NCIS Fan Extravaganza!!

[podbaydoors]

Welcome to the NCIS Thread! There certainly seem to be a lot of NCIS fans in Stargate fandom, and given the similarities between all the shows it's not hard to see why. (Excluding SGU of course- since their personnel is comprised of misanthropic, incompetent outcasts with whom no elite group of any profession would ever even share so much as a beer).

There's no set agenda for this thread, just a general appreciation for NCIS. I'm not in charge, I'm just making the first post.

Why do I like this show? I think first and foremost it's the team, each of whom has distinct, unique personalities. The writing for each of them seems so consistent and true. In the beginning I was more drawn to the character of Gibbs, but more recently I think they've done an excellent job with Ziva. All of the characters have flaws, sometimes very deep ones, and I think most of them have skeletons in the closet, some of which we've yet to see. Yet, they're still the good guys, still heroic and at the end of the day they all try to do the right thing, even if they don't always accomplish that objective. I also enjoy most of the plots, though I must admit I usually have to watch each episode twice to really feel as if I know what's going on! This is not a show one can watch while doing something else or with a glass of wine in hand, at least not for me. There's also a little streak of patriotism in the show, some science and lots of great action, all of which appeal to me.

Of course, I could easily substitute "Carter" and "O'Neill" for "Gibbs" and "Ziva" in the above paragraph and it would still be true. That's why I like NCIS. Personally, I don't care if others think it's formulaic, old-fashioned and predictably upbeat. Besides, 19 million other people agree with me.

I'll follow this up with a synopsis of the three most recent episodes just to get the ball rolling. It's nice to have a spot to have an intelligent conversation about this wonderful show.

 

[stclare]

Welcome to the NCIS Thread! There certainly seem to be a lot of NCIS fans in Stargate fandom, and given the similarities between all the shows it's not hard to see why. (Excluding SGU of course- since their personnel is comprised of misanthropic, incompetent outcasts with whom no elite group of any profession would ever even share so much as a beer).

There's no set agenda for this thread, just a general appreciation for NCIS. I'm not in charge of this thread, I'm just making the first post.

Why do I like this show? I think first and foremost it's the team, each of whom has distinct, unique personalities. The writing for each of them seems so consistent and true. In the beginning I was more drawn to the character of Gibbs, but more recently I think they've done an excellent job with Ziva. All of the characters have flaws, sometimes very deep ones, and I think most of them have skeletons in the closet, some of which we've yet to see. Yet, they're still the good guys, still heroic and at the end of the day they all try to do the right thing, even if they don't always accomplish that objective. I also enjoy most of the plots, though I must admit I usually have to watch each episode twice to really feel as if I know what's going on! This is not a show one can watch while doing something else or with a glass of wine in hand, at least not for me. There's also a little streak of patriotism in the show, some science and lots of great action, all of which appeal to me.

Of course, I could easily substitute "Carter" and "O'Neill" for "Gibbs" and "Ziva" in the above paragraph and it would still be true. That's why I like NCIS. Personally, I don't care if others think it's formulaic, old-fashioned and predictably upbeat. Besides, 19 million other people agree with me.

I'll follow this up with a synopsis of the three most recent episodes just to get the ball rolling. It's nice to have a spot to have an intelligent conversation about this wonderful show.

I have to confess ive never seen an episode (well at least a full ep! a few mins here and there) so should this be my new must see tv?

 

[Illiterati]

As someone said in another thread, one of the great things about NCIS is the sense of family. These people are connected in a very sweet way.

People who've seen it would understand the term :Gibbs Slap: without a second thought

I've seen every episode so far, and haven't been disappointed.

I'm not particularly happy with the NCIS Undercover...uh...NCIS:LA, but then, that's because I'm not fond of the whole "under cover" thing. I'll watch it, but my first love is Jethro and the Team.

 

[Gatefan1976]

To me, it is not suprising in the slightest that a show like NCIS is loved by Stargate fans. Besides the obvious similarities (team, tone, characters etc) I personally feel that the "NCIS feel" was a direct result of a few things

1) The show was influenced by SG-1
You might think this is a bit of a stretch, but if you sit down and think about it for a minute, is it really? IMO, SG-1 was the show that made the "4 man team" into pop culture. Not only that, there are some pretty obvious comparisons that can be made between the actual characters on the show especially between Gibbs and O'niell and even Mark Harmon and RDA.

2) The show was influenced By Don Bellisario's own directing background.
This is also tied to point 1, Don B is no stranger to the concept of scifi. His directing credits include shows like Quantum leap, Airwolf (not strictly scifi but somewhat "futuristic" whan it was made) and the original Battlestar Galactica (hell, he even worked with Joe Flanigan on a show called "first monday", a courtroom based drama), so it's no suprise that Don B would be open to drawing idea's from Scifi and putting his own unique spin on them.

