‘NCIS’ Season 14: Mark Harmon delighted with new cast members, storyline despite Michael Weatherly’s exit

The "NCIS" Season 13 finale marked the last time that avid viewers saw Michael Weatherly portray the character Anthony DiNozzo on the said CBS TV series. Despite the actor's departure from the show, the series continued with a Season 14 run that featured three new cast members whose inclusion is said to have delighted lead star, Mark Harmon.

When "NCIS" returned to the small screens in September 2016, avid viewers saw several new faces joining the CBS TV series. Given Weatherly's exit, showrunners added three new cast members namely Wilmer Valderrama, Jennifer Esposito and Duane Henry to portray Special Agents Nick Torres, Alex Quinn and MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves, respectively.

The addition of the new characters helped to add some interesting new storylines to "NCIS" Season 14. In a recent interview with Parade, cast member Rocky Carroll shared that Valderrama, Esposito and Henry helped to inject new energy into the show.

Given the three new cast members, the CBS procedural felt like a "brand-new show," according to Carroll. He also mentioned how co-star Harmon loved having new people join the series.

Carroll also recounted how some fans were shocked over Weatherly's exit especially with the inclusion of three new faces to replace the actor. However, the viewers' response to the new characters were "really positive," according to Carroll.

In other news, the upcoming "NCIS" Season 14 episode 14 will uncover an interesting truth about Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). Titled "Keep Going," the said episode will feature Palmer's attempt to stop a man from jumping on a ledge of a building.

After discovering jumper preparing to end his life, Palmer will join him on the ledge as he tries to convince the man from ending his life. Apart from the said dramatic plot line, the upcoming episode will also feature a "big reveal" about Palmer, according to TVLine.

"NCIS" Season 14 episode 14 will air on Jan. 24, Tuesday, on CBS. Watch a teaser clip below:

TagsNCIS Season 14, Mark Harmon, Rocky Carroll, Michael Weatherly, CBS