Celebrating Sean Murray’s Birthday and 20th ‘NCIS’ Anniversary with His Top 5 Episodes

On November 18, Sean Murray, who plays Special Agent Tim McGee, will celebrate his 20th anniversary on NCIS. Mark Harmon left in season 19. Since today is Murray’s birthday, the week is exceptional.

As admirers of Murray’s work, we couldn’t let this opportunity pass without mentioning how much we respect him. NCIS is slated to return to work in a few weeks to begin filming season 21, which will premiere Feb. 12.

“It’s wild that what was originally a guest-starring role turned into 20+ years of working with people who have become my second family,” Murray exclusively tells Parade. “I’ve been lucky, and I’ll always be proud of what we’ve done.”

To celebrate the milestone, here are our favorite NCIS Tim McGee episodes. Any viewing party?

Murray’s Top NCIS Episodes: “Twisted Sister” (Season 4, Episode 9)
Murray’s half-sister Troian Bellisario, whose father and NCIS creator Don Bellisario married Sean’s mother Vivienne Murray (née Lee) on November 27, 1998, made her NCIS debut in a brief part in season 2 episode 20’s “Red Cell.”

Her famous guest performance came in “Twisted Sister” when Sarah McGee arrives at Tim’s apartment covered in blood at 2:30 a.m. and says, “I think I killed someone, Tim.”

Tim, a caring brother, emails in sick to prove Sarah’s innocence and investigates the crime until Gibbs and the team are called in to solve the death of a Navy seaman from USS Enterprise on Waverly College’s campus, where Sarah is enrolled. The two investigations intersect, and Sarah looks guilty, but Abby (Pauley Perrette) makes a critical finding that helps the team solve the crime and arrest the perpetrator.

Her famous guest performance came in “Twisted Sister” when Sarah McGee arrives at Tim’s apartment covered in blood at 2:30 a.m. and says, “I think I killed someone, Tim.”

Tim, a caring brother, emails in sick to prove Sarah’s innocence and investigates the crime until Gibbs and the team are called in to solve the death of a Navy seaman from USS Enterprise on Waverly College’s campus, where Sarah is enrolled. The two investigations intersect, and Sarah looks guilty, but Abby (Pauley Perrette) makes a critical finding that helps the team solve the crime and arrest the perpetrator.

Cover Story Season 4, Episode 20
McGee creates mystery/crime fiction, as shown in “Dead Man Talking” (season 1, episode 19). According to “Cover Story,” he has published a successful novel under the alias Thom E. Gemcity, and the next one is set to be issued, but only his editor has read it.

When the NCIS team investigates a crime scene at the rented home of Navy petty officer Cove in Norfolk, Virginia, McGee learns it is a copycat murder from his unpublished second novel. As bodies mount up, the crew investigates how someone acquired his pages as they search the novels for evidence.

After discovering that the killer was reading McGee’s novel from his typewriter ribbon, they find him.

Season 9, Episode 3 of “The Penelope Papers”
This episode stars Lily Tomlin as McGee’s eccentric grandmother, Penelope Langston, who helped Tim find himself when his father, Navy Admiral John McGee (Jamey Sheridan), didn’t understand him.

The murder of a Naval Reserve officer in mufti in a Washington, D.C., park takes a startling turn when it’s revealed that he has a Tim McGee business card.

A little research shows that McGee’s paternal grandmother Penny knew the lieutenant, who taught math and worked for a think tank.

Former Tellis Naval analyst and peace activist Penny has a rich past. Her life is in danger due to her work on the Anax Principle at Tellis Naval Group. She survives three attempts before the NCIS team discovers that the project, which would be deadly if restarted, was the reason.

House Rules, Season 12, Episode 10
McGee has always had a tense relationship with his father Navy Admiral John McGee, so it’s interesting in the “House Rules” episode that he writes a Christmas letter to him about a case where the team investigates hackers who may have brought down the D.C. Internet and where he’s put in charge. He seems to want to reconcile with his father by proving himself.

In the season 10 episode 19 episode “Squall” we learned that the admiral had stage four cancer, so when McGee’s dad dies, it’s not a surprise and the letter was meant to be placed in his father’s casket.

Season 14 Episode 23 of “Something Blue”
For McGee and Delilah’s (Margo Harshman) NCIS wedding, it was borrowed and blue. Delilah discovers that McGee is behind on wedding tasks, including tux buying, two months before their wedding. Then they argue over invitation mailing. McGee plans to make amends with Delilah and appreciate what he has after Vance (Rocky Carroll) advises him, but she’s asleep when he gets home. After waking up, she passes out and is taken to the hospital.

Delilah’s anemia is caused by pregnancy. They tell Abby as she enters, but they promise her to silence.

Abby can’t maintain the secret, so when McGee and Delilah invite everyone to their apartment, they think it’s to announce the baby, but it’s a surprise wedding. They marry “right here in Tony’s creepy old apartment,” Delilah says.

Palmer was ordained that morning to officiate. Abby was best man, Ducky married Delilah, and Gibbs was her marshal.