Sob Alert! Fans in TEARS over NCIS episode!’Dead Man Walking’ shocks viewers!

Across more than 450 episodes, ‘NCIS’ has explored diverse thematic terrain, but one episode from Season 4 continues to resonate emotionally with fans even 15 years after its debut.

In ‘NCIS’ Season 4, Episode 16, titled ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Naval Lieutenant Roy Sanders (Matthew Marsden) turns to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as he succumbs to radiation poisoning, seeking to identify his murderer. Sanders suspects foul play aimed at preventing him from fulfilling his duties as an inspector for the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The episode takes an emotional turn as Special Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) develops feelings for Sanders, adding a poignant layer to his inevitable demise. In subsequent episodes, Ziva wears an orange beanie in his memory.

On Reddit, user u/nodaybuttoday_ proposed that “Dead Man Walking” stands out as one of the saddest episodes of “NCIS,” expressing sympathy for Sanders and praising Marsden’s performance.

User u/ptazdba responded on Reddit, highlighting Ziva as the episode’s standout. They noted that it was the first episode revealing Ziva’s softer side and deemed it a fantastic story, showcasing the rewards of simple human kindness.

This sentiment is echoed across various social media platforms. Other Reddit threads and posts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) also discuss the episode’s emotional impact.

On X, user @fake_morgs shared “Dead Man Walking” as an example of a TV episode that evokes more emotion than most others.

Meanwhile, on X, user @REES1776 praised the episode in response to an unrelated post by Matthew Marsden, expressing it as one of their favorites with excellent acting that deeply resonates with viewers.

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