This Is Why NCIS Fans Think Season 14 Was The Absolute Worst
NCIS is currently in the midst of its 18th season. The series has remained on the air for an average of one season per year, starting with its premiere in 2003. Its total number of episodes currently sits at 408, with that number rising as the current season continues. Naturally, over the course of such a substantial run, NCIS has gone through its fair share of personnel changes or otherwise impactful plot developments since its earliest days. For example, one of the earliest characters once thought to be significant to its central cast to leave the series was Gerald Jackson (Pancho Demmings). This was simply due to the fact that NCIS' writers decided to proceed in a direction with the show that no longer included Gerald.
Sometimes, such weighty developments to the show are perceived by its fanbase as relatively benign, like the departure of Gerald. Certain other incidents, like the season 16 reemergence of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' (Marc Harmon) dark past, for example, have left fans feeling unsatisfied. For many viewers, the list of disappointing changes from throughout NCIS' run also includes the entirety of its 14th season.
Replacing a fan favorite
The most commonly cited source for fan disappointment with NCIS season 14 is the departure of Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) prior to the season's start and his subsequent replacement by Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Alexandra Quinn (Jennifer Esposito). A user who started a thread on the NCIS subreddit titled "I can't watch Season 14" stated simply, "after Tony left I can't." A subsequent comment specifically singled out Torres as an unlikable character.
A later Reddit post similarly criticized the quality of season 14. Though the poster expressed having expected Tony's departure from the series, they reported finding Torres and Quinn unsuitable replacements. "These feelings are especially prevalent when it comes to Torres," they wrote. "For me, Torres is generally unlikable. He comes across as a wannabe DiNozzo who attempts to crack jokes that never seem to land."
Another post to the NCIS subreddit, similarly criticizing Torres and Quinn, found their addition to reflect poorly on Gibbs. In the poster's estimation, allowing those two to join the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was evidence that Gibbs had "gone soft." The poster continued by arguing that "there's no way in hell he'd have those two newbies in his team."
Fortunately, as a reply to one of the multiple Reddit threads criticizing the season explained, it got better upon the series' continuation. While many complaints may ultimately have been addressed, however, season 14 remains a low point for fans' enjoyment of the series.