This project was inspired by a listing, on CBS’ website, of the greatest cliff-hangers in NCIS history that I disagreed with more than agreed. It got me thinking, however, after watching all these seasons x number of times, and with rapid-fire watching all 11 seasons in the first half of the summer, I wondered how I would rank the cliff-hangers. So, for all you NCIS fans out there, before you proceed in reading this post, note that I explicitly discuss each of the cliff-hangers, including all spoilers of characters’ deaths and suspense.

First, before I begin my ranking, I need to set my parameters for this measurement. To start off, I have not included seasons 1 and 11, because those season finales did not have cliff-hangers. Season 1 was a resolution to the attack Ari Haswari had committed in the NCIS base against Ducky and Gerald (Dr. Mallard’s assistant at the time). Season 11 was a tribute honoring recurring character Jackson Gibbs, acted by Ralph Waite who had passed away earlier in the winter.

In judging the season finales, I considered a couple different parts of the cliff-hanger when I made my rankings.  The primary moment was what I call the “cliff-hanger moment”. It usually lasts about 10-20 seconds, and is always the very last moment before the grey “phoof” that indicates the episode is done and the season is over. However, I also considered the episode and (in some cases) several episodes leading up to that moment. When it came to actually measuring the scores to rank each cliff-hanger, I used three rankings. The first is the emotional scale. How powerfully did the cliff-hanger moment pull on the heart strings? Second is the dramatic moment. How shocking was the final few seconds of the season? Did it make our hearts completely stop? And finally, I considered the build-up. How well built-up was the cliff-hanger moment? Was it foreshadowed enough that the ending makes sense but wasn’t too obvious?

No. 10 – Season 4 (Angel of Death)

Emotional Scale: 2

Dramatic Moment: 3

Build-up: 5

Score: 10 pts.

This final moment of truth in this season is the secret being revealed of Tony’s mystery girlfriend from all season: the daughter of wanted arms dealer La Grenouille. It was a very quiet cliff-hanger, which, while it affects the score is not the reason for the number 10 rating. There was no emotional cliff-hanger, such as missing a killed character (etc.), nor was there a loud bang. This ending relied more on the drama of a secret being revealed than the emotion behind it, which is why the dramatic rating was slightly higher ranked. The build-up is the highest rating, because it is a secret that is worked up from the very beginning of the season. However, due to this, the truth is hardly surprising by the time it is revealed; it has been slightly over foreshadowed. All in all, it was a quiet conclusion to the season, muted in both the action and the emotion.

No. 9 – Season 10 (Damned if you do)

Emotional Scale: 4

Dramatic Moment: 5

Build-up: 2

Score: 11 pts.

The season 10 cliff-hanger (and resolution) is quite messy, and difficult to follow, which is the main reason for this season’s low ranking. The build-up to the conclusion, which started about 5 episodes before the conclusion, was all over the place. The storyline started with Ziva’s intense pursuit of her father’s (and Vance’s wife) killer. Expecting the cliff-hanger having to do with this revenge man-hunt, the writers catch the audience by surprise by having her kill him a few episodes before the cliff hanger. The storyline then changes tracks when DOJ investigator Richard Parsons comes in to investigate the team. At first it seems like he’s after the director. But then it’s revealed he’s after Ziva. Finally, it is revealed he is actually after Gibbs, mostly just to make a name for himself as a successful investigator in taking down dirty legal agents. However, the cliff-hanger moment itself is showing Gibbs supposedly shooting his FBI friend, Agent Fornell, though the screen blacks out before the shot sounds off. This is very briefly explained in the episode in about a 2 minute scene where Director Vance, former NCIS director Tom Morrow (yes, that is his name) and others inform Parsons that Gibbs is officially off the hook for Parson’s investigation because the team accepts responsibility for Gibbs’ actions and resign collectively. As you can see, the build-up is obscure at best and does not lead to a cohesive scene that was foreshadowed in almost any way. The cliff-hanger’s strong suit is the drama of showing Gibbs shooting one of his best friends. The emotion is not far behind that, because of what initiated this whole storyline: the shooting of Eli David and Jackie Vance.

No. 8 – Season 12 (Neverland)

Emotional Scale: 4

Dramatic Moment: 9

Build-up: 6

Score: 19 pts.

Easily one of the more dramatic cliff-hanger moments in NCIS history, the apparent shooting and killing of Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, it ends up as number eight on the list for the lack of emotional appeal. Cliff-hangers can be successful based almost solely on the shock value of the dramatic moment, but the death of one character, especially shot in a manner that may not be fatal, does not have that weight. In other words, a cliff-hanger that allows room for skepticism is less effective overall in its dramatic shock. The build-up score comes in second place because the moment was effectively worked up to over the course of three episodes. It was foreshadowed throughout the last episode as well, with Gibbs being warned that he was letting a kid take advantage of him, leading to a well-rounded, though not completely predictable ending to Gibbs getting shot by the kid. If you want to hear how this cliff-hanger resolves itself, tune in Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c.

