‘NCIS’: Here’s How Technology Has Changed Since the Show Started

With shows like “NCIS,” which have been on for almost two decades, it’s fun to watch how the technology changes over the years. For example, in about season 8 of “Law & Order: SVU,” the team gets a series of monitors stacked on top of one another and uses this to present their cases.

Talk about modern 2007 technology.

“NCIS” is the same way. Beginning in 2003, the tech was accurate for the time. Re-watching the early episodes is cringe-worthy, seeing how much has changed.

First of all, in the very first “NCIS” episode, Kate Todd kept all her information for her entire life on her PalmPilot. Launched in 1997, the PalmPilot, or PDA, looks primitive now. But, back then, it was Kate’s whole world. All her appointments, work projects, emails, you name it. Now, I’d like to think she’d have an iPhone. She probably would have switched to a Blackberry at some point, then upgraded. I don’t know, though, something about her tells me she’d be more of an Android person.

Next, there’s a moment in the first episode where Tony and Ducky pose in front of Air Force One for pictures when they think Gibbs isn’t looking. But, Gibbs finds out because of the tell-tale shutter clicks of their camera phones. Nowadays, shutter sounds can be turned off on phones, making sure you can pose with the presidential seal without your boss finding out.

At one point on “NCIS,” Gibbs submerges his phone in a jar of paint thinner, destroying it. This is because his exes call on their former anniversaries and he doesn’t want the phone to ring all day. Pretty drastic measures just to avoid an ex. Now, though, you can just block someone on your phone if you don’t want to hear from them. There’s also Do Not Disturb mode on most phones. But, we all know how Gibbs was with technology.
‘NCIS’: Why Tony Wouldn’t Make a Good Team Leader

With “Bull” ending, “NCIS” fans are begging Michael Weatherly to come back to “NCIS.” A lot of fans want him to take over the leadership role, but there are two reasons why that wouldn’t work.

One, he’d have to leave his family. Tony, Ziva, and Tali are together in Paris, living their lives, and for Tony to leave all that just to get his old job back doesn’t make much sense. He’s a family man now; while it would be fun to see how he’s adjusted to parenthood, it just doesn’t seem in character for him to come back alone.

Second, he’d have to fight Parker for the position. After the episode “All Hands,” it seems like Parker has finally admitted that this is his team, and he cares about them. So, Tony coming back would directly challenge that, and I don’t think Tony wants the job that badly.