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Tony was beginning to regret suggesting they hire McGee to their team. The guy was a complete neophyte, but he thought he knew everything. It was really annoying.
Tony had to admit the guy was better with computers than him. But being good or even amazing with computers didn't mean one knew everything. Tony had taken to playing pranks on the guy as McGee clearly didn't suspect such things as a way to show him that he didn't know everything.
Tony didn't think it was making much difference, however. It mostly seemed to annoy McGee and did very little to improve the guy's awareness of his surroundings. This case was particularly bad, McGee was completely missing the obvious clues that pointed to the murderer because that particular person was good with computers.
Needing the autopsy results anyway, Tony headed down to Ducky. Ducky was alone when he arrived and Tony couldn't help asking Ducky's advice on the situation. It was his job to train McGee and he felt like he was failing.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. Isaac Asimov said that. Perhaps it pertains to your situation," Ducky murmured.
Tony contemplated that as he returned with the autopsy results for Gibbs. Did he think he knew everything? Is that why McGee's attitude bothered him? Or did he simply know more about this subject and that's why McGee's dismissal of his knowledge stung? Tony wasn’t sure. He knew he would be thinking about this for a long time after this case was finished.
They finally had everything they needed to bring in the computer guy to interrogation. Tony watched McGee closely as they watched from the observation room. He wondered if McGee had realized the guy was guilty or if he thought Tony and Gibbs were putting one over on him.
McGee stayed quiet during the interrogation as Gibbs got the guy to confess. Tony wasn’t sure if McGee realized that the guy did it or what was going through McGee’s head, right now. Tony tried to start a conversation as they headed back to the bullpen, but McGee remained silent.
Tony let him be for now. Everyone wrapped up the paperwork and then went home. Tony’s thoughts were heavy as he thought about Ducky’s words. He knew he projected an image of frat boy knows everything and now he was wondering if he’d been working too hard on making that image.
Still just because he needed to make some changes, didn’t mean McGee didn’t need to as well. Fortunately, it seemed like McGee got it. Tony tried to tone down the frat boy image gradually, though it must not have worked because his teammates were still shocked when he became ultra-serious. Still even if his teammates didn’t see it, Tony was more aware of the pitfalls of thinking you know everything now.