The NCIS franchise is celebrating a major milestone: the 22st anniversary of its very first episode, “Yankee White.” Debuting on September 23, 2004, the pilot introduced Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and the original Major Case Response Team at the Navy Yard. Seeing NCIS’ official Instagram post marking the anniversary reminded me why, even after two decades and hundreds of episodes, “Yankee White” still stands as the show’s best.

While Gibbs and his team technically appeared earlier in two JAG episodes (“Ice Queen” and “Meltdown”), the NCIS we know didn’t truly begin until its proper premiere. The pilot featured the inaugural cast and set the tone for everything that followed.

Why “Yankee White” Still Stands Out

Across more than 450 episodes in the flagship series-and 1000 episodes across the franchise-not all outings have had the same impact. But “Yankee White” captured everything that makes NCIS iconic. The episode follows Gibbs and his only field agent at the time, Tony DiNozzo, investigating a suspicious death aboard Air Force One, uncovering a plot to assassinate the president. With help from Secret Service Agent Caitlin Todd, they stop the att4ck in a story that’s tense, high-stakes, and cleverly constructed.

It also perfectly introduces the team’s dynamic: Gibbs’ stoicism, Tony’s charm, Kate’s skill, and the signature banter that became a hallmark of the show. Even small details-like Gibbs letting FBI Agent Tobias Fornell take the public credit-establish NCIS’ “do the work, skip the spotlight” attitude.

The 1000th Episode Honored the Pilot

Two decades later, the series paid homage to its beginnings in NCIS’ 1000th episode. The MCRT discovered that their new adversary was Lindsey Riche, daughter of Leonard Riche-the original culprit from “Yankee White.” Fornell returned to connect the dots, revealing that Leonard had left behind a manifesto that his daughter later found.

Though the original team couldn’t reunite-Gibbs is retired, Abby is in London, Ducky and Kate have passed, and Tony had only just returned for the David McCallum tribute-the callback added depth to the pilot’s legacy.

Reflecting on everything NCIS has become, from multiple spinoffs to new series like NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Tony & Ziva, the franchise has grown into a TV institution. But even with all its evolution, the premiere episode remains its strongest, laying the foundation for 22 years (and counting) of storytelling.