‘NCIS’ Pays Tribute to David McCallum: See Team Mourn Ducky & Work His Unfinished Case (PHOTOS)

Something tells us NCIS is going to deliver one of its saddest, most heartbreaking, and most bittersweet hours with its tribute to longtime cast member David McCallum, who died in September 2023.

CBS has released photos from the February 19 episode, “The Stories We Leave Behind,” written by star Brian Dietzen (fitting, since his Dr. Jimmy Palmer was introduced as Ducky’s assistant) and Scott Williams, and it features the team digging into one of the former medical examiner-turned-historian’s cases.

In the episode, the logline teases, “As NCIS mourns the loss of Ducky, the agents find comfort in working on one of his unfinished cases involving a woman whose father was dishonorably discharged from the Marines.”

This is a case that no one knew he was working. It “was important to Dr. Mallard. In [investigating it], they’re going to relive their memories of a coworker and a man who meant so very much to them,” co-showrunner David J. North told us. In doing so, they ask, “What would Ducky do?” in order to get to the answer. “Brian shed tears writing it; the cast and crew shed tears shooting it,” added North. We have a feeling we will be, too, watching it.

An extended trailer for the season, which offered a look at Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) in trouble with the FBI for something that may have happened with a man from his past who made his family’s life a nightmare, shows what looks like Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Dietzen) finding Ducky dead. And considering now these images show Torres alongside the rest of the team, we’re not too worried about what might be going in the premiere (or the FBI arresting him for murder).

Scroll down to check out the photos from this episode.

NCIS, Season 21 Premiere, Monday, February 12, 9/8c, CBS