One short, or: why losing one of the few truly strong female characters out there is a bad idea

[littlesammy]

Let me start this by confessing something that, to some, sounds almost like a dirty little secret. In fact, many perfectly rational people cringe if they are ever forced to bring up this particular secret with their friends and family, because while it has become so commonplace to have a "coming out" and stand up for your likes if it concerns

Comments

[ext_886242]

Very well said, Sammy. You articulated perfectly why this show - and Ziva in particular - has sucked so many of us in and why we've become so attached to this little fictional family. The very first episode I ever watched was Shalom and I remember instantly being intrigued by Ziva. My interest grew when I discovered she was Israeli (I have a huge soft spot for Israel and its people), and by the end of the episode, I was falling hard for her (and the rest of the team too). And so began a 5-year love affair with NCIS.
Now, unlike you, I love crime dramas (though the only one I watch that's really strictly procedural these days is CSI), but you're right, NCIS really has its own flavor and stands out from the rest. It also has the distinction of being the first show I've really invested in. Not quite to the same extent as you (I don't write fanfic or anything like that), but enough to join the online fan community and discuss the show with other fans, which I had never done before (not for a TV show, anyway).

As for your jumping-on point, as I'm sure others have pointed out before, be glad you watched Aliyah after season 7 had already started in the States. That summer was torture for the rest of us. On the flip side, it made finally watching ToC that much more rewarding (I'm pretty sure my boss was wondering why I was so antsy the day before it aired and why I kept grinning at odd times the day after).

You definitely hit the nail on the head as to why this whole debacle (because let's face it, there's no other word for it) has hit us so hard. And I won't lie, I do feel cheated. I admit I didn't have very high expectations for Ziva's farewell episode, given GG's uneven track record, but I couldn't help but hope that he'd managed to come up with something good and that would do the character justice. And... nope. I think he tried, but ultimately the end result was decidedly less than I'd hoped for. The result of that being my going about the rest of the day feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. Part of me knows that technically it isn't rational, that I shouldn't be so emotional over fictional characters, especially since neither the character nor the actress are dead, but I just can't help it. Ziva is one of those characters that just gets under your skin, and suddenly having her gone like this just feels wrong. And I'm very thankful for folks like you who have pointed us disgruntled fans in the right direction to express our feelings about the situation and do something to hopefully change it.

And with that, I should probably stop before my response becomes as long as your post. :P