NCIS: Why David McCallum's Ducky Hardly Appears Now
Donald «Ducky» Mallard is one of the longest-standing members of the NCIScast—but in recent seasons he has hardly appeared on the show. The original chief medical examiner for the Naval Criminal Investigative Servicewas introduced back in 2003 for the procedural drama’s pilot, “Yankee White.” Since 2018, Ducky, played by David McCallum, has appeared in fewer episodes, leading viewers to wonder whether he will be the next main character to leave NCIS after Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon).
Ducky is well known for having a number of quirks, such as his colorful collection of bow ties and penchant for speaking to the dead while performing autopsies. During his time as NCIS' M.E., these one-sided conversations, sprinkled heavily with nostalgia, were amusingly interrupted when Gibbs walked through the autopsy door unannounced. The development of his character has been at times surprising. As the seasons progress, the polite and eccentric scientist’s backstory is revealed, with certain episodes proving that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Dr. Donald Mallard—so much so, it is hard to imagine that NCIS could survive without both Gibbs and Ducky. An example of Ducky's arc in season 6, episode 16, “Broken Bird,” goes back to when Ducky was working for the Royal Army Medical Corps. The story follows his 1980 trip to an Afghanistan refugee camp where, due to his inadvertent association with a torturous CIA interrogator, Ducky was later charged with war crimes.
Related: NCIS: Why Michael Weatherly Should Not Return To Replace Gibbs
As it stands, Ducky is here to stay at NCIS—albeit in a limited capacity. In season 15, Ducky retired from the role of M.E. to become NCIS historian, with his autopsy colleague Jimmy
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