Warning! The following contains spoilers from the NCIS episode "Sons And Daughters." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!
NCIS really left fans with a massive cliffhanger, as Nick Torres had a heated standoff with McGee's teenage son in a dark alley. Both men had weapons and, when a gunshot rang out into the night, neither of the characters were visible to viewers. Now, showrunner Steven D. Binder has confirmed two major details about the jaw-dropping moment in the Season 23 finale that I really wanted to know.
It's unknown exactly how Matteo has that gun but, at the very least, TVInsider learned from the showrunner that someone was shot in that NCIS episode. Binder confirmed at least one of the two was hit in the exchange, but cleared the air and confirmed that no one is dead. As for the lack of a causality, the EP explained:
Someone was hit. I can confirm that. I sort of had my fill this season, all of us, of killing people. So I can rule that out. And also, there’s not a lot of fun there. When someone’s dead, they’re dead. It’s much more interesting — I’ll think back to when Gibbs shot McGee. It’s much more fun when someone’s alive and been shot than when they’re dead. And by fun, I mean, interesting.
I guess the NCIS writers figured Vance's death was enough, and I'm fine with that. After all, I can't imagine how traumatizing it would be for McGee to find out Torres had to gun down his son, which I fully believe would've happened. I mean, does anyone think Matteo got the drop on one of the team's best agents?
Steven D. Binder also hinted that McGee would obviously feel conflicted over this incident, having to reconcile with his son being involved in some criminal activity. So Matteo is now going from circling a potential internship at the agency to possibly being behind bars when NCIS Season 24 kicks off. Perhaps Parker and crew will find a way to let him off easy, especially since it seems he was acting under orders from elsewhere.
Once again, it seems that some outside force is trying to access the NCIS databases. Fans saw that happen when Sam Hanna last popped by the office, at which point a janitor was blackmailed into getting into the servers. I wonder if something similar explains what's happening with Matteo, and if so, who was watching him in that alley to make sure he got access to the computers?
I'm hopeful the answer will come in Season 24, and maybe we'll get a crossover with NCIS and the new New York-based spinoff? With Diona Reasonover hoping to be involved in the new series and this latest mystery involving computers, I think there's a chance we'll see the two shows cross paths.
NCIS Season 23 is over, but feel free to revisit the season over on Paramount+. Of course, we're expecting the series to return this fall on the 2026 TV schedule, so sit tight while we wait to see how Season 24 kicks off.
