Warning! Spoilers ahead for NCIS season 24, episode 1.The NCIS season 24 premiere opened with a lot of answers, but also more questions on top of them. Neither Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) nor Mateo (Patrick Keleher) were injured when the gun went off at the end of the season 23 finale. It turned out that Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) was in the area and was the one to end up with a small injury, setting up for Weatherly’s season-long return to NCIS.

As all that came out, plenty of questions arose. The team needed to figure out everything Matteo was involved in, but LaRoche (Seamus Dever) had been named Director of NCIS, and he was getting in the way. He didn’t just kick McGee (Sean Murray) and Torres out of the building, but he made sure that DiNozzo wasn’t welcome and Parker (Gary Cole) was fired.

Fortunately, they found a way around the problem. Having DiNozzo as a visitor and not a “Very Special” agent meant that he could take on tasks the others weren’t allowed to. The door even opened for Parker and DiNozzo to work together and learn more about each other.

Out of anyone who could take Vance’s place, DiNozzo is perfect. While he may not know the team, he knows the job extremely well. He was taught by Gibbs (Mark Harmon), which means he does more than solve cases. However, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing. There’s a member of the team who may feel like he’s been overlooked once more. While NCIS had some excellent moments between DiNozzo and McGee, jealousy is an ugly emotion.

What DiNozzo Being Named Director of NCIS Means for the Show

One thing DiNozzo understands is the real meaning of the job. Working the cases is more than just solving the crime. There’s a chance to bring closure for the victims’ families with answers, and the team gets a chance to make the Navy safer one perp at a time. He will think outside the box and help the team get the job done, rather than be a hindrance in the way that LaRoche was.

On top of that, a Ziva (Cote de Pablo) cameo here and there is possible, although it does seem unlikely based on NCIS season 24 promotional material. NCIS: Tony & Ziva ended with some plot holes, and they were holes that many likely thought they wouldn’t get answers to. With Weatherly back in the mothership series, there have been immediate mentions of where Ziva and Tali are, with Tali in a boarding school to keep her safe and Ziva close by in Boston to make sure of it. An incident could easily call MCRT to Tali’s boarding school to wrap up every element of Tony & Ziva.

Bringing DiNozzo back into the story is also a little fan service. There are still many who miss the good old days of pop culture references and fun nicknames, and all that came back in just one episode. Pop culture references don’t need to date the show, as NCIS has proven in the past. Some of the references are even to older shows, with The Goonies mentioned in the season 24 premiere. Instead of dating, they help to add some lightness and softness to some darker cases.

There is a risk of trouble within the team, though. Torres couldn’t help but mention that McGee had been passed over for Deputy Director in favor of LaRoche, and that was a storyline that caused friction for the two men. Having DiNozzo return to NCIS after a decade away and immediately get the director’s office could lead to a similar issue. McGee could feel like he is constantly being passed over for positions above him.

If DiNozzo makes a decision that McGee doesn’t agree with, the two could end up battling it out or tension brewing under the surface, leading to the risk of it bubbling over in the middle of a case. The two are mature enough to work through these feelings, but there’s likely in-team drama to come, as long as it doesn’t last for too long. One of the great things about DiNozzo being back is seeing their friendship on NCIS once more.

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Showrunner

Donald P. Bellisario

Directors

Dennis Smith, Terrence O’Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright

Writers

George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh

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  Sean Murray

  Timothy McGee

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  David McCallum

  Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard