CBS Just Broke 1 of NCIS’s Oldest Rules for Tony DiNozzo in Season 24

NCIS is breaking the oldest rule in the book for Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), letting him serve as both NCIS director and special agent in Season 24. Tony’s Season 24 return made waves when Secretary of the Navy Helen Marsh (Jillian Armenante) appointed him director in the season premiere, ushering in a new era for NCIS.

Tony is one of three major NCIS characters returning to CBS this fall, alongside Mark Harmon reprising Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins Season 3 and LL Cool J reprising Sam Hanna for NCIS: New York. NCIS has confirmed Tony will have a season-long arc, and “Clean Slate” establishes how Tony will fundamentally change the director role in Season 24.

Tony Breaks NCIS’s Rules In Season 24

 Image via Paramount+

Tony is throwing out the rulebook for how an NCIS director operates, establishing that he will act as both the agency’s leader and, occasionally, one of its agents in Season 24. Despite Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) saying the title still doesn’t sound real, “Director DiNozzo” has a nice ring to it, and Tony gets comfortable in Episode 2.

He suggests NCIS will barely notice him after pulling the biohazard alarm to test his ranks. However, Tony’s changes in “Clean Slate” are impossible to ignore, and it’s not just the movie posters and popcorn machine he’s added to the NCIS director’s office. As the agents quickly notice, Tony prefers to be hands-on with the case, raising some concern.

Tony checks in with NCIS Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) and Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) during the case, which, as other characters point out, isn’t standard operating procedure for an NCIS director. But Tony really raises eyebrows when he joins Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) in the interrogation, prompting Alden Parker (Gary Cole) to have McGee say something.

Tony practically reads McGee’s mind, anticipating the collective concern that he doesn’t understand his role as NCIS director. However, as McGee finds out, Tony understands it exceptionally well. He says his job kills people, but it kills their soul first, and blowing off steam by busting bad guys is the only way he knows how to survive it.

That said, NCIS Season 24, Episode 2, properly justifies Tony breaking with standard protocol, and he still follows a formula. As Tony points out, other NCIS directors managed stress in their own ways, and as a former NCIS agent, he solves crimes. So while it’s unconventional, the team can count on Tony’s help this season.

Will McGee Take Over As NCIS Director?

 Image via CBS

NCIS is making major changes to the director role. That said, the agency’s entire power structure also seems to be shifting after Director Leon Vance’s (Rocky Carroll) death in NCIS‘s 500th episode set off a chain reaction. March is also considering advancing McGee, as Tony reveals she plans to have him take over her job.

However, some fans theorize that McGee would become NCIS director in Season 24, and there are several pitfalls about him becoming SecNav. If McGee becomes NCIS director, he could stay part of the story. However, if McGee becomes SecNav, he would be separated from the team and work in a more political role at the Pentagon.

There’s also a logistical concern about McGee’s advancement, since the president, not the acting official, appoints SecNav. Still, NCIS hasn’t had time to explain exactly how Marsh’s plans would play out, since Tony drops the information at the end of the episode. The series has had little time to explore the development, including whether McGee is interested.

That said, Tony may not stay on as director past NCIS Season 24, so the series could still have McGee in mind for the job. After Tony replaced Vance as NCIS director, agents like Knight and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) started voicing their support for McGee, so the show seems aware of fan expectations and may deliver.

NCIS initially announced that Michael Weatherly would reprise Tony in NCIS Season 24 for a season-long story, which could easily mean just one season. While Tony becoming NCIS director suggests expanding that arc, the plan could also be to make the most of the current installment and then have Tony exit the series and McGee take over.

Weatherly’s return to the flagship also sets up an on-screen NCIS reunion between Gibbs and Tony after 10 years, further suggesting Tony’s return could be a one-off to deliver a massive NCIS slate this fall. All that said, while some fans will undoubtedly want to see Tony stay, others may prefer McGee in the director’s chair rather than as SecNav.