Now that , fans can breathe a sigh of relief that their favorite special agents will be back in action for another year. While some people may have wondered if the series had finally run its course, the renewal comes as no surprise to "NCIS" star Brian Dietzen, who has portrayed Dr. Jimmy Palmer since the show's inception back in 2003.

Dietzen has skillfully ridden the wave of "NCIS" success, having slowly moved up the ladder from recurring guest star to main cast member over the course of the first 10 seasons. During his time on the show, though, he has said goodbye to several high-profile co-stars, including flagship star .

In recent years, the one-time ratings juggernaut has seen a dip in viewership, yet the CBS series — which airs new episodes on Monday nights — still remains a beloved show for many fans. That's why Dietzen wasn't sweating whether the show would return for Season 21.

Yet all good things must come to an end, and the finish line may be peeking over the horizon for "NCIS." Still, Dietzen isn't panicking. As revealed during an expects that CBS will give the show the send-off it deserves before closing the agency door for good.

Dietzen expects NCIS will get 'fair warning' before its demise

While there's no telling when CBS might pull the plug on "NCIS," the writing on the wall is beginning to come into focus. Despite the 2021 launch of "NCIS: Hawaii," the network recently canceled original spin-off "NCIS: Los Angeles" after 14 seasons, and a steady ratings decline for the flagship series certainly brings it into rough waters.

But Dietzen remains confident that the cast, crew, and fans of "NCIS" will get fair warning before the plug is pulled on the show.

"I'd like to think that if and when it's time for our show to end that we'll get the same treatment that 'LA' did, which is to say that they'll give us fair warning to go, 'Here's how we'd like to wrap it up this year,' allowing us to do the sendoff we'd like," he says.

Considering how long the show has been on the air, it's highly likely that CBS would preface the end of "NCIS" by marketing it as "the final season." And if that's the case, Season 21 won't be the last.

But for now, Dietzen is just taking it one season at a time, saying he hopes to co-write his third episode of "NCIS" and that he's looking forward to seeing "which characters get to come back for a visit" in Season 21.

"I would love for Michael Patrick Thornton, who played a character [in Season 20, Episode 14, which Dietzen co-wrote], to come back," he says. "... I'd love to see Elle Graper, who played my daughter Victoria last year, come back as well. I'd love to see ... what the next natural progressions are with Knight and Jimmy."