What Happened to Ducky on NCIS? How He Was Written Out (2024)

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is missing an important piece. Ever since David McCallum’s death, viewers have had one question on their minds: What happens to Ducky on NCIS? Well, bring your tissues, because the creators plan to write out the fan-favorite character with a emotional episode sure to bring viewers to tears.

McCallum made his debut as Dr. Donald Mallard, also known as “Ducky,” on NCIS in Season 1. McCallum starred as the character, a chief medical examiner and Naval Criminal Investigative Service historian, for more than two decades until his death after Season 20. McCallum died on September 25, 2023, in New York City. He was 89 years old.

After his death, McCallum’s former NCIS co-star Mark Harmon — who played Special Agent Jethro Leroy Gibbs, a close friend of Ducky’s — honored him in an emotional statement. “David lived a great, full, long life,” Harmon shared in a statement to TVLine. “I was in awe when I first met him and all of us on the show were honored to have toed a mark opposite him. My condolences go out to Katherine and his family,” he said.

McCallum’s last episode as Ducky of NCIS was the Season 20 finale, “Black Sky,” which aired on May 22, 2023. McCallum died before production started on NCIS Season 21, which was delayed due to the Writer’s Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. That meant that Ducky was written out of NCIS without McCallum. So what happened to Ducky on NCIS and how did David McCallum die? Read on for what we know about what happened to Ducky on NCIS and what was planned for McCallum’s emotional farewell episode.

What happened to Ducky on NCIS?

What happened to Ducky on NCIS? Donald “Ducky” Mallard, played by late cast member David McCallum, was honored in NCIS Season Season 21, Episode 2, “The Stories We Leave Behind,” which was co-written by McCallum’s co-star, Brian Dietzen, who played Ducky’s close friend, Dr. Jimmy Palmer.

“As NCIS mourns the loss of Ducky, the agents find comfort in working on one of his unfinished cases involving a woman whose father was dishonorably discharged from the Marines,” reads the description of the episode, which follows the team as they investigate a case of Ducky’s that no one knew he was working on.

“The Stories We Leave Behind” saw Palmer arriving at Ducky’s house to find him dead in his bed, with his dog in the foyer. “Dying quietly in your sleep isn’t the worst way to go,” Timothy McGee says later in the episode at NCIS offices. Leon Vance added, “He lived a very long, very rewarding life, which he would want us to celebrate more than anything.”

The NCIS learn that the last case Ducky was working on involved a soldier named Danny whose name was being smeared by a councilman named Allan Berger, who reported that Danny died in an Afghan brothel with heroin in his body. Danny’s daughter, Serena, suspected otherwise, and so did Ducky.

The NCIS soon learn that Danny was a former bodyguard for Berger who worked as contractor in Afghanistan and took money on the side from a local heroin operation. When Danny threatened to expose Berger, Berger had him killed. At Ducky’s memorial, Tony DiNozzo, who left the series seasons earlier, made a special guest appearance. “He had a good friend in you,” DiNozzo tells Palmer.

The episode ended with a dedication slide that read, “In memory of our dear friend and colleague David McCallum. We will miss you.”

“The case was important to Dr. Mallard. In [investigating it], they’re going to relive their memories of a coworker and a man who meant so very much to them,” co-showrunner David J. North told TV Insider in February 2024 “Brian shed tears writing it; the cast and crew shed tears shooting it.”

North and co-showrunner Steven D. Binder also told TVLine about the meaning behind the episode in a statement in February 2024. “Everyone at NCIS felt it was important to do an episode that honors such a legendary actor, not to mention a dear friend. In the episode, the team will learn of Ducky’s passing and reflect on their memories of him as they grieve,” the statement read “And true to Ducky’s meticulous and compassionate nature, even after he’s gone, he still manages to solve one last crime with the team.”

The statement continued, “There will also be a very touching and special moment you won’t want to miss.” Following McCallum’s death in September 2023, CBS also aired an NCIS marathon in honor of him.

How did David McCallum die from NCIS?

How did David McCallum die? McCallum died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on September 25, 2023. He was 89. His death came six days before his 90th birthday. He died of natural causes, according to TVLine. He’s survived by his wife of 56 years, Katherine McCallum.

In a statement after his father’s death, Peter McCallum, one of McCallum’s four children, called his dad “the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father” and a “true renaissance man” for his work as Donald “Ducky” Mallard on NCIS. “He was a true renaissance man — he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and — if needed — could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS,” Peter said.

Peter continued, “After returning from the hospital to their apartment, I asked my mother if she was OK before she went to sleep. Her answer was simply, ‘Yes. But I do wish we had had a chance to grow old together.’ She is 79, and dad just turned 90. The honesty in that emotion shows how vibrant their beautiful relationship and daily lives were, and that somehow, even at 90, Daddy never grew old.”

NCIS producers Steven D. Binder and David North also honored him in their own statement.“For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard,” said NCIS producers Seven D. Binder and David North said in a statement at the time. “But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more. He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke. From day one, it was an honor to work with him and he never let us down. He was, quite simply, a legend. He was also family and will be deeply missed.”

For more on Ducky, check out our gallery below on how the NCIS cast paid tribute to David McCallum after his death.