Great show for 15 years after that it went downhill. It started when Michael Weatherly left and went from there. From about the 2019 season onward it left its primary theme of military based crime investigation and started become a melodrama of horrible episodes about things like prison reform and side stories that had next to nothing to do with the military. Once this started happening the show lost all respect and became unwatchable.
384 Reviews
Show's over! Turn out the lights!
macintex-1305820 October 2021
Great show, but it's time to retire the series now that Gibbs has left
thegrinch-914 October 2021
I started watching NCIS after it had been on a few years. I immediately got hooked and eventually saw the seasons I had missed. I thought it was a great show. In my opinion, it was at its best with Tony, Ziva and Abby. Other characters have tried to fill their roles, but they could not fully replace the people we had known to come and love. I thought the send-off episode for Gibbs was great. But now that he has departed, it's time to retire the series. The show suffered after the loss of the aforementioned characters, but it absolutely will not be the same without Gibbs. Ideally, they should have ended season 18 with the first few episodes from season 19, but they were probably trying to get people hooked on yet another season. It's time to say good-bye.
Keeps getting better
wmelick8 June 2004
This has become my favorite regular show on the main networks. The stories are good enough to keep me watching and the character interplay can be quite amusing at times. Gibbs is great...watching the others react to him makes me chuckle. Abby is perfectly believable, despite the goth overtones...she is strong, smart, yet still sexy and feminine. I think Pauley Perette was the ideal actress to cast. The writing seems to continue at an even keel...if nothing else getting better as more episodes are shown. I think the producers have a hit here. I go back each week. Definitely worth your time...even if it means taping or tivo'ing it (which I do)...something to look forward to when I can't make 8:00 on Tuesday.
Great New Series on TV this season+
mimackenzie197219 January 2004
This is a great series to watch. I have been hooked on this show since the beginning because I love watching mysteries and crime like CSI and CSI Miami. Harmon's so sexy in this role and McCallum is always a joy to watch as Ducky especially when he's on the role over various anthropology lectures which to my amusement everyone on that shows roll up their eyeballs.
Time to end it
jkfabrizio15 November 2022
This series has been great. Great for the first 10 years. So so since then. This current season is boring. Time to pull the plug. Please put it out of its misery. Without Jethro, Tony, Ziva, Abby the show lacks intrigue, personality and vim. The current cast is okay but I can't get a connection to them. Gary Cole is the best thing it has for now. He's quirky but not volatile enough to add suspense and energy. I think what's missing is the backstory that came with Jethro and his demons. It's imperative for a story to have conflict and there isn't any right now. It's just run of-of-the mill ho-hum mysteries that don't even hold a candle to Agatha Christie novels. And the romance angle for Jimmy and Knight is too soon after he lost his wife, which was in itself a stupid way to push corona propaganda on fans. I hate to see the show run into the ground anymore. Like an aging athlete who keeps playing just to stay in the game, NCIS can't let go and it's embarrassing.
every element is entertainment
abbysmom09-112 June 2009
There is simply nothing about NCIS that is not to like. I'll get the superficial stuff out of the way first - every camera angle on Michael Weatherly is gorgeous, and he plays it so well as Anthony DiNozzo. Ziva, his partner, is most adorable with every cultural nuance she utters as she tries to grasp American idioms. It's charming and realistic. Her ability to speak Israeli for some plot lines truly adds to her beauty and character-balancing the serious with the humorous sides of the show. Bringing David McCallum into our lives again brings the emotion of nostalgia. How we loved his British accent in THE MAN FOR U.N.C.L.E. His charming ramblings, his sensitivity to forensics, and his educational lessons are perfect. Characters McGee and Abby play perfectly off each other. and Mark Harmon is the guiding treasure. Tie up in a bow, and they have all played their characters so convincingly that we are invited to be part of their team every week. That's true TV. The bonus: no foul language, machine guns blaring, and no sex (but plenty of engaging innuendos). Please tune in. This show is such a delight.
So sad a wonderful show is sinking
keithkrans-6550228 February 2019
1st Zeva leaves, then Tony and finally Abby. The cast that built the legend on NCIS has been reduced to a couple now and the new adds (except for Maria Bello) are not providing the intrigue and drama that was the previous NCIS. As a devoted fan I am slowly but surely finding the show becoming a non- watch instead of a must see. We used to schedule our lives to make sure we never missed an episode.
Something For Everyone
kirsten-t11 May 2006
Being a big Dark Angel fan (at least a Season One Dark Angel fan), my main reason for watching NCIS originally was Michael Weatherly. Seeing how he could play someone so different from Logan Cale was fascinating for me. That fact that Mark Harmon (whom I've always enjoyed watching)and David McCallum (fan of the Shaphire and Steel program)were also in the program was a bonus. My sister in law is a Mark Harmon fan, so she got something out of the program and everybody (my father included) loves Abby. This is a program that everyone in the family can get something out of. The occasional Dark Angel reference thrown in adds to my fun. (i.e William Gregory Lee who played Zack in Dark Angel was a guest star and was the actor who played Logan's Uncle Jonas)
Downhill from season 17
gasserve7 December 2022
I loved this show from the beginning. However, now at season 20 its a shadow of its former concept & acting ability. It's now become a bit of a comedy sitcom. This is a shame.
Gibbs character was awesome along with DiNozzo in the initial seasons. Then whomever did the casting kind of lost the identity of the show. I think that its momentum continued until Abby left then, they cast a unbelieveble character to replace her. She unfortunately forces her acting ability to become rather annoying.
Torres is good. But Parker doesn't seem to command the screen presence that Gibbs did. Storylines, should be Navy related as it used to be.
Gibbs character was awesome along with DiNozzo in the initial seasons. Then whomever did the casting kind of lost the identity of the show. I think that its momentum continued until Abby left then, they cast a unbelieveble character to replace her. She unfortunately forces her acting ability to become rather annoying.
Torres is good. But Parker doesn't seem to command the screen presence that Gibbs did. Storylines, should be Navy related as it used to be.
Give an Emmy to Mark Harmon & A British Honour for David McCallum!
Sylviastel17 August 2014
The cast is headed by beloved Hollywood television star, Mark Harmon, who doesn't have an Emmy or A Golden Globe Award. Harmon richly deserves those accolades and more. He is one of the main reasons that NCIS has remained a beloved television series with high ratings for the last decade. The other cast members like Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, and Sasha Alexander are team players. Scottish American actor, David McCallum, should also be honored with a British Honour for acting here. It's a shame that this show doesn't get the accolades and awards like other shows. The writing is consistent and strong. The cast is first rate. It's as entertaining and enlightening to watch. Still going strong after 13 seasons and the highest rated drama on television for years.
Season 14 (Spoilers)
robertka13 May 2017
Am I the only one thinks that Season 14 is lacking something N.C.I.S. used to have? I am kind of disappointed with this season. Sure, I watch each and every episode and look forward to the next, but; somehow or other, the action seems to revolve less about homicides and N.C.I.S. purpose and more on the personal relationships of its members. Furthermore, the cases that N.C.I.S. got this whole season seem to be very lame compared to the cases from previous seasons. I am writing this because I noticed that while watching the episodes of this season, if I get a phone call, I pause the recording to answer the phone, while in the past, I would let the call go to voicemail so as not to interrupt my watching. I feel that the departures of Cote de Pablo, first, followed by Michael Weatherly took something from the show and that whatever was lost has not yet been replaced. Ducky has fewer lines while Palmer seems to get more attention and is just as funny. Abby is Abby and McGee is not as prominent as before. In my opinion, I feel that the writers seem to also have lost their touch.
This really saddens me because last year, I bought the DVD's for all the seasons which I had missed, and I remember binge-watching them like there was no tomorrow. Let's just hope that things pick up for the next couple of episodes or for next season.
This really saddens me because last year, I bought the DVD's for all the seasons which I had missed, and I remember binge-watching them like there was no tomorrow. Let's just hope that things pick up for the next couple of episodes or for next season.
