NCIS will be returning for the 2020-2021 Season and this will be their 18th Season.
NCIS will be returning for the 2020-2021 Season and this will be their 18th Season.
NCIS is officially making Officer Reeves a member of the family.
The CBS drama has promoted Duane Henry — who joined the cast last season in the recurring role of MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves — to a full-fledged series regular ahead of Season 14, TVLine has learned.
Henry’s upgrade comes amid word that Sarah Clarke, whose character Tess Monroe also boarded NCIS last season, will not be back. Meanwhile, the rejiggered Season 14 cast will also include Wilmer Valderrama and Jennifer Esposito as new full-time agents. (It apparently takes a village to replace Michael Weatherly!)
A quick refresher on Reeves: The Brit rose above his blue collar roots to become a successful government agent. Offbeat and fun with swagger to spare, he has a professional confidence that’s impossible to disregard. To say Reeves has burned some bridges in the international intelligence community is an understatement, but he owns the choices he’s made and he’s determined to do what’s right.
NCIS kicks off its 14th season on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8/7c.
Jennifer Esposito is eyeing a return to the CBS procedural fold via NCIS.
Sources confirm to TVLine that the Blue Bloods alum is joining Season 14 of TV’s most-watched drama in the series-regular role of Special Agent Alexandra “Alex” Quinn. An experienced NCIS agent who left field work and became an instructor at the Law Enforcement Training Center, Quinn is lured by Gibbs (Mark Harmon) back into the field as part of his team, where he will take advantage of her sharp wit, quick mind and immense talent as a federal agent.
Meanwhile, TVLine has confirmed that Sarah Clarke — who boarded the CBS juggernaut last season in the recurring role of Special Agent Tess Monroe — will not be returning.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Jennifer Esposito joining us for Season 14,” said EP Gary Glasberg in a statement. “She embodies everything that we hoped for in the character of Quinn and we can’t wait to have her come be a part of our team.”
Esposito — who most recently co-starred in ABC’s Mistresses — marks NCIS‘ latest significant Season 14 move, following last month’s casting of Wilmer Valderrama (also as a series regular) and this week’s promotion of Duane Henry (Officer Reeves). This comes as NCIS heads into its first season without Michael Weatherly, whose 13-year run on the CBS juggernaut ended with last month’s Season 13 finale.
NCIS kicks off its 14th season on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8/7c.
A couple of Gary Glasberg interviews post Season Finale:
And if you’re not following the NCIS official Instagram account you can read his comments during the episode here:
“From the moment the season finale begins, we wanted to set up that family, in whatever shape it comes in, takes priority over everything else. ‘Family First’ is the title of the episode as well as the under current in every scene.” EP Gary Glasberg
“A loss like this would be devastating to the whole team, but this family of agents, first and foremost, wants to be there for Tony as he receives the heartbreaking news. Something you should all know…RJ Wagner came to us months ago and genuinely believed Senior should be with DiNozzo when the news comes in. As his father and his friend, Senior needed to be there to support his son. RJ said he wouldn’t miss this for the world. The entire guest cast really brought their “A game”. Everyone acknowledged we were making something special.” EP Gary Glasberg
“This scene was a powder keg for Michael. We could see it in his eyes from the moment he stepped on set. He prepared for this scene differently than anything we’d seen before. We could see it in his emotional state, the way he looked at Ziva’s desk, and his body language. Michael wanted to experiment and try some things and we were all for it. Every member of the crew witnessed a shift that day in the Tony character. DiNozzo’s world had officially been rocked. Tony wants answers and he refuses to believe Ziva is dead. Who can blame him? He wants proof. We wanted to make sure all those emotions and uncertainties and questions were properly presented. I’ve watched this scene a hundred times now. It’s NCIS at its emotional best.” – EP Gary Glasberg
“Okay, so here’s the big one, folks. First, let me thank you all for going on his journey with us. We imagine you’re feeling a broad range of emotions right now. For months the writers have been discussing with me (and Michael) what would motivate Tony DiNozzo to leave his NCIS family? It would have to be something so powerful no one would disagree. It couldn’t be another job. It couldn’t be about money. I even struggled with it being for another relationship. Hours…days…we sat in the writers room talking. Being a field agent is dangerous. And if you’re suddenly a single parent, do you continue to take that risk every day? Or does having a child change everything? Based on all of our research, talking to actual federal agents and law enforcement officers, it certainly does change things. And now Tony would do anything for that little girl. Anything. The real question is why didn’t Ziva tell him sooner? Because, like Orli says, Ziva always wanted Tony to live HIS life. You all know Ziva as a fiercely independent character. We truly believe she was planning to introduce him to his daughter when the time was right. Should that frustrate and anger Tony? Of course it should. But he also knew Ziva well enough to understand. And, at the end of the day, look what she’s given him. A new sense of purpose. A new chapter. A new beginning. A new love. We knew it would take something enormous to make Tony put down his badge. Tali is that very special something.” – EP Gary Glasberg
