The Worst Storyline In NCIS Season 13
For a number of "NCIS" fans, the end of Season 13 marks a major turning point for the series, in large part because the Season 13 finale is the final episode to feature Michael Weatherly's Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. In order to fill the space left by his absence, in Season 14 the "NCIS" crew introduced two new characters: Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Alexandra Quinn (Jennifer Esposito). Unfortunately, this major change to the show's cast was met with a markedly mixed reception, causing some longtime viewers to consider Season 14 the series' worst. Esposito then left "NCIS" after a single season, while Valderrama remains a member of its cast today.
For fans that miss DiNozzo and find his replacements lacking, then, Season 13 could be considered the end of something of a golden era. That said, Season 13 isn't without its faults, even for those who hold the season in high regard. Arguably the lowest point from throughout Season 13 occurs in its thirteenth episode, which revolves around a storyline many viewers have found to be hackneyed and predictable.
Episode 13 features the worst storyline in all of Season 13
In a Season 13 retrospective, TV Fanatic described Episode 13, titled "Deja Vu," as the worst episode of the season due to its "yawn-inducing predictable plot." Likewise, on IMDb, "Deja Vu" holds the lowest rating of any Season 13 episode, suggesting plenty of viewers agree with this sentiment. In short, the episode's villain Adam Connors (Mike Bradecich) is essentially revealed at its start, sapping much of the suspense from the NCIS team's efforts to identify him. Furthermore, the case is framed by a voiceover from Special Agent Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham) writing a letter to US President Harry S. Truman.
Accordingly, commenters in a Reddit discussion thread for the episode created in the wake of its original airing were critical of its central storyline, citing similar reasons. User Sakheteu, for example, shared that they "did not like the Bishop narration format" and didn't enjoy "how obvious it was that the ex-NSA guy was [the villain]." Similarly, user lonelyagain "found Bishops narration very irritating." Meanwhile, a reply by a now-deleted account simply reads, "this is the first episode in 13 seasons I couldn't watch all of."
Because of both its lack of mystery and an epistolary framing device few — if any — viewers seemed to enjoy, the murder investigation in Episode 13 seems to be the consensus pick for the worst storyline from throughout "NCIS" Season 13.