NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 7 recap - the hunt for Yamashita’s gold turns deadly

Episode 7, Season 3 of NCIS: Sydney opened with a complicated tone when Chief Petty Officer Joel Corbel was taken into custody under highly suspicious circumstances. Some Officers found him covered in blood, and he fled when questioned. During the pursuit, it got even messier.

Corbel hit a state police officer, inviting more trouble for him. He refused to explain the blood on him, and state police seemed intent on holding him out of frustration as much as protocol. NCIS then took over the case, but Joel still remained uncooperative.

NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 7 recap - the hunt for Yamashita’s gold turns deadly

From his arrest, one of the most significant pieces of information found was half of a treasure map. Blue assumed that the map was connected to much-talked-about Yamashita’s gold, a WWII-era hoard believed to have been stolen by a Japanese general and hidden in Australia.

The map was originally part of the auction material, but was stolen beforehand. This lead made Evie cross paths with television adventurer Vinny Reeves, whose program Fortune Tracker was popular. It made him well-known in the niche.

Reeves let others know the lore: an Australian diplomat once recovered the gold, then divided the map between his two children in an attempt to force cooperation. Because of their ongoing feud, the treasure was never recovered. Reeves had been one of the bidders at the auction, but he denied being involved in this.

Joel’s presence in Australia did not appear related to the auction, as he had traveled to visit his father, Erik Corbel, a former military officer turned private contractor who had since retired. Joel left behind his pregnant wife, Nicole, and NCIS could not locate Erik. It was also revealed through Nicole that his relationship with Joel had long been strained.

Joel was later traced at an abandoned railway station. Mackey and JD went there along with the officer Joel had assaulted. This visit led to a disturbing discovery: they found the body of Kenji Takahata, a Japanese national who had traveled with his wife and also participated in the auction bidding.

The murder weapon was still to be found, not even on Joel. State police geared up by initiating a “reciprocal investigation,” further complicating the series of commands.

When more pressure was put, he finally disclosed his role. He was a Navy codebreaker with an eidetic memory, and Erik had lured him to Australia by claiming he was gravely ill.

Instead, Erik pushed him to decode the half-map. When danger surfaced, Erik withdrew, abandoning him. Joel admitted he had spent years trying to earn his father’s approval and now recognized the pattern more clearly.

Erik claimed the Black Falcon Group was responsible for Kenji’s death. Interpol wanted the group for illegal treasure-seeking operations. Kenji’s “wife” was identified as one of its members. Before NCIS could intervene, Joel was abducted for the reconstructed map stored in his memory.

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Blue used Joel’s recollection to identify the likely location of the gold, leading the team to a deteriorating facility where they recovered him. The treasure site was intact but empty. The investigation soon confirmed that Vinny Reeves had murdered Kenji, obtained the second half of the map, and stolen the gold himself. He was arrested.

With charges dropped, Joel prepared to return to the United States after a final, sober meeting with his father. The episode closed with JD reflecting on the challenges of parenting, underscored by an ill-timed mishap involving a modified water gun he intended to give his son.

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