15 Best Episodes Of NCIS From All 21 Seasons, Ranked

The 15 best episodes of NCIS across its 21 seasons comprise unique qualities that make them stand out. With an institutional presence on network television that spans over two decades, NCIS offers many episodes to choose from. Whether it’s stories driven by Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs or developments under the leadership of former FBI agent Alden Parker, narratives wherein the cast of NCIS experience profound personal and professional development are the best.

It could take years to watch the entire NCIS series, so episodes that allow viewers to get to the hearts of the characters more quickly are instrumental. Before moving forward into NCIS season 22, indulging in bygone narratives can make the viewing experience all the more complex. Whether watching NCIS for the first time or the umpteenth time, these episodes are sure to stand out.

15 “SWAK”

NCIS Season 2, Episode 22

“SWAK” is one of the best episodes of NCIS because it’s a harrowing episode for Tony. When Tony opens an envelope delivered to him at NCIS Headquarters that was “SWAK” or “sealed with a kiss,”Tony inhales an unknown bioweapon. Testing ultimately revealed the substance to be bubonic plague, and it’s uncertain whether Tony will survive.

“SWAK” is Kate’s penultimate episode as a series regular. Ari murders her in the following episode, NCIS season 2, episode 23, “Twilight.”

While grueling for Tony, who must fight off the disease, the episode is also elemental to Tony and Kate’s relationship. “SWAK” reveals how Sasha Alexander’s Kate really feels about Tony, despite her constantly antagonizing Michael Weatherly’s character. Kate pretends that she has also contracted the plague and puts herself in danger so that Tony doesn’t have to quarantine alone.

14 “Bête Noir”

NCIS Season 1, Episode 16

“Bête Noire” is a gripping NCIS episode and the first of its kind in the series. In “Bête Noire,” a Mossad double agent named Ari Haswari infiltrates NCIS via autopsy by hiding inside an incoming body bag. He holds David McCallum’s Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard hostage with his assistant Gerald while he attempts to collect evidence on his friend Qassam.

NCIS season 1, episode 16, “Bête Noire,” explored the team’s “bête noires,” or nightmares.

Ultimately, Kate is involved in the conflict when she comes down to the autopsy unit to deliver the requested evidence in Abby’s place. Ari takes Kate as a hostage, and he begins a fixation with her that plays out in later episodes. Ultimately, NCIS antagonist Ari Haswari kills Kate in the NCIS season 2 finale by shooting her in the head with a sniper rifle.

13 “Kill Ari Part II”

NCIS Season 3, Episode 2

“Kill Ari Part II” concludes a double feature NCIS episode that introduces Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David character to the shared NCIS universe. Ziva appears in connection to her half-brother, Ari Haswari, and works alongside the team, but she does not inherently trust them and vice versa.

When Ziva learns that Ari has betrayed Mossad, she follows him to Gibbs’ basement, where he plans to murder Gibbs. Ziva shoots Ari in the head, saving Gibbs’ life and avenging Kate’s death. By shooting her half-brother to protect NCIS, Ziva gains the team’s trust and ultimately joins as their Mossad liaison officer.

12 “A Thousand Yards”

NCIS Season 21, Episode 7

“A Thousand Yards” was a momentous episode for the series within NCIS season 21. It was the 1000th episode of NCIS across the franchise, including the Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Hawai’i spinoffs. The story paid off a case that was as old as the series itself, revisiting the events of the series’ opening episode, “Yankee White.”

The episode takes a harrowing turn when a woman connected to the former case shoots NCIS Director Leon Vance in the back with a sniper rifle. While Vance recovers, McGee takes over as NCIS director, and Leon’s son, Jared, helps NCIS put the pieces together. Ultimately, the episode is a beacon for the entire NCIS franchise and poignantly articulates its core values in a flashback monologue that Vance delivers to his son.

