Season OneEqual partsJAGandC.S.I.,NCISdoes a formidable  job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who  are tenaciously determined to solve a crime--even if it means having to  sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald  P. Bellisario (JAG,Quantum Leap),NCISactually began as a two-part episode ofJAGin 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS. On this six-disc set, which includes all 23 non-JAGepisodes plus optional commentary by Bellisario on the first episode,  viewers are introduced to an elite squad of special agents, led by Leroy  Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Gibbs is a hard-nosed investigator who  doesn't say much. But when he does, an insult usually comes out of his  mouth. He's brilliant when it comes to ferreting out the truth, but he's  not savvy enough to figure out how to block his ex-wife's nagging phone  calls. Instead, he makes do by destroying his cell phone. Gibbs' team  is fleshed out by an eclectic and somewhat eccentric set of colleagues,  including medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum  fromThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.), wannabe playboy and former  homicide detective Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), forensics expert  and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and former  Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander).The murder of a  peripheral NCIS agent halfway through the season is a taste of what's to  come in future seasons when core characters leave the show (voluntarily  or not). But in its first year, the show sets up a strong premise that  (while not wholly original) is well executed. One of the more stickling  aspects of the show is its reluctance to allow Tony to show signs of  maturity. At times, he behaves more like a rambunctious puppy than an  ace investigator.--Jae-Ha KimSeason TwoNCIStakes theCSIformula, throws in a good dose ofJAG,  and comes up with an entertaining series that takes advantage of the  actors' likeability. The season begins with the introduction a couple  new regulars--agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and assistant medical  examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). And one cast member departs the  show by the end of the season. The six-disc set includes all 23  episodes, which aired on CBS during 2004-2005. The show's sophomore year  begins with "See No Evil," in which a Navy officer (guest star David  Keith) is forced to embezzle millions of dollars, or risk having his  wife and blind daughter killed by a kidnapper (played by Tom Cruise's  cousin William Mapother). Led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the crack  NCIS team comes through to save the day and reveal the mastermind behind  the twisted case. Gibbs doesn't display much more emotion this season  than he did in the show's debut, but he's just as sarcastic (and even  tempered) when being threatened. During one altercation, the mafia  threatens to kill his father, brothers and uncles. Non-plussed, Gibbs  calmly says that while he has no male relatives still alive, he'd be  happy to fax over the numbers of his three ex-wives.With the help of his ace medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum fromThe Man from U.N.C.L.E),  Gibbs and his team are almost invincible when it comes to solving  complicated crimes. Whether he's piecing together the bones of a body,  or performing an autopsy on a crisply burnt poodle, Ducky is  matter-of-fact as he talks to his dead "clients." Of his nervous but  eager assistant Jimmy, Ducky notes, "He means well, but sometimes I have  an overwhelming urge to slap him." This season, viewers get to see the  romantic (and slightly gross) side of Ducky as he briefly romances a  doctor half this age. Also on hand to aid (and annoy) Gibbs are  happy-go-lucky Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), former Secret Service  agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), and forensics expert Abby Sciuto  (Pauley Perrette), who can solve anything if you say "please" and bring  her a Big Gulp to sip. Look for a gentle guest appearance by Charles  Durning as a Medal of Honor recipient who wants to turn himself in for  killing his best friend and fellow comrade during World War II. While  the plot twists won't surprise most viewers, the acting, writing, and  spirit of the episode leaves the viewer feeling satisfied.--Jae-Ha KimSeason ThreeWith two solid seasons already banked,NCISreturns for a  compelling third year with exciting plotlines and a slightly tweaked  cast. The show's second season ended with the brutal and shocking death  of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). The first two episodes of this season  deal with the aftermath of bringing her killer to justice and examining  the emotional impact of her loss on the remaining members of the NCIS  team, which is led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). The six-disc set  includes all 24 episodes, which aired on CBS during 2005-2006. Returning  are happy-go-lucky ladies' man Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly,Dark Angel),  forensics expert and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette),  medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum,The Man from U.N.C.L.E),  and agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray). Former Mossad intelligence  officer Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) joins the close-knit cast, as does  Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly,Dumb & Dumber) as the new  NCIS director. Working on a daily basis with Shepard initially makes  Gibbs wary. Not only is she a former girlfriend, but she also was his  underling at one time. Equal partsCSIandJAG,NCISworks primarily because of its quirky cast, which is able to take  sometimes regurgitated ideas and rework them into something engagingly  watchable. Throughout this season, we will see agents endangered and  framed, and one will accidentally kill an undercover detective who may  not have been armed. But the explosive two-part season finale will  finally shed light on Gibbs' painful history and help explain why he is  who is he today.--Jae-Ha KimSeason FourThe fourth season ofNCISbegins with one of the investigators  being charged with assassinating an Iranian prisoner. Former Mossad  intelligence agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who was introduced last  season, has been framed, and there's only one man who can clear her  name. Unfortunately, lead investigator Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has  retired to Mexico. But since Harmon is the star of the show, Gibbs  returns to the United States to help out his colleague. While most of  his former team is happy, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) has mixed  feelings (During Gibbs' absence, DiNozzo became the de facto head of the  team, and going back to being Gibbs' underling doesn't sit well with  the usually easygoing special agent.). Like William Petersen onCSI, Harmon is instrumental to the success ofNCIS.  Low-key and sarcastic, he injects humor and drama into a role that  could've come off as dull. And while other cast members may come and go,  his presence makes even some of the weaker storylines forgivable. In  general, this season--which originally aired from 2006 to 2007--is full  of well-developed plot lines that drive each episode along at a good  pace. But there are some subplots that are trite: When agent Timothy  McGee (Sean Murray) reveals that that book he's writing is based on his  co-workers, it's not much of a reveal. Also, the serial-killer storyline  in this season overstays its welcome by at least one episode. As NCIS  director Jennifer Shepard, Lauren Holly makes a sometimes unlikable  character come to life, especially when Shepard's motives are  questionable. As the show's name suggests, the majority of crimes  featured revolve around military personnel, but some of the show's best  moments occur when they touch of the personal relationships between the  characters. All 24 episodes are included in this six-disc box set, which  also includes commentaries, a Q&A session with cast members answer  fans' questions, and a surprisingly interesting look at the props used  on the show.--Jae-Ha KimSeason FiveDescribing season four ofNCISas "the season of secrets,"  executive producer Shane Brennan suggests that season five (offered here  with 18 episodes, including a two-part finale, on five discs) is "the  season of answers." For the most part, that’s true--but at season’s end,  loyal viewers are likely to be thrown for a loop by the death of a  major character and a startling set of changes bound to have a profound  effect on the show’s future.  Picking up where the previous year left  off, this new batch jumps right in with a continuation of Special Agent  Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and company’s pursuit of notorious  international arms dealer La Grenouille ("The Frog," played by Armand  Assante), whom NCIS director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) is  particularly keen on taking down--a quest that’s complicated by the fact  that the bad guy is a CIA asset, and by Agent Anthony DiNozzo’s  (Michael Weatherly) love affair with La Grenouille’s daughter. That  storyline, barely touched on thereafter, is resolved in the 14th  episode, "Internal Affairs." Meanwhile, the NCIS crew is distracted by  an array of other cases, most of them involving murder. Of particular  interest are several episodes related to Iraq and the War on Terror: a  Naval officer of Syrian descent who’s suspected of being an Al Qaeda  mole is murdered seconds after Gibbs talks him out of jumping off a  building ledge; a Marine who’s having a violent bout of post-traumatic  stress after returning from the Mideast turns out to be far worse off  than that; Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum)  refuses to conduct an autopsy because of the deceased’s Muslim beliefs.There’s no doubt thatNCISis slick, entertaining prime-time television in every respect: writing,  acting, production values, music, and so on. Still, one’s appreciation  of the show largely depends on the characters’ likeability, and that’s  very much a matter of taste. Gibbs may be a chick magnet, with four  former wives and a past relationship with Shepard to prove it, but he’s  also a taciturn fellow with horrible social skills. DiNozzo’s funny and  insouciant, but his smugness and incessant razzing of computer nerd  Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) soon becomes tiresome, while Shepard is  steely and simply unlikeable (the most appealing characters are arguably  McCallum’s Mallard and Pauley Perrette’s mouthy Abby Sciuto, the  goth-like forensic expert). Bonus material includes cast and crew  commentary on various episodes and a typical assortment of featurettes.