You’re Definitely Going To Recognize [Them]

NCIS star Brian Dietzen teases the return of a fan-favorite character in an upcoming episode. The signature CBS franchise has already welcomed back familiar faces in season 22. Some date back to the show’s earlier days, as with Laura San Giacomo as Dr. Grace Confalone and the character’s connection to Gibbs. Viewers have also seen Meredith Eaton reprising the role of Carol Wilson after first being introduced in season 7. It reaffirms the procedural’s history, heading into the already-renewed NCIS season 23.

In an interview with Collider, Dietzen offers a filming update and episode count clarification. The actor, who has played Jimmy Palmer since nearly the beginning, mentions that NCIS season 22 will consist of 20 episodes and adds that they are currently filming episode 18. When it comes to the identity of the returning actor, Dietzen is less forthcoming. He teases, nonetheless, that it will be a “fan-favorite” and indicated the return will happen in episode 18:

We’re shooting our 18th episode. We have 20 ordered on the season. So this is the pre-pre finale, and it’s great. We got some good stuff going on…I just did a scene with a wonderful guest star who you’re definitely going to recognize, and I can’t talk about yet. But, but, teaser: it’s, it’s one that I think our fans are really going to love… With 22 years of catalog, you go back to a lot of people. But yeah, it’s pretty cool. Definitely a fan-favorite.

The Possibilities Are Wide Open

One of the things that comes along with being one of the defining TV procedurals of the last two decades is that the CBS stalwart has a lot to revisit when it chooses to do so. That’s true both in terms of spinoffs and all the significant characters that have left NCIS. It is unlikely that the return will be on the level of Gibbs, who is currently the focus of the prequel show NCIS: Origins. It also wouldn’t seem to be Abby Sciuto, considering that Pauley Perrette recently ruled out a return.

Still, even if the show is unable to deliver on two of the most requested returns, there are still a lot of familiar faces that could make a surprise appearance towards the end of the current season. It could be someone from NCIS: Hawaiʻi, NCIS: Los Angeles or, digging back a little further, NCIS: New Orleans. More will likely be revealed closer to the premiere of episode 18, as NCIS season 22 has had breaks between new episodes recently.

In terms of characters who would be a candidate to make a surprise guest appearance, there is NCIS Special Agent Eleanor Bishop. Played by Emily Wickersham, Bishop last appeared in NCIS season 18. Though her character resigns after confessing to leaking NSA secrets, she goes undercover with the CIA. Bishop was around during the show’s midpoint and had the chance to interact with some of the NCIS originals, making her potential return even more significant.

Jennifer Esposito had only a short run on NCIS, departing after just a single season. Her character, NCIS Special Agent Alexandra Quinn, leaves to take care of her ailing mother. Esposito returned for Blue Bloods, another CBS show that she spent a relatively short time on. She could pop into NCIS and offer a bit of closure for a team member that may have never been intended to be a long-term addition, though she was still portrayed by a veteran performer who quickly gelled with the cast.

2:21

Related

Why Jackie Left Blue Bloods In 2012

Blue Bloods season 13 brought back Jackie Curatola after her sudden exit from the show, perhaps suggesting that she could return for season 14.

Dr. Jacqueline Sloane, played by Maria Bello, would be another solid option for a surprise cameo. The character was important to Gibbs, sharing a goodbye kiss with him after she decided to remain in Afghanistan and help children there. It wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine, for example, that Jimmy could get the psychologist on a video call in a fleeting but impactful nod to the franchise’s established relationships, which are plentiful. It could also play into NCIS: Origins, which is digging deeper into Gibbs and offering new sides to the well-known TV lead.

Our Take On NCIS’ Returning Guest

It Adds Intrigue

A big part of the joy in watching a show with a lengthy run is that it can dig into its history when needed for a nice surprise or to fundamentally shake things up. It remains to be seen, of course, which category the latest return falls into. It seems, based on the response from Dietzen, that the appearance could be brief. Even if that turns out to be the case, though, NCIS still knows how to make those moments count.

With season 23 recently confirmed by CBS, the series will only continue to build an impressive cast of characters. NCIS has a great history of looking back on the people who helped make the show what it is; for example, season 8 created the character of Dr. Rachel Cranston (Wendy Makkena) and revealed she was the sister of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), the original character who was killed off in season 2, as a way to revisit both Kate and the show’s past. NCIS knows its history all too well and will likely continue to honor it in meaningful ways.

Source: Collider

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

NCIS

6/10

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Showrunner

Donald P. Bellisario

Directors

Dennis Smith, Terrence O’Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright

Writers

George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh

• 

  Sean Murray

  Timothy McGee

• 

  David McCallum

  Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard