I have watched a LOT of NCIS recently.

I started watching NCIS from the beginning on Netflix, and I am currently in season 11. At this point, I believe it will never end since it feels like there are a hundred million seasons. That might be a slight exaggeration, but I’ve been watching it for several months now. I’m ready for it to be over and to start something new; I’ve already started taking suggestions on what to start binge-watching next on Netflix.

In all honesty, TV shows probably weren’t made to be binge watched – I’ve watched over 11 years of television in a little over 2 months. We have quite the luxury here in the 21^st century where we have access to platforms that allow us to watch anything anytime anywhere.

Here’s what happens when you binge-watch Netflix, based off my recent NCIS viewings:

1. You have your favorite characters

Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Anthony DiNozzo. Ziva David. Need I say more?

2. You get annoyed at some of the characters

Sorry, not sorry, guys – I’m annoyed with Abby's character. While all the other characters on NCIS show character growth and development over the years, Abby always seems to stay the same. Yet somehow she’s always Gibbs’ favorite.

3. You hope for the meant to be (unlikely) relationship

Tony and Ziva were meant to be. When I started writing this piece, I was midway through season 10 and wanted to wish their relationship into reality. If Tony and Ziva did become a thing, they would be breaking Gibbs' Rule #12: never date a co-worker. But I feel like some rules are meant to be broken... Now I know that they share a kiss at the beginning of season 11 when they bid farewell to each other as they part ways in life. Cue the waterworks (see point 6 below).

4. You grow fond of the random recurring characters

Gibbs' friends and social life all surround his work life, and Agent Fornell and Mike Franks become beloved characters throughout the show, creating for some interesting storylines. There was the episode where Gibbs and Fornell team up with their ex-wife on a case. Or all the random times that Gibbs calls his old boss, mentor, and friend Mike Franks to assist on a case. They always had each other's backs, no matter the circumstances.

5. There will be laughter

The NCIS team were coworkers who became like a family, and with that, they had some fun and shared some laughs between their serious work; like how Tony was always messing with McGee or how Ziva had trouble with the translation of American idioms.

6. There will be tears

I will begrudgingly admit that when I watch TV shows or movies, sometimes my sentimental heartstrings are tugged and some tears might be shed. And that was no different throughout watching NCIS. Especially with the loss of Mike Franks in season 8, as it was quite the emotional episode with the death of a beloved character. Whenever the NCIS team experienced a loss, they leaned on each other to get through the pain.

7. You get personally invested in the storyline

When Ziva studied to become an American citizen, when Tim became a writer, when Tony declined a promotion to stay with his current team, or when Gibbs reconnected with his father... You care about each character, their backstory, and how they've grown; you care almost as much as the team cared about each other.

8. It gets repetitive

Every episode starts with Gibbs yelling, "Grab your gear!", and sometimes there's a "Gibbs slap" or two, but the NCIS team usually finds the bad guy in an episode, or sometimes it spans over several episodes causing unnecessary suspense.

9. You watch the characters grow up

When you watch a TV series in a couple months that spanned over eleven years initially, you can see the character growth. Not only do you see the physical transformations, but you also watch how the relationships and personal stories unfold in their lives.

10. There are some things you’ll never get answers to

HOW DOES GIBBS GET ALL THOSE BOATS OUT OF HIS BASEMENT?

11. You learn that life moves on

Sometimes you have a moment to imagine how life would unfold if you had done things differently. In season 9 when Gibbs has a brush with death, he has a dream-like encounter with Mike Franks who talks about life regrets, and basically told Gibbs, "What if this time, you protected your team and kept if from happening... if Kate doesn't die, a lot of things would be different." When Kate dies, that allowed a spot for Ziva to join the team. So life moved on. And when Ziva decided to move on from the team, Gibbs' team continued forth too.

12. At the end of the day, they’re like family to you

I've been watching this in most of my free time for the last couple of months now, so you could say that I'm pretty emotionally invested at this point. I noticed that Gibbs entire life revolves around NCIS and his basement boat making hobbies. His team is his friends and family, and he shares his knowledge and rules with them. They would go out of their way to protect each other with their lives. Don't we all want friends like that?