random NCIS squee

[xparrot]

What can I say, it's a squeeful show. We're mostly through season 3 (just watched 3x19; again, no spoilers for later eps, please!)

Abby continues to be Adorablest Thing Evah. She's so awesome! and funny! and Gibbs kisses her on the forehead sometimes! Socute!

Was sad to see Kate go, but the angst was almost worth it. Wow, that was some fine angst. Loved them all breaking. Especially Gibbs being all nice and caring and freaking them out badly.

Thus far I like Ziva (even if her running gag of messing up idioms drives me bonkers. I teach English as a foreign language, not to mention about half my friends are ESL speakers, and someone as fluent as Ziva doesn't make mistakes like that, not so many and not those kinds of mistakes. But Hollywood always has sucked at writing genuine foreign accents. Actually about the best I know is Zelenka on SGA; he's totally believable as a highly proficient ESL speaker. I wonder if they just let David Nykl adjust his lines as he sees fit, as a Czech-Canadian he must have some good role models of Czech-English speakers.)

McGee's really been coming into his own, been enjoying him more the more Gibbs has to smack him (you go, Elf Lord!) He's cute when he tries to be macho, and I kind of really like the weird whatever-it-is he's got going with Abby.

Am not so fond of the new director Shepard-with-one-P (dangit! So much crossover potential denied! She could've been John's first cousin...) She seems more interested in getting under Gibbs's skin/into his pants than actually doing her damn job. Also her new haircut makes her look like she's got a soggy orange hedgehog living on her scalp.

Speaking of crossovers, so the guy who plays Ducky used to be Illya on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Which I've never seen but it was one of the granddaddy slash shows, to my knowledge. And Illya's true love partner Napoleon was played by Robert Vaughn, a.k.a. Albie on Hustle, and I think I need some old-guy slash, STAT!

...I also admit to wanting Very Bad Things to happen to Tony. Partly because he's a natural-born whipping boy, partly because I'm becoming too fond of him for my own good or his...partly because if you broke Tony, then Gibbs would be there for him. I don't particularly want to slash them (gnine & I have been discussing it (sorry, naye ^^;), and I can see slash there, because Tony is kind of in love with Gibbs even though he won't/can't admit it even to himself - but it would be pretty dysfunctional. I like equal partnerships and they're not equal; slashing them would totally alter their working relationship and I like that too much to want to mess with it. Also Tony isn't quite to Gibbs what Gibbs is to Tony...I can imagine Gibbs going along with it, if he realized Tony needed it, but eventually Tony would find out and it would be tragic. While as I could kind of see Tony/Ziva working out in like ten years, if ever they both decided they wanted to settle down, but right now I like them just being goofs. I don't mind their UST as it has been so far, because it's very light and joking, not angst or True Wuv but silly flirting between two pretty people who admire each other's prettiness.)

My thoughts on NCIS pairings: Let me show them to you! But really...if Gibbs is going to be sweet with Tony (really sweet, not Gibbs-sweet, which is sweet in its own way but not exactly warm & fuzzy - even if it does include chucking him on the chin when Tony's in jail, and no, I can't blame slashers, I mean, oh god, chucking him on the chin!), and they're not a romantic couple, then it's only going to happen if you shatter Tony "Seven Deaths"-style, and, uh, am I a bad person if I want to see it?

Comments

[sholio]

You can read my thoughts on the show circa mid-season 3 here, if you want to, with the caveat that it's far more of a rant than squee, because I was totally hating the Tony/Ziva and Abby/McGee UST.

Regarding Ziva's ESL, like I've already told naye via email, once you guys get up to season 5 there's a post that I absolutely *have* to link you to; one of the people on my f'list, roga, is an Israeli NCIS fan who wrote a long, completely awesome rant/fanwank about Ziva that basically explains all the WTF? in her character, in various hilarious and/or insightful ways. (And for a native Hebrew speaker who's been in the Israeli army, there is apparently a lot of WTF in her character. *g*) It contains relatively mild spoilers up to season 5, however.

Shepard-with-one-P (dangit! So much crossover potential denied! She could've been John's first cousin...)

Hey, she could've respelled the name, maybe to avoid being connected with the more famous Patrick Sheppard! My grandfather respelled our family name to make it easier to pronounce; it's more common than you might think.