No. 7 – Season 8 (Pyramid)

Emotional Scale: 4

Dramatic Moment: 6

Build-up: 10

Score: 20 pts.

For such a dramatic build-up, this cliff-hanger had a surprisingly weak conclusion. For five episodes, the team is doggedly pursued by an assassin leaving them clues through inaccurately dressed dead Naval officers. Various and creepy mysteries pop up such as the delivery of an eyeball in an ice cube in a paid-for drink at a bar. This assassin is incredibly skilled and able to get on and off a federal Naval base without being spotted. The build-up has more emotion than the cliff-hanger due to the assassin killing off beloved recurring character Mike Franks, Gibbs’ NIS (former name of NCIS) mentor. Despite all the pomp and circumstance of the terror of the assassin and the grief of losing a beloved friend, the cliff-hanger itself, that DiNozzo is given an assignment by the new Secretary of the Navy to spy on a fellow NCIS agent is fairly weak. There is no foreshadowing to lead the audience to the final moment making the viewer experience a major WTF flash, and as such, there is no emotional investment in the actual cliff-hanger itself.

No. 6 – Season 7 (Rule Fifty-One)

Emotional Scale: 8

Dramatic Moment: 6

Build-up: 9

Score: 23 pts.

As we get closer to the top ranking, it becomes more difficult to place each episode above the next. This sequence of events started pursuing more personal aspects of history. There was a certain amount of terror in the cliff-hanger moment, as Paloma Reynosa faces off with Jackson Gibbs in his shop in Stillwater, PA. The episode phoofs out with her poisonous smile, as she relishes the thought of murdering Gibbs’ father. The sequence begins about mid-season, though it doesn’t have a consecutive episode run until the last few episodes of the season. The Reynosas have a bloody history with Gibbs. As was revealed four years previously, Gibbs’ first wife Shannon and his only daughter Kelly were killed on the orders of the head of the Reynosa drug cartel, Pedro Hernandez. In search of revenge, Gibbs eventually hunted down, and used his skills as a sniper to kill Pedro. Several decades later, this history catches up with him. Alejandro, a Mexican government official, has NCIS investigate the cold-case murder of Pedro Hernandez. He knows forensic specialist Abby Sciuto will solve the case and link the bullet left behind to Gibbs’ sniper rifle, thereby creating an official report that will put Gibbs in prison. In tandem, Paloma Reynosa is chasing a bloodier path of haunting and killing every person close to Gibbs so that he will suffer as well. The story-line build up was appropriately dramatic. The emotion was also highly rated because of the fear factor. How can an almost 80 year old defend himself against a young, angry and murderous Mexican cartel leader? Finally, the dramatic moment was rated lower, because despite the fear, the actual cliff-hanger was fairly quiet and not very shocking. We knew from the beginning that Paloma was after the people Gibbs cares most about.

No. 5 – Season 6 (Aliyah)

Emotional Scale: 10

Dramatic Moment: 7

Build-up: 9

Score: 26 pts.

A powerful build-up that is heavy with the emotion of trust and betrayal between friends, and the painful choice that must be made when two colleagues can no longer work together. True to NCIS style however, the actual cliff-hanger moment had little to do with the emotional build-up. The final scene is Ziva being interrogated by a terrorist. The reason this cliff-hanger works though, is the build-up in the episode. DiNozzo kills her boyfriend Michael Rivkin, a Mossod officer. This brings them to Israel so Tony can confront Eli David, Ziva’s father and Director of Mossad. At the end of the day, Ziva feels she cannot be on the same team as Tony, as she no longer trusts him. She forces Gibbs to make the choice between the two, which he ultimately chooses Tony. The reason a cut scene to an interrogation with a terrorist works, is because of the unknown factor: now that NCIS has abandoned her, who will come to rescue her?

No. 4 – Season 5 (Judgment Day Parts I&II)

Emotional Scale: 10

Dramatic Moment: 10

Build-up: 7

Score: 27 pts.

Of all the NCIS cliff-hangers, this is perhaps the most dramatic, unforeseen and unexpected of all the cliff-hangers. The reason it hasn’t taken the first place spot, is that there was no foreshadowing of the final scene. While foreshadowing is not necessary for a successful cliff-hanger, as evidenced by this finale, it is less complexly written as there are no moments woven together to provide to a final, shocking ending which makes sense once you look back at the build-up to it. The cliff-hanger moment was not particularly emotional. Like season 12, the ending was so abrupt that the chance for emotion to play a role in the audience’s reception of the cliff-hanger is neglected. The difference in dramatic effect however, is that the entire team was removed, in this case fired, as opposed to the death of a solitary character. Ultimately, I ranked emotion with a perfect score because of the double episode that included the death of team member and NCIS Director Jenny Shepard. The team was visibly affected, and it certainly pulled on viewers’ heart strings. So with the combination of Shepard’s death, the arrival of hated new Director Leon Vance and the firing of all three field agents working for Gibbs, this cliff-hanger proved to be the runner up to the trophy holder episodes.

