🔁 Who’s Expected to Return
According to multiple sources, the core cast from Season 22 is expected to come back:
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Gary Cole as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker
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Sean Murray as Senior Special Agent Timothy McGee
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Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nick Torres
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Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight
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Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer
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Diona Reasonover as Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines
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Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance en.wikipedia.org+15people.com+15collider.com+15
Plus, supporting characters who’d appeared in Season 22, including Parker’s father Roman (Francis X. McCarthy), are gone—following his death in the finale soapcentral.com+3people.com+3businessupturn.com+3.
No official departures have been announced, and all indicators point to a largely intact team returningbusinessupturn.com.
🧩 The Big Change: A Darker, Character-Driven Arc
1. A Shackled Procedural Format? Expect More Serialized Drama
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The Season 22 finale ended with a shocking “earth‑shattering” death and a major cliffhanger involving Parker’s father—meaning Season 23 will immediatley pick up where it left off, without a time jumpparade.com+15ew.com+15screenrant.com+15.
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Showrunner Steven Binder teases a move away from the case‑of‑the‑week format to a character-focused, emotionally intense season techradar247.com+4cinemablend.com+4collider.com+4.
2. Parker’s Revenge Quest
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Following his father’s death at the hands of Carla Marino, Parker is “going rogue”, driven by revenge, leading to a darker tone than usual screenrant.com+2people.com+2businessupturn.com+2.
3. Deep Dives for the Whole Team
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McGee is being positioned for a promotion to Deputy Directornypost.com+15cinemablend.com+15techradar247.com+15.
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Emotional and personal story arcs are in focus: Parker’s grief, McGee’s leadership, Knight and Palmer’s evolving relationship, and more of Nick and Kasie’s private lives techradar247.com+8cinemablend.com+8collider.com+8.
📅 When Will Season 23 Air?
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CBS has green-lit Season 23, and it’s expected to premiere in Fall 2025, most likely maintaining its Monday @ 9pm ET/PT slot cinemablend.com+13people.com+13businessupturn.com+13.
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Crucially, no time jump will occur—Season 23 picks up directly from Season 22 eventsgrababyte.in+4comingsoon.net+4screenrant.com+4.
Why This Matters for Fans
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☑️ High Stakes: With personal vendettas and emotional arcs, Season 23 promises more intensity and depth.
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💔 Emotional Payoff: The team dynamics are poised for evolution—traveling through grief, promotion, relationship tension, and possible romantic developments.
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🧠 Serious Character Arcs: Producer Steven Binder’s pledge to finally spotlight character stories could redefine the show’s identity, matching fan desires screenrant.com+2collider.com+2cinemablend.com+2.
🎯 Final Takeaway
Season 23 of NCIS is shaping up to be a different beast:
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✅ Returning core cast intact
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✅ Elimination of time jump—continuity retained
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⚡ Darker tone centered on Parker’s revenge arc
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🧠 Character-rich storytelling across the board
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📅 Planned Fall 2025 premiere, CBS Monday @ 9 p.m.
If you tuned in for the emotional threads as much as the weekly cases, this next chapter looks to deliver in spades.
FAQs About NCIS Season 23
1. Will all main characters from Season 22 return?
Yes, Gary Cole, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, and Rocky Carroll are all expected to returnscreenrant.com+15people.com+15parade.com+15reddit.comtechradar247.com+3soapcentral.com+3comingsoon.net+3the-sun.com+3collider.com+3cinemablend.com+3.
2. Is there a time jump between seasons?
Nope—Season 23 starts immediately after the cliffhanger end of Season 22businessupturn.com+15comingsoon.net+15screenrant.com+15.
3. What major storyline drives Season 23?
Parker’s quest for vengeance after his father’s murder by Carla Marino sets the season’s darker tonenypost.com+15people.com+15businessupturn.com+15.
4. How will other characters be affected?
Expect McGee’s push for promotion, deeper looks into Knight & Palmer’s relationship, and personal arcs for Torres and Kasie webnewsobserver.com+9cinemablend.com+9collider.com+9.
5. When will Season 23 premiere?
Fall 2025 is the target, likely airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS screenrant.com+5people.com+5parade.com+5.
Let me know if you want a breakdown of Parker’s revenge arc, McGee’s destiny, or potential crossover threads with NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Exciting times ahead, NCIS fans!
