With the March 1 episode “One Last Score,” Michael Weatherly becomes the first NCIS cast member to direct the CBS hit. “Believe me, I knocked on the door a long time,” he tells TV Guide Magazine. “Mark Harmon has always said nobody here wants anybody else’s job — and here I am, trying to do somebody else’s job.”
As a first-time director, Weatherly says his biggest challenge came as an actor. “By the end of this episode, I felt DiNozzo had significantly altered,” he says. “He awakens from a four-year sleep. I was glad to see him back! In this episode and the next, he’s in a Sean Connery place — pretty deadly serious with a twinkle in his eye.”
That glint may be provided by Brothers & Sisters vet Sarah Jane Morris, who debuts as a new NCIS agent — and a potential love interest for Tony. Can the buffoon really transform into Bond? “As the director, I had certain powers,” he boasts, “and I hope the audience is pleased.” Well played, Mr. Weatherly.