Although a bit formulaic, NCIS - The Fifth Season maintains what makes the series great and worth watching. The season features some great mysteries and a season-long story that opens up some of the characters a bit more.
NCIS (which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is worth watching thanks to its blend of drama and comedy and the interaction of its cast.
The investigation team is made up of NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon); NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly); NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray); and a former Moussad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo).
During their investigations, they are often aided by medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum), and the quirky forensic specialist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette). Gibbs also often has to go up against NCIS director Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly) – who has a romantic past with Gibbs.
What makes the show worth watching is the chemistry of this cast. Harmon is simply great as Gibbs. His character is the straight man to some of the goofiness of DiNozzo and McGee. David also adds comedy with her misunderstanding of some English slang and DiNozzo’s use of film reference to illustrate his points.
Harmon makes Gibbs (who has a knack for always having a cup of coffee) one of the most interesting characters on television with the way he plays Gibbs full of mysteries and intelligence. He has found that a look can get a suspect to reveal more than a threatening speech, and keeps his team in line with a classic slap to the back of the head (which is often aimed at DiNozzo).
Abby fills the slot of odd forensic specialist, but also adds a lot of heart to the show, and is easily one of the best characters on the series. Perrette nails the character, and makes her stand out in a series filled with great acting. The same can be said for McCallum’s “Ducky.” He is also full of quirks, and provides some laughs as he rattles off useless facts to an impatient Gibbs.
By Season Five, most television series have already “jumped the shark” and run out of ideas to keep the show fresh. This is not true for NCIS. The show does have a formula feel to it (probably the biggest weakness of the series), but the writers continue to come up with great crimes for the team to solve. They also keep it fresh thanks to the cast’s interaction, and the way they play the characters off each other (such as the constant rivalry between DiNozzo and McGee).
Season Five sees the team taking on the normal crimes – murder (often an odd type); drug investigation; and arms deals. It also has a season long story arc run that opens up some of the cast members more and throws some more mysteries on others. DiNozzo’s playboy lifestyle gets thrown for a loop when he is sent undercover to draw out an arms dealer.
A romance with the arms dealer’s daughter ensues, and DiNozzo is forced to pay for his betrayal. Things take a turn for the worse when the team learns Shepard has her own ties to the dealer, and the investigation might not be on the up and up.
The writers do an excellent job of letting the story arc play as a backdrop to the other episodes rather than being the focus of the entire series. This helps the viewer not think too much of the story until its consequences come to light towards the end of the season.
The DVD set comes loaded with special features that include cast and crew commentary on selected episodes; an inside look at one of the season’s episodes; a look at the costuming of NCIS; an on location feature; and a special look at Abby.
Thanks to its blend of comedy and drama and the great chemistry of the cast, NCIS - The Fifth Season is well worth watching. Fans of the series will not be disappointed, and the season ends with you wanting more.
NCIS – The Fifth Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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