NCIS ramble (with a Gibbs/DiNozzo focus this time)

[webbgirl]

"Model Behavior" is such a great Gibbs/DiNozzo episode.

Why you ask?

- Gibbs cock-blocking Tony from the models.
- The whole 'George Clooney' discussion. (Which if you've never read the twoweevils fic Dating George Clooney you MUST!)
- Most of all, the medals. It's not just the fact that Tony keeps them in his drawer for Gibbs. It's the look in Tony's eyes as he sits there stroking the medal as he puts it away.

Speaking of fic stuff, I've been in a very "First Time" place with the fics I've been hunting down. There is some really good stuff out there, but there are also the ones where Tony comes across like a mentally challenged teenager. UGH. Yes Tony can be immature and there are definitely some family issues going on in his past, but the whole thing where he turns into this complete pubescent teenager with Gibbs (and the shrinking violet thing too) is just nauseating. Err...sorry. Small rant there.

ETA: Almost forgot! I have a plot bunny which may turn into a ficlet, as long as I can keep it from turning into something bigger. I don't think my brain can handle bigger at this point. It's Mardi Gras themed and either Gen or Gibbs/DiNozzo.

Comments

[gin200168.livejournal.com]

I've been on a NCIS fic kick myself lately. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Not just the first time fics-- there have got to be LITERALLY 1,000+ Gibbs/Tony fics out there, and I SWEAR like 90%+ of them have either pod!Gibbs or pod!Tony. (or both)

Tony is a smart, independent man (who does have his moments) and not a immature teenager, delicate flower, nor completely submissive.

Gibbs also isn't going to baby Tony. He's not going to become sensitive, or self aware. He's going to be cranky, and grumbly and fierce and independant and need his own head smacked.

How hard is this for people to realize???

There also seems to be quite the fandom kink for d/s and/or BDSM. o_O

(yes, lack of decent characterization bothers me.)

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

Tony is a smart, independent man (who does have his moments) and not a immature teenager, delicate flower, nor completely submissive.

Gibbs also isn't going to baby Tony. He's not going to become sensitive, or self aware. He's going to be cranky, and grumbly and fierce and independant and need his own head smacked.

YES to both of these!

The number of fics where Gibbs turns into this gushy, romanticist with Tony is pretty astounding. Gibbs can't even do that with a woman he's dating. He's sure as hell not going to do it with Tony.

It does get really frustrating reading fics where the overall premise is something I'm looking for in a story, but the characters are two guys that I don't even recognize. I hate the feeling that I have to 'settle' for fics.

There also seems to be quite the fandom kink for d/s and/or BDSM. o_O

One of the things that always fascinates me on a meta level with fandoms is how the types of dominant fic develop within those fandoms. I'm always interested in whether it's the specific character dynamics that propel some fandoms towards d/s fic or whether it has more to do with the early prolific authors setting the tone for the fandom. I always thought it'd make a fascinating study.

[gin200168.livejournal.com]

Bad characterization anywhere is one of my pet peeves. (NCIS, Eureka, CSI:NY bug me the most) It's my constant worry whenever I write one of my own- more than just about any other element.

Gibbs is just not fundamentally... soft. He's hard, and broken and had a tough life. He's rough edges and hard stone and set in his ways. He's not going to change fundamentally in behavior or treatment of Tony.

(Although I do kinda wish they kept him and Mann together on the series. They were cute and fit well, and Gibbs needs love.)

Tony is giving Gibbs a run for his money as of late though. After all the shit that's happened to him: Jenny and Jeanne & The Frog, the plague, Kate's death, Gibbs' leaving/coming back, being sent afloat... Tony's not the same guy. He's harder, been hurt. Darker. A bit more like Gibbs, but not as much the perrenial asshole. NOT the perky little boy that melts and becomes the perfect boyfriend.

