The 10 Saddest Episodes of ‘NCIS’

by Admin · January 8, 2026

As of now, NCIS has reached 23 seasons. Debuting in 2003 and still going strong today, the show has captivated audiences and reminded us all why we love a good police procedural. NCIS follows the Major Case Response Team, part of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), which solves criminal cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Thanks to its cast, blend of crime and drama, and impeccable writing, it has become one of the most beloved, longest-running shows of its kind.

Procedurals are, in a way, comfort food. You know the formula, and you know what you’re getting by the time the credits roll. However, NCIS has left its fans in utter tears in some episodes. Great television, no matter the genre, can do that for you.

10 ‘Shabbat Shalom’

Season 10, Episode 11

Fan favorite Ziva David, played wonderfully by Cote de Pablo, gave us many memorable moments during her run on the show. Her subsequent spin-off series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, went from highly anticipated to delivering the best spin-off from the series. Still, many will remember Ziva from all the way back in Season 3, where she made her debut on NCIS. One thing that remained consistent throughout Ziva’s time with NCIS was her rocky relationship with her dad, Eli David (Michael Nouri).

By Season 10, just as Ziva and Eli seem to have reconciled, Eli is fatally shot during a dinner by an unknown assailant. This scene also has another death in it; Director Vance’s wife is gunned down as well. NCIS falls in line with one of the many shows that give you a bit of hope that fences will be mended and then rip your heart apart. This scene is a prime example.

9 ‘Nexus’

Season 22, Episode 20

Season 22 would end on an emotionally tense note, with Episode 20, “Nexus,” delivering one of the darkest and most heartbreaking moments in the show’s history. Here, while investigating the Nexus cartel, shocking revelations emerge, including the exposure of undercover agent Gabriel LaRoche (Daniel Gillies) as a double agent. The emotional impact intensifies when Carla Marino of the Nexus cartel kills Special Agent Alden Parker’s father, leaving the team in tatters as they simultaneously confront a real nuclear threat.

“Nexus” doesn’t just close a season, it rips open old wounds and sets up a vengeance-driven arc that would have significant effects on Season 23 (setting it up for its own impactful, emotional punch). The episode also shows how well the latest seasons have balanced high-emotional storytelling with a gripping police procedural.

8 ‘Twilight’

Season 2, Episode 23

In any long-running, successful police procedural, viewers come to accept that there is always a chance that one of their favorite characters will be killed off at some point. It took until the season finale of the second season of NCIS to do just that, and it caught audiences right as they were taking a moment to catch their breath from the climactic shootout.

Sasha Alexander played Kate, a highly respected team member who holds her own during a tense gunfight between the NCIS team and their adversaries. Kate has a background in the Secret Service, and her protection of Gibbs from the terrorist Ari helps her complete the mission at hand. But just as she lets her guard down after the dust settles on the climax of the scene, Ari shoots and kills her from a nearby rooftop with a rifle.

7 ‘A Man Walks Into A Bar…’

Season 8, Episode 14

NCIS 'A Man Walks Into A Bar...' Episode

For a show that has lasted as long as NCIS, it’s not uncommon for the series to revisit past traumatic moments and shed light on some of the darkness many of the characters have kept locked away for years. Season 8, Episode 14 of NCIS did just that.

As previously mentioned, Kate was killed off at the end of Season 2, shocking audiences and leaving her colleagues to grapple with the loss for years to come. In the episode “A Man Walks Into A Bar…,” the team undergoes mandatory psychological evaluations. Here, the viewer learns that the psychiatrist who conducts them is none other than Kate’s sister, Dr. Rachel Cranston (Wendy Makkena). Kate’s colleagues, specifically Gibbs and Rachel, share much of their grief about Kate’s loss in the episode, and it is somewhat cathartic by the time it ends, leaving many misty-eyed.

6 ‘Keep Going’

Season 14, Episode 13

NCIS would have episodes that focus primarily on the supporting team, rather than those in the field. Season 14 would deliver an impactful episode that followed this formula. Episode 13 of that season, titled “Keep Going,” shows one of the medical examiners, Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), in the spotlight for the deed he does.

