‘NCIS’ Boss Confirms ‘Someone Was Hit’ in Finale Shooting Cliffhanger

Key Points:

• The NCIS Season 23 finale ends on a cliffhanger involving McGee’s son Mateo, who is armed and involved in a mysterious situation, with a gunshot heard but no confirmed deaths; showrunner Steven D. Binder confirms someone was hit but rules out fatalities.
• The episode features the return of Kayla Vance and flashbacks with her father, Director Vance (Rocky Carroll), who left her an envelope allowing her to choose her path, while LaRoche returns investigating possible corruption and hinting at ambitions for the director’s chair.
• Showrunner Binder explains the vacant director position is intentional to focus on core characters and storytelling, with LaRoche’s potential takeover still uncertain and dependent on story development.
• The dynamic between Torres, Knight, and Palmer is evolving, with Binder emphasizing the importance of maintaining dramatic tension rather than settling characters into stable relationships prematurely.
• Regarding future seasons and crossovers, Binder notes logistical challenges with the new NCIS: New York series filming in a different location, making crossovers difficult, and teases that any return of Gibbs would be rare, meaningful, and maintain his larger-than-life status.