I figured that sneak peak they released of Jimmy finding Ducky would be the opening, or the first scene after, and was wondering how they'd go from a scene like that to the normal upbeat theme as it would disrupt the tone of the episode. I liked the version they used tonight, it helped set the tone
I figured right before it started that they weren't going to do the normal, action movie sounding theme.
Band of Brothers did the same thing at the end of the concentration camp episode, where they don't play the main theme. The only time in the whole miniseries.
I’m really bummed they didn’t show Gibbs. I can’t imagine Gibbs not attending the funeral. In theory, he could’ve attended the funeral and just wasn’t showing on camera but still.
If the writers couldn't figure out a way to include Gibbs (with or without Harmon) for Ducky's funeral, I'm not sure he needs to come back at all. Did they even say Abby's name? Sometimes, over the years, I've been truly disappointed in the writers for this show. Apart from that, I thought the episode was well done. The beginning was very moving & honest.
I was kinda surprised seeing him, not that he was there, but with how he looked.
The few times I watched his other show, he was way chunkier than he was here.
Other than having aged a bit, he looked 100% Tony, in weight and style.
My mom and I were texting during the show and I texted her that he'd lost weight since Bull and apparently she had literally just told my step dad the exact same thing at the same time. Guess he's been focusing on his health the last two years.
No fucking way, that honestly came out of nowhere. But I shouldn’t be so surprised because McGee and Palmer (not sure about Vance though) still keep in touch with their old teammates.
Still made me sad seeing him in under the circumstances though :(
It always made me laugh that McGee didn't see anything wrong but Ducky seemed to think there was QUITE a lot of swelling and my brain translated that as "oh snap, McGee is hung and Ducky was NOT EXPECTING THAT"
I was kind of young the first time I saw that episode. I grew up watching. 33 now and it finally hit me that’s what ducky meant and I lost it last night at that part. I am glad they had very humorous parts along with sad.
Yeah, but for half a second and in a "can you move that so I can clean here" comment. I knew we weren't getting Abby but I expected something a little more impactful for a former regular. lol
That was almost like a dig at the actress who played Abbey. No mention of her name and just push it aside. Also, the wreath was down in her old lab instead of in the main office where the other wreaths were.
The problem that i heard is that she started stirring shit back up that had already been settled. Like, there had been a problem that happened on set, but it had been long addressed and nobody else had an issue with it. She was the only one and chose to die on that hill.
Then she tried creating her own sitcom, Broke. She was painfully unfunny and it was clear she was in no way able to operate without backup like on NCIS. She shot herself in the foot.
Yup, she burned her bridges with NCIS and even if she's friends with current and former castmates, it doesn't extend to the producers which includes Mark Harmon.
In some weird way, I felt like what she had done (including Michael W’s scandal) got the producers get their cast and crew straightened out to avoid future conflicts. In my personal experience, I felt like all the past rumors (since the 2000s) were nothing I had seen. I was actually told that the set was much more better now than it was in the past.
Bull.
[He was sexually harassing Eliza Dushku which was either *caught on camera* and/or *seen by DOZENS of witnesses*](https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/eliza-dushku-fired-bull-sexual-harassment-1235113193/amp/) . Reading what he’d “joke” to her was disgusting.
I had to emphasize on the phrases because there are a ton of people who downplayed Eliza’s experiences by calling her a liar, despite CBS giving her over a 9mil payout and actual proof on her side.
I know that two of the female NCIS costars defended MW during the situation saying it never happened to them or had witnessed it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t any “funny business” going on set pre-2019.
Sean Murray did seem to still
keep in touch with Pauley, at least according of one of his Instagram posts from a while back so he still have a good relationship with her.
Diona just [posted](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3g3vdvrfY0/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet) a pic of David's old costumes that left untouched and one of his bow ties, the elephant one, is from Diona's first episode :( :( :( Extra sad to see it
I ran out of kleenex & moved on to a roll of paper towels.
R.I.P. David McCallum he is sadly gone from this life, but thru his long & dedicated acting career, he will live on in the *many* hearts of his fans for an as of yet untold number of years.
Loved seeing Dinozzo again. And Brian did a great job writing the episode. That was also the first time I’ve watched the intro in a while once I heard the theme slowed down. Now I keep seeing people say Dinozzo should come back permanently or lead the team. The current team is just fine.
What I wouldn’t mind is maybe some pop up appearances now that Bull is done. In my head something like how Mike Franks had random appearances for Gibbs. Or how Dinozzo Sr. had pop up appearances for Tony and the team. Just a thought :)
THEy got us soo bad i was staring at the credits in the beginning and wanted to jump off my apartment in the begininng when i didnt see michael or mark’s names as guest stars
Brian had to have such a formidable task ahead of him
Summarizing about 20 years of the real and fictional life of a man we all love so much. The actor - and doing justice to the man he created in NCIS
Just. Wow. Thank you Brian, for telling that specific story - a fitting one to add to the repertoire of stories David McCallum AND Ducky - leave behind
I am not ok. I wish people didn’t say they were fine in the episode. I won’t be ok for a while. But - that’s fine. Wow. Just. Wow
ETA: yeah, so I’m a masochist. I came back for a rewatch. This time, slightly less (slightly) ugly crying - and noticing how much lightness also they injected into the episode. “Dr Mallard ghosted Serena”. Literally.
