Six Sleeps To Christmas!
It’s six sleeps to Christmas! And therefore, it is time to spread some holiday cheer, because I had a pretty great week and full excitement has just hit me this weekend. I have my pyjamas on, Christmas songs playing on YouTube, and it’s been snowing! I love Christmas time!
( Firstly, the non-NCIS-related stuff, because I’ll get all rambly on that later! )
( Firstly, the non-NCIS-related stuff, because I’ll get all rambly on that later! )
Also, how interesting is it that at this stage in the show, McGee is approaching the level of experience that Tony would have had just before the show itself started, give or take, like, a year? And to be fair, DiNozzo seemed an awful lot more happy-go-lucky back then than he does now, IMO.
I hope they point that in the show, just to have a little moment from Tony or Gibbs that Baby grew up, readjust the view. Like when your kid is starting to drive when he was still in diaper yesterday. Or McGee having a work opportunity for a week or two and Tony pushing him to accept and fretting during his absence, calling him as often as possible (he takes turns with Abby).
I totally agree about him needing the least Gibbs's approbation. It showed in Twisted Sister. Everybody calls Gibbs when things goes wrong, but he wanted to do it only because it was the rules, and was easily convinced to lie to Gibbs.
Gibbs is clearly noted as Boss/Superior for him, whereas he's Boss/Father Figure/Whatever for the others. If someone breaks away from the box, it's Tony. He's the one who took care of him when he first killed, and I'm pretty sure McGee is learning a lot from him, copying some of his techniques (telling the girl to take the phone from his pocket, telling about the Secret Santa, maybe his clothes...). Tony is for McGee what Gibbs is for Tony and what Franks is for Gibbs. Except Franks and Gibbs probably didn't have slashy moments.
If McGee had to choose, he'll go with his mentor. Like (okay, it's a small example, but there weren't a big situation with a camp to choose, except with Tony/Ziva/Rivkin, and he chose Tony) with the new order in the van when Gibbs came back, the changes Tony made, for the better.
Which reminds me that for someone who is bad at lying and who doesn't take this way unless he has to, McGee often lied to Gibbs. Smaller than Tony and Ziva, who all feel bad about it, true, but still. McGee hid Abby's implication in Legend, when he was surprised they found Rivkin's identity so fast, and tried to hid Tony's actions when he wanted to know why Ziva was leaving for Israel in the beginning of the season.
I think in his mind, his loyalty (ignoring the law) goes Abby/Sarah, then Tony, then Gibbs and Ziva.
So the really fun scene to see wouldn't be choosing between Tony and Gibbs, but between Abby and Tony. They are those he clicked with since the first day, who know him best and hug him the most :D. For all his alliances with Ziva against Tony (who are probably a Probies Alliance vs Senior, just for fun), I'm pretty sure his favorites persons in the team are Tony and Abby (and it's why they're my OT3. The end of Caged pleased me a lot on this front). Choosing between them would be really hard for McGee.
I love that part about him expecting Tony to stop calling him Probie eventually, because it will never happen, and I think at first that obviously rankled him, though now in S7 he seems totally okay with the nickname, I think.
Gibbs's remark of Franks still calling him Probie really hit him. He didn't side with Ziva when she had a problem with being called Probie, and she included McGee on why they didn't deserve it anymore. I think he really understands it's an affectionate nickname (and why I hope Probette stays, Probie is for McGee. It sounds wrong otherwise.). He only has a problem when it used to denigrate him.
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I'd love to see him have like, a really particular strength. I know he's the techno-expert (techspert?) and he's ace at that, but he was also pretty effective in the couple of interrogations he has done - I loved him reading out the penalties in that dry, terrifying manner. That could work on so many people! But he could also transfer his skills to being very knowledgeable about, say, bullet trajectory. I could really imagine him going on courses to further his career, too. I'd like to see more of him in MTAC, too, building up contacts - because he is totally my ideal future Director.
I love that he didn't go to Gibbs in Twisted Sister. I think it was actually really sensible of him, too, and illustrated the way that Gibbs is not the be-all-and-end-all for him. Because in the three years he'd been with the team fully at that point, Gibbs had already fucked off once and hadn't really given him the greatest grounding for trust - I think it was Gibbs' flaw there, expecting his team to trust him blindly even when he hasn't really given them reason to do so. Tony has definitely been there for McGee in a more-than-just-Superior sense, and the slash is to die for. But yes, Franks/Gibbs? Just not seeing it, at all. Very, very rare pairing! ;-)
I'd completely agree with that chain of loyalty - although I also think that he's very morally sound, and would also go against one of those further up if he really thought they were in the wrong. McGee is really not the type to follow blindly, when it comes down to it. He and Tony would be the ones I'd want at my back the most.
It's funny, because whenever I try and write McGee in fic, I have a total weakness for putting him in situations where he kind of quietly gives Gibbs a little smackdown, or stands up to him. Or even just reminds Gibbs that he's smart, and he's not as easily manipulated as I think Ziva and Tony sometimes allow themselves to be by him. (Don't get me wrong, I love Gibbs, LOL, I just think he's a psycho with a major hero and martyr-complex!)
Oh, that'd be such a hard choice for him to make, between Abby and Tony. I genuinely think he'd go with the morally sound choice, because McGee's super-compassionate, but he's also very logical. That's another thing I'd like to see him do more of - organising tactical, larger-scale operations, say in a hostage situation or whatever. I think that could be a real strength of his, distributing people and calling shots.
I like the Probette nickname a lot - that seemed vaguely more affectionate towards Ziva, whereas Probie felt wrong because, well, it's McGee! But also, when he used Probie with her, it seemed a little barbed. McGee looked hilariously unbothered when Ziva kicked off about the use of Probie! So cute. I need to check, but it seemed like even in S5 and S6, when Tony did pull out the Probie nickname in an obnoxious, non-affectionate way to McGee, Tim kind of seemed to roll his eyes, like he understood Tony was being defensive and bringing out a word which used to sting, but doesn't anymore. I didn’t explain that very well, but it was like he didn’t take offence, even though maybe in the past he would have - he thinks Tony’s being an idiot, using the nickname in that rank--pulling way he does, when Gibbs ahs explained that it’s affectionate. So he doesn’t actually call Tony on it, showing remarkable tolerance! Again, cute!
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