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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query confessions of an ncis addict. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query confessions of an ncis addict. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday 9 January 2016

Saying Goodbye to Michael Weatherly

                                              
Having heard about Michael Weatherly's departure from NCIS left me a little sad.  Oh who am I kidding, it left me "gloomy and bitter and blue...!" He's been the driving force behind many an episode and not to take anything away from the rest of the cast, who are all suberb in their respective roles, Tony was the joker, the vulnerable serious guy who was always there through it all and for everyone too.  So it falls on me to put two words together or maybe a few more and bid a fond farewell to everyone's "Very Special" Agent Anthony DiNozzo, without whom we'd have had a very dull 13 seasons!

Tony started out as a fresh faced agent and I don't mean that in any nasty way, obviously, but looking back he (Michael) was soo young and that hair too!  Which I guess he got cut shorter to go for a more sophisticated mature look.  From all the jokes Kate (Sasha Alexander) used to make about him, the womanizing ways and all that.  Kind of grated.  She wasn't perfect, anyway this isn't about her.  He did finally develop a soft spot for her, even naming a goldfish after her.  I liked Tony with a cat too in 12.7 The Searchers, the one that ran away.  It was very Breakfast At Tiffany's.  Speaking of, everyone remarked on his resemblance to Robert Wagner, who played his father, Senior, on the show.  I thought he's more closer in looks to George Peppard.

Somehow think that maturity was shown by Tony's lack of film references.  There haven't been that many recently, not how they used to come thick and fast in previous years.  But that was a highlight and something to look forward too.  Guess he had plenty of time on his hands to watch those movies over the years. But I could relate to that, not out of loneliness or anything, but have watched my fair share of films and stuff. I also loved the way he'd always suspect the spouse first, cos that's officially how the job is done and I used to do that too.

Tony even got the offer of his own team in Spain which he turned down and was needed by his colleagues, they were more friends, when Gibbs (Mark Harmon) was in hospital.  Showing his leadership skills and no he wasn't trying to be Gibbs' replacement, though he did learn plenty from him. " On your six boss." One of my fave lines, among many!
Jenny: "So you're turning down a promotion because of a moustache?"
Tony: "His memory is still screwed up.  He called Ziva Kate yesterday."  Always putting others first, he knew the team needed him at this time.
Also got less of the McGee (Sean Murray) 'nicknames' over the seasons too, probably exhausted the possibilities, 'ey, McNerdy.  McScout, McRomeo, McProbious.

Three NCIS Directors during his time too, Tom Morrow (Alan Dale) his name was more like Tomorrow, ha!  Jenny Shepherd (Lauren Holly) and Vance (Rocky Carroll).  Jenny being the one he had the closest ties with in terms of keeping secrets from Gibbs, especially when she sent him undercover as Tony DiNardo to 'seduce' le Frog's daughter, Jeanne (Scottie Thompson) sorry, la grenouille.  Leading to many repercussions overtime and tensions.  Turned out to be pretty dangerous for Tony and he survived his car being blown up, but more so as he fell in love with Jeanne.  That came back to bite.  She just wasn't right for him.  So it was a shock when Jenny was killed when she was under his and Ziva's (Cote di Pablo) protection in LA.

Michael said in an interview how he recalled Jenny dying and how he was shocked and, "I didn't see that coming at all." To when the same scene was reproduced again in season 12.11 Check and as soon as I saw that diner that's exactly what I blurted out, that it was a "rehash" of the episode when Jenny was killed.  It was good to revisit that but in a completely different way.  This time the re-staged scene being related to Gibbs.  Michael also recalled Mike Franks (Muse Watson) being killed in season 8 by the Port to Port killer and said how, "those were major changes."  And in his own way he stated, "and somehow it's [NCIS] so sturdy that it withstands all of these changes."  And he was right it did and it will surely survive now with Michael's departure, but he will be sorely missed!!

In her own way, Ziva did help Tony and the rest of the team get over Kate's death.  She wasn't a conventional agent, but she wasn't an NCIS agent either, until much later.  He also had much to say about her idioms, she should 'assimilate already!'  But as we know Tony, or got to know him by now, he would inevitably end up falling for her.  Yes inevitable, but we all saw it coming.  She surely must've been his true soul mate cos saying goodbye was so painful for both of them.  And I'm not saying that just to appease the Tiva shippers (am not one of them.)

Then Tony's bed being too small, always thought that strange but loved his apartment, it was cool! No more scenes in that lift, or coming out of the lift and that bull pen...at least with Tony...oh can't think about all that now!
                                                       Image result for michael weatherly
Some outstanding Tony eps: Bounce, where he helped to prove the man he put away was innocent. Even if it meant having to deal with his mistakes and putting his reputation as an agent on the line. Obsession, was very Laura the 1944 film noir with Gene Tierney and once more Tony let his emotions get in the way.  I guess the one that endeared Tony to us all was SWAK in season 2.
Jet Lag on the flight from Paris was memorable too.  Well that sounded like a pun there, wasn't meant to be!

There was some controversy when Cote de Pablo announced her decision to leave and Michael's comments in an article which many fans didn't like and resented.  Which I won't go into here, of course it was understandable and everyone had an opinion, you can't hold it against remaining cast members for what was entirely her decision to leave.  Link below.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/wonderfully-weird-michael-weatherly-thinks-his-onscreen-rela#.gwj0zGjQd

Will have to listen to some of his great songs now, like Under the Sun: "...you can't control it no way to hold it, life just keeps going on..last thing I'd do is send a message to you, if  I, had the time..." All the time in the world now!!

