The Hidden Meaning Behind NCIS: Tony and Ziva’s Season 1 Finale Tribute to Curtis Krick
NCIS: Tony & Ziva ended its first season with a quiet tribute to Curtis Krick, leaving fans asking who he was. He never worked on the series, but his story is closely tied to creator John McNamara — and it explains the finale’s unexpectedly personal sign-off.
If you stuck around through the credits on the NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1 finale and saw the card that read "In memory of Curtis Krick," you probably wondered who that was and how he connects to this show. Short version: he didn't work on Tony & Ziva directly. The tribute came from creator John McNamara, honoring a longtime collaborator and friend from an earlier series.
Why the finale honored him
The Season 1 capper, "Full Circle," closes with that memorial card for Krick. McNamara worked closely with him on The Magicians, where Krick was a key behind-the-scenes force. Even though Krick wasn't part of the Tony & Ziva crew, this was McNamara paying respect to someone who helped make his previous show sing.
Who Curtis Krick was
Krick was a visual effects supervisor with a deep resume. If you watched The Magicians, you've seen his work. The show ran five seasons; he ran point on VFX in Seasons 2, 3, and 4. Not exactly an easy gig on a series that threw everything from flying ships to reality-bending sequences at the screen.
What happened
Earlier this year, Krick died following a battle with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, according to a GoFundMe page set up in his name. Beyond that, his family has kept the specifics private.
How his colleagues remembered him
McNamara shared credits on The Magicians with Sera Gamble, who also brought Krick over to work on Netflix's You. In April 2025, she posted a tribute on Instagram that captured what it was like to work with him:
"Curtis Krick was our VFX supervisor on #TheMagicians. Asking him to also come work on #YouNetflix was a no-brainer. He was fabulous. Patient, funny, smart, took his work very seriously. He quoted Shakespeare while discussing werewolves. His ideas fixed problems and elevated scenes and kept potentially extremely cheesy things from looking cheesy and allowed us to execute tricky ideas (flying ships, twin fever-dream Joe Goldbergs) elegantly.
I'm so grateful for all his beautiful work. My heart goes out to his loved ones as they feel his loss."
Where you might have seen his work
- The Magicians (VFX supervisor, Seasons 2–4)
- You (VFX, at Sera Gamble's request)
- Fast X
- The Flash
- Supergirl
- Believe
- Fringe
So, if the Tony & Ziva finale's dedication caught you off guard, that's the story: a personal nod from the show's creator to a trusted VFX partner whose work quietly shaped a lot of what you've watched. A classy, deserved salute.