Actor Rocky Carroll exited NCIS after 18 seasons in March 2026.
Fans were shocked to learn about Rocky’s first gig since leaving NCIS would be directing an episode of the CBS drama.
Rocky previously directed 29 episodes for NCIS over the years.
Leon Vance may no longer be on NCIS, but Rocky Carroll still has ties to the show he was on for almost two decades.
Back in March, fans of the CBS drama were heartbroken to discover his plans to exit NCIS after 18 seasons. At the time, he opened up about how he found out his character had been written off the show (his character died from a fatal shooting while trying to find the culprit of a weapons-smuggling operation), along with his understanding about why his leaving was necessary for the show’s future. But as it turns out, Rocky still has a current connection with NCIS—and the show decided to share the news with their followers on April 13.
As viewers learned via Instagram, Rocky is returning to NCIS as director for an upcoming season 23 episode. And if that’s not enough, his installment is set to air on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
“NCIS tomorrow—directed by the legend, Rocky Carroll. 👏👏👏,” the caption read alongside a photo of the actor giving notes to Sean Murray (a.k.a. Timothy McGee).
Despite it being only a few weeks since Rocky last appeared on NCIS, viewers were ecstatic to still see his new development with the show.
“The Director is directing! 🤣,” one person laughed in the comments. “I’m glad he is behind the scenes. I miss his character already 😭,” another wrote. “Vance maybe gone, but Rocky Carroll still remains as part of the NCIS family and will continue his part as a director 🔥❤️,” a different follower added.
Now, what exactly is the NCIS episode Rocky directed going to be about? According to a CBS press release, the episode (titled “S.O.S.”) sees the team encounter a Navy lieutenant who was reported missing from a plane crash one year prior. As the team attempts to gather all the clues, they discover the crash wasn’t the accident everyone thought it was.
BTW, this isn’t the only time Rocky has directed an episode of NCIS. The actor has actually directed a whopping 29 episodes for the series (per his IMDb), with his last episode being the season 23 episode “Her” (which aired on March 3).
Well, this has us pumped, and we can’t wait to see what Rocky has in store for us this week!
