Tuesday night’s episode of NCIS introduced a storyline that’s going to see one of the characters — DOD employee Delilah Fielding — learning to live her life as a disabled person. On Wednesday, executive producer Gary Glasberg revealed that the arc was inspired by the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“I remember seeing a piece on I think it was the Today show about a bunch of women who had really managed to start to pull their lives back together again,” Glasberg told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour. “I wanted to try to capture some of that on our show. So the intent was — and is — to show someone who comes from a government background involved in something tragic like this and manages to persevere.”

In the latest episode, which was the conclusion of a two-parter, it was revealed that McGee’s (Sean Murray) girlfriend Delilah (Margo Harshman), who had been severely injured in a bombing at a gala at the end of the previous episode, was now paralyzed. Subsequent episodes, said Glasberg, will show Delilah taking “control of her life and [rising] up after what she’s been through.”

“We’re very excited about the arc of what that character is going to face as someone in a wheelchair and how that’s going to be portrayed,” he said.

As for McGee, who was devastated by the news, “it’s a psychological challenge,” Glasberg said.

Back in April, three people were killed and more than 250 were injured after two bombs detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

NCIS is currently prepping to go into production on its 250th episode, which will air in late February. That month will also see the return of R.J. Wagner, who plays father to Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo.

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