11 “Yankee White”

NCIS Season 1, Episode 1

In the series opening episode, the original Major Case Response Team characters investigate a murder aboard Air Force One. The episode hones in on Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The character and several others, including Tony, Abby, and Ducky, were initially introduced in a backdoor pilot for NCIS on JAG, the 1990s legal procedural.

After his team responds to the call about a dead Navy Commander, Gibbs and his team fight with the FBI and Secret Service to investigate. The episode introduces Caitlin Todd, who initially works for the Secret Service until she reports that her boss fired her at the end, at which point Gibbs hires her. The episode establishes who NCIS is and how they operate, laying the foundation for the franchise.

10 “Call of Silence”

NCIS Season 2, Episode 7

“Call of Silence” is a standout NCIS episode because it contains different layers of complex military connections. The episode encounters a World War II veteran who presents himself to Gibbs at NCIS Headquarters to be arrested for murder. While he can’t remember the details, the Medal of Honor recipient, Corporal Ernie Yost, believes he murdered his best friend.

Charles Dunning, a famous actor and decorated World War II Army veteran, portrayed the character. Dunning had received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. Gibbs and the team take special care of Yost’s case, ultimately helping the war hero remember that he was acting in the highest regard.

9 “Heartland”

Season 6, Episode 4

“Heartland” is a complex and compelling episode because it further unravels the character of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The team leader must reckon with his unresolved past when a case leads the MCRT to Gibbs’ hometown of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. There, Gibbs reunites with his father, whom he hasn’t spoken to in nearly two decades.

The episode debuts legendary actor Ralph Watie as Jackson Gibbs, father to Harmon’s character. It establishes crucial details in Gibbs’ timeline while repairing a significant relationship that had gone wrong. “Heartland” features critical flashbacks to Gibbs’ past that portray how he met and fell for his future wife, Shannon Gibbs.

8 “Great Wide Open”

NCIS Season 19, Episode 4

“Great Wide Open” will forever be a memorable segment of NCIS because the episode bid farewell to the central Leroy Jethro Gibbs character. Mark Harmon departed NCIS in season 19, citing that his time on the series had expired. The episode witnesses Gibbs following a case to Alaska, where he ultimately stays after finding peace in the “great wide open.”

It’s a critical episode for the series because it signifies Mark Harmon’s departure from NCIS after nearly two decades as its poster man. Harmon’s character was quintessential NCIS, and there was no certainty that the series would survive without him. Ultimately, the episode facilitated Gibbs’ replacement, FBI agent Alden Parker, portrayed by Gary Cole, who has been successful in the role.

7 “Life Before His Eyes”

NCIS Season 9, Episode 14

In “Life Before His Eyes,” a troubled man shoots at Gibbs in his favorite diner. While the verdict of the bullet hangs in the air, Gibbs’ life flashes before his eyes as time stands still. Gibbs’ current reality comes to a pause, and suddenly everyone in the diner is his most significant friends, family members, and colleagues – some living, some not. He interacts with them as a way to process his life experiences.

The episode is essential to Gibbs’ character development because it explores all his most significant relationships in real-time. The narrative explores Gibbs’s inability to save characters like Kate and his wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly. “Life Before His Eyes” explores the Butterfly Effect, creating a picture of what would have happened had major moments in Gibbs’ life played out in different ways.

6 “Hiatus Part II”

NCIS Season 3, Episode 24

“Hiatus Part II” is easily one of the best episodes of NCIS because it is emotional for the Leroy Jethro Gibbs character. After experiencing an explosion on a Navy ship, Gibbs is in critical condition and suffering from a coma. When he wakes up in “Hiatus Part II,” the last thing Gibbs can remember is the murder of his wife and daughter and ultimately avenging their death.

After NCIS season 3, episode 24, “Hiatus,” Gibbs briefly retired, leaving his NCIS future in the balance.

Viewers watch as Gibbs puts the pieces of his life back together. It’s emotional to watch Gibbs not wanting to remember his life as a Special Agent – desperate to have his past restored, with his wife and daughter in it. Gibbs physically and mentally battles the amnesia he faces, with “Hiatus Part II” showing the Gibbs character in an entirely new light.

