After more than a decade, NCIS is reaching deep into its history — and it’s not Ziva David who’s stepping back into the spotlight, but the woman who once filled her shoes. Season 23 of CBS’ enduring procedural juggernaut is about to bring back one of its most overlooked yet significant characters: Vera Strickland, Ziva’s original (and temporary) replacement, played by Roma Maffia.
The move marks a surprising and nostalgic turn for NCIS, which seems more determined than ever to reclaim its throne as network television’s crown jewel. With three active spinoffs — NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, and NCIS: Sydney — airing concurrently, the franchise is once again expanding its universe in thrilling, unexpected directions. And the mothership? It’s fighting for its legacy with everything it has.
🔥 The Franchise Reignites After a Rocky Year
Following Tracker’s unexpected ratings domination, NCIS found itself in an unfamiliar position — no longer the most-watched show on television. Season 22 struggled with uneven storytelling and moments of tonal whiplash that left even loyal fans uncertain of its future.
But the tide has shifted. Season 23 has been a creative and emotional revival, a return to what made NCIS resonate for two decades — heart, history, and humanity. The show’s first crossover event with NCIS: Origins is set to solidify that comeback.
🕵️♀️ Vera Strickland Returns — And She’s Bringing Gibbs’ Ghost With Her
In a move that’s both sentimental and strategic, Roma Maffia returns as Vera Strickland, the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense agent who briefly replaced Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) after her emotional exit in Season 11. Fans last saw Vera in “Under the Radar,” where she joined the Major Case Response Team during her final month of service — a brief but memorable appearance that filled a transitional gap for the team before Ellie Bishop’s introduction.
Now, over a decade later, Vera is stepping back into the field — this time tied directly to Gibbs’ early years in NCIS: Origins.
As confirmed by CBS, Vera’s return will bridge timelines in the upcoming NCIS/Origins crossover. In Origins, Diany Rodriguez plays the younger version of Vera, working alongside a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the flagship series will feature Maffia reprising her role as the present-day Vera, now older but still as fiery as ever — and still holding a grudge against Timothy McGee (Sean Murray).
“Vera’s back in the fold — and she still hates McGee,” teased executive producer Steven D. Binder.
Her reappearance isn’t just fan service. It’s deeply symbolic — a way of exploring the threads that connect Gibbs’ past and present, and the legacy he left behind. Vera’s connection to Gibbs, and her continued communication with him in Alaska, could finally answer lingering questions about his quiet retirement and emotional ties to the agency he built.
💔 Ziva and Tony’s Story Isn’t Over
While Vera’s return adds depth to NCIS’ current storyline, fans haven’t stopped asking the question: Will Ziva David ever come home?
Cote de Pablo recently wrapped NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+, reuniting with Michael Weatherly for a romantic, globe-trotting sequel that finally gave the fan-favorite couple the peace they deserved. The series ended with Tony, Ziva, and their daughter, Tali, building a life together in Paris — a far cry from the tragedy and chaos that once defined them.
Yet, despite that satisfying conclusion, both actors have hinted that the door to Washington, D.C. isn’t fully closed. With their characters still tied to NCIS through old colleagues and unfinished business — not to mention their wedding still unwritten — fans are clinging to hope for a full-circle reunion in the flagship series.
And what better moment than now — when Gibbs’ shadow looms large, Vera Strickland has resurfaced, and the team is once again confronting its past — for Ziva to return home?
🧭 A Season of Reckoning and Renewal
Between McGee’s stalled career, Parker’s near-death experience, and Knight and Torres being pulled into high-stakes operations, NCIS Season 23 has been about identity — who these agents are, and who they were trained to be. The reintroduction of Vera Strickland and Gibbs’ presence through Origins adds emotional gravity to that theme.
It’s not just nostalgia — it’s legacy-building. The show isn’t merely revisiting its past; it’s redefining it.
⚖️ The Verdict
For longtime fans, Season 23 feels like NCIS’ long-overdue reward for sticking around — a blend of mystery, heart, and emotional resonance that recaptures the spirit of the early years.
As Vera Strickland reenters the story and Gibbs’ ghost echoes through both timelines, one thing is clear: NCIS isn’t just surviving — it’s remembering who it is.
And maybe, just maybe, that path will lead Ziva David home once more.
