NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service is a television series based upon the government agency of the same name. NCIS is a federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction of crimes involving persons and property associated with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. NCIS was a spin-off series of the popular show JAG. Something about this series you won't necessarily find with other crime dramas is the venue for crimes. Due to the investigative nature of NCIS, they are not restricted to city or a local region when it comes to jurisdiction of a crime. Instead they have jurisdiction that can take them all over globe (or at least where there is Naval and Marine presence). For more details about this series, please refer to DVD Talk's review of season one, season two, season three, and season four.

Season five is another action-packed season with lots of character development and great all-around stories -- despite being impacted by the Writer's Guild Strike (season shortened to nineteen episodes). The season takes another bold turn with the death of another member of the NCIS team. There are also some important episodes involving Tony's relationship with Jeanne, Jenny and Tony under investigation for murder, Tony going to Iraq with a new reoccurring character, Ziva being personally affected after working undercover, and more. Overall, it is another strong season that will not disappoint fans.

The season picks up where the season four finale "Angel of Death" left off -- Tony and his girlfriend Jeanne had been taken hostage by a drug dealer. "Bury Your Dead" wraps up season four cliffhanger and the rest of the NCIS team learns about Tony's special undercover assignment. Tony had been working with Jenny to catch an international arms dealer named La Grenouille. As the storyline comes to a close, Tony's involvement turns out to be more than he bargained for -- it directly affects his relationship with Jeanne.

In direct relation to the La Grenouille storyline, Tony and Jenny become the prime suspects of murder in "Internal Affairs". This episode gets pretty intense, as the loyalty of NCIS is questioned. After the events in "Bury Your Dead", La Genouille disappeared. In this episode, his dead body surfaces. The FBI points their fingers at Jenny. However, Tony also becomes a prime suspect when new evidence is brought to light. The storyline is exciting to follow with mystery and suspense.

Tony and NCIS analyst Nikki Jardane go to Iraq in the episode "In The Zone". A Marine Captain reservist is killed in a mortar attack. After the autopsy, it is revealed that he was murdered. Everyone in the NCIS office wants to volunteer for the assignment. Tony and Nikki are selected. Nikki is an odd person to pick. She is obsessive compulsive, scared of germs. She is a reoccurring character throughout season five. The trip is personal for her and ties into her brother, who was wounded in Iraq. The case itself gets tricky, as Tony and Nikki coordinate the investigation in a war zone.

"Recoil" is a pretty dramatic episode. Ziva goes undercover to catch a killer. A man has been preying on young women. He does not only kill them, but mutilates their bodies. Ziva goes undercover at a local bar and gets picked up by the killer. Eventually, they get into a struggle and Ziva barely survives the ordeal. Unfortunately, Ziva is emotionally affected by the near death incident. In addition, the NCIS team finds out about a copycat killing. The investigation gets complicated and emotional for everyone.

As for the remaining season five episodes, they are entertaining. There are a number of other strong and enjoyable episodes. They include "Ex-File", Gibbs, his ex-wife, and girlfriend Colonel Mann get wrapped into a tricky case with another agency, "Corporal Punishment", the NCIS track a highly decorated Marine suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and uncover a corporate cover-up, "Requiem", Gibbs is personally involved in a stalker-case with his deceased daughter's best friend, "Judgment Day", the exciting two-part season finale that ends with a big bang and a cast member departing the show.

Overall, NCIS's fifth season is another strong season. The season five content goes beyond the past seasons. While the series is episodic in nature, the character development has always been sprinkled out throughout the series. Season five focuses more on the character development and consistently makes many references to small developments in past episodes. The end result is a lot of growth for the characters. If you are a fan of the series, you will really appreciate it. In addition, season five had some pretty intense stories. In the end, season five is worth picking up.

