FINALE SECRETS

Dazzling weddings, heartbreaking farewells, glorious reunions, perilous cases, big cliffhangers: Your favorite shows are going out with a bang!

NCIS

MONDAY, MAY 23, 9/8c, CBS

THE NCIS TEAM draws close to protect one of their own, boss Alden Parker (Gary Cole), when he's framed for murder in the Season 19 finale. This tricky perp is someone who benefits more from "Parker being disgraced rather than killed," reveals executive producer Steven D. Binder.

Parker, of course, does not take this sitting down. "When he feels the system is being used against him, he's going to do what he's going to do. We push things pretty far," Binder says. He gets help from his ex-wife and still close friend, Vivian Kolchak (Teri Polo, who returns next season), an FBI agent turned paranormal investigator for the Department of Defense. Could the quirky Parker's many hobbies have driven them apart? His passion for bird-watching comes into play; another pastime is revealed in a visit to an expansive new location we'll be seeing in future episodes.

With Parker pushing the limits, senior field agent McGee (Sean Murray) becomes the de facto leader in the bullpen. "Parker put his ass on the line to help Gibbs in Alaska. McGee hasn't forgotten," Binder says of their former boss. "Gibbs' energy permeates the story." The loss is still felt by Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), who's been using alcohol to deal with his feelings of abandonment. "He's pulling away," Binder says. "The family's going to pull him closer."