NCIS’s fan-favourite historian has taken a backseat in recent years but will get the chance to catch up with the team in the upcoming season finale.Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard (played by David McCallum) has returned in a sneak peek at NCIS’s season 20 finale, Black Sky, in two weeks’ time.
The former head Medical Examiner will show up in at least one scene in the second half of the two-parter, but it could be his last ever appearance.In newly released images from the finale, Ducky is shown having a meeting with NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) via video link.
His role within the episode is unclear for now, though he’ll undoubtedly be on-hand to offer some wisdom during another difficult mission for the team.Given he’s about to have a meeting with Director Vance, this finale appearance could signal Ducky stepping back from the team for good.
Black Sky will follow from next Monday’s episode, Kompromat, which will see Alden Parker (Gary Cole), Tim McGee (Sean Murray) and the team investigating a Russian threat.A synopsis for the finale teases: “Agent Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) finds himself in prison as the team tries to stop an impending terror attack on US soil.”
As ever, Ducky won’t be heading out into the field for this gripping case but could offer some valuable insight for Dr Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) when he inspects a murder victim found in the National Archive.
89-year-old star McCallum has appeared in over 500 episodes of the hit drama but his appearances have been few and far between as of late.
While he continues to be credited in the series’ opening titles, he has only made appearances in two other episodes this season.He last appeared in the back-to-back episodes Unearth and Leave No Trace near the start of season 20 last year.
Following the departure of team leader Leroy ‘Jethro’ Gibbs (Mark Harmon), he has now become one of only three main cast members who have appeared in all 20 seasons.
However, his decades-long NCIS streak could come to an end if this is to be his final appearance before the series heads into its 21st season.
Nothing has been confirmed so far, and showrunner Steve Binder has been eager to keep Ducky around for future appearances for the time being.