As NCIS gears up for its season 21 finale, star Brian Dietzen, known for his role as Dr. Jimmy Palmer, is promising fans massive twists in the upcoming episode titled “Reef Madness,” marking the end of a shortened 10-episode season due to last year’s acting and writing strike. Fresh off celebrating the 1,000th episode milestone with a crossover event involving NCIS: Hawai’i and NCIS: Los Angeles, the focus now shifts to the highly anticipated finale airing on May 6.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dietzen assured viewers that the final episode will leave them breathless. “As per usual with NCIS, it’s gonna leave a lot of people with their mouths wide open after the credits start to roll,” he teased. “I think everyone’s pretty damn proud of what we put together.”
Despite the shortened season, Dietzen emphasized that there are still significant moments leading up to the finale. “There’s plenty in store there,” he remarked. “It’s only a 10-episode season, right? It just kind of feels like each of our writers kind of only gets one at-bat, and they’re really swinging for the fences, and they are not disappointing.”
Dietzen teased an upcoming episode that showcases Gary Cole’s character, Parker, in a hilariously situational manner. “One that’s coming up pretty soon here highlights Gary Cole’s character Parker in a way that, to me, is some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen in a long, long time on the show,” he shared. “Having read it, I can’t wait to see what Gary does with the material.”
Fans can also anticipate more NCIS in the future, as the show has been renewed for a 22nd season set to air in the autumn. Additionally, two new spin-offs are in development: a prequel centered around Leroy Gibbs, narrated by Mark Harmon, and a contemporary series reuniting Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo.
NCIS airs on CBS in the US, while seasons 1-20 are available on Disney+ in the UK, with season 21 currently streaming on the platform.
