Warning! The following contains spoilers for the NCIS episode "Wayward Son." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!
NCIS bringing back Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo for the Season 24 premiere was a given, but after watching this episode, I'm still shocked about how the whole thing played out. The CBS drama kept a sneaky surprise about the return, and it looks like the CBS series plans to keep him around for much longer. The episode was great TV and actually managed to fix one problem I've had with the show in one fell swoop.
But first, let's talk about DiNozzo getting shot in the opening minutes of the episode, and then things getting a lot better for him with THAT unexpected job promotion. Readers already knew from CinemaBlend's exclusive clip that Tony's D.C. branch for Salus Mondiale was off to a rough start.
Fortunately, it looks like he found a way to stay in the area without needing to run his own security branch, and that's as the new head of NCIS after Director Vance's passing. Surprise!
Tony DiNozzo Is The New NCIS Director, And Even He Was Surprised
Let me run what happened down. After DiNozzo helped the Navy Secretary, Helen Marsh, get her daughter back from a hostage situation, Marsh expressed regret that she hired Gabriel Laroche over her first choice (yes, Tony). He'd declined the job previously and was about to again, but Marsh was two steps ahead. She'd already learned that Ziva wanted him to take the job and put out a press release announcing his promotion, seemingly locking him in without his say-so.
This has now opened the door for Michael Weatherly to remain a part of the NCIS cast for the rest of the 2026 TV schedule, and beyond. Listen, we expected the character back on the show for at least a bit, but I can't emphasize how wild it is that both Weatherly and the rest of the cast kept this under their hats. Heck, they kept us talking about potential crossovers in the future!
For now, he's in a recurring role that can pop in and out of the team at will, which offers freedom for the writers to include him as much as he's willing. Director Vance actor Rocky Carroll appeared in 392 episodes across 18 seasons, so this could be a big role for Weatherly's TV future.
This Also Fixed My Biggest Problem: Gabriel Laroche
As happy as I am to see Tony DiNozzo in the role as Director of NCIS, I'm even more thrilled to see Gabriel Laroche is gone. His short-lived tenure as the new Director of the organization was chaos, and this case might not have worked out had the team not worked around his constant interference.
Laroche came in hot, fired Alden Parker, and had Tony, Nick, and McGee barred from the premises during the investigation. I was dreading a season in which the team was going to have to solve crimes while dealing with this wack job running the show, as it would've been a big distraction from the overall stories.
I will admit that he made for a great antagonist, and I'm wondering if NCIS will bring the character back in the future in another way. After all, this latest story arc has involved people close to the organization being blackmailed into delivering secrets on the organization, so we could see him come back into the story and be motivated by revenge against the team.
NCIS continues Season 24, with Tony in tow, on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm hyped for how the character's new run as director will turn out, and if he'll be sticking around for future seasons.
