Everything We Know So Far About 'NCIS' Season 20
Katrina Law, Gary Cole, Sean Murray, and Wilmer Valderrama
Despite the departure of Mark Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS still managed to finish the 19th season as the No. 1 broadcast series, which naturally made it a no-brainer to be picked up for a 20th season by CBS.
NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder exclusively teased Parade.com about what is to come in season 20 saying, “We’ll be seeing their non-work life a little more. I think one of the cores of the show is the cases. The show’s called NCIS, it’s about the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. But anyone who watches the show knows that it’s really about the people on the show.”
He added, “I always tell the new writers, your cases have to work, they need to be funny, they need to be interesting, they need to be in a new arena, they need to be clear, they need a twist, and they need to be exciting to the end. And nobody cares about any of it. What they care about is the people on the show and their history. So, you’ve got to get that straight so we can then dance in the realm that people care about.”
Here is everything we know about NCIS season 20 so far, including this post from Wilmer Valderrama on the start of production! He wrote: "On set with Agent Knight.. we are swinging away on episode one!.. big premiere."
When does NCIS return?
The series will return for its 20th season on Monday, Sept. 19.
What time is NCIS on?
NCIS will air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Which NCIS cast members are returning for season 20?
Gary Cole (Special Agent Alden Parker)
Sean Murray (Special Agent Timothy McGee)
Related:It’s All in the Family for Sean Murray when His Daughter Cay Ryan Murray Guest Stars on NCIS
Wilmer Valderrama (Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres)
Next,Is Wilmer Valderrama Leaving His Role as Special Agent Torres on NCIS?
Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer)
Related: There's Romance in the Air on NCIS! Brian Dietzen on the Jimmy Palmer-Jessica Knight Affair!
Diona Reasonover (Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines)
Katrina Law (Special Agent Jessica Knight)
Rocky Carroll (NCIS Director Leon Vance)
David McCallum (Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard)
Who will join the NCIS cast in season 20?
Teri Polo
Teri Polo
Teri Polo will play Vivian Kolchak, Parker’s ex-wife, and a former FBI agent who left the FBI following their divorce and took a Defense Department job as a paranormal investigator. She is set to first appear in the season 19 finale and then return sporadically in season 20.
Related: NCIS Adds a New Recurring Character Opposite Special Agent Alden Parker
Which NCIS cast members left the show in season 19?
Mark Harmon
That would be Mark Harmon, who exited his role as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and was the last original series regular. Gibbs had been having a difficult time ever since he was suspended for beating up the man who was abusing dogs, and when a case took him to Alaska and some great fishing, he finally said goodbye.
“I’m not going back, Tim. I’m not going home. I am thinking I don’t have another boat left to build. Whatever I’m feeling, this sense of peace, I have not had this since Shannon and Kelly died and I’m not ready to let it go. I could not have imagined anyone better to have watched my back from the past 18 years than you, Tim. I love you, man.”
Note of clarification: Sean Murray did appear as Special Agent Timothy McGee in season one but he wasn’t a series regular at that point.
Mark Harmon
Will Mark Harmon ever return to NCIS?
It is definitely a possibility. As showrunner Steven D. Binder recently reiterated at PaleyFest to Parade.com what he said when Harmon initially left, “Never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out. What the future will hold I can’t say, but I wouldn’t count anybody out, dead or alive, on the show.”
Will Michael Weatherly ever return to NCIS?
The fact that Michael Weatherly wrapped up production on his Bull series means he, too, could pop in for a visit from Paris to fill us in on what he and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and their daughter, Tali, have been doing.
TVLine put that question to Binder, and he said, “Wouldn’t that be great?” But from there, he turned skeptical. “When [Michael] left NCIS, he said to me, ‘I am never going to do network television again.' He had just had some kids, and the hours are so long… but then this Bull thing landed in his lap, and again he was working like a fiend. So I suspect — forgetting Tony DiNozzo for a minute — that Michael Weatherly is on vacation. I’ve known him for a while and I think he needs to chillax and go someplace tropical. I haven’t spoken to him about that but we’ve talked over the years, and that’s my guess.”
Photo: Robert Voets/CBS
What are the episode titles for NCIS Season 20?
"A Family Matter"
Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) is still on the run with his ex-wife Vivian (Teri Polo), so the team investigates who from his past might have a personal vendetta against him in hopes of clearing Parker’s name. Enlisting the help of NCIS: Hawai’i’s Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and Computer Specialist Ernie Malick (Jason Antoon), who are in town meeting with Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) in preparation for a global military exercise, the group tracks down their prime suspect, The Raven.
"Daddy Issues"
McGee’s personal life and professional life intersect when a dad from his children’s school is linked to a break-in at a government storage bunker.
"Unearth"
When a dead body is found at an ancient burial site that is thought to be cursed, the team tries to determine the motive and the symbolism behind the crime. Also, as Torres continues therapy with Dr. Grace, he discovers that their lives are in danger.
"Leave No Trace"
Agent Knight’s past resurfaces when her ex-boyfriend, a National Parks Service agent, teams up with NCIS to investigate a campsite murder.
"Guardian"
Agent Parker steps up to protect Director Vance after a terrifying home invasion. Also, the team detects advancements in Jessica and Jimmy’s blossoming romance.
"The Good Fighter"
When an NCIS agent turns up dead and Kasie goes unaccounted for, the team must work quickly to find the killer.
"Love Lost"
NCIS must investigate the Secretary of the Navy when her husband claims she tried to murder him.
"Turkey Trot"
After an unknown shooter causes chaos at an annual Thanksgiving 5K, time is of the essence for the NCIS team to find the culprit. Also, Kasie joins Knight for Thanksgiving lunch at Knight’s sister’s house.
"Higher Education"
NCIS investigates the death of a college student who was killed while running across the street and had connections to McGee’s wife, Delilah (Margo Harshman).
"Too Many Cooks"
NCIS agents from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Hawai’i, all in D.C. to attend the retirement party of a beloved Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) professor, find themselves jointly investigating his shocking suicide.