After five years without one,NCISis finally returning with a newChristmas-themed episode. The last winter holiday special from the series, Season 17, Episode 10, “The North Pole,” featured the return ofCote de Pablo’s fan-favorite Ziva David. Since that episode focused more on Ziva trying to tie up loose ends before reuniting with Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and their daughter, Tali (Emelia Golfieri),NCIShas been long overdue for a traditional Christmas episodethat takes a break from the overall connective story. While some series tend to use their winter finales to leave audiences with a cliffhanger to sit on until the show returns,NCIStypically tells one-and-done emotionally-driven stories.
NCISSeason 22, Episode 9 “Humbug"looks to do exactly that, as the team is tasked with stopping a shocking tell-all novel from publishing to protect a decorated Marine from a holiday disaster. With a show as dramatic and surrounded by death asNCIS,it’s nice when the show steps outside its procedure to tell a lighter story. Surprisingly, this procedural series didn’t have a singleChristmas-themed episodefor its first five seasons. Before the latest holiday special from the franchise premieres on December 16, grab a warm drink, and let’s revisit the firstNCISChristmas-themed installment, Season 6, Episode 11 “Silent Night,” to have a reminder of what makes these episodes so wonderful.
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NCISSeason 6, Episode 11 takes place just a couple of days before Christmas as the team picks up a strange murder case where the suspect is a former petty officer who was declared dead decades ago byDr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum). No one wants to work near Christmas, let aloneonthe day, but the case hits home for the team, especially Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). The former petty officer, Ned Quinn (Peter Coyote),faked his death as he was dealing with addiction and didn’t think he could raise his daughter the way she deserved.
As anyNCISfan should know,Gibbs had a young daughter who tragically diedat a young age. Gibbs is so determined to reunite Quinn and his daughter becauseif Gibbs had the chance to spend one more minute with Kelly, he would do anything. Instead of passing off the case to the Metro Police Department, Gibbs and the team are determined to see if Quinn is innocent, even sacrificing their Christmas plans to work on the case. The episode ends on a sweet note as Gibbs vulnerably talks about Kelly to convince Quinn to see his daughter. As he smiles watching Quinn and his daughter, Gibbs calls his father, Jackson Gibbs (Ralph Waite), to wish him a Merry Christmas.
As for the rest of the team, Ziva asks Tony if he ever regrets not having a wife and kids, especially around the holiday season. He exits the conversation to avoid answering, but it’s interesting revisiting this scene knowing thatTony and Ziva have a daughter together. One can’t help but wonder what their winter traditions are. Meanwhile, the end of this episode sees Tony, Ziva,Timothy McGee (Sean Murray),Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and Ducky enjoying the DiNozzo Christmas tradition of watchingIt’s A Wonderful Life. It’s a nice reminder thatone’s family isn’t just determined by blood, but by the people you love. Also, Tony is right in saying it’s thebest Christmas film of all time.
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‘NCIS’ Season 6, Episode 11 “Silent Night” Featured Notable Guests
From starring as the villain inSteven Spielberg’sE.T. the Extra-Terrestrialto playingMandy Moore’s father inAdam Shankman’sA Walk to Remember, Coyote is a recognizable actor to have inNCIS. Along withCoyote’s heartbreaking performance as Quinn inNCIS' “Silent Night,” the Christmas episode also featuresEric Stonestreet, best known forhis role as Cameron Tucker inModern Family. This appearance wasn’t as huge as it seems now, since thisNCISepisode aired just under a year beforeModern Familypremiered in 2009. But it is a fun surprise for those revisiting this show, especially considering his role in the story.
It’s been a long time since this ensemble has been together inNCIS, which makes revisiting this episode all the better. Not only is itthe best Christmas episodeof the series, it deserves a spot asone of the bestNCISepisodesoverall.NCISSeason 6, Episode 11 has a simple but heartfelt plotthat highlights the main characters' values and shows just how much of a family they are. “Silent Night” is a fitting title for this entry as the episode takes a break from the action and shootouts to tell a lighter story and develop these beloved characters further.
The latestNCISholiday episode, Season 22, Episode 9 “Humbug,” premieres on CBS in the U.S. on Monday, December 16, at 9 p.m. ET. All previous episodes are available on Paramount+.
Watch on Paramount+
Follows the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), as they get to the bottom of criminal cases connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
