What was Dr. Mallard aka Ducky's last episode on the NCIS series? The actor passed away in September last year and the CBS paid a touching tribute to celebrate his two decades' work on the show.
Here's where he made his last appearance and what happened to his character, Ducky, from when he left off.
Dr. Mallard's Last Episode on NCIS Explained
NCIS dedicated Season 21 Episode 2 to Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard. Titled The Stories We Leave Behind, the episode compiled Ducky's best quotes and moments throughout the series.
The episode begins with Ducky's protégé Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) carrying two cups of coffee into the investigator's room, only to realize that Ducky had died peacefully in his sleep.
From beyond the grave, however, Ducky's detailed notes helped the investigation along and allowed the NCIS team to clear the name of a soldier who had been considered a suspect.
The episode recently aired on Paramount Plus to pay tribute to the actor for being the last remaining member of the original NCIS cast, but this was not McCallum's last scene on the show. At least, not physically.
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When Was Dr. Ducky's Last Scene on NCIS?
Dr. Ducky's last actual scene on NCIS followed the character's retirement from active investigations in season 16 episode 17 titled Silent Service, which came out in 2019.
He retired from his position as NCIS's Chief Medical Examiner and became the NCIS Historian, as his colleague Dr. Jimmy Palmer succeeded him.
The actor himself posted about it to address his character's status on the show. McCallum thanked CBS for letting Dr. Mallard stay on NCIS on a "limited schedule" while he gets to spend more time with his family, as he wrote below:
Since then, McCallum had appeared now and then up until NCIS season 20's finale titled Black Sky, which aired on May 22, 2023.
Ducky helped in deciphering the message behind the Russians' evil plan of putting out the US electrical grid, hence, the title of the episode.
According to the Daily Express, another reason why McCallum began retiring the character was because he thought Ducky had become "redundant" after having been on the NCIS show since 2003.
NCIS Paid a Heartwarming Tribute to David McCallum's Legacy
Ducky's actor David McCallum (also known for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) died at the age of 90 on September 25 last year, after having just celebrated his birthday in the week prior.
The iconic actor's story lived on as NCIS released a tribute episode dedicated to Ducky, which aired on February 19, 2024.
Ducky's last episode featured the agents mourning their loss, and completing the work on one of his unfinished cases.
As Dietzen told USA Today: "The best way of honoring Ducky was to have him solve one last case with the team."
You can read some of the fans' reactions upon watching the aforementioned episode below:
NCIS Season 21 is available to stream on Paramount+.
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