Keep in mind: The following story includes spoilers from “NCIS” Season 21, Episode 2.
Brian Dietzen understood assisting to compose the “NCIS” homage to David McCallum would be the very best method to honor his long time scene partner’s memory– that it would assist him process his real-life sorrow was an included perk.
The star co-wrote the psychological hour of the CBS criminal offense procedural along with Scott Williams, narrating the group’s loss of the precious Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard. The story echoed truth as McCallum, who played the function of Ducky considering that Season 1, passed away quietly in his sleep on Sept. 25, 2023. He was 90.
“I’ve lost a couple of individuals in my life, however never ever have I took a seat and composed a script or a story about them in the weeks following their departure. It was extremely odd … however practical in such a way,” Dietzen informed TheWrap in an interview ahead of the episode’s launching on Monday. “A great deal of the sorrow of losing a buddy is softened by the reality that he’s a 90-year-old male who lived a lot life.”
Dietzen remembered sensation honored when asked to assist craft the goodbye installation, a high job to effectively commemorate the precious medical examiner-turned-NCIS historian, in addition to a real-life Hollywood legend. The episode, entitled “The Stories We Leave Behind,” opened with Jimmy (Dietzen) reaching his buddy’s home in the early morning to go over a break on a case he was dealing with, just to discover Ducky had actually passed away in his sleep.
“That was the most difficult day that I had as a star,” Dietzen stated. “It took a town to put this together. I constantly seemed like we were all in this together. That seemed like the very first time throughout the entire procedure where it was simply me and David. That actually strike me hard, I was a blubbering mess.”
The episode included timeless callbacks to a few of Ducky’s the majority of renowned minutes from the series, as the old video revived some other precious characters to assist commemorate the physician’s tradition– consisting of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Gibbs and Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto. The episode likewise offered fans a surprise return in the present day: Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo appeared in the last scene for a heartfelt minute with Jimmy before going to Ducky’s funeral service.
“Every concept under the sun was tossed out [for this episode.] From having every ‘NCIS’ cast member from every spin-off come together in a substantial funeral style … absolutely nothing was off the table,” Dietzen stated. “Those things can be really logistically challenging certainly, however we wished to do something unique … Michael stated he would definitely enjoy to come and repeat his function as Tony.”
Dietzen kept in mind how none of the old clips that played throughout the episode included Tony, an Easter egg of sorts for his contemporary cameo. He likewise stated that Mark Harmon had actually remained in speak to repeat his function as Gibbs, however was eventually not readily available due to a scheduling dispute.
“I believe everybody would enjoy to see Gibbs make a look at some time. That is such a precious character, television history,” he stated. “I’m truly pleased with the method [the scene] ended up. The manner in which it deals with Jimmy and Tony. There’s an intimacy to that and there’s a familiarity to that.”
Dietzen even more described the particular option of reviewing Ducky’s Season 19 speech throughout the episode, in which he assessed letting Gibbs pursue Harmon’s exit from the series.
[Jimmy] is grieving the group’s loss of Gibbs and before that Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and before that the death of his own other half. Ducky conveniences him by stating, ‘Our discomfort is a little rate to pay for his peace,'” Dietzen remembered. “I desired that to be the last thing that we hear Ducky state in this episode, so he can relatively eulogize himself, in such a way. That was one [moment] that I felt highly about which remained in the entire time.”
“NCIS” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Episodes stream on Paramount+ the day after.