When “NCIS” returned with new episodes in January, it began with a shocking two-parter of the kind normally reserved for ratings periods. It featured the deaths of Ziva’s (Cote de Pablo) father Eli David (Michael Nouri), head of Mossad, and Jackie Vance (Paula Newsome), wife of “NCIS” Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll).

So, on Tuesday night when the No. 1 drama series on TV airs its first episode of February sweeps, how does it plan to top that?

“I can’t think of things that way,” executive producer Gary Glasberg exclusively tells XfinityTV.com. “I just want to write really great stories and let this show grow. The fact that we are able to continue to scratch away at these characters and learn new things — we are 10 seasons into this show and not struggling to do it — is a gift. My goal at this point is just to keep coming out with the best episodes possible.”

With the previously announced renewal of Mark Harmon’s (Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs) contract and the show being given a pick up for the 2013-2014 season — its 11th, Glasberg will be able to do just that, but first his focus is on the here and now.

So this week, he has set the NCIS team on the trail of a hacker who might possibly lead them to the most wanted cyber-terrorist in the world in an episode called “Canary,” because they hope to make him sing — and they will go to extreme lengths to make that happen.

“We have a situation where we are trying to get information out of a significant cyber-terrorist and it involves us going to Guantanamo Bay,” Glasberg says. “We built a really beautiful set. It is a nail biter.”

But more than computer hacking is involved when it looks as if someone may have opened up Pandora’s Box and released the Ebola virus in the U.S. So, as the two biggest nerds on the NCIS team, Abby (Pauley Perrette) and McGee (Sean Murray) are forced to work together very closely — in fact, possibly too closely for McGee’s comfort.

“McGee is definitely involved in the case and plays a significant part in it,” Glasberg adds. “He views the person they are going after as a contemporary.”

The “Canary” episode of “NCIS” airs Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 8/7c on CBS.

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