Reviews

Okay, I love NCIS and I am on the 3rd rewatch of the entire early seasons. Yes, Tony grows on you over the seasons and his character matures a lot, but in the early seasons his actions are almost unbearable, especially his tendency of being a creepy voyeur and his treatment of his female colleagues and interviewees always borders on sexual harassment. I usually ignore his mannerisms considering it was shot in early 2000s. However, I still can't get over this episode and it's blatant homophobia and transphobia by almost all cast members. I loved the story overall, it was emotional, thrilling and dramatic. However, the ending where the characters like Kate, McGee and even Abby acted somewhere between shocked, disgusted and horrified at the Lt. Voss's transition into Amanda was very badly written. Tony's reaction makes sense because he's written like a traditional jock kind of teenage-minded man who can be highly inappropriate but means well. It's in keeping with his character. Gibbs is also kinda okay because he is much older and of a different generation and he doesn't really make any pointed comments on this topic. Gibbs and McGee's reactions are more like most people who do not understand queerness but find it inappropriate to joke about it. However, the reactions of Kate and Abby where they refuse to consider Amanda a woman, won't use female pronouns, act horrified at the thought of gender transition and won't stop joking about "Tony dating/kissing a man" is not at all in keeping with their characters as good, liberal and mature women. Of course, they should still have made fun of Tony for his transphobia and homophobia but it could have been done without throwing shades at the character's sexual identity or at least trying to be more understanding to the reasons behind it. There was so many things they could have dealt sympathetically with here-homophobia and transphobia in US military or how the issues faced by a queer person can sometimes push them over the edge. Instead they killed off the character without any proper explanation and made her into a total joke.