NCIS season 16 spoilers: Gibbs takes over as acting director as Vance's future remains uncertain

With Abby gone, who else from the original cast will leave? Will Vance make it out alright as Gibbs takes over as acting director? The new season of 'NCIS' returns on Sept. 25.

'NCIS' is all set to return for a 16th season this month, and as usual, there's no telling which way the show could swing. But educated guesses and popular spoiler speculations online can give us a thin bread-crumb-trail to follow in order to know what to expect on CBS' long-running police procedural drama.

The new season arrives just four months since the shocking departure of Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette). The well-loved forensics expert was one of the few cast members who had been with the show since the very conception and watching her go was surely heart-wrenching for fans. For those wondering if NCIS could drop any more of their well-beloved longtime characters, it's worth noting that 'NCIS' is not foreign to the concept of surprise deaths, leaving the doors open for anything really.

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