AMP in the post
NCIS Spoilers – The Scene Was From This Season’s Finale
Wilmer wrote in his Instagram account, where he posted the photo, that it was a scene from the season finale. The finale will air on May 25. Valderrama wrote that the cast was on “the homestretch of the finale” but couldn’t give any more details. However, since they are all dressed in black while standing outside, it certainly looks like it could be a graveside funeral service. There have been two deaths – both offscreen – of minor characters this season already, one of Jimmy Palmer’s (Brian Dietzen) wife, and the other of Tobias Fornell’s (Joe Spano) daughter Emily Fornell (Juliet Angelo) due to a drug overdose.
While it certainly may not be a funeral, the black clothing and the outside shoot certainly could indicate it. Neither Tobias nor Ducky is in the shot, but then, there aren’t any bagpipers with kilts there either which would be likely at a Ducky funeral! No one looks upset or bereaved, but then the photo likely was taken after the scene was shot, if it was a funeral indeed. The whole NCIS crew is in the shot, left to right are Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) new NCIS REACT agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), Leroy Jethro Gibbs, (Mark Harmon), Valderrama as Special Agent Nick Torres, Ducky’s replacement Jimmy Palmer, (Brian Dietzen) Special Agent Timothy McGee, (Sean Murray) Special Agent Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll). One would think that if it were the funeral of either Tobias Fornell or Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, McGee’s wife Delilah McGee (Margo Harshman) would have been there but she is not in the picture.
NCIS Spoilers – Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard Retired From NCIS Two Years Ago
NCIS viewers will recall that Ducky retired from NCIS two years ago, although he was given a job of a historian of sorts and pops in virtually by ZOOM now and again. However, even that is very occasionally and he hasn’t been seen in any episodes this season. Tobias Fornell has been seen very recently, but when you compare the ages of the two men, going by the actors’ actual ages, Ducky is more likely to be the decedent if this scene indeed is a funeral. Tobias Fornell is played by seventy-four years young Joe Spano, while Ducky is played by eighty-seven year old David McCallum. Some older viewers or those who like to watch classic tv will recall that David McCallum played in the 1960s hit series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” as the dashing Russian Illya Kuryakin, who was the secret agent partner of Napolean Solo, played by the late Robert Vaughan. Longtime NCIS viewers may remember an early scene between late Special Agent Caitlyn Todd (Sasha Alexander) and Gibbs, when she was curious about Ducky and asked what he looked like when he was younger – Gibbs grinned and said “Illya Kuryakin”.
AMP in the post
One can reasonably assume that when Ducky retired onscreen McCallum retired offscreen too, although part of his absence onscreen the last couple of years may be due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Plenty of rumors abound concerning Mark Harmon wanting to retire as well, and Gibbs and Ducky go back years, to when they were very young men as shown in a Ducky-centric episode about two years ago shortly before Ducky’s onscreen retirement. It was NCIS’s 400th episode. One can imagine that with Ducky gone, Gibbs might not feel like hanging around NCIS and he might retire so he has some of his life left; Ducky would have worked in some way right up till the end!
Stay tuned to NCIS, and keep checking NCIS spoilers frequently for all the latest news, updates and developments!