Though I'm with you on her leadership abilities ... and I was just chatting at Naye in email about this, too! Like with Elizabeth -- actually, I think she's worse than Elizabeth (who I've warmed up to greatly in recent months ... tragic, since she's DEAD), as far as the show trying to sell us on her fantastic leadership skills (someone had to think highly enough of Jenny to put her in a position of this kind of responsibility!) while showing us something quite different.

NCIS is not a show I'm highly invested in, though. I find it entertaining but it's not something that I'm particularly fannish about, for various reasons -- and this is one fandom where I'm generally out of step with the majority of fandom, since I'm not that fond of Tony. I started an SGA/NCIS crossover a little while back, but I really can't get the NCIS character voices right -- and writing even a basic NCIS story requires more research than I'm really willing to do for a fanfic. *g*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(Abby-icon! *grabby hands* I need an Abby icon badly, need a good shot of Gibbs kissing her on the head, because it is SOCUTE!)

*laughs* Naye mentioned that post, I'm looking forward to it! I know very little about Israelis, but I know ESL speakers of a dozen different native languages, and yeah, they don't talk like that.

Good point about Shep(p)ard! (My grandfather didn't just change the spelling, he chopped off most of our surname: it used to be Karpovich. I've debated going back to it as my pen name.)

Yeah, she does have the Elizabeth Problem, though I agree that I like Elizabeth more nowadays (I also think Elizabeth was handicapped by the inability of the showrunners to write a diplomat when they can't write foreign cultures. The NCIS writers *can* write leaders, and women, so I'm not sure what's going on with Jenny...)

and writing even a basic NCIS story requires more research than I'm really willing to do for a fanfic.

Heh, the need for research is one reason I've never really gotten into cop shows! I prefer scifi, you can make everything up as you go...also I know more basic science knowledge than average, and I enjoy researching it more. Even when I was trying to write Psych that was screwing me up (despite the fact that Psych's writers don't know anything about police procedure, either, far as I can determine.)

I might try reading some NCIS fic when I run out of show; for now I'm just having fun watching. Besides, if I think about the show too much I might accidentally get into the politics, and then there will be frothing!

[sholio]

If you happen to find a good source of NCIS iconage, hook me up! I'd love to have a *better* Abby icon (this was just something that I slapped together in a hurry from a publicity still) and I haven't really done enough poking around in the fandom to know where all the goodies are.

Besides, if I think about the show too much I might accidentally get into the politics, and then there will be frothing!

Er, yes. That. And not just its overt national politics either ... Like I said in email to Naye, whereas SGA is a show that celebrates the geeks and freaks and outsiders, NCIS basically condemns and mocks them. I think this is another reason why I'm not able to get into the show in a fannish way, because while I can easily project myself into the SGA world (not really *me* me, but in the sense of seeing aspects of myself in the characters, and easily sympathizing with them), there is no place for li'l hippie me in NCIS's rigidly Republican world. This is probably why my favorite characters on the show are the outsider types like McGee and Abby.

I have a lot more to say about the show's political leanings if you want to talk about that. XD But, as you said, frothing would most likely ensue.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I usually make my own icons so I never know where to look, but if I find any, sure, I'll let you know! ^^

The politics...yeeeeah. I don't want to talk too much about them now, because it is a popcorn show for me (and I'd rather save my brainspace for SGA. Plus I'm still watching SPN, which offers more than enough fodder for agenda-analysis...!) Suffice to say, yes, I've noticed the same trends; it is not kind to most subcultures (to say nothing of the boringly blinding whiteness of the cast) and it tweaks me out to think about it too much. When I'm caught up I wouldn't mind a little discussion, though!

(It does make me more appreciative of Numb3rs, which is in the same genre and maybe isn't as squeeful, but is a much more comfortable fit politically and socially.)

Random drive-by rec...

[calime]

...from a lurker (hope you don't mind) - this humorous vid on youtube - NCIS silly slap show - back when my friend was pimping NCIS to me she sent me the link, and I think that it perfectly summarises the fun, lighthearted side of the show.
(I wanted to rec it at your previous post, but then I noticed you hadn't gotten to Ziva replacing Kate yet at that point, so I figured I'd better wait, just in case - because of visual spoilers).

Re: Random drive-by rec...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Ahah, that was adorable ^^ (and thanks for waiting on the Ziva-spoilers!)

Welcome to the lj - always like to hear from lurkers! *waves*

[stillane.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of gleefully watching you go through this one, and maybe snickering a little bit in anticipation of certain things. I'm possibly a bad person. *g*

Abby continues to be Adorablest Thing Evah.

