CBSWhen The Good Wife ended on Sunday, the reaction from fans was definitely not a positive one. But as a chapter closes on NCIS next week—not a series finale, but a monumental episode for sure with Michael Weatherly's final NCIS episode—the actor tells E! News that most fans should be happy with his last episode as Tony DiNozzo (as a series regular, at least).
On a recent conference call with reporters, the star opened up about the kind of reaction he anticipates for the season 13 finale.
"You can never predict those things. That's like me trying to tell you the weather three-and-a-half weeks from now," he told us. "I do know that it's been an extraordinary run-up over the last few. As I get these clips that have been sent around, it's really become very emotional for me to watch this transition of Tony DiNozzo off the show."
While you can't please everyone, Weatherly thinks the majority of fans will have the same reaction to the episode that he did.
"I'm sure certain people out of the however many tens of millions of people who watch the show around the world—certainly there will be some different points of view but I think if people share my feelings about it then it's going to be overwhelmingly positive."
Although his final episode was emotional to film, he said it was a positive experience. "I had the most extraordinary time shooting this last episode and really felt so connected not just with the cast and the writing team and the producers and everyone," he said.
He added, "I felt so connected with the crew and everyone that maybe that has skewed the way I feel about the finale, but if I can remove myself from it a little bit and just look at it objectively, I think it's going to be an overwhelmingly positive reaction and I think Gary [Glasberg, showrunner] and CBS and everyone has really put together a powder keg."
There's also a major difference between NCIS and The Good Wife. While TGW's controversial episode was a series finale, "this is really more about the transition of the character, who will live on in the hearts and minds of the viewers and is embedded in the show."
Weatherly's NCIS goodbye airs Tuesday, May 17 at 8 p.m. on CBS.