NCIS Season Finale Spoilers: F is for Frustration

[twoweevils]

Came across a couple of snippets in my obsessive search for answers --



From The Detroit Free Press:

One other TV Guide snippet. It puts forth the question: Is "NCIS" star Lauren Holly's job on the line? The actress, who plays buttoned-up administrator Jenny Shepard, tells the magazine "It's kind of scary," she says, because Don Bellisario, creator of "NCIS," "says that a regular will be leaving at the end of the season. My mantra is: 'NCIS' has one of the best casts on TV. We go up against 'American Idol' and still get 17 million viewers."

And according to costar Michael Weatherly, who plays Tony DiNozzo, Holly is a major contributor to the strength of the show. All Bellisario will offer with regards to which character is getting the ax is "I don't mention it if minor characters leave."

From The National Ledger:

Irrepressible, hunky Michael Weatherly of CBS's "NCIS" refuses to be pinned down on the season-ending story of the show, which will include the departure of a major character. "I feel bad that this is being put out that someone is leaving "NCIS." People assume it's one of the actors, but it's a guy in wardrobe," he deadpans. "Zippy, we called him, because he was the guy who installed all the zippers."

But seriously -- as Weatherly explains it, Mark Harmon's Gibbs character will wind up in a coma as the story unspools, and while viewers "spend a lot of time with him in his mind, in his dream world," back in the real world, Weatherly's DiNozzo does his best to take over leading the "NCIS" team. "I come in with a cup of coffee in a Gibbs-like manner -- and everyone gets a bit bent out of shape."

Weatherly reveals that as far as which character's departing, "NCIS" creator Don Bellissario even went for maximum suspense among the cast. "When we had our final script read-through, one by one actors came into the conference room, and Don said, "Will it be YOU?" Don is God in the sense he creates the world we live in. He creates organically, in that he doesn't know what he's going to write until he writes it. I'm a big giant Bellissario fan. He knows what the audience is expecting, and so sometimes he allays their fears -- and sometimes he teases. Same thing to the actors. 'Will it be DiNozzo -- YOU?' All I can say is, I know what happens, and the other person to leave, besides Zippy the wardrobe man, is an absolute shock."

*sigh*

Michael Weatherly, you are a funny, hunky, irrepressible guy.

M.

Comments

[zora-sourit.livejournal.com]

"I don't mention it if minor characters leave."
Outch.
Question is, what is a minor character for Bellisario. To be frank, i´m getting sick of this it-could-be-your-favorite-character-game. It´s old and somehow it tells me Bellisario doesn´t really care for his viewers.
DPB is pretty full of himself. That´s all I can say to that. I refuse to play along. (that was my tough part, my cranky-just-coming-home-from-work-part, just so you know)

Love the Zippy-idea though :).

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

DPB is pretty full of himself. That´s all I can say to that. I refuse to play along. (that was my tough part, my cranky-just-coming-home-from-work-part, just so you know)

Maybe this kind of thing works for the casual viewers who will watch NCIS if it's on and they're home, or those who might remember to tape it if they're out, but won't be distraught if they miss an episode. Those kind of people might be engaged by this suspense and would go out of their way to make sure and watch next Tuesday.

But those viewers probably haven't heard a thing about someone leaving. The primary audience for that information is the devoted fanbase. And we're going to tune in no matter what, so why not just tell us, already?

*sigh*
M.

[zora-sourit.livejournal.com]

And we're going to tune in no matter what, so why not just tell us, already?
exactly my point, he´s totally fucking with us. sigh. We´re such *victims*.

[pigglet27.livejournal.com]

I *heart* MW!

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

He's hilarious. I love watching him when they do those "behind-the-scenes" clips on Entertainment Tonight.

M.

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

I love Michael Weatherly.

On the other hand, if I had Bellisario here right now, I think I might kill him. The man has no fucking respect for his viewers. And frankly, this waiting game isn't fun, it's stressful. I'm literally nauseous thinking about it half the time. I've decided to tape "Hiatus pt. 1" and wait to watch it next week because I think a cliffhanger might kill me right now.

