Is ‘NCIS’ Too Dark This Season?

NCIS is heading into territory that some feel is too dark for network television in its 18th season. Jethro Gibbs is currently suspended indefinitely after having a violent and nearly deadly encounter with an animal abuser during an investigation of a dogfighting ring. It was the latest moment in the season that led some viewers to reach out to Fox 28 and TV Insider writer Matt Roush with concerns the show had become darker.

“I’ve watched every NCIS-related show from their JAG origins. But this week’s NCIS episode is my last. While I am surely onboard regarding the horror of animal cruelty, I do not watch this show to give myself nightmares,” a viewer named Connie wrote to the outlet. “I don’t know why the show has taken such a dark turn this year, but this is the last thing I needed after surviving 2020. Please remind the writers that the show is supposed to be “entertainment.” But whatever, I’m gone.”

Another viewer named Shaun added that he was curious why the show decided to kill off minor characters abruptly in recent episodes. Roush addresses both comments, noting that the recent deaths have been valid and reflected in the real world. He also makes it clear that the “dark” tone may be misplaced.

“I addressed this recurring topic in a recent column, perhaps facetiously arguing that after a year like this, even an escapist action procedural like NCIS can’t help but face some tragic realities,” Roush wrote in his response. “If the show had somehow endorsed or exploited animal cruelty, I’d better understand Connie’s reaction, but we all have our breaking point, and soon enough I imagine NCIS will go back to saving the world from terrorists and solving cases with their typical panache.”

But that typical panache has always been a bit darker, despite the smiling and friendly camaraderie between the NCIS team. In fact, many series that run during primetime on network television, including NCIS’ home on CBS, have flirted with darkness and reality. These are the type of things that don’t seem to bother viewers when they aren’t living through a pandemic.

Criminal Minds is an excellent example of a companion series to NCIS that features horrific stories that push the boundaries of what could appear on regular TV. Other networks have featured torture in shows like Lost and 24, while some series regularly follow the villains or anti-heroes on journeys in their world, like NBC’s The Blacklist or Hannibal.

NCIS is no stranger to being “dark” and violent. Cinemablend covered the series episode “Blarney” from one year ago, with author Mick Joest calling it a “rare exception” that, “leaned a little more o the gore” for its 8 p.m. ET airtime. Not to mention how the show dispatched Kate Todd in season 2 of the show. Sasha Alexander was leaving the series and the chosen method of ushering her away involved a bullet to the head.

Blood sprays on Gibbs and DiNozzo, played by CBS alum Michael Weatherly, as a sniper assassinates Todd in a shocking attack after the team cleared a terrorist hideout. Darkness and violence are nothing new for NCIS, clearly.

So is the show becoming darker as it grows older? Not really. Instead, the reality is creeping into homes a little heavier these days, changing the outlook for viewers. Maybe this is why there are rumors the series could be ending with Mark Harmon‘s potential exit? We’ll have to tune in to see. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.