The Best Episodes of NCIS Season 1
Every episode of NCIS Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of NCIS Season 1!
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.
Season 1 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "NCIS" season 1 is "Yankee White", rated 8.1/10 from 1904 user votes. It was directed by Donald P. Bellisario, Dennis Smith and written by Don McGill, Donald P. Bellisario. "Yankee White" aired on 9/23/2003 and is rated 0.6 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Hung Out to Dry".
8.1/10 1,904 votes#1 - Yankee White
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2003
While on Air Force One, a Navy commanding officer dies. Agents from the Navy NCIS decide to take the investigation into their own hands and also force a Secret Service Agent to help. Now the NCIS team has to figure out if the Navy Officer's death was of natural causes or not.
Director: Donald P. Bellisario, Dennis Smith
Writer: Don McGill, Donald P. Bellisario
7.5/10 1,318 votes#2 - Hung Out to Dry
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/2003
During a training exercise, a marine's parachute fails to open and he crashes into a parked car where two teenagers were making out. The NCIS team heads to the scene and has to determine if the marine's death was accidental or a murder.
Director: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Don McGill
7.5/10 1,165 votes#3 - Seadog
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/2003
When a Navy commander's body washes up on shore along with the bodies of two drug runners, Gibbs refuses to believe that the sailor who was killed was dirty.
Director: Bradford May
Writer: John C. Kelley, Donald P. Bellisario
7.3/10 1,127 votes#4 - The Immortals
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/14/2003
The NCIS team investigates when a seaman's body is found at the bottom of the sea in his dress whites, with a ceremonial sword. They discover that he was addicted to a MMORPG. Now, the team must figure out how involved he was in the game and how far he would go to get revenge on his arch enemy, another sailor.
Director: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Darcy Meyers
7.8/10 1,110 votes#5 - The Curse
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/2003
A Navy lieutenant who was reported missing nearly ten years ago has been found by a deer hunter. When the NCIS team arrives at the scene to investigate, they see that his remains have been mummified. Now, they have to find out what happened to him and what happened to the one million dollars that he had on his ship.
Director: Terrence O'Hara
Writer: Jeff Vlaming, Don McGill, Donald P. Bellisario
7.6/10 1,060 votes#6 - High Seas
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/4/2003
An NCIS agent who used to work under Gibbs asks for the team's help investigating a case where sailors on an aircraft carrier are dying of a drug overdose, but have no history of any kind of drug abuse.
Director: Dennis Smith
Writer: Larry Moskowitz, Jeff Vlaming
8.0/10 1,105 votes#7 - Sub Rosa
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/18/2003
A decomposed body is discovered in a tub of acid at a naval base and Ducky and Abby learn that the victim was a submariner. Gibbs discovers that there have been no reports of a sub crewmember missing, so he deduces that one of the subs has an imposter on board. With this new information, the team must find out which sub the man posing as the victim is in and what intentions he may have towards the sub.
Director: Michael Zinberg
Writer: Frank Cardea, George Schenck
7.5/10 1,027 votes#8 - Minimum Security
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/25/2003
The NCIS team head to Cuba to investigate a Navy translator's connection to smuggling at a detention center after he suddenly dies at the wheel of his car when returning to the U.S. from Guantanamo Bay.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Philip DeGuere Jr., Donald P. Bellisario
7.9/10 1,014 votes#9 - Marine Down
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/16/2003
After a marine widow receives a call from her dead husband, the NCIS team takes on the case and has to exhume the body to deduce whether the call was a prank or not.
Director: Dennis Smith
Writer: John C. Kelley
7.6/10 1,003 votes#10 - Left for Dead
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 1/6/2004
After being buried alive, a woman comes out of the grave with amnesia and the only thing she remembers is that there is a bomb aboard a Navy ship. While trying to help Jane Doe recover her identity, the team finds out that not everything is what it seemed at first.
Director: James Whitmore Jr.
Writer: Don McGill, Donald P. Bellisario
7.5/10 952 votes#11 - Eye Spy
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/13/2004
When a Navy commander, who was a technical advisor to a civilian contractor for a Navy weapon, is found dead on the beach, the NCIS team investigates the murder using satellite technology.
Director: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Dana Coen, Frank Cardea, George Schenck
7.7/10 986 votes#12 - My Other Left Foot
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 2/3/2004
The NCIS team is called in when a severed leg bearing a marine tattoo is found in a trash bin, leading them to a small town where a murder scheme is afoot.
Director: Jeff Woolnough
Writer: Jack Bernstein
8.1/10 991 votes#13 - One Shot, One Kill
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 2/10/2004
The team investigates when a Marine recruitment officer is found shot to death by a sniper with a grudge, who leaves a white feather behind.
Director: Peter Ellis
Writer: Gil Grant
7.5/10 945 votes#14 - The Good Samaritan
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/17/2004
A navy dentist stops near the parked car to help a stranded motorist who pulls out a gun. The team investigates a murder with the help from a local sheriff, Charley, when they find out about a the similar murder of the Navy civilian employee in the was going through the nasty divorce,the wife is suspected but her alibi is perfect.
Director: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Jack Bernstein
7.7/10 986 votes#15 - Enigma
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/24/2004
Gibbs risks his career when his former commanding officer is accused of stealing the funds.
Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: John C. Kelley
8.5/10 1,192 votes#16 - Bête Noire
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 3/2/2004
A terrorist holds Ducky, Gerald, and Kate hostage while NCIS investigate how exactly the terror organization member got a job at the navy base.
Director: Peter Ellis
Writer: Donald P. Bellisario
7.4/10 939 votes#17 - The Truth Is Out There
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/16/2004
When the body of a sailor is found after a party in an illegal night club, the team investigates a number of possible leads - including blackmail and accidental death.
Director: Dennis Smith
Writer: Jack Bernstein
7.7/10 960 votes#18 - UnSEALed
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 4/6/2004
The team is looking for an ex-SEAL who escaped from prison in search of revenge. He is determined to find the real murderer of his wife.
Director: Peter Ellis
Writer: Thomas L. Moran
8.1/10 1,170 votes#19 - Dead Man Talking
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/27/2004
An NCIS agent has been murdered while investigating a case and the team's job is to find out what happened...
Director: Dennis Smith
Writer: Frank Cardea, George Schenck
7.9/10 956 votes#20 - Missing
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 5/4/2004
A marine goes missing after a date with a reporter. During the investigation, the team discovers that three former members of his unit are dead and suspect the unit commander to be a serial killer.
Director: Jeff Woolnough
Writer: John C. Kelley
7.7/10 920 votes#21 - Split Decision
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/11/2004
When a body of a murdered marine is found in the forest, the investigation leads to the local militia and a weapon deal gone wrong.
Director: Terrence O'Hara
Writer: Bob Gookin
7.4/10 938 votes#22 - A Weak Link
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/18/2004
Gibbs' team investigates the death of a SEAL during a training exercise, and come to suspect that it wasn't an accident, but a murder.
Director: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Jack Bernstein
8.2/10 1,036 votes#23 - Reveille
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 5/25/2004
The terrorist from Bette Noir returns with a plan to attack the President. Gibbs and his team follow the clues to reveal his identity and find Kate who is kidnapped.
Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: Donald P. Bellisario