Sean Murray, Rocky Carroll, Katrina Law, Gary Cole — Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS

Many Questions Remain as 'NCIS' Heads Into Its 21st Season

Here's everything you need to do about the naval criminal investigation series' 21st season.

Author:
Paulette Cohn
Updated:
Feb 8, 2024

Entering its 21st season, NCIS is the third-longest-running drama series in TV history, following only Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order in the number of seasons on the air.

Season 20 saw the changes introduced at the end of Season 18 and beginning of Season 19 come to fruition as Gary Cole (Alden Parker), who took over for Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs), has won over the team—and viewers—as its new leader, and Katrina Law (Jessica Knight) has nicely replaced Emily Wickersham (Ellie Bishop), who exited at the end of Season 18, as the female member of the squad.

So much so, that it was happy times when Jessica told Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) that she loved him in front of all the team members, and we can only hope that in Season 21 we will see the deepening of that relationship.

Here is what we do know so far:

When does NCIS return?

NCIS will premiere its 21st season on Feb. 12 and here's a fun Instagram post by Wilmer Valderrama to celebrate the start of production:

What time is NCIS on?

NCIS will return in its Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT time slot.

Which NCIS cast members are returning for Season 21?

Gary Cole (Special Agent Alden Parker)

Sean Murray (Special Agent Timothy McGee)

Wilmer Valderrama (Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres)

Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer)

Diona Reasonover (Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines)

Katrina Law (Special Agent Jessica Knight)

Rocky Carroll (NCIS Director Leon Vance)

Who will be leaving NCIS in season 31?

The death of David McCallum on Sept. 25, 2023 brings to an end his 20-year run as Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard. McCallum was the last original cast member. He died of natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital surrounded by his family.

Will there be a tribute to David McCallum on Season 21 of NCIS?

Definitely! Co-showrunner David J. North tells TV Insider that the second episode back (Feb. 19) will see the team take over a case that Ducky was working on in secret to clear someone's name

“The case was important to Dr. Mallard. In [investigating it], they’re going to relive their memories of a coworker and a man who meant so very much to them,” North said. These recollections make the grieving crew ask, “What would Ducky do?” and the answers lead to a solution.

The episode was co-written by Brian Dietzen and Scott Williams, making it Brian's third NCIS script.

What happened in the NCIS Season 20 finale?

In the Season 20 finale, it looked as if Nick might have gone off the reservation again when we saw photos of him in an orange jumpsuit in prison. But it turned out he was only undercover. But that isn’t where Nick really goes rogue. It’s in the final scene of the episode, which began with Torres back undercover as Manny Delgado, who is serving 10 years for armed robbery, in order to continue the investigation into the Russian spy ring in the “Black Sky” episode.

While he was undercover, Nick befriended a fellow prisoner who said he was framed—don’t they all?—but Nick believed him, especially when he saw the man who came to visit the other prisoner. And it was the sight of this mystery man that sent Nick rogue, leading to a cliffhanger of an ending. Will Nick step over the line and take the law into his own hands? We’ll have to wait for Season 21 to find out.

Are there any spoilers for NCIS Season 21?

It's not exactly a spoiler, since it was a cliffhanger, but when NCIS returns, it will have to resolve Torres holding a man at gunpoint. Since Torres called his sister to tell her that he had found the man and he was still alive, we know whatever is going on is personal and in the promo below, we see Torres arrested for the man's murder.

Then, there's the aforementioned Jessica Knight/Jimmy Palmer relationship, which will begin in Season 21 with both parties having declared their love for each other. But things get complicated when Jessica's dad, an NCIS agent in the Far East Field Office, comes to visit.

“Like most dads and daughters, Knight and her father share a loving but complicated relationship," North tells TV Insider. "His sudden appearance will dredge up some unresolved arguments. He’s the reason she wanted to be an agent, but she feels like she can’t get out of her dad’s shadow. It will force Knight to confront delicate questions about her life choices, including how Jimmy fits into her future.”

Jimmy will also be disappointed in the greeting he receives from Papa Knight, whom he is meeting for the first time. It’s going to be a hurdle for the bullpen couple. Says North, “As much as we love [Knight and Palmer] together, relationships are hard.”

Will Mark Harmon return to NCIS?

It is a definitely possibility. As showrunner Steven D. Binder told Parade, “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.”

What does NCIS stand for?

When the series premiered, it was originally called Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which was later shortened to NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and then, once everyone knew what NCIS stands for, the series simply became NCIS.

How to watch and stream NCIS Season 21 on TV and online

New episodes of NCIS will air Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. You can also watch on Paramount+.

Where can I catch up on previous seasons of NCIS?

Previous seasons of NCIS are available on Paramount+, Netflix, and in reruns on USA Network.

Next: CBS Makes Big Changes for its Fall 2023 Schedule