NCIS is bringing Sarah McGee back into the conversation just weeks after Rocky Carroll’s Leon Vance was killed off, and this time the reason is a treasure hunt case with a doll collector’s edge. The latest episode, “Knick Knack,” turned a murder aboard a museum ship into a strange detour through Sugar Sprout Dolls, old family keepsakes and one very determined bid war.
At the start of the episode, Jessica Knight got a package from her mother and tossed it in the trash before realizing what was inside: Sugar Sprout Dolls and a pair of eyeglasses that had belonged to her great-grandfather. Knight turned the glasses into new sunglasses, and McGee quickly spotted her Sunburn Sally doll because his sister Sarah collected the toys. He even offered Knight $50 for it, only for her to later list the dolls online, where McGee checked back and saw the total had climbed to $1,500.
The dollars-and-sentiment twist matters because Sarah McGee is not just a passing name in the background. Troian Bellisario played her in Season 2’s “Red Cell” and returned in Season 4’s “Twisted Sister,” and since then Sarah has been mentioned only a handful of times despite being away from NCIS for 20 years. Bellisario, known for playing Spencer Hastings on Pretty Little Liars and most recently seen on On Call, also gave birth to her third daughter in January, adding another layer of timing to the character’s resurfacing in the 2026 TV schedule.
That leaves the story with a clean tension: NCIS has reopened the door to Sarah McGee while still not saying anything about who will permanently replace Vance as director. With the 23rd season down to a handful of episodes, the show is using a playful side plot to keep old relationships alive while the bigger leadership question stays unresolved.
For now, the answer is yes — Sarah McGee is back in play, and NCIS is making sure viewers remember exactly why her name still matters.
