NCIS star Brian Dietzen has shared some exciting news about the popular CBS show just weeks after the season 20 finale aired on CBS.
Taking to Instagram Stories, the actor posted a screenshot from a Deadline article announcing that the procedural show had retained its title as the most-watched scripted series of the television season, drawing in 9.86 million viewers.
The star, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer in the long-running series, was clearly pleased with the good news and captioned the post: "Thank you for watching!"
The season 20 finale, which aired on May 22, ended with a major cliffhanger that had fans on the edge of their seats.
NCIS season 20 finale recap
Warning! Spoilers ahead.
The episode, titled 'Black Sky', saw Special Agent Nick Torres go undercover in prison for a very personal mission. The agent, played by Wilmer Valderrama, headed to jail to get information out of incarcerated Yuri Valkov about the Russian spy plot and impending terrorist attack.
While undercover, Nick recognizes an older man visiting an 18-year-old inmate that he had become friendly with. When he later asked about the visitor, the inmate said that he was his mom's boyfriend and that their life "went to hell" after they met.
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MORE: NCIS: LA boss reveals scrapped storyline from season finale
After a successful mission, Nick rejoins the rest of his NCIS team back at base but secretly sneaks away to make a phone call, leaving a message that said: "I found him, sis…. The [expletive]'s alive. And he's still doing it."
In the final moments of the episode, Nick is seen waiting inside the home of the older man. When the man arrives home, he is surprised to see Nick but soon remembers who he is.
When asked what he wanted, Torres picks up a pistol and responds: "To watch you die".
Fans were quick to react to the compelling finale on Twitter, with one person writing: "Nick has gone full Gibbs. Epic, epic finale!" while another added: "That was intense!!! The ending, oh my gosh!! Can't wait till Fall."
A third person commented: "It had to have a cliffhanger, right? Great episode. Looking forward to the next season."
When will NCIS return?
NCIS will return in the fall with its 21st season, with CBS having renewed the series back in March.
The show's spin-off series, NCIS: Hawai'i, will also be back with its second season.
Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said of the decision: "This season CBS is continuing its winning tradition, delivering an unparalleled combination of top returning series and new hit shows that are entertaining huge audiences on both broadcast and streaming.
"It is a testament to the stellar work being done by our best-in-class talent in front of and behind the camera that we have had yet another exceptional season, and I know we will only continue to build on this foundation of outstanding programming as we look ahead toward next fall."
One show that won't be returning to our screens is NCIS: Los Angeles, which has ended after 14 seasons.
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