Is it really possible that NCIS has been around for 16
seasons already? With the release of season 16 on disc and 17 beginning this
fall apparently so. What makes it even more amazing is the fact that it remains
as fresh now as when it started and continues to stay high in the ratings. But
what else would one expect from a show that’s this good?
Having spun off from the other hit CBS series JAG, NCIS has
outdone that show and kept viewers watching year after year. This is also in
spite of having had cast changes that other shows would have suffered from. And
the loss of these characters has been substantial because none of them were
toss offs or side characters that no one cared about. They were major
characters that we’d become attached to. Perhaps none more important that Tony
DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Then the show lost
mainstay Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) in season 15. But new replacements for
each fit in as Emily Wickersham as Eleanor Bishop joined in season 11, Wilmer
Valderrama as Nicholas Torres joined in season 14, Maria Bello as Dr.
Jacqueline Sloane joined in season 15 and Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines took
Abby’s position in this season. In many series changes like this result in the
series ending shortly after. But NCIS has stayed steady in spite of the
changes.
For those who have never seen the show (were you living
under a rock?) NCIS stands for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the
primary law enforcement agency of the United States Navy. This agency
investigates all crimes involving the Navy and Marines but the series seems to
focus mainly on murder. Corpses are found each week and the team must
investigate to discover whodunit. Not only are the officers involved but forensic
specialist Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) is their forensic specialist.
Palmer was the previous forensic specialist’s assistant but has since been
promoted. So was his boss, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, who now heads the
historical records department for the team.
Season 16 led off with a cliffhanger from the previous
season, the disappearance and capture of Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll).
In his absence Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is put in place as acting
director, a situation he’s not really interested in. This leaves Agent Timothy
McGee (Sean Murray) in charge of the investigative group. In addition to Vance
being taken prisoner it appears the person responsible is someone both he and Sloane
have a past with and a personal grudge to take down. A resolution is found
early on in the season and leads to more issues at hand among the team.
Other episodes deal with more routine cases such as
explosion, murder, art theft and a missing child. FBI Agent Tobias Fornell (Joe
Spano), friend and ex-husband of Gibb’s ex-wife is on hand in several episodes
including the season finale. Each character is provided with at least one
episode where their character is allowed plenty of onscreen time and a
storyline involving them.
The most astounding thing to happen this season though
resulted in a flurry of online activity once the last episode of the season
ran. Hints were dropped along the season that someone was looking into the
activities of Ziva David and only Bishop was aware of what was going on. By the
last moments of that show we discovered that Ziva David, long thought dead, was
actually alive and in need of help from Gibbs. The tension as to what happened
was pure agony for fans until season 17’s opening episode.
So what makes a show like this work for 16 seasons? Why do
fans keep coming back? Watching this season or any other makes that an easy
question to answer. First off are the mysteries involved. If they weren’t solid
with clues dropped along the way for fans to figure out then they’d tune out.
So what else? The cast.
The casts that have appeared over the years in this series
have been amazing, led by Harmon as the central character in the show. Those
that have left did so by choice and their exits were always handled well. But
that leaves adding new cast members and the series has done an amazing job
welcoming new characters in as well. They’ve also done right by those who
remained changing them slightly and moving them up the ladder not only of the
show but their characters as well. McGee started off as a side character in an
episode, joined the team as their “probie” forced to do the dirty jobs and now
is the lead investigator behind Gibbs. Ducky could have been forced out as to
old to handle the tasks he was assigned but instead was provided with a new
task more inclined to his disposition.
In addition to that the cast seem to gel together perfectly.
The series has at its core a dark center that each episode revolves around,
crime, but the characters interact with one another like real people instead of
cardboard cutouts. They’re serious when investigating a crime scene or
interrogating someone but full blown humor fills out in between those serious
moments. It rounds out the show to make it more believable and more human.
Talk is on and off about the series finally coming to an end
and my hope is that they continue to carry on. If Harmon has reached a point
where he’s ready to retire it might be interesting to watch the show and see
how it moves forward with him stepping back from the lead role. What would
happen if McGee takes over? Would he be able to call on Gibbs for advice now
and then? What would the team be like with another new member? While I hope
Harmon continues all of these things are possibilities. In the meantime we can
all enjoy watching the show not just when it airs but on disc as well. That’s
one of the major benefits of discs, allowing you the opportunity to enjoy your
favorite shows whenever you want. This one is another one to add to the shelf.
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