Fans of the long-running police procedural drama NCIS have been left ‘heartbroken’ after an iconic character was killed after nearly two decades.
The CBS series, which first aired in 2003, focuses on the Washington D.C.-based Major Case Response Team, originally led by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon).
Renown for being one of the longest-running primetime TV series of all time, the series has launched a major franchise, including spin-offs such as NCIS Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawaii.
However, following its 500th episode on Tuesday, viewers have been left ‘floored’ after a plot twist killed off a major legacy character.
Director Leon Vance, who is played by Rocky Carroll, was shot by a seemingly rogue agent in the episode.
Rocky joined the series 18 years ago in season five, which aired in 2008, becoming a regular in season six.
Reacting to the moment on social media, viewers were ‘devastated’, as Tara said: ‘I did not see that coming,’ with a teary emoji.
Barbara also wrote: ‘A shocker! Nicely done. I cried though!’ as Brian similarly said: ‘Heartbreaking, but very well done.’
Addie, meanwhile, argued: ‘There was no reason to kill off his character. I feel like NCIS has lost its way.
‘They seem to kill off characters every so often just for some sort of shock value. It usually just makes me tune out for a while. That type of writing just doesn’t appeal to me.’
Leia similarly claimed that the show ‘will not be the same’ without him.
Describing his character’s demise, Rocky said himself that it’s ‘going to be a huge shock for people’.
Speaking to Variety, he added: ‘I’ve been a character on this series for 18 years. Most Hollywood careers don’t last 18 years. So to be able to play one character on one of the most popular shows in the world for 18 seasons, that’s the equivalent of living to be 105.
‘You know, if you’ve known somebody who lived to be 105, when you go to that funeral, there’s a part of you that’s like, “OK, yeah, this is sad, but I mean, geez! The guy lived to be 105.” So I feel that way with my character.’
In the latest episode, the NCIS team faced the threat of being shut down by the Department of Defense. As Leon fought to save his team, he tragically met his end after nearly two decades on the show.
This comes after 9-1-1 viewers threatened to boycott the ABC show after it unexpectedly killed main character Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) after seven years.
This led Hollywood star Angela Bassett, who plays Bobby’s wife, to address the criticism.
The Black Panther star wrote: ‘I know this is hard for all of you. It’s hard for us, too. Peter’s Bobby Nash will be missed, but his character will never be forgotten. He is forever a part of our family.
‘We should all give Peter a lot of love as he expands beyond “the 118” and into all adventures that await him. Love you, my friend. Athena will never be the same.’
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