The Stories We Leave Behind (episode)

The Stories We Leave Behind is the second episode of NCIS Season 21 and the 459th episode of the entire NCIS series.
==Synopsis==
As NCIS mourns the loss of Ducky, the agents find comfort in working on one of his unfinished cases involving a young woman whose father was dishonorably discharged from the Marines.
==Trivia==
*This episode was dedicated to David McCallum, who died on 25 September 2023.
**McCallum is featured in the opening credits. This is the final episode to feature McCallum in the opening credits, as the next episode had updated opening credits that removed him.
*This is the second member of the main team to have died, the first being Kate Todd, as Ziva comes back in later seasons after the team thought she was dead. However, he is the first character to have died due to his portrayer dying in real life.
*Vance reiterates a quote from the letter Ducky gave him after his wife died.
*This is the only episode with a somber version of the opening credits.
*Jenny Shepard, Alexandra Quinn, and Clayton Reeves are the only former main cast members not to be acknowledged in any way.
*Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo Junior) who appears in the last few minutes of the episode is credited as a Special Guest Star, with his name appearing in the end credits.
*This episode features clips from the episodes Skeletons (episode), Smoked (episode) (Season 4), Detour (episode) (Season 10), Caught on Tape (episode) (Season 2), Ignition (episode) (Season 7), Silent Service (NCIS episode) (Season 16), Face the Strange (episode) (Season 19), and Keep Going (episode) (Season 14).
==Cast==
===Series Regulars===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Timothy McGee 	Sean Murray 	Senior Agent for the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Nicholas Torres	Wilmer Valderrama	Special Agent for the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
James Palmer 	Brian Dietzen 	Chief Medical Examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Kasie Hines 	Diona Reasonover 	NCIS Forensic Specialist.
Jessica Knight 	Katrina Law 	NCIS Special Agent.
Leon Vance 	Rocky Carroll 	NCIS Director.
Alden Parker 	Gary Cole 	Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
===Special Guest Star ===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Anthony DiNozzo Junior	Michael Weatherly	Former NCIS Senior Special Agent.
===Archive Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role 	Notes
Donald Mallard 	David McCallum 	Former Medical Examiner. 	Archive Footage/Body Double
Leroy Jethro Gibbs	Mark Harmon 	Former NCIS Supervisory Special Agent. 	Archive Footage
Caitlin Todd 	Sasha Alexander 	Former NCIS Special Agent. 	Photograph
Abigail Sciuto 	Pauley Perrette 	Former Forensic Specialist. 	Archive Footage
Ziva David 	Cote de Pablo 	Former NCIS Special Agent. 	Archive Footage
Eleanor Bishop 	Emily Wickersham	Former NCIS Special Agent. 	Archive Footage
Jacqueline Sloane 	Maria Bello 	Former Psychologist / NCIS Special Agent.	Archive Footage
===Guest Cast===
Name 	Portrayed by 	Role
Allan Berger 	David Starzyk 	US councilman.
Jonesy 	James Landry Hébert	Former Marine.
Serena Zawadski 	Olivia Sanabia 	A young woman who is the daughter of Marine Sergeant Daniel Zawadski.
Sarah (The Stories We Leave Behind)	Selah Victor 	
  v - [ e] - dNCIS Season 21
♦ Algún Día (episode) ♦ The Stories We Leave Behind (episode) ♦ Lifeline (NCIS episode) ♦ Left Unsaid (episode) ♦ The Plan (episode) ♦ Strange Invaders (episode) ♦ A Thousand Yards (episode) ♦ Heartless (episode) ♦ Prime Cut (episode) ♦ Reef Madness (episode)
Category:NCIS Episodes
Category:NCIS Season 21 Episodes
Category:NCIS Episodes written by Brian Dietzen
Category:NCIS Episodes written by Scott Williams
Category:NCIS Episodes directed by Michael Zinberg