Time flies when you're enjoying yourself
shellemk23 September 2004
and each episode speeds along all too quickly! I LOVE this show
! What is there NOT to like? Rich story lines, strongly portrayed (and very human) personalities you can really warm to who play off each other brilliantly, all with their own distinctive quirks and above all the always wonderful Mark Harmon as main character! What more could you ask for in a show?! There's not a single character I'd change none that irritate they're all excellent. I consider it a bonus that it's the one thing on TV that all our family equally enjoy for different reasons. Even my father-in-law likes this and we normally have totally different viewing preferences! I was delighted when I heard that there was a second series imminent. Only problem is that living in England, who knows how long after it's shown in the US we'll get to see it! Fortunately it's worth the wait!
thank you Mark Harmon
uscmd13 October 2021
Oct 11th was like watching a funeral. Everyone bidding Gibbs a fond farewell. They may just as well said bon yoyage to NCIS.
Gibbs will cameo, through this season. His replacement? The weasely FBI agent, who coincidentaly was fired, as Gibbs was saying his good byes. Sadly, does anyone believe the new cast, is better than those who have left. I have loved this show since year 1. But I believe thats a death.knell we are hearing. A more Gibbsian character might have helped, but the weight of all the losses just may have been too much.
Gibbs will cameo, through this season. His replacement? The weasely FBI agent, who coincidentaly was fired, as Gibbs was saying his good byes. Sadly, does anyone believe the new cast, is better than those who have left. I have loved this show since year 1. But I believe thats a death.knell we are hearing. A more Gibbsian character might have helped, but the weight of all the losses just may have been too much.
Miss Abby
kjcobb-4310629 September 2018
Good Fun
Suisan18 January 2008
I've been watching NCIS since it started and have been a regular viewer since the debut. The first reason I tuned in was simple - Mark Harmon. Second reason was, well, Michael Weatherly. David McCallum was just a really nice bonus. That being said ... I know that NCIS as it is shown on the screen is ludicrous, so is CSI and all its off shoots, but if you show what really happens in any investigation you'll chase off the audience with boredom.
Mark Harmon has brought a sense of realism to the Leroy Jethro Gibbs character to the point that my former active duty Marine husband swears up and down that Harmon MUST have been a Gunny in real life. Either this one or a previous one, he's just too good playing a senior NCO Reservist Marine and a cop. Gibbs is also a top-notch "Training Officer" who clearly trains all of his people to be able to step up and take control and command of a team in a moment's notice.
Michael Weatherly has matured as an actor - I first noticed him in Dark Angel - and he has wisely chosen to let his character on the show, Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, to mature at a natural rate. Slowly. He's gone from an annoying frat-like not-quite-mature man to a deep thinker and a MUCH better investigator who can handle deep cover assignments if needed. Maybe not as well Gibbs could handle it, but that sort of skill takes time and multiple assignments to be fully qualified (and by then, the Feds tend to ship you off to their Academies so you can teach what you've learned).
Cote de Pablo (Mossad Officer Ziva David) replaced Sasha Alexander (Caitlin "Kate" Todd) and I'm probably in the minority when I say "THANK YOU" to the casting department for that. I found Todd to be a rather flat, and annoying, character. Oh she had a few lines here and there that were light hearted and worth a giggle - usually at DiNozzo's expense - but for the most part she was played a little too 'boy next door, or trying to be' by Alexander. Cote, at least, has played Ziva as a very capable, and very female, Intelligence Officer. I think this is why most folks don't like Ziva, they expect a Law Enforcement officer type character but she's an Intelligence Agent. Think CIA and kick it up several notches - you don't mess with Mossad unless you have a death wish. Cote clearly realizes this and plays "Officer David" with that in mind.
David McCallum, Doctor Donald "Ducky" Mallard, is always a joy to see on the screen and I love the 'quirks' David has given Ducky. I suspect there is a history behind Ducky's 'adventure stories' that could easily fill several books - and be considered too implausible to be anything but fiction. Ducky brings a human element to the position of Medical Examiner, a warmth that civilians don't think M.E.'s have but usually do. The ones I know also have wicked, if dry, senses of humor and McCallum has joyfully taken the humor route with Ducky and I, for one, appreciate it.
