NCIS Team Saves Tony’s Best Episode After CBS’ Promotion Blunder – You Won’t Believe What They Did!
Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo continues to be a beloved NCIS character, even nearly a decade after his departure. Fans can relive his 13-season journey on Paramount+, with Season 5’s “Requiem” standing out as a fan-favorite episode frequently revisited.
Former NCIS executive producer Shane Brennan recently discussed the episode on the Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch podcast, revealing an intriguing backstory about its original CBS promo. According to Brennan, the initial trailer—set to sepia tones, lace frames, and violins—focused on the tagline: “Someone from Gibbs’ past comes back to remind him of the daughter he’s lost.” However, Brennan and the creative team felt it lacked the emotional weight and thrilling action central to the episode.
The plot of “Requiem” sees Mark Harmon’s Gibbs reconnecting with Maddie Tyler, his late daughter’s childhood best friend. When Maddie is kidnapped, Gibbs springs into action, leading to a dramatic sequence where Tony heroically dives into a bay to rescue Gibbs and Maddie from a submerged car. Yet, CBS’s promo failed to highlight this intense and pivotal moment, opting instead for a subdued tone.
Unimpressed, Brennan and editor Roy Poole took matters into their own hands. They recut the promo to showcase Tony’s breathtaking leap, building suspense by fading to black and closing with a minimalist yet gripping tease: “Next Tuesday.” While the team worried they might reveal too much, Brennan was confident the dramatic emphasis would hook viewers—and it did. The episode drew an impressive 18.15 million viewers, making it the most-watched of the season.
Fans can stream “Requiem” now on Paramount+. Meanwhile, anticipation builds for NCIS Season 22, returning January 27, 2025, featuring Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reprising their iconic roles in the highly anticipated spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
