By Chris Snellgrove | Published
At the time of writing these lines, NCIS is in its 23rd season, which means veteran fans have spent decades watch these tenacious investigators solve increasingly crazy crimes. For OG fans, watching from the beginning has been very rewarding as they have seen these characters grow and evolve into a real family on screen. But the downright daunting episode count (nearly 500 episodes so far!) leaves newbies (or “probies,” in the show’s terminology) with one big question: Where the hell should you start watching this hit show?
As it is the central mystery of any good episode, this question is not easy to answer. Besides, there are several possible answers depending on the type of fan you are. Don’t worry though: all you have to do is keep reading for our full list of the best places to start watching. NCIS!
Watch from the beginning if you dare
According to many die-hard fans, the best place to start watching NCIS is from the beginning. This approach has several obvious advantages, including the fact that you won’t miss any references and you’ll meet each new character as they’re introduced. Plus, getting to know Mark Harmon’s Special Agent Gibbs early on will make things more rewarding for those who later decide to check out. NCIS: Origins (more on this hit show soon).
At the same time, season 1 is a bit rough to watch due to the awkward pacing of its different episodes. Additionally, the series’ cast changed drastically during these early years: Sasha Alexander’s Caitlin Todd was written out, Cote de Pablo’s Ziva (a fan favorite) was written out, and Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee became a regular. For these reasons and more, some veterans think it’s best for new fans to skip Season 1 and move on to a season where the series is a little more complete.
NCIS: Origins: The Dark Horse Candidate
The question of where new fans should start looking NCIS was resolved by CBS pretty directly…at least, for a certain type of fan. NCIS: Origins is a prequel that follows the early days of Gibbs (originally played by Mark Harmon on the original). NCIS) as he learns the ropes of being an investigator in a series set in the early 90s. The period setting is a lot of fun and the series gives you a good insight into Gibbs, who, even in his absence, remains the most important character in the franchise.
If you’re a big fan of Gibbs or just want to know more about Mike Franks (a major figure in the original series’ mythology), then NCIS: Origins is a great place to start. Of course, aside from those two, the series mostly introduces entirely new characters, so even if you start here, you’ll still have to meet everyone when you start watching. NCIS. Therefore, you may want to start this show only after watching much of the original, which will also help you appreciate the occasional crossover instances that appear during the later seasons of NCIS.
Season 6: Birth of modern criminal procedure
We’ve explained why you don’t necessarily want to start NCIS from the start, but that brings us to another major question: where, exactly, should are you starting to watch? A popular answer is that beginners should start with season 6, because that’s when the show’s production value increased significantly, even though its storytelling improved significantly. It’s a bit like Star Trek: The Next Generation…Once you see how great Season 3 of this series is, it’s really hard to go back and watch the more difficult previous seasons.
In Season 6, you have what many consider to be the strongest characters on the show, and these characters are surprisingly dynamic: Tony shows us the hero behind the class clown, and Ziva reveals the depth of her loyalties amid wild revelations about her past. We also get awesome episodes like “Heartland” and “Broken Bird” that serve as both gripping narratives and enriching character studies. Add in the introduction of story arcs that would take years to fully unfold, and you have a season worth diving into.
Season 3 is firing on all cylinders
Obviously, season 6 is a great place to start watching NCISbut some fans think you should start a little earlier…namely with season 3. One of the reasons veterans think this is a great place to start is because that’s when Ziva (the fan-favorite character who would later co-star in the series) NCIS: Tony and Ziva spin-off) becomes a regular part of the cast. This is also when the team’s chemistry first comes to fruition, transforming this team into the most popular family on modern television.
Plus, season 3 is where NCIS the episodes become darker and more mature; it pairs well with the series that raises the stakes and regularly puts our favorite characters in mortal peril. Additionally, as long-time fans know, NCIS started as a spin-off of Ithe popular legal drama. Many consider season 3 when NCIS has established itself as a complete series rather than a plucky spin-off, and it’s definitely fun for new fans to jump in as this long-running procedural finds its groove for the first time.
