What to Watch on Netflix if You Love ‘NCIS’
With the climate of streaming services going through some big changes and with more to come, die-hard fans of shows usually found on Netflix are bracing themselves for the days when their favorite series go off-platform.
Among those possibly next to be cut is procedural crime drama NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, the popular JAG spinoff that inspired several spinoffs of its own. Newer seasons are already only available on CBS, with a full shift of all seasons looming in the possible future.
The current episodes are safe on Netflix for now, but fans may want to start looking into other shows to add to their viewing queue.
‘Quantico’
Starring the talented and gorgeous Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Quantico centers on young recruits beginning their training with the FBI. After a terrorist attack occurs, Parrish becomes the prime suspect of the attack and goes on the run to gather evidence to prove her innocence.
The show utilizes dual timelines from before and after the terrorist attack, which heightens the tension and suspense. Quantico received high praise for its diversity of cast and characters, and though it was short-lived with only three seasons, it is definitely worth the watch.
‘Person of Interest’
Person of Interest is a thrilling crime drama with a sci-fi twist. Actor Michael Emerson, best known for his role on Lost, stars as Harold Finch, a reclusive billionaire that designs a supercomputer, known as “The Machine,” tasked with predicting terrorist acts.
As the Machine becomes sentient and predicts more and more non-terrorist crimes that the government deems irrelevant, Finch faces a moral quandary as the one person that can stop these crimes.
He soon calls on the aid of a presumed-dead former CIA agent to help him stop these “irrelevant” crimes, creating their own two-person underground crime detection unit.
All five seasons are available on Netflix, for a truly bingeable experience.
‘Criminal Minds’
Arguably the most similar to NCIS in content and structure, Criminal Minds is a procedural crime drama with a focus on the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) of the FBI.
The show boasts a large cast of talented actors and an ever-evolving set of cases. With such a long run, it has undergone many changes in cast line-ups, though three characters have remained constant throughout the run of the show, including the quirky and hyper-intelligent Dr. Spender Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler.
Criminal Minds is has new episodes continuing through its final season in 2020, but much like NCIS, Criminal Minds may soon be leaving for the CBS platform, so be sure to watch the twelve available seasons on Netflix while you still can.
‘The Blacklist’
For a crime drama with some additional thrills, The Blacklist starring James Spader and Megan Boone is one to watch. Spader plays Raymond “Red” Reddington, a criminal on the run, who surrenders to the FBI with a plan to benefit himself and the agency.
He presents them with information on some of the most high-profile and dangerous criminals in the world in exchange for his freedom and the chance to work with Elizabeth Keen (Boone) to aid in their captures. Six seasons of the seven current seasons are available on Netflix.
‘Dexter’
Though the show ended years ago, Dexter, starring Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, holds up as an engaging crime drama with a twist: The investigator is also the perpetrator.
Dexter masterfully toes the line between camp and gore bringing a show that has you rooting for the killer, who steers his sociopathic tendencies in the direction of unconventional, bloody justice.
Though all 8 seasons are available on Netflix, some fans may warn to stop short of the final few seasons.
