NCIS Shocker: Rocky Carroll Tells All on Hi...

What’s Happening

Real talk: NCIS has not been shy about letting some of its tertiary characters die a dramatic death, but when it comes to letting any of the shows main cast come to a sad end, theres been more of a historical hesitation there.

So the fandom was little prepared when the big surprise of the shows 500th [] Home TV News Mar 24, 2026 6:08pm PT NCIS Shocker: Rocky Carroll Tells All on His Unexpected [SPOILER] and Playing Director Vance for Nearly Two Decades By Chris Willman Plus Icon Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic ChrisWillman Latest Chip Taylor, Songwriters Hall of Fame Member Who Wrote Wild Thing and Angel of the Morning, Dies at 86 3 hours ago Bob Dylan Adds West Coast Dates to 2026 Summer Touring 5 hours ago NCIS Hits Episode 500: Showrunner Steven D. Binder on Surviving Cast Turnover and Why He Believes There Will Be Always Be an NCIS, Barring the Total Collapse of the Network Broadcast Model 7 hours ago See All CBS NCIS has not been shy about letting some of its tertiary characters die a dramatic death, but when it comes to letting any of the shows main cast come to a sad end, theres been more of a historical hesitation there. (and honestly, same)

Much of the episode focuses on Vance flashing back on recent events to a seemingly antagonistic interrogator, who at some point reveals himself to be a young version of Ducky, the coroner whom, of course, the director knows to have gone on to the solid beyond.

Why This Matters

At that point, Vance slowly but surely comes to accept his fate, even cracking a joke as he wonders whether having a blinding white light is a little bit on the nose.

Entertainment industry insiders have been buzzing about this.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

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