She always does, really. She and McGee really balance out the normative-leaning tendencies of the show, for me. They are unapologetically Other, quite a lot of the time, and while this occasionally gets picked on, they also just as often quietly win out in the end. For me, what the show espouses loudly and what it actually demonstrates are very different things.

Wow, that was some fine angst. Loved them all breaking.

Yep. This would be the first point in the series that made me stop and go, Wow. Didn't expect that. Not the events themselves, but the deft handling of them. It wasn't corny, or sappy, or maudlin. Just painful, and every now and then a little funny, exactly like real grief. That would be when I figured out this show has more teeth than I'd given it credit for.

Am not so fond of the new director Shepard-with-one-P

You are not alone. In fact, in a random sampling of NCIS fans, nine out of ten pretty much want to pelt her with rotten fruit. She has moments where you have a bit of hope, and then it's right back to frustration land. I've never really figured out where they're aiming with her, honestly; I think she's meant to be a sympathetic character, but grudgingly so. My pet theory is that they wrote her to be appealing to Gibbs (rather than the audience), with full knowledge that he has fairly terrible taste in significant others. (In general.)

...I also admit to wanting Very Bad Things to happen to Tony.

Again, you are totally not alone. *g* I very much wanted to whisper, Oh, just wait for S.W.A.K. at you in your first post, actually. Gibbs' reactions through the whole second half just kill me dead, every time. He's always just that little bit different when it's Tony in trouble; always very tightly in control, reluctant to step in and step on Tony's capabilities, right up until he utterly can't help it and then all bets are off. I love that you could tune in to any random moment of Gibbs Goes Postal When His Team Is Endangered and pick out which of them is in the hotseat just by the way he behaves.

While I do have a little Gibbs/Tony streak sneakily hiding out (and yes, the power issues used to bother me, but... well, we'll come back to that at a later date), this is also a fandom tailor-made for gen (or OTEveryone), for me, because they all love each other so much. *squishes team*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

You are a very bad person! I can understand the anticipation though...the show is heinously cute. It keeps blindsiding me with unexpected moments of adorable.

I've seen chars in McGee's basic computer-geek/newbie mold before, but Abby is pretty unique - female characters who are wildly competent but also sensitive and *adorable* are uncommon. But yeah...the show's track record is awful uneven when it comes to minorities and subcultures, but Abby and McGee help.

(I admit to vague guilt that while I do love McGee increasingly, he's not my favorite as he seems to be for a lot of the flist; instead I've shallowly latched onto fangirl-bait Tony. It's the deep insecurities covered by huge obnoxious ego, that combo gets me every time. See also: Rodney McKay.)

Kate's death was one of the best handlings of main character demise I've seen on TV. The show really does have a fine grip on character, they all had such different reactions, and all character-appropriate. Beautiful stuff, really.

I think she's meant to be a sympathetic character, but grudgingly so. My pet theory is that they wrote her to be appealing to Gibbs (rather than the audience), with full knowledge that he has fairly terrible taste in significant others. (In general.)

That actually makes a lot of sense...I've been trying to figure out how sympathetic she's meant to be; they write such strong main characters that I almost can't help but think they *want* her to be unlikable, I just can't imagine why...!

SWAK was...way too much fun, really. Especially Gibbs ordering Tony to live, ahahahah...only Gibbs, and of course it works. gnine & I may have rewatched that scene a few more times than is healthy. --And then there was the one Tony & Ziva were trapped in the box and Gibbs knew they weren't in the water, because if they were in the water they'd be dead and he'd know if they were dead. Oh Gibbs!

I *cough* am not going to say I've entirely ruled out considering Gibbs/Tony (I'm historically really really easy when it comes to slashing preferred team/friendship pairings) - but yeah, right now, it's all about Team!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

I've seen chars in McGee's basic computer-geek/newbie mold before

You know, he's always reminded me of what Rodney McKay would be like if he'd taken to quiet snark instead of overt bludgeoning. He gets the (often impossible) job done, and somewhere along the way he starts doing it with a little style. He's a geek, but he's also an agent; he's sort of a charming nerd, and yet he's also an incredibly accomplished guy in a bunch of venues. He takes on murderers and hacks into the Pentagon fairly regularly, and yet you never get the sense that he factors that into his self image all that much. Like all of that is just part of the job, something to do as a matter of course, rather than something to be proud of. Season 5 is kind of awesome in that there's this period that forces you to reevaluate who these characters are, and who they aren't anymore, and McGee is maybe the one most changed. Or then again, maybe not.

