Disappointment seems to be par for the course for Weatherly fans these days on NCIS. They haven’t exactly been subtle about their diminishment of his character.

I too fear that your ABC story order might be right. If so, I will be disappointed ?

That’s an interesting idea. I have suspected for some time now that part of the reason Harmon’s Gibbs has constant never ending dramas and traumas, is the only character who gets to relate to anyone else in a dramatic and flattering rather than comic and shallow level, is because they really, really want him to be THE noticed player. The show has become an unashamed showcase for Harmon and they don’t seem to know, or maybe care, what to do with the rest of the cast. I am to some degree grateful that Weatherly decided to leave the show. .

I agree with all of that. TPTB seem uncaring about anything but Gibbs and milking the cash cow. Continuity, delivering that they sold to the fans that gave them their jobs doesn’t seem to matter. The characters who we loved and tuned in the show far don’t matter. Very sad.

Sandi, I’m not trying to defend TPTB. I’m trying to understand why they have nearly destroyed my favorite TV show. I haven’t even watched the last three episodes. It is too painful. People do things for a variety of reasons. It now appears that money and fan approval are not enough. If it’s not enough then what do they want? The only thing that I can come up with is that they want to be acknowledged by the critics.

I don’t think that Don Bellisario cared that much about what the critics thought. He wrote what he wanted to write and he did it with a lot of love. He wrote for a wide audience. That tells me that creating a fan base was something that he sought. He wrote for the people not for that little group of elitist critics. I felt bad for him when he got kicked off his own show. NCIS and all his other shows were a labor of love and he was good at what he did. A generation that wasn’t even born when he wrote Magnum or Quantum leap or JAG have discovered the work of Bellisario and they love it. There are still young people who want to see love, bravery, patriotism, teamwork and so much more.

David McCallum said that he couldn’t understand why CdP left NCIS becasue it is such a “gem.” Well now my question is why do TPTB want to destroy NCIS. It WAS such a gem. The only thing that I come up with is it has never achieved critical acclaim and now the clock is ticking.

I too long to see a well thought out arc that is actually about Tony but as previous posters have stated – it’s all about Gibbs now. With the Glasberg/Harmon team clearly in charge of stories there can be no other outcome than another traumas, dramas, and heroism focused squarely on Gibbs for the finale. Tony’s departure I fear will just be the incidental C plot to another big Gibbs A story with an attempt to get viewers excited about the new character as the B plot. Season 13 is the end of NCIS for me. I wish Tony fans could see a hero Tony story played out one last time since we haven’t really had one of those since Truth or Consequences I have little hope that a potential hero moment for Gibbs will be sacrificed for Tony fans though. The show runner’s obvious disdain for DiNozzo and contempt for Weatherly’s fans have been played out on the screen for several seasons now. Harmon and his fans matter, not Weatherly fans. For once I wish the current ptb wouldn’t disappoint.

My years of viewership were mostly due to the amazing MW and CdP, the Three Musketeers, their great bullpen dialogue, the now shredded Team as Family myth, and the prior fast paced stories, the witty comedy, the smart cultural references. Not to prop up Mark Harmon legacy. Dont care if this is his first or last rodeo, I detest what he’s done to a formerly great show. He’s destroyed the intensity and fire if two truly great unique characters to move Gibbs even more to the spotlight. Used 5o be so much more ensemble. Notice how there has not been a season finale since Mark wrestled away control that has not been Gibbs centric?

I personally really don’t think it’s about the awards, but still an interesting opinion…

Remember, TPTB are getting older. NCIS is Mark Harmon’s greatest success professionally. It is natural for him to want to be in front of the camera as much as possible, when he sees the end of his career off in the distance but approaching.quickly. If I remember correctly he was born in 1951. As actors age, they start to be seen as not leading men but as supporting actors. He has been nominated several times for major awards from the likes of The Screen Actors Guild, the Emmys and the Golden Globes, however, he has never won. Harmon has won some minor awards. The closest he got to success on the big screen was the Presidio with Sean Connery. He knows that he’s heading for his last rodeo. It seems that having the success of being the lead on the most watched television show and making all those millions of dollars should be a big feather in his cap but he may still want an award from his colleagues in the movie and film industry. He has been the bride’s maid several times but never the bride. In the word’s of that great British philosopher, Mick Jagger, “What a drag it is getting old.”

Gary Glasberg started out in the early 1990s writing scripts for children’s shows, such as the Rugrats. They used to list it on his credits but in the last few years, it’s been removed. He has written for some pretty successful tv shows but again, NCIS is his major achievement. Like MH he never won any major awards. In fact, IMDb says he’s won no awards. It is easy to see why these guys want to turn NCIS into something different than what it has been in the past. If doing the same thing (following what Don Bellisario did) doesn’t get them any awards from the critics, then maybe they will hit on something that wins an award. Just my opinion.