'NCIS' season 14 spoilers, plot news: Episode 1 preview released; Alex Quinn filling up DiNozzo's vacant desk?
"NCIS" season 14 is premiering in less than a month, and the million dollar question in the minds of fans now is who will fill in Tony DiNozzo's vacant desk.
Michael Weatherly, who plays DiNozzo, had to leave the show he was part of for 13 years to fulfill his responsibilities in CBS' new show, "Bull." In the story, the character was written off when DiNozzo decided to leave the team so he could concentrate on taking care of Tali, his daughter with Ziva David (Cote de Pablo).
DiNozzo is the one who brings an air of lightness to the team with his one-of-a-kind sense of humor, making the heaviest of cases more bearable. The return of "NCIS" season 14 might show Gibbs (Mark Harmon) neck-deep with the task of finding a suitable replacement, through the help of Alex Quinn, who will be played by new cast member Jennifer Esposito.
Speaking to TV Line, showrunner Gary Glasberg said NCIS Special Agent Quinn is a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) instructor and friend of Gibbs who will come to Gibbs after getting wind of his dissatisfaction with her recommendations.
Check out the promo teaser for "NCIS" season 14 episode 1 titled "Rogue" below, which was initially released by Entertainment Weekly.
"Gibbs has been trying—unsuccessfully!—to find an agent to take over the empty desk [where DiNozzo sat]," Glasberg said. He added, "So she [Quinn] basically shows up and says to Gibbs, 'What the hell is wrong with you?!'"
Wilmer Valderrama has been cast as NCIS Special Agent Nick Torres while Duane Henry will play MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves. So will it be Esposito's character to fill up DiNozzo's vacant desk?
Will the squadron room be too crowded with the entry of three new characters? Glasberg doesn't think so. In fact, he says the addition of new characters is a "new injection of different energy" to the show.
"There's something really fun coming up—we've rearranged things a bit. I think the fans are going to go a little crazy," Glasberg reveals.
He then admits that the unexpected cast shake-up caught him by surprise. However, he says he and the rest of the NCIS family are happy for Weatherly and his new show even if it means losing a significant part of the team.
Meanwhile, the promo teaser for episode 1 shown above reveals three key points that might come into play throughout the season. One is that Gibbs asked Quinn to "stick around" as the team investigates a new case. Two, Torres has never been part of a team before, but he's one of the best undercover ops the NCIS has. Three, Esposito's character seemed a bit goofy, thereby making her the female counterpart of DiNozzo.
"NCIS" season 14 is set to return on Sept. 20, Tuesday, at 8 p.m. on CBS.