NCIS: "A Thousand Yards"

© by Gerald So | 5:30 AM

The NCIS franchise marked 1,000 episodes across its five series with a case of the original that deftly recalled its first. I haven't seen all 1,000 episodes nor all 464 of NCIS itself, but I did watch every episode the first seven seasons. In the middle, sameness set in. How many stories could you tell with Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee after all? I tuned back in when Bishop joined in Season 11, then again when Knight and Parker joined in Season 19.

One reason the show has run 21 going on 22 seasons is the cast changes. Another is the show has always had characters who span generations and personalities—Gibbs the gruff, taciturn leader; Ducky the garrulous grandfather; Tony the quippy man-of-action; McGee the computer geek; Abby the goth—all working together.

As a BONES fan, too, I was happy to see T.J. Thyne this episode in a guest role. I recently caught a Thyne-specific BONES nod in the NCIS Season 14 episode "The Tie that Binds." Fornell's daughter Emily says she has a boyfriend, Jack, studying to be an entomologist.