NCIS Stars Gary Cole, Katrina Law and Brian Dietzen had a lot to say about the upcoming Season 21 finale of the hit CBS show when they spoke to Deadline at the CBS Fall Programming Celebration in Hollywood last night.
There is panic in the fandom as things seem to be gearing up for the possible demise of Cole’s Alton Parker and Law’s Jessica Knight in the May 6 episode titled “Reef Madness.” Written by Scott Williams and directed by José Clemente Hernandez, the season finale follows Parker and Knight as they discover three bodies on an old naval ship that is about to be sunk and turned into an artificial reef, but is suddenly trapped inside by a mysterious figure.
Cole gave some encouraging words to the audience on the red carpet.
“Nobody told me if it was me,” he told Deadline when asked if he was leaving the show. “You’ll have to watch to find out, but no.”
Law gave a little more insight into how things will play out.
“I have to say this is one of my favorites NCIS Scripts. It’s so well written,” she said. “I hope that we did it justice in the implementation and that the audience will like it. I did a lot of scene work with Gary Cole, who is a great person and an even greater actor. He knocked it out of the park. There were moments in those scenes where I was watching him act and I was devastated when I saw him because he was so brilliant.”
(L-R): Gary Cole as Alden Parker, Katrina Law as Jessica Knight and Wilmer Valderrama as Nicholas “Nick” Torres.
She also warned fans that they will also feel the devastation in these “life and death situations.” In a video preview, what appears to be a tall, heavy pipe falls on Parker, leaving Knight in a panic. In another instance, Knight is underwater and appears to be drowning.
“Some big fundamental changes are coming,” she teased.
Dietzen recommends that fans look out for characters other than Parker and Knight as we get closer to airing.
“You shouldn’t just worry about Gary Cole, but a lot of characters. “No character is safe, that’s what I think NCIS stands for,” he joked. “I can tell you this: Gary Cole and Katrina Law gave it their all in this episode. There will be a lot of things happening, not just the danger our characters face, but dynamics that will change. Possibly even between Jimmy and Jess, this couple who have been amazing for the past two years. I have to say it’s my favorite finale script in years. It is so good.”