“For months Joe Spano and I have been talking about trying something new and different. When people experience a severe trauma that leaves them injured and in need of rehab, they face some mammoth hurdles in the future. Often, injured characters on TV instantly recover. Fornell will have a more realistic road ahead of him. Spano is excited. I’m excited. Watch him in season 14. He’s a truly gifted actor.” – NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
“Tony finding the photo of he and Ziva in the go bag and showing it to Tali is one of my favorite scenes in the episode. This is where all the puzzle pieces really fit together. This is where Tony realizes how much Ziva truly cared for him and that she wanted him to be in Tali’s life. It’s also where Tony acknowledges (off screen after this revelation) to join his team and confront Kort. Go back and watch this scene again. It really covers a wide range of story and emotion. And how about the little girls that play Tali? Aren’t they great? (That’s right, folks…twins.)” – NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
“This couldn’t just be about Tony taking down Kort. The whole team is invested. The whole team needed justice. Kort reaches for his gun and they respond. They respond decisively as a group…as a family. Words aren’t necessary after that. The damage is done. Justice is bittersweet.”- NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
“Everyone came to watch this scene be filmed. Watch Mark Harmon’s brilliant decision to start to head slap Tony and then cradle his head in a warm embrace instead. Thirteen years as friends and co-workers. Good stuff.” – NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
“Now Tony makes his way through a series of goodbyes. First, a raw and very real emotional moment with Abby. Then a respectful and professional DiNozzo leaves his gun and badge with Director Vance. Vance’s appreciative glance says volumes. Then a warm exchange with Palmer and Ducky summing up years of professionalism and friendship. Finally, a special goodbye with McGee and Bishop. A passing of the baton to Tim. Now McGee is the ‘Very Special Agent’. And Tony and Bishop had become true friends. Oh — and take a look in that box Tony is carrying. Lots of fun stuff in there from a photo of Kate to other assorted NCIS momentos. And, with that, Tony is off to be with Tali…his family. The next chapter for Anthony DiNozzo Jr.” – NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
Finally, we leave you with some thoughts to consider over the summer as everyone rests, recovers, and recharges. We are eager to show you what NCIS has in store for season fourteen. Heck, we’ve got some great stuff headed your way. And that’s the truth. But here’s what I’d like to say before I go. We have no intention of trying to replace Tony…we can’t. He was and always will be a huge part of this show. All we can do is move forward, evolve,and continue on this amazing journey for seasons to come. We truly hope you enjoyed our finale. That said, before I go, I urge everyone to go back and watch again. Really watch and listen. Hear what’s being said. Pay attention. Tony Dinozzo is at peace. And he and Tali are moving on, searching for answers and happiness, just like the team has to move on as well. In Gibbs’ basement, Gibbs and Tony agree on something very important, “You gotta do what you gotta do. And you gotta believe what you gotta believe.” Thanks for believing.” – NCIS EP Gary Glasberg
It’s official TVLine has posted exclusively that Michael Weatherly will be in fact leaving NCIS at 13 years with the show. At the end of Season 13 Michael and Tony will being saying goodbye. Following TVline’s article Michael Weatherly tweeted out to the fans.
DiNozzo is a wonderful, quixotic character & I couldn't have had more fun playing him over the past 13 seasons pic.twitter.com/GR7YSsmsKJ
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 5, 2016
Les Moonves & CBS gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/eqF5y6GSNw
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 5, 2016
I will miss the amazing crew & cast, who are like family to me, & to the fans all over the world – THANK YOU, it’s been a fantastic ride!
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 5, 2016
The way CBS’ NCIS left things, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was down, but he is not out. (Spoiler alert?)
That said, the man who just barely survives the shooting at the hands of a young terrorist recruit may not be the same one that we, Tony, Ducky et al have gotten to know so well over the years. With the Season 13 premiere fast approaching (on Tuesday, Sept. 22), TVLine presents the bulk of our Fall Preview Q&A with Gary Glasberg, the showrunenr behind TV’s most watched drama.
TVLINE | How do you pay off a cliffhanger that some might argue is a foregone conclusion?
