5 reasons NCIS: Hawaii deserves to be saved right now

When it comes to interesting and compelling storylines, NCIS: Hawaii has them. Those storylines aren’t the biggest reasons why I think this series needs to be saved. They are certainly up there, but this show means so much more.

There are also the number of jobs this series brought into Hawaii to consider as well. While this isn’t a reason that makes my list, I do want to discuss the 700+ jobs in the industry that are now going to be lost. We’re currently in an economic crisis around the world. NCIS: Hawaii was still performing well in the linear ratings, so the idea of this loss of all those jobs is heartbreakingly wrong.

But, there are so many other reasons to save this show. It’s why the campaign to save the series continues. Just look at how loud everyone is on social media and how many have already signed the campaign. CBS needs to listen, especially considering there was space on the schedule after all!

Encourage more girls to fight for positions of power

The patriarchal society is still strong, and it needs to be pulled down. Too many young girls and women think that positions of authority and power are only for men. That’s not the case, and NCIS: Hawaii proves that.

Jane Tennant is the Agent-in-Charge at the Hawaii base. She is strong-willed, smart, but also a leader. This isn’t a woman who has bullied or slept her way to the top like so many shows of the past liked to show—as a way to degrade women and their ability to lead. This is a woman who has stood out for her skills and her way of nurturing a team. She encourages her team members to go with their gut, and she has their backs every step of the way.

Lucy Tara also stepped up in positions of authority throughout the series. We’ve seen Kate Whistler take charge now and then, even when she wasn’t all that certain in herself. I’ve loved seeing these women grow in confidence and capabilities, offering something for the younger generation to look up to. As someone who only really had Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed to do that, I want more of this!

Hell, it’s not even just women and girls getting role models. One thing I adore was how Ernie showed just how men should act in face of rejection. He was interested in Knight from the flagship series, but she wasn’t interested in him. Did Ernie decide to use his computer skills to stalk and doxx her like so many men do in real life? Not at all. He was sad, but he accepted that it was Knight’s choice and there is someone out there for him. He gave young boys a positive role model.

Real LGBTQ+ relationships with supportive partners

More TV shows are gaining queer relationships. That’s great, but it’s still not enough. We need more, and not just token couples. NCIS: Hawaii offered us a real couple—one that had development and was grounded in reality that some of the relationships we have come to see over the years.

Lucy and Kate didn’t have it all that easy. They both have their own (realistic) baggage, and they both have their own (strong-willed) personalities that sometimes clash. Yet, they want to be with each other. They came to love each other, despite all their flaws. Because, guess what, that’s a real relationship.

One of my favorite moments was seeing what a supportive relationship is all about. Lucy was going away for a few months, and it looked like it would be the end of this great relationship. Instead, Kate supported her girlfriend’s dreams and encouraged the following of them. She took a stand for their relationship, making it clear that she would be here when Lucy returned. And she was. There were no questionable cheating storylines at all, and it was so refreshing to see.

These are the types of LGBTQ+ relationships we need to see on TV. Show us that love is love, because that’s exactly what it is.

It isn't just about LGBTQ+ relationships either. Boone's marriage showed us that marriages can work for federal agents. I'm still annoyed that we'll never get to meet Boone's wife now.

Giving us the realities of the people of the Islands

There is a lot of history around Hawaii, and some of that history involves colonization. A lot of people want to overlook that, but it can’t happen. We can’t afford to allow that to happen, and NCIS: Hawaii certainly didn’t.

The series started with Kai coming back to his home as a federal agent. He was immediately hit with animosity from his own people, including his own father. Cops and people of authority has tread on the rights of the native people for so long, it’s natural for them to be hateful and distrustful of cops, even those of their own color.

That doesn’t mean all cops are the same. However, all cops have a duty to help change their stereotypes—understand the other side and empathize with them to bring good change. NCIS: Hawaii offered a look at how it was possible, but it never tried to fully “fix” the situation. Instead, it brought empathy to the real people of Hawaii.

We saw a team that supported each other’s quirks

Every single member of the team had their own quirks and interests. At no point did anyone make fun of the quirks. Instead, everyone was embraced for who they were.

My mind always comes to Ernie with this. I absolutely adore Ernie. He is so full of interesting facts—well, interesting-to-him facts. And they are interesting to other people, but not all the time. And yet, despite Tennant not always being all that interested in the actual facts, she didn’t cut him off. She didn’t stop him from talking. She embraced that and then took in the actual information she needed when she finally got it.

We get so focused on our own lives and our own interests. So many people are silenced because they’re not viewed as “normal.” My younger daughter will chat away about anything that comes to mind. It gets tiring, and sometimes I just want her to stop talking for five minutes, but that doesn’t mean I tell her that when we’re at home. She learns when she needs to stay on topic and when she can talk freely, giving her the confidence to grow.

Seeing this sort of support on TV offers everyone a way to evolve and work with others. I’m going to miss the quirks, especially Ernie. He may be my favorite character of the entire NCIS franchise (and I adore Jimmy!).

People are allowed to have trauma and PTSD

I feel like a lot of TV shows get trauma recovery and PTSD wrong. There is more of an understanding now than there was say even just 10 years ago, but writers still mess up. You see, healing isn’t linear and people aren’t “fixed” because of one breakthrough.

A lot of the time, we see someone lash out due to trauma or PTSD. There’s an intervention, that person realizes what they’re doing and that they need help, and then they get the help. Everything is back to normal and the trauma is forgotten about.

NCIS: Hawaii didn’t do that. The characters have been developed from their pasts. Jane Tennant became the woman she was because of her mother abandoning her. Lucy Tara gained insecurities in relationships because of her past experiences. Those were consistently honored throughout the series, and it’s clear they would remain that way if the show got to go on.

We need to see that healing isn’t linear. There have been too many people talking about character development from other shows in saying that a character went backward. Trying to explain that going back to old habits isn’t going backward in character development but is realistic. People can fall back into old habits. We need more empathy for people, and seeing non-linear healing is the way to help bring that.

I could go on about why NCIS: Hawaii deserves to be saved. The fun writing and interesting cases are certainly up there, but there is so much more to the storytelling. This series means the world to so many people around the world.