NCIS pays tribute to legendary David McCallum in moving episode

The long-standing cast member died last September, with Monday’s episode giving him an emotional farewell.

By Lidia Molina-Whyte

Published: Tuesday, 20 February 2024 at 11:46 AM

*Warning: Spoilers for this week’s episode of NCIS.*

Monday’s (19th February) NCIS episode paid a final tribute to long-standing cast member David McCallum, who died at the age of 90 last September.

McCallum was the only remaining original cast member on the series, which has spanned four spin-offs since first premiering on CBS in 2003.

The Glasgow native played the role of medical examiner turned historian Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard for two decades before his passing.

Monday’s episode, titled The Stories We Leave Behind, kicked things off with Brian Dietzen’s Dr Jimmy Palmer discovering his mentor’s body in bed, having died peacefully in his sleep, while Ducky’s loyal corgi looked on.

Not the worst way to go, as Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee puts it back at NCIS headquarters.

Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee, Gary Cole as FBI Special Agent Alden Parker, and Diona Reasonover as Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines in NCIS.
Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee, Gary Cole as FBI Special Agent Alden Parker, and Diona Reasonover as Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines in NCIS.
Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

But, of course, it wouldn’t be an NCIS episode without a case to crack. So the team get to work on solving Ducky’s last case in between receiving a mountain of thistles from Scotland, and flashing back to some of McCallum’s best scenes from previous seasons.

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These included heartfelt moments with NCIS favourites Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). Though Gibbs didn’t make a comeback, Weatherly did reprise the role of DiNozzo for the first time since exiting the show in 2016.

The team works to exonerate a dead soldier who had been framed by a corrupt councilman, and whom Ducky believed was innocent all along, before moving on to Ducky’s memorial – and DiNozzo’s surprise appearance.

The latter had been kept under wraps on the run-up to the episode, which ended with the following dedication to McCallum: “In memory of our dear friend and colleague David McCallum. We will miss you.”