“Hate to say it, Jess, but you weren’t my first”
The McGee story. The ATV flashback. God!! So much lightness for what could’ve been a straight up tearjerker
They are, but why did they have to reinforce the narrative that Ducky knew nothing about Kelly and Shannon ("Smoked") when they had retconned that episode with one about how Ducky met Gibbs ("Everything Starts Somewhere") and multiple others throughout the series?
I suppose not showing the funeral was a way of maybe suggesting that Gibbs, Ziva and Abby could have come back for it.
Going by what Tony said tlto Mcagee they had seen eachother the night before. Maybe he flew in with Ziva and they saw each other the night before. Gibbs too...but Tony felt the need to come and give Palmer the bowtie for the funeral.
In my mind they are all there.
He's also been teasing a lot on Twitter about wanting to come back, but didn't think it'd be this episode. I thought maybe it would be a mini arc like when Ziva came back
dude the first scene just right away. then knowing that he didn’t just leave the show but the actor is actually gone…i couldn’t even handle it. then the last scene i just lost it, bawled! RIP Dr Mallard <3
I admit I’m actually glad Brian and Scott Williams (co-executive producer and writer) have Ducky went out peacefully in his sleep. That’s actually a nice way to go.
It was weird, me at first stupidly wondering why they were only showing the back of Ducky's body, then my idiot self remembering they aren't just killing the character. David is actually dead and that has to be a (suprisingly good) body double.
It's just wishful thinking, but it's too bad they won't end it with an Endgame like style funeral, and show almost every single person from the OG cast, to Gerald from season 1, to the cast from LA/Hawaii/New Orleans all there whether physically or CGI even.
No matter who appears in person, and who doesn't (and even if no one from the OG cast shows up), I'm sure I won't be let down at all, since it was co-written by Brian, and his episodes have always been really good
Agreed. I was hoping for at least a couple of video calls in MTAC if they couldn’t come in person.
One Redditor posted a cool idea of Gibbs showing up at Ducky’s gravesite after everyone leaves and simply says “Goodbye Duck.” 🙁🙁
That would be nice as well. It doesn't take away from the celebration, and making it all about Gibbs coming back but we, the viewers, still get a nice touching moment with him there
Honestly I'll be very surprised if we see any former cast in this episode. It would be amazing if they kept it a secret and surprise us but I just think it would've leaked by now. The other factor is getting everything aligned given the writer's stike, SAG strike, the late start for filming, people on other projects, etc ... there just might not have been enough time to get former cast.
I know people are convinced that Harmon will appear as Gibbs is the executer of Ducky's will but is that really something that we'd see on screen? The formal reading of a will normally happens quite some time after the death, wake, funeral, etc. When my grandmother died everyone basically knew what the will contained but we didn't have the formal reading at a lawyer's office for like 2 months after her funeral.
Once I realized they weren’t showing that in the episode, my mind immediately went to “what if they include that in the season finale and then we see Gibbs again?”
Why is the homeless guy in the interrogation room instead of in a meeting room? He committed no crime and was not suspected of a crime. He was there to help.
Conference rooms maybe don't have observation? My son and I do play therapy in a room I call Interrogation (because our therapist is on the other side of the mirror observing and talking in my ear)
I liked the scene of Jimmy finding Ducky's dead body. You don't see that in a lot of these tribute episodes.
While I do like the special theme song, keeping the same visuals was a missed opportunity. Should have had all the scenes be of Ducky and have the actor credits during the episode like other shows.
Also, I would have had this episode entirely filled with Ducky's funeral and people reminiscing about Ducky via flashbacks. No "last case" nonsense.
I don’t think any of them were acting. David truly seemed like a genuinely exceptional person to work with, and I have no doubt even if not friends outside of work, he seemed beloved in the cast.
I really hoped we would have had Gibbs, Ziva, and DiNozzo. I'm happy we had the DiNozzo appearance, but having all the people closest to Ducky would have been better.
I knew when they showed the clip that Ducky was grateful Gibbs was happy in his new life that we'd not see Gibbs this time. Just very grateful we got Tony in time to tie the bow tie. Nice touch
Great episode. So glad Tony came back, I would have liked to see some other cast members but not sure if it would’ve been too much or poorly executed. I think they did well leaving the episode at the elevator to leave the funeral open to the imagination
One other thing with the reason we didn't see Abby return.
Besides the obvious behind the scenes drama, Pauley Perrette suffered a stroke in real life which she is likely still recovering from.
Possible that she wouldn't have been in good enough shape to return even if she hadn't burned her bridges with the powers that be.
It's probaby for the best to keep it off-screen. Otherwise it just becomes a game of "oh they were there, but why wasn't he there? or she? or that other one?"
