‘NCIS’ Season 13 Spoilers: Fans await McGee’s next story, Young Ducky re-explored (Review)

NCIS S13E11 'Spinning Wheel' airs Dec. 15 on CBS

“NCIS” Season 13 Episode 11 (“Spinning Wheel”) airs Dec. 15 on CBS. There is no new episode this week, giving some fans time to look back to the episodes that have aired, so far. McGee (Sean Murray) has yet to get a solid share of the spotlight, while Ducky (David McCallum) is about to get his own.

Spoiler alert: This review contains “NCIS” Season 13 spoilers. Read on at your own risk if you have not watched all the new episodes up to “Blood Brothers” or NCIS 13x10.

Tim McGee has been very supportive since the premiere of “NCIS” Season 13. He’s there to rescue Abby (Pauley Perrette), listen to Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and lend morale support to Tony DiNozzo. But McGee himself has yet to face his own conflict in this new chapter of the show.

In contrast, Tim was right in the middle of action with Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in Russia when “NCIS” Season 12 premiered a year ago. Perhaps this early part of the new season is benching McGee for a reason. This could be about giving viewers a chance to get to know the newest character in the group – Ellie Bishop. This also means Ellie’s husband Jake Malloy (Jamie Bamber) gets more screentime.

At least McGee and live-in girlfriend Delilah Fielding (Margo Harshman) get to deliver a new development in “NCIS” Season 13 Episode 6 (“Viral”). Apparently, their relationship is going strong despite some disagreements. The same cannot be said for Tony’s relationship with Zoe Keates (Marisol Nichols), who has yet to show up in this new season.

There was also a McGee-centric episode in December 2014: McGee writes a letter to honor his deceased father. Then toward the end of Season 12, McGee finds himself on a big mission with Ned Dorneget (Matt Jones), who dies in a landmark episode. Given these recent plots, fans could wait a bit longer for more of McGee this season. There’s a new chapter for him somewhere, and it could unfold soon enough.

Sean Murray has not only been less active as Tim McGee. His social media accounts seem to be on a break. A bit too busy these days? (Scroll down to see Murray’s message to fans when he opened an Instagram account six months ago.)

Ducky Mallard gets his spotlight in “NCIS” Season 13 Episode 11 a.k.a. “Spinning Wheel.” The CBS episode synopsis states Ducky gets assaulted by someone who has ties to his deceased half-brother. Episode writer Steven D. Binder teases the episode with an Instagram post (click here). Terrence O'Hara directed NCIS 13x11.

Adam Campbell of “Mixology” has played the role of a “Young Ducky” in the past, but there are clues that the next “NCIS” episode is about a different or younger stage in Ducky’s life.

Ducky will share the spotlight with Bishop, who finds time to talk to her husband in the next episode. The synopsis says the two “discuss the future of their relationship.”