As Michael tweeted "diNozza is a wonderful, quixotic character and I couldn't have had more fun playing him over the past 13 seasons...I will miss the amazing cast and crew, who are like family to me, and to all the fans all over the world - THANK YOU it's been a fantastic ride!"
Gonna miss you Michael.  Thank you for an amazing 13 seasons!

What am I going to do without the Gibbs' slaps?? *sobs uncontrollably*


Quite a few fave fan eps in this NCIS book, I was lucky enough to send Michael a copy, I hope he received it! Aww should've done one just for the best Tony eps!

http://www.amazon.com/My-Ncis-Unofficial-Unauthorized-Guide/dp/1291032177/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452391899&sr=8-2&keywords=mila+hasan

Was also lucky enough to get an RT from Michael for the following piece I wrote:
http://mila255.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=confessions+of+an+ncis+addict

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Confessions of an NCIS Addict

We all have our moments of watching TV shows by accident, surfing channels or the web, but I didn't come across NCIS like that.  Nope it was in Kansas 2004, when after watching an ep of JAG, or at least trying to without my friend's neighbour's coming in and both getting started on Dreamboat David James Elliot being "eye candy!"  Now come on, there was more to that show than that. Huh, but they droned on and I couldn't get a word in or listen to the TV, not that I wanted to get a word in.  Then NCIS came on after it.  This was new, of course it was.  Considering the UK didn't get season 1 until later that year and the US was already onto season 2.  We were lucky in that we got seasons 1 and 2 one after the other, but after that we lagged behind, now we're a year behind, no fair.  That's why DVDs were invented, ha.

So what caught my eye about this show wasn't the story, the plots or what NCIS actually stood for, (that came later) nope it was none of these.  Truth be told; which is what I'm doing here, it was for Mark Harmon.  Yes that gorgeous actor with his steely good looks (can I use that word - steely?) and well, having seen him many moons ago in 240-Robert as Thib and that smile of his, ahh that smile.  Now who's being shallow?
Well here's one gal who was a fan for life!  So couldn't believe my luck when later he turned up in Flamingo Road too and many other films and shows after that.

                                               

So it wasn't so much about the entire show, at first,  but Mark and Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  Here was a man who meant business and so did his name.  He wasn't taking any prisoners, including fans like me, darn shame!  He had that look, that smile that would make any female suspect melt and the 'no words' demeanour signifies plenty of attitude. Yes Gibbs smiles and laughs, take that you cynical critics.  Felt like they were associating him as being a bit of a male 'Greta Garbo' type, you know, how she never really used to smile in (m)any of her roles.

                                                    

It was later and a quite a few episodes later that I realized what made this show also worth watching was Michael Weatherly.  Not in a 'oh you're so dumb you didn't even notice he was in here' way; but more of a oh it's Logan Cale from Dark Angel kind of way.  SO that's where he turned up when he left Seattle.  Oh you know the way sometimes you associate the character he plays, more than the actor.   First thing said about him was how he managed to be in a show that was so short lived - again.  But hey, I for one was expecting  a satisfactory conclusion to Dark Angel, which no fan ever got!  We woz cheated!  With Logan it was always about the hair, the glasses.

                                                  

So he turned up in NCIS with that hair, that voice (no I don't say that about everyone!  Do I?)  Michael played Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and these two guys were as different as chalk and cheese on the surface, but deep down they shared  a lot of the same traits: caring about people, their job and catching the baddies.  Tony is juvenile, always joking which made him irresistible as a model TV Character.  Not  a model as some of you may be thinking, though he wouldn't have gone amiss with his looks and the clothes too.  These days TV expects everyone on it to be so serious with oodles of baggage!

                                               
                                                 
Not leaving out the NCIS ladies, well Cote de Pablo made a serious impact on the show and viewing figures too, no doubt.  As the dust died down from Kate's shooting and Sasha Alexander's leaving.  But as Ziva David she kicked lots of butt.  Still does!  So trigger happy; wonder what she'd have done if she left her gun at home.  No fear she doesn't really need such weapons considering she knows 18 different ways to kill with a paperclip.  She's tough and never floundering but underneath it all, Ziva's as soft as the next person but with her training and upbringing she hides her feelings well.  At least we know she's human.

                                                        

Her fashion sense can be a little eclectic, just like her "Ziva-isms."  But she can dress to impress.  Whether it be in her boots and khakis or a little green number.  She's beautiful and beguiling with flowing dark tresses to add that little bit of mystery.  Cote has amazing hair!  She's the kind of gal who you'll  always want as your friend, also staunchly loyal.

                                                       

I watched NCIS without looking to any promos, or ads, no publicity as to what the show was about and who was in it.  Even if my addiction stemmed from a season 2 episode.  Maybe it was better that way since I didn't have any expectations of the show and whether it would push the right buttons in the interest department. It was worth waiting to watch season 1 on TV in the UK cos when it came we got seasons 1 and 2 in a row.  Allowing the stories and characters to be on continuous play and replay.

Appealing stories, likeable characters, superb actors.  Not many personal stories or revelations to begin with in every episode, but when they came they were gut wrenching, heart breaking.  Doubly emotional; side splittingly funny. Incredibly engaging.  All I can say, well I can say plenty, is that if I'd missed this show, I'd be kicking myself and a few other people in the process too.  No matter what your age or background, country of residence, there's something about this show that is endearing.  Including the ability to bridge gaps between nations, devoid of language barriers.

When it comes to NCIS I'm as loyal as Ziva.  Addiction comes in all forms and all substances.  NCIS is my fire.  I sit down, tune in and go along for the ride, no matter how long it lasts.  Forever being a long time.
I know I haven't mentioned all of the cast and what an excellent cast it is, past and present; but this was why I became an addict and what made me watch for the first time.

My NCIS: Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to NCIS The TV Show available now at amazon