The third season of the police procedural drama NCIS was originally broadcast between September 20, 2005, and May 16, 2006, on CBS. With the episode " Kill Ari (Part I)", the show also introduced the black and white "freeze-frame" which was shown before the opening sequence, and end credits of each episode and has continued to be used to this day.
The third season opens in the aftermath of "Twilight", with the entire team in shock and Gibbs on a vendetta to seek revenge for Kate's murder. Matters are complicated by the intervention of Gibbs' former lover and new NCIS director Jenny Shepard, and Mossad officer Ziva David. This season begins to drop little hints about Gibbs' past, and is the first to reference his first wife, Shannon, and his daughter, Kelly. The season finale introduces his former boss and mentor, Mike Franks (Muse Watson), who assists Gibbs in recovering from a near-fatal bomb blast. The season ends with Gibbs retiring, leaving DiNozzo in charge of the Major Case Response Team.
