Skip to main content

NCIS will look a lot different when season 20 begins. Longtime star Mark Harmon thought about leaving the show for years but was finally written off early in season 19. Many actors have left the show over the years, but Harmon’s departure might be the most significant shakeup to the cast. Michael Weatherly, who played agent Anthony DiNozzo from the series premiere through NCIS season 13, has hinted at his return, but bringing Weatherly back in season 20 would reek of desperation.

Michael Weatherly (left) and Sean Murray in the 'NCIS' Season 12 episode "Patience." Weatherly has expressed interest in returning to 'NCIS,' but doing it in season 20 would reek of desperation.
Michael Weatherly (left) and Sean Murray in ‘NCIS’ | Monty Brinton/CBS

Michael Weatherly has hinted at an ‘NCIS’ return

Trying to remember everything Weatherly said about returning to NCIS to play Tony DiNozzo is enough to make your head spin.

When he left NCIS to star in CBS’ legal drama Bull, he left the door open for a return by saying he’d be open to anything. His social media frequently includes videos of him watching NCIS. In 2018, he said he’d be ready to reprise his role anytime if the time were right. Westerly tweeted a pic of him wearing what seemed to be an NCIS outfit in July 2021. In December that year, Weatherly tweeted a video of him watching an NCIS scene starring him and Sean Murray.

Weatherly isn’t the only one thinking about his NCIS return. Murray has also hinted at his co-star coming back, as has show producer Steven D. Binder. With Bull’s six-season run ending in May 2022, Weatherly has time in his schedule to appear in NCIS, but doing it in season 20 would be a desperate move.

Bringing back Weatherly for ‘NCIS’ Season 20 would reek of desperation

Weatherly’s NCIS return doesn’t appear imminent for season 20, and producers should keep it that way. Bringing him back so soon after Harmon departed would be a desperate move.

The NCIS Season 20 cast deserves the chance to stand on its own. Weatherly appeared in flashbacks in one episode each in seasons 15 and 17, per IMDb. If he appears in season 20, it needs to be limited to a flashback. Anything more than that would be an admission that the producers don’t believe the cast as constructed can carry the show.

Even more than that, bringing back Weatherly for an extended storyline would be one step on the path toward the show’s demise. It would be an acknowledgement that NCIS can only win over fans with a cheap gimmick. If the producers go down that road now, then they’d basically be committing to novelty to keep viewers interested in seasons to come.

Plus, Weatherly would be doing his friend Murray wrong if he returned for season 20. Relative newcomer Cole will likely replace Harmon as the top-billed actor ahead of the long-serving Murray. Weatherly and Murray remain friends after working on NCIS for years, but Weatherly’s return would be a blow to Murray’s ego on top of not being No. 1 in the show’s credits.

We’re not saying bringing back Weatherly to the NCIS cast won’t or shouldn’t happen, but season 20 is not the right time to do it.

‘NCIS’ Season 20: What we know so far

Related

‘NCIS’: Michael Weatherly Just Dropped a Major Hint That Tony DiNozzo is Returning for Season 19

Harmon just left NCIS, but he has hinted at a possible return, much like Weatherly did when he departed. Just like bringing back Weatherly, it shouldn’t happen in season 20. Reaching that milestone for a TV drama (only a handful of scripted shows have lasted longer) should take the spotlight, not the return of characters from the show’s earlier seasons.

The 20th season of NCIS figures to keep the twists and turns coming, but we know a few things to expect.

We’re likely to see a lot of the budding romance between Katrina Law’s Jessica Knight and Brian Dietzen’s Jimmy Palmer. Team romances on NCIS typically build slowly, such as Torres-Ellie Bishop and Anthony DiNozzo-Ziva David. Yet the producers and writing team have already expressed interest in fast-tracking the Palmer-Knight relationship.

Former The Fosters star and Meet the Parents actor Teri Polo appeared as agent Parker’s ex-wife Vivian Kolchak in two season 19 episodes. Vivian figures to be a much more prominent character in season 20, with her and Parker on the run after Parker was framed for murder.

NCIS Season 20 debuts Sept. 19, 2022, and Michael Weatherly’s return should not be in the cards anytime soon.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.

Best in TV