Is Tim McGee leaving ‘NCIS’? Season 24 Episode 2 surprises fans with a bombshell revelation
Season 24 of 'NCIS' gave fans another nostalgia-filled ride in Episode 2, titled 'Clean Slate.' It featured Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) in a new role as director, but he was still the same old him. Fans were also shocked in the last moments, as the episode left another fan favorite's future up in the air. Timothy 'Tim' McGee (Sean Murray) and Tony spend a lot of time together in this episode. Unlike previous directors, Tony did not stay in his office; instead, he was hands-on with the team's case. This rubbed many the wrong way. Alden Parker (Gary Cole), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) ask Tim to intervene. Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) also asks Tim to put in a good word with Tony for him, so he gets more tactical assignments.
The old pals share many fun moments. In one instance, Tim calls Tony his 'probie' as he has previously served as an Acting Director. "Everyone's senior to him," showrunner Steven D. Binder shared with Parade about the Tony-Tim dynamic. "McGee's been the interim director before. Tony is suddenly the probie, and McGee's the guy with the experience in the job Tony's in. The relationships between everybody are going to be explored more specifically in the second episode, and I think that's where the real fun of this new edition of the cast is going to shine. Everyone's got a different relationship. Think of two people on a first date. They're sounding each other out, laughing a little too hard, getting a little awkward. They're going to have that kind of dynamic, just really feeling each other out."
The case-of-the-week ends with Linda Pride (Paige Turco) being found as her husband Greg's murderer. However, the team doesn't arrest her, as Tony believes she could be a key to a larger mystery. "I know something's coming down the pike, something bad, very bad, something a lot of very smart people are very worried about," Tony explains to McGee. "I'm not happy about letting her go, but we'll get her eventually; this is good for us, Tim." The case featured the CIA, and Greg was one of the cover operatives working for enemy forces.
After the case is wrapped up, Tim discusses the team's concerns with Tony. The director explained that he needs to do things his way to keep himself sane. "This job is like the drummer from Spinal Tap. It kills people, but it'll kill your soul first unless you find a way to blow off some steam. Vance boxed. Jenny lit up the town. You know what I like to do? I like to bust bad guys. So I'm going to do my job as director, and when I need to take a little break, blow off a little steam, I'm going to go bust some bad guys with you. And it's not a distraction; it's the only way I know how to survive this job. Can you live with that?" he said. Tim says that he can. Tony then delivers a bombshell.
Earlier in the episode, Jessica mentioned how the director's job should have gone to Tim, considering his experience. Tony brings this up with his long-time friend. "Don't get too comfortable. The only reason you're not doing this job is that the Secretary of the Navy has another one planned for you," he said. When Tim enquires further, Tony answers, "Hers." The Secretary of the Navy oversees NCIS, but is not a part of it. This could mean Tim is on his way out. Tim's father was a four-star Admiral in the Navy, and the fan favorite may feel drawn to the prospect of making his late father proud. To find out what call Tim makes, tune in every Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS.
