The BEST episodes of NCIS season 1

Every episode of NCIS season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of NCIS season 1!

Explore the inner workings of the government agency that investigates all crimes involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position. Leading this team is NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a skilled investigator and interrogator who is smart, tough and willing to bend the rules to get the job done.

Last Updated: 11/9/2024Network: CBSStatus: Continuing
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Yankee White
star
7.78
2868 votes

#1 - Yankee White

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/23/2003

An official Navy Commander dies while on Air Force One. Marine NCIS agents decide to take the investigation in their own hands and force a Secret Service Agent to help. Now the NCIS team will have to find out whether or not the Navy Officer's death was due to natural causes.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sub Rosa
star
7.72
1690 votes

#2 - 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.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Watch Now:Apple TV
Hung Out to Dry
star
7.70
2205 votes

#3 - 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.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Don McGill
Watch Now:Apple TV
One Shot, One Kill
star
7.69
1570 votes

#4 - 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.

Directors: Peter Ellis
Writer: Gil Grant
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Immortals
star
7.68
1955 votes

#5 - 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.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
Writer: Darcy Meyers
Watch Now:Apple TV
Marine Down
star
7.63
1550 votes

#6 - 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.

Directors: Dennis Smith
Watch Now:Apple TV
Bête Noire
star
7.63
1536 votes

#7 - 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.

Directors: Peter Ellis
Watch Now:Apple TV
Minimum Security
star
7.62
1593 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.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:Apple TV
Reveille
star
7.61
1306 votes

#9 - Reveille

Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/25/2004

The terrorist from Bête Noire 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.

Directors: Thomas J. Wright
Watch Now:Apple TV
High Seas
star
7.61
1765 votes

#10 - 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.

Directors: Dennis Smith
Watch Now:Apple TV
Left for Dead
star
7.60
1544 votes

#11 - 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.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.55
1414 votes

#12 - 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...

Directors: Dennis Smith
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Curse
star
7.53
1875 votes

#13 - 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.

Directors: Terrence O'Hara
Watch Now:Apple TV
Seadog
star
7.52
1907 votes

#14 - 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.

Directors: Bradford May
Watch Now:Apple TV
My Other Left Foot
star
7.48
1441 votes

#15 - 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.

Directors: Jeff Woolnough
Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.48
1463 votes

#16 - 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.

Directors: Jeff Woolnough
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Good Samaritan
star
7.47
1574 votes

#17 - 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.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.46
1367 votes

#18 - Split Decision

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/11/2004

A Marine is found murdered by an anti-tank weapon, and the investigation leads N.C.I.S. to a local militia group.

Directors: Terrence O'Hara
Writer: Bob Gookin
Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.42
1564 votes

#19 - 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.

Directors: Peter Ellis
Watch Now:Apple TV
Eye Spy
star
7.39
1496 votes

#20 - 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.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
Watch Now:Apple TV
A Weak Link
star
7.36
1290 votes

#21 - A Weak Link

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/18/2004

Gibbs and his team investigate the death of a SEAL that occurred during a training exercise. As the investigation progresses, they come to suspect that the death was a murder rather than an accident.

Directors: Alan J. Levi
Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.28
1449 votes

#22 - 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.

Directors: Dennis Smith
Watch Now:Apple TV
Enigma
star
7.24
1580 votes

#23 - Enigma

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/24/2004

Gibbs risks his career when his former commanding officer is accused of stealing the funds.

Directors: Thomas J. Wright
Watch Now:Apple TV