# If you were NCIS director, how many times would you have fired Gibbs by now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707 "2016-10-05T14:46:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/21 "2016-10-05T21:45:27Z")
But that would be twice. It would be the first time and the last time šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/22 "2016-10-05T23:12:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To answer the OP: Only once. Because I wouldnā€™t be foolish enough to re-hire him after the first firing. You used to be cool, man. Whenā€™d you turn into a droid? > [@samclem](#): > > Tony turned down his promotion. McGhee isnā€™t qualified to lead a team. Canā€™t agree with you there. Heā€™s just lower-key than Vance, Gibbs, or DiNozzo, and he hasnā€™t had the chance to lead much. but Iā€™d say heā€™s got the stuff. Not Buffy level stuff, but stuff nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/23 "2016-10-06T00:46:13Z")
Once? I think whenever you fired him, probably once. How many things has he done that for which he ought to have been fired? I donā€™t know, thatā€™s a\* lot \*of seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/24 "2016-10-06T07:48:32Z")
I would fire him, or possibly just suspend him, every single day. It would have nothing to do with whether or not he had actually done anything wrong. Itā€™s just that everybody knows the best way to catch a bad guy is to take your dogged chief investigator off the case. Being taken off a case somehow activates that extra gear that helps said investigator have those breakthrough moments and discover those crucial clues. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I would fire him. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, I would just suspend him. Sundays would be his pick. On his birthday, I would suspend him AND fire him just because itā€™s a special occasion. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/25 "2016-10-06T16:30:59Z")
In every other episode of _ **Criminal Minds** _, it turns out that the killer has some kind of connection to a member of the team. In real life, that never happens. And if it ever did, that FBI agent would be taken off the case. But on\*\*\* Criminal Minds\*\*\*, the agent insists, ā€œI have to be part of this!ā€ And Hotch nods, ā€œAll right. But if you slip up even once, youā€™re out.ā€ It ALWAYS ends in disaster, but Hotch never learns. Heā€™ll give the same stern, ā€œOkay, butā€¦ā€ next time a psycho killer goes after Spence or JJā€™s family. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/26 "2016-10-06T16:40:38Z")
Only once. After he sniped his wifeā€™s killer. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/27 "2016-10-06T18:40:04Z")
Iā€™m not a big _NCIS_ watcher, but Iā€™ve seen it a few times, mostly older episodes in syndication. I donā€™t know what Gibbs has done to piss off his bosses, but I know thereā€™s no way in hell Iā€™d ever work for him. The amount of sniping and backbiting among the team is ridiculous; Iā€™d have put in for a transfer before the first commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/28 "2016-10-06T19:20:36Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Iā€™m not a big _NCIS_ watcher, but Iā€™ve seen it a few times, mostly older episodes in syndication. I donā€™t know what Gibbs has done to piss off his bosses, but I know thereā€™s no way in hell Iā€™d ever work for him. The amount of sniping and backbiting among the team is ridiculous; Iā€™d have put in for a transfer before the first commercial. Iā€™ll agree with this. In fact, not firing Tony should have been grounds for firing Gibbs. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/29 "2016-10-06T20:20:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Only once. After he sniped his wifeā€™s killer. He wasnā€™t an agent then. And Iā€™m fairly sure Tomr Morrow (director before Jenny) didnā€™t know that Gibbs had even HAD a murdered wife & child to avenge; neither Ducky nor Jenny did until she looked into his past. And Jenny didnā€™t KNOW what Gibbs had done. Ducky pointed out that it was a reasonable guess based on Gibbsā€™s personality (in that Reynosa was long since disappeared and that Gibbs was not spending every waking moment hunting him down), but that was only a guess, not proof. She was hardly going to expend agency resources on solving a 15-year-old cold case that wasnā€™t even in her jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/30 "2016-10-08T16:29:13Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Bah. Say ā€œbenchedā€ if you prefer. > > Thatā€™s VIEWING time. There are always internal clues for that several days are passing n a given episode. After the team does its initial CSU bit at the crime scene, youā€™l always see them coming into the office wearing different clothes and saying ā€œgood morningā€ to indicate that at least one night has passed. The time passes quicker when Abby has [help](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qgehH3kEQ). ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/31 "2016-10-09T20:14:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Oh I got it, I just was using it as a starting point. šŸ˜‰ > > I am not a fan of Gibbs, right from his first appearance in JAG. Does ANYONE have a link to this episode of JAG or the episode number? Iā€™ve never seen it or been able to find it. ---
