NCIS season 10 only has two more episodes left before hiatus, but instead of mourning the fact that the show will be off all summer, we’ve decided to celebrate the past 10 seasons by highlighting our favorite episodes.
So far we’ve listed the 10 best Abby episodes, the 10 best McGee episodes, the 10 best Gibbs episodes. Now it’s time for Very Special Agent DiNozzo to get some time in the spotlight.
Check out our top 10 Tony episodes.
#10 “Obsession”
Season 7, episode 21: In this episode, the team searches for a murderer and also the sister of the victim, who may be in danger herself. While it can’t be said that it was entirely believable that Tony would obsess so quickly over a woman he’d never met, the episode still stands out because of the performances in it. Michael Weatherly gave us some great moments and a few sides of Tony that we had not yet seen before.
#9 “You Better Watch Out”
Season 10, episode 10: The best part of this episode just might be finally getting to see where Tony lives after all of these years. Considering his lifestyle, especially in earlier seasons, many were expecting a true bachelor pad with all the signs of a man living on his own. Instead, we saw that his taste was simple and elegant — down to the beautiful piano in his living room — and that instead of a “love nest” in his bedroom, he kept a very small bestead in a room he thought of as his oasis. Add to that some major issues and the whole Christmas theme and you’ve gone another great episode.
#8 “Rekindled”
Season 9, episode 21: The team catches a case that involves a fire and meets up with an investigator that seems to hold a grudge against Tony. Soon the truth comes out and we learn that when Tony was in college he risked his life to save a little boy from a burning building. Sadly Tony was unable to save the boy’s little sister and had to live with the guilt of her death for all of these years. The young man still wants to blame Tony for his sister’s death, but Gibbs nudges Tony to have a long talk with the young man until they both understand that they should be grateful for their own lives and realize there was nothing either of them could do to save the one that was lost.
#7 “Baltimore”
Season 8, episode 22: From the first season of this series, we all knew that Tony had come to NCIS by way of Baltimore as a detective. This episode showed us exactly how and why he changed careers and also gave us the exact moment that Tony and Gibbs met. The episode is chock full of information about Tony’s background and how he became the man that he is today, even down to the inspiration for his wardrobe.
#6 “Bounce”
Season 6, episode 16: After Gibbs retired, Tony has the team for a few months and one of his old cases comes back to haunt him, causing Gibbs and Tony to reverse roles for an episode. Tony takes the assignment in stride at first but as things spiral out of control, he need a gentle reminder from his boss that he can’t take things so personally. The episode gave us some great moments between Gibbs and Tony and once again proved that the Senior Field Agent wasn’t just a clown, but a serious agent who could get a job done.
#5 “Frame Up”
Season 3, episode 9: Tony is framed for murder by Abby’s extremely clever (but ultimately not clever enough) assistant and the entire team has to work together to keep him from going to prison for the rest of his life. Michael Weatherly once again shines in this episode as he shows us the myriad of emotions that Tony goes through as more and more evidence is stacked against him. The scene between Tony and Gibbs in the jail cell has our vote for being one of the best of the entire series.
#4 “Agent Afloat”
Season 6, episode 2: After Vance broke up the team at the end of season 5, we got this gem of an episode that showed a Tony that was kicking ass and taking names as agent afloat on an aircraft carrier. Tony’s case on the ship connects with a case that the team is tracking back in D.C. and suddenly the team is back together again. By the end of the episode, Tony has been returned home where he belongs but we did enjoy seeing him working on his own for a little while.
#3 “Flesh and Blood”
Season 7, episode 12: By the time this episode aired, we had heard quite a few stories about Tony’s father and none of them were very good. All we knew was that DiNozzo senior was a cold-hearted man who shipped his son off to boarding schools and cut him off from the family fortune. When we finally met the man in this episode, we discovered he wasn’t quite the monster we’d thought, but that he and his son still had a long way to go before they would be close. The scene between Gibbs and DiNozzo senior is a moment that is not to be missed.
#2 “Requiem”
Season 5, episode 7: While this episode does focus a lot on Gibbs and his story, there are still plenty of great moments with Tony. As Gibbs goes on his personal question, his Senior Field Agent is left trying to figure out what’s going on so that he can keep his boss alive. The scene where Tony dives into the water to save Gibbs and Maddie is one that leaves us gasping for air ourselves and was a great example of a very heroic Tony.
#1 “SWAK”
Season 2, episode 22: This episode marked the first time in the series that one of the main characters found themselves in serious danger. When Tony accidentally ingests pneumonic plague, he and Kate are forced into quarantine while the rest of the team races for a cure to save him. From the heart-to-heart talks with Kate under the blue lights, to Gibbs giving Tony a headslap and ordering him not to die, this episode has a lot for any Tony lover.
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
