Show cover for NCIS

The Best Episodes of NCIS Season 17

Every episode of NCIS Season 17 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of NCIS Season 17!

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...
Genres:CrimeDramaAction & Adventure
Network:CBS

Season 17 Ratings Summary

"Out of the Darkness" is the best rated episode of "NCIS" season 17. It scored 8.4/10 based on 745 votes. Directed by Terrence O'Hara and written by Gina Lucita Monreal, it aired on 9/24/2019. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Into the Light".

  • Out of the Darkness
    8.4/10745 votes

    #1 - Out of the Darkness

    Season 17 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/2019

    Ziva surprises Gibbs with a cryptic warning, prompting him to question why she remained underground for years while being presumed dead by family and friends, and what led to her return.

    Director: Terrence O'Hara

    Writer: Gina Lucita Monreal

  • Into the Light
    8.2/10637 votes

    #2 - Into the Light

    Season 17 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/2019

    With their lives in danger, Gibbs and Ziva’s rogue investigation takes an unexpected turn when a possible terrorist plot is revealed.

    Director: Tony Wharmby

    Writer: Steven D. Binder

  • Going Mobile
    7.5/10503 votes

    #3 - Going Mobile

    Season 17 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2019

    After the body of a Marine Lieutenant is found hidden under an 18-wheeler, the NCIS team tracks the vehicle’s previous locations to pinpoint the crime scene and suspect. Also, Sloane encourages the team to sit down and talk about Ziva’s recent reappearance.

    Director: Tom Wright

    Writer: Scott Williams

  • Someone Else's Shoes
    7.9/10556 votes

    #4 - Someone Else's Shoes

    Season 17 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/2019

    The NCIS team links a bizarre crime scene at Arlington National Cemetery to a string of attacks on homeless veterans. Also, Vance orders McGee, Bishop and Torres to complete hours of evidence garage cleanup duty for withholding information.

    Director: Michael Zinberg

    Writer: Christopher J. Waild

  • Wide Awake
    7.7/10573 votes

    #5 - Wide Awake

    Season 17 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2019

    NCIS investigates Marine Corporal Laney Alimonte after evidence suggests she murdered her neighbor while being treated for insomnia by a hypnotherapist. Also, Gibbs befriends his new neighbors after the 9-year-old’s baseball crashes through his window.

    Director: Diana Valentine

    Writer: Brendan Fehily

  • Institutionalized
    7.3/10519 votes

    #6 - Institutionalized

    Season 17 Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2019

    After a petty officer’s son is found murdered at his “welcome home from prison” party, evidence suggests Kasie’s lifelong best friend, Dante Brown, is the suspect.

    Director: Tony Wharmby

    Writer: David J. North

  • No Vacancy
    7.8/10489 votes

    #7 - No Vacancy

    Season 17 Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/2019

    While investigating a Marine’s murder, the NCIS team uncovers a labyrinth of live-streaming spy cameras hidden in the rooms of a Virginia motel.

    Director: Rocky Carroll

    Writer: Marco Schnabel

  • Musical Chairs
    7.8/10507 votes

    #8 - Musical Chairs

    Season 17 Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/2019

    The NCIS team investigates the murder of a musician in the Navy’s most elite band that performs at diplomatic events around the world.

    Director: Michael Zinberg

    Writer: Kate Torgovnick May

  • IRL
    8.4/10513 votes

    #9 - IRL

    Season 17 Episode 9 - Aired 11/26/2019

    The NCIS team investigates a petty officer's murder that was livestreamed on a popular gaming app; Gibbs watches his 11-year-old neighbor when his mom must leave on a last-minute trip.

    Director: Terrence O'Hara

    Writer: Christopher J. Waild

  • The North Pole
    8.5/10581 votes

    #10 - The North Pole

    Season 17 Episode 10 - Aired 12/17/2019

    Gibbs and the team help Ziva with the "one thing" she said she'd take care of before returning to her family.

    Director: James Whitmore Jr.

    Writer: Gina Lucita Monreal

  • In the Wind
    8.7/10589 votes

    #11 - In the Wind

    Season 17 Episode 11 - Aired 1/7/2020

    Gibbs must face the consequences of helping Ziva with "the one thing" she said she'd take care of before returning to her family.

    Director: Rocky Carroll

    Writer: Scott Williams

  • Flight Plan
    8.1/10497 votes

    #12 - Flight Plan

    Season 17 Episode 12 - Aired 1/14/2020

    The NCIS team investigates an F-18 crash and the subsequent disappearance of the pilot; McGee reluctantly discusses a very personal decision with his teammates.

    Director: Tawnia McKiernan

    Writer: Brendan Fehily

  • Sound Off
    7.8/10483 votes

    #13 - Sound Off

    Season 17 Episode 13 - Aired 1/21/2020

    After a body is found at an unmanned aerial vehicle testing site, the NCIS team must determine if the death was murder or an accident. Also, Palmer carefully interviews medical examiner assistant candidates

    Director: William Webb

    Writer: Lisa Di Trolio

  • On Fire
    8.3/10541 votes

    #14 - On Fire

    Season 17 Episode 14 - Aired 1/28/2020

    After Torres and Bishop are victims of a hit-and-run, Torres fights for his life in the Intensive Care Unit.

    Director: Mark Horowitz

    Writer: David J. North, Steven D. Binder

  • Lonely Hearts
    7.8/10472 votes

    #15 - Lonely Hearts

    Season 17 Episode 15 - Aired 2/11/2020

    The lead suspect in an NCIS murder investigation is a woman Gibbs' friend, Phillip Brooks, met on a dating site. Also, Sloane has a secret admirer on Valentine's Day.

    Director: Michael Zinberg

    Writer: Marco Schnabel

  • Ephemera
    8.4/10639 votes

    #16 - Ephemera

    Season 17 Episode 16 - Aired 2/18/2020

    While investigating the suicide of a retired Navy officer who left a rare, valuable - and possibly stolen - coin to the National Museum of the Navy, the team imagines themselves in his life story in order to piece together how the coin ended up in his possession.

    Director: Diana Valentine

    Writer: Christopher J. Waild

  • In a Nutshell
    7.8/10475 votes

    #17 - In a Nutshell

    Season 17 Episode 17 - Aired 3/10/2020

    As the NCIS team investigates the death of a Navy officer murdered the same way as his parents a decade ago, they stumble across a storage container filled with dollhouses that display recreations of murder scenes. The team agrees to clean out their living spaces, but some have a harder time saying goodbye to their possessions than others.

    Director: Michael Zinberg

    Writer: Katie White

  • Schooled
    7.7/10447 votes

    #18 - Schooled

    Season 17 Episode 18 - Aired 3/24/2020

    The team searches for answers when the body of a well-regarded Navy technician in the Reserves is found floating in a lake where a popular community event is being held. Sloane is caught off-guard when her daughter makes an unexpected request.

    Director: Alrick Riley

    Writer: Steven D. Binder, Kate Torgovnick May

  • Blarney
    7.7/10523 votes

    #19 - Blarney

    Season 17 Episode 19 - Aired 3/31/2020

    When Kasie and Jimmy are held hostage in a diner after a jewelry store robbery goes awry, they attempt to keep the other customers safe from the thieves.

    Director: Rocky Carroll

    Writer: Scott Williams

  • The Arizona
    9.0/10970 votes

    #20 - The Arizona

    Season 17 Episode 20 - Aired 4/14/2020

    The team tries to verify the identity of Joe Smith, who claims he served on the U.S.S. Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and wants to be buried there upon his death.

    Director: James Whitmore Jr.

    Writer: Gina Lucita Monreal