Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS are ahead for the 500th episode of NCIS, "All Good Things," for anyone who hasn't yet watched on CBS or via Paramount+ subscription.
As NCIS continues its 23rd season on CBS, the procedural did something “very atypical” with its milestone 500th episode that aired on Tuesday night. It continued last week’s storyline that saw Vance getting handed the news that the organization would be shutting down, and of course, the episode included some Easter Eggs from throughout the series’ run. Unfortunately, it ended with a major sacrifice, and the boss explains why it had to happen and how the team will move forward into the 2026 TV schedule .
In “All Good Things,” NCIS is shut down, leading the team members to take on other duties and tasks until they are pulled into a case involving a little boy whom Gibbs helped all the way back in Season 1. The case shocking turns fatal when Vance is shot by a corrupt agent who tried to blow up HQ, but Vance’s sacrifice inevitably helped solve the case and restore NCIS. The longtime character's death came as a shock, especially after it initially looked like he survived due to wearing a vest, but that sadly wasn't the case. Executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider why it happened, and the kind of legacy both Vance and Rocky Carroll have created for the show:
Article continues belowOn the one hand, NCIS is a quirky character-based procedural. But on the other hand, there have always been real stakes, perhaps as best embodied by what happened to Agent Todd [Sasha Alexander] in the Season 2 finale. 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.
Carroll joined the series midway through Season 5, and Vance has been an integral part of the series and overall franchise because he is the NCIS Director. He’s had a few near-death experiences during these last 18 seasons, but of course, none turned fatal until now. Carroll had a knee-jerk response to the twist, revealing that he had known about it only two episodes before filming and couldn’t quite understand why his exit was so final since other characters were just sent off elsewhere.
But with Vance being the NCIS Director and him sacrificing himself in this way, it makes sense. And we do see NCIS being restored to its former glory as the team and everyone else try to move forward. Binder previewed how everyone will deal with Vance’s death and what this means for NCIS:
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.
There is now a big hole, not only with the cast, but with NCIS as an organization. Everyone will have to find ways to move on and heal from this tragedy as they prepare for who will take over, and at this point, there is no telling who will be made Director next. Knowing that Vance’s sacrifice was to save NCIS, his death will likely weigh on everyone for a while.
NCIS will be a lot different now, and there is no telling what will happen, especially since there is going to be a 24th season. Fans will just have to tune in on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS to see how Vance’s death changes things.
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