Will there be ‘NCIS’ Season 24? Buzz grows after finale delivers one of the show’s biggest cliffhangers
The final moments of the 'NCIS' Season 23 finale gave fans a lot to think about. Titled 'Sons and Daughters,' the episode aired on May 12 on CBS and left the fates of two characters in doubt. Fans will have to wait a few months to find out what happened to Nicholas Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and why Mateo Garcia (Patrick Keleher) was working against his father, Timothy McGee's (Sean Murray), organization. As CBS has already renewed 'NCIS' for Season 24 in January, the police procedural drama will most likely return in either September or October, as part of the network's fall lineup. Right after the finale aired, showrunner Steven D. Binder spoke to TV Insider to address the episode's biggest moments and that cliffhanger ending.
He was asked about the plot for Season 24, but Binder chose to remain tight-lipped, only saying that it's a "little too soon" to comment. However, he mentioned that the next season will continue the momentum set by Season 23. "This last season, I think we went to some very interesting places with our characters, and we’re going to try and build on that and continue in a way that still also tells just some good week-to-week mysteries, balance those two things," he said.
Furthermore, the NCIS's core team will reprise their roles in the show's next installment. Gary Cole as Alden Parker, Murray as Timothy McGee, Katrina Law as Jessica Knight, Wilmer Valderrama as Torres, Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines, and Brian Dietzen as Dr Jimmy Palmer. Rocky Carroll may also return as Leon Vance in more flashback scenes, just like he did in the Season 23 finale, alongside other familiar faces from the past. But one recurring character who is sure to return is Keleher as Garcia. Binder confirmed that Garcia's storyline, which ended on a cliffhanger, will continue in Season 24.
The finale scene of episode 20 has set the stage for explosive revelations to follow in Season 24. Torres discovered that Garcia had ulterior motives while visiting the NCIS office under the guise of seeking an internship. When he confronted the teenager, Garcia threatened him by pulling out his gun. "They could be watching," he said, panicked. Soon after, a shot was fired, and the camera cut away from Garcia and Torres, leaving their fates uncertain. Binder confirmed that the shot did injure someone, but shared that he did not intend to kill another character, after the NCIS Director Leon Vance's tragic death in Episode 13. "I sort of had my fill this season, all of us, of killing people. So I can rule that out," he said, confirming that the injured victim survives the attack.
From the looks of it, it seems like someone was blackmailing Garcia. Binder shared that Season 24 will explore his true motives and reveal his plans. He told TVLine that Season 24 of 'NCIS' will address the cliffhanger ending. "We'll either do a direct pickup, or some time will pass and we'll have a few flashbacks to that. It feels to me we would be picking it up right there, right before, right after," he said, referring to the alley incident. Moreover, he cautioned viewers from painting Garcia as an outright bad guy, saying, "It just doesn’t feel right to me to give McGee a son and have the son be truly evil. I don't want to see that. I want to see a father and a son have some problems."
