As the writers strike comes to an end and SAG-AFTRA has a chance to re-enter negotiations with the studios, it’s time to assess events that could happen in NCIS Season 21. Sure, we’re not going to see the season until 2024, but there’s nothing stopping fans from coming up with their own NCIS Season 21 theories.
This season is going to see a major change. Sadly, David McCallum, who played Ducky, passed away at the age of 90 in September. This is something that the series will need to acknowledge, as he was the only remaining OG cast member on the series. It’s a huge loss for fans of NCIS and McCallum as a whole.
The 20th season ended with a major cliffhanger, too. We saw Nick Torres threaten to kill a man, which would put his whole career on the line. How could he get out of that, and what could be in store for the others?
Ducky’s Death Is Announced to Everyone
The only way to write Ducky out of NCIS is through art imitating life. So, to start the NCIS Season 21 theories, we touch on how Ducky’s exit is going to happen. We’ll likely see the team learn that Ducky has died while he was away somehow.
I would hope that this isn’t done in a way that is for the sake of a big case. It would be best if the death is handled in a similar way to McCallum’s real death: through natural causes. This would allow the team to focus straight on their grief instead of building a case to solve Ducky’s death. This would also be best for fans, as we will have a chance to grieve Ducky.
There Will Be Talk of Loss
As the show is likely to include Ducky’s death, we’ll need to see how that plays out for the team. We’re sure to see the show bring us a season that includes the discussion of loss. Each character will need to grieve in their own way.
For Parker and Knight, the loss won’t be as hard. They didn’t know Ducky as well as the others. In fact, I don’t remember them even meeting in person. Torres will take it harder, but he is also dealing with his own personal situation. It’s Jimmy and McGee who are sure to deal with the loss the hardest. We need to see them make some tributes, which will help us all grieve and move on.
Torres Will Have to Make a Choice
NCIS Season 20 ended with a major cliffhanger: Torres broke into a man’s house and was threatening to kill him. Will we see Torres go through with it? That’s his choice.
I have a feeling we’ll see him decide not to kill the man. Instead, we’ll see him go on a mission, as we learn exactly what this man did to Torres’ family. He had called his sister before heading to the house, so we could see Torres’ sister show up in time to help her brother. Alternatively, Bishop could learn what’s going on and go to help Torres. We last saw her go off to work with Odette on some secret missions, but she would likely come back if Torres was in danger or risking his career for revenge.
Knight and Palmer Move In
What about Palmer and Knight? They went through some major relationship steps in NCIS Season 20, with the L-word finally uttered. One of the NCIS Season 21 theories involves the two of them. Is it possible that the two will move in with each other?
Even if they don’t go through with moving in together, the discussion would need to be had. They could decide that it’s not best for Victoria for the two to move in together, but they could also find that building on their family unit is the best for their relationship. I doubt we’ll see a proposal, but just the next step will be enough to make fans happy and finally bring an end to NCIS relationships not working out.
Former Characters Return to Say Goodbye
With Ducky’s death, there are a lot of characters of the past who we will want to see grieve. Ducky was a huge part of the team, even when he took a step back and only video called in. This could mean former characters come back for an episode.
Mark Harmon as Gibbs would make the most sense. Even if he can’t be there in person, it would be good to see him on a video call or at least get a mention of him hearing about Ducky’s death. It would be great to see Tony and Ziva back so that they can say their goodbyes too.
McGee Writes Another Novel
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a mention of McGee’s novels. It was brought up during NCIS Season 20 briefly, but there was no mention of him starting a new novel.
It’s very normal for him to lose passion or the muse for writing. McGee is now a dad to twins, and he has his hands full with them and his wife. Then there are the cases that he gets involved in. However, he has new agents who he can turn into characters, and he could even include a storyline of loss as he deals with Ducky’s death.
There’s Another NCIS: Hawaii Crossover
January 2023 brought us a huge moment. Three NCIS shows crossed over with a big storyline that teased more to come. While NCIS: Los Angeles has ended, there is still NCIS: Hawaii on the show, and it’s not like we haven’t seen some crossovers between the flagship show and newest spin-off.
There could be a crossover that’s linked to Torres’ current storyline. Could Jane Tennant know a little more of what happened in his past? Could the team call Jane and others in to help with the situation? Alternatively, we could just see another case that sees Knight head to Hawaii to bring just a little closure to Ernie’s longing for her.