“Keep Going” includes many flashbacks to help you invest in the episode’s themes and message. By this point, Jimmy Palmer was a fan favorite who had faced numerous struggles, even before his wife’s death several seasons later. This episode not only offers insight into Palmer’s life, but also shows him using his own experience to talk a man down from a ledge. While this one has a happy ending, its emotional impact remains.

5 ‘Grace Period’

Season 4, Episode 19

Fate steps in, and sometimes it ends with tragedy. We have seen themes like this woven throughout plenty of dramas, and NCIS nailed it perfectly in the airing of Season 4’s episode titled “Grace Period.” Procedurals often lead audiences to expect a reassuring resolution by the episode’s end, but that isn’t always the case.

Here, Agent Paula Cassidy (Jessica Steen) has her team switch weekend shifts with some of the others. Cassidy, who had survived a few close calls earlier in the series, ends up sacrificing herself to protect the others from a suicide bomber. The deaths and coming to terms with the idea that they could’ve been the ones who lost their lives if they hadn’t switched shifts was a heavy emotional burden to bear. The scenario also posed the question of fate and how one choice can change everything.

4 ‘Scope’

Season 13, Episode 18

The 300th episode of NCIS features an unforgettable guest star, actor Taye Diggs. In it, he plays Marine Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Davis. It’s an episode that some would argue is one of the most memorable of the entire series. The reasons are all in the dialogue between Gibbs and Davis.

Diggs’ performance as a former military man grappling with both physical injuries and psychological trauma showcases his range as an actor. The last conversation he and Gibbs have in the episode may be some of the best writing ever in any procedural show. Diggs sings a beautiful rendition of the song “Hallelujah” in the episode’s final moments. The weight of his trauma, survival, and path toward healing gives the song a heartbreaking resonance, enough to leave even the most jaded fans in tears.

3 ‘Kill Ari’

Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2

With the Season 2 cliffhanger of Kate being killed off by terrorist Ari, Season 3 kicks off with the pursuit to find him and bring him down. The first two episodes are part of the same arc, and the team is on a path of vengeance against Kate’s killer. Despite a nice payoff, there are still some tears to be shed.

The NCIS team must put their differences aside, as well as their grief, to kill Ari (as the title states), who is still at large. Over the two-part season opener, Kate reappears through memories that her colleagues had, thus amplifying her farewell at the characters’ funeral. Sometimes avenging a death doesn’t heal the pain of loss, a theme that resonates strongly across these two episodes.

2 ‘Prodigal Son’

Season 23, Episodes 1 & 2

Season 23 would deliver a powerful emotional blow following the already impactful conclusion to Season 22. The two-part story picked up after the devastating fallout of Parker’s father’s death. Still reeling, Special Agent Alden Parker becomes consumed with anger against Carla Marino. His anger clouds his judgment. He goes rogue, forcing the team into a dangerous pursuit that tests their own morality.

As the hunt intensifies, Parker’s actions place both himself and his team in escalating danger, culminating in a tense showdown. Parker’s actions and confrontations bring up a lot of dark truths that weigh heavily on the soul, giving the pursuit a sad (yet brilliantly constructed) undertone. “Prodigal Son” would build on the previous season’s events by showing raw grief and how it can shape one’s actions; it would also set the tone for the rest of the season, opening it up to explore darker themes.

1 ‘Arizona’

Season 17, Episode 20

Christopher Lloyd in NCIS 'Arizona' Episode

Many fans agree that Episode 20 of Season 17 remains one of the saddest episodes in the entire series. There is no murder being solved, no big mystery to uncover; it follows the team as they connect with a World War II veteran who wants his ashes spread out to sea at Pearl Harbor. He was a survivor of the attacks back in 1941, but many of his friends were not.

Not since Back to the Future has Christopher Lloyd ever been better. He plays World War II veteran Joe Smith, a man who says he enlisted in the military underage and got away with it by using his brother’s name. Smith eventually passes away from a heart attack, and Gibbs must prove that his war stories, which were loaded with grief and PTSD, were indeed true to carry on with what Smith wanted with his ashes. The discussion of Smith’s memories of Pearl Harbor and the scenes where Gibbs salutes Smith as his ashes are spread are among the most impactful moments in the show’s history.