instead I've shallowly latched onto fangirl-bait Tony

Hee. For the record, told ya' so. *g*

Honestly, it's the depth he's got that kills me. I could talk about him all day, because Tony DiNozzo is one complicated bastard. Five years in, and they still surprise the hell out of me with him. Nobody on this show can gut you quite like Tony can, and half the time he does it with a smile. The character I tend to most associate him with is Dean Winchester, with the overt Funny Ha Ha and the internal something else entirely, but I can totally see the Rodney effect, too. What I love, though, is that you're never sure how much of the goofball is real and how much is an exaggeration, and how much of any of it is conscious. It gives the episodes where he's undercover this weird Escher-ish hall of mirrors thing.

I almost can't help but think they *want* her to be unlikable

I think they really do want her to be someone you're never truly comfortable around, and yet still really want to like. It's the second part of that equation that I don't think they get right, most of the time. The problem is that they invest so much time into making Gibbs the outlaw hero - and for all he's a bastion of very traditional things, when he chooses to be, Gibbs is very Batman - that authority figures who stand against him have got to be damned appealing to get our sympathy, and Jenny just isn't. I kind of want to blame the acting for some of this, though; Lauren Holly just comes off very smug and self righteous here, much of the time, and to play against Harmon you need to have more levels than that. *sigh*

I will give them credit, though, in that they did seem to give up on making her the Misunderstood Mary Sue eventually. While what they did after didn't make me like her more, it also didn't make me feel like I was supposed to. If I recall correctly, you had a discussion on just such a phenomenon around here not that long ago, yes? *g*

Especially Gibbs ordering Tony to live, ahahahah...only Gibbs

Gibbs is a law of nature. You do not disobey the Gibbs. I badly, badly want the fic where Pratchett's Death comes for Gibbs and decides, HMM. MAYBE LATER. DO YOU BY CHANCE HAVE RELATIVES NAMED VIMES? *g*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I like McGee because he is changing, becoming a field agent, while still keeping his geekiness intact. And he is very competent at what he does, and what he does is expanding. He's a little too well-adjusted to be my favorite (what can I say, I like my boys broken!) but I'm terrible fond of him, and moreso as the show goes on. Character development FTW!

What I love, though, is that you're never sure how much of the goofball is real and how much is an exaggeration, and how much of any of it is conscious. It gives the episodes where he's undercover this weird Escher-ish hall of mirrors thing.

Heh, yes! that's one of my favorite things - I love the chars who have a dark side they cover up, but you can't quite draw the line, figure out where the real person leaves off and the mask starts. Tony's always himself to an extent, but never quite his whole self, and that is always intriguing (Dean Winchester was like that earlier on, though I think the later seasons have opened his psychology a little too wide for my liking; I like the mystery. Though s4 is bringing that back, with his not-repressed memories of Hell and his angelic commitments and such, so, yeah, I'm signed on again...)

I kind of want to blame the acting for some of this, though; Lauren Holly just comes off very smug and self righteous here, much of the time,

Yes - we're halfway through s4 now (we marathon fast! Also I've been sick, so not in the mood for much more than vegging) and I still don't like the director, but she's bugging me less because she's in it less. But the actor grates on me, "smug" is her main trait. (Seems to be a Gibbs thing, though, because the Army blonde he's sort of being paired with is also too smug for my tastes. I admit to being confused how I can like every other female char on the show except Gibbs's love interests...)

...I also need to do another post, because EEEE season 4 has had much with the squee. There was just an ep with a robot car that had the sexual harassment seminar and a Gibbs-Ducky hug and Abby in peril and what more do you need?

I badly, badly want the fic where Pratchett's Death comes for Gibbs and decides, HMM. MAYBE LATER. DO YOU BY CHANCE HAVE RELATIVES NAMED VIMES?

Ahahah - I wrote that! well, for another char, another fandom, and not quite this, because I don't know Pratchett's Death well enough - my DW knowledge is sadly incomplete - but the principle was the same. And yeah, Gibbs would do the same.

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Aah! NCIS! ♥ My very first fandom show and the only show I watch weekly besides SGA.

I pretty much agree with you on the pairings and Jenny Shepard. As far as seasons go (no spoilers, just my opinion), I liked season 4 the least, season 5 suffered slightly from the writers strike (only slightly though, and they did a superb job with the finale) and season 6 so far has been more than excellent.