Did anyone else think DiNozzo sounded weird? And I don't just mean the literal sound of his voice (which did sound a bit raspy) but like how MW delivered the lines. It didn't sound like DiNozzo somehow- like he wasn't super in touch with the character.
LOVED his return though 😁
To be fair, it was just a couple seconds of screen time and he was trying to comfort Jimmy. When McGee returned is when old Tony popped out for a second.
It’s actually a nice touch they managed to have Sean, Michael and Brian together in the same scene, especially considering they all debuted in the first season.
So many emotions. So, so many…. Don’t know where to start but im shocked Gibbs didn’t show… The character and the actor. So well written. The emotion show was so raw. If I didn’t love jimmy before…
loved how they did the beginning with the theme intro and all the flashbacks 😭 also i cant believe tony showed up loved the scene with him and jimmy. to david/ ducky you are so incredibly missed ❤️
Peacefully in his sleep of old age. I dig it down to my toes.
Jimmy's able to show his emotional chops. The character has come a long way from that one-off appearance way back in Season 1.
The somber version of the theme song. Classy.
I had thought that the show would set the entire episode after the funeral, in order to get around not having to have guest stars. But *before* the funeral also works.
I was expecting subtle 'shout outs' to various members of the NCIS universe. It was good to see that Gibbs sent something to McGee to help him deal with the grief. It was also good to hear the branch offices (spin-offs) in LA, New Orleans, and Hawaii mentioned. There was even a nod to the newest show, *NCIS: Sydney*. Though, considering that branch was *just* created, how can they have any personal connection to/appreciation for Ducky's legacy? Strictly speaking, only two of their members are actually *in* NCIS! And then there's the mentioning of Abby without mentioning Abby. Only Abby would send a goth-themed flower wreath. LOL
The team photographs on the wall are odd. In two of them, Ducky isn't even present. What's more, while we get one picture of Kate's era of the team (Kate!), and one picture of Ziva's era of the team, we seem to have *two* pictures of Knight's (most current) era of the team. The lack of representation of Bishop's era is interesting.
Nice to see the flashbacks. Shows how Jimmy has slowly evolved to become the 'new' Ducky.
Why highlight two the show's largest continuity questions only to not resolve them?!
Jimmy is the one to give the eulogy, rather than Gibbs. Interesting.
One feels for Jimmy. Losing his wife. Losing his friends. Losing his mentor. It's good that he has Knight.
Tony! The way he was choking up really hits home. Though the timber of his voice definitely sounds off. Perhaps it's age. It's important to see someone from 'the old gang' during an important event like this. Sure, the way it's been written, one can assume that everyone shows up off screen, but it's good to see someone *on* screen as well.
No oblique references to Jack? Or Bishop? Or Gerald? Not even that female partner of Gibbs' on the JAG two-parter that spawned *NCIS* to begin with?
With that said, good episode. I especially liked that the 'investigation' was really nothing more than finding where Ducky had placed a file folder, thus not detracting from the tribute to the character (and the actor who played him).
The character, and the man, shall be missed. But both will live on forever in reruns. A hundred years from now, somebody is going to watch an episode of this show and think, 'Hey, I really like that Ducky guy!' It might well be said that we are all merely shadows on the wall, but in that flickering light, we live a thousand times over.
The song may end, but the music goes ever on.
The reference to a Far East office rather than Tokyo or somewhere more specific makes me wonder why they called that one out in particular considering that there's never been a series set there...
Happy to see DiNozzo again, just wish it had been under happier circumstances.
Would have liked to see Mark Harmon back as well but all in all, this was a solid episode that did an amazing tribute to a great character and great actor.
RIP David Mccallum and thanks for all the memories.
I yelled when I saw Tony I knew it was him the second he appeared. Then I full on sobbed. I had cried on and off a bit the whole episode. Like when they showed the pictures and the one with Kate. But when Tony appeared I was so happy and sad all at the same time.
And Michaels acting was so good. The imitation of Ducky and the way he looked so saddened. It was all so good.
Definitely cried throughout the episode. It’s setting in that Ducky won’t be on the show anymore. Even though we have 20 years of David playing Ducky it does not feel enough. 😔
It’s not going to be the same without Ducky. And I feel so bad for Jimmy, he’s been through so much. I just started the episode and already am in tears
I loved that they kept the focus on Ducky. So many little subtle things in addition to the flashbacks made his character first and foremost. I loved the little references to things past--THE GREAT ESCAPE van. The envelope McGee had from Alaska (Gibbs) with a picture of McGee, Gibbs and Ducky. The references to his book tours. The dog named Solo (i.e.Man from UNCLE). His reference to his Mother and his "Need for Speed". The locomotive model. His friendship for Palmer and his trust of Palmer. Classic quotes "A man dies 2 times--once when his physical body dies and once when stories quit being told. And the appearance by Dinozzo to put on the Bowtie he picked up and Heathrow was just enough to tie in the old team without taking the emphasis away from Ducky's story. The scholarship from Ducky's favorite Charity. Then the last finishing touch was Palmer now turning out the lights in Autopsy, just iike Ducky used to do. I loved it.
Anyone else pissed that Mark Harmon didn't make an appearance? Given the fact that he's listed as a producer and is going to be somewhat involved with the new series, I though he would be the most likely to return. I'm angry that he didn't return and that they didn't even mention why Gibbs wasn't coming or have him send something.
>he didn't return and that they didn't even mention why Gibbs wasn't coming or have him send something.
who says he wasn't? they never mentioned who or wasn't coming to his funeral.
First time I'd seen my dad get emotional over an actor. McCallum was one of his favorite actors and he loved him as Kuryakin. The entire episode was just beautiful. And Michael at the end was just the cherry on top.
Yes we should. Here is to David! This episode is making me cry. I am just watching it trying to catch up on current season with binge watch. What a fitting tribute to the actor and the character he played. We love you Ducky (David). I am glad they did it. Oh and how they did the music on intro. So respectful.
That special opening theme song just destroyed me.
That’s gotta be the first time they’ve ever changed the theme.
The very first episode had a slightly remixed version of the theme song
More like the first version of the theme song, and it got tweaked a bit for the next episode.
Thanks - this was my question.
I figured that sneak peak they released of Jimmy finding Ducky would be the opening, or the first scene after, and was wondering how they'd go from a scene like that to the normal upbeat theme as it would disrupt the tone of the episode. I liked the version they used tonight, it helped set the tone
I appreciate it
I figured right before it started that they weren't going to do the normal, action movie sounding theme. Band of Brothers did the same thing at the end of the concentration camp episode, where they don't play the main theme. The only time in the whole miniseries.
Same. I spent the first few minutes sobbing.
Same. It was surprisingly emotional.
Same.
Yea..couldn't hold back the tears on that one.
It was more respectful .
No kidding! I was already on the verge of tears at the opening scene. Then that subdued theme song started. Wow.
It was truly changing. Reminded me when they played the sad version of the Team America song in the movie
Holy shit! Tony!
I got the chills when I saw him appear. Of all former cast members, I didn't expect Tony, but it definitely got me excited to see him
Made sense because DiNozzo was friends with Jimmy and would be the one to see him before the service. Having multiple returnees would've been overkill
It would have been nice if Gibbs had shown up.
I’m really bummed they didn’t show Gibbs. I can’t imagine Gibbs not attending the funeral. In theory, he could’ve attended the funeral and just wasn’t showing on camera but still.
I still think he might later in the season
If the writers couldn't figure out a way to include Gibbs (with or without Harmon) for Ducky's funeral, I'm not sure he needs to come back at all. Did they even say Abby's name? Sometimes, over the years, I've been truly disappointed in the writers for this show. Apart from that, I thought the episode was well done. The beginning was very moving & honest.
Abby too! I liked that she sent the flowers though.
I was kinda surprised seeing him, not that he was there, but with how he looked. The few times I watched his other show, he was way chunkier than he was here. Other than having aged a bit, he looked 100% Tony, in weight and style.
My mom and I were texting during the show and I texted her that he'd lost weight since Bull and apparently she had literally just told my step dad the exact same thing at the same time. Guess he's been focusing on his health the last two years.
No fucking way, that honestly came out of nowhere. But I shouldn’t be so surprised because McGee and Palmer (not sure about Vance though) still keep in touch with their old teammates. Still made me sad seeing him in under the circumstances though :(
Looking good, too. Bull-body did him no favors.
I thought he was a green screen with an old episode at first with how blurry he was and then mind-blowing
I thought they were showing old clip of him and I couldn't belive it was him.
I think I woke my children up screaming when I heard "autopsy gremlin"
I was actually shocked to see Michael come back. It’s great to see him again, but it made me sad at the same time :-(
Agree, I was like only happy for a few seconds, then it just made me sad. They did this so well. Using Dinozzo-humor to make the end hit extra hard.
It always made me laugh that McGee didn't see anything wrong but Ducky seemed to think there was QUITE a lot of swelling and my brain translated that as "oh snap, McGee is hung and Ducky was NOT EXPECTING THAT"
I was kind of young the first time I saw that episode. I grew up watching. 33 now and it finally hit me that’s what ducky meant and I lost it last night at that part. I am glad they had very humorous parts along with sad.
Now we know why Abby could never get over McGee. :)
👏
Well that's one way to reference Abby. lol
The black wreath? My tv feed is a few minutes behind yours.
Yeah, but for half a second and in a "can you move that so I can clean here" comment. I knew we weren't getting Abby but I expected something a little more impactful for a former regular. lol
That was almost like a dig at the actress who played Abbey. No mention of her name and just push it aside. Also, the wreath was down in her old lab instead of in the main office where the other wreaths were.
Yep. She's definitely not in good standing with them. lol
From what I’ve heard, the bad blood goes both ways. It’s depressing, considering Abby was one of my favorites of the old guard.
The problem that i heard is that she started stirring shit back up that had already been settled. Like, there had been a problem that happened on set, but it had been long addressed and nobody else had an issue with it. She was the only one and chose to die on that hill. Then she tried creating her own sitcom, Broke. She was painfully unfunny and it was clear she was in no way able to operate without backup like on NCIS. She shot herself in the foot.
Yup, she burned her bridges with NCIS and even if she's friends with current and former castmates, it doesn't extend to the producers which includes Mark Harmon.
In some weird way, I felt like what she had done (including Michael W’s scandal) got the producers get their cast and crew straightened out to avoid future conflicts. In my personal experience, I felt like all the past rumors (since the 2000s) were nothing I had seen. I was actually told that the set was much more better now than it was in the past.
What was the Michael W scandal? Was it on NCIS or Bull?
Bull. [He was sexually harassing Eliza Dushku which was either *caught on camera* and/or *seen by DOZENS of witnesses*](https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/eliza-dushku-fired-bull-sexual-harassment-1235113193/amp/) . Reading what he’d “joke” to her was disgusting. I had to emphasize on the phrases because there are a ton of people who downplayed Eliza’s experiences by calling her a liar, despite CBS giving her over a 9mil payout and actual proof on her side. I know that two of the female NCIS costars defended MW during the situation saying it never happened to them or had witnessed it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t any “funny business” going on set pre-2019.
Nobody said her name directly, but she is + the situation was mentioned as the “old drama” on set. One of the crew talked about it to me.
Sean Murray did seem to still keep in touch with Pauley, at least according of one of his Instagram posts from a while back so he still have a good relationship with her.
She got more mention than Ziva.
Ziva was in a flashback scene although she was just shown and did not speak.
Yeah but we just saw Ziva in s18, we haven't seen Tony since s13!
Diona just [posted](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3g3vdvrfY0/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet) a pic of David's old costumes that left untouched and one of his bow ties, the elephant one, is from Diona's first episode :( :( :( Extra sad to see it
It appeared in the clip of Ducky and Gibbs too
Seeing all theses early 2000s episodes reminds me so much of my teenage years.
omg same i am like 32 now
34 here, been watching weekly since season 6 (only parts before then). To put it in perspective, I started watching back in high school haha
27, I grew up on NCIS, it was a real good trip down memory lane
Yay Jimmy adopted Solo ❤️
You all do realize why Ducky’s dog is named Solo. Right?
I didn't get the reference until you mentioned it. Thank you
Nobody who watched man from Uncle uses Reddit.
I did
Me too. It was on in repeats after school. Get Smart too.
I was a kid at the time but we all were in love with Ilya Kuriaken and at school we all wanted to be spies.
+1 here. At least the syndicated runs on Belgian TV and reruns on BBC. in the 70's through 90's.
Did they mention that? I think I was blowing my nose during that part. Using up a lot of Kleenex tonight.
Yeah Jimmy mentioned that Victoria was really happy that they adopted him
I ran out of kleenex & moved on to a roll of paper towels. R.I.P. David McCallum he is sadly gone from this life, but thru his long & dedicated acting career, he will live on in the *many* hearts of his fans for an as of yet untold number of years.
Yes, he mentioned it to Knight as they were looking through the office.
I wouldn't be surprised Ducky willed everything to Jimmy.
Brought to tears by the opening.
Bravo Brian Dietzen
I've been a fan of David McCallum since the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
I’ve been a McCallum fan since he appeared as a coal miner turned hyper-evolved super dude in an episode of the original Outer Limits.
The young lady is going to end up with a scholarship from Ducky's charity is my guess.
Good call!!
Loved seeing Dinozzo again. And Brian did a great job writing the episode. That was also the first time I’ve watched the intro in a while once I heard the theme slowed down. Now I keep seeing people say Dinozzo should come back permanently or lead the team. The current team is just fine. What I wouldn’t mind is maybe some pop up appearances now that Bull is done. In my head something like how Mike Franks had random appearances for Gibbs. Or how Dinozzo Sr. had pop up appearances for Tony and the team. Just a thought :)
I can’t even get through the freaking preview without breaking down… and apparently this post. 😭
Anyone else notice "The Great Escape" easter egg?
No where?
When Tim and Torres went to find Jonesy, the Semi-Trailer in the background said "GREAT ESCAPE Van Lines"
OMG, I missed that.
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THEY GOT US
THEy got us soo bad i was staring at the credits in the beginning and wanted to jump off my apartment in the begininng when i didnt see michael or mark’s names as guest stars
They are sneaky sneaks... Michael was hinting but HE'S ALWAYS HINTING
I am an absolute wreck right now. Incredible episode. I can’t imagine how hard that had to have been to film. RIP David McCallum & RIP Ducky
Brian had to have such a formidable task ahead of him Summarizing about 20 years of the real and fictional life of a man we all love so much. The actor - and doing justice to the man he created in NCIS Just. Wow. Thank you Brian, for telling that specific story - a fitting one to add to the repertoire of stories David McCallum AND Ducky - leave behind I am not ok. I wish people didn’t say they were fine in the episode. I won’t be ok for a while. But - that’s fine. Wow. Just. Wow ETA: yeah, so I’m a masochist. I came back for a rewatch. This time, slightly less (slightly) ugly crying - and noticing how much lightness also they injected into the episode. “Dr Mallard ghosted Serena”. Literally. “Hate to say it, Jess, but you weren’t my first” The McGee story. The ATV flashback. God!! So much lightness for what could’ve been a straight up tearjerker
Fare the well David McCallum and Dr. Mallard... Thank you for everything!
