‘NCIS’ star Sean Murray, who plays Special Agent Timothy McGee, is commemorating his 20th anniversary on the CBS show later this week in addition to his birthday today. Though he departed the show in season 19, Mark Harmon may not have spent 20 years on NCIS, but Sean Murray, who plays Special Agent Tim McGee, is commemorating his 20 years on the popular naval investigative drama on November 18. Murray actually has a special week because it’s his birthday today.
Even though the popular television show NCIS won’t be getting any new episodes anytime soon—season 21 will premiere on February 12—we as lovers of Murray’s work couldn’t let this occasion pass without expressing our gratitude for him. Production will resume in the coming weeks.
Murray exclusively tells Parade, “It’s crazy that what started out as a guest-starring role turned into 20+ years of working with people who have become a second family to me.” “I have been extremely fortunate, and I will always be appreciative of our joint accomplishments.”
So, to mark the remarkable occasion, here are our picks of the best Tim McGee episodes of NCIS. Viewing party anyone?
Sean Murray’s Best NCIS Episodes
“Twisted Sister” Season 4, Episode 9
Troian Bellisario, who is Murray’s half-sister in real life—Troian’s father and NCIS creator Don Bellisario married Sean’s mother Vivienne Murray (née Lee), on November 27, 1998—first appeared on NCIS in a small role in the season 2 episode 20 episode “Red Cell.”
However, she played a noteworthy guest star in “Twisted Sister,” appearing to Tim’s apartment at 2:30 in the morning, covered in blood, and stating, “I think I killed someone, Tim.”
Sincere brother that he is, Tim emails in sick, determined to establish Sarah’s innocence. He starts looking into the crime until Gibbs and the team are called in to investigate the death of a Navy seaman from USS Enterprise on the Waverly College campus, which is where Sarah is enrolled. This is when Tim gets busted. The two investigations come together, and although Sarah appears to be guilty at one point, Abby’s (Pauley Perrette) pivotal revelation ultimately aids the team in solving the case and apprehending the genuine murderer.
“Cover Story” Season 4, Episode 20
In the episode “Dead Man Talking” (season 1, episode 19), it was revealed that McGee writes mystery/crime stories. And in “Cover Story,” we learn that he has released a successful novel in what will become a Deep Six series of novels under the pseudonym Thom E. Gemcity, and the next one is about to be released but so far, only his editor has read it.
But while the NCIS team is investigating a crime scene at the rented home of a Navy petty officer named Cove in Norfolk, Virginia, McGee realizes that it is a copycat of a murder from his unpublished second novel. As the team turns to the novels for clues, the bodies pile up, so they also investigate how someone got ahold of his pages.
Eventually, they realize that the killer was reading McGee’s novel off of his typewriter ribbon and they were able to find the murderer.
“The Penelope Papers” Season 9, Episode 3
Acting legend Lily Tomlin played McGee’s eccentric grandmother, Penelope Langston, in this episode, which reveals a lot more about Tim’s backstory as it was his grandmother who helped Tim find himself when his father, Navy Admiral John McGee (Jamey Sheridan), didn’t understand him.
The case begins with the murder of a Naval Reserve lieutenant in mufti in a public park in Washington, D.C., and the case takes a surprising turn when it’s discovered that he has a business card with Tim McGee’s name on it.
A little investigating reveals that McGee’s paternal grandmother Penny had a relationship with the lieutenant, who taught math and worked for a think tank, which is where the tie to Penny comes in.
Penny has quite the history as a former analyst for the Tellis Naval group and a former peace activist. It was her work at the Tellis Naval group on a project known as the Anax Principle that is now putting her life in jeopardy. She survives three attempts before the NCIS team figures out that the project, which would have devastating consequences if reactivated, was the cause.
“House Rules” Season 12, Episode 10
It’s no secret that McGee and his father, Navy Admiral John McGee, have a tense relationship. For this reason, it’s interesting that in the “House Rules” episode, McGee writes a Christmas letter to his father in which he details a case in which he takes charge and the team looks into hackers who may be to blame for the Internet going down in the D.C. area. He seems to be trying to mend the split by demonstrating to his father how valuable he is.
We had learned in the season 10 episode 19 episode “Squall” that the admiral had been diagnosed with stage four cancer, so at the end of this episode when it’s revealed that McGee’s dad had died, it isn’t a surprise, and that the purpose of the letter was so that McGee could place it in his father’s casket.
“Something Blue” Season 14, Episode 23
It was something borrowed and something blue for McGee and Delilah’s (Margo Harshman) wedding on NCIS. As the two prepare for their nuptials, which are two months away, Delilah discovers that McGee is behind on his wedding assignments, including tux shopping. Then the two get in a tiff over mailing out the invitations. Vance (Rocky Carroll) advises McGee to appreciate what he has, and McGee plans to do that and make amends with Delilah, but when he gets home, she’s asleep. She wakes up, but then passes out and is rushed to the hospital.
It turns out that Delilah is anemic—nothing more serious—and that her pregnancy is the reason behind it. When Abby interrupts them, they pledge to keep the news secret from her. Naturally, Abby can’t keep the secret for long, and when McGee and Delilah invite everyone to their apartment, everyone thinks it’s to announce the arrival of a baby, but in reality, it’s a surprise wedding. “Right here in Tony’s creepy old apartment,” Delilah recounts their marriage.
Palmer got ordained that morning, so he could conduct the ceremony. Abby was the best man, Ducky gave Delilah away, and Gibbs acted as her man of honor.