Doing this to the fans two seasons in a row just smacks of cheap grandstanding and ratings ploys. It worked last season, so let's do it again! The man is an asshole.

Er. Sorry for the rant there. *sheepish*

Anyway, I'm hoping that the fact that MW seems so cheerful means that it isn't him...

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

Doing this to the fans two seasons in a row just smacks of cheap grandstanding and ratings ploys. It worked last season, so let's do it again! The man is an asshole.

Word. Rant away. He's dis-ing those of us who will, no matter what happens, watch the show to the end of this season. And I'm sure none of this mysterious crap will have an impact on those viewers who only watch NCIS because they dislike American Idol. *mutter*

M.

[lerefuge.livejournal.com]

I am not offended by Bellisario's behavior, maybe because I'm a 24 fan where anybody (even Jack) can die at any time. I don't think it's disrespect for the viewers. It's part o the storytelling and what makes a show suspenseful.

That said, please not Gibbs nor Tony!! I am in fact thinking it won't be Gibbs. Bellisario is probably just a pulling a Kate like in the second season. Make everyone think it might be Gibbs when it's someone else. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it's Tony :( It all sounds like a big set up for it (Him taking charge like he would succeed to Gibbs but in fact he is the one who succombs)

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

(Apologies if I shouldn't just jump in here, but...)

I'm a 24 fan where anybody (even Jack) can die at any time. I don't think it's disrespect for the viewers.

My problem isn't that he's going to remove someone from the show. My problem is with the way he's jerking us around with it. Last year was bad enough, but Sasha Alexander wanted to leave and I can understand Bellisario wanting to make the best of losing a cast member right as the show was becoming really popular. Even if the weeks of tension almost killed me.

But this time the news broke even earlier than last year, and I feel like we're being jerked around twice as much. At this point it's not teasing for suspense purposes, it's a giant ploy for season finale ratings. Forcing people to endure the uncertainty for so much lead up time lends nothing at all to the storytelling.

*sigh* I guess you can tell I'm feeling pretty abused by The Powers That Be on NCIS. The idea of stopping watching the show entirely has actually occurred to me. I don't like my TV to be stressful. That's why I don't watch 24. I'm sure it's excellent, I'm just not interested in that kind of ongoing tension.

Throughout the season NCIS isn't a suspense show. It's crime drama with a healthy dose of humor. That makes me feel like infusing this degree of tension into the finale is inappropriate to the mood of the show.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

I don't like my TV to be stressful. That's why I don't watch 24. I'm sure it's excellent, I'm just not interested in that kind of ongoing tension
ITA, that's also why I won't watch a lot of dramas, or chick flicks. Enough stress in my life already.

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

Feel free to jump in.

At this point it's not teasing for suspense purposes, it's a giant ploy for season finale ratings. Forcing people to endure the uncertainty for so much lead up time lends nothing at all to the storytelling.

He's brilliant and he's a giant bastard. And if Gibbs or DiNozzo leave, he is SO going on my nose-breaking list, right up there with Tom Fontana.

That's why I don't watch 24. I'm sure it's excellent, I'm just not interested in that kind of ongoing tension.

I watched the first few episodes and concluded that it was too much of an emotional committment to get involved in 24. I gave up on Prison Break for the same reason (also because the cat got killed). I like some tension. I like characters who engage me emotionally and who I like to think about when I'm not watching the show. I don't like feeling jerked around by the whims of a megalomaniac. *sigh*

It's going to be the Director or Ducky. I'm sure of it...unless it's Gibbs and he's not really leaving, he's just taking some time to recover from his injuries. Which would be lame.

M.

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

It's going to be the Director or Ducky. I'm sure of it...unless it's Gibbs and he's not really leaving, he's just taking some time to recover from his injuries. Which would be lame.

The interview I read with David McCallum suggests to me that it's not going to be Ducky, unless he was just faking us all out in a big way. I've also heard that the doctor treating Gibbs is going to be around next season and have a thing for the Director (apparently that was in TV Guide), which suggests so she's still around, too. But who can be sure about speculation for next season? The eps aren't even written yet.

