Tony DiNozzo’s ‘NCIS’ Comeback Just Took a Very Unexpected Turn

2 days ago 13

Published Oct 7, 2026, 9:51 AM EDT

Amanda M. Castro is a Network TV writer at Collider and a New York–based journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, where she is an Associate Editor, and The U.S. Sun, where she previously served as a Senior Consumer Reporter.

She specializes in network television coverage, delivering sharp, thoughtful analysis of long-running procedural hits and ambitious new dramas across broadcast TV. At Collider, Amanda explores character arcs, storytelling trends, and the cultural impact of network series that keep audiences tuning in week after week.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Amanda is bilingual and holds a degree in Communication, Film, and Media Studies from the University of New Haven.

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for NCIS, Season 24, Episode 1For a character who spent 13 seasons making a habit of barging into trouble, Tony DiNozzo’s return to NCIS feels appropriately chaotic. Michael Weatherly is back as the fan-favorite former special agent, and the Season 24 premiere wastes almost no time reminding viewers that Tony still has a talent for finding himself in the middle of a mess. Only this time, he isn’t the one causing it. He goes and gets himself shot.

The premiere, “Wayward Son,” picks up directly after Season 23’s cliffhanger, which left viewers wondering who was on the receiving end of the gunshot during Nick Torres’ (Wilmer Valderrama) confrontation with Timothy McGee’s (Sean Murray) son, Mateo (Patrick Keleher). The answer turns out to be the last person anyone expected: Tony. He happens to be nearby when the standoff unfolds, and Mateo shoots him before fleeing the scene. Fortunately, Tony’s wound is little more than a graze, allowing Weatherly to make his grand return without immediately putting the character back in danger.

Why Was Tony DiNozzo Shot in the ‘NCIS’ Season 24 Premiere?

Tony has returned to Washington, D.C., to establish a satellite office for his private security company, Salus Mondiale. His daughter, Tali, is attending school in Boston, while Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) remains nearby. So Tony has a perfectly reasonable excuse to be back in the neighborhood — even if his first encounter with the old gang involves a bullet wound and an ambulance.

He quickly becomes involved in the case surrounding Mateo, who has stolen classified information connected to the Secretary of the Navy’s security detail. Mateo isn’t some budding supervillain, though. He was manipulated into stealing the information after becoming entangled with people who could help him find his missing mother. The stolen material ultimately becomes a means of targeting the Secretary of the Navy’s daughter, Catherine, who is kidnapped and held for ransom.

The case gets considerably more complicated thanks to Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever), the new NCIS director. LaRoche immediately establishes himself as an obstacle, suspending Torres, pushing Parker (Gary Cole) aside, and ordering the team to stay out of the investigation. Naturally, they do exactly that.

Tony joins McGee and Torres in working the case and eventually helps expose the real scheme. The supposed demand for an old Navy file is a distraction; the actual target is a stash of diamonds hidden inside the archives. Tony figures out the trick, thanks in part to his encyclopedic knowledge of movies, and Parker and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) arrive in time to save him. By the end of the case, Catherine is safe, Mateo is cleared of the worst accusations, and Parker gets his job back. LaRoche, meanwhile, is out.

The Secretary of the Navy admits that she made the wrong choice when she hired LaRoche. Her first choice had actually been Tony, who previously declined the job; this time, however, she isn’t giving him a chance to reconsider, as she tells Tony he is the right person for the job — and reveals that she's already announced his appointment publicly.

So, yes, Tony is officially the new Director of NCIS. It’s a terrific twist because it turns one of the show’s oldest jokes on its head. Tony spent years tormenting McGee for being the resident “probie.” Now McGee is the experienced agent while Tony is suddenly the one learning how to navigate unfamiliar territory. The joke practically writes itself: Who’s the probie now? More importantly, Tony’s promotion gives NCIS something it hasn’t really attempted before. Rather than bringing a beloved former agent back simply to recreate the old team, the series has given him a position that fundamentally changes how he interacts with everyone.

Showrunner Steven D. Binder has emphasized that Tony can’t simply return to his old desk. Too many characters now occupy those roles, and Tony himself has changed too much since leaving the agency. He’s a father now; he’s spent years building a life outside NCIS, and his experience with Ziva and Tali has forced him to grow up in ways the old Tony probably wouldn’t recognize.

What Tony’s New NCIS Job Means for Season 24

Wilmer Valderrama and Sean Murray in NCIS Season 24

The real fun should begin with Episode 2, which effectively serves as Tony’s first day on the job. The episode, “Clean Slate,” follows the team as they investigate a murder after a neighborhood dinner party, only to discover that every guest is hiding something — including what they were burning in their backyards and why the victim’s home was broken into — a case that will also give viewers their first real look at Tony as director.

His relationships with the current team should be particularly interesting. McGee has already held the director position on an interim basis, meaning Tony may technically outrank him while still relying on McGee’s experience. Knight is expected to take on something of a “mother hen” role with Tony, while his relationship with Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) is also set for a new twist. There is also Parker, as the two men have no real history together, making their dynamic something of a first date: neither knows quite what to make of the other yet.

Tony’s return is more than a nostalgia play, as NCIS is asking what happens when that guy grows up, comes back, and gets handed the keys to the entire agency, and Tony has spent years proving he can be a good agent. Now he has to prove he can be a good director.

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. EST on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.