Another quirky character is, of course, Pauley Perrett's Abby Scuitto, Goth Forensic Scientist. Her portrayal of Abby is spot on as Pauley is the only person I've heard of playing a Criminal Scientist who actually has the sheepskin in the discipline. Nothing like a touch of realism to bring a character to life! Of course, people complain that Scuitto shouldn't be permitted to work in a federal job with the obvious life style she has - to you I say, HorseFeathers. If Abby were less capable at her job, she wouldn't be there as long as she has been. Nor would any of her supervisors put up with her oddities.
Now to speak of the other "Geek" on the team - Timothy McGee. Techno-geek. Keyboard Wizard. Sean Murray needs to do only one thing to make me totally happy with his character and his protrayl of McGee-cut his hair! I realize that the McGee character has a life outside of NCIS - as a published novelist no less - and probably keep his hair on the long side to emphasize his Authorial Air but... I hate the way it's flopped in his face this past season.
The writing on this show, like others, is usually tight but like other shows there are episodes where the writing was clearly 'off' when the idea was dreamt up or the script approved. The fact that the cast can take a lousy script and still get a watchable show out of it, is nothing short of amazing. Is NCIS accurate? No. Is NCIS a good way to learn about the Marine Corps or the Navy? Uh, no. Better talk to a recruiter if you're thinking of joining the military. Is NCIS good fun? YEAP!
Mark Harmon has brought a sense of realism to the Leroy Jethro Gibbs character to the point that my former active duty Marine husband swears up and down that Harmon MUST have been a Gunny in real life. Either this one or a previous one, he's just too good playing a senior NCO Reservist Marine and a cop. Gibbs is also a top-notch "Training Officer" who clearly trains all of his people to be able to step up and take control and command of a team in a moment's notice.
Michael Weatherly has matured as an actor - I first noticed him in Dark Angel - and he has wisely chosen to let his character on the show, Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, to mature at a natural rate. Slowly. He's gone from an annoying frat-like not-quite-mature man to a deep thinker and a MUCH better investigator who can handle deep cover assignments if needed. Maybe not as well Gibbs could handle it, but that sort of skill takes time and multiple assignments to be fully qualified (and by then, the Feds tend to ship you off to their Academies so you can teach what you've learned).
Cote de Pablo (Mossad Officer Ziva David) replaced Sasha Alexander (Caitlin "Kate" Todd) and I'm probably in the minority when I say "THANK YOU" to the casting department for that. I found Todd to be a rather flat, and annoying, character. Oh she had a few lines here and there that were light hearted and worth a giggle - usually at DiNozzo's expense - but for the most part she was played a little too 'boy next door, or trying to be' by Alexander. Cote, at least, has played Ziva as a very capable, and very female, Intelligence Officer. I think this is why most folks don't like Ziva, they expect a Law Enforcement officer type character but she's an Intelligence Agent. Think CIA and kick it up several notches - you don't mess with Mossad unless you have a death wish. Cote clearly realizes this and plays "Officer David" with that in mind.
David McCallum, Doctor Donald "Ducky" Mallard, is always a joy to see on the screen and I love the 'quirks' David has given Ducky. I suspect there is a history behind Ducky's 'adventure stories' that could easily fill several books - and be considered too implausible to be anything but fiction. Ducky brings a human element to the position of Medical Examiner, a warmth that civilians don't think M.E.'s have but usually do. The ones I know also have wicked, if dry, senses of humor and McCallum has joyfully taken the humor route with Ducky and I, for one, appreciate it.
Another quirky character is, of course, Pauley Perrett's Abby Scuitto, Goth Forensic Scientist. Her portrayal of Abby is spot on as Pauley is the only person I've heard of playing a Criminal Scientist who actually has the sheepskin in the discipline. Nothing like a touch of realism to bring a character to life! Of course, people complain that Scuitto shouldn't be permitted to work in a federal job with the obvious life style she has - to you I say, HorseFeathers. If Abby were less capable at her job, she wouldn't be there as long as she has been. Nor would any of her supervisors put up with her oddities.
