NCIS season 16 episode 16 spoilers: David McCallum back as Ducky!
Interested in some NCIS video coverage? At the bottom of this article, you can get some more thoughts on the recent episode “She” — obviously a notable one for the history of this series. Remember to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube so you don’t miss out on our NCIS videos because we will have more this season. We also have a full NCIS playlist that should make your search for coverage on the show easier for you.
CarterMatt can officially say that Ducky is going to be back for not just Tuesday’s new episode “Bears and Cubs” (read more about that by heading over here), but then also the episode that follows entitled “Silent Service.” McCallum’s IMDb page also suggests that he will be appearing in the episode that follows, but we’re hesitant to confirm that until we see actual promotional photos of him in action (sometimes, listings on IMDb can be inaccurate). The image above is from Ducky in “Silent Service.”
It’s been a good while since McCallum appeared on the series — think several episodes, in fact. We knew going into this season that he was only going to appear in a percentage of episodes, a way for him to continue to play his beloved character while spending more time with his family. That’s the sort of thing that makes sense when you have been a part of a landmark series for a decade and a half and had a long career in entertainment before that; at some point, you probably do want a little more time for yourself. With all of this said, we didn’t think Ducky appearing in a percentage of episodes meant that we would be going such long stretches on end without seeing him!
Tuesday is the perfect time to get the autopsy specialist back in action, mostly because Jimmy Palmer is making a total mess of an investigation because of his ties to one of the people involved — his father-in-law! While Jimmy is trying to sort himself out, Ducky may be needed to ensure that business unfolds as usual down in the lab. His wisdom is often needed, and beyond just that, he’s another reminder of some of the show’s early days.
When you look at the entire landscape of NCIS, how many echoes are there of the early seasons? Now that Pauley Perrette is gone (she does have another pilot over at CBS), Mark Harmon and McCallum are the only two actors left who appeared in the original backdoor pilot “Ice Queen” that aired during JAG. (Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen showed up in the first season, but were not immediately series regulars.)
Other news worth noting…
“Bears and Cubs” is also going to feature the return of Robert Wagner as DiNozzo, Senior! There is a lot of old-school Hollywood within this particular episode, and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Once it seems like NCIS has one notable longtime actor on board, they find a way to incorporate as many others as possible. (Larry Miller is also appearing in this episode as Jimmy’s aforementioned father-in-law.)
Are you excited to see NCIS season 16 episode 16?
Beyond that, are you excited to see Ducky back in the story? Share right now in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)