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NCIS Season 18 had a lot of ups and downs. We saw cast exits, heartbreaking character deaths, and some head-scratching story lines. Here are five of the worst NCIS Season 18 episodes according to IMDb.

‘NCIS’ Season 18, Episode 6: ‘1mm’

Mark Harmon wears a dark suit and sunglasses during a funeral scene from 'NCIS'
Mark Harmon during a scene from ‘NCIS’ | Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

IMDB rating: 7.9

NCIS Season 18 Episode 6 (titled “1mm”) focuses on Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and their attempt to escape being trapped inside an abandoned jail. We also see the aftermath of McGee getting shot by Gibbs (Mark Harmon). It’s a somber episode peppered with some interesting moments from Bishop and Torres.  

‘NCIS’ Season 18, Episode 10: ‘Watchdog’

IMDB rating: 7.7

During this episode, Gibbs is suspended after beating up a suspect. The man he beat up was accused of killing dogs who lost their matches in a dog fighting ring. This was a disturbing episode. In one scene we see Gibbs pulling a dead dog out of the water. We can see why this episode didn’t get high marks.

‘NCIS’ Season 18, Episode 8: ‘True Believer’

IMDb rating: 7.5

This episode is when Sloane (Maria Bello) leaves NCIS. She decides her purpose is to serve people in Afghanistan at an organization called Safe Passage. Some viewers didn’t care for this episode, but we did finally get to see Gibbs and Sloane kiss. A big question throughout the last couple of seasons was whether Gibbs and Sloane had a romance, and this seems to answer that question (sort of). It wasn’t clear if this was their first kiss or if they were in a romance all along.

‘NCIS’ Season 18, Episode 1: ‘Sturgeon Season’

IMDb rating: 7.3

The NCIS Season 18 premiere didn’t impress viewers. During this episode, Gibbs helps Fornell (Joe Spano) find the leader of the drug ring that supplied his daughter (Emily Fornell) with counterfeit opioids. This episode was probably unpopular with viewers because it opened with Gibbs shooting McGee. It was a confusing way to start an episode. Many fans spent the next couple of episodes trying to figure out why Gibbs shot McGee.    

During season 18, episode 5 (titled “Head of the Snake”), we learn Gibbs shot McGee because he was trying to protect him from getting killed. There was a bomb on the plane that McGee was running toward. If he had gotten too close, he likely would have died.

‘NCIS’ Season 18, Episode 11: ‘Gut Punch’

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IMDb rating: 6.9

The lowest-rated NCIS Season 18 episode is season 18, episode 11 (titled “Gut Punch”). Viewers gave the episode a score of 6.9 out of a possible 10. In this episode, Vance (Rocky Carroll) places the team on a COVID compliance assignment at a foreign affairs summit after they lied about what happened between Gibbs and a suspect. Gibbs was later suspended after he beat up a suspect.

This episode likely didn’t do well because a new team was brought in to help with cases. One of the characters, Dale Sawyer, was really annoying. Watch the episode and you’ll see what we’re talking about.

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