Ta! Though that makes me cross; how does a show that's so good at little continuity details mess up something huge like this? Ducky's meat puzzle for instance started ages before the actual ep & is then brought up again 2 seasons later in S4.
I actually have no problem with this in terms of continuity. It doesn't bother me that Gibbs could have been a Marine sniper AND an MP....I'm not an expert on the career path of a Marine, but it seems plausible that Gibb's tenure could have included multiple roles.
But yes, the show can be good at continuity when they want to be but they have a tendency to flub up on other, bigger things. I think the problem is that the writers tend to put events into throwaway lines which are meant to be funny but not meant to be nitpicked at so that when they DO decide to do a storyline involving certain set events, they end up retconning the character. They need a continuity writer to make sure they don't write themselves into a small corner.
Oh, oh, oh, I just watched Hiatus last night, and did the math (I mentioned being anal, right?). This is one time they didn't screw up the timeline.
According to Hiatus part II, Gibbs was married in 82 and they had Kelly in 84. So, near as I could figure, according to Gibbs' "19 years doing this" (that isn't the right quote, and I don't know where it comes from), that means he became an MP in 1984 or 1985.
My guess? He did that because he now had a family to take care of.
He says, however, in an episode that he went to Panama as a sniper. The Marines were in Panama 1988-1990.
It also assumes that the military police would get different pay from being snipers. I don't know much about the military, but I thought pay was based on rank...? So it wouldn't matter what he had done, whether or sniper or a MP.
Of course, if he got hazardous duty pay, that would be different, but I'd assume that snipers would be more in line to get that sort of pay than MPs.
Oh I don't mind him being both; though like you say, I also have no idea on the career path of Marines. What confuses me is the lack of mention of it (being a sniper) in an ep where it's central to the plot.
Nitpicking? Heehee. Only coz we care *g*
Mind you, compared to some shows the continuity on NCIS is fabulous!
3.01, "Kill Ari" is the first mention that Gibbs is a sniper. In Season 1 they say he's an ex-MP.
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Silly writers!
Love your icon btw *g*
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But yes, the show can be good at continuity when they want to be but they have a tendency to flub up on other, bigger things. I think the problem is that the writers tend to put events into throwaway lines which are meant to be funny but not meant to be nitpicked at so that when they DO decide to do a storyline involving certain set events, they end up retconning the character. They need a continuity writer to make sure they don't write themselves into a small corner.
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According to Hiatus part II, Gibbs was married in 82 and they had Kelly in 84. So, near as I could figure, according to Gibbs' "19 years doing this" (that isn't the right quote, and I don't know where it comes from), that means he became an MP in 1984 or 1985.
My guess? He did that because he now had a family to take care of.
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It also assumes that the military police would get different pay from being snipers. I don't know much about the military, but I thought pay was based on rank...? So it wouldn't matter what he had done, whether or sniper or a MP.
Of course, if he got hazardous duty pay, that would be different, but I'd assume that snipers would be more in line to get that sort of pay than MPs.
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Nitpicking? Heehee. Only coz we care *g*
Mind you, compared to some shows the continuity on NCIS is fabulous!
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:-D Funny how they can reduce us to grinning idiots.
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