NCIS (2003-) Review

Posted on September 27, 2016 Updated on November 22, 2016

 

Rating: 3.5/5

Seasons: 14

Cast: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette

Having binge watched several cop/crime series and mini-series, mostly British, I started craving for a more stable show, a show with a regular team of cops, an episodic case and a continuous background story. NCIS best suited my needs. A constant team headed by a strong leader, fun banter among the characters and nothing too serious to get us depressing- Perfect entertainer.

NCIS is Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Any crime related to the Navy, NCIS is called for. If a naval officer is murdered, NCIS gets jurisdiction. We see the team solve a crime in every episode, for the past 13 seasons and still counting. The cases are interesting enough, but the characters are what make this show really enjoyable. Many a times the episodes are dull, still it’s always manageable to reach the end.

Let’s look at some of the prominent characters of the show.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the boss of the team. He heads the team with immense energy and dedication.  He enjoys the fun the youngsters have in his team and occasionally takes part in them too. He has the habit of slapping his team members at the back of the head if they aren’t focussing on their work. He is intimidating when it comes to work, otherwise he is cool. He is the father figure for the team. He has a tragic past (Of course!) and glimpses of his personal life are shown in bits and pieces over all the seasons. He has a unique equation with every member of his team. He always stands by his team even if they have done anything wrong. He is a sniper specialist. He hates technology.

Antony DiNozzo is the next important character- funny, entertaining, sarcastic, pulling others legs; he is the joker of the team yet the most trusted one. Gibbs and Tony’s banter is a treat to watch. He doesn’t shy away from flirting with any girl in the team. But when it comes to work, he is serious and focussed, to the best of his knowledge. Gibbs and Tony make NCIS special. Tony exited the show last year. It will be interesting to see how the show progresses without Tony and how Gibbs takes the team forward in solving more cases.

Timothy McGee is the geek of the team. Intelligent, smart, technology savvy, his talent helps the team crack many cases. Shy and scared, he is comfortable speaking to only those who share his own interest. Introvert. He gets along well with everyone even though he is bullied the most. With Tony gone, it’s time for McGee to step in and take the lead.

Abby- forensic genius, Ducky-the Medical Examiner are the other important characters.

We have several Directors over the seasons who share distinct relationship with Gibbs. There is Tobias Fornell from FBI who liaisons with NCIS for numerous cases. Fornell and Gibbs have a very close friendship, not to forget, Fornell married Gibbs’s second wife after their divorce. That adds a lot of funny sequences in the show, especially when the wife turns up in the episode.

The best part of this show is the smooth relationship the characters have with each other. Also, the show has the right mixture of seriousness, humour, action and bombings. There are several episodes which had high thrilling moments, emotional and sensitive cases, personal relationships touched, and many more. I don’t have a strong attachment or addiction to the show unlike many other shows, but it’s difficult to not like the team. For the first two seasons, the team wasn’t consistent, but for the next 7 to 8 seasons, the show stuck to the same team. The women officers in the team are always portrayed as strong and smart, willing to go the extra mile, putting their lives under risk. Ziva is one of my favourite characters. The one-liners in the show are amazing, especially when it comes from Gibbs. The episodes which focuses on the personal lives of the characters are always more interesting than the rest. The cases involving the characters going undercover add a lot of interest too. It’s difficult to talk about a show and not talk about every episode. At the same time, it’s impossible to remember so many episode and all those wonderful moments inscribed within. I used the NCIS database website to get to know the best episodes and watched accordingly. I am excited for the next seasons, (sad it’s without Tony) and hopeful that NCIS continues to entertain it’s viewers.