If you don't watch NCIS but you love stargate, you owe it to yourself to at least check out a few eps of this absolutely awesome show.

 

[Gatefan1976]

I have to confess ive never seen an episode (well at least a full ep! a few mins here and there) so should this be my new must see tv?

Must see is an understatement, don't make me get out the big letters and the caps button!!!

 

[podbaydoors]

To me, it is not suprising in the slightest that a show like NCIS is loved by Stargate fans. Besides the obvious similarities (team, tone, characters etc) I personally feel that the "NCIS feel" was a direct result of a few things

1) The show was influenced by SG-1
You might think this is a bit of a stretch, but if you sit down and think about it for a minute, is it really? IMO, SG-1 was the show that made the "4 man team" into pop culture. Not only that, there are some pretty obvious comparisons that can be made between the actual characters on the show especially between Gibbs and O'niell and even Mark Harmon and RDA.

I don't think this is a stretch at all. For one thing, aren't RDA and Mark Harmon friends? I've seen a picture of them together, anyway. They were also both EPs for a time on their respective shows IIRC so maybe they have a similar outlook that affected how things were portrayed.

Also, there've been quite a few guest stars common to both franchises- Torri Higginson, JR Bourne, Jessica Steen and Eric Avari come to mind. The last two were in the same NCIS ep, Minimum Security, which was a little weird to me! I think there's a Stargate fan somewhere in casting.

And although it's not related, except he's from another scifi show-

Spoiler: NCIS

Bruce Boxleitner is going to be on NCIS this fall.

So at least we can say there's a scifi fan somewhere in casting!

 

[SG-Rocks]

Big fan here. The only show I DL uh watch. Really weird seeing the one with Torri Higginson in it. No interest in NCIS LA. Don't like the cast other than Robin.

Trouble with NCIS lately is they have also distanced themselves from military themed shooting. Guess the stock footage from JAG was looking old since F-14s were retired several years ago.

It's had it's ups and downs especially during the Harmon/Bellasario fights. Current season has been good. Why? Don't fuck around with the franchise!

 

[podbaydoors]

Short Fuse

All right, this was one ep I was able to figure out the first time around.
And we got some military-themed shooting here for you, SG-Rocks- though not nearly as good as the next ep, Royals and Loyals!!

Brief summary- this was the one where the attractive IED tech, Heather Dempsey, gets revenge on a gangbanger lowlife who paralyzed her innocent brother when he was accidentally caught in the crossfire of a gang fight. In the climactic scene, the team encounters the scum tied to a chair in a barn with a bomb attached to him (for 2 days- I wonder how many times he wet himself! LOL!! I'm sure that was part of the humiliation). Turns out the bomb is fake, but Gibbs gets the scum to admit he put a hit out on Dempsey because he was afraid she was trying to kill him.

I love how Gibbs was the one who figured out what was going on here, that the bomb was fake. Or did he? He was pretty casual about asking "What's the blast radius?" Maybe he really doesn't give a damn if it went off and the world lost another lowlife. That's what's interesting about Gibbs. You just never know when he's going to turn into a cold-blooded killer. He's like Jack O'Neill in that way, but it seems to me he's a little more dangerous. But he definitely understands Dempsey, and defends her in the end.

Of course, Tony was zeroed in on the fact that Dempsey had a man over, which actually turned out to be important. "It's like Body Heat.. she Kathleen Turned on him!" It occurred to me after watching these last three eps that they were building up to some big Tony/Ziva moments starting with this episode in which they emphasize Tony's sexuality. Next week it's Ziva's turn.

This was a good ep. I like the fact that Heather didn't turn out to be a complete nutcase. She accomplished what she set out to do- and perhaps more, because Gibbs helped her out by getting the confession that ensured the gangster would be tossed in the slammer permanently, instead of spending time in his little country place under the Witness Protection Program. It was nice to see a strong, well-written female role- something sorely lacking in other shows which shall remain nameless...

 

[Illiterati]

It's had it's ups and downs especially during the Harmon/Bellasario fights. Current season has been good. Why? Don't fuck around with the franchise!

A friend used to work for Bellasario years ago.

He is indeed a dick. At least once, in a fit of pique, he fired everyone in the office.

