NCIS Season 6 MVP: Tony DiNozzo takes the lead

Tony DiNozzo takes charge on NCIS Season 6 to become the MVP

Tony DiNozzo is one of the fan-favorite characters on NCIS, and yet it’s taken until Season 6 for him to be named MVP of the season. There are a couple of episodes that make him stand out this season.

I’ll admit that this one was hard, though. Gibbs stole the show on a number of occasions and it was hard to overlook Vance’s introduction to the show. However, it’s all about DiNozzo as we learn a little more about him.

Taking control of a case

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

The main reason for picking DiNozzo is in Episode 16. Titled “Bounce,” the episode takes us back to a case before the series began. It gave us a chance to get to know DiNozzo a little more and see the growth he’s received over the course of six years.

While DiNozzo is still a joker (such as when he pretends to be a woman McGee is setting a date up with online), he has grown in his leadership skills throughout the five and a half years we’d come to know him at this point.

Because this was Tony’s case, he was the one to take charge. He worked the evidence and knew when to rely on his team. He was able to take charge but also be fair at the same time, showing us what he’d learned from Gibbs at this point.

Working on a case alone

This wasn’t the only time he had to take charge on NCIS Season 6. At the beginning of the season, Vance had split the team up and DiNozzo was working onboard a ship. That ship involved someone throwing himself overboard.

He knew that there was something suspicious about it all. While his teammates worked the evidence on land, Tony had to deal with the situation on the ship. And he certainly did. It was just the start of the growth.

We also can’t forget the personal growth. In Episode 18, Tony reveals that he’s not had much luck with the ladies since his breakup with Jeanne Benoit. While it was an undercover op, he’d grown close to this woman and she still affected him mentally. It was the start of his growth that would allow him and Ziva to find their way to each other.

Finally, there’s the end of the season. We got the backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles, with Gibbs and McGee heading to LA to work the case there. Tony was in charge with the DC movements, which leads to him questioning Ziva’s loyalty at one point.

This is the start of bringing the season to an end, which saw Ziva back with Mossad. That’s not the way it stayed, but we did have to wonder what the writers had planned at this point.

Who was your MVP of NCIS Season 6? What did you think of Tony DiNozzo’s growth during this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Watch NCIS on CBS All Access, available through Amazon Channels.