Catching Up: NCIS

I’ve largely lost interest in this show, and as a result, I’ll keep my thoughts brief in order to focus on more compelling shows. It’s not that the show has gotten very bad, but rather that it’s lost that special edge that put it way ahead of “CSI” and “Law & Order” in my mind. The cast still does a decent enough job, but the fire is gone. Each episode has a mediocre crime and seemingly diminished enthusiasm from everyone. While I enjoyed McGee getting tasered, the outlandish and unserious nature of the show is often a problem. I’m not suggesting that it be cut out; merely that it be kept more in check. The Christmas episode from December 16th, “Silent Night,” is probably the best of late, with a meager performance by the sometimes-great Peter Coyote (“The Inside”) but a far better storyline. I particularly enjoyed the very end of the episode, where Gibbs shows that he is in fact human and calls his father to wish him a merry Christmas. Otherwise, this show just isn’t enthralling me anymore, and I’m strongly considering giving it up when I leave the country to go abroad for the spring semester. I may come back to it eventually, but it’s important to note that it’s the only procedural I watch, and for the moment, I’ve had enough.

NCIS returns on Tuesday, January 6th.