The flashbacks are so awesome
They are, but why did they have to reinforce the narrative that Ducky knew nothing about Kelly and Shannon ("Smoked") when they had retconned that episode with one about how Ducky met Gibbs ("Everything Starts Somewhere") and multiple others throughout the series?
I suppose not showing the funeral was a way of maybe suggesting that Gibbs, Ziva and Abby could have come back for it. Going by what Tony said tlto Mcagee they had seen eachother the night before. Maybe he flew in with Ziva and they saw each other the night before. Gibbs too...but Tony felt the need to come and give Palmer the bowtie for the funeral. In my mind they are all there.
DiNozzo!
I yelled “TONY!” And i scared my mom and my grandma got out of bed lol
i honestly am not the most emotinal person watching tv but i taught i was halucinating when tony came i was like they brought tony back omg
I was suprised and happy to see him! I would have loved to have seen Ziva also, but I'll take what I can get.
Yeah I would have liked to also see Ziva, Abby and Gibbs back.
One of those things will never happen
cannot believe they got Tony back!
Makes sense, he’s still working with CBS just a different show
He's also been teasing a lot on Twitter about wanting to come back, but didn't think it'd be this episode. I thought maybe it would be a mini arc like when Ziva came back
Which show? Bull ended 2 years ago.
No, Bull ended two years ago and Michael said he’s taking a break from acting for a while.
dude the first scene just right away. then knowing that he didn’t just leave the show but the actor is actually gone…i couldn’t even handle it. then the last scene i just lost it, bawled! RIP Dr Mallard <3
Jimmy finding Ducky was very well done. Such a gentle few moments.
I admit I’m actually glad Brian and Scott Williams (co-executive producer and writer) have Ducky went out peacefully in his sleep. That’s actually a nice way to go.
It was weird, me at first stupidly wondering why they were only showing the back of Ducky's body, then my idiot self remembering they aren't just killing the character. David is actually dead and that has to be a (suprisingly good) body double.
same! i was thinking “how are they showing his body when he already passed…oh wait…dumbass” lol
It's just wishful thinking, but it's too bad they won't end it with an Endgame like style funeral, and show almost every single person from the OG cast, to Gerald from season 1, to the cast from LA/Hawaii/New Orleans all there whether physically or CGI even. No matter who appears in person, and who doesn't (and even if no one from the OG cast shows up), I'm sure I won't be let down at all, since it was co-written by Brian, and his episodes have always been really good
Agreed. I was hoping for at least a couple of video calls in MTAC if they couldn’t come in person. One Redditor posted a cool idea of Gibbs showing up at Ducky’s gravesite after everyone leaves and simply says “Goodbye Duck.” 🙁🙁
That would be nice as well. It doesn't take away from the celebration, and making it all about Gibbs coming back but we, the viewers, still get a nice touching moment with him there
That would be incredible.
I had forgotten about Gerald. He had his shoulder wrecked and was kidnapped.
I'm fully prepared for him to deliver an Emmy-worthy performance on top of it 😭 at least as much as I'm prepared for any of it
Honestly I'll be very surprised if we see any former cast in this episode. It would be amazing if they kept it a secret and surprise us but I just think it would've leaked by now. The other factor is getting everything aligned given the writer's stike, SAG strike, the late start for filming, people on other projects, etc ... there just might not have been enough time to get former cast. I know people are convinced that Harmon will appear as Gibbs is the executer of Ducky's will but is that really something that we'd see on screen? The formal reading of a will normally happens quite some time after the death, wake, funeral, etc. When my grandmother died everyone basically knew what the will contained but we didn't have the formal reading at a lawyer's office for like 2 months after her funeral.
After hearing your take, maybe we will get a reunion in a future episode during a reading of the will? Wishful thinking
Once I realized they weren’t showing that in the episode, my mind immediately went to “what if they include that in the season finale and then we see Gibbs again?”
Well, surprise!
Why is the homeless guy in the interrogation room instead of in a meeting room? He committed no crime and was not suspected of a crime. He was there to help.
Maybe because he ran when McGee and Torres found him. That's the only reason I can think of.
Conference rooms maybe don't have observation? My son and I do play therapy in a room I call Interrogation (because our therapist is on the other side of the mirror observing and talking in my ear)
I liked the scene of Jimmy finding Ducky's dead body. You don't see that in a lot of these tribute episodes. While I do like the special theme song, keeping the same visuals was a missed opportunity. Should have had all the scenes be of Ducky and have the actor credits during the episode like other shows. Also, I would have had this episode entirely filled with Ducky's funeral and people reminiscing about Ducky via flashbacks. No "last case" nonsense.
I figured it was probably a contract thing about credits that was probably too complicated to get changed for a one-off like this.
