NCIS Sets Up The Exit Of A 400-Episode Veteran (& You Missed It)

Amid the chaos of the last year, what gets lost in the shuffle is how NCIS set up the departure of a 400-episode veteran character of the procedural. To say that the 2025-2026 TV cycle was transformative for CBS's premier show would be an understatement. When it premiered back in the fall, it felt like NCIS season 23 was determined to deliver a solid year following a period of narrative issues. That they did, and more. The death of Leon Vance in "All Good Things" signaled the beginning of the final stage of its evolution.