So, here we are in season four of the comeback role for Mark Harmon. He went from a Doctor (Chicago Hope)… to the leader of the Navy CSI team (NCIS). When I first started watching this show, I couldn’t get his Ted Bundy (The Deliberate Stranger) role out my head. I thought, this guy is a joke and this show will tank… Since those first few episodes, I have to say I am very glad it didn’t. As Jethro Gibbs (Harmon) leads his team of Quirky CSI’s through military crime scenes, the image of him luring girls as a serial killer melted away.

Mark Harmon as Jethro Gibbs on CBS NCISNow on to the show itself, It has always been a great story, the characters have alot of the spotlight, alot of the time… As a regular viewer, I can see some points where one-timers won’t get the joke, or follow the team in themselves, but it is also a very light-hearted approach to the CSI genre. Each character has a wacky and fun aspect, while still having a semi-serious side. It makes for a unique formula setting it apart from the most basic label of “Oh yea, another CSI… but for the Navy and Marines!”.

NCIS Team PhotoSometimes there is a bit of ‘death detail’ and sometimes it might get a bit ‘romantic’, but all in all it is a family-friendlier (is that a word?) approach to the crime show solvers. I am more comfortable with most of the episodes being on if my son’s are up late and it is on in the background, very few times do I find myself pausing or waiting for them to leave the room (This happens more often in CSI as they are much more open about the ‘details’ they convey)

It is a good show, with a good hook, don’t go into it thinking it is as serious as the CSI franchise, but look at it as the mix between a dramedy (for the faithful watchers) and a criminal show (for the one-timers)… All-in-All it adds a nice break-up in my DVR queue when running through three other CSI episodes each week.