NCIS Series 05 Overview (2007-2008)

Introduction

The fifth season of the police procedural drama NCIS was originally broadcast between 25 September 2007 and 20 May 2008.

It marked the end of Donald P. Bellasario’s involvement as showrunner. The new showrunner, starting from this season, was Shane Brennan.

Outline

This season concludes the La Grenouille storyline which ended with a cliffhanger in season four’s finale, “Angel of Death” (S04E24). This season also reveals more background information about Gibbs.

Cast

Main:
- Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS Senior Special Agent (SSA) assigned to Washington’s Navy Yard.
- Michael Weatherly as Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS Special Agent, second in command.
- Cote de Pablo as Ziva David, Mossad Liaison Officer.
- Pauley Perrette as Abigail Sciuto, Forensic Specialist attached to NCIS.
- Sean Murray as Timothy McGee, NCIS Special Agent.
- Lauren Holly as Jenny Shepard, NCIS Director.
- David McCallum as Dr. Donald Mallard, Chief Medical Examiner for NCIS.
Recurring:
- Joe Spano as Tobias Fornell, FBI Senior Special Agent.
- Brian Dietzen as Jimmy Palmer, Assistant Medical Examiner for NCIS.
- Darby Stanchfield as Shannon Gibbs, Gibbs’ deceased wife.
- Muse Watson as Mike Franks, retired Senior Special Agent for NCIS (Gibbs’ old boss).
- Scottie Thompson as Jeanne Benoit, Tony’s girlfriend while undercover.
- Armand Assante as Rene Benoit, NCIS target.
- Susanna Thompson as Hollis Mann, Gibbs’ girlfriend and Army CID Agent.
- David Dayan Fisher as Trent Kort, CIA Agent.
- Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance, NCIS Assistant Director.
- Brenna Radding as Kelly Gibbs, Gibbs’ deceased daughter.
- Susan Kelechi Watson as Nikki Jardine, NCIS Intelligence Analyst.
- Jonathan LaPaglia as Brent Langer, FBI Agent and former member of Gibbs’ team.
- Paul Telfer as Corporal Damon Werth.

Trivia

The Writers Guild strike limited episode production and the DVD set had five discs instead of six.
The season ended with its 19th episode on 20 May 2008; the strike-caused gap is between episodes 11 and 12.
The season ended with a two-part season finale called “Judgement Day”.
The season featured the departure of recurring characters Colonel Hollis Mann and Jeanne Benoit, as well as the death of Jenny Shepard, one of the main characters.
From this season on, the opening sequence was shortened to 30 seconds instead of the normal 37-44 seconds that was present in the previous seasons.

NCIS Series 05