And at the end of the episode, just before Ducky’s funeral, Tony popped by NCIS HQ and gifted Jimmy with a bow tie for the occasion. He tells Jimmy that it’s not just the stories we leave ...

and Gibbs attended his funeral with Billy Dee Williams’ Leroy Jethro Moore, Jackson’s longtime friend whom, as is obvious, ...

was declared officially deceased in a staged public funeral to throw off their adversaries. This tactical deception ensured his safety while preserving the integrity of the NCIS mission.