Summary
- Director Leon Vance may be leaving NCIS after current season, setting up a memorable exit for the franchise's longest-running director.
- Vance's unresolved conflict with Carlos Savina leads to a triumphant moment of justice, potentially paving the way for him to retire.
- With shifts in the NCIS universe, Vance's storyline may conclude as he considers stepping down to prioritize his personal life.
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.
NCIS 1000th Episode Confirms The Franchise Can Survive 1 Major Departure
The NCIS 1000th episode confirmed that the franchise survived the departure of its most beloved character and Special Agent in Charge.
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.