Some interviews feel like interviews, and then there are those that feel like you’ve accidentally wandered into someone’s kitchen and started chatting over coffee.
My conversation with Sean Murray fell firmly into the latter category — relaxed, warm, and surprisingly intimate for a ten-minute slot that did not feel like a ten-minute slot.
It helps, of course, that NCIS Season 23 Episode 6, “Page-Turner,” is one of the most playful McGee-centric scripts in years. Murray lights up just talking about it.
“We had so much fun doing this episode,” he said immediately. “It was very, very different for us. You know, the show’s been on for 23 years, and this was a very different kind of script.”
McGee’s latest Deep Six novel becomes a lifeline during a kidnapping, and the episode lets him wander into conversations with the characters he’s created — including Rick Soares, Agent Knightshade, and Professor Parkman.
We even got a glimpse of my personal favorite, Pimmy Jalmer, whom Murray admitted he almost dressed as for Halloween.
“I almost did,” he laughed. “It was a good idea, but I probably should have done it in retrospect.”
The whole hour plays like a meta-mystery with a dash of Misery (Murray joked about the “no hobbling” relief), but the charm comes from the way McGee leans on his fictional world — something Murray has always loved exploring.
“We’ve been teasing for years that McGee bases his characters on the people around him,” he said. “This was an idea that had been in the writers’ heads for a while. It was just… fun.”
At one point, McGee reads a passage from his new book, which sparked an unexpectedly delightful tangent about audiobooks and whether McGee narrated his own.
“You just gave me a really good idea,” Murrah said, surprised at what he was about to say. “I think maybe we should do an audiobook. We talked about the audio version, and yeah, I think McGee is the narrator on his audiobooks. You know, I’m not sure how good he is at it…”
But McGee reading the passage at his book signing really worked, and it looked like a light turned on for Murray. And now I half-expect a Deep Six audio series to suddenly appear on Audible.
“McGee Has Changed More Than Any Other Character.”
When I asked him about McGee’s evolution over two decades, his whole posture shifted — not heavy, but thoughtful.
“I had no idea I’d be here twenty-two years later,” he said. “And sometimes I’ll see early clips and I’m like, wow. What a different deal.”
He told me that from the beginning, he and the producers pushed for real growth.
“We didn’t want the baby Maggie Simpson thing,” he explained. “You can’t revert to the same character every week. McGee had to learn, had to get better. That’s why I haven’t gotten bored. It’s not the same old thing.”
And he’s right — “Page-Turner” is the perfect example of that evolution. The timid rookie who once flinched when Gibbs snapped at him is now a seasoned agent who solves cases by trusting his imagination, his instincts, and yes, sometimes Rick Soares.
The NCIS Universe: Origins, Tony & Ziva, and “Different Styles”
With NCIS: Origins and the Tony & Ziva spinoff adding fresh energy to the franchise, I asked him whether the expansion influenced the mothership’s approach. Murray didn’t see it as influence so much as permission.
“These shows have different styles,” he said. “Origins is darker, Tony and Ziva has that fun European spy vibe. And I like that. It’s much better than having shows that try to be carbon copies.”
He called the original NCIS “the chicken soup,” but emphasized that the franchise is thriving because each show brings its own flavor instead of mimicking the others.
Of course, I’ve been watching NCIS Season 23 so far, and he’s right — the playfulness has been noticeable. Even Murray feels it.
“It just feels really good this year,” he said. “We’ve got more at stake, more personal stuff for the agents. We’re really enjoying where things are going.”
Don’t Get Too Comfy — Darker Episodes are Coming.
Of course, this is NCIS, so the lighter episodes never last forever. With Parker’s family arc moving to the forefront, I asked if things were about to get heavier.
He didn’t hesitate.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “There’s some heavy stuff coming up. We balance the light with the dark, and it works.”
Then he dropped two major teases — casually, like someone mentioning they picked up almond milk on the way home.
NCIS fans, start theorizing.
Is a McGee Spinoff on the Table?
I couldn’t resist bringing up the Thom E. Gemcity of it all — McGee’s writing career is practically begging for a Castle-esque procedural.
He laughed, a little surprised.
“That could be fun,” he said. “I mean, yeah, you get ideas like that. But honestly? I’m having so much fun with what we’re doing right now.”
Translation: he’s too happy this season to daydream — but he’s not ruling anything out.
As for what he still hopes to do with McGee before the end of the road?
“Sometimes Knight gets to go do the super SWAT stuff,” he said. “I’d like to see if McGee could handle that.”
A McGee-in-over-his-head action arc? Yes, please.
Preferably with McGee narrating alongside his NCIS cohorts as their respective characters!
Sean Murray was warm, relaxed, surprisingly funny, and nothing like the anxious edge we often associate with Tim McGee. If anything, he radiated the energy of someone who’s genuinely enjoying the work — the scripts, the tone, the stories, the cast, all of it.
And if the little hints he dropped are any indication, NCIS fans have quite a ride ahead: returning faces, emotional family reveals, and the continued evolution of a character who has quietly become the heart of the show.
Not bad for a ten-minute coffee chat that didn’t feel like ten minutes at all.
After 22 years, NCIS is still at the top of viewers’ hearts, a testament to the cast and creators who give it their all year after year. Here’s to even more storytelling that puts Sean Murray front and center.
In case you missed it, be sure to read our NCIS Season 23 Episode 6 review. We’ve got a lot to talk about!
