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NCIS airs major surprise cast exit in milestone 500th episode for beloved crime show
A major, long-running NCIS character was killed off in dramatic, shocking fashion in the procedural show's milestone 500th episode.
Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
- James Hibbs
Published: Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at 11:09 am
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Warning: Contains spoilers for the 500th episode of NCIS, which aired on Tuesday 24 March in the US and is yet to air in the UK.
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Fans in the UK may not have been able to see any of NCIS season 23 yet, but it is continuing on apace in the US, where the procedural show has just aired its milestone 500th episode.
The episode wasn't just an ordinary instalment of the series either, as it saw a shock death for one of the show's most beloved characters - Rocky Carroll's Director Leon Vance.
In the episode, Leon was defending the team as the agency was shut down by the Department of Defense. He was able to restore it, but he was later shot dead by a corrupt agent.
Carroll first joined the show as Leon in 2008, and he has recently confirmed to TVLine that he was "not the catalyst for this happening," and that he only found out his character was being killed off "two episodes before we shot it".
Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance, Nancy Travis as Navy vice admiral Harriet Parker and Katrina Law as NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight in NCIS. CBS via Getty Images
The storyline was reportedly devised by executive producer Steven D Binder, who wanted to send "shockwaves through the TV community and the fan base".
Carroll said that he was quickly able to "come to terms" with his character's death, adding: "I would have loved to have been one of the characters who was there for the very last episode, when they board up the windows, and when they officially do say, 'All right, it’s time for everybody to turn off the lights and go home.'
"You’d like to be one of the last men standing. But after 18 seasons, I couldn’t have asked for more."
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Carroll also teased that he could return in flashbacks when speaking with TVLine, and revealed that he has already returned to direct more episodes since filming his final scenes, having previously helmed many previous instalments.
NCIS is available to watch on Disney Plus in the UK. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £89.90 a year now.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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