NCIS Season 1 MVP: There’s only one person to start with
Each week, we’ll bring the MVP of each season of NCIS. It can only start with one character. It’s all about Jethro Leroy Gibbs.
As we deal with what could be the rest of the year with no new episodes of NCIS, we’re looking back at old favorites. Each week, we’re going to look at the MVP of each season as a whole. There’s definitely only one way that we can start this.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some excellent characters in the first season, and we certainly get some intriguing character development. Ducky has always been the one who drew me into the series (okay, it was David McCallum after watching and rewatching The Great Escape as a kid) but when it comes to the characters throughout the entire season, there is just one MVP.
Jethro Leroy Gibbs takes the title.
More from NCIS News
- NCIS: Sydney Season 1, Episode 4 release details and more
- NCIS Season 21 release date, cast, and everything we know so far
- Could Gibbs return in NCIS Season 21 to say goodbye to Ducky?
- 8 locations that would be great for another NCIS series
- How to watch the NCIS: Sydney series premiere live online
I know every single person out there will agree with me. No matter what you think now due to personal behind the scene stories, this is all about the characters and their importance to the show.
Without Gibbs there wouldn’t be an NCIS franchise. It really is as simple as that. Gibbs is the one that brought our initial team together. That team helped to develop the NCIS: LA and later NCIS: New Orleans spin-offs. So, we owe everything to Gibbs.
(Yes, NCIS is a spin-off of JAG, but it always felt like its own show. This series could have possibly began without the help of JAG first.)
Seeing Gibbs bring the team together
One of the great things about the first season is we see how Gibbs brings his team together. Tony DiNozzo is already a part of the team. He’s goofy and sometimes annoying. In fact, it can be difficult at first to figure out why he’s on the team, but when Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd is recruited, we get to know Gibbs is able to see something special.
It’s clear that he chooses people for their individual capabilities. Gibbs does his research and isn’t afraid to trust his gut.
On top of that, he isn’t afraid to stand up to those above him. If he doesn’t agree with their decisions, he makes it known. Even in the first season, we see that. As the years have gone on, he’s pushed that even more.
Related Story. NCIS leads set to return for the new seasons. light
Friendships and family on the NCIS franchise
Gibbs also gives us a safe space with the team. His friendship with Ducky is solid. His love for Abby is fatherly-like. It’s clear that this team is a family to him. He’ll only let people into the team who will contribute to that family—and will want to be part of the family.
Throughout the first season, we watch as he nurtures the team. He invites Todd into the family and makes it clear that if she’s not interested in being a part of it then she can walk back out the door. Everyone gets that memo, even without the words on the screen.
The family grows over the years. However, one thing is always consistent. Gibbs is a father figure to all those underneath him, and he views his team members as his surrogate children.
However, there’s something that plays out throughout the season. It wouldn’t be until later that we learn more of the story, but it’s clear that Gibbs has lost someone close to him. He’s lost his own family, which is why he creates one within the workplace.
The idea of family continues in the other two spin-offs. Both make it clear that the team is more then just a group of colleagues.
Seeking justice for the dead
Finally, Gibbs shows his true colors early on; the reason he’s in the job. This is more than just about catching the bad guys.
For Gibbs, this is about seeking justice for the dead. The dead can’t talk, so the team has to do it for them. Gibbs searches for every piece of evidence, putting together the puzzle without stopping.
The others do, too, but they take their lead from Gibbs. He is the one that carries the team from the very beginning, proving to be the heart and soul.
Next. 10 best TV crime dramas to watch on CBS All Access. dark
Who is your MVP of NCIS Season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Watch NCIS on CBS All Access, available with Amazon Channels.