| "Yankee White" | |
|---|---|
| NCIS episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Written by | Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill |
| Original air date | September 23, 2003 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Yankee White" is the first episode in the first season of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on September 23, 2003. The episode is written by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill and directed by Bellisario. It was seen by 13.04 million viewers.[1]
While on Air Force One, a Navy Commander tasked with carrying the "football" dies under mysterious circumstances, forcing an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas. While his death is at first thought be to a tragic accident, NCIS eventually uncovers evidence suggesting the commander was murdered and that it might be connected to a possible assassination attempt on the President of the United States.
The episode introduces Caitlin "Kate" Todd (as a replacement for NCIS agent Vivian "Viv" Blackadder, who appears in the NCIS backdoor pilot in JAG), and FBI Agent Tobias Fornell, who will later become a major recurring character of the show. The rest of the team were all introduced in a double episode of JAG season 8, "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown".
The episode title (Yankee White) is the administrative nickname for a background check conducted on Department of Defense personnel working with the president and vice president.[2]
Robert Balkovich says the episode is "a historic moment in the NCIS universe....full of enjoyable character moments and satisfying twists and turns."[3]