How NCIS: Los Angeles Wrote Off Miguel Ferrer's Character

miguel ferrer final episode of ncis: los angeles

Spoilers can be found in this article if you haven't watched Sunday's episode of NCIS: Los Angeles "Old Tricks" yet.

When Miguel Ferrer passed away back in January, the world mourned the death of the actor, who had graced the screen in projects like Twin Peaks, Broken Bridges, Crossing Jordan, and NCIS: Los Angeles. It was the latter series that opened up the most questions upon Ferrer's death. The actor's cancer had already been written into NCIS: Los Angeles before he passed away, but we didn't really know how the cast would say goodbye to the actor. Last night, we finally found out.

Because of Miguel Ferrer's death, "Payback" was actually the last Season 8 episode in which we saw the actor actually appear. Over the past few weeks, NCIS: Los Angeles worked toward and finally finished up the longtime mole plotline. In the process, Owen Granger got stabbed and spent last week's episode in the hospital, where he capably pulled out a gun and shot a woman who snuck in. That was the last time he got to be a badass, as this week, the show wrote him out.

During "Old Tricks," Owen Granger wasn't the focus of the episode, but early on, Hetty went and stopped by Granger's hospital room, where Granger spent the last episode. The room was empty, and a nurse told her that Granger had simply left. The good news? He left a note:

Don't blame the doctors or the nurses, but I've had enough of hospitals for one life and I have some unfinished business to take care of. I have no idea what you're going to tell everyone, but I'm sure you'll think of something. You always do. Be safe.

The episode may have been the end for Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles, but NCIS had one more treat for fans, also featuring a rendition of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and closing with a special goodbye tribute to Miguel Ferrer.

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Miguel Ferrer passed away back in January after a long battle of cancer, but this won't be the last we see of the actor on the small screen. Reports indicate he had already filmed episodes of the Twin Peaks revival over at Showtime. We'll let you know as soon as those hit the schedule. In the meantime, you can take a look at what TV has coming up with our midseason premiere schedule or catch new episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET, only on CBS.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.