Countless theories are already circulating about the latest season of popular series NCIS. When the action-packed CBS serial finally returned, the premiere episode opened with Gibbs taking shots at McGee for unknown reasons. Tim McGee star Sean Murray has finally set up what’s to come in the lead up to the explosive opening stinger.
The 18th season of NCIS has already kicked off the action with one of the most puzzling mysteries in the show’s long history.
After enduring a lengthy delay during the coronavirus pandemic, the series finally returned only to blindside fans with the sight of Leroy Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) shooting one of his own teammates.
NCIS’ season premiere hit fast forward and took fans to March 2020, where Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) is seen approaching an airplane before he’s shot in the arm.
His assailant is finally revealed as Gibbs, perched on a roof and toting a sniper rifle, before the opening credits roll and the show cuts to several months earlier.
The series’ decision to set the action before the pandemic has confused some viewers, and the time-jumping format of the current season is sure to set up a number of new mysteries.
It may be some time before the series catches up to the mind-boggling events of the opening episode, but NCIS star Sean Murray has confirmed there’s plenty to look forward to this time round.
Speaking to CBS, Murray touched on how McGee and Gibbs’ partnership will change over the course of the show’s 18th season.
He explained: “This is going to be a really interesting season. I know a lot of stuff that’s happening this year and it’s just going to be an interesting period.”
In his interview, Sean Murray finally addressed the unexpected opening stinger and what it could mean for the rest of the series.
He continued: “Of course, if you saw the teaser of this year, of this season, you know from that teaser that first scene you know we’re into some pretty cool stuff right off the bat.
“I think that if I recall, that after the teaser sort of fades to black says 11 months earlier we spend the first several episodes catching up to that point in that teaser.”
His comments unfortunately indicate it may be several weeks before Gibbs’ motives are finally unveiled.
Finally, Murray commented: “That becoming current time and going from there. It’s good stuff.
“We had to plan. These definitely had to be planned, these arts and everything, carefully. I love that. I love doing this stuff.”
Shooting around the coronavirus pandemic makes this an unconventional season of NCIS, but the opening twist has already ensured fans will be tuning in every week.
NCIS season 18 continues on Tuesday, December 8 on CBS.
