NCIS: Origins backdrop
Crime•Drama

The Best Episodes of NCIS: Origins Season 1

Every episode of NCIS: Origins Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of NCIS: Origins Season 1!

Binge this in 13h 10m•Peaking at 8.8/10

In 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, Leroy Jethro Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a

Airs on
CBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons2

All12

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 1 - Enter Sandman (1)
    7.6/10(645 votes)

    #1 - Enter Sandman (1)

    S1:E1

    Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty ragtag team.

    Director:Niels Arden Oplev
    Writers:David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 2 - Enter Sandman (2)
    7.6/10(592 votes)

    #2 - Enter Sandman (2)

    S1:E2

    Gibbs and the gritty ragtag team continue their investigation at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office.

    Director:Niels Arden Oplev
    Writers:David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 3 - Bend, Don't Break
    7.6/10(497 votes)

    #3 - Bend, Don't Break

    S1:E3

    A murder near Camp Pendleton leads Gibbs and the team to a suburban mall in San Diego, where Gibbs takes matters into his own hands. Jackson Gibbs pays Franks an unexpected visit.

    Director:John Terlesky
    Writer:Jon Worley

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 4 - All's Not Lost
    8.1/10(480 votes)

    #4 - All's Not Lost

    S1:E4

    Still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, Gibbs helps the team work a case involving a missing girl. The moment that irrevocably changed Gibbs' life is revealed.

    Director:Hanelle M. Culpepper
    Writers:Michael J. Ballin, Thomas Aguilar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 5 - Last Rites
    7.6/10(435 votes)

    #5 - Last Rites

    S1:E5

    With the countdown on to an execution, Franks races to extricate the location of a missing body from a death row inmate and honor a promise he made to the victim's sister before time runs out.

    Director:Lionel Coleman
    Writer:Margarita Matthews

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 6 - Incognito
    7.6/10(439 votes)

    #6 - Incognito

    S1:E6

    Gibbs goes undercover for the first time with Lala as NIS works the case of a dead Navy seaman who may have been sharing top-secret intel that poses a threat to national security. Also, Lala struggles with her place on the team and an unexpected development in her personal life.

    Director:Pete Chatmon
    Writer:Shalisha Francis

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of NCIS: Origins

    READ
  7. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 7 - One Flew Over
    7.8/10(408 votes)

    #7 - One Flew Over

    S1:E7

    NIS investigates the murder of a dementia-afflicted Jane Doe. Also, flashbacks reveal the first time Gibbs met Franks

    Director:Jessica Lowrey
    Writers:Gina Lucita Monreal, Margarita Matthews, Rafael Samano

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 8 - Sick as Our Secrets
    7.7/10(406 votes)

    #8 - Sick as Our Secrets

    S1:E8

    Gibbs and the team investigate the case of a Navy priest who was killed in the confessional booth and may have been targeted by mistake. Meanwhile, Randy shows Gibbs the ropes of working a protective detail while struggling with a personal situation.

    Director:Edward Ornelas
    Writers:Stephen Day, Daniel J. Egbert

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 9 - Vivo o Muerto
    8.5/10(451 votes)

    #9 - Vivo o Muerto

    S1:E9

    The case of a missing woman who disappeared after a night of clubbing with a Navy seaman takes the team to Mexico, where they learn of a possible connection to Gibbs' past.

    Director:Loren Yaconelli
    Writers:Gina Lucita Monreal, Michael J. Ballin, Thomas Aguilar, Rafael Samano

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 10 - Blue Bayou
    8.8/10(562 votes)

    #10 - Blue Bayou

    S1:E10

    As Leroy Jethro Gibbs prepares for his first Christmas without his wife and daughter, flashbacks reveal the unlikely journey that led to his first day on the job as a special agent.

    Director:John Terlesky
    Writers:David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal, Brendan Fehily

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 11 - Flight of Icarus
    8.1/10(367 votes)

    #11 - Flight of Icarus

    S1:E11

    The team investigates the death of a famed Marine commander's son, while a pivotal part of Franks' past involving his family is revealed.

    Director:Ruben Garcia
    Writers:Gina Lucita Monreal, Jennifer Corbett

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 12 - Touchstones
    7.9/10(356 votes)

    #12 - Touchstones

    S1:E12

    When the evidence room is broken into and significant cash goes missing, the team looks into a connection to a recent case. Also, Lala opens up to Gibbs, and Kowalski struggles to move forward.

    Director:Anya Adams
    Writers:David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal, Brendan Fehily

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 13 - Monsoon
    8.1/10(371 votes)

    #13 - Monsoon

    S1:E13

    The team investigates the brutal murder of a veteran who fell on hard times after serving in Vietnam, leading Franks to reflect on his own struggles following the war. Also, Gibbs considers a new path forward.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 14 - To Have and to Hold
    8.1/10(350 votes)

    #14 - To Have and to Hold

    S1:E14

    The team works the case of an investment advisor found dead shortly after her release from prison. Also, Mary Jo is left reeling by an unexpected development in her personal life.

    Director:Diana Valentine
    Writer:Shalisha Francis

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 15 - From the Ashes
    8.2/10(321 votes)

    #15 - From the Ashes

    S1:E15

    The team investigates the brutal murder of a military sergeant found burned in her car, a case Franks suspects could have a connection to the assault of his estranged wife.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 16 - Bugs
    7.8/10(306 votes)

    #16 - Bugs

    S1:E16

    Vera receives an unexpected call from Bugs, who claims he's ready to answer more questions from prison after being identified as the sniper known as Sandman.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 17 - Darlin', Don't Refrain
    8.2/10(300 votes)

    #17 - Darlin', Don't Refrain

    S1:E17

    After the shocking developments in the Sandman case, the team works with the FBI to investigate further; while Wheeler struggles to hold onto his job, his family reaches a crisis point.

    Director:Pamela Romanowsky
    Writers:David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal, Brendan Fehily

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 18 - Cecilia
    8.8/10(416 votes)

    #18 - Cecilia

    S1:E18

    When the murder of Pedro Hernandez is unearthed, Gibbs faces a reckoning. But when he needs his team most, the loyalty of one is brought into question.

    Director:Niels Arden Oplev
    Writer:Gina Lucita Monreal

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Enter Sandman (1)" is the best rated episode of "NCIS: Origins" season 1. It scored 7.6/10 based on 645 votes. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev and written by David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal, it aired on 10/14/2024. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Enter Sandman (2)".