Tony/Ziva: my one and only het pairing. How did that happen. *g*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(hee, Tony icon! ^_^) Hmmm, most fans seem to be most disappointed with s3 or s4 - I've rather enjoyed s3, so am curious about s4. Looking forward to more regardless! And glad it's ongoing, will ease the ache of SGA's passing...

Right now I'm not totally sold on Tony/Ziva, but not objecting to it either...will see how it works out!

[ariadne83]

Kate! I loved the way they just took her out, mid-sentence.

McGee! I <3 him so much. I kind of really like the weird whatever-it-is he's got going with Abby. The thing I like best about it is that they refuse to define it. And that Abby isn't demonised for being commitment-shy, the way women usually are. Also, it's kinda cool have a woman on TV who's the Smart Chick and the Hot Chick, but not a Barbie.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Kate's death was pretty shocking, pretty awesomely done all around, I must say!

Yes! Abby is so cool - I love that she can be a total brilliant forensics geek and also be totally girly (in her cute gothy way). She's a pretty unique character. And yeah, her thing with McGee is part of that.

[water-soter.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the dark side!!! And another skeptic converted and Tony-fanned, what more can I ask for, especially considering your enormous talent in written. I just can't see the Tony/Gibbs pairing, and yeah, Ziva and Tony maybe, and that is a big maybe. Heh, you're in for a treat in season 4. I will say no more.

*slides recently written McGee and Tony friendship fic URL nonchalant - http://water-soter.livejournal.com/14910.html#cutid1*

Contains some spoilers for Seasons 1-6. *whistles casually*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wellll, don't know if I'm gonna fic or not, we'll see. But definitely am enjoying s4! (we're halfway through...yeah, we watch fast ^_^)

I look forward to checking out the fic when I'm caught up!

[livrin.livejournal.com]

Excuse me but I think I need to hug-squeeze you real tight or something for writing this post. ♥

I've been holding myself back from touching S3 for awhile cause I'm kind of a wimp and I was afraid I won't be able to adjust well to Kate's departure and the appearance of Ziva. One of the reasons I love NCIS's crews is their adorkable familial dynamic, (though I have no problem with those who ship^^), and I guess I was afraid that NCIS S3 will take a different approach to portray the team's dynamic due to those new changes. But your post has convinced me that it's save for me to brave that box of S3 that has been making scary grabby hands at me for months. So, um everything is still as awesome as before, yes? Please. say yes. *bites lip*

I can't wait to watch those things that you have mentioned in your post. More McGee and Abby! Gibbs chucking Tony on the chin and kissing Abby on the forehead, hee~

Completely OT, but..uh you watch Hustle,too? 0.o I have never found anyone on my flist that also watch that show! I adore Albie; awesome father figure. Though I admit I kind of ship Mickey/Danny in the show.^^

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yes! Yes!! I have almost caught up with the show (on s6 now...yeah, I marathon quickly) and the teaminess and family just gets stronger - pretty much all my favorite episodes (excepting "SWAK") are in s3-6. It took me a little while to adjust to Ziva, but I love her more than Kate now (and I did love Kate!) While they played a bit with the UST at first, that mostly drops off and now it's all TEAM (as with Tony/Kate, there's UST if you really want to see it, but you can just as easily read it as teaminess).

Though HOMG, I must warn, judging from what I've seen so far, the current season, 6, is making a good try for murdering the fans with ADORABLE. KILLER cuteness.

So - have no fears! watch! and squee!

--Also, Hustle, heeee! I love that show to pieces, it's so smart and snappy and sweet. I admit I kind of ship Mickey/EVERYBODY - what can I say, Mickey Stone's there, it's gotta be hot! But the family-ness is what wins for me - yup, family by birth or choice, either way it gets me every time!

[livrin.livejournal.com]

Whoa, so quick, S6 already. And its only getting better later, you say, what with this killer cuteness and everything, um I need to catch up quickly. XP More teaminess and family, yes! I'm looking forward to see Ziva, too, if she's as awesome as you've said. If the UST is like Tony/Kate UST then it's all well for me, yay.

Mickey/EVERYBODY, haha yeah, I can so see that. It's Mickey Stone! Grifter extraordinaire! I swear the first time I saw the show I was almost convinced if I was a guy I would have ended up having a man-crush on him, too, heh. Yes, yes, Team-family!shows FTW!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure my brother does have a man-crush on Mickey, judging by the way he was going on when he showed us the first few eps of Hustle, so yeah, you're probably right ^^