The long-running CBS procedural NCIS marked its 500th episode on Tuesday with a major plot twist: Director Leon Vance died saving the agency from shutdown. The installment featured numerous Easter eggs referencing the show's history, including nods to past characters and cases. Rocky Carroll, who has portrayed Vance since 2008, discussed the storyline in an interview.
NCIS reached its 500th episode on Tuesday, delivering a nostalgic retrospective packed with references to its 23-season history. The story centered on the NCIS team racing to clear the name of Navy petty officer sister of Billy Fuentes, a character from the show's second episode, 'Hung Out to Dry,' in Season 1. Billy, originally played by Austin Marques as a child, returned as an adult portrayed by the same actor. Flashbacks showed Gibbs building a treehouse for young Billy 23 years earlier, with Mark Harmon reprising his role briefly. The agency faced shutdown by the Department of Defense, forcing the team to clear out offices where Kasie Hines discovered Abby Sciuto's old clothes, prompting Vance to recall, 'Abby Sciutto had a big brain, and an even bigger heart.' Other Easter eggs included graffiti of a duck foreshadowing Ducky's appearance, a frog referencing arms dealer La Grenouille, a sign for a trip to Naktok Bay, Alaska—Gibbs' hideaway—and clocks set to 11, alluding to Gibbs' Rule 11: 'When the job is done, walk away.' Knight's sister Robin, previously dated by Torres, was mentioned in a subplot distracting CID agent Dolan Thompson. The episode culminated in Vance being shot by corrupt CID agent Dolan while thwarting an evidence locker explosion. In a heavenly sequence, a young Ducky, played by Adam Campbell, interrogated and then guided Vance to the afterlife, assuring him, 'You didn't give up your life for nothing, dear boy. You saved your agency. Your legacy will live on.' Vance reunited with his late wife Jackie, replying to her 'Hey baby' with 'Hey Jackie.' Rocky Carroll told TVLine the producers, led by executive producer Steven D. Binder, pitched the idea late in production, calling it a 'tribute and a love letter' to his character. Carroll, who joined in Season 5 midway through 2008, called his 18-season run an 'anomaly' and plans to return as a director. The episode honored David McCallum's Ducky, who passed in 2023.