Few titles in the crime procedural genre can compare their small screen runs to that of “NCIS.” The Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill-created program has been on television since 2003, racking up 20 seasons and over 450 episodes in the years since its debut. Even more amazing is the fact that it’s still going strong, even without the majority of its original cast members. However, if the show wants to live on well into the future, the minds behind it will likely want to avoid making the same mistakes they made with a couple of their previous episodes.
Over on IMDb, two “NCIS” episodes are tied for the lowest rating on the site. First up is “Gut Punch” from Season 18, accompanied by “First Steps” from Season 19, which have both been saddled with 6.9 out of 10 ratings by IMDb users. However, technically, “Gut Punch” can be considered the lowest-rated episode on the site, seeing as it has more ratings to go off of than “First Steps.” At the end of the day, though, the point stands that these two episodes are considered by many to be the worst in the entire “NCIS” catalog.
Unsurprisingly, if one goes elsewhere on the Internet, feelings on the worst “NCIS” episode tend to deviate from the IMDb consensus.
Redditors have picks of their own for the worst NCIS episode
CBS
Like most television shows, “NCIS” has a massive fan following over on Reddit. As the show trudges on, fans continue to congregate on the forum to discuss the story, characters, and more. This community has led to the creation of numerous threads over the years regarding the series’ worst episodes, with folks coming from all over the online world to share their two cents on the topic. For example, in a thread on the subject by u/RayKVega, a range of answers came to the forefront that deviated from the IMDb user base’s picks.
One of the most chatter-generating choices was Season 5’s “Dog Tags,” which sees Tim McGee (Sean Murray) attacked by a dog. When Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) sees him, her concern quickly shifts to the dog instead — something several Redditors found to be a bit out of character for her. Sure, she’s an animal lover, but her over-the-top concern for the dog was a step too far. Season 8’s “Out of the Frying Pan,” where Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) frightens a kid with an axe during an interrogation, and “Misconduct” from Season 18 also came up in conversation.
There’s a lot for fans to love about “NCIS,” but they don’t have to enjoy everything. Thus, chats about the worst episodes the series has to offer will continue for years to come.
