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The Best Episodes of NCIS Season 23

Every episode of NCIS Season 23 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of NCIS Season 23!

Binge this in 14h 19m•Peaking at 10.0/10

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    NCIS Season 23 Episode 1 - Prodigal Son (1)
    7.1/10(351 votes)

    #1 - Prodigal Son (1)

    S23:E1

    Reeling from his father’s murder, Parker goes to extreme lengths to hunt down the woman he holds responsible, mob boss Carla Marino, jeopardizing not only his own future but the team’s.

    Director:Diana Valentine
    Writer:Christopher J. Waild

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  2. NCIS Season 23 Episode 2 - Prodigal Son (2)
    7.0/10(344 votes)

    #2 - Prodigal Son (2)

    S23:E2

    Parker’s pursuit of vengeance for his father’s murder could have deadly consequences, while his sister, Navy vice admiral Harriet Parker, faces an impossible choice.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Christopher J. Waild

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  3. NCIS Season 23 Episode 3 - The Sound and the Fury
    7.6/10(323 votes)

    #3 - The Sound and the Fury

    S23:E3

    When a petty officer’s death is connected to a blackmail investigation, the team is forced to work with Special Agent Sawyer on the case, which takes a terrifying turn for Torres. Meanwhile, Knight is offered an opportunity to train with NCIS Elite.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  4. NCIS Season 23 Episode 4 - Gone Girls
    8.1/10(323 votes)

    #4 - Gone Girls

    S23:E4

    The team investigates a U.S. marine who is believed to have kidnapped a man's wife.

    Director:Rocky Carroll
    Writer:Amy Rutberg

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  5. NCIS Season 23 Episode 5 - Now and Then (II)
    7.8/10(346 votes)

    #5 - Now and Then (II)

    S23:E5

    The cold case of a small-town death of a naval officer in the ‘90s is unexpectedly re-opened in the present day, sending the team on a manhunt for justice. The crossover starts on NCIS: Origins S02E05 Funny How Time Slips Away (I).

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. NCIS Season 23 Episode 6 - Page-Turner
    7.0/10(331 votes)

    #6 - Page-Turner

    S23:E6

    When McGee is kidnapped while promoting his latest book in the Deep Six crime series, the team investigates his self-professed “#1 fan” – and a potential link to a murder case involving stolen classified documents.

    Director:Marc Roskin
    Writers:Steven D. Binder, Sydney Mitchel

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  7. NCIS Season 23 Episode 7 - God Only Knows
    10.0/10(290 votes)

    #7 - God Only Knows

    S23:E7

    A kidnapped teen leads the team to a Navy SEAL who survived captivity by the Taliban but may have committed murder after returning home. Also, Jimmy finally shares his findings about the mysterious death of Parker’s mother with his boss.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. NCIS Season 23 Episode 8 - Stolen Moments
    7.6/10(293 votes)

    #8 - Stolen Moments

    S23:E8

    When a man is shot by the Secret Service outside the vice president’s official residence, NCIS is aided in the case by a new member of the team: an AI chatbot being beta-tested by the Department of Justice.

    Director:Diana Valentine
    Writers:Jesse Stern, Brian Dietzen

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  9. NCIS Season 23 Episode 9 - Heaven and Nature
    10.0/10(311 votes)

    #9 - Heaven and Nature

    S23:E9

    McGee and Torres try to recover a stolen truck filled with toys for the Navy’s annual Christmas drive while the truth about Parker’s mother is finally revealed. Also, Knight is given her first NCIS: Elite mission, which involves tracking down a former member of the team.

    Director:James Whitmore Jr.
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  10. NCIS Season 23 Episode 10 - Her
    10.0/10(299 votes)

    #10 - Her

    S23:E10

    On her first NCIS: Elite mission, Knight is given orders to hunt down and arrest Eleanor Bishop after the former member of the NCIS team is designated a wanted cyber-terrorist. In need of someone to trust, Bishop turns to Torres, and the two come face to face for the first time since she abruptly left nearly five years ago.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. NCIS Season 23 Episode 11 - Army of One
    10.0/10(249 votes)

    #11 - Army of One

    S23:E11

    When a desperate man barricades himself inside an ammo warehouse, Knight is the only negotiator he’ll talk to, claiming she once saved him before. As explosives tick and trust frays, Knight clashes with the CID officer running the standoff, each convinced theirs is the only way out.