No. 3 – Season 3 (Hiatus Part 2)

Emotional Scale: 10

Dramatic Moment: 9

Build-up: 9

Score: 28 pts.

In third place, is the season finale for season 3. This was a close 2^nd place finale. Its strongest point is the emotional concluding scene, though it is highly emotional from beginning to end. This is a two-episode sequence that introduces the audience to Gibbs’ first wife and his daughter Kelly, both who were murdered back in the early 90s. This comes up because after getting caught in an explosion, Gibbs loses his memory of the last 15 years, and believes he is a marine back in Desert Storm, having just learned about the death of his family. His old mentor, Mike Franks comes in for the first time, and tries to help Gibbs regain his memory. Ziva is the one who ultimately does that though. Franks is also introduced as someone Gibbs resents, for quitting his job. It is this specific detail that foreshadows the cliff-hanger, as this detail is mentioned several times. So what was the final moment? After failing to convince the US government to not murder a few SEALs for (in their view) the sake of preventing a terrorist attack, Gibbs understands how Franks could quit the job, which he tells Jenny. He then meets his team, who are waiting to see what he’ll do next. Throughout this whole scene, there is no music or sound. Just the spoken words. The very first rays of light are shining in the darkened squad room indicating the early morning hours. He gives an individual farewell to each team member and words of support for when he leaves the job. The dramatic moment is caught as the writers left it for the viewers to figure out that Gibbs is quitting. It is never said explicitly. The emotion is in the farewells, as well as Gibbs turning back to look at the team gathered in a panoramic shot, shouting “Semper Fi”. The emotion ranking is given full points here, because that was the strong moment that carried this season into the next.

No. 2 – Season 2 (Twilight)

Emotional Scale: 10

Dramatic Moment: 10

Build-up: 9

Score: 29 pts.

This was a very close second place to first. It was emotional, dramatic, shocking and well built-up. I took off one point, because the public knew that someone was going to die in the episode. Having said that, they used that to their strength in the writing of the episode. One writer said he had been tasked with making sure all the team members were in mortal danger as much as possible in the episode. So they seemingly blew up Tony at first. Then almost blew up Gibbs, then shot at McGee. Agent Kate Todd dove in front of Gibbs to take a bullet for him, since he was on her protective custody. It seemed like she was dead at first, lying, not moving. But its revealed her bullet vest saved her. Gibbs and Tony lifted her to her feet, congratulating her and then BAM! She gets sniped in the head out of nowhere. The dramatic moment comes fully unexpected. Then there is the emotional shock of realizing that one of the main characters is totally, and completely dead. The reason this cliff-hanger is not number one, is more because of what the last season has, rather than what this one doesn’t have.

If you’ve done your math right, you’ll realize the highest ranked cliff-hanger is…

No. 1 – Season 9 (Till Death Do Us Part)

Emotional Scale: 10

Dramatic Moment: 10

Build-up: 10

Score: 30 pts.

This cliff-hanger outstrips all the others in every way. Emotional, dramatic, devastating. The finale was built up over a four-part episode as a bomber/arsonist pursues Gibbs and his team. As it turns out, the terrorist is a grieving father who lost his son to a terrorist attack (a bombing) of Navy ships that had known flaws. The two dramatic moments of this cliff-hanger were based off the fact that the terrorist, Harper Dearing, blew up the NCIS building on the Naval Yard. The first moment was showing the team still in the building at the time the bomb went off. Tony and Ziva were shown to be in the elevator that comes crashing down in the explosion. McGee is literally blown backwards by the bomb, and Gibbs dives over Abby as the explosion penetrates her lab. The second moment is Ducky on the beach, who receives news of the explosion (though what he is told specifically we do not know, which is part of the strength of the cliff-hanger), has a heart attack, when he is understood to be alone. The reason this episode takes the top spot is the scale and the unknown. Every single member of the team was in mortal danger (except Palmer, who was at his own wedding) and the news Ducky receives that triggers the heart attack remains secret to the viewers. Who is alive? Who is dead? These questions are left to the viewer’s imagination for four months. Finally, the combination of a bomber and a wedding was wonderfully set-up with all the wedding plans and intertwined with Ducky’s heart attack upon receiving the news of what happened back home.