Episode Guide

1. Bury Your Dead: The shocking truth to a major secret is revealed with an explosive and deadly conclusion in the final showdown between the NCIS team and an elusive arms dealer.
2. Family: A startling discovery in an autopsy of a murdered Petty Officer leads Ducky and the NCIS team to search for a missing child. Meanwhile, Tony's feelings for Jeanne become more pronounced.
3. Ex-File: While investigating the murder of a Marine captain, Gibbs comes face to face with his past when a witness in the case turns out to be his ex-wife.
4. Identity Crisis: The NCIS team uncovers a web of criminal intrigue after Ducky determines that an unidentified cadaver is a career felon with unmistakable ties to a criminal mastermind.
5. Leap of Faith: Suicide can be murder for the NCIS team. While attempting to talk a Naval officer from jumping to his death, Gibbs and his team discover a connection between the officer and a murder.
6. Chimera: While investigating a mysterious death aboard a top-secret naval research ship, Gibbs and the NCIS team discover an abandoned ship in the middle of the sea and a killer secret that could cost them their lives.
7. Requiem: Gibbs finds himself at the center of an emotional journey into his past after he agrees to help the childhood friend of his late daughter. The soul-searching situation takes a deadly turn that leads to a shocking and heart-stopping conclusion.
8. Designated Target: The NCIS team meets an African political refugee searching for her husband while investigating the assassin of a Navy admiral.
9. Lost & Found: A nine-year-old's father, wanted in connection with a cold case murder, goes missing. The NCIS team baby-sits the boy as the father leads them into the wilderness for a startling discovery about his past.
10. Corporal Punishment: A violent, delusional Marine, believing he's still in Iraq, escapes from a hospital in the U.S. After a violent confrontation, the NCIS team realizes too late that the soldier is the subject of a secret experiment.
11. Tribes: The investigation into the mysterious death of a Muslin Marine is delayed when Ducky refuses to autopsy the Marine because of the soldier's religious beliefs.
12. Stakeout: The NCIS team sets up a stakeout to catch a suspected thief, but instead they witness a murder. Uncharacteristically, Ducky keeps a secret from the others.
13. Dog Tags: After a dog is accused of mauling its owner to death, Abby risks her career in order to prove the dog's innocence.
14. Internal Affairs: La Grenouille, a notorious arms dealer, is killed and the FBI puts the NCIS team under investigation for murder with Jenny Shepard as the prime suspect.
15. In The Zone: A mortar attack in Baghdad becomes a murder crime scene when two members of the NCIS team are sent to investigate.
16. Recoil: Ziva's undercover assignment trailing a serial killer turns deadly when the man she's tracking becomes suspicious of her.
17. About Face: A mysterious killer is after the only man who can recognize him, Ducky's assistant, Jimmy Palmer.
18-19. Judgment Day (Parts 1 & 2): An NCIS team member is murdered. Now, Gibbs leads the others in a thrilling search for the killer.

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in an enhanced anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color format. The picture quality is quite good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains to be sharp and clear. However, there are some occasional moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts. This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.

Audio:
The audio in this release is given in English 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound. There is an English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound track. Overall, the sound quality is very good, providing an audible and clean audio track. The 5.1 track sounds great, with the majority of activity in the forward channels. Music and sound effects sound very rich and vibrant.

Extras:

• Audio Commentaries: are included for episodes "Bury Your Dead" with Michael Weatherly and Patricia H. O'Hara, "Requiem" with Mark Harmon and Shane Brennan, "Dog Tags" with David McCallum and Brian Dietzen, and "Recoil" with Cote de Pablo and James Whitmore, Jr.
• Requiem Revisited (10:47): is a featurette about the episode "Requiem" with cast and crew. The focus is on the storyline, key developments, Gibbs character development, production issues, etc.
• NCIS Season 5: Stem to Stern (17:20): is a featurette with Shane Brennan, Mark Harmon, Lauren Holly, Chas Floyd Johnson, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Pauley Perrette, and Michael Weatherly. It includes details about how the show is different than others, what makes it special, characters, cast, season five plotlines and relationships to past seasons, etc.
• The Dressing Room: The Costumes and Wardrobe of NCIS (14:06): is a featurette about the costumes and wardrobe. It opens with costume supervisors Paul Dafelmair and Rachel Good. They discuss where they get materials, source of ideas for costumes, special costumes in specific episodes, tours of their shop, etc.
• NCIS on Location (10:11): is a behind the scenes featurette about the preparing to film: from script meeting to locations scouting to technical scouting to filming.
• From Pauley to Abby: Hairspray, Lipstick and Tattoos (10:43): is a behind the scenes look at the make-up process of converting Pauley Perrette to her character Abby.

Final Thoughts:
NCIS's fifth season is another exciting collection of episodes. In particular, there is a lot more emphasis on character development. While it was always an aspect of the series, season five has a lot more growth opportunities for each character. I really appreciated it. In addition, the cases and the investigations continue to be exciting and thrilling. For fans, this season is one that should not be missed. From the beginning to the end, season five offers nonstop action and drama.