You know better — on NCIS it’s never a foregone conclusion!TVLINE | OK, but this is. [Laughs]
I’m not going to try to tell you that Gibbs isn’t coming back. Gibbs is coming back. But he goes through a really traumatic experience in this that changes him. We pick up right where we left off, and he’s rushed into surgery on an aircraft carrier, where we hook him up with a surgeon played by Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men). The whole first half of the show is this emotional roller coaster ride of Gibbs’ surgery and with this new character. Stop the BleedingI was a huge M*A*S*H fan when I was a kid, and I think there are many similarities humorwise in the type of work that we do on NCIS, so I really wanted to create this homage to the kind of writing that was done on that show, with Jon’s character — and Jon really delivers. At the end of it, he and Gibbs have established this doctor/patient bond, and in Gibbs going through this we’re going to see a more emotionally accessible Gibbs. We’re going to see some changes in Gibbs that are going to throw people a little bit. [Mark] Harmon is really doing some fantastic work right now in just little subtle nuances and changes. Physically you’re going to see changes. Emotionally you’re going to see changes. Things that you wouldn’t normally associate with Leroy Jethro Gibbs are going to happen.TVLINE | I was going to ask: What were Mark Harmon’s hopes and wishes for the storyline?
My goal 13 seasons into a show is to give him something fresh and different and new to work with. By going through this sort of life-altering moment, it changes Gibbs’ perspective on the world. You have this very old-school view of what his job is and what being a federal agent is about, and then you end up getting shot and seriously injured by a 12-, 13-year-old kid. That in our mind changes everything.
Get ready to see some familiar faces on the upcoming 13th season of NCIS.
As Gibbs (Mark Harmon) recovers from the gunshot wound he suffered at the end of last season, his past will come back to haunt him – in more ways than one.
While he drifts in and out of consciousness post-surgery (which will be performed by guest star Jon Cryer), Gibbs once again begins having hallucinations involving Mike Franks (Muse Watson), his former colleague/mentor who was killed in Season 8. But, unlike his previous visions, these don’t stop with Mike.
“You have to remember that Gibbs is in a difficult place,” showrunner Gary Glasberg tells TVGuide.com. “He’s going to see some things and talk with some people that might surprise everybody. It’s no surprise that Mike is there, but there are some other people from his past who he also interacts with, in some really touching scenes.”
And not all of the returning faces will be apparitions. Episode 2 finds an old friend bringing a case to Gibbs “that sheds a bunch of light on Gibbs’ past and things that we still don’t know about,” Glasberg teases. But – sorry, Cote de Pablo fans – there is one important figure from Gibbs’ past who won’t be returning, in any capacity. “There’ll definitely be some surprise appearances of people from our NCIS past, but Ziva David is not one of them,” Glasberg says adamantly.
Who else would you like to see return to NCIS?
Gary Glasberg tells THR that this season’s last episode will find Gibbs and Tony in “some very dangerous territory.”
Ned Dorneget’s (Matt Jones) death isn’t the last of the scary moments for the team this season on NCIS.
The characters on the CBS drama suffered a tough loss when the special agent was killed in an explosion at a Cairo hotel during last week’s episode, leading to the arrival of his mother, Joanna (Mimi Rogers).
Executive producer Gary Glasberg tells The Hollywood Reporter that this “heart-wrenching” death helps propel a story arc that will continue through Tuesday’s season-12 finale and into next season.
“Gibbs (Mark Harmon) always takes a loss to his team very, very seriously,” Glasberg says. “Throughout the next episode and then the season opener as well, [the agents will] all be very focused on catching not only Dorneget’s killer but getting to the bottom of this terrorist organization and trying to put a stop to whatever they have planned.”
Glasberg reveals that the finale picks up with Ned’s mom, a CIA officer who “proves to be an important figure politically and with our group,” and then it sees Gibbs and Tony (Michael Weatherly) finding themselves in “some very dangerous territory.”
“[The finale] continues down the road, building the relationship between Gibbs and this young man Luke (Daniel Zolghadri) and then carries us all the way through to a very shocking and disturbing season-ending moment,” Glasberg says.
NCIS’ season-12 finale airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CBS.
The NCIS team will deal with a tragedy before the season is out – but who’s going to die? “It’s a fan favorite, and I think it’s going to be quite a shock,” star Emily Wickersham, who plays Ellie Bishop, tells TVGuide.com. “It was a shock to me, and I think it will be a shock to the fans.”
The death occurs in the May 5 episode, “The Lost Boys,” which is the second in a three-episode arc about a terrorist organization that recruits children online. “At the end of the penultimate episode, something pretty atrocious happens and we lose someone very close to us in the process,” says showrunner Gary Glasberg, who also promises the “return of some very familiar faces that will make our fans very happy.”
Of course, he may be referring to Matt Jones, who returns as Probationary Agent Ned Dorneget for at least two of the episodes. But here’s another possibility: Could this mean the long-awaited return of Ziva David (Cote de Pablo)? And if it does, is it possible that she’ll return to the show only to – gulp – be killed off?
Both Glasberg and Wickersham confirm that the death in question is going to have a serious impact on the rest of the team. “It’s someone that we know and that we’re close to,” Glasberg says. “And that will spark the appearance of other familiar faces as well.” Adds Wickersham: “When there’s any sort of loss of a coworker or a friend or anyone that you’ve known for a while, it rattles you. It becomes a motivating thing for the team.”
Who do you think is going to die?