Sean Murray Reveals the Inside Story of McGee’s Big Episode – and What’s Ahead for NCIS Season 23
NCIS and Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee have become inseparable. Now in its 23rd season, McGee-who began as a Season 1 guest star-has grown into one of the show’s central figures. Fittingly, Season 23, Episode 6, “Page-Turner,” spotlights the character in a way that celebrates both his evolution and the show’s enduring charm.
Fangirlish spoke with Murray about the meta-episode, which revisits McGee’s author alter ego, Thom E. Gemcity. After McGee is kidnapped and drugged, he hallucinates his book characters-played by Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama, and Katrina Law-interacting with him. “I can’t wait to see what Wilmer is going to do for Rick Soares,” Murray recalled, noting how fun it was to watch the cast take on wildly different versions of themselves.
Though McGee denies his fictional characters are based on his teammates, Murray thinks otherwise. “He’s quite aware… he’s just turning a blind eye to it,” he said with a laugh.
The episode offered playful performances and new challenges. “It was a challenging shoot, but we just had so much fun,” Murray shared, adding that he’s a big fan of dream sequences. It also gave him more action scenes than usual-something typically reserved for Valderrama’s Torres. “I actually love doing this stuff,” he said.
Even after two decades, Murray insists he’s never been bored playing McGee. He credits the writers for keeping the character growing. “It’s been a constant progression. I look at old episodes and think: Who is that?”
Season 23 continues pushing boundaries. Murray teased that Episode 500 will be “really, really cool and unexpected,” and hinted at major family news for McGee. When asked if fans should worry, he joked, “It’s usually good to be concerned.”
The episode also reveals new information about Parker’s past, which will ripple through the season. “McGee is a little worried about Parker,” Murray said, adding that upcoming episodes will explore Parker’s history and his mother, Lily.
In the end, McGee remains the heart of NCIS-steadfast, protective, and easy to root for, thanks in no small part to Sean Murray’s grounded and thoughtful performance.
