Colonel Shay to finally appear on 'iCarly' finale

Colonel Shay is finally coming home.

Nickelodeon’s “iCarly’s” last episode airs tonight, so what better time for her father to appear?

Col. Shay has been stationed overseas for all five of the show’s seasons. Carly (played by Miranda Cosgrove) regularly dealt with missing him, and first lady Michelle Obama spoke about that difficulty for military families earlier this year on the show.

On the episode Carly’s brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor) offers to take her to the Air Force father-daughter dance. Spencer gets sick, but the colonel arrives just in time to take his daughter to the dance.

“I’m insanely proud to have created a TV show that’s loved by so many people around the world, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with this remarkably talented cast for the past five years,” Dan Schneider, creator and executive producer, said in a press release. “For the finale, I’ve always known that I wanted to bring Carly’s dad home, so I could wrap up the series in a way that will be exciting for all iCarly fans.”

The actor who will portray Col. Shay will apparently be a surprise.

The finale of “iCarly,” entitled “iGoodbye,” airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET.