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As one of CBS's longest-running shows, NCIShas changed tremendously since its debut in 2003, with some of the early elements of the show having completely changed over the course of its run. Following the ins and outs of the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) with NCIS, the series focuses on a group of special agents as they move through a procedural, case-of-the-week style series. Although the series went on to become the first in a tremendously successful franchise, for many years the only NCIS series on the air was the original, making the MCRT a specific, fascinating, talented team.
The series, which starred Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs for the first 19 seasons, was able to bring intense, sometimes gruesome cases into the spotlight, developing the team as the series went on. Though there were casting changes in early seasons, the core cast of agents spent years on the show working together, and the more recent iteration of the cast, led by Gary Cole as Alden Parker, has been finding their footing in the past few years. With such a massive amount of lore, NCIS viewers may have a tough time remembering the early days of the series.
NCIS' Beginnings As A JAG Spinoff Series
Although NCIS feels like its own entity after two decades on the air and countless spinoffs, the series actually began as a backdoor pilot on another CBS series entirely. Before Gibbs and his team were able to take on their own show and build their own dynamics, the NCIS team was introduced through a backdoor pilot on the CBS show JAG. JAG, which aired for 10 seasons from 1995 through 2005, explored the world of military lawyers, and during the show's eighth season, a case involved the NCIS team, bringing Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) to the table.
While the JAG backdoor pilot, which ran over the course of two episodes, brought the world of the MCRT to life, the series isn't remembered for bringing NCIS to life. Modern viewers who discover the franchise today don't typically reach back to the JAG introduction, instead starting at the beginning of NCIS season 1.
McGee & Abby’s Flirtatious Relationship
Early on in the series, the dynamics between the MCRT were up in the air. Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), who was a recurring character throughout the first season as the series figured out what to do with a rookie NCIS agent, was still getting to know the more established members of the team, including Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette). While McGee and Abby eventually had one of the show's most kind and enduring friendships, their early dynamic presented a bit more flirtatious, erring on the side of romantic. The pair were dating throughout NCIS season 1, but things changed quickly.
As McGee was developed more thoroughly, becoming a main cast member during NCIS season 2, and Abby's personality was fleshed out, it became clear that their characters' romance wasn't going to stick. The pair broke up by NCIS season 2, deciding they were better off as friends, which worked well for the show as it continued.
Gibbs & Fornell’s Retconned Rivalry
A recurring character in nearly every season of NCIS, Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano) didn't start his time on the series as some may remember him. With Gibbs and Fornell originally presented as professional rivals, things were shaken up quickly for the characters after their initial introduction. Fornell, an FBI agent, was introduced to Gibbs as though they didn't already know each other early in the series, but in his next appearance, the pair seemed to have a pre-existing relationship, connected by their shared ex-wife. While NCIS played with their faux-rivalry, which was always played for show, their relationship changed drastically.
The larger backstory of Fornell and Gibbs' quickly became the norm for NCIS, and was played upon throughout the series up until Gibbs' departure, but their relationship became an interesting layer of texture to Gibbs' character.
Tony Was Hard To Like In NCIS Season 1
Although the serieswill be welcoming Tony back in a season-long arc for NCIS season 24, the long-running cast member wasn't always the charmer that viewers remember. As Tony developed, he became one of the most charismatic and beloved characters to appear on NCIS, even though his will they/won't they romance with Ziva was a constant tug of war on the series. Early on in the days of NCIS, however, Tony's character was far more immature, arrogant, and abrasive than the Tony viewers grew to love. With jokes that crossed boundaries and a different attitude, Tony was less likable.
As the seasons continued, Tony's character shifted immensely, becoming a lovable, film-quoting ladies' man who had chemistry with everyone on his team and off. While his relationship with Ziva definitely helped the situation, Tony's character shifted significantly over the course of the show's earliest season.
NCIS Season 1's Attitude Toward The Trans Community Feels Dated Now
Although NCIS is far from the only show that had a reserved, conservative, and sometimes negative attitude toward people in the LGBTQ+ community. In early episodes, it's made abundantly clear that the show is uncomfortable with transgender characters, and is quick to adopt a very dated, uncomfortable point of view when someone trans pops up in a case. During the season 1 episode, "Dead Man Talking", the MCRT deals with a transgender character and their attitudes are incredibly difficult to watch from a modern lens. They make jokes at the character's expense and remove all humanity from their interactions.
While there is better representation on NCISin the future (as early as season 2), the series fumbling the ball with transgender representation and reception in the earliest season feels par for the course, unfortunately, for the time the show was airing. While it's not acceptable, it does feel unfamiliar with the way the show proceeds moving forward.
Gibbs’ Personality Was Far Less Stoic
Although Gibbs is someone that viewers would love to see back as NCIS moves ahead, he wasn't always the stoic, quiet leader that he turned out to be. Gibbs is known now for being an emotionally guarded, intensely disciplined leader who would do anything for his team. While he's recognizably the same character during the first season of NCIS, he displays a much wider range of emotion throughout the early episodes, even engaging in playful banter with the team and ribbing them. His lighter side was on display, but quickly toned down as the show continued on.
While the shift in Gibbs' personality was noticeable for viewers as the first season moved into the second, NCIS revealed more about the MCRT leader that made him a tragic figure. In the seasons following, Gibbs' stoicism made far more sense than his light zingers.
The McGee Hazing
Early on in the run of NCIS, McGee was far removed from the storied member of the MCRT than who we've gotten to know in recent years. Beginning the series as a probationary agent, McGee was the show's very first probie, and Tony's immediate response to his role on the team came in the form of some intense hazing. Spending much of the first season earning goofy nicknames, enduring practical jokes, and serving as the butt Tony's jokes, McGee had to go through a lot to earn the respect of the rest of the MCRT throughout NCIS season 1.
While McGee eventually became one of the team's most competent investigators, it's easy to forget how green he was at the beginning of NCIS' run. Watching the early episodes today would be sure to illuminate how much he's grown in the time the show's been on the air.
The Existence Of Agent Vivian Blackadder
One of the most surprising changes from the original version of NCIS that was debuted in the backdoor pilot of JAG came from the characters who wound up transitioning over to the show. While Gibbs and DiNozzo were both introduced during the initial episodes, another NCIS agent was a central part of the story. Agent Vivian Blackadder (Robin Lively) was originally meant to be Tony's partner, but audiences reacted poorly to her character during the backdoor pilot. In the transition to bringing NCIS to life, Blackadder effectively disappeared from the series, and Caitlyn took her place on the MCRT.
While moving forward for NCIS meant losing an interesting character, seeing Blackadder be so quickly written out of the universe and replaced wasn't likely something viewers noticed in the moment. Now, going back to see the initial episodes of the series on JAG and finding an entirely different part of the team is a shock for fans of NCIS.
