The NCIS Scene That Left McGee Actor Sean Murray With A Lifelong Injury

Fans anticipated plenty of juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits when it was announced Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly would reunite for an "NCIS" podcast. And the June 18 installment of "Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch," featuring Timothy McGee actor Sean Murray, certainly didn't disappoint. Murray's been on the procedural since Season 1, so he has ample anecdotes to share, including one story about an instance that led to a devastating injury that's still affecting him, years later.

It's a good rule of thumb not to run around a slippery car wash, as Murray learned firsthand during a chase sequence. "I take a sharp right, my dress shoes come out right from under me because I'm sprinting," he explained. "I come down on my right hand. And, you know, like a lot of us actor types, we jump up, we just keep doing our thing. We don't even really notice what we do until afterwards. To this day, I have very limited mobility in my right thumb."

The scene in question from Season 2, Episode 18 — "Bikini Wax" — is rather humorous, even now knowing the painful truth of what happened. McGee chases someone through a car wash, getting sprayed with foam and being bombarded with the various instruments in the process. Of course, Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) beats him to the other side, completely dry, imparting a lesson of always anticipating someone's next move. It's a shame Murray sustained an injury, but it remains a reminder not to run in wet areas, especially with slick shoes.

Sean Murray's anecdote certainly doesn't sound fun, especially since the injury continues to plague him to some degree to this day. Since the show involves so many action scenes, one could surmise "NCIS" is a dangerous set, but there have been other injuries that occurred during relatively simple shots. Murray isn't even the only "NCIS" star to hurt their thumb while filming. Michael Weatherly slammed a car door on his thumb as he was trying to shut it while shooting something for "NCIS: Los Angeles." Cote de Pablo wound up with neck pain and bruises on her legs after getting pummeled by cabbages, but she managed to make a full recovery from that incident.

It's clear that working on "NCIS" involves a bit of risk, but these stories all show why it's important to be careful at all times, even when doing something that doesn't seem all that dangerous. Luckily, the events didn't hamper the actors' enjoyment of their jobs, as Murray will come back to "NCIS" for Season 22, and Weatherly and de Pablo will return for their own international spinoff series, "NCIS: Tony & Ziva." The question now is whether the titular couple will need some help from some old friends in their latest escapade. McGee reunited with Tony DiNozzo on an episode of "NCIS" Season 21, so the two are still friendly, leaving the door open for McGee's expertise being required at some point during the spinoff.

It'd be nice for fans to see McGee, Tony, and Ziva reunite for more than just a podcast episode. Hopefully, if another reunion is in the cards, there won't be a car wash involved.