The Gibbs-but-not-really-leaving thing would be incredibly lame, not least because that means we won't really be sure until we either hear about casting for next season or actually see the first few eps of next season. If Bellisario makes us wait a whole summer to be sure who's staying and who's going, I'm going to break a lot more than his nose...

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

Suspense is one thing. Jerking the viewers around with all of this "Who will it be?" crap is just a naked ploy for attention and it's getting very old. *sigh*

It won't be Tony. Nope. Tony is the one character who DOESN'T have a plausible reason to leave the agency. Ziva could go back to Israel, Abby could quit because she was endangered in her lab THREE times this year, Ducky could decide to retire, Madame Director could realize that she sucks at this job and move on to something else, Gibbs *weep* could be forced out because of his injuries, and McGee...well he doesn't really have a good reason to leave.

I suppose you could argue that it's precisely BECAUSE Tony doesn't have a reason to leave that it will be Tony. Maybe he would get promoted and transferred or something. But that's not going to happen. Why? Because I said so, dammit.

M.

[lerefuge.livejournal.com]

Yes, I understand how it can be very frustrating.

You are right, Tony has no real reason to leave... except maybe to lead his own team? (if you saw him in last night episode... without spoiling, let me just tell you he totally PWNED. The fans who think he isn't competent can choke on the last episode).

And I said so too!! Tony is not leaving.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

I get the feeling it might be Tony, also. That would truly suck.
Yah, this pisses me off, this whole 'who is it' crap. I can see on 24, but it's a whole other kind of show there, so not so much with the happy right now.
I'm not a spoiler person, but I could use this spoiler.
Anyone know if one of the cast people is looking for a new job? Or mabye have one already?

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

It's not going to be Tony.

This is not like Law and Order where the characters are interchangeable. The Gibbs-DiNozzo dynamic is a huge factor in the way the show works. Mess with that and you have to start over from scratch.

At least, that's what I'm telling myself. *wibble*

M.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the same thing about the dynamics. But TPTB aren't always the brightest crayons in the box, so I keep not thinking about it to not freak myself out.

[jalabert.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, none of the spoilers I've read have said someone would be leaving the show, or even leaving permanently. I have the impression that someone is leaving NCIS, and will return next season. That was the ploy used in CSI: Miami last season when Calleigh literally put down her gun and left her ballistics lab. She never left the agency. If Bellisario is jerking us around, I think he's playing on out interpretation of the word "leave."

Didn't he say last year that someone wouldn't survive the finale? It was a much more specific warning, as I recall...

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

I believe Bellisario said, "Someone from the main cast will be leaving NCIS."

That could be interpreted as one of the characters will leave the agency, but not the show. It could all be a lame trick about Gibbs having to take time off to recover from his injuries or avenge the murder of his wife and daughter or be canned for tampering with evidence in that case earlier in the season...something that will keep him around, but not part of the team. I would hate that.

M.

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

I find myself thinking about this way too much, especially when I should be writing cover letters and sending off resumes.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I would ordinarily be sending you my qualifications, but since all I can think about is whether or not I'll still be able to watch NCIS after the season finale, I throw myself on your mercy and ask you to extend your application deadline till May 17.

No, actually, make it the 18th so I have a day to recover. Make it the 25th if it's Gibbs, Tony or Abby who leaves.

What do you mean, it's only a TV show?

No love,
Kweevil

I can't say I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it, but it's getting to me. I dreamed the other night that I was little again--about age four or five--and I'm convinced it's because this whole thing is making me feel powerless. A TV show shouldn't eat at you this way.

That is all. Back to work.

K.

[shazp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but the well-written shows that make you care about the characters, like really care, do eat at you.

And we all take it far too seriously....

And I can't see it till next Monday....

[twoweevils.livejournal.com]

You know, if a show is going to eat at me like that, I wish it would start on my thighs and maybe shave a few inches off my ass, too. *grin*

Off to scour the internets for clues. Again.

M.