NCIS 500th Episode Features Director Vance's Death

In the landmark 500th episode of the CBS series NCIS, aired on March 24, 2026, Director Leon Vance met a dramatic end, sacrificing his life to save the agency from dissolution. The episode, titled "All Good Things," marked the departure of actor Rocky Carroll, who had portrayed the intelligent and steadfast leader since 2008.

The storyline unfolded amid a crisis where the Department of Defense planned to shut down NCIS and transfer its operations to the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. Vance, arrested and interrogated by an unnamed agent, recounted key events to his team, including defusing a bomb in the evidence locker and exposing CID Agent Dolan Thompson as corrupt. In a pivotal confrontation, Thompson shot Vance three times in the chest, just as agents Alden Parker and Timothy McGee arrived too late to intervene. As Vance faced his final moments, a younger version of longtime ally Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard appeared to guide him toward the light, accompanied by a montage of series highlights and the voice of his late wife, Jackie, offering a tender farewell.

Carroll, reflecting on the episode, described the revelation of his character's fate as initially shocking but...