What I’m Watching: NCIS

NCIS: Season 7, Episode 3 “The Inside Man” (B+)

I love it when Gibbs clashes with another lead investigator from some other agency, and it’s even better when the whole team is in conflict (and occasional cooperation) with a team from a different agency. It’s rare to see Tony not hitting on the woman from the other team, and even more impressive when he uses his charm to get her to reveal information rather than just her phone number. Tony was particularly entertaining throughout the whole episode, interviewing suspects and witnesses one step ahead of the other team and then casually fleeing the scene upon their arrival. It’s fantastic that, in Ziva’s absence from active field duty, Tony and McGee are essentially partners. They make a terrific team that actually thrives on their bickering rather than getting bogged down by it. The reactivation of Ziva as an agent seemed to be taking a while and would obviously eventually happen, but the way it played out proved to be more dramatic than expected. Her resignation from Mossad comes as quite as a shock, and a clear sign that she’s ready to declare her allegiance to the United States and NCIS. She’s come a long way from her first appearance at the beginning of season three, and her close relationship with Gibbs is one of the most intriguing things about the show. This is the main reason I watch this show instead of all the “CSI” and “Law & Order” series out there – the characters are the best part. The cases are fine, but it’s all about the characters. It's still cool to have a case revolve around a blogger.