So I can't be the only one who LOVES this show...

Ech. Looks like the events of this past weekend have lead me down a familiar road; in the wake of yelling my throat raw, I seem to have caught a cold. A sick day for me is as good a time as any to fess up about my latest guilty pleasure. So here we go--anyone else out there just love NCIS?
I must admit, it took me a long time to appreciate this show. Unlike other obsessions of mine, I only watched NCIS when nothing else was on. When Mike & I would wind down after Aiden went to bed this summer, we usually weren't all that impressed with what was on TV, and somehow we'd always manage to end up watching one of USA's many marathons. Before I knew it, I NEEDED to watch every episode to catch up, which was an absolute goldmine for anyone just starting out on a new show; I had SIX YEARS to catch up on! If you're not a regular viewer of the show, I'm not going to go into the details of the "mythology" or character histories here--an easy Google search should do the trick for you.
While I truly enjoy all of the characters on the show, my favorite is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, played expertly by Michael Weatherly. He's a clown, he's a playboy, he's all-business--he's Tony. And truth be told, one of my favorite details is that his character is an OSU alumni! They've hinted that he played both football & basketball for the university, and there was even an episode where he wore his letterman's jacket for nearly the entire time. The Buckeye in me is so proud every time it's mentioned. I am nothing if not a geek. :)
Besides drooling over my favorite character, why do I like the show? Let's see: the writing, the humor, the cast chemistry, the acting, the Gibbs slaps, the "look"--virtually everything. It's ENTERTAINING, which for me personally is all I want when I sit down to watch a program. Those of you out there who are already fans (and I know there are a TON--it's become a top-ten fixture in the past year) know about the tension between Tony & Ziva, and while I'm not looking for them to hook up (in other words, I'm not exactly a "Tiva" loyalist), I really hope they keep up their highly-charged flirtation. I also love that this show is willing to dispose of characters without mercy (so long as they leave Agent DiNozzo alone) and dredge up story lines years after they had supposedly lapsed. For me, it's a fresh, fun hour of television, and I am beyond excited for the new season to begin this coming Tuesday!
Heading back to the couch now for a nap. I wonder which episodes I still have DVR'd...