NCIS Database
Register
Advertisement

Timothy Farragut "Tim" McGee is an NCIS Special Agent who is also the former temporary leader of the main NCIS Major Case Response Team in the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. as well as the second-in-command of the team, first under NCIS Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs from September 2016 up until March 2021 and later following Gibbs's retirement, under the team's current leader, NCIS Special Agent in Charge Alden Parker.

Originally a NCIS Agent assigned to the Norfolk Naval Base, McGee regularly assisted Gibbs's team with occasional cases before joining the main NCIS team on a permanent basis in September 2004.

Following the resignation and departure of his colleague, NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Junior in May 2016, McGee was promoted to the rank of Senior Field Agent.

After Gibbs quit the team and left D.C. to begin living in Alaska, McGee now works as the second-in-command of the team under its new leader, NCIS Supervisory Special Agent in Charge Alden Parker.

He is the son of Admiral John McGee and an unnamed woman, the brother of Sarah McGee, grandson of Penelope Langston and Nelson McGee, husband of Delilah Fielding, and father to John McGee II and Morgan McGee, as well as the son-in-law of Judy Price Fielding, and the ex-boyfriend of Maxine Edwards, Abigail Sciuto and Chloe Crane.

Biography

Pre-Series

The son of Admiral John McGee and an unnamed mother, McGee was born on September 13, 1978 in Bethesda, Maryland.

As such, the family lived in various military bases all around the world, making McGee a military brat, a trait he shares with NCIS: Office of Special Projects agent Kensi Blye.

His younger sister, Sarah McGee, was a 20 year old college student when Tim was first assigned to the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

At some point after finishing high school, McGee attended Johns Hopkins University and MIT, graduating with a B.S. in bio-medical engineering and an M.S. from MIT in computer forensics from both colleges.

He later applied to join NCIS and received the necessary training at FLETC where one of his instructors planted a pregnancy test at crime scene to test the rookies.

After graduating, he was presumably assigned to the Norfolk Naval Base.

NCIS Season 1

He was a recurring character in the first season.

NCIS Season 2

From the first episode of the second season he is a permanent team member and a main character.

NCIS Season 3

NCIS Season 4

NCIS Season 5

NCIS Season 6

NCIS Season 7

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 1

NCIS Season 8

NCIS Season 9

NCIS Season 10

NCIS Season 11

NCIS Season 12

NCIS Season 13

NCIS Season 14

NCIS: New Orleans Season 3

NCIS Season 15

NCIS Season 16

NCIS Season 17

NCIS Season 18

NCIS Season 19

NCIS Season 20

Occupation

Before joining the main NCIS team in Washington D.C., McGee previously worked as an NCIS agent assigned to the Norfolk Naval Base.

In September 2004, he joined the NCIS team permanently, becoming the Probationary Agent, a rank he held for six years although he was later promoted to the rank of NCIS Special Agent after Ziva David and Eleanor Bishop both became respective Probationary Agents.

In May 2016, he was promoted to Senior Field Agent after original Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo Junior resigned following the apparent death of DiNozzo's partner, Ziva with DiNozzo opting to take care of his daughter, Tali David-DiNozzo with McGee holding the rank to this day.

Personality

McGee is a kind man who's also protective of his family and NCIS teammates.

However, there have been times where McGee has shown that his patience has its limits, most notably in the NCIS Season 16 episode, Third Wheel (episode) where during his time as Acting Director, he snaps at FAA Security Specialist Horace Barnes, informing the other man he's done being nice and that they might have a hostage situation.

Physical Appearance

McGee is a tall, lean man with short blonde-brownish hair and green eyes.

In his debut appearance in the NCIS Season 1 episode. Sub Rosa (episode), McGee wore a business suit composed of a single jacket, a shirt underneath the jacket with a tie in place as well as trousers and shoes.

Even after being promoted to a full-time field agent, McGee continued on wearing the suits.

He often wears his watch on his right hand and has his holster containing his SIG Sauer and his NCIS badge on his left hip due to the fact that he is left-handed.

Three years after joining the team, McGee stopped wearing ties altogether, opting instead to wear a single jacket, shirt and trousers and shoes.

Despite no longer wearing business suits, McGee occasionally dons suits should he be attending an important event, examples being the memorial service for murdered NCIS Director Jennifer Shepard and also while attending a black tie-gala event with his girlfriend, DOD agent Delilah Fielding.

In the beginning, McGee also wore a silver watch on his right wrist before switching it to a golden and silver version during Season 4.

From the Season 5 episode Ex-File (episode), and for most of Seasons 5 and 6, McGee wore a sports-styled watch of some sort on his right hand.

In Season 7, McGee returned to wearing his original silver watch once again although in later years, he would later wear a gold watch before replacing it with a silver watch at the beginning of NCIS Season 20.

McGee has also grown significantly taller in recent years with his current height being 6'1, making him a few inches taller than Leroy Jethro Gibbs and also the same height as Anthony DiNozzo Junior.

While being held in captivity in Paraguay, McGee grew a beard that covers the lower half of his face.

Upon returning to the States after escaping along with Gibbs, he has chosen to keep it and continues wearing it to this day.

Abilities

Originally an Agent assigned to the Norfolk Naval Base, McGee's skills in terms of investigating crime scenes or any kind of experience were poor considering how at the time, his skills appeared to be his intelligence as well as his ability to use computers and any kind of technology.

Since joining Gibbs's team, however, McGee has undergone training with his own abilities rapidly improving to such an extent that others including NCIS Director Leon Vance believe that in the future, McGee himself may even become Director of NCIS.

Computers

McGee's prime specialty is computers and he is capable of using any kind of technology at his disposal to his team's or his own advantage.

He is often seen building or working on computers, repairing them if they're damaged.

