MovieChat Forums > NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003) Discussion > Rotting from the writers down...

Rotting from the writers down...

posted 7 years ago by cautery
7 replies | jump to latest

Been watching since episode 1:1. Want to continue loving this show, but the writing has deteriorated over the last season or two...

It's like they split the NCIS writer staff when NCIS:NOLA came along.... Result: TWO shows with mediocre to bad writing. Writer dilution? I don't know.

But the writing is NOT getting better... It is getting WORSE.

Too many characters, awkward introductions, bad premises.... And the technical mistakes are getting worse and worse, too.

Plus, while there has always been a little of a government is "holier than thou" and "statist" bent toward the writing... e.g. anti-2nd Amendment and a bit anti-Constitutional rights otherwise... because we are the government/good guys.... whatever.

Now, they're not even TRYING to disguise their "nudge" agenda to push their ill-advised progressive/lefty bullcrap.

Just about to call it quits... and that's sad.

[–] woodcat2-428-460785 7 years ago

Plus, while there has always been a little of a government is "holier than thou" and "statist" bent toward the writing... e.g. anti-2nd Amendment and a bit anti-Constitutional rights otherwise... because we are the government/good guys.... whatever.

Interestingly that is not the political bias that is usually complained about on this show

[–] ivitt 7 years ago

The "nudge" occurred in season 8. Domestic violence, gay bashing and anti-modern "Islamists" were all dealt with subtly that season. Though it also has pushed more "family centric" arcs as well. The first season of NCIS is like nothing else it has done. It wasn't even NCIS........it was Navy NCIS. I don't think any other season was like that again. Gibbs was different, Tony was different, even Abby was different. Season 2 showed a reboot essentially. It became sleazier with a anti-politician/pro-"civil servant" swing. When Shepherd and David get there, it turns into a latent screw fest between the characters, Abby starts dressing more slutly and they start breaking laws left and right, their moral center is greater than the bodies of law that govern the United States. Brennon modifies that in season 5-6 to introspection with comedy thrown in(though the timing was good). By season 8, the behavior of the 2-4 era would not be tolerated and would be considered immoral. The toning down offended the offenders. Harmon's power had grown and GG was brought in exactly for this change if you look at his writing past.

[–] trixie30 7 years ago

And so even though the subjects you mention affect the Navy, Naval officers and personnel, and are significant social issues, the writers should ignore them because...why exactly? It's not a liberal bias to bring up things that are actually happening.

Oh, and the original intro with "Navy NCIS" was dropped for one simple reason: Spelling it out makes it Navy Naval Criminal Investigative Service." Rather like "personal pin" or "pin number."

I think season 2 wasn't a reboot, but rather the creative team allowing more depth of some characters and more, at that point subtler, backstories. I disagree about it being a "screw fest" starting in season 3. I agree that there has been entirely too much focus on personal lives and dramas for the past several years. I agree to the point where the end of last season finally drove us away from watching. (Yes, I come here to check in and see what people think about things, but I do not review or comment on the current season.)

[–] BenHur59 7 years ago

I must agree.

The scripts are bad, and the characters have no chemistry or ensemble rapport. Everybody seems to be sleep-walking through the episodes, even Gibbs.

Even my spouse, who loves Mark Harmon, says the show has become very weak this year, although she challenges me whenever I say, "Uh-oh, here we go again!" whenever an episode starts to get up on its soapbox.

[–] trixie30 7 years ago

I have to ask those who complain about a liberal bias whether they complain when a show has a conservative bias. Yes, there are shows and movies that do. I'm serious and not being snarky because most people identify best with what they believe. A religious person is generally going to enjoy and relate to a religious show than an atheist would. The same can certainly go for other subjects.

For the first several seasons, NCIS portrayed the military, the government, and the people who serve in various ways in a very positive light. Of course there were going to be politicians, government officials, and military personnel portrayed in a bad light as criminals. It's a freaking crime drama about Navy/military crimes.

Lately, I don't think the PTB are intentionally showing the Navy, et al negatively, but the writing and plots make it so we can't help but think that. The ridiculous angst and revenge plots and personal demons and law breaking are beneath what the show used to be.

[–] shakesphere1-geo 7 years ago

I don't see any liberal or conservative bias in this show. Both sides are part of our society and our military so it's show. NCIS is now a very old show. Not to many shows have lasted this long. I do think the storylines are getting stale. I think they are starting to run out of good story ideas. This is a great show but I hope they start winding it down. Time to let the story end while it's still good.

[–] coloradotex (769) 7 years ago

the quality of the writing has steadily declined the last couple of years