For most of its run, NCIS has preferred stability, with characters coming and going, but the Major Case Response Team’s structure has rarely changed. There was always a clear hierarchy, familiar faces in the bullpen, and Leon Vance overseeing everything. Season 24 may be about to break that pattern.
Wilmer Valderrama recently teased “major changes” and “major additions” coming to the long-running procedural. On the surface, that sounds like business as usual because NCIS has weathered cast departures before. But with Vance gone and several unanswered questions lingering from the Season 23 finale, the upcoming season appears poised to do something bigger than simply replacing missing pieces. For the first time in years, the series may have multiple roles to fill at once — and that could fundamentally alter how MCRT operates.
Leon Vance’s Death Leaves A Vacancy Unlike Any Other
Over the years, NCIS has become accustomed to saying goodbye to agents, but directors are another matter entirely. Rocky Carroll’s Vance spent nearly two decades serving as the bridge between field work and the politics surrounding the agency. While characters like Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Parker (Gary Cole), McGee (Sean Murray), and Torres (Valderrama) handled cases, Vance occupied a position few other characters could. He was one of the show’s constants.
Replacing a field agent is relatively straightforward, whereas replacing a character who has anchored the series since Season 5 is considerably more complicated. Whoever eventually steps into that position will inherit one of the most important jobs in the franchise, and that assumes NCIS even wants another Vance.
There is no doubt from Season 23 that Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever) has his own interests, and there is no evidence that he is the steady hand the MCRT needs for overall direction in the future, given his political manipulations. In fact, it seems there could be a power struggle for control in Season 24 before the dust settles.
Valderrama’s comments about “major changes” and “major additions” stand out because NCIS typically favors one-for-one substitutions. When Gibbs left, Parker took over; when Abby (Pauley Perrette) departed, Kasie (Diona Reasonover) stepped into the lab. Even Jessica Knight’s (Katrina Law) arrival maintained the familiar rhythm the series had relied on for years.
Vance’s death leaves one vacancy; the fallout from the Torres and Mateo (Patrick Keleher) cliffhanger could create another. Meanwhile, Valderrama’s suggestion that multiple additions are on the way raises the possibility that CBS isn’t simply looking to expand the ensemble, which isn’t something NCIS has done often. For much of the Parker era, MCRT has operated with a leader, three field agents, Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), and Kasie, which has worked well and is precisely why any attempt to alter it would represent one of the biggest changes the show has made in years.
Murray recently reflected on the show’s history of adapting to different casts and praised Cole’s arrival as an opportunity that gave the series “real stuff to work” with. His comments serve as a reminder that change has often helped NCIS rather than hurt it.
Season 24’s Biggest Question May Be Who Joins MCRT Next
At this stage, the identities of those presumed additions remain a mystery. The more interesting question, however, is what kind of characters the series actually needs. A new director seems inevitable; beyond that, however, NCIS could benefit from another field agent, which would give the team more flexibility than its traditional structure allows. It could also introduce someone from outside the agency, creating friction with Parker and forcing the team to adapt to a different leadership style.
Executive producer Steven D. Binder has been careful not to rely too heavily on Gibbs, treating the character almost as a larger-than-life figure rather than someone who can simply return and restore the old days. Meanwhile, Murray’s memories of Harmon’s gradual exit and Parker’s arrival highlight just how much the series has already evolved.
Whatever route the series takes, the decision will reveal a lot about where NCIS sees itself after more than 500 episodes. For years, the show has focused on preserving what worked, and Season 24 may finally ask a different question.
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