A gun is pointed directly at you and you’re faced with a split second decision: to shoot or not to shoot. This depiction is what Leroy Jethro Gibbs faces in the 200th episode of hit series, NCIS.

For the 200th episode, which premiered Feb. 7, NCIS took a risk that according to Michael Weatherly “is such a reward for the fans who have watched all the episodes.” And Weatherly, who plays Agent DiNozz is right, as always. In the episode, Gibbs has found himself in a moment of mortal danger as he imagines a series of alternate-reality scenarios that reveal what all of the characters’ lives would be like if Gibbs had made different decisions.

In these alternative realities, Gibbs meets characters both living and dead. Mike Franks, who died last season, returns to be Gibbs’ guide. Also, making a reappearance is Special Agent Kate Todd, who (SPOILER ALERT) marries DiNozzo in one of the realities, Director Jenny Shepard, and even enemy Ari Haswari.

Not all of the characters in the alternate realities are dead. Gibbs also sees different versions of his living friends and co-workers: Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby. Although this seems like a strange way to pay homage to 200 episodes and 9 seasons, NCIS sure pulls it off. For fans, this episode embodies everything they love about NCIS: murder, love, friendship, humor, tension – the list goes on and on.

And why shouldn’t NCIS be able to take this risk? TV Guide cites that NCIS is television’s number one scripted show, with “20 million first-run viewers every week and many millions more tuning into the seemingly nonstop cable reruns.” This is indeed an incredible feat for one show.

Plus, TV Guide also spills that NCIS will continue to churn out some more eventful episodes this season. Fans will meet Tony’s ex-fiancé and even Jamie Lee Curtis, who co-starred with Harmon in “Freaky Friday,” will be introduced as a potential love interest for Gibbs. The excitement and surprise never ends.

But although the success of NCIS is evident, the cast themselves find it hard to believe how far the show has come. Michael Weatherly admits that he didn’t think the show would amount to much. He wasn’t alone in this thought: rumors were that when Sasha Alexander called it quits in season 2, she had the same idea.

On the other hand, Mark Harmon (Gibbs) said, “It doesn’t feel like we’ve been here nine years. The actors are still excited. The writers are still excited. The crew is still excited. The network is certainly excited!” And of course, 20 million fans are excited too, including NCIS actress Pauley Perrette, who says: “I’m such a fan that I would be as devastated as anyone if NCIS was not on the air. Like, what happened to my show?! I get really attached to TV shows.”

Certainly, everyone is attached to NCIS. It doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon. They’ve been on top for three years now, blowing past the CSI franchise, which can hardly match up in viewership, and definitely not in hype. However, the cast, the producers, and the writers, won’t start slacking now. They’ll “keep up the good work” because they all know Rule #8: Never take anything for granted.