What Happened To David McCallum's Ducky On NCIS Season 21?
On September 25, 2023, "NCIS" star David McCallum died at age 90. On January 19, 2024, viewers found out that McCallum's iconic character, Donald "Ducky" Mallard, has also passed away. As Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) discovers in the cold open of "NCIS" Season 21, Episode 2 — "The Stories We Leave Behind" – Ducky died peacefully in his sleep. The news marks the theme of the entire, heartwarming episode that shows every corner of the "NCIS" franchise paying tribute.
Fans have known to brace themselves for the tribute episode for quite some time. "NCIS" showrunners Steven D. Binder and David North confirmed well in advance that Episode 2 of Season 21 is a Ducky tribute episode. What's more, the season premiere ends with Alden Parker (Gary Cole) getting a phone call that makes the other characters in the room immediately sense that something is horribly wrong. With all that setup, it's only fitting that Episode 2 devotes its entire runtime to Dr. Mallard ... right up to the case of the week, which the team can only solve with the notes Ducky leaves behind.
A layered tribute for a long-serving character
Since David McCallum's Donald Mallard departs "NCIS" as its single longest-serving character, it's only fitting that the show goes all out to honor him throughout the episode — from the customized opening sequence to the touching tribute card at the end. The respects are paid on many levels. Fittingly enough, the episode is co-written by Brian Dietzen, who plays Ducky's protégé. It also shows the entire "NCIS" universe mourning its dearly departed member in one form or another. Flowers and greetings pour in from the spinoff show teams and Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). There are flashbacks galore. Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) even returns in person, dropping some iconic Ducky wisdom and supplying Jimmy Palmer with a familiar-looking bow tie. All in all, it's quite a nuanced tribute.
According to Dietzen, all this heartstring-pulling reflects the real-life sadness McCallum's death caused. "For the people that are my dad's generation, who grew up watching him in 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and 'The Great Escape', and then watched him in 'NCIS', you're talking about 50 years of entertainment," he told TV Line. "So I felt that it was really important to allow people who loved this character, but also loved this man, to be able to share in this moment of communal grief, to have that, 'S***, why did this have to happen?' moment together."