Now to speak of the other "Geek" on the team - Timothy McGee. Techno-geek. Keyboard Wizard. Sean Murray needs to do only one thing to make me totally happy with his character and his protrayl of McGee-cut his hair! I realize that the McGee character has a life outside of NCIS - as a published novelist no less - and probably keep his hair on the long side to emphasize his Authorial Air but... I hate the way it's flopped in his face this past season.
The writing on this show, like others, is usually tight but like other shows there are episodes where the writing was clearly 'off' when the idea was dreamt up or the script approved. The fact that the cast can take a lousy script and still get a watchable show out of it, is nothing short of amazing. Is NCIS accurate? No. Is NCIS a good way to learn about the Marine Corps or the Navy? Uh, no. Better talk to a recruiter if you're thinking of joining the military. Is NCIS good fun? YEAP!
Easy to watch, no agenda
dutchy_on_a_bike9 October 2019
It was the best show on TV but not for quite a while now
Jackbv12321 October 2022
Old habits are hard to break. Picking the NCIS episodes first off the DVR list is still a habit despite the fact that this show is only a shadow of what it once was. I especially think the writing has become juvenile since the season before Gibbs big move (S19E4).
I got over what happened to Kate, then to Ziva, than to Tony, but I think everything that happened to Bishop was when I realized that the quality of the show just wasn't there any more. Even before that what happened to McGee S18E5 is where the series jumps the shark. The bad writing probably starting beginning of S18, but from that point on there is more bad writing than good.
I guess subpar episodes of a once great show are better than a lot of what's still out there.
I got over what happened to Kate, then to Ziva, than to Tony, but I think everything that happened to Bishop was when I realized that the quality of the show just wasn't there any more. Even before that what happened to McGee S18E5 is where the series jumps the shark. The bad writing probably starting beginning of S18, but from that point on there is more bad writing than good.
I guess subpar episodes of a once great show are better than a lot of what's still out there.
Ncis season 19
yacovbe6 November 2021
What a refreshing change from all the others
WIZ-135 September 2006
NCIS is a skillful balance of humor and serious drama. None of the major characters is static, i.e. there is depth. Every week, we discover more about the characters, who they are, where they are coming from, why they do what they do. But the show does not sacrifice the plot for the sake of the characters. Stories are well thought-out and believable. The cast is superb, with Mark Harman leading the ensemble. What a complex character, that Leroy Jethro Gibbs! At first, I did not like Tony; I thought he was an ego-centric, male chauvinist pig, but there's more in there than the id-controlled Mr. DiNozzo, I'm discovering. Then there's Abby--I just adore Abby! The mix of scientist, alternative lifestyle, street smarts and just a touch of naiveté. Tim McGee started out like a puppy, willing to please. Well, that puppy's growing up, folks, and watch out! The two new characters, Ziva & Jenn are intriguing as well. I love the sexual tension between the director and Gibbs. And Ziva is more than a match for Tony. The vulnerability we saw in Hiatus was great, too. And Ducky: I save him for last for many reasons. A David McCallum fan for more years than I care to numerate, I can easily say that this is probably his best role (Colditz was his second best--check it out if you can).
All in all, I look forward to the 4th season to show the same excellence of craft as the last three have accomplished.
All in all, I look forward to the 4th season to show the same excellence of craft as the last three have accomplished.
Upto season 13 its a 10, after that don't bother
N1dhi10 April 2023
This was one of my favourite shows when it started. Loved the dynamic and talent of the original cast. Whether it was Kate, Ziva, or Jenny - they all brought fabulous presence and acting that elevated the script.
The original team with Gibbs, Tony, Tim, Ducky and Abby was a blast. 10/10. Once they started leaving, the show went downhill.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but the worst development was the addition of Wilmer Valderrama. He completely ruined the team dynamic and gravitas of the show with his childish acting and inability to portray an NCIS agent like the others. He literally made it impossible for me to watch this show after just a few episodes.
The new team and episodes are your typical lot on TV with passable acting and average stories. The first 13 seasons are fabulous, the rest - unwatchable.
Sort of what happened with Criminal Minds after Derrick and Hotch left the show.
