Here's Sean Murray's favorite episode of NCIS explained. NCIS debuted as a backdoor pilot during season 8 of legal drama JAG. The episodes "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown" introduced viewers to Mark Harmon's Gibbs and his core team, with the solo series later arriving in 2003. NCIS wasn't much of a ratings hit out the gate either, but it built an audience over time to become one of the most-watched procedurals on television. It helped that viewers really clicked with the characters and cast, including Sean Murray, David McCallum and Pauley Perrette.
NCIS has become its own franchise too, spawning spinoffs such as Los Angeles and New Orleans. The main series shows little sign of stopping either, even after Mark Harmon's Gibbs left during season 19. Given that NCIS has lasted for nearly 20 years, it's little surprise that most of the core cast from the first season have since moved on to other projects. Sean Murray, whose Agent Tim McGee joined NCIS as a recurring character in the first season before becoming a main cast member, is one of the few still remaining.
In his time on NCIS, McGee has evolved from a rookie into a confident field agent, and it would be hard to picture the series without him. Despite being on the series from the beginning, Sean Murray's favorite episode of NCIS comes from season 2. Murray told TV Insider that "Call Of Silence" is his favorite, which involves the team investigating a claim by a decorated World War 2 vet named Ernie (Charles Durning, When A Stranger Calls) that he murdered his best friend over 60 years prior.
Sean Murray's favorite NCIS - where "Dead Man Walking" is another audience favorite - would likely top most fan lists too, with "Call Of Silence" often being considered one of the show's very best. It finds the entire cast on top form and is anchored by a powerful turn by Durning as Ernie, which earned the veteran star an Emmy nomination. Murray also says of the episode that “Charles was as amazing offscreen as he was on. A complete joy.”
While many procedural shows can feel mechanical in terms of plotting, "Call Of Silence" showed that NCIS had a beating heart too. It's one of the show's most emotional episodes, and it's easy to see why Murray would pick it as one of his favorites. Before joining NCIS, Murray had actually already played two different roles on JAG, including a six-episode arc as a character named Danny Walden. Needless to say, Walden has yet to reappear on NCIS.