Why Some NCIS Fans Think Tony's Character Has Aged Poorly
From the day "NCIS" was stealthily introduced to the world in "JAG" Season 8 to his departure from the show after Season 13, Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo Jr. (Michael Weatherly) was one of the most important characters in the long-running police procedural. The happy-go-lucky Senior Field Agent is a crucial part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) NCIS Major Case Response Team, and proves himself on the field time and time again.
Tony is an extremely capable agent, and responsible for many of the show's greatest moments, being the kind of character that's able to entertain viewers with just a simple, throwaway bucket list. However, he can also be somewhat immature, and has been known to do terrible things fans might have forgotten. As some "NCIS" viewers have pointed out, this side of Tony doesn't always present him in the best possible light. In fact, some "NCIS" fans think Tony's character has aged pretty poorly.
Some fans think Tony's workplace behavior is problematic
In a Reddit discussion about "NCIS," a fan opined that Tony DiNozzo's workplace behavior ranges from annoying to highly inappropriate. "Upon rewatch, I have to admit, Tonys immaturity and constant flirting with sexual innuendos was very annoying," they wrote. "I get that he had redeeming qualities as an agent; as a person though, his character was very annoying some too mrs [sic]. Always in peoples personal business, constant mocking of his teammates, and the only woman who remotely put up with it was Ziva [Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo]." They also pointed out that while Tony is very good at his job, many characters are put off by his behavior — which is particularly glaring because of his line of work, which should require far more professional conduct. "And seemed many of the women he flirted with found him annoying too. They always ended up walking from him or running in the opposite direction. I think for a federal agent, he was very immature and often inappropriate."
Another redditor agreed with this analysis, and pointed out that Tony would be in hot water in a modern working environment — as would certain other characters. "I was thinking a similar thing – in today's workplace, Tony would have lasted about three minutes," they wrote. "HR would have had a file a mile long on him and he would be gone. And same for Gibbs hitting him in the head. That would never fly in today's workplace."