With NCIS returning for its 22nd season on October 14, 2024, it’s worth wondering if the show has already reached its pinnacle or has yet to hit its ceiling. Of course, with Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) no longer leading the investigative team following his departure in 2021, it will be difficult for the long-running series to recapture past glory. Speaking of the past, 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of NCIS Season 2, arguably considered the finest chapter in show history.
Making vast improvements over the inaugural season, including refining the episodic storytelling formula and promoting a beloved character to series regular, NCIS Season 2 pushed the envelope forward in several ways. While the second frame failed to capture as many eyeballs as the show’s most viewed 10th season, it remains the benchmark for quality writing, direction, performances, and establishing a standard format that continues today.
NCIS Is a Classic Police Procedural Show
NCIS is a popular American crime procedural show that debuted on CBS in 2003. The title stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Services. It follows the detective prowess of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Harmon) and the members of his Major Case Response Team (MCRT) in and around Washington, DC. Beyond Gibbs, long-running characters include Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum), Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray), Senior Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Special Agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), Forensic expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).
Throughout NCIS‘ 20-year run, several main characters have come and gone and been replaced by others. Mainstays since Season 2 include Assistant Medical Examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), and more. As Gibbs and his team solve crimes involving the U.S. Navy and the Armed Forces, the show also explores the characters’ personal lives outside of work.
Despite its redundant formula, the writing has remained fresh enough to stay on the air for over 20 years. The show reached the height of popular viewership in 2011 when it scored its highest ratings and was named “America’s Favorite TV Show” via an online Harris Poll. However, despite its low viewership, fans missed the best NCIS episodes when Season 2 debuted in 2004.
What Happens in NCIS Season 2?
Often hailed as the finest season in NCIS history, the sophomore chapter of the hit crime procedural ironed out all the problems that plagued the first season. Learning from Season 1’s mistakes, the show marked a clear improvement over the original thanks to its increased dramatic stakes. The season opens with the harrowing kidnapping of a woman and her blind daughter, forcing Gibbs and the team to foil the $2 million ransom plot.
In Episode 4, “Lt. Jane Doe,” Ducky links a mark on a sunken victim’s neck to a cold case, further refining the formula fans would come to know and love. “Lt. Jane Doe” also establishes the “Phoofs,” black-and-white preview footage shown at the start of each episode, a framing motif that continues today. While taken for granted by today’s audience, Season 2 established the show’s familiar format, gaining popularity through repetition.
Considering the plot, character development, emotional resonance, and how well they embody NCIS’ mix of action and humor, here are the best episodes.
Another reason Season 2 remains a cut above the rest is it promoted Agent Timothy McGee to series regular, the second-longest tenured character behind Ducky. McGee transfers to Washington to work inside NCIS HQ, becoming an instrumental team member and one of the fans’ most beloved characters. McGee has lasted on the show longer than Gibbs, proving Season 2’s promotion as one of the wisest decisions in show history.
With tensions and suspense escalating as Season 2 progresses, the dramatic stakes reach a fever pitch in Episode 7, “Call of Silence.” Gibbs and his team are forced to delve into the past when a WWII Medal of Honor Recipient suddenly confesses to a murder 60 years earlier, giving viewers a riveting history lesson about the Navy. The great Charles Durning plays the Naval veteran, channeling his real-life 3-time Purple Heart Awards for his WWII service. Later seasons of NCIS branch out beyond the Navy and often regurgitate storylines, but Season 2 stays on brand and delivers high drama each time.
How NCIS Season 2 Still Ranks as NCIS’ Best Season, Explained
Beyond promoting Mcgee, polishing the storytelling formula, solidifying the preview format, and staying on brand, the unforgettable dramatic stakes are why NCIS Season 2 reigns supreme. Past “Call of Silence,” the show reaches a dramatic climax when the beloved NCIS character Ducky is suddenly kidnapped at home at night in Episode 13, “The Meat Puzzle.” Caitlin feels responsible for Ducky’s abduction after failing to safeguard him and his mother, bringing the main characters closer together as they race to rescue Ducky in time.
Another excellent Season 2 storyline involves Gibbs and the team uncovering a mafia conspiracy using a shooting range for the Marines as a disposal area for corpses. In the penultimate episode, “SWAK,” the dramatic consequences are increased again when DiNozzo contracts a deadly plague that threatens to take his life. DiNozzo’s precarious fate forced fans to reconcile the prospect of a main character dying on the show. When DiNizzo recovered, it seemed as if a fatal tragedy was avoided. Alas, Season 2 ended on a dramatic high note when another main character was unpredictably killed off, establishing the show’s willingness to say goodbye to the show’s most beloved stalwarts.
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A new photo has emerged of NCIS alums, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo on the set of their new series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
NCIS Season 2 culminates with the best and most emotionally upsetting episode, “Twilight.” After believing that rogue Mossad Agent Ari Haswari was out of the country, the ruthless killer returned to the United States to kill Gibbs. In the end, Caitlin Todd was shot to death in the head by Haswari. Fans felt the undeniable shock and heartbreak experienced by Gibbs and the team, with the false sense of security of DiNozzo’s survival blindsiding viewers. Not only was it difficult for fans and the other characters to say goodbye to Caitlin, but Season 2 cemented NCIS as a show unafraid to kill off a key team member. It’s a storytelling motif that continues today, albeit more predictably and easy to prepare for.
As such, it’s no surprise that the sad NCIS episode “Twilight” ranks as the second-highest-rated episode of Season 2, behind only “Call of Silence.” Moreover, Season 2 of NCIS has been named the third-best chapter by Entertainment Weekly, ranking behind Season 3 and Season 9, respectively. Unfortunately, Season 2 boasts one of the show’s lowest viewership ratings (8.8), the second-lowest behind only Season 1 (7.8). While NCIS took a while to resonate with audiences, those willing to return to the beginning are sure to agree that Season 2 remains the high-water mark of the series to date. NCIS is available to stream on Paramount+, with some seasons also available on Netflix.
