NCIS Season 23, Episode 14 ‘Fleeting’ is the kind of episode that inevitably feels like it takes a few wild emotional swings. We just lost Vance, and just as viewers have to get used to a new reality without the Director, the team also has to do that and grieve a man they cared for.

Of course, as it always happens with grief, things are not straightforward. Life doesn’t stop. Work doesn’t stop. Even things you thought would be impossible, like laughing, being annoyed, and finding comfort in friends, all those things happen. They don’t mean your pain is diminished. They don’t mean you didn’t care. It’s just a fact of life. We all grieve differently. And these characters, as mentioned in the hour, will honor Vance differently going forward.

But, for now, they can all stand there and drink to his legacy (with a non-alcoholic drink in Nick’s case). The rest is about taking it one step at a time.

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REMEMBER

Parker makes a point near the end of the episode about how the only way he knows how to get through this moment of loss is by remembering Vance. It’s true in so many ways about real grief, but it’s also ironically true about a TV show like this one and the cast changes it has gone through. NCIS has, in its history, been pretty good to us. People have left, yes. But few of them have done so in a way that means we could never get them back.

Maybe that’s why Vance’s loss feels so devastating, and also why it mostly works. We’re sad, yes. We’re a little bit angry. But we understand this isn’t just a shock for the sake of a shock decision, at least not one the show is used to making. This isn’t Grey’s Anatomy. We weren’t prepared for it.

But we’ve had to say goodbye before. To Ziva, to Tony, to Abby, to Gibbs…we understand moving on. We understand finding a new normal. So does the team. And we understand doing so while honoring someone’s legacy…

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YOU MADE IT LOOK EASY, LEON

The future is an open-ended question. Who takes Vance’s place? We thought for a second it might be McGee, but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case. But who could be the interim director? Why didn’t they show us right away? Is it because it’s someone we know? Or because it’s someone we won’t like? Because we already did that with LaRoche like two seconds ago, we don’t really need a repeat.

Vance was a staple not just of NCIS, but a steady presence even for other shows in the franchise. Whoever steps in his place should be someone we can trust—or grow to trust. Tall order, I know.

In the meantime, if they want to play revolving chairs in the position for a bit, I wouldn’t really mind that. It makes sense, after all. How do you replace Vance? You don’t. You can find someone else who can do the job, but you can never really fill his spot.

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Things I think I think:

I’m sorry to tell you, Nick, but being upset about the fact that NCIS is called the  “fun police” makes you the fun police. Like, this is your age showing. Literally giving grumpy old man.
Look, I get that we didn’t need to see the funeral, and that logistically, it would have been a nightmare because what would be the reason for some people not to show up? And you can’t really bring all the actors who should be there! So, makes sense not to show it. But I wanted it.
Why is the team supposed to clear out Vance’s office?
Perhaps unintentionally, but one of the funniest parts of this episode was Nick and Jessica trying to figure out how the police car even ended up where it did.
You jinxed it, Parker. Never say it out loud!
The “keeping you safe police”? Never beating the old man allegations, Nick.
Jimmy getting to be a doctor is kinda cool. He probably disagrees.
“I should be an expert at handling loss after this year.” I don’t think it gets easier, no matter how much experience you have.
“We all honor him in different ways.”
The nods to Nick’s sobriety!
“The only way I know how to get through this is remember.”

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS Season 23, Episode 14 ‘Fleeting’? Please share with us in the comments below! And if you have any thoughts about the show, leave a review/rating of your own in our NCIS hub!

NCIS airs Mondays at 8/7c on CBS.