NCIS - worth it?

[Kirby]

I know this show has been on forever, but I have never seen a single episode until about a month ago when I was flipping through the channels and came across Connor Trineer on the screen. I stoped and gave it a few minutes, and then Tim Russ showed up! Since then I've caught a few whole episodes, but mostly bits and pieces of shows (USA Network seems to really like NCIS). The stories are ok, but I really like the team dynamic between the characters. So how is this show overall? Should I invest some time in going back to the beginning or can I just start wherever?

 

[Mysterion]

I enjoy the show, myself. Mostly for the characters, especially for Mark Harmon's portrayal of Gibbs and David McCallum's Dr. Mallard.

I will say, though, that I prefer the earlier seasons when there was less of an emphasis on global conspiracies and such, and the show was more about the agents just investigating more-or-less "average" crimes. That being said, it's still good for an hour of escapism, drama, and fun every week in my book.

 

[marksound]

It's good stuff.

 

[Relayer1]

I've only seen a handful of episodes out of curiosity, having seen the Hawaii 5-0 crossover with NCIS spinoff NCIS:LA, which I enjoyed. I thought I'd check out the parent show (which is also a spinoff I understand, from a show called JAG).

Anyhow, I was quite disappointed - it really doesn't seem to be more than functional, despite the presence of Mark Harmon.

 

[bigdaddy]

JAG was also canceled by NBC I think after only one season and they was on the air at CBS for liek another 10 years.

Then there is NCIS that's been around for 10 years and the spinoff for 4 now I believe.

So NBC really fucked up there.

It's a fine show, it's not as super amazing as the fans and the viewer numbers would suggest. I see it as a L&O, fine to watch an episode or two of, but no need to see eevry single one in order.

 

[sojourner]

Yeah, easy to get into. There's not much of an ongoing storyline to worry about. It's light and entertaining, but not high art.

 

[JarodRussell]

It gets lame after a while, but that's just my opinion.

 

[StolenThunder]

Start wherever. It's rarely excellent or particularly original but it's usually enjoyable.

 

[jayceee]

Ok enough show. Nothing outstanding.

Another one of the many procedural type cop shows like Law & Order, CSI, the revived Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, The Closer, Person of Interest, etc ...

Mostly episodic "badguy/crime of the week" sorta stuff, typically with superficial associations to the navy and/or marine corps. If one removed the navy/marine corps stuff, numerous episodes wouldn't be much different than the sort of stuff seen on other procedural crime shows like CSI, Law & Order, etc ....

 

[marksound]

I know this show has been on forever, but I have never seen a single episode until about a month ago when I was flipping through the channels and came across Connor Trineer on the screen. I stoped and gave it a few minutes, and then Tim Russ showed up! Since then I've caught a few whole episodes, but mostly bits and pieces of shows (USA Network seems to really like NCIS). The stories are ok, but I really like the team dynamic between the characters. So how is this show overall? Should I invest some time in going back to the beginning or can I just start wherever?

You already understand what the show is about. Enjoy.

 

[Gaith]

I hate 90% percent of cop shows unseen and on principle, not just because it's the laziest form of low-budget stereotyping (a crying family member in a living room is easy drama with minimal production costs), but because I really do think it poisons society and minds to a nontrivial extent. Crime and murder are at historic lows, the planet as a whole has never seen fewer war deaths by population, and we all have just one life on this grand cosmic adventure... so why give our time to sleazy sitcoms with occasional shootouts?

I give my one pass to the Law and Order franchise for doing so much location shooting and keeping the glamorization of the police lifestyle to a bare minimum - seriously, most of these shows make the constant study of bloodshed look and feel like the jolliest life a person could have - but not to the late Criminal Intent, eff that show.

Humans are tribal creatures, and need antagonists to root against. That's our unchangeable nature. And there are real villains out there, chiefly oligarchic predators who bankrupt communities and steal common citizens' pensions with smooth talk and nice suits. And sure, sometimes one of these shows will serve up a corrupt executive as a villain, but it'll just as often be the vengeful pizza deliverer, or the jaded photographer, or the status-obsessed soccer mom. These shows are megacorporate America telling you that your neighbors and friends are depraved and evil. Now enjoy this Bank of America commercial, and pay no attention to how many kids are losing homes due to their foreclosures.

One might say that it's just a little harmless entertainment, and one may be right, but in the quantities of consumption we're talking, small things add up. One candy bar won't hurt you, but only an idiot would say that we don't have a nutritional health problem in this country.

And with new and interesting and unique movies and tv being produced all the time, and cheaply and readily available via Netflix and other sources, why waste irretrievable life hours on cheap murder shows?

 

[MacLeod]

JAG was also canceled by NBC I think after only one season and they was on the air at CBS for liek another 10 years.

Then there is NCIS that's been around for 10 years and the spinoff for 4 now I believe.

So NBC really fucked up there.

It's a fine show, it's not as super amazing as the fans and the viewer numbers would suggest. I see it as a L&O, fine to watch an episode or two of, but no need to see eevry single one in order.

It ran for another 9 years on CBS making a total of 10 seasons.

And of course NCIS is in it's 10th season and will eclipse the parent show by going to 11 seasons.

But NBC screwed the pooch on that one, not that NBC hasn't done that before.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I've seen every episode, and will likely continue to watch as long as it's on the air--since I'm already so invested in it.

But honestly, if I was going to start now, I don't know that I would. I started watching after seeing the JAG pilot crossover--thought it looked interesting. And, admittedly, the first few seasons are really good.

However, the production stuff has gone through sever cycles of comings and goings (guys leaving, returning, etc.), which has definitely had an effect on the writing.

The show has become insanely formulaic, even for a procedural. This is especially noticeable in bottle episodes where I think they literally use some kind of script template and just cut in paste the story/dialog.

Harmon was outstanding in the early years, but pretty much just phones it in at this point.

If you want to go, I'd suggest just watching through the Holly years.

 

[Greg Cox]

Isn't Marina Sirtis on this show now? That adds a certain Trek appeal, I imagine.

 

[sidious618]

It's one of those if you've watched one episode you've watched them all type of shows.

 

[Harvey]

My partner's grandparents love the show and as a result I've seen a number of random episodes in syndication on USA. The character dynamics are of mild interest, but it's ultimately an episodic procedural which provides all the needed backstory in each installment. As a result, I think you can pretty much start whenever.

 

[MacLeod]

It still tends to be enjoyable.

 

[Skywalker]

I enjoyed it more in the earlier seasons when the focus was more on crimes within the Navy/Marine Corps and less on global espionage. It kinda feels like the current writers wish the show was called "CIA" instead of "NCIS."

 

[marksound]

Isn't Marina Sirtis on this show now? That adds a certain Trek appeal, I imagine.

She was in one episode this season as Eli David's replacement in Mossad. I'm thinking she might become a recurring character, like Michael Nouri was.

ALSO, I want to know how Gibbs got the damn boat out of his basement.

 

[jayceee]

Harmon was outstanding in the early years, but pretty much just phones it in at this point.

Must be an "easy" paycheck for him these days.

If you want to go, I'd suggest just watching through the Holly years.

In Lauren Holly's latest procedural crime show Motive, she seems to be playing a very one-dimensional medical examiner.