NCIS season 16: How Gibbs, Sloane could get closer by finale
If you’ve been reading CarterMatt or watching some of my videos with Matt — the latest one is below (subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more, and check out the NCIS playlist) — you probably know that I’ve been sailing on this ‘ship for a while. It really just feels like NCIS needs to push Gibbs in a new direction and Sloane can be the perfect person for him. She can access him emotionally in a way few others can, and she certainly understands dealing with hardship and pain. Gibbs is a man with some thick walls up, a function of both his job and the tragedy that is dotted through his history.
Yet, Gibbs does need love, and he may be coming to a part in life where he can access this idea again. One of the reasons why it hasn’t worked for him in a while is because he throws himself so much into his job; coincidentally, Sloane is a part of his job! He doesn’t have to look far in order to find someone. Of course, a counter to this then could just be the fact that one of his rules explicitly states to avoid dating a co-worker.
Could that rule now be broken, though, for the sake of Sloane? At the moment, it does feel like Gibbs is giving some of those rules a pretty thorough edit. He’s understanding that there are things that change over time and the shattering of rule 10 in his mind is a part of that. Sloane is a colleague, and we understand that there are problems that come with that; yet, she’s also of a somewhat different station. She’s more invested in psychology than being out in the field with the rest of the agents. This may not be Gibbs following his rules clearly, but it’s also not the most egregious violation that he could possibly make. Could we consider this, perhaps, to be located within the middle ground?
There are reasons for Sloane to be interested in Gibbs just as there are reasons for Gibbs to be interested in Sloane — there’s a natural rapport, good chemistry, and the ability to occasionally make each other laugh … even if it’s not frequent. (It never really is with Gibbs.)
Could it happen this season?
Probably not. Instead, it seems like over the final few episodes of this season, we’ll be seeing Gibbs working his way through an emotional crisis and there’s no need to muddy the waters for him by also developing romantic interests. We’d argue that with Sloane’s help, he can maybe understand more why he’s struggling in the wake of dropping a rule, learning the truth about a former fiancée, and also being targeted, potentially by whoever runs the secret bank account. (Preview this episode more over at the link here.) He needs to find a way to start building some bridges to other people and Sloane could help him get there and start to feel a little better. There is no rule that suggests that one person has to live one way for the bulk of their life. There are opportunities to change it up; as a matter of fact, it would benefit him in some ways to do so.
Sloane and Gibbs are complicated characters; there is no rushing into vulnerability or admissions of having feelings. Nonetheless, I do remain confident that in time, and with further evolution, that these two could actually get to an interesting place where their hearts could be open to something more.
Do you think that by the finale, NCIS could be building towards something more in regards to Gibbs and Sloane’s relationship? Share right now in the comments, and check back soon for more. (Photo: CBS.)
This article was written by Jessica Carter and you can follow her on Twitter here.