Harmon, on the other hand, has a reputation as a good guy. He's the one the cast and crew went to when they decided they'd finally had enough of Bellasario's issues. Now the bastard's not allowed on the set. LOL

 

[podbaydoors]

Royals and Loyals (8X4)

In one of the most disgusting scenes to date, a murdered sailor is found in an unused hot tub. (I could only watch McGee's boots fill up once, the second time around I left for a moment. Ick!). Turns out Petty Officer Bick was working for the CIA in a joint mission with MI6 to pay off tribal leaders in Afghanistan, and was killed when the CIA agent stole the money instead.

I'm still a little confused by this episode. Was Malloy the money-launderer aboard the Sparrowhawk or was he totally innocent? It'a a minor point, but who switched out the marked cash on board that ship? Running payroll is not really his job. I don't like loose ends (and I liked Malloy- I want him to be innocent ). Also, how and why was the Petty Officer Bick shot at the house with the hot tub? They never went back and addressed that but it would have been damn hard to do (especially by a female CIA agent), and what was the point of it? It was obvious he wasn't murdered there. Also, how did she get a rare gun like Malloy's? Is that coincidence? I thought Bick's shooting was spur-of-the-moment, not planned out in advance.

Oh, one other point- Abby is usually scientifically flawless (though admittedly I don't remember much about the lab from back in the day) but she should have said she was imitating a circus performer who could get into a space that was smaller than his body volume not his body mass. LOL! What a nerd I am! Also, Major Mass Spec now has a competitor for Abby's affections- Ken the SEM!

Not a huge role for Gibbs this time, but it did make me smile when Malloy showed up at his apartment and said, "Here's $10,000" and Gibbs said "Here's your bolt." Classic.

I liked the part where Vance asked Ziva to watch Malloy and Gibbs as if she were Switzerland to their UK and US; and then later Gibbs asks her to watch Malloy as if he were Syria instead. Yeah, that'd get her attention all right.

Vance is starting to grow on me. Still, I wonder why he pulled that bit about himself from his file after Jenny was killed. It was from his very earliest days, when he was a Lt. and a member of the All- Services Color Guard. Actually, it looked like a glowing report. So why did he take it? I have my theories about that.

And, for those who want to know, here's a screenshot of Ziva's email. Poor Tony- but as he said "Ah, they just can't help themselves, you're just a little Israeli love machine."

 

[Illiterati]

I don't think the guy was completely innocent, but he wasn't into things as deeply as the "bad girl".

Yeah, Vance is growing on me, too. Especially in the season opener were HE threatens that fucker from Mexico.

Somehow, I could just SEE him sprouting shark's teeth. In a big, sharp-toothed smile. Couldn't you?

 

[Gatefan1976]

I don't think the guy was completely innocent, but he wasn't into things as deeply as the "bad girl".

Yeah, Vance is growing on me, too. Especially in the season opener were HE threatens that fucker from Mexico.

Somehow, I could just SEE him sprouting shark's teeth. In a big, sharp-toothed smile. Couldn't you?

I'm not up to this point in NCIS yet as we are rapidly aproaching our "non-ratings" period, but I will say this. Vance is a shark, even more than Gibbs. I got that impression of him from the way he is always picking his teeth with the toothpick, trying to clean out the bits of his last victim.

 

[Illiterati]

I wasn't at all sure that I liked him when we first "met" him, and it's taken me awhile to warm up to him, but yes, I can see your point quite well.

I just wasn't sure who this shark was thinking of biting.

Gibbs has figured out how Vance gives oblique permission without actually coming out and saying it where something's on the record. It's been fun watching Gibbs process what Vance has said, and then you see the look in his eyes change as he realizes what he's REALLY hearing.

 

[SexyDexy]

Am I the only one who likes both NCIS shows?

I like both NCIS shows. Although it really gets on my nerves in NCIS: LA when they always use the same threat over and over: "No, you don't get a lawyer. We can lock you up in a secret prison somewhere and throw away the key. So tell us what you know." - Hawaii five-o is really getting on my nerves for that too. A bad guy says: "I have rights! You can't do this to me!" And then Moonlight Vampire Guy says: "See this badge? It says I can!" :mad: But I guess I shouldn't go on too much about that or this might turn into an essay on propaganda in the media.

Anyways, back on topic - my favorite character on NCIS is Ducky, played by David McCallum. The team has great chemistry and the characters are all 3-dimensional. I feel the same way about the team on NCIS:LA. The main difference I see between the two shows is that LA might have a tiny bit more comedy (or attempts at it, although they both have comedy), and it feels like they are shooting for a younger demo with the LA version, while NCIS caters to a bit of an older demo.

So far this season, Tony has been starting to get a little bit too annoying, imo - I think they need to tone his quips back down a little bit, because now he just looks like a joke so far this season. He isn't really coming across as a competent joker like in previous seasons, he's coming across as just a joker - but maybe it isn't just his character's fault, since they seem to have upped the percentage of banter overall.

Man, I just wanted to punch that Malloy guy in the face, even after they revealed he was "good." I can't believe Ziva was attracted to him, he was such a prick! I think the evil CIA lady got that gun on purpose to frame Malloy - although, you are right that seems odd, in light of the fact she killed the other guy when he "got in her way" - which sounded a lot more like an instant decision. Maybe she killed him, then went and found the Malloy-esque gun, then went back and shot it off at the crime scene to point the investigators in Malloy's direction.

Haha, the bolt part was the best part. "This is for your ship" lol - and then of course the "you have 10 seconds before I shoot you" was classic Gibbs

 

[podbaydoors]

Man, I just wanted to punch that Malloy guy in the face, even after they revealed he was "good." I can't believe Ziva was attracted to him, he was such a prick! I think the evil CIA lady got that gun on purpose to frame Malloy - although, you are right that seems odd, in light of the fact she killed the other guy when he "got in her way" - which sounded a lot more like an instant decision.

Haha, the bolt part was the best part. "This is for your ship" lol - and then of course the "you have 10 seconds before I shoot you" was classic Gibbs

I don't think Ziva was really attracted to him, she was just playing him "..there's time for a quickie," and of course because it made Tony jealous. And he was exceedingly jealous in this episode. It seems to me that they're building up to some big Tony/Ziva thing later this year. I hope the writers don't screw it up.

Maybe she killed him, then went and found the Malloy-esque gun, then went back and shot it off at the crime scene to point the investigators in Malloy's direction.

Excellent! That explains a lot of things. I'm sure your idea is correct, and probably there were some lines to that effect but they were cut. Thanks.

 

[Rac80]

LOVE the show!

NCIS fan from waaaay back...when it spun off from JAG actually. (Love the who killed lt. singer thing...and we never discovered who the baby's father was...I thought it was the SecNav...she would sleep with anything )

I see a lot of Jack in Gibbs...both have seen a lot, maybe too much and have lost too much. Ducky just irritates me LOOOVE Abby and Ziva. (enjoyed Kate back in the day) Ziva is my fave character I admit...she's gorgeous and deadly. tony just needs a good slappin'.

 

[SG-Rocks]

The Ducky Thread

I don't know how old every one is but I bet a lot of people don't realize what a big star McCallum was in the mid-sixties. With Robert Vaughan in the Man from UNCLE they were on par with Liz & Dick (that one should confuse the kids). There's BW footage of them getting off a 707 with screamers just like the Beatles. Back when people could freely go to airports.

I also saw him in one of the first Outer Limits I had recently. He was morphing into a caveman. He must have been 19. I guess you can find lots on the net but he was also a draw playing a Scots in The Great Escape and Mosquito Squadron. I didn't think much of Colditz at the time though. It was a bit of a downer. I probably preferred Hogan's Heros.

Sure Mark Harmon has had a good career run the past 20 years (and I think he IS NCIS), but really he's almost a nobody when compared to McCallum. Unfortunately they really don't use Ducky as much as they could and he's really been beefing up the past few years.

 

[Gatefan1976]

David M was also in a ep of B5 IIRC

 

[Illiterati]

I don't know how old every one is but I bet a lot of people don't realize what a big star McCallum was in the mid-sixties. With Robert Vaughan in the Man from UNCLE they were on par with Liz & Dick (that one should confuse the kids). There's BW footage of them getting off a 707 with screamers just like the Beatles. Back when people could freely go to airports.

I also saw him in one of the first Outer Limits I had recently. He was morphing into a caveman. He must have been 19. I guess you can find lots on the net but he was also a draw playing a Scots in The Great Escape and Mosquito Squadron. I didn't think much of Colditz at the time though. It was a bit of a downer. I probably preferred Hogan's Heros.

Sure Mark Harmon has had a good career run the past 20 years (and I think he IS NCIS), but really he's almost a nobody when compared to McCallum. Unfortunately they really don't use Ducky as much as they could and he's really been beefing up the past few years.

I used to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E when I was a little girl. First run. And then, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E (which didn't last).

Remember the line in NCIS? Someone asks Jethro what Ducky looked like when he was young, and Gibbs answers "Ilya Kuryakin" (his character on UNCLE)

 

[Rac80]

good catch!

I used to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E when I was a little girl. First run. And then, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E (which didn't last).

Remember the line in NCIS? Someone asks Jethro what Ducky looked like when he was young, and Gibbs answers "Ilya Kuryakin" (his character on UNCLE)

yep I remember those shows too. back was I was knee-high to a grasshopper. (personally i am still not very tall )
Currently watching an NCIS marathon on one of syfy's sister networks...USA.