In recent years, fans have seen a number of their favorite characters leave the series, with series staple Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) being the most recent. Now that NCIS Season 20 is only a few episodes in, many worry that another fan favorite might soon be leaving the show.
Is Director Leon Vance Leaving NCIS Season 20?
NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) was the victim of a house invasion in the most recent NCIS Season 20 episode, The Guardian, on CBS. While Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and his team investigated, fans wondered if Vance would be hurt or worse.
They came through, and Vance survived the incident, allaying the audience's anxieties for the time being. However, there is still conjecture that the character will retire sooner rather than later.
This is due to the fact that in the same episode, Tim McGee (Sean Murray) had to briefly fill in for Vance when the director traveled abroad with Parker for a conference. McGee initially struggled in his new position as acting director. But he soon realized that he was genuinely enjoying it.
Director McGee?
Many viewers started to think about McGee's future on the show after seeing him in Vance's situation. He joined the NCIS team in Season 1 as a recurrent character but was soon promoted to a regular cast member in Season 2.
Fans were shocked when McGee decided not to accept Gibbs' position after Harmon left the show last year; Parker ultimately ended up filling the position. But now they see that the character might actually be a lot more suited for the director post. Even NCIS's Twitter account made mention of it, teasing, "Director McGee could have a nice ring to it someday."
What are the Odds of Director Vance Retiring?
The most recent NCIS Season 20 episode prompted several theories. Most importantly, some fans feel that Director Vance may be the next to go. But, rather than being murdered off, he will most likely exit with a lot more graceful exit - retirement or promotion.
Carroll is one of the longest-serving cast members on NCIS. His character first appeared in the Season 5 episode Internal Affairs over 15 years ago. In Season 6, he was promoted to the main cast and has stayed there ever since.
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Director Vance's retirement seems too soon for some fans, but we might find the answers when NCIS Season 20 returns tonight on CBS.