In recent years, he has constantly changed his monitors, presumably so that his computer can keep up with the amount of data he has to handle or go through during active investigations.

Hacking

McGee is capable of virtually hacking into any database in the world including government agencies so that he can acquire the information necessary for a current case although this has gotten him into trouble in the past.

Interrogation

Although originally not capable of interrogating suspects, McGee's skills have grown to the point where he is often able to conduct solo interrogations or interrogations with the team.

In the past, McGee was often partnered with Gibbs, Tony, Bishop, Ziva as well as new team members Nicholas Torres, Jessica Knight and the team's newest leader, Alden Parker.

Firearms

As an NCIS Special Agent, McGee is trained in the use of firearms and is capable of shooting a suspect, usually dead or non-lethally if the need arises.

Leadership

As the third most experienced Agent of the main NCIS Major Case Response Team, McGee would often take charge of the team in the rare case both Gibbs and DiNozzo were absent, a prime example being where McGee was seen leading a single team composed of NCIS Special Agents into the field during the NCIS Season 11 episode Past, Present and Future (episode).

However, following DiNozzo's resignation in the NCIS Season 13 finale episode, Family First (episode), McGee has become the second-in-command of the team and the Senior Field Agent of the team, a position he holds to this day.

In the NCIS Season 20 episode, Guardian (episode), with Vance and Parker aboard, McGee temporarily became acting NCIS Director, implying that second to Parker and Vance, he is the third highest-ranked agent assigned to the Navy Yard and essentially the senior agent of the NCIS team in the event both men are absent or unable to fulfil their duties as NCIS Special Agent in Charge and Director, respectively.

Agent-involved Shootings

Relationships with Family

Admiral John McGee

Tim's relationship with his father has been rather strained for several years. While he has shown admiration for his father's service, he has been rather secretive about their relationship as father and son. Tim has hinted that his father may not be fond of his choice of career and other choices he's made. During a point when they appeared to start smoothing things out, they started to get along better and Tim was seen being very upset when his father passed away.

Sarah McGee

McGee is a caring older brother to Sarah but often has to be firm with her when she seems to not take things as seriously as she should. When she is thought to have been the one responsible for the death of a sailor, McGee did everything he could to clear her of suspicion and even nearly quit the agency for her.

Penelope Langston

Delilah Fielding

John "Johnny" McGee II

Morgan McGee

Relationships with NCIS Colleagues

Leon Vance

Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo

McGee was constantly subjugated to Tony's over-the-top personality, mocking nicknames, and jabs at his love life. Despite this, McGee highly respects Tony as a friend and fellow agent and has shown great concern for his safety and life during critical moments.

Caitlin "Kate" Todd

Abigail "Abby" Sciuto

McGee and Abby are shown to greatly like one another but never seem to go further than work colleagues and friends; possibly following Gibbs' rule about not dating co-workers or another reason. Like his team, McGee is highly protective of Abby and looks out for her any time she is thought to be in trouble. He often helps her in the lab and they are shown to be a formidable pair working together.

Ziva David

Nicholas Torres

Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop

Donald "Ducky" Mallard

Trivia

  • McGee is now the longest serving fictional character, surpassing Gibbs and Ducky by the total number of appearances (Gibbs appeared in 418 episodes before his departure, Ducky in 372 before David McCallum's death in September 2023, McGee in 442 so far) and is now one of the three (himself, Palmer, and Ducky; four if Fornell counts) original characters from season 1 still appearing.
  • Prior to appearing in NCIS, Murray previously starred in JAG, NCIS's parent series playing the role of Danny Walden, a teenager regularly causing trouble for his mother's boyfriend, JAG General, Admiral A.J Chegwidden.
  • Vivienne Bellisario who played the Mysterious Red-Head is Sean Murray's real-life mother and she is also married to NCIS creator and Executive Producer, Donald P. Bellisario who is Sean Murray's step-father. In addition, Michael Bellisario who played Charles Sterling is Murray's step-brother while Troian Bellisario who plays Sarah McGee is Murray's step-sister and Murray's other stepbrother Nicholas Bellisario appeared in the JAG Season 8 episode/NCIS backdoor pilot, Ice Queen (episode), Chad W. Murray who is a cast member for NCIS Los Angeles, the step-son of Donald Bellisario, son of Vivienne Bellisario, baby brother to Sean Murray, step brother to Michael Bellisario, Trioan Bellisario, David Bellisario.
  • Murray is one day younger than co-star Brian Dietzen who plays James Palmer.
  • During Season 1, Murray was credited under "Guest Starring" but in the Season 2 episode "See No Evil", he was officially promoted to a series regular and also added to the opening credits, coming in fifth just after Pauley Perrette and before David McCallum. This makes Murray one of many actors who were originally credited from "Guest Stars" to later join the main cast, the only other actor that were upgraded to main characters without making any guest appearances prior are Wilmer Valderrama (Nicholas Torres) and Jennifer Esposito (Alexandra Quinn), both from the Season 14 premiere.
  • After being attacked by Jethro (known before Abby renamed him as 'Butch') in dog tags. He ends up adopting Jethro with him only being seen once more in episode 15 of season 5. Presumably he passed away of old age by season 20.
  • He has had his identity and credit cards stolen at least twice. Once by the son of his landlord in Freedom
  • He Is Left Handed

Appearances

For a more detailed list, see Timothy McGee/List of Appearances.

NCIS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 #
Season 1 - - - - - - X - - - X - - - - - - X X X X X X 8
Season 2 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
Season 3 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 4 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 5 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Season 6 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 25
Season 7 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 8 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 9 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 10 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 11 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 12 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 13 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 14 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 15 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 16 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Season 17 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Season 18 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16
Season 19 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21
Season 20 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
Season 21 X X X X X X X X X X 10
Total 452
Advertisement