.