NCIS Character Analysis – Agent Tim McGee

McGee. McGeekle. McGoogle. McMotherboard. elf lord. I follow? Tim McGee is one of the funniest characters on the show and is often made fun of by DiNozzo and Ziva. Growing up, he was a nerd at school, the opposite of Dinozzo. Throughout the series, Tony has a hard time understanding McGee’s infatuation with computers, which is why he teases McGee so much. Tim isn’t the best agent in terms of fighting and questioning, but he is the best at getting information on suspects. McGee has several degrees, including a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins and a master’s degree in computer forensics from MIT. He is a computer genius and quite laid back for a federal agent.

McGee is extremely persistent when it comes to virtual information. When he is faced with a high level of computer encryption or a difficult task, he may stay up all night working on it. He doesn’t give up until he finds what the team is looking for, and the criminal is put behind bars. Persistence is McGee’s best trait. This is significant, because when it comes to computer forensics, you can’t give up on a challenge.

Despite McGee’s humor, intelligence, and wit, he is sensitive to the opinion of others. If a person tells him that his hair looks bad, he will ask everyone else how his hair looks. He cares a lot about what other people think of him, especially those close to him. This can be seen when he asks his fellow agents what they think of his new light-bearded look. To which Tony taunts him, and Gibbs forces him to shave.

Agent McGee makes for a very unique NCIS agent, and his character is very realistic and true to life. He represents how a geek can become a federal agent, as long as he has confidence in himself. Because in the end, it is his confidence that matters most for his success.

Now that we know who he is, let’s take a basic quiz about what Agent McGee would do in certain situations:

Q1. Your best friend just lost a loved one, how do you deal with it?

A. McGee has suffered the death of 2 team members in the past, which has greatly strengthened him. He would be there for a friend and would stand tall when he was needed. Like Dr. Mallard, he is very supportive and willing to comfort a friend in need.

Q2. You just won $1,000,000 on a lottery ticket you purchased. How do you react?

A. McGee would gloat to Tony and Ziva about the lottery win, just as they would gloat over him. With the money, he would probably spend 90% on himself, including a car and Armani/Ralph Lauren clothes.

Q3. Your best friend has just achieved his dream goal. How do you show your support?

A. McGee would be very happy for his friend and celebrate the event. He is not a great leader, nor a party planner, so he would follow someone else’s example. McGee is very supportive, but in a different way than other characters on the show.

Q4. On your deathbed, how well did you live your life? Is there anything you would have done differently if you had been given a second chance?

A. McGee probably wishes he had more courage to take more risks in life. McGee has stayed relatively close to his comfort zone throughout his journey on NCIS. What he lacks in courage, he makes up for in persistence. Though McGee stayed close to his comfort zone, he wouldn’t change much if he got a second chance. He does what he likes to do for a living, and that is one of life’s greatest achievements.