NCIS is returning to the 2026 TV schedule in a matter of weeks and, while there’s a lot to look forward to, there is still one thing on everyone’s mind. The Season 23 finale ended on a cliffhanger that left viewers questioning whether or not Wilmer Valderrama’s Nick Torres is still alive. It would be harsh to kill him off after the series shockingly killed Rocky Carroll’s Leon Vance in the 500th episode earlier this year. The episode was tough to watch, and Carroll watched it in a room full of people -- and had one concern as he did so.
Director Vance sacrificed himself in order to save NCIS. It was heartbreaking and emotional, and it even included a reunion with young Ducky before Vance was ushered through the white light to be reunited with his late wife. Of course, given it was the 500th episode, it was bound to be surprising, and you don’t get any more surprising than a character death. However, Carroll was unsure how everything would turn out, as he told The Hollywood Reporter:
I was at a Screen Actors Guild screening in New York City with 150 total strangers. I’m sitting there watching it on screen and my biggest concern, more than anything, was [for it not to be] a boring episode. I’m watching it just like the other people and I’m like, ‘Man, that was a damn good episode.’
Very rarely is an NCIS episode boring, in my opinion. Yes, there have been episodes where not a lot happens, more often than not, they are still pretty entertaining. Luckily, for Carroll, as he soon noticed, the 500th episode was definitely entertaining on top of being heartbreaking. There was not a boring moment at all. I can only imagine how intimidating it can be watching an episode like that in a room full of people, especially during an event like aSAG screening. Ultimately, he had nothing to worry about.
The notion of the episode being boring wasn't the concern Carroll had. He previously shared that he had a knee-jerk response to finding out that Vance was going to die. The veteran actor was surprised that it was so definitive, and he only found that out two episodes before they filmed it. I’m still mourning Vance’s death so many months later, but it’s possible Carroll could come back via a dream or an hallucination.
On that note, the show has yet to reveal permanent replacement for Director Vance and, at this point, it’s unclear who it could be. It’s also unclear when a decision could be made, whether it’s a permanent replacement or a character who is only acting director until a new one is chosen. Whoever the new director is, it’s going to be hard to get used to, since Carroll was on the series for 18 years. At the very least, his final episode was far from boring.
Fans can watch the 500th episode of NCIS and all seasons of the long-running procedural now with a Paramount+ subscription. Season 24 is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And it will surely be anything but boring.
