‘NCIS’: Will Another Character From the CBS Series Die in the Season 18 Finale?

An apology might be on the horizon for NCIS fans. This dark season of the CBS procedural doesn’t seem to be easing up any time soon. After two minor character deaths made waves earlier in Season 18, it appears more death is on the way. Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Nicholas Torres, took to Instagram to share a snapshot of the cast filming the season finale, which will air on May 25 via CBS (and streaming live using Paramount+ or a FuboTV free trial). The characters are mostly dressed in all-black while standing in an outdoor locale, signaling a graveside funeral service could be going down.

While it is not totally certain, the only context Valderrama gave fans was that the cast was “on the home stretch” of the finale and that he wasn’t allowed to say much else. Moreover, some of the cast members aren’t all in black, but they are in formal attire. However, the clearly mournful, blacked-out outfits from Valderrama, Emily Wickersham and newcomer Katrina Law — paired with what seems like the perfect spot for a generic TV show graveside memorial — have us leaning towards a definite death.

The question that then arises is “Who dies?” Conventional wisdom says that the people in the photo obviously survive. However, that’s not necessarily true. They could be in a casket, or could just still be on-set for whatever reason. With rumors of Mark Harmon wanting to wrap up his time on the series, could this be the last we see of Leroy Jethro Gibbs?

But if it isn’t anyone in Valderrama’s picture, the mind goes to names like Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum) or Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano). Those are important minor characters to the show’s history that would bring the team together for a moment like this. It seems like bringing back massive characters like Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) or Ziva David (Cote de Pablo).

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, which is streamable live on Paramount+, as well as FuboTV. Paramount+ is currently streaming every single episode of NCIS streaming there. The recently launched streaming service, which was previously known as CBS All Access, also is the streaming home for two NCIS spinoffs, NCIS: New Orleans (all episodes) and NCIS: Los Angeles (recent episodes).

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