‘NCIS’ Star Warns Season 23 Finale Has ‘Potential to Change a Lot’

More changes could be coming to NCIS following Vance’s death.

Brian Dietzen told TV Insider that the upcoming Season 23 finale might bring even more shakeups.

“This season was a tumultuous one for our show because of the 500th episode, of losing Director Vance,” Dietzen, who plays head M.E. Dr. Jimmy Palmer, said. “The finale, I got to say, I’m not going to say it’s the same as the 500, but there’s echoes of it. And people are not going to want to miss the last, what, five minutes of this show because it has the potential to change a lot within our universe yet again.”

Per CBS, in the Season 23 finale, titled “Sons and Daughters,” airing on Tuesday, May 12, “One year after a deadly coffee shop bombing, a new explosion proves the attack wasn’t the work of a lone wolf — a case that forces the team to confront legacy and loyalty.”

NCIS is known for going pretty big for its finales, ending many on cliffhangers, including last season’s finale. The series already surprised fans this season by killing off Rocky Carroll’s Director Leon Vance in the 500^th episode in March. So far, they haven’t chosen a new Director, but it can be assumed that it will be in a future episode, which will shake things up even more. What exactly will be in store for the finale is hard to tell, but it sounds like fans may want to prepare themselves, especially for the very end of it.

Luckily, NCIS has been renewed for Season 24. Whatever happens in the final minutes of the finale will surely set up the new season, whatever it is. CBS has unveiled its 2026 fall schedule, and NCIS will be back later this year, so the wait shouldn’t be too long. While a premiere date has not been announced, it’s possible that it will be shared later this summer. The wait will surely be worth it, though.

For now, fans will just have to tune in to these final episodes of Season 23, airing on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The Season 23 finale premieres on Tuesday, May 12, with Season 24 airing this fall. All episodes of NCIS are streaming on Paramount+.