Sean Astin on NCIS

CBS’s NCIS – the most-watched scripted series will be marking its 200^th episode this Tuesday and if that news wasn’t enough for the avid fan, this news surely will be. Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin has signed on to appear in an upcoming episode alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, most famous for, well, everything!’

According to Insidetv.ew.com in the episode, which is schedule to air in late March, Curtis will play psychological operations agent Charlotte Ryan – a career woman and single mom who works at the Office of the Inspector General in the Defense Department. Astin will appear in the same episode as the right-hand PsyOps agent. The series executive producer, Gary Glasberg had this to say about Astin’s appearance on the show, “I’ve been a big fan of Sean’s for years and this is a part we literally tailored for him.” The cast and crew of NCIS are ecstatic about Astin joining for an episode. Glasberg adds, “We couldn’t be happier to have Sean join us. Jamie’s character, Doctor Ryan, oversees a team of brilliant PsyOps agents and Sean will prove to be her go-to operative. We can’t wait to throw him into the mix, watch it develop, and have some fun.”

Curtis had already signed on for a two-episode deal when Astin was put into the mix. Curtis’ character is described as strong and opinionated and will end up sparring with Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the NCIS crew like never before. “Jamie’s shoot-from-the-hip style embodies everything we want from Ryan — humor, heart, strength and a lot of fun. We couldn’t be more excited she’s here. And don’t be surprised if there are sparks between Gibbs and Ryan. We’re expecting some real chemistry,” says Glasberg.

Astin and Curtis are two heavy hitters that will likely drawn in those who don’t normally watch NCIS since their episodes are due to air during sweeps week. Until then, we have the 200^th episode to look forward to. Glasberg states, “For a diehard fan, [Episode 200] will be a lot of fun. We definitely thought it through!” The plot for the hour long show has been likend to It’s a Wonderful life or A Christmas Carol complete with alternate timelines and the return of characters the audience hasn’t seen in years. The usually rock-solid Gibs begins to second-guess past decisions and ask himself the big, “What if” question. The cause for the self-examination is due to a confrontation with a gunman while grabbing his morning coffee. Gibbs begins to wonder what the world would have been like if he had made different choices. He begins to look back on his life as an agent, and even his life preceding that.

Fans certainly have a lot to look forward to in Season 9 of NCIS. With the guest appearances of Astin and Curtis, and the series 200^th episode NCIS shows no signs of slowing down. With increasing viewership annually perhaps fans may eventually see episode 300.