Photo Credit; Getty Images
A beloved character is receiving a farewell salute from NCIS.
On the March 24 episode, eighteen years after the leader's debut in season five, the crime procedural bid farewell to Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll). The late Chief Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard (played by Adam Campbell) welcomed Vance to heaven after he was shot and killed by a dishonest agent during the 500th episode.
What is Carroll's opinion of leaving the show? Since the last scene was filmed last year, he has had a few months to deal with his departure.
In an interview with Variety that was published on March 24, he said, "I've been able to wrap my mind around it and come to terms with it because I've known about this since November, when I was first told about what was going to happen." "And the last scene, where Director Vance realizes that he’s been talking to basically the grim reaper, the angel of death, and walks toward the light, that was shot on Dec. 11."
According to the 62-year-old, he has now "come full circle with it."Carroll went on, "I really think it's a great episode." "I’m not just saying this to be a team player, but if you’ve gotta send a character off, what a way to go."
He describes the episode as "a real love letter to the character that really summarized his journey and his impact on the show" and gives executive producer Steven D. Binder credit for crafting a poignant conclusion for Vance.
However, Carroll acknowledged that at first he wondered why Vance had to be killed off rather than written off in another manner.
"We lose characters all the time, but we sent Gibbs off to Alaska," he said. "I had this kind of knee-jerk response, where I remember one of the first things I was saying to our executive producers." All of these characters—Bishop, Tony, Ziva, and others—were able to leave on their own initiative, always keeping in mind that they were gone but not dead. Therefore, why are we being so definitive about this character's departure when everyone else is simply deported to another nation?
However, after the actor shared his "rebuttal," the producers informed him that they wanted a significant moment for the 500th episode.
"Everyone involved, including the studio and the network, said, 'We don't have to put this show on the map—it's on the map—but we have to remind people why it is one of the most watched shows in the world and has been on for so long. For the 500th episode, let's do something truly amazing. And this is what we've developed," Carroll recalled. "I thought, 'It actually is a great idea.' It's a terrific storyline,' after the creative and director parts of me read the script and got a really good gist of it. Actors enjoy dying on camera, you know.