Networks would be better off by ending an epic show rather than continuing it with crappy actors and plots to rake in more money.
The original team with Gibbs, Tony, Tim, Ducky and Abby was a blast. 10/10. Once they started leaving, the show went downhill.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but the worst development was the addition of Wilmer Valderrama. He completely ruined the team dynamic and gravitas of the show with his childish acting and inability to portray an NCIS agent like the others. He literally made it impossible for me to watch this show after just a few episodes.
The new team and episodes are your typical lot on TV with passable acting and average stories. The first 13 seasons are fabulous, the rest - unwatchable.
Sort of what happened with Criminal Minds after Derrick and Hotch left the show.
Networks would be better off by ending an epic show rather than continuing it with crappy actors and plots to rake in more money.
Easily one of the best shows on Television today, Suspenseful, Humorous and Riveting-Can't Miss TV!
JTBWRITER16 June 2004
Easily one of the best shows on television today, suspenseful, humorous and real-not always pleasant or formulaic-but real! Just when I think Bellesario has gone too far in the "lets screw up Jag" sweepstakes (ok-2 episodes this year were actually good-the rest-terrible!)-he redeems himself with a show that is riveting, timely and funny at the right times!
The casting, the writing, the overall look of the show is first class! Starting at the top with Mark Harmon, the sexiest man on TV-he also sets the tone with his right on portrayal of the most conflicted man on TV today! His obsession with Ari (the terrorist), his list of rules, then his tendency to think out of the box just adds to the spice and pace of this show. (Plus his constant dueling with DiNozzo-priceless!)
An added plus is the inter meshing of the cast-David McCallum-funny, urbane- so hot! His stories are hysterical, then his sad commentary on the life or death of their latest subject-just gives you pause. His diatribe on the terrorist and what he did to his assistant alone is Emmy award stuff-don't mess with Ducky ever again! Then we have the reason for Rule 12-Special Agent Catlin Todd-the writers don't always have a clue as to her portrayal but she always pulls it off (and that humor of hers-the end lines alone are great!) I have to disagree as to the chemistry with Gibbs/Kate-it's there all right-hopefully we get to see something come of it in Season 2! The actors portraying Abby and DiNozzo-Pauly Perrette and Michael Weatherly are hysterical, yet right on in their portrayals-especially when DiNozzo thinks with his hormones and not with his brain-then turns around and saves the day-this show is a keeper! I can hardly wait for season 2!
The casting, the writing, the overall look of the show is first class! Starting at the top with Mark Harmon, the sexiest man on TV-he also sets the tone with his right on portrayal of the most conflicted man on TV today! His obsession with Ari (the terrorist), his list of rules, then his tendency to think out of the box just adds to the spice and pace of this show. (Plus his constant dueling with DiNozzo-priceless!)
An added plus is the inter meshing of the cast-David McCallum-funny, urbane- so hot! His stories are hysterical, then his sad commentary on the life or death of their latest subject-just gives you pause. His diatribe on the terrorist and what he did to his assistant alone is Emmy award stuff-don't mess with Ducky ever again! Then we have the reason for Rule 12-Special Agent Catlin Todd-the writers don't always have a clue as to her portrayal but she always pulls it off (and that humor of hers-the end lines alone are great!) I have to disagree as to the chemistry with Gibbs/Kate-it's there all right-hopefully we get to see something come of it in Season 2! The actors portraying Abby and DiNozzo-Pauly Perrette and Michael Weatherly are hysterical, yet right on in their portrayals-especially when DiNozzo thinks with his hormones and not with his brain-then turns around and saves the day-this show is a keeper! I can hardly wait for season 2!
Won't Miss Abby
pellett4819 June 2018
I can't say I will miss having Abby on the show. Her character never grew over time and she was getting a bit old to pull off the, "Gibs, Gibs, Gibs," routine. Her signature Goth look went out of style and became a Goofy look. Even being generous with a timeline, Abby had to be at least 40 & was still wearing silly school girl costumes. Over time it became distracting instead of endearing.
Navy Cops
bkoganbing23 April 2014
Something about the laconic Mark Harmon and his team at Naval Criminal Invesigation Service has caught the fancy of the television public. NCIS is still going strong after a decade.
Interesting stories and characters does the trick for this series. Harmon who is a former Marine has got good instincts to ferret out the truth from people. He's aided by a team with different skills.
Michael Weatherly is the number 2 of the unit. His background is civilian police more than military and he's a bit of a blowhard. In a sense Weatherly has the toughest acting job in the show because if he came at the 'probies' too hard the audience would hate him. Still he does make life miserable for Sean Murray especially in the early episodes.
The need for computer skills in law enforcement has become critical but there is a prejudice against computer geeks that Weatherly shares. Poor Sean Murray was new to the team at the beginning and he was the butt of all of Weatherly's juvenile pranks. Still he stood up to it and the jokes got less and less.
Weatherly was not about to pull anything with Cote DePablo, a former Israeli soldier. Out of necessity those people put and have kept their women at arms and she's no one to mess with.
Two others are part of the team, the most unmilitary like. David McCallum whom I remember well as a teen idol of sorts as Ilya Kuryakin in The Man From UNCLE in the Sixties is a senior citizen now and the medical examiner. I wonder if he and Leslie Hendrix of the Law And Order franchise ever met at a Medical Examiner convention? They sure have the same style.
But the most unmilitary person in the group, but maybe the most loved is Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto or "Abs" as everyone calls her. Given her Goth persona and a cheerful outlook on life which those folks seldom have, she's a strange person to be working in a military setting. But the team especially Harmon really love her and she's my main reason for watching the show.
Other than some good stories and a fine ensemble cast.
Interesting stories and characters does the trick for this series. Harmon who is a former Marine has got good instincts to ferret out the truth from people. He's aided by a team with different skills.
Michael Weatherly is the number 2 of the unit. His background is civilian police more than military and he's a bit of a blowhard. In a sense Weatherly has the toughest acting job in the show because if he came at the 'probies' too hard the audience would hate him. Still he does make life miserable for Sean Murray especially in the early episodes.
The need for computer skills in law enforcement has become critical but there is a prejudice against computer geeks that Weatherly shares. Poor Sean Murray was new to the team at the beginning and he was the butt of all of Weatherly's juvenile pranks. Still he stood up to it and the jokes got less and less.
Weatherly was not about to pull anything with Cote DePablo, a former Israeli soldier. Out of necessity those people put and have kept their women at arms and she's no one to mess with.
Two others are part of the team, the most unmilitary like. David McCallum whom I remember well as a teen idol of sorts as Ilya Kuryakin in The Man From UNCLE in the Sixties is a senior citizen now and the medical examiner. I wonder if he and Leslie Hendrix of the Law And Order franchise ever met at a Medical Examiner convention? They sure have the same style.
But the most unmilitary person in the group, but maybe the most loved is Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto or "Abs" as everyone calls her. Given her Goth persona and a cheerful outlook on life which those folks seldom have, she's a strange person to be working in a military setting. But the team especially Harmon really love her and she's my main reason for watching the show.
Other than some good stories and a fine ensemble cast.
How to distinguish yourself from every other cop show/procedural?
keynesrules7 May 2007
Be fun! That's what this show gets right. Do we remember what fun TV was like? Remember the sheer (albeit cheesy) entertainment value of the 80s prime time shows? Airwolf, Knight Rider, A-Team, Magnum etc which sacrificed strict adherence to the laws (judicial and physical!) to entertain TV viewers?
Week after week the officers of NCIS deal with murders, kidnappings and other threats to the lives of Naval officers across the globe (well at least the U.S.) but rather than adhere to the dark, overly serious tone of the law&orders or CSI's this program offsets the (often heinous) crime of the week with the banter between the central characters. Now I'm not suggesting that crime is a laughing matter but a lot of shows on TV have substituted entertainment for large doses of shock value reality. Detailed autopsies and simulations of how an icepick can crack open a skull are okay, but not at the expense of following the whole investigation. While the CSI's follow a Holmes like approach with regards to evidence, NCIS distinguishes the forest from the trees as it were, by switching to and from the autopsy/evidence/forensics back to the larger case. I guess I'm a viewer who doesn't find the notion of meticulous attention to detail on an entertainment show that rewarding.
Truth be told, I was not expecting such a clichéd assortment of characters to click as well as they did. We have the silent but strong type leader (Gibbs), his boss and former lover (Shepard), his older friend and mentor (Ducky), the hotshot womanizer (DiNozzo), the rookie agent/computer genius (McGee), the spunky female agent (Kate/Ziva) and the happiest, Goth forensic examiner (Abby) - okay, well she's an original. What impressed me is how the writers breathe fresh life into what could have been just another ensemble.
While the stories of the week are interesting enough, they've all been covered ad nauseum in many different shows: homicide; hostage-taking; blackmail; assassination-threats etc Credit must be given to the writers for the humor that's been injected into this show - whether it's DiNozzo cracking on McGee or Gibbs admonishing his Junior agents - the wonderful chemistry the cast seem to share comes through every time 2 or more of them are on screen. Pauley Perrette is a delight to watch While the dialogue may not always crackle there is enough zip and some genuinely funny one-liners that somehow develop these characters beyond the 2D cardboard cutouts they could have become.
I continue to look forward to this show every week and Season 4 seems to have lost none of the momentum of the past 2 seasons. One complaint I often hear about this show, is that it seems unrealistic how fast the cases get solved. I'll grant you that McGee and Abby seem to have superhuman abilities to process data and crack codes, but I submit to you that the 3 act structure that a typical episode of this show presents, requires a certain amount of time compression to fit into the 42 minutes and change of every broadcast hour. Seeing how 24 continues to entertain us despite the absence of traffic i.e. realism, I'll continue to give this show leeway as long as it remains interesting.
Week after week the officers of NCIS deal with murders, kidnappings and other threats to the lives of Naval officers across the globe (well at least the U.S.) but rather than adhere to the dark, overly serious tone of the law&orders or CSI's this program offsets the (often heinous) crime of the week with the banter between the central characters. Now I'm not suggesting that crime is a laughing matter but a lot of shows on TV have substituted entertainment for large doses of shock value reality. Detailed autopsies and simulations of how an icepick can crack open a skull are okay, but not at the expense of following the whole investigation. While the CSI's follow a Holmes like approach with regards to evidence, NCIS distinguishes the forest from the trees as it were, by switching to and from the autopsy/evidence/forensics back to the larger case. I guess I'm a viewer who doesn't find the notion of meticulous attention to detail on an entertainment show that rewarding.
Truth be told, I was not expecting such a clichéd assortment of characters to click as well as they did. We have the silent but strong type leader (Gibbs), his boss and former lover (Shepard), his older friend and mentor (Ducky), the hotshot womanizer (DiNozzo), the rookie agent/computer genius (McGee), the spunky female agent (Kate/Ziva) and the happiest, Goth forensic examiner (Abby) - okay, well she's an original. What impressed me is how the writers breathe fresh life into what could have been just another ensemble.
While the stories of the week are interesting enough, they've all been covered ad nauseum in many different shows: homicide; hostage-taking; blackmail; assassination-threats etc Credit must be given to the writers for the humor that's been injected into this show - whether it's DiNozzo cracking on McGee or Gibbs admonishing his Junior agents - the wonderful chemistry the cast seem to share comes through every time 2 or more of them are on screen. Pauley Perrette is a delight to watch While the dialogue may not always crackle there is enough zip and some genuinely funny one-liners that somehow develop these characters beyond the 2D cardboard cutouts they could have become.
I continue to look forward to this show every week and Season 4 seems to have lost none of the momentum of the past 2 seasons. One complaint I often hear about this show, is that it seems unrealistic how fast the cases get solved. I'll grant you that McGee and Abby seem to have superhuman abilities to process data and crack codes, but I submit to you that the 3 act structure that a typical episode of this show presents, requires a certain amount of time compression to fit into the 42 minutes and change of every broadcast hour. Seeing how 24 continues to entertain us despite the absence of traffic i.e. realism, I'll continue to give this show leeway as long as it remains interesting.
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