Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.
Gibbs and the gritty ragtag team continue their investigation at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office.
A murder near Camp Pendleton leads Gibbs and the team to a suburban mall in San Diego, where Gibbs takes matters into his own hands. Franks receives an unexpected visit.
Still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, Gibbs helps the team work a case involving a missing girl. Meanwhile, Franks finds himself at odds with a team member, Lala's personal life meets work, and the moment that irrevocably changed Gibbs' life is revealed.
With the countdown on to an execution, Franks races to extricate the location of a missing body from a death row inmate and honor a promise he made to the victim's sister before time runs out.
Gibbs goes under cover for the first time with Lala as NIS works the case of a dead Navy seaman who may have been sharing top-secret intel that poses a threat to national security; Lala struggles with an unexpected development in her personal life.
NIS investigates the murder of a dementia-afflicted Jane Doe. Also, flashbacks reveal the first time Gibbs met Franks.
Gibbs and the team investigate the case of a Navy priest who was killed in the confessional booth and may have been targeted by mistake. Meanwhile, Randy shows Gibbs the ropes of working a protective detail while struggling with a personal situation.
The case of a missing woman who disappeared after a night of clubbing with a Navy seaman takes the team to Mexico, where they learn of a possible connection to Gibbs' past.
As Leroy Jethro Gibbs prepares for his first Christmas without his wife and daughter, flashbacks reveal the unlikely journey that led to his first day on the job as a special agent at NIS’ Camp Pendleton office working with Mike Franks and Lala.
The team investigates the death of a famed Marine commander’s son, while a pivotal part of Franks’ past involving his family is revealed.
When the evidence room is broken into and significant cash goes missing, the team looks into a connection to a recent case; Lala opens up to Gibbs; Kowalski struggles to move forward.
The team investigates the murder of a veteran who fell on hard times after serving in Vietnam. In turn, the discovery leads Franks to reflect on his own struggles following the war. Meanwhile, Gibbs considers a new path forward.
The team works the case of an investment advisor found dead shortly after her release from prison. Also, Mary Jo is left reeling by an unexpected development in her personal life.
The team investigates the brutal murder of a military sergeant found burned in her car, a case Franks suspects could have a connection to the assault of his estranged wife.
Vera receives an unexpected call from Bugs, who claims he’s ready to answer more questions from prison after being identified as the sniper known as “Sandman.” When she arrives, Bugs has suddenly changed his mind, prompting the team to reconsider the case and race against the clock to try and stop another tragedy.
After the shocking developments in the Sandman case, the team works with the FBI to investigate further. While Wheeler struggles to hold onto his job, his family reaches a crisis point.
When the murder of Pedro Hernandez is unearthed, Gibbs faces a reckoning. But when he needs his team most, the loyalty of one is brought into question.
Gibbs and Franks investigate the disappearance of a young Marine connected to a mysterious compound with a charismatic leader, and Lala’s fate is revealed.
When the body of a college swimmer washes up on the beach, the team must determine if it was an accident or murder. Also, Gibbs prepares for his first interrogation.
When Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, a liaison from D.C. headquarters and an old acquaintance of Gibbs’, arrives to evaluate whether Pendleton needs an in-house medical examiner, not everyone trusts that’s the real reason behind his visit.
Tensions rise when Franks’ estranged older brother, Mason, blows into town, desperate for help after hitting rock bottom. Also, the team investigates the robbery of a Navy bank while Lala, still struggling after her accident, makes a decision about her future.
When a naval officer mysteriously dies in the ‘90s, Gibbs and the team travel to the small dust-blown town of Serenity, Calif., where they encounter secret-harboring residents, an uncooperative sheriff and an investigation that will reverberate for decades.
When an anonymous tip leads to the discovery of a young Marine’s body at a chilling crime scene, Randy believes it could be connected to a previous case where a coin was left in the victim’s throat. Also, Franks tries to track down priceless packages meant for his brother, Mason.
The team investigates the murder of a Marine who had recently been handpicked for a classified mission. Also, Wheeler’s personal life is upended, Lala is thrown by unexpected news from Vera, and Gibbs and Diane double-date with Randy and his wife.
When Lala’s favorite CI is shot, the team joins forces with Oceanside PD to determine who was behind the attack. Also, Franks visits his brother Mason at the compound, and Gibbs’ relationship with Diane is tested when she gets a job in Los Angeles.
As the team discovers Gibbs’ drunken Vegas elopement with Diane, the newlyweds contemplate their future. Also, the team investigates a fatal movie theater bombing with a connection to the Pruitt compound where Mason is staying.
When a marine captain shows up at Camp Pendleton exhibiting symptoms of a fatal virus, NIS goes on lockdown and Gibbs is forced to take charge. As panic spreads, the team races to determine whether it really is a deadly outbreak or something else entirely.
When a lieutenant’s water-logged body is discovered with a potential connection to an international smuggling ring, NIS Panama agents are called in to assist, and Gibbs comes face-to-face with an old nemesis: Special Agent Dwayne Pride. Once the two are assigned to a dangerous undercover mission together, Gibbs must find a way to move on from their past.
When the NIS Regional Director tries to transfer Mary Jo, she reconnects with an old friend from Atlantic City to help investigate the roadside deaths of two Marines.
When Dr. Tango is arrested for stealing human remains from a national park, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard returns to assist the team in proving his innocence.
When the team’s trusted K-9 agent, Gary Callahan, is critically wounded at a crime scene, NIS races to track down the culprit while a surprising pre-Pendleton chapter in Franks’ life is revealed.
Lala’s determination to get Manny out of gang life lands the team in the middle of a turf war.
While Gibbs and Lala grow closer on a case, Gibbs’ long-distance relationship with Diane is further tested by the arrival of an unexpected guest.
Wheeler takes command when a car bomb goes off outside NIS headquarters. Also, the truth behind Franks’ distaste for lawyers is revealed.
With the Camp Pendleton office in danger of being shut down, the team confronts an uncertain future.
In the present day, ghosts from Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ past finally catch up to him, shattering his peaceful retirement in Alaska. In 1992, the team races to rescue a kidnapped Randy while Gibbs and Lala deal with the aftermath of their kiss.
