‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ season 8 planning out tribute to Miguel Ferrer

It was fairly easy to assume that at one point or another, we would be seeing “NCIS: Los Angeles” pay tribute to the late Miguel Ferrer. It may have just been difficult for the series to find the proper way to figure that out given the suddenness of his passing (at least from the outside looking in) and also the fact that the show is going to be on and off the air coming up thanks to the Super Bowl and the Grammys.

For some of you out there who were wondering specifically when the show would air a title card honoring the actor, we now have that and other answers.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the upcoming episode airing on March 5 will honor Ferrer after the show; meanwhile, it will also feature a recorded performance of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” by Ferrer’s band the Jenerators, as sung by the actor. This is a chance for “NCIS: Los Angeles” viewers to be let in to a part of Miguel’s world that they never saw on the show, and also for longtime fans of his to properly say goodbye. We get the sense that everyone who worked on the show loved his presence and the stories that he had to tell while on the set. He was a great entertainer, and he brought so much both to this show and every other one that he worked on. As a result of all of this, there’s going to be no replacing him on the long-running crime procedural. Maybe they will bring in a new character at some point, but they certainly won’t be like Granger. (There is no word on how the writers plan on writing the character out.)

Let us know if you think that this is a great idea to honor Ferrer’s legacy. The next new episode of the show will air on February 19, and you can head over here to see some more details about that now.

Our thoughts and condolences still go out to Ferrer’s friends and family, as we have to imagine that this continues to be an emotional and difficult time for them. (Photo: CBS.)