'NCIS' season 14 spoilers: Team Gibbs moving on after DiNozzo's exit; new characters to fill the gap?
Many hearts were broken when Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) made his final appearance on "NCIS'" season 13 finale. The emotional farewell left fans wondering how "NCIS" season 14 would shape up after a popular and much-loved character bid goodbye to the show.
DiNozzo had to leave the team after learning that he had a daughter with Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), and that the child, Tali, was the lone survivor of a fire. In season 13's finale titled "Family First," DiNozzo made the decision to focus on looking after his daughter.
According to Movie News Guide, fans would have to stick around to see if Tony and Tali would make a surprise appearance in future episodes. Nevertheless, it did say that Duane Henry and Sarah Clarke, who joined the show in the last two episodes of season 13, would be back to reprise their respective roles.
Henry played the role of an M16 Officer, Clayton Reeves, while "Twilight" star Clarke played FBI Special Agent Tess Monroe. The two characters are expected to fill the void left by DiNozzo's departure from Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) team.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Deadline, showrunner Gary Glasberg said the cast and crew are eager to reset, move on, and move forward without Weatherly.
"I still have Mark Harmon, and the family is still in place. We're actually excited as writers to have some new perspectives, to have some new characters come in, to be able switch it up and change things 14 seasons into a television show," he told Deadline.
"It's fun for us. And to know that the foundation doesn't change but the opportunities continue to grow and are limitless, that's fun for us."
The International Business Times said that Harmon has signed a new deal with CBS, so his contract with "NCIS" has been extended until 2018.
No official announcement has been made regarding "NCIS" season 14's return date, but it is expected to premiere on CBS in the fall.