5 “Truth Or Consequences”

NCIS Season 7, Episode 1

“Truth or Consequences” is a harrowing episode for Gibbs’ best team members. Tony and McGee track Ziva to Somalia, where the season opens on a beaten Tony DiNozzo. It was a shocking opener to season 7 because, while it was previously known that Ziva was being held prisoner, it was unexpected that Tony was the one who was battered and bruised from a brutal interrogation.

The episode has massive significance for the series because it was a giant leap in Tony and Ziva’s NCIS romance. While in captivity, Tony is injected with a serum to extract information about NCIS. When Ziva asks why Tony came for her, Tony admits to Ziva, in a perfect sequence of action, humor, and romance, that he can’t live without her.

4 “Family First”

NCIS Season 13, Episode 23

“Family First” delivers an emotional conclusion for the Anthony DiNozzo character. The team learns that there has been an attack on Ziva’s family home, and after some speculation, Ziva is reported dead. As Tony grapples with the loss, he is dealt another major blow.

Tony learns that he and Ziva share a daughter in “Family First,” and their daughter, Tali, is introduced to the series. Tony ultimately decides to raise Tali, and he learns Ziva has told Tali about him in an emotional moment where she recognizes her father in a photograph of Tony and Ziva. It was a beautiful episode to signify Michael Weatherly’s NCIS departure and a compelling close to season 13.

3 “She”

NCIS Season 16, Episode 13

“She” is a riveting episode because, after three years in the dark about Ziva’s whereabouts, Eleanor Bishop, portrayed by actor Emily Wickersham, made an enlightening discovery. When the team investigates a case involving a 9-year-old girl living in a storage house, the case points back to Ziva. Moreover, the team finds her office, and Ellie finds evidence proving that Ziva is alive.

In a shocking conclusion, Ziva leaves a note for Ellie, asking her to keep her secret. While it is eventually revealed to everyone that Ziva faked her death, the temporary discretion forges an exciting connection between Ellie and her predecessor. After Cote de Pablo left NCIS in season 11, and Michael Weatherly followed in season 13, witnessing a case that pointed directly back to the beloved agents was enthralling.

2 “Keep Going”

NCIS Season 14, Episode 13

In “Keep Going,” the title is derived from Winston Churchill’s famous words, and the name beautifully fits the episode’s messaging. It’s a meaningful segment for Brian Dietzen’s Dr. Jimmy Palmer, who talks a stranger down from a ledge after a young man involved in their case witnessed his father’s murder by hit-and-run driving. Dietzen’s performance in the episode is evolutionary for the character.

Jimmy quotes Dr. Mallard, who was quoting Winston Churchill when he advised him: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Jimmy propels himself onto the ledge to save the young man, Ryan, from jumping off of it. As Ryan and Jimmy stare out over the street, a conversation about life, joy, and the anxious state of the world plays out. While trying to convince Ryan that there is good in the world and that a person just has to wake up and choose to see it, Jimmy reveals that he’s a doctor but hasn’t told his team because he doesn’t want to leave them.

1 “The Stories We Leave Behind”

NCIS Season 21, Episode 2

In the second episode of a shortened NCIS season 21, the cast of NCIS paid tribute to David McCallum and the Ducky character. After 20 robust years with the series, Ducky actor David McCallum died at 90. The dedicated episode allows the cast of NCIS to mourn the loss of their medical examiner turned NCIS historian.

A person can live on after death through the people who love them.

In the episode, the team solves a case that Ducky worked on before his death. While looking for guidance on the case and their beloved colleague’s passing, the team members comfort one another in Dr. Mallard’s words, quoting the late doctor and recalling defining Ducky moments that the episode flashes back to. “The Stories We Leave Behind” encapsulates many eras of NCIS while conveying how a person can live on after death through the people who love them.