    Director:Tawnia McKiernan
    Writer:Amy Rutberg

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  12. NCIS Season 23 Episode 12 - In Too Deep
    10.0/10(269 votes)

    #12 - In Too Deep

    S23:E12

    A murdered drone pilot leads the team to a missing woman from McGee’s past and a relationship he thought was long behind him. But as the case deepens, McGee realizes her reappearance could unravel more than an investigation, it could change the course of his life.

    Director:Michael Zinberg
    Writer:Marco Schnabel

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  13. NCIS Season 23 Episode 13 - All Good Things
    10.0/10(576 votes)

    #13 - All Good Things

    S23:E13

    When the son of a Marine that Gibbs once helped comes to NCIS in desperation, the fractured team reunites off the books; chasing justice without a badge may cost them more than their careers.

    Director:José Clemente Hernandez
    Writer:Steven D. Binder

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  14. NCIS Season 23 Episode 14 - Fleeting
    10.0/10(232 votes)

    #14 - Fleeting

    S23:E14

    Navy Week turns electric when a stolen squad car flips and reveals a sailor stabbed in the trunk; as D.C. spirals into chaos, the team chases a killer while carrying the weight of recent events.

    Director:Marc Roskin
    Writer:Andrew Bartels

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  15. NCIS Season 23 Episode 15 - Knick-Knack
    10.0/10(214 votes)

    #15 - Knick-Knack

    S23:E15

    A murder aboard a museum ship becomes a cryptic treasure hunt when a dying Navy captain leaves a final clue; to solve it, the team must decode what was worth killing -- and dying -- for.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. NCIS Season 23 Episode 16 - S.O.S.
    9.5/10(201 votes)

    #16 - S.O.S.

    S23:E16

    S.O.S. A Navy lieutenant resurfaces a year after her plane vanished with a story that doesn’t quite add up. As the team peels back the mystery of a crash that was anything but accidental, every answer sparks a new twist.

    Director:Rocky Carroll
    Writers:Sydney Mitchel, Amy Rutberg

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  17. NCIS Season 23 Episode 17 - Reboot (1)
    10.0/10(218 votes)

    #17 - Reboot (1)

    S23:E17

    With most of NCIS away and the mainframe shut down for a midnight upgrade, Kasie and a skeleton crew are left in a darkened building when someone begins hunting from inside. What starts as a routine reboot becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse through powerless hallways until an unexpected ally, Sam Hanna, steps into the fight.

    Director:Lionel Coleman
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  18. NCIS Season 23 Episode 18 - Bad Impressions (2)
    10.0/10(268 votes)

    #18 - Bad Impressions (2)

    S23:E18

    The team races to help one of their own who has been framed for murder and caught in a widening conspiracy that could compromise national security.

    Director:James Whitmore Jr.
    Writer:Marco Schnabel

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  19. NCIS Season 23 Episode 19 - Deal with the Devil
    10.0/10(185 votes)

    #19 - Deal with the Devil

    S23:E19

    As a secret immunity deal threatens to let a man walk free, Parker fights to keep the case alive. But when his estranged sister suddenly appears – and buried family wounds resurface – the battle for justice becomes deeply personal.

    Director:Diana Valentine
    Writer:Andrew Bartels

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  20. NCIS Season 23 Episode 20 - Sons and Daughters
    10.0/10(106 votes)

    #20 - Sons and Daughters

    S23:E20

    One year after a deadly coffee shop bombing, a new explosion proves the attack wasn’t the work of a lone wolf – a case that forces the team to confront legacy and loyalty.

    Director:José Clemente Hernandez
    Writer:Christopher J. Waild

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Season 23 Ratings Summary

"Prodigal Son (1)" is the best rated episode of "NCIS" season 23. It scored 7.1/10 based on 351 votes. Directed by Diana Valentine and written by Christopher J. Waild, it aired on 10/14/2025. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Prodigal Son (2)".