--Sam GrahamSeason SixNCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Serviceis that rare TV series  that grows more popular over multiple seasons. The ratings of this  slick and skillful crime show’s sixth season topped the previous  five--no doubt due to blending a satisfying story formula with a  perfectly balanced cast. Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon, whose  long career includesSt. ElsewhereandChicago Hope) is  the stern but caring father-figure to a squad of younger agents,  including obnoxious, self-satisfied field agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael  Weatherly), sexy ex-Mossad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), quizzical  cyber-expert Tim McGee (Sean Murray), goth-chick forensics whiz Abby  Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and crusty but wise medical examiner Donald  “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum, whose career goes back even farther  than Harmon’s, toThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.). The banter and  tensions of this eccentric sextet provide a reliable comic foil to the  frequently gruesome events under investigation.  At the end of the  fifth season, this crack team was scattered to the far corners of the  earth by NCIS Director Vance (Rocky Carroll), leaving Gibbs with a green  new crew--but within minutes of this season’s first episode, that’s  revealed to be a ruse: Someone in the new team is sending secrets to the  enemy. Naturally, sussing out the traitor requires pulling in the old  gang one by one. From there, the season gallops along with gripping and  often gory opening scenarios (A shower sprays blood! A disembowelled  Navy captain has a pentagram on his back! A dying marine writes a number  in his own blood--and it’s the number for Gibbs’ service record!) which  are cleverly twisted to reveal even more sensational conclusions. The  best episodes mislead the viewer multiple times before finally unveiling  a surprise solution in the last few minutes. Gliding under these  tangled threads are comic subplots about stolen cupcakes and  cyberdating. Harmon anchors the show with understated gravitas  (sometimes he doesn’t change expression through the entire episode), but  the quirky side-players provide the juice, particularly old hand  McCallum and the petulant but demanding Perrette. Though the NCIS  setting means the crimes need to involve Naval personnel, that’s just  window dressing--this is a show that any fan of detective procedurals  will enjoy.NCIS: The Sixth Seasonfeatures plenty of extras for  fans, including commentaries that show the actors have the same chatty  chemistry as their characters.--Bret FetzerSeason Seven"A few months ago, I had not even heard of NCIS," a terrorist remarks in  the gripping season opener, "Truth or Consequences," a benchmark  episode. Where's he been?NCISwas television's top-rated scripted drama, an impressive achievement for a show in its seventh season.NCISmay not have any Emmys to its credit or generate water cooler buzz, but  it's got a devoted fan base who will follow Special Agent Gibbs (Mark  Harmon) and the rest of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service  wherever their investigations take them. In the brilliantly constructed  and executed "Truth or Consequences," it's North Africa, where  movie-referencing hunk Special Agent DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and  McGee (Sean Murray) have been captured while investigating Ziva's  disappearance. For uninitiated "probies," this episode serves as a  series primer as DiNozzo, tied to a chair and shot up with sodium  pentothal, gives a rundown to his captor about the rest of the team and  their standing in theNCISuniverse. There is considerable  comfort to be taken in the show's format. Episodes usually begin with  discovery of a shocking and grisly murder, then office banter and byplay  until Gibbs announces said crime ("We got a dead marine, grab your  gear") and then the labyrinthine investigation leading to an act 4  twist. This isn'tLaw and Order, where sometimes the guilty walk. This isNCISand justice is always served. But it's not the crimes; it's the  characters that are at the heart of this series' enduring popularity.  This season provides Ziva (Cote de Pablo) with an especially satisfying  arc as she quits the Mossad to become an actual NCIS agent and studies  for her United States citizenship exam. Her will they-won't they  romantic tension with DiNozzo simmers satisfactorily over the course of  the season. Season 7 comes full circle with Gibbs's capture by Mexican  drug cartel leader Paloma Reynosa, seeking revenge for Gibbs's murder of  her father. She offers him a career change. "You might as well put a  bullet in my head," Gibbs predictably replies. But she ups the ante in  an unspeakably bad way that is the stuff season-ending cliffhangers are  made of. This DVD contains interesting special features that immerse  viewers in the production of the series, from the sound design to the  design of Gibbs's house, which is seen for the first time this season.--Donald Liebenson