NCIS Episode 500 Features A Reunion Fans Will Likely Never See Again

Contains spoilers for "NCIS" Season 23, Episode 13 — "All Good Things"

The shocking death of NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) during the 500th episode of "NCIS" is one for the history books. The episode contains an extremely unique reunion: Vance speaks with a younger version of Ducky Mallard (Adam Campbell), who appears in spirit form and helps usher him into the afterlife. Since both characters are now dead, it's unlikely fans will ever see them come together this way again.

Ducky first presents himself to Vance as an unidentified man (Adhir Kalyan) who interrogates him about a death related to his last case, with Vance spending the episode explaining himself. The situation revolves around the sister of Billy Fuentes (Austin Marques), who first appeared in an "NCIS" Season 1 episode as a child (Episode 500 serves as a sequel to that classic episode). Billy's sister has been framed for a murder related to a weapons-smuggling operation.

It turns out the crime ring is actually being co-run by multiple NCIS-hating baddies, including the head of the CID, which had recently absorbed NCIS. Vance realizes he's dying; he's been shot in the chest by a CID agent who planned to detonate a bomb in the agency's storage locker to conceal lingering evidence. Ducky reveals himself, literally opening the door to heaven, and Vance — hearing the voice of his late wife in the mists — moves into eternity.

The last time a living Ducky and Vance interacted was during "Black Sky," the final episode of Season 20, during which Ducky (played by original actor David McCallum) is consulted by Vance and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) as the team races to stop a looming terror attack. McCallum died in 2023 aged 90, and Campbell has played a younger Ducky numerous times since, continuing the character's legacy.

Adam Campbell has become a part of the "NCIS" family thanks to his guest-starring bits as a younger version of Ducky Mallard. He's shown up five times on "NCIS" as the character, first playing him during flashbacks in Season 12's "So It Goes." He also appears in Season 13's "Spinning Wheel" and "The Tie That Binds" in Season 14. Season 18's "Everything Starts Somewhere" was a special treat for fans, as the younger version of Ducky makes a new friend in the form of a youthful Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Sean Harmon). "All Good Things" marks the first "NCIS" outing for Campbell since David McCallum's death, and the only time he has played the character as a ghost.

Campbell hasn't just stuck to appearances on the mothership show — he popped up in the "NCIS: Origins" Season 2 episode "The Edge," which paid tribute to Ducky as well as McCallum himself. While there's no telling when or if Campbell will be back to play Ducky again, he's definitely a sight for sore eyes in this episode — and provides a lovely exit for Rocky Carroll after an 18-season stint as Vance. Speaking to TVLine, Carroll revealed that it wasn't his decision. "I think I found out two episodes before we shot it," he said, adding that, while he was shocked at first, he knew it would make for a memorable episode. "The part of me that's the team player was instantly like, 'That's a hell of a storyline. I think that's going to be really great.'"