The BEST episodes of NCIS: Origins
Every episode of NCIS: Origins ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of NCIS: Origins!
In 1991, years prior to the events of "NCIS," a young 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 gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.
#1 - The Beautiful Ballad of Gary Callahan
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/7/2026
When the team’s trusted K-9 agent, Gary Callahan, is critically wounded at a crime scene, NIS races to track down the culprit while a surprising pre-Pendleton chapter in Franks’ life is revealed.
#2 - Cecilia
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/28/2025
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.
#3 - The Edge
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/28/2025
When Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, a liaison from D.C. headquarters and an old acquaintance of Gibbs’, arrives to evaluate whether Pendleton needs an in-house medical examiner, not everyone trusts that’s the real reason behind his visit.
#5 - Blue Bayou
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/2024
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 at NIS’ Camp Pendleton office working with Mike Franks and Lala.
#6 - Vivo o Muerto
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/9/2024
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.
#7 - Darlin', Don't Refrain
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/21/2025
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.
#8 - Lean on Me
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/10/2026
When a marine captain shows up at Camp Pendleton exhibiting symptoms of a fatal virus, NIS goes on lockdown and Gibbs is forced to take charge. As panic spreads, the team races to determine whether it really is a deadly outbreak or something else entirely.
#9 - No Man Left Behind
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/4/2025
Tensions rise when Franks’ estranged older brother, Mason, blows into town, desperate for help after hitting rock bottom. Also, the team investigates the robbery of a Navy bank while Lala, still struggling after her accident, makes a decision about her future.
#10 - Funny How Time Slips Away
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/11/2025
When a naval officer mysteriously dies in the ‘90s, Gibbs and the team travel to the small dust-blown town of Serenity, Calif., where they encounter secret-harboring residents, an uncooperative sheriff and an investigation that will reverberate for decades.
#11 - From the Ashes
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/31/2025
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.
#12 - Bugs
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/14/2025
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.” When she arrives, Bugs has suddenly changed his mind, prompting the team to reconsider the case and race against the clock to try and stop another tragedy.
#14 - All's Not Lost
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/28/2024
Still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, Gibbs helps the team work a case involving a missing girl. Meanwhile, Franks finds himself at odds with a team member, Lala's personal life meets work, and the moment that irrevocably changed Gibbs' life is revealed.
#15 - The Funky Bunch
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/14/2025
Gibbs and Franks investigate the disappearance of a young Marine connected to a mysterious compound with a charismatic leader, and Lala’s fate is revealed.
#16 - End of the Road
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/9/2025
When Lala’s favorite CI is shot, the team joins forces with Oceanside PD to determine who was behind the attack. Also, Franks visits his brother Mason at the compound, and Gibbs’ relationship with Diane is tested when she gets a job in Los Angeles.
#17 - The Gambler
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/24/2026
When the NIS Regional Director tries to transfer Mary Jo, she reconnects with an old friend from Atlantic City to help investigate the roadside deaths of two Marines.
#18 - Johnny B. Goode
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/14/2026
Lala’s determination to get Manny out of gang life lands the team in the middle of a turf war.
#19 - Rule 13
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/28/2026
Wheeler takes command when a car bomb goes off outside NIS headquarters. Also, the truth behind Franks’ distaste for lawyers is revealed.
#20 - To Have and to Hold
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/24/2025
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.
#21 - Flight of Icarus
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/27/2025
The team investigates the death of a famed Marine commander’s son, while a pivotal part of Franks’ past involving his family is revealed.
#22 - Feelin' Alright?
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/17/2026
When a lieutenant’s water-logged body is discovered with a potential connection to an international smuggling ring, NIS Panama agents are called in to assist, and Gibbs comes face-to-face with an old nemesis: Special Agent Dwayne Pride. Once the two are assigned to a dangerous undercover mission together, Gibbs must find a way to move on from their past.
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#23 - Touchstones
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/3/2025
When the evidence room is broken into and significant cash goes missing, the team looks into a connection to a recent case; Lala opens up to Gibbs; Kowalski struggles to move forward.
#24 - Happy Birthday
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/2025
When an anonymous tip leads to the discovery of a young Marine’s body at a chilling crime scene, Randy believes it could be connected to a previous case where a coin was left in the victim’s throat. Also, Franks tries to track down priceless packages meant for his brother, Mason.
#25 - Monsoon
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/10/2025
The team investigates the murder of a veteran who fell on hard times after serving in Vietnam. In turn, the discovery leads Franks to reflect on his own struggles following the war. Meanwhile, Gibbs considers a new path forward.