By India McCarty
It looks like there’s going to be some changes at NCIS Headquarters! Warning — spoilers ahead!
“Curtis Hubley (J. Claude Deering) returns in NCIS Season 23, hinting at long-term plans for Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and others after Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) died in the series’ 500th episode,” Comic Book Resources noted.
The outlet said McGee would be “a natural fit” as NCIS director, pointing out that “Vance quietly approves Tim as his successor in the 500th episode of NCIS, telling an unnamed interrogator…’McGee is destined to lead,’ as he discusses the events leading to his death.”
So, who will replace McGee? CBR hypothesized that Curtis Hubley might be filling in, saying the character has “pulled significant weight on the team” and “shares McGee’s technical background, meaning he could maintain Tim’s valuable contributions to weekly investigations, with McGee’s technical insight often making or breaking a case.”
Related: Well, Vance Died. So Whose the Next NCIS Director?
These potential changes come after the bombshell death of Vance, who was shot in NCIS’ landmark 500th episode.
“On the one hand, NCIS is a quirky character-based procedural,” showrunner Steven D. Binder told TV Insider. “But on the other hand, there have always been real stakes…It is never easy to say goodbye to any of our characters, but we wanted to honor Rocky and his legacy on the show as best as we could — in this case, giving his life so his agency could live.”
He continued, “The team will be grieving, of course. But we felt it important that, at the end of the episode, the team is just as focused on Vance’s sacrifice as they are on their loss. Vance died to protect them all. And they are going to honor that by putting one foot in front of the other, and just continuing on their mission to protect and safeguard their country.”
Carroll spoke to E! News about his exit from the show, saying, “I’m not just saying this to be a team player, but if you’ve gotta send a character off, what a way to go.”
“It really is exactly what our executive producer, Steven D. Binder, said. He wanted to write not only a great episode, but a real love letter to the character that really summarized his journey and his impact on the show, and I think we achieved that,” he continued.
Carroll also put a positive spin on leaving NCIS — “For selfish reasons, I have to remind people: I’ve been a character on this series for 18 years. Most Hollywood careers don’t last 18 years. So to be able to play one character on one of the most popular shows in the world for 18 seasons, that’s the equivalent of living to be 105.”
New episodes of NCIS air every Tuesday, with the Season 23 finale premiering May 12.
Read Next: NCIS Star Reveals What’s Kept Show ‘Alive’ for 500 Episodes
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