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/32 "2016-10-09T23:32:42Z")
> [@Fir\_na\_tine](#): > > Does ANYONE have a link to this episode of JAG or the episode number? Iā€™ve never seen it or been able to find it. Episodes 20 & 21 of season 8, _Ice Queen_ and _Meltdown_, a two-parter. Sorry not to provide a link, donā€™t know how to do it on Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/33 "2016-10-10T01:26:47Z")
> [@KittenKat](#): > > Episodes 20 & 21 of season 8, _Ice Queen_ and _Meltdown_, a two-parter. Sorry not to provide a link, donā€™t know how to do it on Kindle. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/34 "2016-10-10T17:12:48Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Oh I got it, I just was using it as a starting point. šŸ˜‰ > > I am not a fan of Gibbs, right from his first appearance in JAG. Youā€™re better off skipping it. Though Gibbsā€™s remark in that episode about not having to answer to Navy brass makes sense when you think about it, overall it undercuts his credibility, since his target in that investigation was the innocent Rabb. It makes you wonder how many times an NCIS case he ā€œsolvedā€ was actually a railroad job. The best way to watch NCIS is always to just listen to Duckyā€™s stories (always aborted too soon!) and to watch Bishop being cute. (And, in reruns watchng Tony get punched in the schnozz) ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/35 "2016-10-10T20:47:33Z")
About the second time he was witnessed physically abusing one of his subordinates. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/36 "2016-10-10T22:53:16Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > About the second time he was witnessed physically abusing one of his subordinates. Slapping Tony DiNozzo on the back of the head is not abuse. Abuse is unjistified. Striking DiNozzo with anything lighter than a two by four is Godā€™s work. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/37 "2016-10-12T15:32:34Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > The real mystery is why they are so rarely promoted out of their team and leading teams of their own. You know, for as many questionable spinoffs as get green lit, you would think that there would be more occurrences in these procedurals of a spinoff being the result of the second banana getting promoted to run their own team, and/or the lead being promoted, or leaving to take a different job. Dinozzo should have gotten a spinoff three or four times, but maybe Michael Weatherly got sick of playing the character? The ending to Season 5 of _Castle_ would have been the perfect opportunity to spin the day players at the 12th Precinct off into their own show, and let Rick and Kate move to DC ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/38 "2016-10-12T16:22:23Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > You know, for as many questionable spinoffs as get green lit, you would think that there would be more occurrences in these procedurals of a spinoff being the result of the second banana getting promoted to run their own team, and/or the lead being promoted, or leaving to take a different job. As moronic as TV execs and writers are, they realize that the problemā€™s one of differentiation. So Tony gets his own show? How are they going to differentiate the NCIS show with Tony as the team head from NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans? Thatā€™s the problem really. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/39 "2016-10-12T16:40:18Z")
> [@bump](#): > > As moronic as TV execs and writers are, they realize that the problemā€™s one of differentiation. So Tony gets his own show? How are they going to differentiate the NCIS show with Tony as the team head from NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans? > > Thatā€™s the problem really. I feel like thatā€™s a problem of their own making, the simplest solution being to give Dinozzo a spinoff _instead_ of making _NCIS: Los Angeles_ or _NCIS: New Orleans_. Hell, _NCIS: Los Angeles_ should have been the Dinozzo spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707/40 "2016-10-12T20:55:06Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > I feel like thatā€™s a problem of their own making, the simplest solution being to give Dinozzo a spinoff _instead_ of making _NCIS: Los Angeles_ or _NCIS: New Orleans_. > > Hell, _NCIS: Los Angeles_ should have been the Dinozzo spinoff. Maybe, but I suspect they thought that a Tony spinoff would have been the ā€œTony Showā€, and not something that might catch the same lightning in a bottle that the original NCIS did with the ensemble cast. It seems pretty clear to me that the other NCIS shows are very formulaic in terms of team makeup- they have the forensics weirdo, they have the lead agent, a couple of quirky but super-competent sidekicks, and the surprisingly normal autopsy gremlins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-ncis-director-how-many-times-would-you-have-fired-gibbs-by-now/767707.md?page=3)