Whereas NCIS Season 21 ended up being considerably shorter than typical on account of manufacturing being delayed because of the actors and writers strikes, the present hit two main milestones throughout these 10 episodes. Together with the NCIS franchise’s 1,000th episode airing throughout that point, the second Season 21 episode, titled “The Tales We Depart Behind,” paid tribute to the late David McCallum, who had performed Ducky Mallard ever for the reason that NCIS backdoor pilot from JAG. Now, as Season 22 continues airing on the 2025 TV schedule, Jimmy Palmer actor Brian Dietzen, who co-wrote this episode, has talked with CinemaBlend in regards to the fan reactions after it aired.
Throughout my current dialog with Dietzen alongside actress Elle Graper, who not too long ago reprised Jimmy Palmer’s daughter Victoria on NCIS, the actor shared with me how he acquired lots of variety phrases for the episode that opened with Jimmy discovering that Ducky had handed away. He began off by saying:
The reception was universally very constructive… You at all times really feel like one thing you write has some degree of import for your self, and hopefully for the followers, and folks say, ‘Oh, that was, that was good.’ You hope for a great reception. Nevertheless it felt just like the stakes have been rather a lot greater on this one. I co-wrote that with Scott Williams, and it wasn’t simply Scott Williams, proper? As a result of we had all of those different writers who had labored on all of those scenes that we had in there as effectively, and our entire workers that got here and gave their two cents on, like, ‘Here is the most effective scene that it’s best to do for this or that.’ It actually was such a bunch effort that it felt like, ‘Boy, we won’t let this down as a result of David has meant a lot to us as a good friend and as a colleague.’
Though David McCallum stopped making common appearances on NCIS beginning in Season 15, he would nonetheless pop in on occasion till his final look within the Season 20 finale, and he remained credited as a collection common. “The Tales We Depart Behind,” which you’ll watch now with a Paramount+ subscription, noticed the crew coming collectively to unravel the final case Ducky had been engaged on earlier than he died. As Brian Dietzen famous, along with the fabric he wrote with Scott Williams, there have been additionally clips interspersed all through the episode of different necessary Ducky moments from years previous. The actor continued:
And by proxy, after all, Ducky has meant a lot to the present, nevertheless it actually was about David. It was about attempting to pay respects to his work on this present and his large, large half in making this the success that it’s. I felt so blessed to have the ability to have him as an on-screen and off-screen mentor in my life. And he was a great good friend.
David McCallum died on September 25, 2023, simply six days after he informed 90 years previous. “The Tales We Depart Behind” aired 5 months later and Brian Dietzen additionally informed me throughout our dialog that going into Season 21, he had no intention of writing any episodes, having beforehand achieved so with Season 19’s “The Helpers” and Season 20’s “Outdated Wounds.” However following McCallum’s passing, the powers-that-be felt that it was necessary his voice be heard, and this resolution paid off. As Dietzen recalled:
So to be requested by our producers, ‘Hey, are you able to co-write on this one? As a result of we would like your voice.’ I used to be past honored, and I received a beautiful notice from Amy Reisenbach after she watched the primary minimize. She simply mentioned, ‘You probably did him proud, and I used to be like, ‘Okay, I feel we’re on course.’ And by the point it aired, I used to be joyful by the reception, and that individuals actually liked it.
It’s good to listen to that followers and CBS higher-ups alike authorized of how Dietzen honored David McCallum and his character in “The Tales We Depart Behind.” The episode concluded with a shock look from Michael Weatherly, who reprised Tony DiNozzo for the primary time since exiting NCIS within the Season 13 finale. Since Weatherly had additionally appeared alongside McCallum, Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette within the JAG episodes “Ice Queen” and “Meltdown,” it was becoming that one of many unique guard was there for this sendoff.
Though Ducky Mallard is lengthy since gone from the NCIS-verse, his reminiscence lives on. The workplace he used whereas working because the NCIS historian has been transformed into the hangout spot formally often called the Dr. Donald Mallard Memorial Multi-Goal Room, nicknamed Ducky’s. As for Brian Dietzen, you possibly can proceed seeing him play Jimmy Palmer on NCIS Monday nights at 9 pm ET, and he additionally knowledgeable me why followers ought to be excited in regards to the upcoming spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva.