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By Michaela Gordoni
NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder, who wrote NCIS’s upcoming 500th episode, says it will take fans back to the “beginning” of the beloved franchise.
Binder told TV Insider, “I wanted to go back to the beginning and make sure it was filled with things about our characters that longtime fans would recognize and love.”
The 500th episode’s synopsis reads, “When the son of a Marine that Gibbs once helped comes to NCIS in desperation, the fractured team reunites off the books. But chasing justice without a badge may cost them more than their careers.”
The episode comes out on March 24 on CBS.
Binder said, “I’ve done a bunch of the hundred episodes and I did write the 1000th [of the franchise], but I always kind of keep going back to the same idea that this should be for longtime fans and that this should in some way go back to the beginning. And for the 1000th, we went back to the pilot, ‘Yankee White,’ Air Force One. We went back to the same crime, the same plane, so, we couldn’t quite do that again.”
Related: Cut the Cake! NCIS Celebrates 500th Episode
“But I wanted to go back to the beginning. I wanted to make sure it was filled with things about our characters that longtime fans of the show would recognize and love and have their hearts warmed by,” he said.
Binder made sure to add some shock and twists and turns along with some emotional elements.
“I wanted people who were watching it to remember why they loved the show and I wanted them to feel really deeply and be reminded that this show can create these deep feelings in you,” he said.
He added, “I think even if you think you know what’s going to happen, you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s almost spoiler proof in that regard. I think you should have the tissue box handy.”
Vance takes center stage in the episode, but Binder said all characters get a moment to shine.
“We get to see Vance’s Papa Bear in a way we haven’t necessarily seen him before. He cares about this agency and would do anything to protect the agency,” the EP explained. “And yet he’s also vulnerable…We don’t usually see a vulnerable side of Vance, so being the head of NCIS has always come at a cost for him and we’re going to see more of that vulnerability in this episode.”
Brian Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer, said, “I would say that for each of our other 100th episodes celebrations, the 100, 200, 300, 400, they’ve generally been retrospective; like look back and celebration shows of what it is. And this episode is not that. It’s very atypical.”
Binder encourages fans to rewatch Season 1 Episode 2, “Hung Out to Dry” in preparation for the episode.
Dietzen added, “People are going to absolutely lose their minds. Everybody I talked to at the network said it’s probably one of the most affecting and emotional episodes we’ve ever done.”
If you’re not counting down already…it’s just eight more days until the episode releases on CBS.
Read Next: Are You Ready for NCIS Episode 500?
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