Published Sep 9, 2026, 7:24 PM EDT
Ryan Cortero was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, the home of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Boys. He’s passionate about all types of movies and shows, especially reality TV, superhero content, and indie dramas. When he travels, it’s mainly to Disney Parks around the world (Tokyo Disneyland Resort is his favourite). He graduated from Carleton University with a postbaccalaureate in Film Studies. He’s been working in the journalism industry since 2022 as a social media director and writer. Ryan has interviewed talents such as Joe Locke, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Kevin Durand, Owen Teague, and John Paesano.
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With a procedural series as long-running as*** NCIS******, ***the show has seen its fair share of cast members come and go. After Mark Harmon, the face of the NCIS universe, exited the main series in Season 19, the final original cast member was David McCallum’s Donald “Ducky” Mallard. But following the actor’s death in 2023, NCIS paid tribute to the actor and his character in Season 21. Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee may be the most-tenured main character currently in the show, but there’s one actor who was with the series since the very beginning: Joe Spano’s Tobias Fornell.
In the *NCIS *series premiere, FBI Agent Fornell was a rival to NCIS Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Harmon) as they butted heads when working a case together. While he never became a main character on the show, he would go on to be featured in at least one episode every season except Seasons 17 and Season 22. The rivalry between Fornell and Gibbs was always something to look forward to, as fans enjoyed seeing them slowly become friends with each new episode together.
Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.
You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.
You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world’s beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.
You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what’s right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.
You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.
You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.
Fornell became such a staple for NCIS that he was featured in the series’ 200th episode and the franchise’s 1000th episode. But with Gibbs exiting the series and Gary Cole’s Alden Parker taking over the position, Fornell’s appearances were cut down since he didn’t have his best friend to play off of anymore, and the show eventually came up with a way to subtly say goodbye to Fornell.
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In NCIS Season 19, Parker, who was working with the FBI then, was tasked by FBI Deputy Director Wayne Sweeney (Erik Passoja) to arrest Gibbs for his abuse of justice. But after seeing how righteous Gibbs is, Parker lets him go and gets fired. While Parker lands a job as the new Major Crimes Response Team leader at NCIS, his reputation with the FBI is tainted. In Season 22, Episode 4, the feud between NCIS and the FBI escalates as Parker and Sweeney argue over their methods to prevent a potential World War III. This plays out similarly to Gibbs and Fornell’s first interactions in the NCIS series premiere, as they fight over jurisdiction in a case that threatened the U.S. President’s life. Like Gibbs in that episode, Parker operates behind the FBI’s back to solve the problem and earn their respect.
At the end of NCIS Season 22, Episode 4, Sweeney and Parker come to a mutual understanding about their different job approaches and tease a friendship in the making. By having Parker and Sweeney step in to fill the beloved dynamic Gibbs and Fornell had, it’s all the more reason that Fornell’s time on NCIS has come to an end. Although Fornell stuck around after Gibbs left, his presence doesn’t feel the same without Gibbs to bounce off of. Considering that Parker and Fornell both worked for the FBI, it could’ve been an interesting approach to see more of them together. But with the time they’ve had together on NCIS, the dynamic between Parker and Fornell doesn’t work as well since they’re so similar.
With Gibbs no longer part of NCIS, the series has slowly given more character development to Parker to be seen as his own person instead of just a replacement. While Parker and Sweeney have some similarities to Gibbs and Fornell, this new friendship is more interesting because Sweeney is the FBI Deputy Director. At the same time, Alden is an NCIS Lead Agent. As much as they may butt heads, there’s an imbalance of power between them, which could lead to fun interactions. While the dynamic between Gibbs and Fornell is memorable, Parker and Sweeney are worthy replacements for one of the show’s oldest duos.
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Donald P. Bellisario
Dennis Smith, Terrence O’Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright
George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh
Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations.