After more than 20 years on the air, NCIS has quietly closed a major chapter. The iconic crime drama has officially said goodbye to its final original cast connection. Following the 2023 death of David McCallum (Dr. Donald โDuckyโ Mallard), only one character remained from the very first episode: FBI Agent Tobias Fornell, played by Joe Spano.
Fornell, a longtime ally of Gibbs (Mark Harmon), made his last appearance during the showโs milestone 1000th episode. However, heโs been noticeably absent sinceโespecially in the recent episode โSticks and Stones,โ which introduced a new FBI figure, Deputy Director Wayne Sweeney (Erik Passoja). This quiet shift strongly suggests that Fornellโs run has come to an end, marking the departure of the final original cast tie.
Sean Murrayโs Timothy McGee, who joined in season one, now stands as the longest-running active character. While the show has seen countless changes, it continues to evolve, with new faces stepping in to carry the torch into its 22nd season.
Meanwhile, the NCIS universe is expanding yet again. A new spinoff, NCIS: Tony and Ziva, is in developmentโbringing back fan-favorites Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo. The series will follow DiNozzo and Zivaโs life in Paris after their off-screen reunion, giving fans a fresh glimpse into their post-NCIS journey.
Though the original team is gone, NCIS shows no signs of slowing downโonly shifting into a new era.
