Is Director Vance leaving NCIS? Celebrating 1,000 episodes of “NCIS” with Rocky Carroll

Saying that NCIS is going through some personnel changes is not classified. During Season 19, the popular CBS drama says goodbye to its lead actor Mark Harmon, who continues to serve as an executive producer off-screen. Meanwhile, fans were left in a state of shock regarding Wilmer Valderrama’s character, Nick Torres.

Add one more name to the list now. There are rumors that Rocky Carroll’s excellent portrayal of NCIS Director Leon Vance is also leaving the organization.

Is NCIS director Vance stepping down? What’s Rocky Carroll’s future with the show? And why are fans so worried? Keep reading to find out the answers to all these questions.

What does NCIS stand for?

The show was first known as Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service when it debuted. Later, it was shortened to NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and after that, it was just known as NCIS once everyone was aware of what it stood for.

Is Director Vance leaving NCIS?

Yes, After serving as the director of NCIS for many seasons, Rocky Carroll’s character, Leon Vance, left the show. 

The departure was driven by creative decisions and the desire to explore different avenues for the character.

After the NCIS director was the victim of a home invasion in the episode “Guardian,” which aired on October 17, 2022, viewers of the show began to worry about Vance. As Agent Alden Parker and the team went up to investigate, fans were worried that Vance would be hurt during the home invasion or might even be killed off.

After all, Vance had already been tortured in Season 15 and his wife Jackie was shot and killed in Season 10.

However, audience members can rest easy. “Guardian” showed that Vance is still alive, well, and in charge of NCIS, with Parker and the crew doing their job to protect their boss and friend.

Vance Is Shot By A Long-Range Sniper

Director Vance is shot by an unidentified shooter while he is at his wife’s grave. The agency rushes to the scene of the shot in an attempt to find the culprit. It appears to be from an arbitrary rooftop, some thousand yards away from his current location. For the attack, the shooter employs a long-range sniper.  

How can I watch NCIS Season 21 on TV and stream it online?

CBS will premiere new episodes of NCIS on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT. You can also watch on Paramount+.

Previous seasons of NCIS are available on Paramount+, Netflix, and in reruns on USA Network.