By Kayla DeKraker
NCIS may be in its 23rd season, but the hit procedural drama is still shaking things up.
“This season, there are some really major shakeups,” star Wilmer Valderrama recently hinted at what fans can expect in the show’s near future. “Like we were talking about, you pull a lever and you’ve got to have a plan? We pull a major lever this season. I can’t tell you much of the what, the who, or the how. But what I can tell you is that it’s a moment of no return.”
Although the actor remained vague, he said the plan will “break the mold.”
“Once we break the mold, we’re rebuilding it again within the next couple of episodes, and then we create a theme for next season,” he explained. “That’s the thing this show does really well. Towards the last couple of episodes, we start telegraphing what the theme of next season is going to be, and we’re definitely shaking it up.”
Related: NCIS: Episode 22:4: “Sticks & Stones”
The question is, will viewers appreciate the “shake-ups,” or will they be left disappointed?
“I will tell you this: We lead NCIS into a road that I think the fans have been wanting to see for a while, and it’s going to pay off in the finale,” Valderrama said, “but it’s really gonna take off in Season 24. We’ve listened to the fans. We know where they want to go, so we’re going to take them there.”
One major shake-up? Emily Wickersham’s Ellie Bishop returns. The character departed in Season 18, and although Wickersham’s current role in NCIS is only temporary, she is open to coming back if the opportunity arises.
“I’m happy to go back again. I would never close the door on that at all,” she told TV Insider last month. “I feel so lucky to have been able to work there for so many years, and it’s such a great set and it’s such a great team. If they wanted me back, I would definitely. It would be fun. We had fun.”
Fans were thrilled to see Bishop back, flooding the comment section of a post with Wickersham and Valderrama with support.
“Incredible episode !!!! we need her back for GOODDD,” one fan said. Another added, “CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S ONLY BACK FOR ONE EPISODE. WE MISS HER”
It sounds like NCIS fans have a lot to look forward to this throughout the rest of this season! New episodes air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
Read Next: NCIS Producer Details What You Should Expect from Season 23
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