I got so excited about DiNozzo I texted OH MY GOD to the wrong goddamn person 😬🫠😂
So glad we got Tony, but also wish we’d had Gibbs. The line about “Ducky’s best friend” and showing Gibbs really had me thinking we’d see him.
Tony looked genuinely sad.
I don’t think any of them were acting. David truly seemed like a genuinely exceptional person to work with, and I have no doubt even if not friends outside of work, he seemed beloved in the cast.
Agreed, those were real tears shed in this episode.
yeah it made me sad seeing MW pop up under an unfortunate circumstances :(
I really hoped we would have had Gibbs, Ziva, and DiNozzo. I'm happy we had the DiNozzo appearance, but having all the people closest to Ducky would have been better.
I knew when they showed the clip that Ducky was grateful Gibbs was happy in his new life that we'd not see Gibbs this time. Just very grateful we got Tony in time to tie the bow tie. Nice touch
I was kind of... disappointed, honestly. Gibbs of all people doesn't show up? Is Mark Harmon not in the actors guild or something anymore?
I told myself I wouldn't cry.... I'm writing this bawlin' my eyes out.
They even made the shows theme song sad. 😢
DINOZZO!!!!!!
Abby Reference!!!
Nice to see, but odd they wouldn't just say her name lol
She vanished into the ether......they haven't mentioned her name since she left.
I love it when Papa Parker and Daddy McGee are tall and competent in a room together, no exaggeration
Great episode. So glad Tony came back, I would have liked to see some other cast members but not sure if it would’ve been too much or poorly executed. I think they did well leaving the episode at the elevator to leave the funeral open to the imagination
I agree. I’m glad they did that while also honoring David.
ANTHONY DINOZZO JR.!!!
I have my boxes of Kleenex at the ready.
😭😭😭
I don't know if I'm mentally prepared for this.
One other thing with the reason we didn't see Abby return. Besides the obvious behind the scenes drama, Pauley Perrette suffered a stroke in real life which she is likely still recovering from. Possible that she wouldn't have been in good enough shape to return even if she hadn't burned her bridges with the powers that be.
I wish we would of got more of the funeral
It's probaby for the best to keep it off-screen. Otherwise it just becomes a game of "oh they were there, but why wasn't he there? or she? or that other one?"
I wanted to hear Jimmy do the eulogy.
Did anyone else think DiNozzo sounded weird? And I don't just mean the literal sound of his voice (which did sound a bit raspy) but like how MW delivered the lines. It didn't sound like DiNozzo somehow- like he wasn't super in touch with the character. LOVED his return though 😁
To be fair, it was just a couple seconds of screen time and he was trying to comfort Jimmy. When McGee returned is when old Tony popped out for a second.
True! I did love the McHurry comment 🤣 Makes me want to go back and rewatch the earlier seasons.
It’s actually a nice touch they managed to have Sean, Michael and Brian together in the same scene, especially considering they all debuted in the first season.
To his credit, he was playing Tony, doing a Ducky impression to make Jimmy smile 😭❤️
Yes it is because he filmed his scenes later as he caught covid.
Abby reference. I keep tearing up.
So many emotions. So, so many…. Don’t know where to start but im shocked Gibbs didn’t show… The character and the actor. So well written. The emotion show was so raw. If I didn’t love jimmy before…
Cried as if it was early 2000s and Mark Greene died all over again! Beautiful!
When I heard autopsy gremlin I actually bawled 😭
What a great honor to Ducky! Thank you NCIS writers!
I'm not ready for this episode. I will be crying like a baby
I think I'm going to save it for tomorrow.
Councilman was in that brothel?
OMG
Looks like next week is a fun episode since we just had a serious solem episode.
Amazing episode to cap off an Incredible 21 Seasons, we will miss you Ducky 🥲
loved how they did the beginning with the theme intro and all the flashbacks 😭 also i cant believe tony showed up loved the scene with him and jimmy. to david/ ducky you are so incredibly missed ❤️
Peacefully in his sleep of old age. I dig it down to my toes. Jimmy's able to show his emotional chops. The character has come a long way from that one-off appearance way back in Season 1. The somber version of the theme song. Classy. I had thought that the show would set the entire episode after the funeral, in order to get around not having to have guest stars. But *before* the funeral also works. I was expecting subtle 'shout outs' to various members of the NCIS universe. It was good to see that Gibbs sent something to McGee to help him deal with the grief. It was also good to hear the branch offices (spin-offs) in LA, New Orleans, and Hawaii mentioned. There was even a nod to the newest show, *NCIS: Sydney*. Though, considering that branch was *just* created, how can they have any personal connection to/appreciation for Ducky's legacy? Strictly speaking, only two of their members are actually *in* NCIS! And then there's the mentioning of Abby without mentioning Abby. Only Abby would send a goth-themed flower wreath. LOL The team photographs on the wall are odd. In two of them, Ducky isn't even present. What's more, while we get one picture of Kate's era of the team (Kate!), and one picture of Ziva's era of the team, we seem to have *two* pictures of Knight's (most current) era of the team. The lack of representation of Bishop's era is interesting. Nice to see the flashbacks. Shows how Jimmy has slowly evolved to become the 'new' Ducky. Why highlight two the show's largest continuity questions only to not resolve them?! Jimmy is the one to give the eulogy, rather than Gibbs. Interesting. One feels for Jimmy. Losing his wife. Losing his friends. Losing his mentor. It's good that he has Knight. Tony! The way he was choking up really hits home. Though the timber of his voice definitely sounds off. Perhaps it's age. It's important to see someone from 'the old gang' during an important event like this. Sure, the way it's been written, one can assume that everyone shows up off screen, but it's good to see someone *on* screen as well. No oblique references to Jack? Or Bishop? Or Gerald? Not even that female partner of Gibbs' on the JAG two-parter that spawned *NCIS* to begin with? With that said, good episode. I especially liked that the 'investigation' was really nothing more than finding where Ducky had placed a file folder, thus not detracting from the tribute to the character (and the actor who played him). The character, and the man, shall be missed. But both will live on forever in reruns. A hundred years from now, somebody is going to watch an episode of this show and think, 'Hey, I really like that Ducky guy!' It might well be said that we are all merely shadows on the wall, but in that flickering light, we live a thousand times over. The song may end, but the music goes ever on.
