‘NCIS’ quietly pays wholesome tribute to Rocky Carroll for the first time since his exit
'NCIS' Season 23 brought one of the most devastating moments in franchise history in the form of Director Vance's death. The character, played by Rocky Carroll, had been part of the series for 18 years. He died in the 500th episode, which aired on March 24, as he defused a bomb in the parking lot. In the latest episode on Tuesday, the character got a quiet tribute from the team and Sam Hanna. Episode 18, titled 'Bad Impressions,' followed up on the events of the previous episode.
Kasie's special forensic program, which aids in criminal profiling, is stolen. The program, called Edna, is capable of causing a national security breach and took her 16 years to build. The 'NCIS' team, along with Sam Hanna, tries to find the thief. However, things soon start to get out of hand as the prime suspect, a lawyer, is found dead. To make matters worse, Kasie's fingerprints were found at the crime scene. Kasie's innocence was obvious, as she was investigating the missing program at the time of the murder. It was clear that the killer was misusing Edna to frame Kasie.
Eventually, the team cracked the case. The lawyer's murder and Edna's theft were part of a much bigger plot involving a private military contractor group. The program was used to bypass the Pentagon's security system to access a file. Parker, in the last episode, opened up to Sam while looking for a cooling fan to replace the old Multiple Threat Alert Center (MTAC) software with an upgrade. He shared how the absence of Director Vance was plaguing the team: "Doesn’t seem real. A lot of us are still in denial." Sam paid tribute through his reply, "Tell you what, we replace old MTAC with new MTAC, but people, like Vance… no replacing that."
Vance was killed in action by Dolan Thompson, a corrupt agent who shot him three times in the chest. Fans might not see the character back in the Navy Yard, but Rocky Carroll is still part of the crew. He directed the very next episode and will remain an integral part of 'NCIS' as a creative force behind the camera. The show is just two weeks away from the season finale. It has already been renewed for another season. Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, May 5, to watch the penultimate episode.
