‘NCIS,’ ‘The Resident’ & More Returning Fall Dramas Facing Possible Major Shake-Ups
We always expect something to change on a show at the beginning and end of a season, including characters leaving, dying, and changing jobs, and we’re going into the fall with several dramas poised for some major shake-ups.
For example, it’s unclear just how much NCIS fans will see Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in Season 19. (We do at least know he survived his boat exploding.) Chicago Fire put four members of Firehouse 51 in some serious trouble at the end of Season 9. One of the friend group on A Million Little Things may have gone a bit too far when it didn’t look like justice was going to be served. The Blacklist and The Resident have both lost major cast members.
Scroll down to read on for the dramas in which we think there could be a major shake-up when the fall season begins this September.
A Million Little Things
The ABC drama ended its third season with Gary (James Roday Rodriguez) refusing to stand by while the music teacher, Peter (Andrew Leeds), who assaulted Sophie (Lizzy Greene), walked free, so he took him hostage in his own home. What he does and the fallout of it could have major repercussions — not just legal ones — for Gary and his relationships with his current girlfriend (Floriana Lima’s Darcy) and ex-girlfriend (Allison Miller’s Maggie) as well as the entire friend group. And speaking of everyone, Katherine (Grace Park) and Eddie’s (David Giuntoli) divorce — and subsequently, eventually dating other people — is bound to lead to some major drama.
The Blacklist
How do you do The Blacklist without one of its two leads? That’s the question the NBC drama is facing heading into its ninth season. Megan Boone, who starred as Elizabeth Keen since the series premiere, has left the show, with her final episode seemingly killing off her character. Furthermore, the show’s creator, Jon Bokenkamp, has also exited. Just how different will it be as a result?
Chicago Fire
Firehouse 51 could potentially lose four of its firefighters on one call. The ninth season ended with all of Squad 3 — Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), Tony (Anthony Ferraris), and Capp (Randy Flagler) — trapped underwater, out of air. They’ve lost members of the house before due to the nature of the job, but the outcome of this one could potentially take that to a whole new level.
Chicago Med
The NBC drama said goodbye to two of its original stars in the Season 6 finale, though Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) and nurse April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) didn’t get a traditional sendoff. (We can speculate as to how they’ll be written out, but neither left onscreen.) There are new doctors coming in (and Steven Weber, who plays Dr. Dean Archer, has been promoted), but there’s always something strange about losing an original cast member, especially after four or five seasons.
Chicago P.D.
There was quite a bit left up in the air at the end of Season 8. Officer Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) was still in the hospital after getting shot. Detective Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) seemingly talked her boss, Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), into bringing a suspect in rather than pulling a Voight … only for the suspect to reach for the sergeant’s gun and force the detective to shoot. (Did Voight set that up to happen? We’re not sure.) His body may have been buried, but we have a feeling that’s not over. Upton then proposed to her boyfriend and partner Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), without cluing him in on what just happened. Intelligence has a lot to deal with in Season 9.
NCIS
Not only did the long-running CBS procedural say goodbye to one of its series regulars (Emily Wickersham, who played Ellie Bishop) in the Season 18 finale, but there are more shake-ups coming this fall (and we don’t just mean the new night and time, Mondays at 9/8c). Katrina Law (Special Agent Jessica Knight) has been upped to series regular, Gary Cole is coming on as FBI Special Agent Alden Parker, and we have no idea how much we’re going to see Harmon.
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: LA said goodbye to two of its regular cast — Barrett Foa, playing Eric Beale since the series began, and Renée Felice Smith, who joined as Nell Jones a year later — in the Season 12 finale. After limited appearances last season (due to the pandemic), Linda Hunt is back as OSP’s operations manager Hetty Lange, plus Gerald McRaney, who plays retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride, has been upped to series regular. Having both of them in the office full-time (or anywhere close to it) is bound to change things up.
The Resident
Fans were shocked when it was announced that Emily VanCamp, who has played nurse practitioner Nic Nevin since the beginning of the series, is not returning for the fifth season. And that came after Season 4 ended with her and her husband, Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry), welcoming their daughter. But life is clearly about to change in a major way for Conrad, with all signs pointing to him becoming a single father, based on the latest promo.
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The show hasn't been the same since Ziva and Tony left. Also miss Abby and Ducky. Still watch but was never a big fan of Ellie, Nick, or Jack. If Gibbs goes, there really isn't any reason to watch (sorry McGee)
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P
I like everyone but Jack. Abby put 15 years into making that show cute and funny. Jack took two minutes to throw
throw the whole show in the ditch.
Always demanding to have her way or no way.
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I will not miss Keen on Blacklist. She was never a good agent and then she was suppose to be a great terrorist. Hope someone new who is good all the time replaces her, male or female. Maybe a son Red didn’t know he has😊
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C
Agree! RED is the show. Agent Keen....sorry but a terrible actress. She really could have upped her game this last season and if the close-ups of her facial expressions were to impress audience with her "acting" ability, well it was rather comical and she could not be taken seriously.
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O
The show iIS Gibbs!
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If Gary Cole is coming in as an FBI agent does this mean Fornell is out?
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Just read that Fornell will appear this season!
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R
Fornell essentially teamed up with Gibbs (old friend and Eskimo buddy) to find the drug dealer who sold the drugs that killed Fornell's drug-addicted daughter...
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Fornell was fired from the FBI in season 16. He was then offered his job back, but declined.
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Mark Harmon is NCIS. No Mark, no show.
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Joylynn 2005... our entire family watches NCIS... we actually say... "whoohoo Gibbs is on!! He makes the entire show worth watching! He is the show! Katrina Law hurts NCIS... as even the younger children I watch say... " that girl needs to grow up! All she does is sneer and wine" which seems to be the attitude of most people I know. I honestly don't think if Gibbs is a regular we won't watch as faithfully as in the past... you know when you schedule your week, family gatherings, etc with Gibbs as the entertainment.
We quot watching the blacklist and a million other things as they just are not as good. I just know planning family and extended family dinners around Gibbs ... usually 20 to 26 adults and children, probably won't be as regular if he is not the main character.... we will have to search out another show. Better yet... keep him in the main roll!
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Yes Gibbs makes the show. Rumors are he is running away to join Jack.
I do not like her, never have liked her.
She has only been on the show to run Gibbs in the ground. Yet somehow
she has pulled the wool over his eyes.
Just sick. I most likely will quit watching if he has to have her as his partner. She is so FAKE!
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O
NCIS is falling apart. I'll miss Emily W. and can't stand the sneering Katrina Law. If Gibbs is gone, so am I.
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Me too. And if he runs away with Jack
, supposedly, sick, sick , and sick.
Can’t stand her.
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ME TOO! HES NCIS
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I'll never miss agent keen. Her character was dubious throughout 8 seasons, always lying and conniving and manipulating.
Didn't like the character of agent keen in the entire 8 seasons.
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So glad Tony is NOT coming back! I hated the whole frat boy bully character. MaGee was always his target, and never punched him in the mouth! Loved Ellie! It took a while but she made herself fit in. After so many years, a change was needed. But I’m hoping the crew will go to Gibbs for advice so he’s there sometimes.
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I am going to miss Emily Van Camp on the Resident!! She must be taking time off to be a stay at home mom to baby Iris!
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I refuse to watch any more of the Blacklist. I thought there would be a really cool story line here. It came up empty. Done.