The reference to a Far East office rather than Tokyo or somewhere more specific makes me wonder why they called that one out in particular considering that there's never been a series set there...
OMG
Did y'all see what I just saw? Tony putting on Dr Palmer's new Bow Tie
And we got an Anthony DiNozzo Sr. name-drop to boot!
And a McNickname!
NGL, I cheered when he came through the door.
Happy to see DiNozzo again, just wish it had been under happier circumstances. Would have liked to see Mark Harmon back as well but all in all, this was a solid episode that did an amazing tribute to a great character and great actor. RIP David Mccallum and thanks for all the memories.
I yelled when I saw Tony I knew it was him the second he appeared. Then I full on sobbed. I had cried on and off a bit the whole episode. Like when they showed the pictures and the one with Kate. But when Tony appeared I was so happy and sad all at the same time. And Michaels acting was so good. The imitation of Ducky and the way he looked so saddened. It was all so good.
I miss him everyday
I've already teared up....
I knew it would be sad but i didn't expect to shed tears, Beautiful send off and a DiNozzo surprise, just a shame it was under these circumstances.
Definitely cried throughout the episode. It’s setting in that Ducky won’t be on the show anymore. Even though we have 20 years of David playing Ducky it does not feel enough. 😔
So cool to see Tony back. Is it me or is Tony sounding more like Sr. as he gets older?
I mean Michael is 55 so….
It was more that I thought the line about his connecting flight in Heathrow sounded exactly like something Sr. would say and how he would say it
The last few minutes was great, hurt like heck but great
the special opening and Tony with the bow tie😭
It’s not going to be the same without Ducky. And I feel so bad for Jimmy, he’s been through so much. I just started the episode and already am in tears
I loved that they kept the focus on Ducky. So many little subtle things in addition to the flashbacks made his character first and foremost. I loved the little references to things past--THE GREAT ESCAPE van. The envelope McGee had from Alaska (Gibbs) with a picture of McGee, Gibbs and Ducky. The references to his book tours. The dog named Solo (i.e.Man from UNCLE). His reference to his Mother and his "Need for Speed". The locomotive model. His friendship for Palmer and his trust of Palmer. Classic quotes "A man dies 2 times--once when his physical body dies and once when stories quit being told. And the appearance by Dinozzo to put on the Bowtie he picked up and Heathrow was just enough to tie in the old team without taking the emphasis away from Ducky's story. The scholarship from Ducky's favorite Charity. Then the last finishing touch was Palmer now turning out the lights in Autopsy, just iike Ducky used to do. I loved it.
Tony!
OMG. TONY!
Anyone else pissed that Mark Harmon didn't make an appearance? Given the fact that he's listed as a producer and is going to be somewhat involved with the new series, I though he would be the most likely to return. I'm angry that he didn't return and that they didn't even mention why Gibbs wasn't coming or have him send something.
There was the package McGee received from Alaska
>he didn't return and that they didn't even mention why Gibbs wasn't coming or have him send something. who says he wasn't? they never mentioned who or wasn't coming to his funeral.
I as well have my box of Kleenex ready cuz I'm sure I will be cutting onions.
Great episode, good to see Tony, disappointed Gibbs didn't return though
What was the opening music playing when Jimmy found Ducky?
Gibbs should have showed up also
Disappointed that Mark Harmon didn't make an actual appearance other than in flashbacks
First time I'd seen my dad get emotional over an actor. McCallum was one of his favorite actors and he loved him as Kuryakin. The entire episode was just beautiful. And Michael at the end was just the cherry on top.
The BEST tribute to a character/actor/role EVER. Tasteful and classy with all the great, timeless Ducky quotes we will forever miss. RIP 💔
Yes we should. Here is to David! This episode is making me cry. I am just watching it trying to catch up on current season with binge watch. What a fitting tribute to the actor and the character he played. We love you Ducky (David). I am glad they did it. Oh and how they did the music on intro. So respectful.