Even after more than two decades on air, NCIS continues to surprise its fans. In Season 23, CBS is revisiting its past by bringing back a character many viewers may have forgotten: Special Agent Vera Strickland, portrayed by Roma Maffia.
Strickland originally appeared in Season 11’s “Under the Radar”, stepping in briefly after Ziva David’s (Cote de Pablo) departure. Serving as Mike Franks’ (Muse Watson) former partner, she temporarily filled the gap left by Ziva. Despite her short stint, Vera’s dry humor and no-nonsense style left a lasting impression.
Connecting Past and Present
Now, over a decade later, Maffia returns as part of the NCIS and NCIS: Origins crossover event, which ties together the flagship show with the prequel series exploring Gibbs’ early career. In Origins, a younger Vera is portrayed by Diany Rodriguez, showing her role in the early 1990s alongside Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Mike Franks.
Showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal told TVLine that including Vera in the prequel was “a deep pull,” but logical for the timeline. “She would have been there at Camp Pendleton. She was described as Franks’ first partner,” Monreal explained.
The Origins prequel expands Vera’s backstory, revealing “mysterious elements” that give writers more room to explore her character. NCIS Season 23 now benefits from that context, allowing the older Vera to interact with today’s MCRT while bridging the timeline between Gibbs’ early career and the modern team.
Why Vera Returns Now
Vera’s comeback isn’t random. After Season 22’s ratings dip, CBS is leaning on nostalgia and franchise lore to reinvigorate NCIS. The show now spans multiple spinoffs — Origins, Sydney, and Tony & Ziva — and bringing back fan-favorite characters helps maintain continuity across the universe.
For longtime viewers, Vera’s return recalls the transitional post-Ziva, pre-Emily Bishop era, often overlooked in the show’s extensive history. For newer audiences introduced via NCIS: Origins, she strengthens the interconnected storytelling that has become a hallmark of the franchise.
There’s also a meta layer: Maffia reprises the older Vera on NCIS, while Rodriguez plays her younger self on Origins, allowing audiences to see the same character across two time periods simultaneously. This approach exemplifies the franchise’s willingness to prioritize emotional storytelling and chemistry over strict timeline fidelity.
Echoes of Ziva
Vera’s revival subtly recalls the potential for Ziva David’s return. With Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly concluding NCIS: Tony & Ziva, fans remain hopeful for appearances in Washington, D.C., keeping the door open for beloved characters to reappear.
NCIS Isn’t Afraid to Bend Its Own Rules
While Rodriguez previously appeared as a different character in NCIS: New Orleans, the franchise has accepted minor continuity wrinkles for the sake of performance and chemistry. For most fans, Maffia’s Vera provides familiarity, while Rodriguez’s younger version enriches the character’s backstory — both enhancing the emotional resonance of the series.
Reintroducing Vera, who originally entered NCIS right after Ziva’s departure, is a clever nod to the show’s legacy — a reminder of how much the series has evolved and how its history continues to shape the present.