Neither of them will ever get to the pet names stage, unless you count 'Boss' and 'Dinozzo' as pet names. And disturbingly, there are WAY too many fics that keep bumbling on well past that.

I agree with you, I almost always feel like I'm 'settling' in the fandom. I recently went on a bend to read anything I could find that was 2000+ words, & there were many times I couldn't even finish it. Some of them flat out disturbed me... (for various reasons)

That'd be an interesting thing to find out. I think in this case it's the nature of the characters -- Gibbs' alpha behavior and Tony's natural beta -- people would read into that a projection of the dominant and submissive. As for the other elements... There comes a threshold of just putting in the things one likes, I think. That may not always be the case, but for these guys, I think it is.

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about Mann, but that has more to do with how the writers on the show write women. I loved the idea of him having someone, but I felt like she was written a bit too much as his clone.

I agree with how Tony is changing on the show and I'm actually hoping that the writers progress with it and don't just let it drop. I'm a sucker for damaged characters. Especially when we get growth out of the damage.

We know that Gibbs used to be more like Tony, so it's an interesting progression seeing what turns Tony more into Gibbs. I don't want him to turn completely into Gibbs, but I would hate to see all of the the growth go to waste as well.

There's quite a bit of fic in the fandom that flat out disturbs me.

[gin200168.livejournal.com]

*thinks* Yep, I think I'm into the broken ones too. (Mac, Nathan, Gibbs...)

I agree, I like how he's been growing, and I don't trust the writers NOT to waste it, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong. Plot devices at the sacrifice of your character just plain sucks.

It was also implied that Gibbs turned into a mini-Franks, and now Tony is turning into a mini-Gibbs, like an evolution, progression. (Although I find it rather ironic that McGee/Sean is bigger than Tony/Michael, who is bigger than Gibbs/Mark... LOL)

I feel better that I'm not the only one scared of the fandom.. :-) (therfore I just sit at the edge and poke sticks at trying to read stuff)

[gin200168.livejournal.com]

FYI, just found this:

http://www.ncisfiction.com/story.php?stid=00434

Not a first time, but not skeery fic. Interesting & well done, and broken and mature Tony. :-)

[tejas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a good one.

[tejas.livejournal.com]

The number of fics where Gibbs turns into this gushy, romanticist with Tony is pretty astounding. Gibbs can't even do that with a woman he's dating. He's sure as hell not going to do it with Tony.

I just thought of something. Gibbs *does* do romantic, but he does it in his own very Gibbsian way. Remember when he was fixing Mann's plumbing? *That's* romance, Gibbs style. :-)

[tejas.livejournal.com]

There also seems to be quite the fandom kink for d/s and/or BDSM. o_O

Worst of all, it's generally *bad* BDSM.

Slavery =/= BDSM

Yes, some people engage in all sorts of 'slave play', but it's not the 24/7 stuff that seems so prevalent in fic.

[kelly-girl.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering about what I consider the best slashy ep of each season. Since I only own Seasons one and two I can judge them better. I might discuss all the eps and the slash quotient soon.

I love Model behavior too.

And yes, the fic in this fandom you have to proceed with caution sometimes.

Poor Tony is totally the black dress of the fandom, and gets used unfairly in all sorts of ways.

Hope your bunny makes it to ficlet stage.

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

I'd love to get in on a discussion of the slash quotient of the various episodes. I've also been thinking about the canon Gibbs DiNozzo relationship in the various eps as well.

I'm considering doing a poll or discussion or some such thing. I figure if I'm spending this much time re-watching all the eps, I should at least put it to some good use, right? :)

[(Anonymous)]

Funnily enough,a fic that keeps BOTH Tony and Gibbs in character, whilst negotiating a murder mystery AND Bdsm is Xanthe's 'Hiding in Plain Sight'. Neither of them gets mushy and Gibbs starts out, and remains, a controlling bastard throughout, without being so crudely drawn that the reader hates him.

Yinka
(at work so dont have own LJ sig up)