A few things, I agree that Tony is more important to the show then McGee, in terms of relationships and how their stories are written. I have always thought that when they needed a ratings spike (my guess was year 17), they would put Gibbs as Director, and then have McGee and Tony each have a team so the stories could bounce back and forth, (See Waterston in L+O). Also, I think the writers are going to ignore the Tiva shippers, because in Gibbs’s mind it should have been Kate and Tony (I forget the episode that was in though). I bring that up, because that is my guess to what they would have liked to write, also while I never minded the Tiva story line, it really only started out being an inversion of the Tony/Kate sparks. With that being said, I still can’t stand Wickersham. While Wickersham does not need to be an over the top character, like Ziva, she needs to have a bigger personality then she does now. In my view, they really have built her character as a Pachi or Cassidy, not really as an integral part of the team. Finally I think you should upgrade to Season 14 is definitely the last season, I think the Tony plots are all that’s worth watching at this point, I think Gibbs plots have gone about as far as they can, and when the plot revolves around the rest of the cast, it has become underwhelming recently (especially Abby).

I agree with you..It’s not in Mark Harmon’s nature to do something like that..he’s a professional and a good guy.

Where did you get the information that Harmon wouldn’t do scenes with.Weatherly? ??? You must be watching fanfiction..because Mark Harmon isn’t like that..he’s a professional. .and everyone on the cast has only had praise and kind words about him.. I don’t know what your game is but no sane person would believe this!

I disagree about it sinking but agree that the show would not survive without Harmon..They will bring in 2 new probie and we’ll laugh as Gibbs slaps them in the back of the head into shape.. So as long as Mark stays and CBS supports them NCIS will go on……..

Here you are again – dissing MH and defaming him again! Show me the link to a reliable source that confirms that MH decided not to do any scenes with MW anymore! Prove that. Because I have heard something completely different.

There has always been something different about NCIS; about the way the cast interacts and feels like a real group of co-workers with their idocyncracies, irreverance and yet professionalism when it is called for. The tone of that changed, and not for the better for many of us, when the emphasis changed to the romantic tease between Tony and Ziva. Between that, and the actions assigned to Ziva at the end of season 6 the show drove away many of the original fans, yet this was a time when the re-runs in syndication were bringing in a host of new fans.

If the main NCIS facebook page is an indicator of the wishes of the fans – as some would have us believe – then I truly believe that the posts over the summer hiatus indicate that the show would not survive without Harmon. The franchise works with the other shows, but neither have approached the popularity of the original. There is a certain irony that the leading man who considers himself eminently replaceable is the one that the fans don’t ever want replaced.

I do think the show is going to limp badly in the absence of Weatherly’s DiNozzo, he made a fantastic partnership with Harmon’s Gibbs and NCIS without him will be like James T Kirk without Spock, or Jean-Luc Picard without Will Riker – almost unthinkable.
Whilst McGee is a popular character, his interaction with Gibbs in recent seasons has nothing of the spark that Gibbs & DiNozzo have. Abby, Ducky and Palmer are well-loved characters, as well as being infuriating ones, so they might be enough to cover for DiNozzo. The hatred for Bishop from the Ziva fans currently masks the true feeling for her from the general viewer, when the last of the Tiva fans quit watching because there is no longer any chance of their desires being filled by NCIS, we might get a better temperature on how many fans genuinely dislike her, as oppose to those who are happy to have her on the team.

The real test will be with whoever they bring in new to the team. Personally I think this show caught lightning in a bottle with the original cast, if by some miracle they can do that again it might have wheels for a few seasons yet. Otherwise I think season 14 might well be the last, with fans deserting like rats off a sinking ship, which would be a sad end to a once fantastic show.

Back to the point: I admit that I’m not a huge fan of Mark Harmon, and Gibbs is definitely not my favorite character on the show but if he would leave and TPTB would decide to keep the show going without him, the show wouldn’t be NCIS anymore. Gibbs is ultimately the main character and Harmon is the glue that holds the show together – on Screen and on set. From what his cast mates have shared over the course of the years, it seems that Harmon has saved the show from losing the cast and characters since early on. It seems it’s Harmon who makes sure everyone is happy. So I doubt there is a way the show could be as good without him as it used to be.

And Harmon isn’t the one who is fooling his fans by giving interviews and statements that he will be back and then announce he won’t be back. de Pablo has exactly done that and Weatherly sadly did the same (the French interview is proof enough). I can’t forgive both of them for fooling me and other fans. But even though Weatherly has a Habit of changing his statements constantly to either please HIS fans or the nuts that call themselves fans of de Pablo, it doesn’t hurt as much as de Pablo’s silly games.

In the end, NCIS without Harmon/Gibbs won’t work. Neither on nor off Screen. That’s just my opinion of course.