You two guys make a cute couple.
There are many guy pal duos on television. There's House and Wilson on House, Sam and Michael of Burn Notice, Callen and Hanna on NCIS Los Angeles. All buddies who could share a beer, watch a football game and talk about chicks.
Then there is Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee. DiNutso and the Elf Lord. DiNosey and McGeek. What a team they are. But do they have a 'bromance'?
There must be a test, a standard by which to judge if a pair of male friends are truly in a 'bromance'. Well there isn't so we're on our own.
Lets start by defining 'bromance'. Most online sources state a 'bromance' is the close friendship between two males that is not sexual in nature. Okay, we are on solid footing so far. But when do you move from 'bros' to 'bromance'?
I needed help to determine the extent of the friendship between Tony and Tim. Who better to ask than fan fiction writers who cover DiNozzo and McGee? To be sure there are ALL kinds of 'couplings' in fan fictions. All kinds! For the purpose of this article we are talking about friendship.
I sent out a purely unscientific questionnaire to twenty-five authors who have been published online. Sounds more impressive than it is. Heck even I've been published online. I guess that's obvious if you're reading this.
These are the five questions I posed to the authors:
1. Why do you think DiNozzo and McGee are friends other than their proximity at work?
2. Who is the 'adult' in the relationship or are they both kids?
3. What movie would Tony choose to describe their friendship?
4. What similarities or differences make their friendship work?
5. What activity would they do together on a Saturday?
Pretty innocuous stuff really. Here are some of the responses I received. I am identifying authors by their pen names. Don't be judgmental.
Are Tony and Tim friends because they work together?
The general consensus was they spent days in the field covering each other's backs. A friendship just naturally occurred. Sean Murray has mentioned a brother bond between DiNozzo and McGee.
"Tony's an only child and doesn't have a good relationship with his family, and McGee doesn't have an older brother to look up to. They're each filling that hole for the other, acting as a surrogate brother," Abbywestern wrote.
Is Tony more adult or is Tim?
Some felt it was Tony because of his experience. Tony would take the lead and be protective of his 'probie' McGee. Other's felt it was Tim by virtue of his uptight nature. The majority felt they were both a couple of kids with distinct differences.
"It's kind of like in Rugrats. Tony is like Tommy, really adventurous and outgoing, and McGee is Chuckie, more cautious and thinking about what could go wrong," opined Angst Is My Middle Name.
What movie would Tony pick to describe friendship with Tim?
This was a mixed bag. The list includes Die Hard, The Odd Couple, Lethal Weapon, The Wizard of Oz, (Nice reference to McToto.), The Producers and The Great Escape. The Great Escape also starred David McCallum so a big plus point there.
What film was most picked? Turner and Hooch. Which one is Tom Hanks and which is the dog I leave to you.
What likenesses or disparities aid their friendship?
The authors sited DiNozzo's street smarts to McGee's book smarts as a difference that worked well for them. Tony is seen as being out going while Tim is a bit introverted.
"I do believe that each sees some aspect in the other that they wish they had," commented Lisabeth S. Tucker
"Similarities - they are both decent, honest men who are passionate about their work," says 88Keys
What would they do together on a Saturday?
Most of the answers leaned toward going to a movie of Tony's choosing and grabbing a beer or two someplace. McGee might drag DiNozzo to a gaming convention promising he'll meet hot chicks. Really Tim? Maybe they'd engage in a sport.
"Probably go to see the latest 3D movie or maybe something like paintballing," suggested brightblue.
"I can see them playing a game of pickup basketball. With Tony endlessly "coaching" and harassing Tim, of course," prompted Abbywestern.
Did I learn enough to say that McGee and DiNozzo have a 'bromance'? They do have their jobs in common. Tony is the older brother teasing and irritating little brother McGee. McGee is the smart one and lauds it over DiNozzo. Tony's the jock. McGee is the nerd.
They are 'bros'. Maybe a 'bromance' is in the offing.
My thanks to all the NCIS
fan fiction authors for their input. If you would like to read original works visit the site here
. Remember the stories vary greatly in subject matter and ratings.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Jackman, BuddyTV Fan Columnist