NCIS Season 21 Set Up The Perfect Way For Leon Vance To Leave The Show

NCIS may have just paved the perfect way for NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) to leave the show after the current season. In NCIS season 21, episode 8, the team solves the murder of an abducted heart surgeon and Navy Commander, Erik Harper, played by Star Trek actor Tim Russ. When Director Leon Vance finds out that the leader of the Cali Cartel, Carlos Savina, is behind the murder, Vance reveals to Parker that he’s been after Savina before and it left an unresolved conflict for Vance’s character.

Leon Vance has been featured on NCIS since season 5. With CBS currently airing NCIS season 21, Vance is the longest-running NCIS director in the franchise, taking the place of Jennifer “Jenny” Shepard (Lauren Holly), with Thomas “Tom” Morrow (Alan Dale) serving as NCIS director before that. With big shifts for the NCIS universe teased in the NCIS 1000th wpisode, it’s possible that what played out between Carlos Savina and Director Leon Vance in NCIS season 21 just paved the way for Vance to exit the show.

Catching Carlos Savina In NCIS Season 21 Finally Gives Leon Vance Peace

Carlos Savina And Director Leon Vance Have A History, And It’s Dark

There is a big reveal for Director Leon Vance in NCIS season 21, episode 8, “Heartless.” When Parker briefs Vance that their mystery killer is Cali Cartel leader Carlos Savina, Vance asks Parker if he’s certain. Vance then reveals that he has been after Carlos Savina once before, in a joint operation with the DEA. He explains that they went after Savina because he was using maritime routes to transport his product. Vance then reveals that Savina eluded capture, and two of his agents were killed in the process.

Posing as a heart surgeon alongside Harper’s surgical partner, Dr. Clara Logan (Christina Kirk), Parker is taken directly to Carlos Savina and leaves a trail of clues for his team to follow. When the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) arrives on the scene, Parker is performing surgery. Fortunately, the team secures the makeshift operating room and transfers Savina to a hospital, where he wakes up handcuffed to a hospital bed. Leon Vance stoically enters the hospital room to report to Savina that he is under arrest as Savina is coming to terms with his demise, bringing peace to the case.

Resolving Vance’s Storyline Could Allow Him To Step Down As NCIS Director

Recent Shifts In The NCIS Universe May Cause Vance To Reevaluate His Priorities

With the resolution of what was likely one of Director Leon Vance’s biggest cases, the character will experience a sense of peace he likely hasn’t experienced, as director of NCIS, in years. Combined with the way that he almost lost his life in the NCIS 1000th Episode, the resolution could be the push that Vance needs to retire, meaning the NCIS universe could see Leon Vance stepping down as NCIS director at the end of season 21. With the actor spending over 15 seasons on the show, Carroll’s departure from the role would be understandable.

The triumph for the MCRT and for Director Leon Vance ensures that justice has been served in a case that certainly weighed on Vance’s heart and mind. The director is experiencing major life events, with plot twists for Vance in NCIS’ 1000th episode leading to life-threatening injuries for the character. With the character going through major life events, it could be a signal that larger changes are brewing for Vance and the entire MCRT. What’s certain is, if Vance does step away as NCIS director, he would be able to do so knowing justice was served for the two agents he lost to Savina.

Vance Faced Conflict Over His Role At NCIS In Season 21

Vance’s Son Argued That His Dad Had Given Too Much To NCIS

Vance’s NCIS director role is controversial to his son, Jared Vance (recast and portrayed by Spence Moore II in NCIS season 21). The events in season 21, episode 7, “A Thousand Yards,” which was the NCIS 1000th Episode, caused reasons to question Vance’s future at NCIS. Vance was shot in the back by a sniper when visiting his wife’s grave, and his son witnessed the shooting. The traumatic event sparks a larger conversation between father and son about priorities, with the younger Vance quick to call his father out.

With a resolution with his son in reach, and taking down one of the most significant criminals in his career, the NCIS universe could see Leon Vance step down as NCIS director. The shift in priorities could see new opportunities for Vance, who could develop as a father if outside his role at NCIS, but no sooner than that. It’s clear that the director’s work is a sore spot for Jared, and although they have a reflective conversation about what NCIS means to others, it likely doesn’t change the fact that Jared would like a more present father.

There Are Several NCIS Characters Who Could Step In As The New Director

Timothy McGee Would Be An Obvious Choice For NCIS Director

Although NCIS is signaling the departure of NCIS Director Leon Vance, other capable members of the team could take his place. The most noteworthy is Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee, who has stepped up as temporary NCIS director twice in the last couple of seasons, most notably in the NCIS 1000th Episode when Leon Vance is shot. McGee has evolved from the show’s rookie NCIS Special Agent to one of the most capable characters in the NCIS universe, and his expertise would suit the NCIS director role perfectly.

NCIS could also see Gary Cole stepping into the role of NCIS Director, with Timothy McGee potentially taking his place as Supervisory Special Agent, or even taking the place of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs as Special Agent in Charge after Harmon’s NCIS season 19 exit left the team without an official replacement for Gibbs’ role. McGee would have been more than capable of the role when Gibbs left, especially considering he has been on the show nearly as long as Harmon and showcases one of the most well-rounded skillsets, creating the right blend to make McGee NCIS director.

That said, it could be that the NCIS universe is just challenging Vance, and showcasing the versatility of his character. The series could, alternatively, see Jared stepping into a role at NCIS to finally reunite the father and son, which is plausible considering Jared showcased that he was capable of helping the team in the NCIS 1000th Episode, and his excitement for the work built throughout. Although he has an unresolved conflict with his father, Jared, who could be a big reason for Vance stepping down, would also be capable of joining his father in NCIS.