The cast of NCIS teases the exit of Gary Cole in the season 21 finale, promising that no one’s character is safe. The long-running CBS drama swiftly established it was prepared to part ways with beloved characters, as was the case when Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) was killed off after just two seasons. Since then, NCIS has regularly experienced changes to its ensemble. Arguably, the biggest change during season 19 happened when Cole, a veteran actor, replaced Mark Harmon’s mainstay Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
But while speaking with Deadline during a recent CBS event, the show’s cast signaled that none of the team members are safe heading into the already-renewed NCIS season 22. Cole began by offering some words of encouragement and suggested that his character, Alden Parker, isn’t going anywhere. Other cast members were more vague. Katrina Law, who plays Jessica Knight, and Brian Dietzen, who plays Jimmy Palmer, both hinted that changes could be coming to the popular procedural series. Dietzen, in particular, noted: “They should worry about a lot of characters. No character is safe.” Their full quotes are below:
Cole : “Nobody told me if I am [leaving the show]. You’ll have to watch to find out but, no.”
Law : “I have to say, this is one of my favorite NCIS scripts. It is so well written. I’m hoping that in the execution we brought it justice and that the audience is going to love it. I got to do a lot of scene work with Gary Cole, who is an amazing human being and an even more amazing actor. He knocked it out of the park. There were times in these scenes when I was watching him act and I was devastated watching him because he was that brilliant.”
Dietzen : “They shouldn’t just be worried about Gary Cole, they should worry about a lot of characters. No character is safe, that’s what NCIS stands for, I think. I’ll tell you this, Gary Cole and Katrina Law knock it out of the park in this episode. There are a lot of things that are going to be happening, not just the danger that our characters are put through, but also dynamics that are going to be shifting. Potentially even between Jimmy and Jess, this couple that has been fantastic for the last two years. I have to say, it’s my favorite finale script that we’ve had in years. It’s so good.”s
What’s Going On In The NCIS Seaon 21 Finale?
In the season 21 finale, which airs on May 6, a mission takes a life-threatening turn. The episode follows Parker and Knight, with the duo discovering three bodies on an old Navy ship. The ship is about to be sunk and turned into an artificial reef, but the story takes a turn when the duo gets trapped inside the ship. The episode, written by Scott Williams and directed by José Clemente Hernandez, has a few more signs of danger.
In a preview for the episode, which is titled “Reef Madness”, a heavy object falls on Parker, and, in another scene, Knight appears to be drowning. Knight and Parker are both relatively recent additions to NCIS, with Knight first appearing in season 18. But in their relatively short time on-screen, they’ve become crucial to the show.
A procedural has to balance the importance of characters with the need to provide believable stakes for the storyand the sense that the show’s world isn’t static. As it prepares to head into season 22, a rare accomplishment for any primetime drama, NCIS may well be making that calculation with a pair of fan favorites.
