NCIS - The Ultimate Guide

IT DOESN’T TAKE a team of federal agents to figure out that if you picked up this magazine, you’re probably one of the 300 million people from around the world who watched some version of NCIS last year. That’s just a smidge under the entire population of the United States. The massive fandom around the military procedural, which reigns as the most watched drama on broadcast TV, began in 2003 with a spectacular series premiere from cocreators Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. The episode, inspired by the 1997 movie Air Force One, introduced what would become the show’s signature recipe of action, emotion and a dash of humor when agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum) investigate a mysterious death aboard the presidential…

NEW GUY ALDEN Parker (Gary Cole) had some giant shoes to fill when he took over in 2021 as head of the NCIS team from longtime leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon, who’d been with the series since the 2003 premiere). After a bumpy start with the agents, Parker won them over, but fans loved Cole—a familiar face with a long career in TV and films—from the start. We spoke with the actor about his character’s journey so far. When Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) offered Parker the job, he hesitated. Why? He [wondered], “Is this where I really want to be?” The stakes couldn’t be higher. The [team is] on a perpetual stress train. Parker, by nature, is a loner. Out of instinct, he doesn’t trust anybody. But he’s got…

Tony and Ziva come to grips with their flirty courtship while stuck in an elevator SAM AND DIANE. Ross and Rachel. Scully and Mulder. The question of “will they or won’t they?” has driven some of TV’s greatest relationships and kept hopeful fans glued to their screens. But few pairs have been shipped harder (or longer, for that matter) than NCIS’s Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Since their first meeting at the start of the third season, the chemistry between “Tiva,” as fans dubbed the duo, was obvious. Tony’s relentless energy and freewheeling charm meshed effortlessly with Ziva’s flirtatious teasing and aloof detachment. They kept each other on their toes with playful banter but also maintained the emotional distance required of those who regularly deal…

Gibbs has left the bullpen. The tight-lipped, steely-eyed NCIS boss man, played by Mark Harmon since 2003, retired in the October 11 episode and was last seen happily fly-fishing in Alaska. Although indefinitely suspended, he’d just gone very rogue in helping take down a mining company CEO. But instead of catching a sea-plane to D.C., he dropped this bomb-shell: “I’m not going back home.” Since last spring, rumors had been swirling that the actor (who is also an executive producer) was ready to exit the CBS hit, with reports that his Season 19 participation would be limited. But no one expected it to be this limited! Gibbs said his goodbyes to most team members in flashback—he even dunked that good old flip phone in a cup of coffee! Is there…

Rule #1 Never let suspects sit together. Other Rule #1 Never screw over your partner. Rule #2 Always wear gloves at a crime scene. Rule #3 Never believe what you are told. Double-check. Other Rule #3 Never be unreachable. Rule #4 Best way to keep a secret: Keep it to yourself. Second best: Tell one other person—if you must. There is no third best. Rule #5 You don’t waste good. Rule #6 Never say you’re sorry. Rule #7 Always be specific when you lie. Rule #8 Never take anything for granted. Rule #9 Never go anywhere without a knife. Rule #10 Never get involved personally on a case. Rule #11 When the job is done, walk away. Rule #12 Never date a coworker. Rule #13 Never involve lawyers. Rule #14 Bend the…

“You always go into a new job with high hopes. The first day I got on set, I knew we had real luck.”—Mark Harmon…